Wordless Wednesday - St. Charles, IL

Wordless Wednesday - Lincoln Park Zoo

Wordless Wednesday - Larger than life

Rant No. 14 - The world is still NOT your ashtray

It has been almost 4 years since my original rant on smoking and seems to me nothing has changed. Guess I am not the change I want to see in the world on this subject. Guess no one is listening or cares what I think on this subject, but that won't stop me from ranting again. It just gets more obnoxious by the day, I mean really the flicking of lit cigarette butts out the car window I want to scream. If I didn't live where more people than not are carrying handguns, I probably would scream. Of course, that would send my children flying to the back of the van so as not to be seen with the lunatic woman. I don't understand the practice and I ask smokers why they think it is okay to do that? No one has an answer, I think it is just something that has always been done and continues to happen. I hope it stops soon, or some day you may hear about the lunatic woman that got shot at while screaming at people who flicked their butts. (end of rant)

Wordless Wednesday - FALL

Wordless Wednesday - William's new obsession

Friends on Friday No. 4 - Meet Jessica

I met Jessica on my first day of work for United HealthCare. Jessica sat next to me in training and we had quite a few good times in the classroom "learning" and laughing. Jessica and I have been on different teams, we have both worked from home and Jessica even left UHC for a few months, but now we both work in office on the same team and we even share a cubicle!

Jessica and Tony have three young children, Alana, Kyle and Juliana. Jessica is a very girly girl and so to hear her tales of life with a boy is very amusing. Jessica doesn't like dirt, or rocks or bugs or dirt or anything messy, and Kyle sounds like he is all boy. Her girls are little princesses, they are sweet and kind and very well mannered. Jessica is a good natured and compassionate person. She is a hard worker and loves to spend her free time with her family. I like to tease Jessica about the fact that she has lived in Arizona her entire life and has NEVER been to the Grand Canyon. Even though her mother's family lives north near the Utah border and she will fall in the Grand Canyon if she takes a wrong turn on her way there, she has never stopped. Some day she may just go to keep me from carrying on about it every time she heads north.

Jessica is a very sweet, fun, happy, kind and considerate person and I am lucky to have her for a friend!

Wordless Wednesday- Close out at Borders

Happy Birthday, William!

Happy 14th Birthday to William! Fourteen years have gone by in the blink of an eye. I know I know I know it's a cliche. It just seems one day I am playing Buzz Lightyear and looking at bugs on the sidewalk and then I turn around and he is 14, grown up right before my eyes. William is an amazing young man, to know him is to love him. William is funny, intelligent, athletic and a genuine joy to have around. I can't wait to see what the next 14 years will bring! Happy Birthday, William. I love you forever and always.

Road to NAU

We are on the road

I hate this section of the trip

Headed down to the Verde Valley

Someone told me there were no forests near Flagstaff

7000 - I really dislike the climb

Family weekend was September 23rd to 25th, so off to Flagstaff we went. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from our house and while the scenery becomes very picturesque, I really don't like the climbing the mountain thing. I especially don't like the 5 miles where they say turn off the air conditioning to avoid overheating. I decided to amuse myself by taking pictures from the car window on the way up. That explains the glare and not always in focus photos here, but such is life. More to come on the fun that was NAU Family Weekend 2011.

Geez

I am just not doing that well with my goal of posting minimum two times a week. Life is getting in my way and it's not that life is so much more fun than playing with my blog, it's just that life is life and must be done. Work is consuming a lot of my time and energy lately, in fact, has been for months to the point I don't have any energy left for much of anything but the necessities - you know sleep, shower, eat. Anyway I am disappointed in myself when I happened upon my blog and saw I haven't posted in a month. I am going to try to change that, I have a few things to say in case anyone is checking and/or listening, and if not well I am use to talking to myself so no worries.

Wordless Wednesday

Friends on Friday No. 3 - Meet Darla

Darla and I first met when I made a random appointment to get my hair done at the JCPenney Salon. I was new to the area, had gone to a few different salons and just couldn't find anyone to cut my hair in a manner acceptable to me. Believe me I am not that fussy about my hair, but it was a struggle to find a new sylist. Enter Darla, we hit it off pretty much from that first appointment. We talked about so many things and really seemed to bond. Darla is a great hair stylist, don't judge her on my hair, most of my mishaps are my idea and she is only doing what I ask. I can show her any picture and she can fix my hair that way, the problem with me is I constantly want cuts that just won't work with my hair or I want to go from super short to long overnight. Sometimes she wants to strangle me I am sure. Our relationship has evolved from hairstylist/client to friend.

Darla has a daughter and three beautiful granddaughters who keep her busy with all their activities. The picture of her on the motorcycle/dirt bike/whateveritis in the desert is just the kind of fun day she has with her family. (Wouldn't catch me on one of those)

Darla is a bit of a health nut, doesn't exactly understand my ding dong and diet coke for breakfast routine. She takes good care of herself, eats well, works out and enjoys life. Darla is also a great Happy Hour partner, we have a lot of fun meeting up when we can to unwind and catch up after our hectic days. Darla is an amazing woman. She is very levelheaded, compassionate, thoughtful, charming and just plain fun to hang out with. I am proud to call Darla my friend!

Mike moves in at NAU

Room with a view

Well the day has finally arrived for Mike to move in at NAU and begin his college career. I am very proud, excited, happy and a bit nervous over the whole thing. Mike is thrilled to be off and on his own. He is looking forward to new challenges, meeting new friends and experiencing the freedom that only life at college can provide.

His room is a pretty typical dorm room. It comes with a refrigerator/freezer which is nice and there is plenty of storage for his clothes and other items. He has a great view out the window and the weather in Flagstaff is just so much nicer than the Valley. It was a rather warm day there today, in the 80s, and gets down to the 50s at night. I think Mike is really going to like it there.

Mike, my wish for you never changes - I want you to be happy, find a passion and pursue it, be kind to others, enjoy life, take advantage of the opportunities given to you and remember that no matter what I love you and want only the best for you. Love, Mom.

Wordless Wednesday

Friends on Friday No. 2 - Meet Teri

Teri outside the lovely UHC building

Teri and Frankie on their wedding day, August 11, 2009

I met Teri through work. We both started at United HealthCare in the end of May 2007. My first impression of Teri was of someone who didn't take things too seriously and laughed her way through life. I couldn't have been more wrong. She takes things very seriously, she has had many obstacles to overcome in her life and she faces each challenge with determination to make the best of things and never complains about her situation. Teri and I have become close friends over the past few years. She has taught me to laugh at things I cannot change and not stress over them, to fight for things I can change and helps me see the difference.

Since I have known Teri she has finished school and gotten her associates degree, she continues her education to get her bachelors degree. She has a four-year-old son, Daniel, who was diagnosed with Autism and she is a vigilant advocate for him, always seeking and finding new treatments to help Daniel be the best he can be. Terri was married two years ago yesterday to Frankie HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and they have added a daughter, Aliana to their family.

I am proud to call Teri my friend. I am lucky to have such a wonderful, kind and generous woman in my life. I look forward to being in her and her family's life for many years.

Wordless Wednesday - Back to School

Friends on Friday No. 1 - Meet Kelsey

I am really excited Kelsey volunteered to be my first Friend on Friday! I work with Kelsey's mother, Michele (to be featured some other week) and that is how I met Kelsey. Kelsey is 15, she will be a sophomore in HS this fall, she plays basketball at school, she is quite the texter, she is an excellent student, she can text in her sleep, she loves to go to the beach with her family, and have I mentioned her love of texting? I only like her addiction to her phone when she is sending me a text. And Kelsey is just that kind of sweet young woman, if she hears from her mom I am having a bad day, she will text me and make me laugh. Kelsey is my pretend daughter, she gives me a taste of what it would be like to have a girl. Kelsey has a quick wit and truly is a joy to be around. I look forward to being a part of Kelsey's life for many more years and I can't wait to see what she accomplishes. It will be amazing, because she is AMAZING.

Wordless Wednesday - Enough said

Coming SOON to this BLOG!

Looks like I am not doing so well with the keeping up blogging thing, soooooooo to get me moving I have decided to start some weekly features, hoping that I will then at least update 2-3 times a week. Feature number one I borrowed from this blog and it is called Wordless Wednesday - every Wednesday I will post a picture that speaks for itself. Feature number two was inspired by my thought that I have lived in Arizona for 5 years now and my friends back home have never ever met my new friends here, so I will be doing Friends on Friday featuring one of my new friends each week. After I finish every friend I can coerce here to be on my blog, I will then feature my treasured friends from home. Don't all start begging me at once to be on the blog, you will all get your turn.

I was thinking I need another feature, maybe Tasty Tuesday I could feature a recipe I have found and yes we all know I am not much of a cook, so it will be something simple to share or............any ideas for other weekly features will be considered, if your idea is chosen there may be a surprise in the mail for you. That is if anyone reads this and responds.

That is all I have for now, check back starting next week for Wordless Wednesday, Friends on Friday and you never know what else.

Weekend at the Pointe

Last weekend Pat, William and I went to the Pointe Hilton in Phoenix to swim and relax. You might think really? who goes to a hotel where they live, when the temps are well over 100 and you can barely breathe the air. That would be us and from the crowd a good number of other desert dorks. I am sure those that were not from the area had their own weird reasons for vacationing in Phoenix in July, our only reason was to hang out at the waterpark, relax and enjoy some of those wonderful razzatinis (ok that was my reason). We had dinner at the western BBQ restaurant where you could get that cute little boot full of beer, we hung out at the waterpark where they have multiple pools with a big slide and a lazyriver. After what seemed like an endless week of work, it was a nice way to spend a couple days and getaway.

Thirteen years fly by

September 1998 - Geneva, IL

May 2011 - Gilbert, AZ

I remember that day in September of '98 like it was yesterday. It feels like it was yesterday or maybe last week. On that day I wasn't thinking 13 years into the future and Mike graduating from High School. We had all of elementary and junior high to get through first and well HS was just some distant thing that didn't even cross my mind. Mike loved school from the start, well maybe he didn't love the getting up for school or actually going to school part - at least not all the time, but he loved the adventure and learning part. Mike has always been a quick learner and good student and that hasn't changed, and I am hoping it doesn't as he faces his college years.

College years! I cannot believe those words are coming out of my mouth. In some ways it just doesn't seem possible that he is 18 and leaving for college in a couple months. In other ways OMG! Really? Is it finally time? TGITime! I am hoping I am not alone when I say that my feelings change daily from being thrilled to death with him moving on, to being scared to death that I haven't prepared him properly for all he will have to deal with. I hope I have taught him to make good choices, to treat others with kindness, to do his best always, to learn from his mistakes, to take the road less traveled and enjoy the journey! I am confident Mike will excel in whatever he chooses to do. I am proud of Mike and look forward to this next phase of his life.

I AM BACK, well hopefully, maybe sortof

My blog has been neglected, I have been busy spending my free time connecting with long ago friends on Facebook and stalking other blogs. If the two people that read my blog are still checking in then here we go........I am back, hopefully, kinda sorta.