I was in the Columbus, Ohio area in 2003 at various times... visiting a female friend. It was a pleasant reminder that I'm a westerner whether I like it or not.
Just last week my Dad and I took his Jeep and drove only 30 minutes from the house, found a Jeep trail, drove the Jeep part way, and hiked the last mile to a water fall. We had lunch by the fall, found a ghost ranch house, talked to some cattle, and escaped from the trail while the Arizona sun fell in a purple haze.
I don't enjoy the intense Arizona heat for as long as a summer lasts around here, but I'll take the 108° in place of the 8° any time. Sometimes the heat seems 'majestic' in an odd sort of way.
I like the desert rain that comes down hard in July. I like to go 'running' during the winter evenings with only a long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of running shorts. I like knowing I can eat good Mexican food in a different restaurant every night for more than a week. I like wearing shorts nearly all year round. I like knowing my car will be ready to go every morning, just hop in and drive to work. No scraping and sloshing and shivering.
Tucson runs about 10 degrees cooler than Phoenix. Also, in Tucson, the nights are cooler. I agree that Phoenix is too hot and too big. But, really, catesta, Ohio, Pennslyvania, or New Jersey? Did you get a bad beer last night?