More About The House 'n Hood

Hello and welcome to our Palm Springs home: The Modern Pup™

Some background on us. We’re originally from Scotland and moved to California in 1996. We live in San Jose, California where Russell works in tech marketing and Elaine likes to whip building contractors into shape during various remodeling projects. We have one son, Connor, who graduated university in 2021 and lives in Los Angeles. So, if you find him at the house, kick him out. He’s not supposed to be there during your visit. And there is the Modern Pup™ himself, Archie the labradoodle. He welcomes you to his desert lair.

The House & Neighborhood

For mid-century architecture buffs, our home was architected by William Krisel and is an Alexander Construction build (1961). There’s a book on the dining room buffet about The Kriselmeister that gives more information about Racquet Club Estates, the neighborhood you’re in, and its history. Our house is one of three classic Krisel roof outlines (see page 47 for details). It looks like our dining room was originally an outdoor breezeway but at some point was enclosed for extra indoor space, like a lot of mid-century modern homes around here.

There’s some great mid-century architecture around either side of Victoria Park that make for interesting pup walks. Go past the park, up Racquet Club Road, turn right on Starr and go up the various cul-de-sacs for some very nice mid-century examples. The house below is on one of these and is basically exactly same as ours.

And if you are into star-spotting, Cheeta the chimp from the Tarzan movies lives close by (though there is some controversy whether he is still alive and was even one of the simians exploited in the movies). Go to the end of Sunair, turn left on Caballeros, right on Francis and you can’t miss it on your right. As you might be able to hear, there’s a school directly behind our back fence. So please keep that in mind when cussing (one of our favorite Americanisms) outside.

Groceries Etc

The local Albertsons on Sunrise and Via Escuela is really close (2 minute drive) and is excellent for all the essentials. Surprisingly great wine 'n booze selection and produce is pretty top-notch. If you have to go higher-end, Jensens (2465 East Palm Canyon) on the other side of town is very good. To be honest, Whole Foods in Palm Desert is not worth the trek and doesn't have the best selections, especially when compared to Jensens. If you do venture to Jensens, be sure to check out Ace Hardware (1785 East Palm Canyon). It is a unique Palm Springs take on what it means to be a hardware store (and also has its own square on the Palm Springs Monopoly set you'll find in the house).

Your Pups

Archie welcomes other pups but asks you keep them off the furniture – or at least put a blanket down. We’re sure you’re all responsible pup-parents, so no need to remind you to pick up those poops on all your walks and backyard relief sessions. Do not walk down the right-hand side of Sunair (facing away from the house). A guy there goes a wee bit nuts if your pup relieves themselves on his property.

The Pool

This is our first pool. So, we’re on a bit of a learning curve! Our pool cleaners come twice a week, usually Tuesdays and Friday. They take about 20 mins and generally come early morning. The pump goes on automatically from 7am to 8pm. Please don’t shut that off as it recirculates the water. In the summer please DO NOT heat the pool. Believe us, you’ll need the cooler water when you venture outside! There’s a pretty easy to use remote just beside the back gate that enables you to put on the Spa and Lights. The property management company will set the temperatures for you at other times of the year. Floaties (a Palm Springs necessity) are in the storage box next to the shed. There's an electric pump in the box.

The Gardener

He comes on a Tuesday as well and will be there early and out of your hair pretty shortly. Francesco is a pretty easy going guy but it might be best you keep the master bedroom blind down Monday nights.

The Back Gate

The code to get in will be sent with confirmation of your stay.

Bathrooms

We have a tankless water-heater and it’s generally quick to fire up but may take a few mins to bring hot water to the showers. Please try to use the glass cleaners on the showers, as the desert water is very hard and scale builds quickly on the glass. There are hair dryers in each bathroom, for zee ladies or Men with Manes. Note: the property is zoned for Manbuns.

The Kitchen

We’re not sure what came over Elaine when purchasing stuff for the kitchen but there is a ridiculous amount of coffee options. French press, filter, Nespresso. Take your pick! Food basics and other kitchen equipment are in the unlocked dining room cupboard. Ok, the fridge. There’s a hidden “Beverage Center” in the top left panel. Run your hand under the bottom and you can click it open. This will give you access to filtered water. If you use the water from the carafe, don’t refill it. It will refill automatically. Ice is scoopable in the freezer drawer. Salt and pepper/oil/coffee/tea/sugar are in the top right-hand cupboard above the sink.

Stereo

Please feel free to use the vinyl but no “all that scratching is making me itch” DJ-stylings. You’ll break the needle cartridge. There’s some good stuff and dodgy stuff in the collection. Make your own mind up which LP belongs in which category. Please put LPs back in their sleeves. It ain't too much to ask. Add your favorites in the comments!

TVs

The TVs each have an Apple TV. The Spectrum app gives you access to local TV channels. You should just need to use the Apple TV remote. If the sound bar is not connecting, the remote for it is in top left drawer on the TV stand. Also, if you login to any of your streaming services, don’t forget to log out before you go. Please feel free to plug in your own device. Generally, when we stay at rental properties, we bring our Apple TV from home and plug it in. We need that English Premier League fix!

Window Shades

Spoiler alert. It gets freakin’ hot in the desert. I mean really hot. We're not talking about "Oh, that's a wee bit toasty". The best strategy to keep cool, of course, is to be in the pool. In the summer especially, please use the blinds to keep the house cool and let the aircon breathe a little easier. In the summer, keep the front blinds closed in the morning and the back blinds closed in the afternoon. The remote-controlled patio slider blind makes a strange noise occasionally but works fine. Don’t open the ceiling blind in the dining room. The controller for the sliding door blind is mounted beside it on the right hand side.