Phoenix International Hostel
1026 North Ninth Street, Phoenix AZ 85006
| Official Website wwww.phxhostel.com |
Me at the front
door of the hostel
door of the hostel
| Owner Sue Gunn gazing happily at me in the front yard |
Keith Stephens, my co-manager
Me entertaining a
group of hostelers
group of hostelers
Playing the piano at the hostel
In 2003 I came to the Phoenix
International Youth Hostel to stay
a few days while I took a peek at
the city of Phoenix Arizona.
Within hours I was playing the
piano at a number of places
downtown. And within a week
i was helping to operate the
hostel. Over the years my
responsibilities grew. For the next
seven years I came every winter
for 3, 4 or 5 months, because
that's their busiest season -- and
because Phoenix becomes
brutally hot. Traffic at the hostel
comes to a trickle in June and it
even closes in July and August.
Few people in their right minds
visit this beautiful desert city when
it is 110 to 120 degrees each day,
for months on end. I sure don't.
International Youth Hostel to stay
a few days while I took a peek at
the city of Phoenix Arizona.
Within hours I was playing the
piano at a number of places
downtown. And within a week
i was helping to operate the
hostel. Over the years my
responsibilities grew. For the next
seven years I came every winter
for 3, 4 or 5 months, because
that's their busiest season -- and
because Phoenix becomes
brutally hot. Traffic at the hostel
comes to a trickle in June and it
even closes in July and August.
Few people in their right minds
visit this beautiful desert city when
it is 110 to 120 degrees each day,
for months on end. I sure don't.
The main owner of the hostel is Sue
Gunn, a, shall we say, idiosyncratic
and iconoclastic individualist with her
own wacky ways of running it. She's
been running the place for more than
15 years, which says her way is good
enough. She is even one of the
longest running women business
owners in the city. But she sure seems
to enjoy, mostly, the way I manage it,
too. So when I'm there it gives her a
little slack from what is basically a
day-long job. From 7 AM to 10 or 11
PM every day, seven days a week, the
hostel has to be staffed.
Gunn, a, shall we say, idiosyncratic
and iconoclastic individualist with her
own wacky ways of running it. She's
been running the place for more than
15 years, which says her way is good
enough. She is even one of the
longest running women business
owners in the city. But she sure seems
to enjoy, mostly, the way I manage it,
too. So when I'm there it gives her a
little slack from what is basically a
day-long job. From 7 AM to 10 or 11
PM every day, seven days a week, the
hostel has to be staffed.
Because no one but Sue can work 7 days a week I get
Sunday's completely free to get away, and Keith steps in. He
also does the maintenance, and there's a lot in a 105 year old
house in downtown Phoenix. When 10 people show up at once
you can be sure that he jumps up to the plate. (Originally from
England, he's a little clueless as to that baseball phrase.)
Sunday's completely free to get away, and Keith steps in. He
also does the maintenance, and there's a lot in a 105 year old
house in downtown Phoenix. When 10 people show up at once
you can be sure that he jumps up to the plate. (Originally from
England, he's a little clueless as to that baseball phrase.)
The one thing, though, that has kept
me on board, and returning, is the
great little piano they have and the
semi-captive audience that I play for. I
came to Phoenix to play the piano, and
I've continued. The hostel is just
another venue for me. That's me in the
background. There must be more than
a 1,000 pictures of me now, playing
the piano to a group of people, or in
some fanciful pose. And not a few
videos!
me on board, and returning, is the
great little piano they have and the
semi-captive audience that I play for. I
came to Phoenix to play the piano, and
I've continued. The hostel is just
another venue for me. That's me in the
background. There must be more than
a 1,000 pictures of me now, playing
the piano to a group of people, or in
some fanciful pose. And not a few
videos!
Sue likes me to dress up -- all the time,
but I much prefer jeans and a t-shirt or
sweat shirt. Let's just say it's a bit of a
source of friction. But what
relationship is without friction, eh?
but I much prefer jeans and a t-shirt or
sweat shirt. Let's just say it's a bit of a
source of friction. But what
relationship is without friction, eh?
My winter home for seven years
