Life in Biscuit - stories from a small town girl.

2010-02-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

February Birthday!

Let me start by saying that today is th 16th of Feb.....and.... I turn another year older in 8 days. I've never been a Birthday Party kind of gal .. my Dave and I have traveled during my birthday for the past 12 years. And with that....Last year, we were just getting ready to leave for Hawaii and my son drove out to my office and sat on the back stoop and told me how sad it makes him that he hasn't been able to celebrate my birthday with me. Yep, this year we are staying home. On the 20th, we are having all my (precious) friends over for a par tay! I'm not certain why I feel so uncomfortable about Birthday gatherings for myself, but I do. I just want to gather with friends, eat a wonderful meal, drink lots of wine, smoke a cigar or two and call it good.

2009-12-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

Dublin and London

Just spent 7 days in Ireland. What an incredible experience. Had so much fun...met beautiful people - stumbled onto a party at the Ritz where the Exon Mobile people were having their Christmas party - the chairmans wife (Noelle) really took a liking to my sweet Dave - what a hoot that night was, the next night met two fellows in a bar and went we all went with them to another town to hear music,where we met several other musicians, someone stole my favorite hat at that darn bar...but it was a fun night. We saw magnificant sites and walked stem to stern of Dublin and now, we are in London. Just got back from seeing Mama Mia. Took the tube - which on a Friday night is Ka razy! We got out of the theatre, and walked to Burger King to use the bathroom - and I was in the bathroom with what I'm pretty sure were girls for hire, and I think one of the "girls" was really a guy. Yes, that would have been the one in the fish net stockings, wearing a short cougar print skirt....and by "skirt" I mean tube top. Not sure what is on tap for tomorrow. Hoping to hear from Dan from Team Ocelot. May get to have lunch with him on Sunday. Anna and Billy will be arriving tomorrow evening from seeing Anna's grandmother in Beckels. Can't wait to hear their stories. More later....

2009-10-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Yea, so.... I've been kinda busy with my life. August and September were sort of a blur with working 10+ hours a day and then attempting to have some sort of home life when I rolled into the house around 6:00 p.m. every night. Don't get me wrong, I love having every Friday off, but some days are easier to get thru than others. So, since July 2o something or another, that I last posted... I've gained about 5 lbs - Thank you high blood pressure medicine; we lost an employee to liver failure and I successfully (without crying my eyes out) talked to his 80+ year old parents and walked them thru the death benefit paperwork AND had a bbq in his honor, flipping 100 or more hamburgers ... on what would have been his 60th birthday; had to embrace the fact that sometimes who you think are great friends, really are just manipulative, herion addicted pathetic human beings. Oops.. I mean, one of the people that I worked closely with "resigned" in lieu of termination and is moving out of State. God help you Florida; OH, Hey, did I mention that the tragic death of the employee and the oh so very dramatic exit of the person I worked closely with happened in the same week? Yea, that was pretty... and was two weeks of my life dealing with those situations, that I will never get back. (whoo boy, do I have some anger towards the drama queen or what?); on a positive note, I cooked many meals for my son and husband, threw impromtu dinners for our friends - who I love with all my heart, helped pull of the wedding of the century with Anna and Jen Jen for our dearest friend Ang - over Labor Day weekend. The entire weekend... no really, I mean it. Wow, that was an action packed weekend - ending with the friends in my backyard, in our jammies, watching sensless tv, drinking and eating and rehashing the weekend. Have I mentioned how blessed I am to have three best friends and all our guys get along too! Aaron left for law school in San Fran; Will started his Senior Year of High School, Whitney started her last year up at NAU; we attended many Diamondback baseball games;we were instrumental in pulling off a Rotary BBQ cookoff, that was hugely successful in raising money for Dave's Rotary Club; and in between all of that, I may have slept a little, but overall, we are living life in color! Yea us!

2009-07-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY GRATITUDE LIST

RAIN, BLESSED RAIN!
Dave - My guy!
Will - who makes all my girlfriends laugh.
Will - who makes me laugh!
Will - who gets away with calling my mom "Suga Mama" when all the others call her mimi.

2009-07-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks!

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Dave, Will and I spent two weeks in Hawaii. One week in Oahu, and one week in Kauai -- Snorkeling with turtles, Boogie Boarding, Parasailing, (drinking mass quantities of adult beverages), beach time and most of all just relaxing and enjoying each other's company. Our flight home was on Wednesday July 8th, but actually we landed in Phx Thursday a.m. and after the drive home, ect. We dropped into bed around 3:00 a.m. I had to be up at 5:00 a.m. to go to work - OH yes I did. That day was sort of a blur. Sunday the 12th we headed back to Phx to see the Broadway musical - Wicked. http://www.wickedthemusical.com/ I highly recommend it. Then it was my oldest brothers birthday, a surprise party for my sister's 50th birthday (that didnt happen because she found out and called it off..) breakfast at a friends house.. and that brings us up to date with the cliff note version of the past few weeks.

2009-06-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband has a fascination with Hadrian’s Wall in the UK. Two years ago, we took our two youngest (15 and 19 at the time) with us on a journey across the pond. A large Part of that journey was traveling along Hadrian’s Wall. We had a lovely time and it’s among our favorite memories of the trip.

So recently, I stumbled upon a blog site of someone who lives in the UK…. And I check his blog every day for updates. His name is Dan. ** Hi Dan! ** Yesterday, he wrote about a walk that he is planning for July 2010 along Hadrian’s Wall. A n 84 mile hike. He tossed out an invite to the Internet Universe and I snagged it and sent it home to talk to Dave about. It will be a charity walk to benefit The Joseph Salmon Trust. http://www.thejosephsalmontrust.org.uk/index.htm

So, last night, with lightning speed keystrokes Dave (and I) sent him an email stating our interest in joining them next summer. Dan sent back a nice email saying that he would be sending out a separate email later with more details. I imagine him hitting the “send” button and THEN re-thought the whole invitation to the Internet thing.

Then, we received a second email from him. Very nice. Understandably, he appeared to be concerned that he didn’t know us. I mean because really, how random is that I would start reading his blog site, and a week later he mentions Hadrian’s Wall. But me? I love coincidences.

He even tried to scare us off by saying that his group, and I quote “..are a bunch of Satan worshiping weirdo’s”. Funny stuff there Dan.

Oh Dan, we don’t scare easily. We hope you let us join in on the adventure.

2009-06-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

In a mere 8 minutes the temp dropped to 60 degrees. Wow, I feel fussy.

2009-06-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

RIGHT NOW.... IN CENTRAL ARIZONA at 4:56p.m..... IT IS 64 DEGREES. Unfriggin believable for June. Makes me a little grouchy.

2009-06-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

So anyways....

My father in law passed away last November. My husband hasn't been able to go thru his parents belonging (I totally understand)... However a week ago he made the decision to clean out the house and every night last week we went to "the cabin" and cleared things out in order to have an estate sale. Which we had this past weekend. I'm not certain about other cities, but the city where we live, the best day for an estate, tag, yard sale is Friday. Soooo... Friday morning, up bright and early, and I mean BRIGHT and EARLY 4:30 a.m. I brushed my teeth (your welcome), washed my face, threw on sweats and started setting things outside around 5:00 ish. The estate sale was advertised to start at 8:00 a.m. and run thru 2:00 p.m. At 6:00 a .m. we had our first customer. **6:00 a.m.** I've never seen anything like it. People would drive up, come to a screeching halt, jump out of their vehicle with a frantic look in their eyes and dash, jog, run around the tables - Wow! It was an interesting day. I'm not sure when I have ever been so damn tired - emotionally and physically. Oh, and... my husband? He had to work on Friday so he missed most of the mayhem. Probably a good thing.

2009-06-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

The weather can't decide if its January or June. I don't remember ever having this cold of a June... and? I don't like it.

2009-06-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Gratitude List

Dave - the love of my life
Will - 17 years has flown by...
Robeks Acai energy smoothie *OMG its so good
Long summer evenings
My Family
My friend Heather who makes me laugh till I cry **in a good way
The gym - no seriously.. I mean it.

2009-05-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

It is Friday morning.... the start of my three day weekend. I'm sitting on my bed sipping a cup of tea, with Scout my cat right beside me, close, snuggling. Scout only has one little marble in his brain, not sa much smart, but he is adorable.. and Zoe my sweet weensie little cat - aka The Boss. She is pretending not to care whether I pet her or not. To my right, is August, my yellow lab who is finally able to relax knowing I'm really, really going to be home today. Aaaand... at the foot of the bed is Beatrice our border collie- aka Little Miss Can't Be Wrong. She is S.M.A.R.T. and knows where we keep the T.R.E.A.T.S. Secretly she unlocks the cupboard where they are and hands them out to the other animals during the day... I'm sure of it. They probably have to perform tricks for her... Anyway>>>It is such a beautiful morning and I here I sit, listening to the sounds of the neighborhood waking up. Birds are chirping, dogs barking in the distance, laughter from the church camp that is a block from our home. Life is indeed good. I have so many choices for my day... do I want to bake bread? Plant flowers? putter in my flower garden? Me thinks I will do it all... and so much more. I feel so alive. Happy Happy Friday.

2009-05-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

An exciting night in Biscuit

Yea, well, so last night Will and Dave were volunteering for a service organizataion that Dave belongs to, which meant that I had the evening to myself. After work I dashed to the gym and arrived home a little after 6:00 p.m.

So, did I go meet my girlfriends for a glass of wine?
Did I pick up a book, pour a glass of wine and sit in my glorious back yard?
Diiiid I sit in my hot tub?

Nope.

I cleaned out my fridge. From.Top.To. Bottom.

and now? It is like a piece of art work.

2009-05-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

I TOTALLY FORGOT TO MENTION THAT I AM UP TO 35 MINUTES ON THE ELIPTICAL MACHINE AT THE GYM. (now if only I could start to see the changes....).

27 days and counting till we leave for Hawaii

2009-05-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY GRATITUDE LIST

Dave – My Rock!
Will – My sweet, sweet 17 year old.
Flowers in my back yard
My J.O.B.
Health
Friends – I’m so blessed.
Summer Weather
BBQ’ing in our back yard

2009-05-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

TRAIN WRECK

Okay, Let me tell you about my hell - I belong to a service organization and I'm on the scholarship committee. The last time I spoke in public… on a stage…in front of 200 people was… um… in 19.... NEVER. I was miserable tonight. I had to present a “special” scholarship for a very deserving Senior at our local high school. He is in NHS, Captain of the Varsity Baseball team, and just a all around great kid. I was doing great, chatting it up with the other members of the scholarship committee, planning our strategy and then while on stage waiting to present, I was still feeling fine... riiiight up until I reached the podium. I think I blacked out. My body started to sweat, I had rivers of sweat running down my back, I thought to myself.. no I'm not going to pass out... I'm going to THROW UP. THEN? THEN? my voice revolted against my brain and started shaking so hard, it sounded like I was going to cry. I’m sure it went something like this:

Thisisaspecialshcolarshiptoanincredible individual…yadayadayada shaky voice… apology… clearing of throat…something or another about his academics and sports…(wiping sweat from my forehead) has a good heart…honored on behalf of K****** topresentthisaward to Travis S.

I can only imagine him sitting in his seat… and when I called out his name.. he was thinking.. Good Lord... why me… I have to go up and accept a scholarship from EMO GIRL? It took him what seemed like a lifetime to get to the stage, he hugged me and I seriously contemplated holding on to him, following him off the stage and dashing to my car. I was still in a full blown sweat and thought I was going to pass out. Might I mention that my hair was soaking wet from sweat and sweat was showing thru my shirt? Huh? Huh? How bout them apples? Oh... and I had to hand out 8 more scholarships after that. (Another side note to this... My boss was in the audience).

The only other scenarios that would have made it remotely worse would be if I had had a wardrobe malfunction, or if I had actully thrown up, passed out and peed on the way down.

2009-04-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

SO AS I WAS SAYING......

Gosh, 4 whole blog posts in 2008. I amaze even myself. and... leeeets... see... its the end of April 2009. Yep. I'm a back sliding blogger.

Here is my Gratitude List for today:

My husband Dave - who promised to always love and cherish me... and does.
Will -- my sweet, kind, loving 17 year old who continues to make me laugh harder than anyone.
Aaron-- I know you like me.
Whitney -- I know you love me and we "get" each other Sista..
My girlfriends - JenJen, Ang and Anna - The little sisters I never wanted.
Smoking a cigar, drinking wine in the hot tub with Dave after a loooong day at work...
A little Shout Out to my friend Teresa - Thanks for finding me. I won't let you get away again.

Things I don't like:

The wind.
The wind.
The wind.
Did I mention I don't like wind? (Or clowns or mayonaisse... but thats a different story).

Amen.

2008-10-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

Today is October 30th, 2008. For whatever reason.... I decided to participate in NaBloPoMo. Stepping out of my comfort zone, one post at a time.

2008-05-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

The tree is being cut down right now... poor tree.

2008-05-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

My Husband

Recently, we had a large amount of rainfall, which caused a HUGE pine tree in our neighbor’s yard to up-root and fall on the power lines, narrowly missing the house next door to us. The tree vs. power line sparked a fire, took out power lines…brought all the neighbors outside in their pajamas… you get the picture. We did not have power from 7 in the morning until late in the evening. (Let me mention here that it was a freezing cold rainy day… minus no power …equals no heat in the house… thankfully we have a fireplace…). Several – and by several I mean 50 APS (Arizona Public Service) crew members worked without stopping from early a.m. to well in to the dark night in the driving freezing rain to put in new power poles and lines for our neighbors.

It affected us because the main power utility box is on the power pole in our yard. Next to this main utility box on the power pole in our back yard is a HUGE pine tree. Our pine tree is easily 100 feet tall **can’t make that up** and it is Dangerously close to the power pole. This said pine tree also excretes pine sap on everything in our back yard…..which really makes my husband fussy.

Wednesday evening, my husband told me that he figured out what to do with the pine tree. He planned on renting scaffolding, and then he would take our chain saw up on that scaffolding and cut the big limbs off little by little. He even went so far as to drag me out to the back yard to show me how brilliant his idea was.

Thursday a.m. I called APS and spoke to a lovely woman named Gloria. I told her No big emergency… and I explained what had happened during the storm, and with all the high winds we have been experiencing I was concerned about the big tree. I totally left out the part where my husband is fussy about the sap and was going to try and kill himself on scaffolding with a chain saw and set fire to the neighborhood, all in the name of tree trimming. During my conversation with Gloria. She mentioned that APS is on call 24/7/365. I said “that’s nice could you have your forestry division call me about cutting down the tree?”

Aaaaabout 20 minutes later, I received a call from an APS guy letting me know that he WAS AT MY HOUSE assessing the tree. We chatted about the tree, he recalled being on my street during the freezing rain event. Yada yada. I had to leave work early because Dave and I had tickets to the D-backs ( who totally swept Colorado). When I arrived home I noticed that our power pole was leaning. Upon further inspection, someone from APS had dug hole beside the power pole and then wrote something on my gravel driveway, in short hand with spray paint. Two APS trucks rolled up about then. Two BIG APS trucks! I chatted with them about the freaking tree and they said they were there because of the power pole. Apparently and CLEARLY it was a larger problem because they discovered the pole had rotted at the base. Dave and I let them know we would not be home and were on our merry way to the D-backs game. We left at 3:00 p.m. (Let me mention again how our D-backs swept the Colorado Rockies....).

We arrived home after midnight and while our street is rural, cozy and quiet, it was now eerily dark.

Except for bright, bright lights from our back yard.

APS had cut the power to our entire neighborhood right after we left **I’m sure our neighbors loved that** and power wasn’t restored until 2:00 a.m. this morning, which is when the crews left our yard. 2:00 a.m. this morning.. yes! We have a new power pole. And the tree? Still there.

To be continued….

2008-01-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

Ready or not 2008 is here!

Happy New Year! I never really did make "concrete" New Years Resolutions for this year.. and my life(while it is so damn good), it is also very hectic. So, with that, the main thing I wanted to do this year is to get in shape, so I joined www.snapfitness.com. It is the first time I have ever joined a gym. I really, really like it. AND... it doesnt hurt that a local fire department works out there too... if only they would show up in their turn outs....

The other thing I am going to do is blog as much as possible. I was a slacker last year.

2007-08-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

To Ecuador we go.

I can't believe that it has been 3 months since I have posted a blog. Since May, Dave and I have been to the Bahamas and are now planning a trip to Ecuador. Ahhhh Ecuador. I googled "Traveling Dangers in Ecuador" this morning and this is what I found:

In summary, Ecuador is one of the safest and friendliest countries you could ever wish to visit and often go to great lengths with affection to make you most welcome whilst visiting their beautiful country. (Huh?) If you do get robbed (wait... I thought it said it was one of the safest countries...) don't try to attack your robber because if he has a gun, knife or any other dangerous weapon(oh dear) the consequences will far outrun the loss of a few items, by taking necessary precautions and observing all around you most robberies can be cut to a minimum.(makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over).

Wow - we already have our airline tickets so there is no backing down now. I also found a useful list of things I cannot bring on the airplane.... or check on in my luggage. I can't make this list up.

Blasting Caps
Dynamite
Fireworks
Flares (in any form)
Hand Grenades
Plastic Explosives
Realistic Replicas of Explosives

But wait there is more:

Axes and Hatchets
Cattle Prods
Crowbars
Hammers

.......

2007-05-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Gratitude List - Thursday....

Bubblegum balls

The assistant dir is gone for the day...but still breathing none the less....

Dave and Will - who had Starbucks on their way to work and school this morning...Meanwhile, I had to be at work at 7:00 a.m. for a human resource issue....

My housekeeper... I love Thursdays!!!!!

Red Wine

D-backs lost again to those effen Dodgers, but I still love the baby backs. At least we swept those silly Giants... and the Suns won best out of seven with the Lakers.

2007-05-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

May 2nd - Gratitude List

Will
Dave
Fig Nutons

2007-04-10T14:26:00.001-07:00

You can't fix stupid.

2007-04-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

2007-04-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, can't believe its been so long since I have blogged. So much has happened.... I turned 45, had a lovely Birthday in Hawaii, yada yada yada. Chris and Wendy were married in our living room on Thursday, March 29th, it was snowing and beautiful. Dave performed the ceremony. And now here it is - April 6th, Good Friday, the start of Easter Weekend. Sad to say that gone are the days of coloring Easter eggs and hiding them for the kids, and hiding Easter baskets loaded with chocolate rabbits and jelly beans - never to be eaten. (Personally, I only like black jelly beans). Our kids on the other hand, never really liked candy.... sup wit dat? The weather is really beautiful today, it should reach in the low to mid 70's. It feels so good. Dave and I plan to work in our yard this weekend. I don't plan on working all day... the thought of getting home early and having dinner ready and a nice bottle of Cabernet breathing seems much more appealing.

2007-02-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

February Gratitude list:

I am so very grateful for--
Dave - who takes my breath away every day!
Will - who makes me laugh when he isnt trying.
Dave - who makes sure my Birthday is celebrated every day in February (seriously).
Chris and Wendy - who have blessed us by wanting to have their wedding at our home.
Stacy - who is a goofball and keeps Chris and I on our toes.
Tanning... a very vain thing to do... but hey, I'm leaving for Hawaii in two weeks and it makes my wobbly bits look better somehow.
My job- that allows me to take time off to travel.
Dave, Dave, Dave..

2007-01-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MY FRIEND WENDY!

WATER...... It has been scientifically proven that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 lb. of Escherichia coli bacteria found in feces, in other words, we are consuming 1 lb. of poop!!
However, we do not run that risk when drinking wine (or rum, whiskey, vodka, beer or other liquors) because alcohol has to go through a distillation process of boiling, filtering and fermenting.
It is better to drink wine and talk shit than to drink water and be full of shit.

2007-01-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

Indigestion.

This past weekend my husband was experiencing some heartburn/indigestion (probably from the shrimp we ate with extra hot cocktail sauce). At Target I bought a well known acid reducing chewable tablet. As we were driving home, I was reading the informational sheet that was provided. Among other things it states that if you are experiencing… and I quote… Bloody or black stools, you should consult a physician as you may have a more serious health condition.

I am not a rocket scientist, but if I were experiencing bloody or black stools, I wouldn’t be thinking.. hmmm… maybe I just need an antacid tablet.

2007-01-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

Yet another potty story.

The women’s bathroom at my office is located down the hall from my office
(and also happens to be in close proximity to the galley style kitchen we all share, isn’t that great?)
This is the very same bathroom where someone “left” their underwear last week.

This morning, I went in to the bathroom and…

Oh.
My.
God.

The person who used the bathroom right before me must have had something explode out of their ass.

It smells so bad that it made my eyes water.

It smells so bad that everyone is using another bathroom in a different part of our building…..that we have to walk to… in the snow.

2007-01-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

I just made you say underwear

I just got out of the women's bathroom in our office... and someone left their underwear (a thong no less)on the table. UNDERWEAR. Now, I'm a pretty creative thinker, but this one perplexes even me. How do you forget your underwear? Lets see.. I've got my keys, my sunglasses, my purse.. what am I missing? I made Chris go in the bathroom to double check I wasnt seeing things. Perhaps over the loud speaker I can have our receptionist say" Would the owner of the nude colored thong please come to the front desk. Thank You".

2007-01-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

Weird

You know what is weird? Chris's ex-wife reads his My Space info EVERY DAY... and then comments to him about it. I think that is messed up. She needs to get a freaking life.

2007-01-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

Life in Biscuit - stories from a small town girl.

The Year 2007 Thus Far.

Lets see.. it is Friday,January 5th, 2007.

My husband and I, our children and C and W spent New Years in Mexico, which by far is most relaxed I have been on vacation in a long time. More on that later ( with pics!).

Our Ecuadorian exchange son - Daniel- is being sent back home to Ecuador next week because he broke an "exchange rule"... something silly about not letting exchange students drive vehicles in the United States.. which he did... really well, right up until the moment he rolled and totalled the toyota 4-runner that his "friend" had owned for 11 days. We wont even mention that little drinking infraction. And we thought he was at swim practice. hmm...

Will dug two of the biggest holes ever on the beach in Mexico. It was wonderful for him to just play.

I love my husband. We will be married 10 years in July. Wow. Where has the time flown.

2006-12-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

Central Arizona

Living in Central Arizona is so amazing. Yesterday the temp was 9 degrees and with the wind chill it was 3 degrees... fricken cold! and today, we don't have to wear our jackets, or scarfs or mittens and our windows at work are open, its around 55 degrees and warm. I love Arizona.

2006-11-28T15:37:00.000-08:00

My Friend Chris

My friend Chris hasnt blogged since Nov 13th. sup wit dat?

2006-11-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

They seem smaller in the forest.

This past Sunday, my husband and our two teenage boys ventured up to the Grand Canyon to cut a Christmas tree ( legally of course, we had a permit from the forest service). After several, what seemed like hours, of walking thru the forest, we found "the tree". Dave and I walked back to our truck to get the chain saw, while the boys stayed with the tree.. as if someone else would remotely be cutting a Christmas tree near us and try to take ownership. So, Dave fired up the chainsaw and the tree fell in the forest, and yes...yes... it does make a sound. Dave and the boys carried the tree to the truck and it was then that we realized just how big of a tree we cut. It is well over 12 feet tall. I can't wait to get it into our home and decorate it.

2006-11-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving with Family

Dave and I hosted Thanksgiving at our home yesterday for 20 people. Dave and I, our three kids, plus Daniel our host son, and Aaron’s girlfriend Ashley, My mom and Dad, Dave’s Dad, two of my siblings and their spouses and children plus two cousins from Phoenix, and my ex-husband. What a perfectly glorious day. The weather was so beautiful that we were able to eat outside. Dave and I fixed soooo much food. Turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, apricot glazed ham, The Green Bean Casserole, fresh cranberry relish, deviled eggs, tossed salad, candied yams, fresh baked rolls ( thanks Dad), corn and green chili casserole (thanks Mom) and 8 pies. I am looking forward to a turkey and cranberry relish sandwich on one of my dad’s home made rolls.

The moments that stand out for me from yesterday are:

The pure joy that was reverberating throughout our home from the laughter.

How wonderful everything tasted

How happy all the kids were to see one another

Dave’s Thanksgiving Prayer

The warm weather

How relaxed my mom and dad were

How relaxed Dave and I were and although it was a lot of work, the whole day seemed effortless.

How beautiful our home looked

How quiet and still everything seemed to be after everyone left

2006-11-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

20 Cents, Pair Of Dimes, Paradigm Shift

I have recently had a Paradigm Shift in my life as it relates to friendships. I am not a freshman in highschool looking for drama with a girlfriend, I am a grown woman who thought I had solid relationships with other woman. Actually, my shift, as most shifts occur, happened over a period of time. One day its perfectly fine to be held hostage periodically by your friends, because, come on you just put up with the good and the bad. But... then...one morning you wake up,and realize that its not okay to be held hostage by your friends. Friendship should not be based on being worried if your going to hurt someone's feelings. Friendship should be based on that if you do hurt their feelings, its not a deal breaker. So I have recently began protected myself, and with that, I have withdrawn from both sets of my friends -- professional and personal.. (not talking about you Chris, first; your not a woman, and second; face it, you are part of my family). I'm certain there is some confusion on their part. But to tell you the truth, I'm not worried about what they think. I'm taking care of Me. I feel myself changing and that is scary and exciting.

2006-11-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

Thursday.. update

Instead of going shopping on my lunch hour, at 11:00 a.m. my boss told me he needed me to go to Sedona with him to look at some road problems. (or something like that....). Only if we get to swing thru Jerome and eat at the Haunted Hamburger I said. It was a good hamburger.

2006-11-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

Thursday, before a 3 Day Weekend.

How much better can it get? Its Thursday, and tomorrow we have a day off to celebrate Veterans Day. Overall, it has been a good week. Will got a C+ on his biology exam - Thank God! Dave was re-elected in a landslide victory ( okay.. so he was running unapposed..its still a landslide victory). Things here at work are smooth ( uh oh) and the fall weather is absolutely amazing. OH, and I'm going shopping on my lunch hour. Its a beautiful day.

2006-11-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

I am grateful that its Friday and that I don't have any.. ANY big plans for the weekend. Do you know how wonderful that is? (well, unless you consider killing gophers "big plans"..) but other than that.. No Big Plans.

2006-11-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

Yup, another list...

I'm grateful for my child. Will is struggling with biology. I admire his strength. I'm so proud of him. He doesnt give up, even when we gave him the choice to change classes. ( okay, he is a freshman in high school and this class is a college prep course...he is an amazing child).

I'm grateful that my husband loves me and still thinks I'm beautiful... after 12 years together.

2006-10-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Gratitude list continued ***

The fall colors.. omg... its so odd how much alive they are..ironic because they are lacking in in photosynthesis, which makes them die.

Aaron and Whitney who have come a long way.

Dave - for cleaning the kitchen while I was getting my hair cut last night...

Dave - for taking me out to dinner after my haircut last night and ordering me my favorite wine.

Dave - for not giving me a nudge even when I got wound up last night telling Janice Ann and Oren stories from our trip to Ireland.

My new chiminea - with three openings!!!!!!

2006-10-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Change in direction

I decided that with all the wah wahing I did last week, well okay and some this week too, I have decided to write my GRATITUDE LIST:

M y husband.. who puts up with me even when I'm impossible. I love being in his arms, where all my journeys end.

Will, who makes me laugh. I love watching him grow into the wonderful young man he is becoming. He loves me even tho he is a teenager.. and its not so cool to love your parents. What a blessing he is to us. I can totally overlook the F in biology.

My beautiful home - warm and inviting, where only those we love are invited in.

Scout - my cat that has only one marble. He keeps my feet warm at night and is always happy to see me.

Zoe - the other cat, who licks my nose in the morning and when I get home... when I know she really wants to bite me.

August - my lab.. who would protect me to his death.. and always has someones shoe in his mouth. Its an adventure every morning finding a pair ( that matches). He carries a stuffed bunny in his mouth, when he doesnt have a shoe... and we call the bunny his baby.

My friend- who always lift me up and never let me down. Love you.

My family - even though at times I am sure they dont want to admit it. I don't see them enough and then only live 10 mins from me. My bad.

More to follow....

2006-10-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesay

So much has happened, and most of it I can’t put in to words… much less write about it. Its been an emotional roller coaster this week with personnel issues. It will take several glasses of wine to sort thru it all. I can’t wait for Stacy and Chris to get back. Chris has sent me random text messages (whew!) and Stacy has sent me text messages and then called me… Thank God! Have I mentioned how much I miss them?

2006-10-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Friday's bloglog

Lets say that Friday I had an emotional hangover. Got the kids off to high school, made it work on time (as usual). I made up my mind that I really needed to take care of myself. I think my blood pressure has been astronomical this week, but didn't' have the time to stop and have it checked. I had lunch with M&G and our five place. It was a nice break. I cleaned up a few things on my desk and went home around 4:00. I went straight to bed. Now if you really, really know me, you would know that this is odd beyond words. I stayed in bed until I heard Dave come home from his glorious, stress free week in Phx. We ordered out dinner from somewhere... and ate by the fireplace. I went to bed early. I'm sure Chris and Wendy are having a super duper time in Hawaii and that Stacy is having a blast with her family in Florida. humph! There should be some sort of "friend law" where both of them can't be gone at the same time.

2006-10-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday/Friday bloglog

Okay, let me start by saying on Wednesday evening, I arrived home to find that the crows had opened up our trash can and lovingly scattered all our trash in our yard, the neighbors yard and in the vacant lot across the street. After the day I had... I could have screamed or cursed. But I got out of my car, got a trash bag, and calmly bagged up the trash again... for the second time. I made dinner for the boys and I told them that if they cleaned up the dishes I would make banana nut bread. It was a deal. During the process of making banana nut bread, I was reaching for a wooden spoon and I bumped a bottle of wine on the counter. It fell to the floor in slow motion and then exploded ALL over the kitchen, me, and the boys. At that point in my day ( after the crappy day at work, Dave in Phx and having to pick up the trash) I wanted to just walk away and go to bed. But instead I asked Will to get the trash can, and Daniel to get me a roll of paper towels. I quickly cleaned up the mess, although I'm sure I will be finding parts of the wine bottle under the fridge, etc for years to come. I finished making banana nut bread, and the boys and I watched "The Biggest Looser"... which surprisingly enough, was not about my life. Heard from Dave, he is ate in the lounge where he is staying... not to be confused with the 4 mile bike ride he took last night and then had dinner at Monte's La Casa Vieja. He ate at the bar, had a couple of rum and cokes and watched the baseball game. 100 miles removed from the daily activities and responsibilities of biscuit.

Thursday- Dave still in Phx, and calls me to let me know which wonderful dining establishments he is going to each night, in spite of the fact that he knows I'm having a week which I do not ever want to repeat. Work was work, still stressful from all the personnel actions we will taking next week. Lunch with Phil again. I think we ate at the Taco Show. I can assure you it's not like having a real lunch hour, as I've mentioned before, love Phil, but 9 hours of going over and over the problems we have here at work, is not a "break". I guess I could tell him I have other plans, but in truth its either going with him, which is easy, or not eating at all. I miss Chris and Stacy...got home, more trash scattered around the house. A repeat from Wednesday night. I will not, repeat, will not have the wine bottle on the counter near my elbow tonight. I will have the wine bottle clenched firmly, yet lovingly in my hand. I talked to Stacy tonight. I texted her to let her know that George on Grey's Anatomy is gay in real life. She texted me back asking if I was lonely. um... yes. Then she called because she was a little lonely too. It made my whole day ( not the fact that she was lonely too, although I might admit it did make me feel a weesie bit better... but actually it made my day to talk to her and laugh). Dave went to PF Changs, had an appetizer, and entree and rum and coke, then he rode his bike to a park where allegedly there was a "festival" going on. He didn't think it was weird at all that he was in a park at 9:30 p.m. I asked him if he would think it was weird if I called him alone from a park in Tempe at 9:30 at night. Would he worry about me? He said "no". Hmmmm... troubling.

2006-10-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Blog Log - Wednesday

Chris is in Hawaii, Stacy is in Florida and my husband is in Phoenix all week. I told Chris that I would bloglog my days alone....I'm sort of pitiful. Friendless and pitiful... does anyone feel my pain? Noooooooo.

Like I said, its Wednesday. Plenty of action here at work. Never a dull moment. I have a stack of Letters of Reprimand to write. I am getting really good at it... and then on to lunch with Phil, where we discussed the various stack of Letters I am composing... not very relaxing lunch, in fact I don't even count them as my lunch hour, its more like a continuous stream of office talk. (I do enjoy lunch with Phil, we always find something to laugh about.) Its already 2:00. I have to go to Fausto's allbymyselftoday.... bummer. Its also RobBob's last day. He figured out he had 4 more hours of pto and asked if he could take 4 hours of leave without pay. We said "you bet". It is time for him to mooove on. I am supposed to be going to a meeting in Ashfork tomorrow, but since I will be spending my days with the folks over in HR, I had to pass the torch to MaryAn and Gay. I miss everyone. Its already 2:13.

2006-10-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

Monday Night Meltdown -

My words cannot accurately describe watching the Cardinals "play" football last night. So I took these below written words from the Arizona Republic. On a brighter note, we had a great time with RP, Sparkle Kitty and the boys.

They opened the roof Monday night at University of Phoenix Stadium, and for nearly three quarters, the fresh air seemed to breathe new life into the Cardinals' season.They built a 20-point lead over the Chicago Bears, considered by many to be the best team in the NFL. Hope seemed alive for the Cardinals, who brought a four-game losing streak into the game.But the Cardinals showed Monday that they could blow a game outdoors, too. Chicago scored three touchdowns in the final 15 minutes - two on fumble returns and another on Devin Hester's 83-yard punt return - to beat the Cardinals 24-23.

The Cardinals had one last chance, taking over at their 38-yard line with just less than three minutes remaining. Rookie quarterback Matt Leinart moved them deftly down the field to the Bears' 22-yard line. But kicker Neil Rackers' 40-yard field-goal attempt with 37 seconds remaining missed left, barely, and the Cardinals (1-5) were left to cope with their fifth straight loss.

2006-10-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

My last post for the day... I promise... its just been so long since I've actually had time to write. But anyways.......

I'm leaving early from work today to attend yet another Cardinal's football game vs. Da Bears! My husband and I are and our two sons, Will and Daniel and.. yes...our best friends -RP and Sparkle Kitty, the two people that make every event a party. You might remember me writing about the last time we attended a football game with them, RP told the guy next to us he looked like the Baseline Killer. Pretty much a conversation stopper. So, no telling what is in store for our adventure today. All I really know, is that we always, always have a great time, I laught until I cry and my sides ache. I come back with happy crazy memories and something to blog about. Speaking of laughing until I cry.. Did I mention that the Cardinals football team sort of sucks.. We Have Not Won Any Games and we happen to be playing The Undefeated Chicago Bears. Yes, you read that correctly - UNDEFEATED. I can only hope for a small miracle. Like... Dear God, please don't let our Cardinals get the crap beat out of them in the first quarter.

2006-10-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Not only is it National Boss Day...

Monday is National Feral Cat Day, so pet a feral cat in appreciation. You'll feel good inside as you pull back your bloody stump.

2006-10-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

The Grand Canyon....

A friend asked me about hiking the Grand Canyon. It was her first time in the Grand Canyon and... and... she is recovering from surgery. Having hiked the Grand Canyon, rim to rim, this was my response....
I don’t mean to be “Debbie downer” but there is nothing in the world like Grand Canyon miles. It’s good that you have been getting in shape, but I can assure you it will be a rough hike. Bright Angel is longer but not as steep, and the trip to the 3 mile rest house might be your best bet. Any hike in the Canyon will be beautiful. Even a short hike always centers me. Sometimes there is nothing like single tasking, which is what you do on these hikes. I always am amazed to find my significance in the world, and my insignificance in the world while in the Grand Canyon. Its odd, its big, its beautiful, its harsh …. But magical. My husband and I have hiked both rims as well as South Kaibab and Bright Angel, deep in to the belly of the canyon. It always calls us back. But I digress…. You know your own body. Remember that whatever time it takes you to walk down the canyon, double the time for coming back out. I mean it… Not to mention having to give way to the horses and donkey’s/burro’s that are packing tourists from California in white jeans and white cowboy boots, looking fresh as a daisy.. whilst weary hikers, smelling less than fresh as a daisy have to endure their snide comments regarding ridings vs. hiking… those same weary hikers secretly wishing for one of the 4 footed animals to get spooked and perhaps toss said California tourist off the side of a cliff….oops… I’m getting off track again. But the pack animals do have the right of way, and you will have to and need to stand verrrrry still as they pass. Watch out for the puddles of pee and horse poop too. Its lovely as your humping it back up the canyon, gasping for air, trying to keep you mind clear and all you can smell is urine and poop. Loooovee those pack animals!!! Okay, serious again. Having layers of clothing on is important, seems like you have a handle on that. You will truly need to eat even when you don’t think you need to eat. Above all – take your time, enjoy the journey… try not to be the over achiever I know you are. If you have 9 hours to hike, and your hike lasts 6 hours, go up top and have a nice coffee and desert at the El Tovar Lodge. It overlooks the rim and you can sit by the fireplace where juniper wood will be crackling and warm. It is one of my favorite places on earth. It has a lot of rich history.

2006-09-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last week was from Hell

Monday - I had to inform two employees that we would graciously give them an additional 30 days to get a certain certification, that they had 6 months to get, or we would have to let them go.

Tuesday - I voted ( which made me feel good).

Wednesday - I had to write a statement of facts on an employee, in order to give the employee two weeks off without pay, for a major violation of policy. Wednesday afternoon I was in Phoenix for shopping and a Van Morrison Concert. Van is getting old.

Thursday - I was tired from the concert

Friday - I arrived early for work to get some things done before the rest of the staff arrived. I heard someone walking down the hall , and it was a Sheriff Deputy. He had received complaints regarding an employee of ours and they were looking for the employee. I had to get in a car and go look for the employee... who is 69 years old.... I finally found him working in a rural part of our county and when he saw me he was so happy... it was then that I "got" to ever so gently explain to him that he could not drive a vehicle until he had medical clearance. It was a yucky way to end my week. I felt so sad. It would be like telling my day that I was taking away his drivers license.

2006-09-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

I Voted

After placing my votes for the primary election this morning, I was driving to work and could not help but reflect on the past 10 years of my life and how incredibly important voting is for me. Perhaps to some it might sound like patriotic sensationalism, but I truly feel as though my vote makes a difference. I have the power at the end of a magic marker to help my fellow Republican’s remain in office.

2006-09-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

Tailgate(ing)...

My husband and I together with our best friends RP and Sparkle Kitty, attended the third first home game of the Arizona Cardinals vs. San Fran 49ers yesterday. ( Not to be confused with the first first home game of the Cardinals we attended, nor the second first game.. those were preseason games).It was our first tailgating experience. We proudly drove in to the parking lot of the Cardinal Stadium, looking a bit like the Beverly Hillbillies. We were packed so tight in the car, I believe I heard a sigh of relief from the engine as we all spilled out of the car. We began our virginal tailgating experience by setting up "our space", which actually, was two "our spaces" because of all the crap we packed for our big day. Lets see... two ice chests full of food and alcohol.One ice chest held our lovingly prepared brats that we had boiled in Fat Tire beer, and also held water and ice tea for some reason. The other, far more important ice chest held ingredients for bloody mary's * first things first*, beer, and oh! must not forgot about the chilled white wine - Alcohol was a must in order to figure out the pixy sticks can of canopy poles .. lets see....pole A to pole B, then connect 1 to 4 and 6. TaDA...shade!!! As we were setting up our chairs, tables and bbq, a lot of our new neighbors admired our kitchen and living room on hot pavement. Our neighbors to the left of us were Don and Owen, two great guys playing dominos in the back end of their car,while sauteing onions and hash browns and eggs. To the right of us was a family we didnt really talk to because we were way too busy interrupting Don and Owens heated domino game. We had a lovely relationship going with them.. and then our friend RP said to Owen. Has anyone ever told you that you look like the Baseline killer?(http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0907baseline0907.html

Deep intake of breath * pour another drink*search frantically for quarter in bottom of purse*pretend not to notice that he just asked our neighbor that question* But Owen graciously told us that yes, he in fact has been told that he looks like the Baseline Killer/Rapist and ironically, he lives in South Phoenix ***on Baseline Road.

2006-09-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

Monday/Tuesday after a three day weekend.

So my friend Chris poked his head in my office and was concerned that I hadnt "blogged" since the 28th. Apparently he checks my site. Thanks Chris.

I love the Arizona Diamondbacks. Anyone who really knows me will tell you this about me. My friend Chris, ( who, if I were 9 years younger, could be twins with...cept he is really adorable and gets carted when he buys alcohol...but I digress) is also a HUGE D-backs fan. I have kept the vigil of watching our D-backs every night... night after night watching our boys hit home runs, working the fans into a complete purple and green frenzy and then, as easy as buying an 9.00 dollar glass of beer from a concession stand employee, our Dbacks simply start to unravel like a well worn baseball left out in the rain. Yes,tThey have given up yet another chance at the playoffs. Watching our team this year has been different. If I call Chris and say "OMG... did you see Johnny Estrada get into with the coaches???" his usuall response was * I am not watching the D-backs right now * wtf? I think that the reason they did so poorly this year is because they didnt have the solidarity of the Chris/Peggy energy. But I can understand why he missed out on so many frustrating D-back moments...You see, he is head over heals in like with Wendy.

2006-08-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

Taking Motrin for a tooth ache is like going to war with a water pistol.

Okay… I pride myself in the fact that I have a high threshold of pain. Maybe, just maybe with the events of last week, that highly touted threshold of pain was compromised.
So, one of the lessons learned is: Don’t listen when the well intentioned dental office staff tells you that a root canal procedure is something you can have done in the morning and be able to go to work when its finished. It’s a big fat fib. When I arrived at the dentist office, the first think I noticed was a truck that looked exactly like my husbands truck. Upon entering the office, my sweet, crazy busy, but not too busy for me husband was waiting for me. He said that he wanted to be able to drive me back to work and we could figure out my vehicle later. He knew that I would poo poo the idea of him taking time off from work to be with me for a silly RC.. but in the back of my mind, I was thinking.. how bad can this be? After an hour of having my tooth worked on and having to be “juiced up” with pain meds twice. I can tell you that its not as “simple as having a tooth filled” which is what I read on the internet. Dave drove me back to work. Upon arriving in my office, it was apparent that my fellow work mates had not seen me with a swollen jaw before or in that much pain. My boss said that I needed to go home or he would drive me home. Chris said he would take me to get my RX.. which by the way, was for 800 mg of Motrin. I got my RX, Chris drove me to my vehicle because I swore I was okay to drive home safely. 800 mg’s of Motrin doesn’t begin to dull the pain, but 800 mg’s of Motrin and two glasses of wine seems to do the trick.

2006-08-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

That Damn Tooth

I woke up PAIN FREE this morning. WTF??? Must be the antibiotics kicking in. Doesnt matter, I'm off to the dentist in about 3o minutes to have my root canal.

2006-08-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Okay... so the toothache I thought was associated with the sinus infection, bronchitis, asthma event is not inflamation of my gums from the above mentioned. Nope. I could not stand it any longer and I called my dentist this morning. After x-rays and poking and prodding of said tooth, it seems that this tooth was dying, and because my immune system is low due to the above mentioned ailments, I now need to get a root canal --tomorrow morning. I'm rethinking how wonderful the whole weekend of cigar smokng and drinking was.

2006-08-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

White Lies

Tuesday August 22nd, 2003

I went to the Dr. today for my sinus problem. After tapping on my cheek bones, and checking my lungs for the 4th time. My Dr. asked me if I smoked ( uh... no). Does anyone at your house smoke? ( No). Seems I have bronchitis, sinus infection and acute, or as I call it "darling" asthma. There was no way that I was going to tell my Dr. how I spent the weekend drinking and smoking cigars. I left the Dr.'s office with RX's for 10 Days of antibiotics, a rescue inhaler and steroidal inhaler....Damn those cigars were good!

2006-08-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Jack Tacos

Monday August 21st, 2006

I feel like shit today. Sinus stuff going on. And because Mr. Sinus might be lonely, his cousin Asthma came for a visit too. I'm just that good. Chris brought me two Jack in the Box tacos for lunch and an attena ball. ( thanks my dear friend). I feel better already.

2006-08-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Life in Biscuit

Happy Hours.

My weekend was eventful. Friday night Dave and I had a "happy hour" party at our house that started at 5:00 and lasted until well after midnight. At midnight, I went to check on Dave, and found him asleep in bed. Both the boys were in bed and Chris was passed out on the couch with Will's ipod in his ear,listening to the OJ's "Love Train" on continuous loop. Will had thoughtfully plugged it in so that the battery would not go dead. Chris hummed love train all thru breakfast. I went back out the patio where my remaining die hard friends wanted to carry on and smoke cigars...I started turning off the patio lights. Everyone stumbled to their cars. Saturday was nice, we fixed a nice Ecuadorian dinner in honor of our exchange student Daniel, Sunday I didnt feel well. I think I might have a sinus thing going on because my teeth feel like they are going to burst out of my head. Probably has nothing to do with all the cigars I smoked and wine I consumed.

2006-08-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

Nacho's and Football

I attended the 1st pre-season Cardinal Football game vs. Pitt. Steelers on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona in the new Cardinals Arena. I sat next to a Steelers fan, who was really nice... until I was eating nacho's and I accidently (I swear), touched his leg and smeared nacho cheese on his pants.