These days I find myself thinking less about what I want to do in my spare or leisure time and more about what I can afford to do. I look for events and activities that offer great value and I shun name brands for store brands (and make them last longer). I'm not alone. I've found a new "store" brand in Tucson this summer, the return of the Tucson Toros! It's professional baseball without the attitude, ego or expense that has come to dominate the sports landscape. This latest incarnation of our beloved Toros competes in the Golden Baseball League throughout the western US. The games are played at Hi Corbett Field, right in the center of town. There is no affiliation to a major league club (or a minor league one for that matter). These guys play because they love the game, the coaches coach because they love the game; I go to see them because I love the game. For a $5.00 general admission ticket, you're guaranteed a great view of all the action. The expected ballpark snacks and treats are plentiful and affordable (especially on Thursdays!). Each home game features an interactive series of events for fans and the atmosphere is exciting, friendly, fun, safe and genuine ... it's three hours of bliss for the avid or casual fan. Every Friday home game features an awesome fireworks show that seems to last forever. Check it out at www.tucsontoros.com. Did I mention the parking is free?

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The 2009 U.S. Open Synchronized Swimming Championships was held in Tucson July 15 - 18, and my coworker Jenn and I had the pleasure of spending Friday afternoon at the event with Aimee and Ellen, two gals that swim for Tucson Synchro. Aimee and Ellen had Friday off (the older gals were competing that day), so they happily agreed to let Jenn and I experience what it's like to be a real synchronized swimmers for the day - all done up and learning synchro moves! Let me begin by noting that the last time I put on a one-piece swimsuit and tried to do anything athletic in the water was when I was on swim team when I was 10 years old. So, needless to say, I was a little worried about how I would do.

We showed up at the University of Arizona Recreation Center Olympic-sized pool (which I didn't even know existed!), put on our swimsuits, and sat down for Aimee and Ellen to work their magic. (We couldn't learn the moves without looking the part!) They started with purple eye liner, blue eye shadow, hot pink blush, and pink lipstick. They pulled our hair back into tight buns, and then the fun with the Knox (clear Jello-like substance) began. They were right, when Knox gelatin is mixed with hot water, it smells a tad like a wet dog. The Knox is the secret to keeping their hair hard and in place, even under water. We got to try on the beaded head pieces too, which are part of their uniforms, and can be quite expensive to purchase. They informed us one of their team members mom's makes the swimsuits and headpieces to save the team money (the decorated suits can cost up to $2,000 pre-made!).

After we were all done up, we headed into the pool. Here's a video of some of the fun:

My "takeaways" from our synchro lesson:

• Synchronized swimming might possibly be the hardest sport I have ever attempted to play. It's like gymnastics, but there is no floor to hold your weight, just your water-treading legs.
• The "Pinwheel" move is hard ... and it's a move these girls learned when they were just starting out!
• You better wear your nose clip. A shot of water up the nose is NOT fun.
• Egg beater legs (the movement they make with their legs to keep their heads above water) is really, really hard. I couldn't even maneuver it correctly holding on to the side of the pool!
• There are underwater speakers playing the same music as above the water to help the ladies keep their rhythm. I would have never thought of that!
• Some moves Aimee and Ellen taught us that I didn't even come close to being able to do: the oyster, backwards summersault.
• If I'm ever physically fit enough to balance a 120 pound person on my leg and fling them three feet in the air, it'll be a good day.

Thanks Aimee and Ellen for showing us what it is like to be you for a day! I'm definitely going to try to WATCH more synchronized swimming, but I don't think I'm physically cut out for the sport!

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My friend and colleague recently moved from Tucson to Denver (I know! There's no accounting for taste!). Like everybody else that knows her, I wanted to take her out to dinner one more time before she left and gave her a pick of any restaurant in town. Over the two years that I've known her, my friend and I have eaten at (literally) hundreds of Tucson restaurants. We have introduced each other to many new and exciting places that quickly became favorites. (After all, there are so many to choose from in Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Green Valley, etc.)

It was no surprise to me that she chose El Charro for our little celebration. It was, however, a surprise that she chose the new location in Oro Valley, rather than the downtown location which we had deemed a mutual favorite.

Neither of us had been to the new location but were very interested in checking it out. We were both very impressed with the ambiance. It's huge and beautifully decorated! The service was absolutely outstanding and the food; ahhh, the food was just as fantastic as it is in the downtown location. Luckily we were relatively successful at not filling up on the salsa and chips (which is quite a chore as the salsa is absolutely addicting). For dinner, my soon-departing friend had the Topopo salad and I had the Flautas Famosas. My friend even ordered a special little concoction for a dressing, which was presented to her perfectly. I, as usual, ignored my fork and knife and dove into my guacamole-sauce covered chicken flautas with my fingers. After all, flautas are finger foods, right?

After the salsa and chips, an amazing dinner, a couple of beers and margaritas, we decided not go be too gluttonous and order desert. (Was it too late to not be labeled gluttons?) 

This was indeed, a bitter sweet dinner, but one my friend and I will both remember. I'll miss our dinners and lunches together, but am so glad that our little celebration/commiseration dinner was so perfect in every way. Great company, food, service and ambiance; who could ask for more?

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The second time I've ever picked up a shotgun was this past weekend at Tucson Trap & Skeet Club. My friend Kristin convinced me to go skeet shooting with her for the day (a recent hobby she's picked up). We took our husbands out there too, convinced we could shoot better than they could. The drive there was surprisingly short, about 20 minutes from downtown, even though it sits outside of the city limits. The range is tucked away and barely noticeable from the road, even though it sits on 80 acres of land (apparently one of the largest facilities in the country)!

When we first arrived, I met Al, a Tucson resident who's been shooting skeet/sporting clays/trap for more than 25 years. He's a family friend of Kristin's, so he gave us a private lesson. Feeling very brave, we challenged the guys to a round of skeet (25 shells are shot per person in one round). It was neat learning about the sport, as I'd never been around anyone that has shot competitively. Al warned the guys that women tend to pick up the game more easily than men, so that gave me the courage. I came in first place in our first round with 12/25 clays shot!

After I decided to quit while I was ahead, I talked to Al for a bit about his history with shooting. When he can sneak away from managing his roofing business, he travels around the country taking part in shooting competitions. He really loves the sport. He did say that the Tucson Trap & Skeet Club is one of the best he's come across in the country, especially the club house restaurant (the same one I'd heard two other folks out there talking about earlier in the day). He said he likes how accommodating they are of groups out there, and that they book private groups and teach them shooting techniques, allow them to show off their skills with the rented shotguns, and then send them on their way for the day.

It was definitely an experience I'd recommend to anyone feeling like trying a new sport for the day!

On top of their normal hours, Tucson Trap & Skeet Club is open in the early mornings and some evenings too. Make sure to check out their website before you head out there.

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The Tucson Will Surprise You crew was out in force again. This time we stopped by the Phoenix Zoo for Starry Safari. We set up our booth and handed out free t-shirts, Southern Arizona Attractions Passports (2-for-1 deals on things to see and do), Destination Guides, and VIP coupons good for an additional 10% off your stay in Tucson. Now that's what I call cool savings.
It was quite a crazy Friday with tons of kids running around (even some with Tucson Will Surprise You t-shirts on!), Radio Disney blasting Hannah Montana, water slide madness and jumping castles nearby. Some of the parents even shared their own Tucson experiences with us and kept talking about how they can't wait to come back and visit Tucson again! It was a lot of fun, but I was definitely looking forward to returning to Tucson where it was about 10 degrees cooler. Phew.

Watch out for us the next time you're in Tucson! We'll be giving out random surprises all summer at various hotels, attractions, etc. Increase your chances of being surprised by entering on our www.tucsonwillsurpriseyou.com landing page. 

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