I don’t know about you, but I have not yet really prepared myself for summer. During winter and
spring I ate too many tacos, and maybe drank one or two beers that unnecessarily stored some extra
chunkiness around my belly. Maybe around my neck too. Maybe overall, I could have lost a few
pounds before summer hit. Okay, maybe more than a few. Let’s just forget I brought that subject
up and talk some living in the Copa and about what really creates a bond between Maricopians—a survive the summer
mentality—check that, not just survive, but to actually enjoy life around the pool in our flip-flops and speedos. Maybe not
speedos, but you know, like, wearing your swimming shorts to Bashas is perfectly acceptable (IMHO).
The kiddos are out of school—there will be sleepovers and send-offs to friends and relatives, and plenty of trips to Water &
Ice for the biggest banana split this side of the Mississippi. Driving speeds will return to normal as all the Canadians and
snowbirds have fled to melting ice caps. Morning joggers will be seen running home, even earlier, like before the crack of
dawn, like vampires scared they are about to roast when the Arizona sun starts creeping up. Our newsfeeds will be filled
with selfies from friends hanging out at the pool, or at a Dbacks game, or at the movies while the rest of us our sweating
our butts off at work, or with kids running in and out of the house, letting all the cool air out, jacking up the system we got
planned to maintain manageable electric bills. Yes, we all will loathe those selfies of summer fun,
but we will certainly love it when we are included in them.
Anyone from Arizona knows—the coming months are all a mental game. Yeah, we might take our
time strolling through the grocery store for a few minutes of their air-conditioning, but throughout the day, we’ll be telling ourselves, ‘it ain’t no thang but a chicken wIng.’ —especially when you
get to that sizzling car and have to put your hands on the steering wheel made of hot iron.
For this edition, we are gettin’ ready for summer, Droppin’ it Like its Hot. We are hoping though, ‘dropping it’ is the last
thing you do. We expect you to hold on to it like a cold glass of lemonade, just chillin’ in
your hands. In this edition, we have laughs and smiles, oohs and aaahs just in time to get
you in the right frame of mind.
Use this edition of The Copa as a fan when the AC isn’t blowing strong enough. Use it to
shield yourself from the bright sun when taking that selfie by the pool. Use all the specials
to save money, so you can afford those super high electric bills. Better yet, enjoy the hottest
edition ever of The Copa, while eating tacos, and drinking a cold beverage….
Stay cool, amigos—stay cool.
John Stapleton
[email protected]
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