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CURRENTS
TUCSON TRADES SERVES AS A CATALYST FOR LOCAL ECONOMY
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Tucson Weekly Staff
Travis Freeman has participated in markets around town, but none were really the right fit.
So, he created his own. The first Tucson Trades Indoor Vendor Market will bring 100 local sellers to the Tucson Convention Center from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 29.
“I came up with the idea and concept by being a vendor at other markets in the past,” said Freeman, who owns Healthful Flowers, a Tucson CBD dispensary.
“At the other markets, something always tends to arise — heat, wind or cold. There’s always some sort of environmental issue.”
Even indoor markets didn’t work for him, as they often had limited space or poor lighting.
“It dawned on me that by having a previous relationship with TCC, it would be the best place to host a large market,” Freeman said. “The biggest part of that was figuring out if vendors would be willing to sign on to something that large.
“We immediately got a big, big, big response. People have been looking for something like this for a long time.”
From handmade crafts and artisanal goods to culinary treats and innovative technology, the market will be impressive, Freeman said. Among the food vendors is Ducky’s Pineapple Banana Bread.
“Ducky’s Pineapple Banana Bread is
hard to come by and it sells out quickly,” the Catalina High School graduate said.
“They’re bringing extra loaves. I have a lot of bakers who are coming with special dishes and treats.”
The world’s first nonprofit tattoo and body piercing shop, Spark Project Collective, will be there as well. The staff will offer flash tattoos starting at $20.
Speaking of nonprofits, Arizona Rescue Life will host dog adoptions. The metaphysical supply store, Aquamarine Daydream, will bring crystals and gemstones.
The Community Investment Corporation, an economic development nonprofit dedicated to the empowerment of Pima County residents and the surrounding area since 1996, will show the small businesses how to acquire loans.
Providing the soundtrack to the
event will be local musicians and performers.
“This event is going to be fantastic,” he said. “We’re going to have so many different things to offer people. We have a little bit from every industry. There’s not going to be an overabundance of one thing. It’s not industry specific. Events that are industry specific, the cost point to get in there is pretty high for the vendors.
“Our vendor fee was not very high.”
The key was to not interfere with the timing of the Fourth Avenue Street Fair. Freeman is working around those dates and creating a market when business slows down a bit — in July and January — after Christmas and in the summer when the students are gone.”
If Tucson Trades is successful, Freeman said he hopes to one day host up to 400 vendors under one roof. After all, it’s beneficial to all involved, he added.
“This event not only offers a fantastic shopping experience but also serves as a catalyst for economic growth and community connection,” he said. “By supporting local businesses, attendees can contribute directly to the success and sustainability of Tucson’s ecosystem.”
Tucson Trades Indoor Vendor Market
WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 29
WHERE: Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Avenue, Tucson
COST: Free admission
INFO: tucsontrades.com
PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE UA’S ARIZONA SANDS CLUB, TRAVIS FREEMAN OF HEALTHFUL FLOWERS, A TUCSON CBD DISPENSARY, CREATED TUCSON TRADES INDOOR VENDOR MARKET. HE’S RECRUITED 100 VENDORS FROM THE AREA TO SHARE AND SELL THEIR WARES ON SATURDAY, JULY 29, AT THE TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER. (NOELLE HARO-GOMEZ/CONTRIBUTOR)
Story & photos by Brian
Smith
WATER TERRORS, SUNBURNS AND A LITTLE WARRIOR PRINCESS
My father dropped me at a public pool near our house for swim lessons, and he drove off. I was terrified, couldn’t yet articulate the deep fear of water I was suffering at that age. Even the sight of a swimming pool frightened me to tears.
The other 5-year-olds loved it. I cried, freely. These kids, each with a parent there, scooted away from me and into the water as I sat on the edge with my feet in the water. At the behest of an impatient kiddie swim instructor, I got into the water, weeping as I was, to blow bubbles and kick my feet. The sun, perfectly centered in a blue sky for maximum ensnarement was a merciless reminder of the day’s unyielding cook-fest of our flesh, combined with the unshaded baby pool, adjacent to the big-kid pool, it all told of a deep futility. I trawled for reasons as to why I was the odd kid out and hooked the saddest, most fearful thoughts. This is how it would always go, cornered in someone else’s head.
After the session of interminable panic and horror, I was dropped at our house on Kenyon Drive by some other kid-swimmer’s mother, a prearrangement, I guess. My dad returned that evening with a Baskin-Robbins mint chocolate chip ice cream cone, my mother soothing some kind of cold cream to minimize sunburn sting. My father remarked on my progress, though how could he know? Anyway, I could only agree with my father, if only to keep peace. Each day my stomach erupted with dread of another week, another swim lesson. Years later I discovered my father never learned to swim, not as a boy in Missouri, not as an adult. That fact
was nothing he could or would say out loud to any of us five kids. Maybe water terrified him too?
After we moved to a bigger house on Tucson’s far east side, my parents somehow afforded a swimming pool in the back yard. I could mostly recontextualize my terrors of water and swimming pools by sheer force of will, and the hours spent cleaning the thing with a meshed net affixed to a long unwieldy aluminum pole.
Now the smell of chlorine evokes summers, mainly those before and just after 5th and 6th grade. Always
Verde Road bends and becomes Harrison Road, and smelled of cook-outs, glue crafts and kid body sweat. Elton John and Rod Stewart forever on the radio playing outdoors. I was a pretty good swimmer by then, but could hardly be alone by a swimming pool.
Tucson, Sonoran Desert sun and Camp Adventure, where my parents sent my little brother and me to spend our summer days, from morning to late afternoon, so as not to burn down the house, our street or the desert. The camp was situated in a forest of mesquite trees near where East Tanque
At the camp pool, my pale buddy and I would sometimes peel the burned dead skin off our backs in hopes of creating wild shapes we could name. This red-headed freckled kid, named Rusty, once peeled a layer from the tops of my shoulders all the way down to my lower back. In one
piece. It shaped out the state of Texas. Badass. Don’t remember if it was pain or joy, but Rusty screamed as I gently skinned a giant frog off his back. We each tried to save our dead ectodermal tissue in our paper lunch bags, maybe to pin it to our bedroom walls at home, but the pieces would disintegrate by day's end.
My little brother, too; his shoulders and nose conceived such ungodly shapes of fried skin from those summers, causing him immense pain and some creep in my guts, which I would sense again and again in ensuing years. His tender skin, my tender skin, we never tanned, only burned, so my relationship to the desert sun remains a complicated one.
Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen? Nah. In those days, we had what was called “sun lotion,” which, I’ve learned, had an SPF of two.
Decades later it is a Thursday afternoon in late July and I am walking my 3-1/2-year-old daughter Rickie to a swimming pool our neighbor friends are kind enough to let us use. Their university-bound 18-year-old daughter, Sophia, who is also a trained lifeguard and babysitter to our daughters, watches over Rickie too. Rickie’s one-piece swimsuit in the blue, pink and plum hues of Elsa from “Frozen” moves in tiny steps until a lizard appears, at which point her excitement
CURRENTS
FAN BRINGS RED DEAD REDEMPTION TO TOMBSTONE
By Veronica Kuffel Tucson Weekly Contributor
Kenney Palkow had an epiphany: create an event that allows fans to immerse themselves into the Western-themed video game, Red Dead Redemption 2. He created Tombstone Redemption, set for Saturday, July 29, and Sunday, July 30, in Tombstone. For the weekend, Palkow will transform Tombstone into the fictional town of Blackwater, an infamous site in the Red Dead Redemption game series. Fans will meet the characters, play real-life missions and
explore the old western town.
The weekend of events is free to the public, along with meet and greets with the voice actors of the notorious Van der Linde gang.
“Having one of the biggest Western video games on the planet was perfect (for our) target audience,” Palkow said.
“One day, I had this epiphany: Let’s im-
merse these players and create a physical connection to this game, giving them an entire city as their playground.”
Set during the decline of the American frontier in 1911, Red Dead Redemption follows John Marston, a former outlaw whose wife and son are taken hostage by the government in ransom for his services as a hired gun. Hav-
ing no other choice, Marston sets out to bring three members of his former gang to justice.
As with Red Dead Redemption 2, fans will enter Tombstone Redemption by robbing “First National Bank of Blackwater.” There, guests will collect maps and information.
“When you come into town, the first thing you need to do is go visit the bank of (fictional) Blackwater,” said Palkow, who hopes to increase Tombstone’s tourism with the event.
“That bank used to be ours back in the 1800s, but it’s now the visitor center. It’s the perfect place to start.”
A fan and industry professional, Palkow owns Kenney’s Custom Props, which develops materials for popular media like the “Deadpool” and “Night at the Museum” franchises.
The designer worked on life-size displays for Red Dead Redemption 2 event tours, and befriended cast members in the process.
“Along the way, I had become friends with Rob Wiethoff, who plays John
Voting is going on right now!
Class of 2023
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 GRAPHIC MADE BY FAN AND ORGANIZER, KENNEY PALKOW, FOR TOMBSTONE REDEMPTION. (KENNEY PALKOW/SUBMITTED)
Marston in the game,” Palkow said. “That’s my major connection from the start, and eventually I became friends with some of the other cast.”
Although he was in communication with the game’s creators, Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive and Sony PlayStation, Palkow worked alone. For private legal reasons, the companies could not participate.
“Everyone had concerns for such an undertaking for one person, and that’s totally understandable,” Palkow said. “This is the first time an event like this has happened here in Tombstone.”
The town gave Palkow permission to change the signage on the historic buildings. Mayor Dusty Escapule even lent a stagecoach to give tours of the new Blackwater.
“When fans are walking down the street…they’ll see something that reminds them of the game,” Palkow explained. “When they go to explore it, they’re going to get a history lesson. Everything I’ve done with this event, I’ve put some history into it.”
With the help of fans, Palkow designed the convention map to combine elements of the real world plus Red Dead. There are game-inspired missions that fans can explore.
Fans are encouraged to come dressed in cowboy and outlaw attire as they participate in ax throwing and quick-draw contests, dine on time-period cuisine
VOTEFORUSBESTOFTUCSON!
and alcohol and win limited edition prizes. The Red Dead cast will be available in the Oriental Saloon and Crystal Palace for interactions and autographs.
“As I released information out to the public little by little of all the things I was going to have, the more love and support I received,” Palkow said. “Looking over the analytics between the
website, RSVPs, Instagram, and other social media outlets, we are expecting at least 5,000 people.”
Palkow also pulled from other games in the Red Dead series, like the Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare-inspired poker tournament. Visitors are also invited to the Tombstone Rodeo, where they’ll get to watch the festivities with the Van der Linde gang.
During both days, fans can win limited-edition merchandise and one of eight Red Dead Redemption-themed PlayStation5 consoles, signed by the attending cast members.
Tombstone Redemption
WHEN: Various times Saturday, July 29, to Sunday, July 30
WHERE: Throughout Tombstone
COST: Free admission
INFO: tombstoneredemption.com
TOMBSTONE WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO THE VIDEO GAME TOWN OF BLACKWATER FOR TOMBSTONE REDEMPTION. (KENNEY PALKOW/SUBMITTED)
is hardly contained, and her direction changes completely. The summer now is hotter, the famous sun even more brutal. We protect her from the sun with hats and glasses and plenty of shade.
When Rickie first stepped into the pool a few weeks back, she instantly learned the power of water, and some primal idea of how quickly life could be snatched away, yet any fear of unknowns seemed to pass straight through her, the fierce little warrior princess she is. If her head submerged she understood implicitly the consequences, after several coughs and eye wipes. I am amazed because I was never this way. My wife Maggie, a good swimmer, but who nearly drowned twice in her lifetime, still harbors water trauma.
Now Rickie considers the elements in action, a dry, unrelenting world transformed to aquatic wonder, and acclimates to them with a giddy sort of amphibious curiosity.
Here I am tearing up in another swimming pool in 2023. This time it is all about the sight of my daughter, laughing and splashing, learning to hold her nose, kick and blow bubbles, her eyes meeting mine as I hold on to her little ribcage and underarms, flapping her up and down. Her little pull, push and balance in my arms, tethered by a trust of her father, where every tiny hint of reliance has meaning to me, a sensation that fills me with yearning, which I know she soon won’t need, calls my world into being.
How she shrieks with glee at a quivering wasp floating in the pool, greeting the inky thing with love and hellos, making sure I cup it in my hands and free it from the water to safety.
“He’s just drinking aqua, just a little.” She is so happy.
Our hour is up and there is no terror, no dread, no antipathy toward the next week’s swim lesson. If there was, she would tell me or her mother, in her way, and we would listen.
CUSTOM DESIGNS CLOSETS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
By Classy Closets
Custom Closets addresses the fact that one closet size or style doesn’t fit all. Each room has a size and shape and needs a specially designed closet.
Everyone is unique, and each person’s home should cater to their life the way they want to live it.
Most homes are designed and built with basic and uniform closet layouts that appeal to the general population. The materials used are like the design, basic, standard and inexpensive.
Your daily activities, way of living and the things that bring meaning and purpose into your life belong to you, and your home should play a supporting role.
For those who want and deserve custom closets, work with the best: Classy Closets.
As Arizona’s premier custom closet manufacturer, Classy Closets has been designing, building and installing custom closets and organizational solutions in Arizona homes for over 35 years.
Its team has seen firsthand how one basic closet size does not fit all.
The manufacturer is Tucson, Arizona and surrounding areas’ best company for any storage solutions, organizing one’s garage, home o ce, kitchen closet pantries or just about any closet ranking design and installation need.
Tuesday,
Where do you start and what should you look for?
Things to Consider When Making a Move to a Retirement Community 5
Now more than ever, retirement living offers residents value, services and safeguards in a supportive setting.
1. BEGIN RESEARCHING IN ADVANCE— BEFORE THE NEED ARISES. A good place to start is to ask family, friends and valued advisors for their recommendations and help with researching retirement communities. Waiting until the need arises can often result in hastier or short-term decisions that might fail to meet your long-term needs.
2. DETERMINE WHICH TYPE OF SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY WILL BEST FIT YOUR NEEDS. It’s important to understand the different types of senior living options and types of services & care they offer. From continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) which require large, upfront entrance fees to “rental” communities, which offer similar services with the flexibility of a monthly fee—there is a community to fit every budget and lifestyle. Begin with a list of your preferences and needs and compare potential communities by taking into account location, specific care services, and additional onsite services such as physical therapy, amenities and activities.
3. GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY. Whether you are taking a tour virtually or in person, you can begin to get a feel for a community’s amenities, services and safeguards. But it’s more than
simply choosing a floorplan and supportive services—it’s also about lifestyle. Ask about a community’s fitness, art classes or other interests you may enjoy—or about the community’s wellness programs. A retirement community can offer the peace of mind that there is an “extended family” to help provide support and lifestyle options.
4. DOES A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY MAKE SENSE FINANCIALLY? When compared to the monthly expenses, delivery services, transportation costs, meal expenditures, and the upkeep of a house, many seniors have found that they actually spend less per month and gain countless additional benefits by moving to a retirement community. Take a few moments to compute what it actually costs you to live in your home and compare your present costs to the senior living community. Many communities offer a “Compare the Value Checklist” for your convenience.
5. ARE THE COMMUNITY’S SUPPORTIVE CARE SERVICES ACCREDITED? You can learn a lot with a personalized community tour, but how do you measure the quality behind the scenes? The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is an independent non-profit organization that accredits providers of senior services. Accreditation provides you the assurance that high standards of quality care, service & safeguards are maintained. Make sure your selected community not only offers access to licensed supportive care and services, but is also CARF accredited.
SENIOR SERVICES
BENEFITS OF BIKE RIDING FOR SENIORS
By Ajo Bikes
Biking is an excellent form of exercise for seniors. It’s easy on the joints, great for the cardiovascular system and a fun and social activity. Plus, a little wind and sunshine are good for the mind. Research shows that when older adults cycle, they can:
∞ Improve their brain function
∞ Preserve their balance
∞ Reduce their risk of heart disease
∞ Reduce their waist circumference. (When extra weight collects around a person’s waistline they’re at higher risk for diabetes, cancer, heart disease and premature death.)
While biking can be good for you, seek your medical provider’s approval before beginning any new exercise program.
Types of bikes for seniors
There are plenty of bike options that can accommodate older riders and their varying levels of skill, fitness and mobility. No matter the style you ultimately choose, it is recommended practicing on a stationary bike before you hit the open road to help boost your cycling confidence and get you used to the mechanics of a bike, including the sometimes-tricky act of mounting and dismounting.
Cruisers
As the name implies, cruiser bikes — also known as beach cruisers — are made for casual cycling. With wide tires, wide seats and tall handlebars, they’re ideal for older adults looking for a stable yet comfortable ride. They’re great for wheeling around town or running errands. But all those features that make the bikes stable also make them heavy. If you plan to transport the bike anywhere, make sure you can lift it before buying. Cruisers
are best used on flat trails, they’re not good for long distances (or going uphill) because of their lack of gears and their weight. The heavier a bike is, the harder it is to start from a stop and generate momentum.
Cruiser bikes can also be hard to navigate around tight turns due to their long wheelbase, and with a top speed of about 15 miles per hour you won’t break any land speed records on a cruiser.
Adult trikes
Remember the tricycles of your youth?
Adult trikes operate under the same principle. They’re three-wheeled adult-sized bikes that, like cruiser bikes, are built for the casual cyclist looking for comfort and stability. Trikes are a great choice for someone new to biking, as they don’t require much skill to ride.
The three wheels give the bike a solid, balanced feel — perfect for riders concerned about falling — and some come with gears, so you don’t have to worry about getting up hills. However, these bikes aren’t built for speed or o -roading. And thanks to their boxy design, they’re heavier, more di cult to transport and
take up more room than a traditional bike.
Recumbent bikes
A recumbent bike allows you to cycle in a semi-reclined position, with the bike’s pedals in front of you instead of underneath you. This bike style is a great choice for anyone who needs back or neck support or wants to reduce pressure on their knees. Some recumbent bikes also come equipped with hand cycles instead of traditional foot pedals, so you don’t have to use your legs at all to propel the bike. Because you’re low to the ground, you’re apt to feel more stable. However, that low profile can diminish your visibility to others, so be sure to equip your recumbent bike with a safety flag.
Recumbent bikes allow you to ride on roads and trails, and because of their extra width, riders notice that drivers give them a much wider pass than they did when you ride a regular bike. Some recumbent bikes can be folded, but they can still be di cult to transport due to their weight.
By Linda Ray Tucson Weekly Columnist
JESSE AND JOY
These siblings’ aesthetic was shaped by their parents’ eclectic musical tastes. With Joy on guitar, drums and lead vocals, and her brother Jesse on piano and guitar, the duo has earned seven Grammy awards with its creative Latin-influenced pop-rock sound. Committed to philanthropy, they’ve supported recovery efforts after Mexico’s earthquakes and performed concerts to help mobilize Latino voters in the United States. Francisca Valenzuela opens.
8 p.m. Friday, July 28, Fox Tucson Theatre, Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S. Church Avenue, tucsonmusichall.org, tickets start at $39.
“MAN OF LA MANCHA”
This popular musical play, inspired by Cervantes’ 17th century novel “Don Quixote,” centers on a benighted knight and his fellow prisoners in the Spanish Inquisition. Playwright Dale Wasserman was always clear that his narrative didn’t map to its inspiration, but this tale is nearly as classic. Its five Tony awards include one for best musical, and its singular hit, “The Impossible Dream,” has won fans in every generation since the play’s 1965 debut. 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 28, and 9:30 p.m. Sunday, July 30, St. Francis in the Foothills UMC, 4625 E. River Road, simpletix.com, $20
“ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED”
“Red Dead Redemption” video game soundtrack composer Bill Elm leads a lineup of legendary Tucson desert rockers in creating an original score for this 1926 film adaptation of a tale from “The Arabian Knights.” Elegantly detailed cut-paper figures tell the tale, moving like shadows on a background of changing colored light. Musicians include, besides pedal steel player Elm, drummer Tommy Larkin, saxophonist Jeff Grubic and bassist Sean Rogers. All have performed with
COOL OFF WITHIN THE PREHISTORIC BOWELS OF COLOSSAL CAVE. (VISITTUCSON.COM/SUBMITTED)
COLOSSAL CAVE
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Colossal Cave predates that designation by a few hundred millennia. Giant sharks swam there in the era it was undersea. After the water receded 80 million years ago, give or take, the earth heaved up mountains all around. Learn the rest of the story on a tour. The most popular, the Classic Cave Tour, is ideal for all ages and abilities. There’s also a gift shop for the essential T-shirts, and a café for grab-and-go eats.
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, tour hours vary, Colossal Cave, 16721 E. Old Spanish Trail, Vail, colossalcave.com, tours start at $23
“ANASTASIA: THE MUSICAL”
IF ONLY ANASTASIA HAD GROWN UP IN PARIS! (DAN QUIÑONES/CONTRIBUTOR)
Many of us grew up believing that Princess Anastasia of Russia had escaped her family’s fate. We imagined her living a life as charmed as her true destiny was tragic. Such hopes for second chances underlie this lovely period fantasy. Anastasia is alive and thriving, glowing with the rush of adventure in 1920s Paris, even as the sun is setting on the Russian Empire. She finds her destiny, though, is in a plot twist involving a Russian soldier committed to her undoing. At least this “Anastasia” has a happy ending. Various days and times through Sunday, Aug. 6, Arts Express Theatre, Park Place Mall, 5870 E. Broadway Boulevard, Suite 214, arts-express.org/Anastasia, tickets start at $35
FRANK POWERS AND HIS MAGICAL VW BUS ARE AT CATALYST JULY 30.
(FRANK POWERS/SUBMITTED)
FRANK POWERS AND THE COMIC BOOKMOBILE
Comic actor, kids art teacher, firstcall fest emcee and party maker for kids of all ages, Frank Powers added artistin-residence to his resume when the Catalyst folks invited him to hold forth at Tucson Mall in June and July. Jump at this last chance to enjoy his bouncy castle, community coloring, comic book collection and the dozens of rare toys he pulls from “Buster,” his decorated VW bus.
Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 30, Catalyst, SAACA Creative Collective, Tucson Mall, 4400 N. Oracle Road, facebook.com/thecomicbookmobile, free
Giant Sand, Friends of Dean Martinez, Golden Boots or Calexico among others.
7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 29, MSA Annex, 267 Avenida del Convento, Tucson, mercadodistrict.com/annex/, $10 suggested donation.
TUCSON SAGUAROS BASEBALL
The Tucson Saguaros lead the Pecos
Aug. 2, and Thursday, Aug. 3, Kino Sports Complex, 2500 E. Ajo Way, saguarosbaseball.com, $10.
AGAVE PAINT N’ SIP
Relaxing in the shade of the Westin La Paloma patio is a rare “aaaah” experience. It’s been around long enough to feel lived in. This “paint and sip” party is an occasion to make new friends, sip artisanal cocktails (or beverages of their choice) and paint your interpretations of agave, whatever that means to you. All materials are provided, including a 16-inch by 20-inch canvas and all the colors you can imagine. If you happen to be into technique, instructor Christina will be your guide.
6 p.m. Friday, July 28, Westin La Paloma, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive, paintingandvino.com, $45 does not include food and beverages.
“THE DINNER DETECTIVE”
This “true crime” fantasy promises to slay, laughter-wise. The witnesses and even the perp could be sitting right next to you. They’ll be actors, of course, but you won’t know until you figure it out. This DIY detective game has toured dinner theaters all over the country since 2004, long before we all became addicted to true-crime podcasts. You can test your sleuthing skills among like minds and take home memories of how you cracked the case.
6 p.m. Saturdays, Hilton Tucson East, 7600 E. Broadway Boulevard, thedinnerdetective.com/tucson, tickets start at $49.95
ARIZONA SUNBURN FILM FESTIVAL
league going into the playoffs. They’ll face the Alpine Cowboys in the semifinals next week. The Saguaros are 29-9 for a .763 record. The Cowboys are 26-16 for .619. Games are at 7 p.m. nightly, Tuesday through Thursday. We recommend taking a spray bottle, galoshes and an umbrella. Stay hydrated and you should be fine. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, Wednesday,
This fest celebrates all things filmed in Arizona, by Arizona filmmakers. Entries may be from the last six years and any genre. Formats include short films, music videos and features in narrative or documentary format. 5 p.m. Friday: “Cactus Hôtel” and “Dumping Station;” 3 p.m. Saturday, all shorts; 5 p.m. Saturday, “Forever Home.”
Various times, Friday, July 28, to Saturday, July 29, The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street, Tucson, screeningroomdowntown.com, $7 per block plus fees.
LAUGHING STOCK
THE RETURN OF NURSE BLAKE
By Linda Ray Tucson Weekly Columnist
Nurse Blake (Blake Lynch) sold out the Rialto for two shows on his last visit to Tucson in September. It’s possible that not every nurse and orderly in Tucson saw that show, but that train has left the station. He’s bringing a whole new show next week in “Nurse Blake: Shock Advised.”
A Nurse Blake show is a multimedia affair, with props, video and costumes to add to the fun. His subject matter can be macabre, but it’s always well within medical professionals’ personal experience. And when he gets technical, he makes sure the rest of us get insights into the lives of those we know whose days are spent treading hospital floors.
Lynch worked full time in trauma centers, and it was about those times that he began creating the videos that exploded on YouTube and made him a comedy star.
To cope with stress with his nursing job, Blake started posting lighthearted original comedy videos aimed at his profession. The videos connected with healthcare workers around the world, went viral, and gained @NurseBlake 300 million views and nearly 4 million followers on social media.
Now comedy is his life and he’s taken it to stages all over the world. Meanwhile, his “NurseCon at Sea” has become one of the world’s most popular nursing conferences.
Through his “Banned4Life Project,” the direct action he generated was influential in overturning a long-standing policy of the FDA that prohibited homosexuals from donating blood. Now he’s promoting healthy work environments for nurses, and has written the best-selling children’s book, “I Want to Be a Nurse When I Grow Up.”
“Nurse Blake: Shock Advised,” 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6, The Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, tickets start at $47,www.foxtucson.com.
NURSE BLAKE RETURNS WITH AN ALL NEW SHOW. (NURSE BLAKE/ SUBMITTED)
OTHER SHOWS THIS WEEK
Corbett Brewery, 309 E. Seventh Street, 7 p.m. Friday, July 28, facebook.com/OffTheDeepEndComedyfree, “Off the Deep End Showcase,” T DOT Kingsley headlines, Cory Lytle hosts, Roy Lee Reynolds, Allana Erickson-Lopez, Codi Stucki, Manny Morales.
Hotel McCoy, 720 W. Silverlake Road, 7 p.m. Saturday, July 30, hotelmccoy.com, free, clean comic Chris Haughton hosts, Monte Benjamin headlines, Brady Evans and Autumn Horvat round out the lineup.
La ’s Comedy Ca e, 2900 E. Broadway Boulevard, laffstucson.com. 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday, July 28, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 29, $15, $20 preferred seating.
“Star Search” semi-finalist and TV comedy redneck Steve McGrew Tucson Improv Movement/TIM Comedy Theatre, 414 E. Ninth Street, tucsonimprov.com; $7 each show, $10 for both shows, same night, free jam 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27, “Cage Match; 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 28, Improv Jam; 7:30 p.m. “The Soapbox”; 9 p.m. Stand Up Showcase; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 29, “The Meeting” and “Finding the Words;” 9 p.m. “The Dirty Tees”
Unscrewed Theater, 4500 E. Speedway Boulevard, unscrewedtheatre.org, $8, live or remote, $5 kids. 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 28, Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU); 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 29, NBOJU; 9 p.m. Adult (uncensored) “After School Special.”
TUCSON ALZHEIMER REHAB
ACCEPTING REFERRALS FOR FALL 2023 SEMESTER
• Physical Exercise
• Cognitive Exercise
• 20 2-Hour Sessions
• $20 per session
• One-on-One Training
• Fitness Eval. Required
• Research Based Program
• Begins Mid-September
• Respite for Caregivers
• Flexible Hours
For more info or to register call Dr. Sharon Arkin, PsyD 520-603-2912 Sharonmerlearkin@gmail.com
Program takes place at: Desert Sports & Fitness 2480 N. Pantano Rd.
MUSIC HOT MULLIGAN JUST ‘BOYS DOING BOY STUFF’
By Jack Miessner Tucson Weekly Staff
Lansing, Michigan’s Hot Mulligan sells a $1,200 gallon of milk on their online store.
The product is a reference to the band’s 2022 single “Drink Milk and Run,” a reference to frontman Tades Sanville’s efforts to get in shape before a post–COVID-19 tour.
“You know when you’re drunk, and you start running, and how it’s just better?” Sanville asked in an interview.
“So, I would pound these disgusting PBR coffee things that have quite a bit of dairy in it. And I would go for my jog, and I’d sit back down afterward and dry heave for a long time. So, I drank milk and ran. And we sell you a gallon so you can do it, too.
“It’s no good,” admitted the frontman. “It’s really bad.”
While Pabst Blue Ribbon has since discontinued its hard coffee, Hot Mulligan continues to prosper with its despondent emo/pop punk tunes, recently returning from its first UK/EU headlining tour to release its critically acclaimed 2023 LP “Why Would I Watch.”
On social media, the group describes itself as the “No. 1 Hot New Band.” They might just be right.
Hot Mulligan came together in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, circa 2014, when Sanville met guitarist and vocalist Chris Freeman. According to the frontman, the two found each other playing in separate, “tiny, shitty DIY bands.”
“There’s kind of nothing up there but trees and hicks, so coming across band people is pretty difficult. Hot Mulligan formed because there aren’t many musicians that want to do band stuff up there,” Sanville said.
“After that, we moved down to the Lower Peninsula and started forming up the rest of the band. When you’re in a place with a bunch more musicians,
it goes a lot more smoothly.”
In those early days, Freeman and Sanville ironed their sound into a love child of their tastes: Freeman partial to pop punk and Sanville an emo enthusiast. The result was a new style, one that didn’t belong fully to either genre, but dipped its toes into both.
“Those two genres are full of gatekeeping around what the genre is. But we land somewhere in the middle, and I’m not exactly sure where, but we’re in there,” Sanville said.
“Chris is a Wonder Years, Simple Plan guy, that’s what he cut his teeth on. But even still, my favorite music is Midwest emo stuff. Free Throw, Brave Bird, You Blew It, Algernon Cadwallader, just the smorgasbord.”
“We put them together in a way that we thought was catchy, and it became Hot Mulligan.”
Songwriting is also a process of cooperation, in which each member is in charge of his area of expertise and brings his own sonic ideas to the table. Drummer Brandon Blakely handles percussion, while Freeman and Ryan “Spicy” Malicsi collaborate on the guitar parts.
“Everyone gets their thing. So, if ever I have a melody, I can bring it to them. For the most part, we’re a pretty well functioning, compartmentalized group. We’re each pretty good at what we do, so we put it together and make something a little bit better, I think.
“We’ve just been friends forever. A
group of boys doing boy stuff. It’s what most good bands seem to be anyway. A bunch of people who get along relatively well enough.”
But Sanville takes the helm when it comes to lyrical content of the songs, in which the singer relives some of his most regrettable moments. The lyrics are deeply revealing, self-reflective, at times self-critical, always vulnerable.
“It used to be like 50-50 down the middle, me and Chris. But in the past couple of releases, Chris has taken a step back and written quite a few less lyrics. He still gets at least one, but for the most part it’s just me doing my thing.”
“On the new one he made ‘It’s a Family Movie She Hates Her Dad,’ that was his lyrical contribution, which works for me. Other than that, every now and then he’ll have a line, and that’s a prompt that I run off of, or he’ll suggest lyric changes.”
In the new record, “Why Would I Watch,” Sanville rolled with the theme of bad memories, the title a plucked lyric from the song “No Shoes in the
Coffee Shop (or Socks),” that the band thought represented the “overall negative nostalgia” that the album radiates.
Over the 12 tracks, Sanville wonders about old friends, laments over familial trauma, reflects on his own failures, and mourns the loss of a beloved pet. On “Smahccked My Head Awf,” he muses on one of the more dismal aspects of memory, the loss thereof.
“It’s about my grandmother’s failing mental fortitude,” Sanville said.
“That song is a part of a series of songs that I’ve been writing for a long time about her and my worries about her. In almost every release I have at least one song where I’m commiserating about Nana, and hoping that she’ll be OK.”
“Smahccked My Head Awf,” is a gut-wrenching brooding on one of mankind’s most haunting thoughts, the thought of losing a loved one while they’re still around. The title, on the other hand, comes from a different place.
HOT MULLIGAN BRINGS AN EMO/POP-PUNK HYBRID TO THE RIALTO THEATRE ON FRIDAY, JULY 28. (KAY DARGS/CONTRIBUTOR)
“One night Brandon, our drummer, was drunk, and he was getting back on the wagon, and he completely missed a step and railed his head off of the car next to us. And then for the next four hours he said that constantly. I was legitimately mad at him at the end of the night because he wouldn’t shut up about it. Then we named the song after it.”
Nearly every Hot Mulligan song takes this form, a disheartened, angst-ridden tune, accompanied by titles like “Christ Alive My Toe Dammit Hurts,” “Shhhh! Golf is On,” or “John ‘the Rock’ Cena, Can You Smell What the Undertaker.”
The art of the funny, unrelated song title is a long standing tradition in the emo scene. For the members of Hot Mulligan, who pull song titles from their own antics and inside jokes, it’s an opportunity to express who they are outside of the doom and gloom of their songs.
“I do like the tradition,” Sanville said. “I think it’s funny, and I think it stands because it’s eye catching, and it’s
begging to be funny even when it’s not. Reading a title like that on Spotify will make you go, ‘That sucks, and maybe the song’s good.’
“But I think the reason we do it is just because it’s all bummers for the most part, the lyrical content. The song itself is an expression of the worst, and everything else around it is just a band of guys being guys and doing dude stuff.
“It’s not all trenches, that’s just the product that we put out, I guess.”
Hot Mulligan w/Stand Atlantic, Cli diver and Annie Jump Cannon
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 28
WHERE: The Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $25; all ages
INFO: rialtotheatre.com, hotmulliganband.com
MUSIC TIM HEIDECKER TALKS ‘TWO TIMS’
By Jack Miessner Tucson Weekly Staff
Tim Heidecker understands the importance of being earnest.
“I don’t want to live my life just buried under levels of irony and distance, you know,” the comedian and musician said.
Heidecker’s career started as half of the comedy duo Tim and Eric, but these days, he’s part of another pair: Tim Heidecker and Tim Heidecker.
In the “The Two Tims Summer Tour ’23,” Heidecker plays Jekyll and Hyde, performing his stand-up routine for the first half, and then his original music with his group, the Very Good Band, for the second. The show comes to The Rialto Theatre on Monday, July 31.
“It really is a matter of changing shirts,” Heidecker said.
“When performers do their thing, and they come off stage, there’s this residual adrenaline that they don’t know what to do with. Well, luckily, I get to go back out and do more.”
character because you get to just be the Id,” Heidecker said.
“You get to be the worst version of yourself and yell at people, and so that’s fun. But in the second half, it’s a little more earnest, a little more soul bearing.
“It can be a little embarrassing or vulnerable. With jokes you get an immediate reaction. With music, you kind of have to wait for the song to be over to get any reaction. I always joke that I wonder if after the first song there would be no applause. How awkward that would be?”
Heidecker’s commitment to the bit has forced him to put up a barrier between himself and his audience during his live shows. The new format, according to the comic, allows him to address his fans out of character.
“I get to appreciate the audience, thank the audience and the band,” he said.
“A lot of the people have been with me for almost 20 years now, and then there’s some young kids who grew up watching my stuff. So, I do feel like I get a feeling of warmth and genuine love from me going to the audience, and from them to me, a very warm and joyous feeling to come together.
“There’s a place for the satire and the irony that’s in the first half, and then it’s sort of a release. You don’t have to be all super ironic and cool the whole time. You can kind of say, ‘How’s it going? How’s everyone doing?’”
In his stand-up, Heidecker plays the bumbling, abrasive role of an
The two Tims wouldn’t be caught dead at the same party. Heidecker’s songs are introspective, heartfelt tunes influenced by the likes of Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, Warren Zevon and Steely Dan. His comedy is more akin to a satirical performance art, whether he’s putting himself on trial for murder or broadcasting a 12-hour parody of the Joe Rogan Experience.
observational comic who observes little, who fumbles through botched punchlines and tries to hypnotize the audience so he can steal a peek at his notes.
“It’s really fun to do the stand-up
While his comedy bits and stunts are carefully crafted and involved, Heidecker’s songwriting is more of a spur of the moment process of free
association and playing around with ideas.
“There’s usually a couple of moments in the process where, and this sounds so pretentious, but the work signals to me what I’m thinking about,” the songwriter said. “So, I go into songwriting kind of subconsciously. And then over time a theme emerges that I can then use to continue to write. It’s just a discovery process most of the time, and I don’t even see some of the connections until it’s kind of nearing the end.
“But I like the idea of records having purpose. That there’s a reason these songs are there together. And how it works with the album art. I’m a fan of those kinds of records.”
The concept for his nostalgia-fueled, 2022 LP “High School” (produced by Mac DeMarco, Eric D. Johnson, Drew Erickson) is self-explanatory. On the cover, a teenaged Heidecker, wielding an Epiphone, looks toward something just out of frame. In the first moments of the record, a crackling soundbite from a home video introduces the musician.
“Timmy Heidecker, go ahead, sing your song.”
On the tracks to follow, Heidecker tells stories from his salad days; schoolyard fistfights, stolen crushes, daytime television, waterbeds. In “Sirens of Titan,” (featuring the inimitable Kurt Vile) he references Kurt Vonnegut, the Velvet Underground, and Claudia Schiffer all in one line, as if the setup to the world’s most niche “walks into a bar” joke.
According to the musician, the theme came to him while noodling around with the title track, “Buddy,” a requiem for a troubled friend from Heidecker’s youth.
“I didn’t really know what I was writing about until maybe the second verse or something,” Heidecker said. “And I started thinking about some old friends that I had lost touch with, and hadn’t thought about in a while. And I realized that I hadn’t thought about that time in my life.
“So I just thought about who I was in high school, what I was into and what I wanted to be and what I thought about the world. What I was listening to, what I was reading. It felt like it wasn’t cringey anymore to think about that period.
“In your 20s and 30s, the last thing you want to do is think about who you were in high school. And now in my late 40s, It’s like, ‘Oh, I like that kid, and I think he turned out OK.’”
But Heidecker insists on rooting the album firmly in the present. The track, “I’ve Been Losing,” chronicles his sense of defeat after the cancellation of a few of his projects, and his feelings that the “business of television has changed” in a manner that offers no place for his absurdist style of comedy.
In the ever-relatable “Get Back Down to Me,” Heidecker imparts the importance of focusing on the self, and not letting worries about others trample personal well-being.
“You know how there’s people in your life where you’re like, ‘Man, I’m putting so much energy into this person.’ Some people become the star of your movie, and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute, what about me?’
“And it sounds selfish, but I can’t be worrying about this person as much as I am.”
The song inspires the question: What does the road to get back to oneself look like? For Heidecker, a major part of that process is “doing this tour.”
“We did a run last summer, and we had so much fun that by the end I think we were already plotting this summer,” Heidecker said.
“When it’s all working good, and the people you’re traveling with are cool and fun to be with, being on the bus in the summer, driving across the country, it beats vacation. That’s for sure.
“I should note that our guitarist, Connor Gallaher, is a Tucson native, and is very excited to be coming home. And he’s said nothing but good things about the venue and the town. So come out and show Connor some love.”
“The Two Tims Summer Tour ’23”
WHEN: 8 p.m. Monday, July 31
WHERE: The Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $40; all ages
A BITE-SIZED THC EDIBLE DIRECTORY
By Eva Halvax Tucson Weekly Columnist
It’s like being a kid in a candy store. Gummies. Baked goods. Candies. Savory snacks. Nowadays, dispensaries are packed with shelves of cannabis edibles that, to say the least, can be a bit overwhelming.
Most edibles are infused with a form of cannabis distillate, which can either be strain specific, or a blend of cannabis strains.
As the cannabis market expands,
so does the research and rapport that flourishes among cannabis companies and consumers. Some edibles can be infused with Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), a heavy-duty cannabis oil that can help with pain and insomnia. Some are ratioed with other cannabinoids such as CBD and CBN. Regardless, there’s some form of cannabis involved. But where do you start?
The high from edibles is notably different from the high one gets from smoking cannabis. Typically, a high from an edible is a bit more prolonged and potent — in part due to the ways in which the body metabolizes THC. But edibles can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours to hit. The high from an edible can truly come out of nowhere.
Because edibles sold in dispensaries have to meet state standards in terms of dosages, the amount of THC in
each edible is consistent with package labels.
In Arizona, edibles sold recreationally cannot exceed 100 mg per package, and no higher than 10 mg per individual piece, or scoremark. Edibles dosed higher than 10 mg can only be purchased by medical cardholders.
Let’s dive into the different types of edibles, and what their differences bring to the table.
Chewables: Gummies, chocolates and baked goods
These tend to be the most attainable kinds of THC edibles found in dispensaries. Cannabinoids, such as THC, are fat soluble and can be easily mixed into butter and oil. This means the infusion process isn’t too much of a scientific hurdle, and is one that has been perfected for decades.
As mentioned above, chewable edibles have a longer activation time when compared to smoking cannabis, but as soon as THC is processed through the stomach and liver, it converts into 11-Hydroxy-THC, a much more potent byproduct of THC. This can result in a stronger and longer lasting high, one of the major selling points when it comes to chewables, as this can be an optimal choice for someone struggling with chronic pain or insomnia.
Drinkables
Yes! Drinking your weed is a thing. Thanks to emulsion technology, THC-infused beverages such as sodas, lemonades and juices are plentiful in dispensaries. Because
METHOD OF USE PLAYS ROLE IN CANNABIS CONSUMPTION
By Aari Ruben Tucson Weekly Columnist
When choosing cannabinoid-based treatments, individuals should consider the ratio of THC to CBD that is most appropriate for them. That said, the method of use plays a major role in the duration and onset of effect. The user may want to consider how the cannabis oil enters the bloodstream, such as inhaled vs. edible and the ease of titration.
When we smoke or vape cannabis the effect is felt very quickly, in a matter of a minute or two. When the active compounds quickly enter the bloodstream through lung tissues, the high will only last a couple hours. This makes the titration of an appropriate dose very easy. Simply take a hit or two, pause briefly, and decide if you want to consume more based on how you feel.
When we use edibles, it gets complicated. When cannabis-enriched food goes into the stomach, it is processed and eventually metabolized by the liver. This takes time; perhaps 40 to 60 minutes.
That’s because people can take a measured dose and wait a significant amount of time and feel nothing. On occasion, individuals choose to consume more, thinking they have not had enough to achieve the desired effect. Sometimes overintoxication can occur, and this is why we suggest to patients to start low and go slow until they are familiar with specific edible products and how they are affected.
This seems an appropriate time to mention it is not acceptable to operate heavy machinery in an altered state from any method of consuming cannabis. While cannabis is legal, driving while impaired to the slightest degree is still a serious legal offense punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence including fines, restriction of driving privileges, and an alcohol monitor being installed in your ride.
Cannabinoids can also be absorbed through mucus membranes. When a
tincture is held under the tongue, the onset happens in 15 or 20 minutes and the effect’s duration is three or four hours.
The same timelines hold true with mucosal absorption of a rectal suppository. This may evoke some giggles, but it is a serious form of medical use. Folks use it who experience nausea from their condition or from the medical treatments they may be experiencing. The ability to onboard large doses of cannabinoids without vomiting can be a lifesaver. Also, for certain bowel-related issues, having this direct application of cannabinoids is very effective.
At Desert Bloom (dbloomtucson. com), we always respect people’s desires and their experiences, attitudes and beliefs. If someone comes to us with the desire to not smoke cannabis, we direct them to some of these other methods of use. We try to educate them about these factors of onset vs. duration of effect and ease of titration, sometimes an inhaled method of use is warranted but we let people make their own decisions.
The freedom to choose and be involved in decisions about their health care is one of the most empowering beautiful things about natural medicine. It gives people their power back and allows them the freedom to be themselves.
As a provider of safe legal access to the medicines, our job is not just to retail these products. We have a heavy focus on education, support and guiding patients through the trial-and-error process inherent in cannabis therapy.
Our staff enjoys seeing these individuals grow and become healthy, in control of the process. The changes in health and happiness are amazing and it makes us proud to be a part of it all. To do well and run a successful business over the last 10 years while doing good by our fellow humans is an amazing experience. We invite you to come join us and take control of your health and destiny.
medical delivery available daily.
THIS WEEK'S INDICA: Ice cream cake was born by crossing wedding cake and gelato No. 33. Complete with sweet and nutty notes of vanilla, ice cream cake is the perfect nightcap. If you’re looking for a delectable strain to unwind to, ice cream cake is ideal.
THIS WEEK'S HYBRID: MAC, otherwise known as Miracle Alien Cookies, is a rare and even balanced hybrid strain. Complete with dense and aromatic buds, MAC is a great strain for stimulating a creative and upbeat mood. Limonene is the dominant terpene in this strain, resulting in a citrusy, relaxing delight.
THIS WEEK'S SATIVA: Jet Fuel is a cerebral and energetic sativa hybrid strain, fantastic for clawing out of a creative rut. As the name suggests, Jet Fuel can jumpstart you into an upbeat and energetic kind of state. If you are prone to anxiety or paranoia, it is best to avoid this strain.
cannabinoids do not mix well with water, manufacturers struggled with creating consistently dosed products. Trial runs resulted in THC oil separating from water, meaning that each sip contained random doses of THC. While mixing oil and water may seem like a fool’s errand to some, persistent science proved otherwise. The key was nanoemulsification, a process that breaks cannabis particles into microscopic pieces, which eventually are mixed with an emulsion agent that helps oil dissolve into water.
And while an infused drink is still metabolized through the stomach and liver, nanoemulsification results in faster absorption. Because of this, the effects of THC may be felt soon after consumption. A general rule of thumb with fast-acting edibles is that while they can be felt quickly, the effects wear off just the same.
Nanotechnology has begun to make its way into gummies, as this process can quicken traditional edibles activation time.
instead of the stomach and liver. This results in a quicker high, albeit one that may not last as long.
Hard candies
Hard candies provide a unique edible experience due to their sublingual methods of absorption. Hard candies enter the bloodstream through the cheeks and tongue, sidestepping the digestive process that occurs in the liver and stomach.
Tinctures
Tinctures are made through a process of soaking the cannabis plant in liquid, usually glycerin or alcohol, until plant matter, such as cannabinoids and terpenes, are properly strained out. This process ensures that tinctures are a full spectrum cannabis product, meaning that all of those cannabinoids and terpenes are working together in perfect harmony. Because tinctures are usually taken with a dropper under the tongue, cannabis reaches the bloodstream at quicker rates.
Sublinguals
While sublinguals and chewables are both ingested in the body, sublinguals are absorbed by the tongue
Edibles other than tinctures can be consumed this way as well- some suggest leaving a gummy under the tongue to aid in absorption.
BLOOM TUCSON
4695 N. Oracle Road, Suite 117
520-293-3315; bloomdispensary.com
Open: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
BOTANICA
6205 N. Travel Center Drive
520-395-0230; botanica.us
Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
DESERT BLOOM
RE-LEAF CENTER
8060 E. 22nd Street, Suite 108 520-886-1760; dbloomtucson.com
Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Offering delivery
DOWNTOWN DISPENSARY
221 E. Sixth Street, Suite 105 520-838-0492; thedowntowndispensary.com
Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
D2 DISPENSARY
TUCSON AREA DISPENSARIES phone keys wallet bag
7139 E. 22nd Street
520-214-3232; d2dispensary.com
Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
EARTH’S HEALING
Two locations:
North: 78 W. River Road
520-253-7198
South: 2075 E. Benson Highway 520-373-5779
earthshealing.org
Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sundays
Offering delivery
GREEN MED
WELLNESS CENTER
6464 E. Tanque Verde Road
520-886-2484
greenmedwellness.com
Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
HALO CANNABIS
7710 S. Wilmot Road
520-664-2251; thegreenhalo.org
Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
HANA GREEN VALLEY
1732 W. Duval Commerce Point Place
520-289-8030
Open: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sundays
TUCSON SAINTS
112 S. Kolb Road
520-886-1003; medicalmarijuanaoftucson.com
Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
COMICS
ARIES
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
TAURUS
(MARCH 21-APRIL 19)
You are about to read a thunderbolt of sublime prophecies. It’s guaranteed to nurture the genius in your soul's underground cave. Are you ready? 1. Your higher self will prod you to compose a bold prayer in which you ask for stuff you thought you weren't supposed to ask for. 2. Your higher self will know what to do to enhance your love life by at least 20 percent, possibly more. 3. Your higher self will give you extra access to creativity and imaginative powers, enabling you to make two practical improvements in your life.
GEMINI
(APRIL 20-MAY 20)
In 1991, John Kilcullen began publishing books with “for Dummies” in the title: for example, “Sex for Dummies,” “Time Management for Dummies,” “Personal Finance for Dummies,” and my favorite, “Stress Management for Dummies.” There are now over 300 books in this series. They aren’t truly for stupid people, of course. They’re designed to be robust introductions to interesting and useful subjects. I invite you to emulate Kilcullen’s mindset, Taurus. Be innocent, curious, and eager to learn. Adopt a beginner’s mind that’s receptive to being educated and influenced. (If you want to know more, go here: tinyurl.com/TruthForDummies)
(MAY 21-JUNE 20)
"I could be converted to a religion of grass," says Indigenous author Louise Erdrich in her book “Heart of the Land.” "Sink deep roots. Conserve water. Respect and nourish your neighbors. Such are the tenets. As for practice—grow lush in order to be devoured or caressed, stiffen in sweet elegance, invent startling seeds. Connect underground. Provide. Provide. Be lovely and do no harm." I advocate a similar approach to life for you Geminis in the coming weeks. Be earthy, sensual, and lush. (PS: Erdrich is a Gemini.)
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22)
I hereby appoint myself as your temporary social director. My first action is
to let you know that from an astrological perspective, the next nine months will be an excellent time to expand and deepen your network of connections and your web of allies. I invite you to cultivate a vigorous grapevine that keeps you up-to-date about the latest trends affecting your work and play. Refine your gossip skills. Be friendlier than you’ve ever been. Are you the best ally and collaborator you could possibly be? If not, make that one of your assignments.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22)
There are two kinds of holidays: those created by humans and those arising from the relationship between the sun and earth. In the former category are various independence days: July 4 in the United States, July 1 in Canada, July 14 in France, and June 2 in Italy. Japan observes Foundation Day on February 11. Among the second kind of holiday is Lammas on August 1, a pagan festival that in the Northern Hemisphere marks the halfway point between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. In pre-industrial cultures, Lammas celebrated the grain harvest and featured outpourings of gratitude for the crops that provide essential food. Modern revelers give thanks for not only the grain, but all the nourishing bounties provided by the sun’s and earth’s collaborations. I believe you Leos are smart to make Lammas one of your main holidays. What’s ready to be harvested in your world. What are your prime sources of gratitude?
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22)
For many of us, a disposal company regularly comes to our homes to haul away the garbage we have generated. Wouldn't it be great if there was also a reliable service that purged our minds and hearts of the psychic gunk that naturally accumulates? Psychotherapists provide this blessing for some of us, and I know people who derive similar benefits from spiritual rituals. Getting drunk or intoxicated may work, too, although those states often generate their own
dreck. With these thoughts in mind, Virgo, meditate on how you might cleanse your soul with a steady, ennobling practice. Now is an excellent time to establish or deepen this tradition.
LIBRA
(SEPT. 23-OCT. 22)
I'm wondering if there is a beloved person to whom you could say these words by Rumi: “You are the sky my spirit circles in, the love inside love, the "resurrection-place.” If you have no such an ally, Libra, the coming months will be a favorable time to attract them into your life. If there is such a companion, I hope you will share Rumi’s lyrics with them, then go further. Say the words Leonard Cohen spoke: "When I’m with you, I want to be the kind of hero I wanted to be when I was seven years old."
SCORPIO
(OCT. 23-NOV. 21)
Your theme for the coming weeks is "pleasurable gooseflesh.” I expect and hope you’ll experience it in abundance. You need it and deserve it! Editor Corrie Evanoff describes "pleasurable gooseflesh" as "the primal response we experience when something suddenly violates our expectations in a good way.” It can also be called "frisson"—a French word meaning “a sudden feeling or sensation of excitement, emotion, or thrill.” One way this joy may occur is when we listen to a playlist of songs sequenced in unpredictable ways—say Mozart followed by Johnny Cash, then Edith Piaf, Led Zeppelin, Blondie, Queen, Luciano Pavarotti, and Yellow Magic Orchestra. Here’s your homework: Imagine three ways you can stimulate pleasurable gooseflesh and frisson, then go out and make them happen.
SAGITTARIUS
(NOV. 22-DEC. 21)
“Fire rests by changing,” wrote ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus. In accordance with astrological omens, I ask you to meditate on that riddle. Here are some preliminary thoughts: The flames rising from a burning substance are always moving, always active, never the same shape. Yet they comprise the same
fire. As long as they keep shifting and dancing, they are alive and vital. If they stop changing, they die out and disappear. The fire needs to keep changing to thrive! Dear Sagittarius, here’s your assignment: Be like the fire; rest by changing.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19)
There’s ample scientific evidence that smelling cucumbers can diminish feelings of claustrophobia. For example, some people become anxious when they are crammed inside a narrow metal tube to get an MRI. But numerous imaging facilities have reduced that discomfort with the help of cucumber oil applied to cotton pads and brought into proximity to patients’ noses. I would love it if there were also natural ways to help you break free of any and all claustrophobic situations, Capricorn. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to hone and practice the arts of liberation.
AQUARIUS (JAN.
20-FEB. 18)
“Silent gratitude isn't very much use to anyone,” said Aquarian author Gertrude B. Stein. She was often quirky and even downright weird, but as you can see, she also had a heartful attitude about her alliances. Stein delivered another pithy quote that revealed her tender approach to relationships. She said that love requires a skillful audacity about sharing one’s inner world. I hope you will put these two gems of advice at the center of your attention, Aquarius. You are ready for a strong, sustained dose of deeply expressive interpersonal action.
PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20)
According to the International Center for Academic Integrity, 95 percent of high school students acknowledge they have participated in academic cheating. We can conclude that just one of 20 students have never cheated—a percentage that probably matches how many non-cheaters there are in every area of life. I mention this because I believe it's a favorable time to atone for any deceptions you have engaged in, whether in school or elsewhere.
Banner University Medical Group–has an opening for a Faculty Physician-Endocrinology/Metabolism to work in Tucson, Arizona. Provide medical care to assigned patient population, maintain timely and appropriate documentation of such care, and actively participate in medical staff duties. Participate in utilization management and care management processes to ensure high-quality, cost-effective delivery of services. For full description and specific worksite locations, or to apply, Send resume to Jason.Toone@ bannerhealth.com, Reference # ST2023
Banner University Medical Group – has an opening for a Faculty Physician-Hospitalist to work in Tucson, Arizona. Provides medical care to assigned patient population, maintains timely and appropriate documentation of such care, and actively participates in medical staff duties. Participates in utilization management and care management processes to ensure high-quality, cost-effective delivery of services. For full description and specific worksite locations, or to apply, Send resume to Julio.Valencia@bannerhealth.com, Reference # GA2023.
for men by a man.
Tucson. Ajo and Kinney. Privacy assured. 7AM to 7PM. In/Out calls available. Darvin 520-404-0901. No texts.
Mechanical Engineer for Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., Tucson, AZ. Req: Bach’s in Mechanical Engr, Engr Mgmt or Tech, Biomed Engr, or closely rltd + 1 yr exp (academic or industry). May telecommute up to 1 day/wk. Expected salary range for position based on primary location in AZ is $79,320 to $107,800 /yr. Actual pay w/in range determined based on exp, qualifications, geographic location & other job-related factors permitted by law. Discretionary annual bonus may be avail based on individual & co. performance. Position qualifies for benefits detailed at Benefits (https://roche.ehr.com/default.ashx?CLASSNAME=splash).
Jobs are located in Tucson, AZ. Wage ranges from 37k-50k.
Banner University Medical Group –has an opening for a Faculty Physician to work in Tucson, Green Valley and Sierra Vista, Arizona. Provide medical care to assigned patient population, maintain timely and appropriate documentation of such care, and actively participate in medical staff duties. Participate in utilization management and care management processes to ensure high-quality, cost-effective delivery of services. For full description and specific worksite locations, or to apply, Send resume to katherine.mcpherson@bannerhealth.com, Reference # KM2023.
Banner University Medical Group –has an opening for a Faculty Physician-Surgery, Oncology to work in Tucson, Arizona. Provide medical care to assigned patient population, maintain timely and appropriate documentation of such care, and actively participate in medical staff duties. Participate in utilization management and care management processes to ensure high-quality, cost-effective delivery of services. For full description and specific worksite locations, or to apply, Send resume to marcus.sharp@bannerhealth.com, Reference # MK2023.
ACROSS
1 Pit-of-the-stomach feeling
5 Fastidious to a fault 9 Wedding walkways 14 Literary heroine Jane 15 Entertainment district in London’s West End
16 Wa s of “Mulholland Drive” 17 Seat on a ship 19 Robust brew 20 Get through to
Pool of money
23 Start to scream or shout? 26 Sing like Tom Waits 28 Phrased 32 “The missing link” 34 Word with raising or spli ing 36 Commercial lead-in to Clean 37 Domesticated
38 Fit of wild emotion
40 Natalie Wood’s role in 1961’s “West Side Story”
58 Components of a rosary 61 More o en than not 66 More than enough
67 We: Fr.
68 Big Ten school
Prey for a dingo
Command that might precede “Shake!”
69 Holiday dependent on the lunisolar calendar
One might have the disclaimer “Professional driver on closed course. Do not attempt.”
“Stop! I’ve heard quite enough!”
Formative
Science that deals with the phenomenon spelled out by 10 missing letters in this puzzle
70 [Ignore that edit]
71 Train tracks
phenomenon spelled out by 10 missing le ers in this puzzle
29 “Is it worth the risk?”
1 With 2-Down, money-saving flight option, o en
2 See 1-Down
3 Certain line segment 4 Hockey feint
5 Receptacle near a firepit
6 ___ Ark
7 O ering on a sushi menu
8 Mayor Lightfoot of Chicago
9 Yet to come 10 Mythological being with a horse’s tail
Facilities in England
Prey for a dingo
29 “Is it wor th the risk?” 30 Do great at 31 ___ collar (iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg neckwear at the Smithsonian) 33 Part of a coconut that can be shredded 35 Clarification words for a speller 38 “Freeze!”
Dipsticks
Erode
30 Do great at
Some antique collectibles
31 ___ collar (iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg neckwear at the Smithsonian)
33 Part of a coconut that can be shredded
35 Clarification words for a speller
38 “Freeze!”
Command that might precede “Shake!” 18 One might have the disclaimer “Professional driver on closed course. Do not a empt.”
“Stop! I’ve heard quite enough!”
that deals with the
39 Along with lentils, one of the two main ingredients in idli 41 Exposed, as a cover 44 One giving a wakeup call 45 Hyundai Sonata, for one 48 Cer
Princess whose brother is not a prince
Meadow call
39 Along with lentils, one of the two main ingredients in idli
