I'm Back to Work . . .

ya, I had mentioned, at least on FB, that I got a job . . . . that starts in January! And, it is a temp job, AND it is located in West Phoenix . . . I could go on, but I won't!

Then, just when I thought I was gonna be a temporary replacement employee at Fry's . . . my favorite temp agency called me up, and got me another hook up! WOO HOO!! (That same agency got me my 3.5 year gig at the job I recently was laid off from!)

So, I start Monday . . . it's in Tempe . . . apparently I don't need to work anywhere else! LOL I'm excited to go back to work, and THE BEST PART??? A Paycheck! Beats the measly unemployment check, ANY DAY!!!

So, if this new job goes permanent, I WON'T be taking that temp job in January; but with good reason!

Wish me luck! Have a great weekend!!

I Don't Care WHO You Are . . .

. . . or what kind of music you prefer/hate! You gotta hear a song from George Strait's new album, TWANG. It is called "The Breath You Take" . . . It is an amazing message, and something that I need to be reminded of! (And not to mention the fact that I am sitting in the library, listening to my ipod, getting all teary, while I type this!)

Give it a go, if you dare!! ♥

What the HECK???

Okay, I don't think that I have EVER gone this long between posts! I feel like a great big slacker, but that is just one of the small circumstances that comes from not having a job to earn "REAL" money, and therefore NOT having money to pay for internet service! You gotta prioritize, you know?? Ya, that's all I am gonna say about that!!

Lots going on in the ZAP family! Unfortunately, we have NOT inherited $1 million dollars, won a new car, or found the fountain of youth! Just more of everyday life stuff!
However, {and there WILL be photographic evidence provided later!} we did go to the 9/11 Peace Garden, became great-aunt and great-uncle when our niece had a baby, adopted a pup - {that topic deserves an entire entry . . . don't worry, it will eventually appear!!}, and are just living the life, dreamin' the dream, and learning what we can live without, in these days of economic famine!

I'll be back, don't worry!
♥

What A Week!!

My niece, Kayla, has been living and working in Virginia, since May. So, her mom, Karalee, flew out there, last Sunday, to drive home with her.

Karalee asked me to stay at her house, with her other 2 teenagers. Okay, I don't have a "real job" right now, so my schedule is pretty open.

Well, the kids were good - that wasn't the issue! The issues were . . . .

1) I don't sleep well when I'm not in my own bed. I'm not sure why that is, but it is true! (thus clearing up any question as to why I'm not a professional house-sitter!!)

2) Brody, the family dog, was having some health issues and was wandering the house ALL NIGHT LONG

3) Every day, after the kids left for school, I would go home and take a shower and change clothes, etc. That wears on you . . . . when you don't have your own comfy clothes to change into, at any random hour of the day!

4) My sister's computer, while semi-functional, would NOT allow me to send emails from my email box. It is a little difficult to apply for jobs when you can't send an email, or are not able to access your resume! (Ya, I renamed it a "crap"top!!)

5) Jorge works nights . . . and on the days that he is scheduled, I don't see him much anyway, but this week . . . we spoke on the phone while he was at work. And, other than the fact that we spent most of the day together on Wednesday, that was all.

6) and the biggest bummer! I had to take Brody to be put down, at the vet. This poor dog - he has been such a loyal family member, friend to all (Including the little kids!!) and a big part of the family for 9 years. But, he hadn't been eating, and he had started to swell. The last 2 nights, he didn't sleep at all, because it hurt to lay down and then get up. So all night long I heard his toenails on the hardwood floors of my sister's house.

His paws were sweating, that's how sick this poor dog was! When we arrived at the vet, the Dr. said that he probably had a cardio vascular condition, and that is where all the swelling was coming from. And apparently it is common in Boxers.

So, that was VERY emotional . . . . thank goodness Jorge was with me! Thanks honey!

Anyway, all of this added up to a very stressful week . . . . adding the burden, of course, of paying the rent, since another month is upon us!

Thus, I feel that I need a vacation from my unemployment induced vacation . . . . . . I'm thinking, ". . . some beach, some where . . . "

Hqppy 29th, Tina!!

Today is Tina's birthday! She's 29 .. . . again! LOL

She is a most treasured friend - we've been through a lot of muddy waters of life together! I love her and her family, and am so glad that we met on that fateful day 22 years ago, as missionaries!

We've seen a LOT of things change in this crazy world, and hopefully we will see many more good things together!

Thanks for all you do and are, Tina! Love you!

It's a wrap!

, . . the month of August, I mean!

I can't BELIEVE how fast this month has flown . . . . even for the unemployed!

But, not here to talk about my lack of job, today! Nope, I'm here to brag . . . . . about my little*** nephew, Chase!

He plays on the varsity football team, for Mesa High School ... . . go Jackrabbits!! Anyway, they had their first game last Friday, and HE, apparently, was one of the stars of the show! They won, and he made some people (besides the boys he knocked over!!) stand up and take notice!

http://www.azcentral.com/video/?type=mavenfull&id=mavensingle&videoID=1231787750

And then, in Sunday's paper, we read this: http://www.azcentral.com/php-bin/clicktrack/email.php/8910399 ***Did you notice the height and weight on this man-child??? I was being TOTALLY facetious when I said "little"!!

Breakthrough!

Tonight I had a breakthrough - call it emotional, spiritual, or diabolical! I went to a Professional Business Networking meeting sponsored by Employment Services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I didn't really want to go . . . I had been on the computer earlier, and applied for some jobs . . . wasn't that enough?? Then, upon further thought, I realized that I need to do ALL I can, to find a job, and be pro-active in any possible way that I can. So, I went!

After a brief "Me in 30 Seconds" from everyone (there were about 30 people there!), we heard from a guest, Dr. Dennis Deaton, of Quma Learning. He was AMAZING!!!! (Sorry . . . I couldn't make the link work!!) His company does workshops on thought processes, and how much control we have over our thoughts; and how people can make their thoughts positively affect their jobs, their health and their lives.

I have to say that I had no idea how much I was inhibiting my own success. And I truly needed to be reminded how much my Heavenly Father loves me, and WANTS me to be happy!

A few weeks ago, a friend from high school, (who, thanks to FaceBook, I have reconnected with!) told me about his own experience with MAKING his own success! He said, "I had $7 in my pocket, and a desire to show everyone who said I couldn't, that I could be a success!" I was inspired by his drive and sorta wished I had some of that drive. Well, tonight I discovered, or should I say, RE-discovered, that drive for myself, and I WANT to be a success at what I want to do - my job will NOT define me, and I will do what I WANT TO DO, to 1) provide for myself/family and 2) Make a difference in the lives of others.

I am the one who is in control of my attitude -- NOBODY else! So, I'm gonna be busy cleaning out the cobwebs in my thought control center . . . No more room for doom and gloom! And, I have taken some wishes and written them down . . . NOW they are goals!! AND, I have a timeline for accomplishing them! Go ME!!!

Happy Birthday and Surprise!

So, Sunday was Jorge's birthday - he decided that he is going backwards, so he is now 48 . . . again! The poor man - he worked Saturday night, and then came home to try to sleep for a while, before church. Every time he would get to sleep, his phone would ring, with a call from another friend or loved one, wishing him "Happy Birthday!" But, he loved hearing from everyone!

After church, we were headed to my sister's house for dinner: Chicken enchiladas, salad, chips and salsa, and some amazing vegetable medley, with cheesecake for the birthday boys! (My brother, Jeremy, had his birthday on Saturday!)

So, we had finished dinner, and the door opens- in walks DeAwna, my sister who lives in Denver, CO! My mom's face was PRICELESS - she almost dropped her jaw on the floor!!

DeAwna had decided that she REALLY needed a vacation, and she wanted to see a comedy show with some friends, and she DROVE (the craziest part!) from Denver, to spend a week in the oven . . . er, Mesa, AZ.

It was supposed to be a surprise for ALL of us, except my sister, Karalee, and her BFF, Megan. But, she caved a couple of weeks ago, and told me about it! It is good to see her, and since I currently have no job, I will be able to spend more time with her, this visit.

Oh, and I got to give HER a surprise .... . I am making her a memorial album of her first and oldest dog, Shasta. (See my blog entry for 8/01/09) My niece, MaiCee and I spent 3 hours looking through my collection of photos and scrapbooks to come up with decent amount of photos! The coolest part is that I found photos of her with ALMOST all of my nieces and nephews! She loved the kids!


Ya, we stayed up until 2 am last night . . . . I am really starting to feel it! {YAWN!!}

WORLD - REVOLVING AROUND . . . .

. . . apparently EVERYONE but me!!

I had an interesting experience today - and I say "interesting" for 2 reasons:
1. I could've gone ballistic and turned into mega-beast
2. I cannot believe people sometimes . . . it never ceases to surprise me, nonetheless!

Okay, so, I was baby-sitting my cousin's daughters today, while he met with some clients, and then he called and said that he had a job interview, and could I possibly stay? I told him that I was fine with that, but I needed to run a couple of errands, and then come back to his house.

So, I ran {really, I drove my car, but you know what I mean!!} to Wal Mart, to pick up Jorge's Rx. Silly me!! I forgot that they close for lunch, when there is only one pharmacist on duty . . . which was apparently the case today! But, there was a regular Wal Mart worker there, and I asked her when they would re-open. She replied, "2:00 o'clock!" Then she walked away.
Well, it was 1:58 pm, so I had 2 minutes to wait.

Meanwhile, I am being patient and waiting in the "pick up" line. And, this older gentleman walks up to the drop-off window . . . and of course was very disappointed to see that they were closed. Being a kind stranger, I quickly informed the gentleman and his daughter that they were about to open in 2 minutes.

So the time quickly past and the pharmacist began opening the door and windows to the pharmacy. She approached the "drop off" window, after she opened them both. And, if it were me, being the one standing at that window, I would've said, "Oh, that person over there was here first. Maybe you should help her first." But . . . . NO!! The gentleman {obviously a term used very loosely here!!} didn't say a word and proceeded to place his order with her.

Considering others seems to have become something that is lost, these days! I was in line first . . . and like I said, I could've gone ballistic about it! Instead I will file this in my "life's experiences" file, as a reminder to consider others AT ALL TIMES!

I will say that little things like this can make a huge difference in people's lives . . . . let's all consider our brothers and sisters in the world, huh???

Whew - 2 soap box sessions in a row . . . .

No one ever . . . is to blame!

Ya, that IS a line from a Howard Jones song! I'm not really sure that I understand what that song is about, but to me, that line is not true!

However, I am NOT someone who sits around trying to blame someone! Yesterday, I watched the movie "Breach" . . . didn't know what the subject matter was, and really there weren't any BIG Hollywood names in it. But, it was based on a true story, and it was good - not in some "Entertain me and make me laugh" way, but informative and interesting.

Anyway, the point of bringing up that movie is this; one quote from the movie was this "At the the end of the day the "WHY??" doesn't matter! You're still who you are!" Yep, I agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY with that!!

Why did she turn to prostitution for herself and her daughters?? Doesn't matter, she still made the choice! Why did he sell drugs and have to go to jail?? Doesn't matter, he made that choice!
Why do people lie and hurt others? Doesn't matter, they make their choices.

I'm approaching the soapbox again, people, but I have to . . . . vent, if you will, for a bit! And hey, this is MY blog, so, here I go!!

I firmly believe that ALL people, regardless of religion, political party or sexual orientation, are born with a sense of right and wrong. I think that this sense gets lost in the confusion, for many of us, but I feel that it is there. Knowing my Heavenly Father the way that I do, I can say that He has given us ALL that gift, not just a few of us.

So, having said that, I must tie the two ideas together --
* Ya, your mom might be a psycho about shopping, and always spent the food money on"stuff", but that DOESN'T mean you get to blame her for your eating disorder!

*Ya, your dad might have been {or still is!!} a workaholic, but that doesn't mean that you get to play the "you should feel guilty and enable my bad habits" card for the rest of your life!

*Ya, the kids were mean to you in 4th and 5th grade, but that doesn't mean that you get to be a BEAST to the rest of the world for the rest of your life!

*Ya, your parents didn't communicate well with each other, but that doesn't mean that you get to have a husband/wife that you're not happy with, and still have a significant other on the side!

I will be the FIRST to tell you all, as I have said before, that I am FAR from perfect, but I don't sit around looking for someone to blame! At work, at home, or anywhere else! It is counter-productive, and it just creates more hate!

Let's all stop blaming others - from family members to local/national politicians, and try to work it out! We can all find the best way to be human beings together on this little planet, if we stop blaming and criticizing and start suggesting ways to make it a better place. And THEN do the work that it takes to change it!

Okay, I'm done now . . . ♥ ♥ ♥

We Love You, Shasta!

Today our family, and especially Shasta's mom, DeAwna, bids farewell to this soul that has truly been part of the family! Even though she moved away 4 years ago, to Colorado, we still think about her and love her. Now we will miss her that much more!

She came to our family because DeAwna is an animal lover and rescued her from a shelter . . . I think she was at the County pound. Anyway, that was 15 years ago . . . and she walked all over our hearts from day one!

She was always so patient with all the children, from infants on up, that wanted to climb on her, pet her, pull her tail, and drag her around on a leash. Many of the Bailey family grandkids have memories of her . . .

DeAwna, I wanted to write you a poem, but these things can't be forced, you know?? So, I found this quote, and then I will recycle a poem that I wrote 18 years ago, that I think fits this situation well.

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace."
Milan Kundera

Picking up the pieces

Of what life used to be

A soft, yet brilliant, memory

Rushes back to me.

A moment full of laughter

And then a time of trial;

Quickly memories come

Bringing tears, and then a smile.

So many memories

To help heal the empty pain

To keep loved ones near the heart

Til we're safely together again.

Tears fall on the pictures

That I see in my mind's eye.

Can I possibly go on?

Memories give me strength to try.

- Kaelene B Zapata, 1991

We love you, Shasta! Go to your eternal rest and know that we look forward to seeing you again someday!

7%

That was the title of the email that a friend sent me, that I am about to share with all of you {all 2.5 of you! LOL} I read it, and found it very profound, and LOVED it! So, instead of just mass emailing it, and proving myself to be one of the 7% of the population that would pass it on - to the joy of some and the annoyance of others - I'm postin' it on my blog!
Here goes!

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone.. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10.When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion, Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone and everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give it time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back. 41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

I've high-lighted a few of my favorites with green . . . I think this is one smart lady!
Enjoy!

Look Up!

Many years ago I learned that looking for negative things is a no-brainer . . . there's LOTS of negatives out there! So, my challenge for myself, these last {many} days has been to LOOK, intently and seriously, for the positive! That can be a REAL challenge, when you've been laid off twice in 4 months!

Anyway . . . I am truly blessed in so many ways, and to me, money is just a necessary evil in life, so I can't make it my obsession or my primary concern! Yes, things are tight, but hey, when GREAT things happen, like getting my DirectTV service back for pennies on the dollar of what I owe, I gotta be happy! {I don't watch a LOT, but what I do watch, I was missing terribly!!}

So many people have been so supportive and helpful and prayer goes a LONG way - thank you so much! So looking up - to Heavenly Father, to see the beauty in this world His hands have made, to see hope, is what I have to remember to do!

And, like a new favorite {country} song of mine says, "Sounds like life to me, plain old destiny - Yeah the only thing for certain is uncertainty! You gotta hold on tight, just enjoy the ride! Get used to all this unpredictability! Sounds like life to me!"

Sometimes life is just another 4-letter word, but it is the greatest gift that we've got and making the best of each situation is where the challenge lies. Keep looking up, for rainbows and showers! ♥

Though Deepening Trials . . .

Wow, I don't know that I have ever experienced "deepening trials" before. . . . but today I can say that I understand EXACTLY what that phrase means!

Yesterday afternoon, while at my new, gonna be permanent full-time job, my manager came into my office to talk to me. She closed the door -- NOT a good sign, but I was optimistic! Then, she proceeded to tell me that the upper management had a big budget meeting the day before, and while the Tempe location is doing fine, two others are not, and so everybody has to do what they can to cut back. So, the natural, FIRST choice -- cut all temps!

She was as surprised as I was, because I had already done the drug screen! The 20th was to be my first official day as an employee there . . .

Ya, deepening trial #1!

{And, I will say here, that we were just starting to get all the wolves at the door AWAY from the door, and were almost there, when this happened!}

Then, Jorge tells me, last evening at 6:30 pm, as I am leaving to watch Michelle's girls, while they go to a baseball game, "I think I need to go to the hospital . . . I feel very bad!" He has been feeling NOT himself for about 6 weeks, and 3 weeks ago, he went to a free health screen at one of those mini clinics that Walgreen's has. At that visit, the nurse practitioner told him that she didn't understand how he was sitting in front of her, and NOT in the hospital, because his blood sugar level was 394!!

So, when that happened, I scrambled to get the health insurance through the temporary agency that is currently my employer, so that he could go to the doctor, and get on some meds, get a diet plan, and be fine. Well, he never did go . . .

Fast forward to last night - so, we call the 24 hour nurse hotline, and ask for a nurse that speaks Spanish, to call us back. Meanwhile he tells me to go ahead and go to Michelle's. So, the nurse calls back, Jorge tells her his symptoms, {one of them being the fact that he has lost 40 lbs in 3 weeks!!} and she says, "you need to go to the Emergency room!"

So, thankfully Peter and Michelle were more than understanding, and I was off the hook for babysitting. I returned to the house, picked Jorge up, and we were off to the ER at Banner Desert.

In triage, the place where they do a quick pre-exam, they did a reading of his blood sugar; the machine doesn't read above 500. So, after waiting a few minutes, the machine, because it doesn't have a number to describe his level, gives us a "critically high" reading. You would be amazed what kind of response that gets you, in the ER!! None of this waiting 2 and 3 hours stuff, man! They took us right back to the pre-screening room.

After some initial info for the nurse, the Dr. came and spoke to Jorge; then within 20 minutes more, he was sitting in the Procedure area, with an IV drip of insulin.

So, long story short -- tonight he is spending night #2 in the hospital. We are hoping that he will be able to come home tomorrow, but his blood sugar has to be between 80 and 100 before the Dr. will consider sending him home.

I tried to stick it out, all night with him last night, {we didn't get up to a room until 2:40 am -- I guess they were busy last night!} but I couldn't get comfortable in the chair. Yes, it does recline, but still, not my bed! So, I left there at 4 am, and came home and slept for a few hours. Then, I got up, showered, and went back to the hospital, where I spend most of my day. I did leave to run a few errands, while he was asleep, but otherwise, that is where I was.

Preservation of life really is more important than a job, but shove them both together in my bucket of worries -- WOW!!

I'm looking for silver linings, though, in those storm clouds!! They gotta be there somewhere!

And, I've already sent out 8 resumes, and told my rep at the temp agency that I'll take anything, a day job, a week . . . I just can't go without $$$!

Please keep the Zapata family in your prayers! I know there is strength in numbers, especially when it comes to faith and prayer! ♥

May They Rest in Peace

Yesterday, Thursday, June 25, 2009, two fellow human beings left their earthly existence. It is more known and more people are affected, because of their celebrity lives.

Many people may not remember how truly pioneering Michael Jackson was, as a musician, and performer. And, as one of the DJs on the radio said this morning, " . . . anybody under 25 may not even know that he was ever anything but . . . well, wierd!" Having said that, I choose to remember the MANY MANY MANY hours that I spent listening to "Thriller" (the entire album); it was the first cassette that I ever bought with my OWN money, and I don't remember if I had to buy a second copy, because of how many times I listened to it.

He was a poet, a singer, ". . . a lover, not a fighter" and part of a family - a son, a father, a brother, and, more than once, a husband.

I feel badly that his children will only have memories (and other people's input!) to remember their father by.

But, for whatever reason, his time on this earth was done. I hope that he will be at peace, now.

And then, the lovely Farrah. She had beautiful hair . . . even being as sick as she was, in the last months of her life, her hair looked great. Obviously I never knew her personally, but she seemed very genuine, and she and the other "Angels" gave us girls hope for a "real" career, and not just the everyday, run of the mill girl stuff!

I admire her for her work as a victim's advocate for abused women. I am glad that she found a purpose, a drive, to help others, after she played roles for movies, and realized that that kind of crap happens, in real life, and that there was a need. She was a great example of looking outside herself to help others.

No matter how priviledged they both were, because of their talents and careers and wealth, they had to go when their time was up. May their friends and family find the peace that they need, because I'm pretty sure they are in a MUCH more peaceful and loving place, even though we don't understand that fully now.

Rest in peace, Angel Farrah and Little Prince Michael.

Random Saturday thoughts

Okay, tomorrow's Father's Day - what shall I do for my dad??? He loves food, so maybe a gift card - hard to do with no money!!

Wanna get Jorge hooked up with Skype, so he can talk to his kids in Colombia. Does anyone have a web cam that they would like to recommend??

I don't have the urge to do housework today . . . guess I'll organize scrappy stuff instead! :)

I'm excited for my tomatoes to start showing up on my plants . . . NOTHIN' better than homegrown tomatoes! :p

I miss scrapping with my MAS friends . . . really, girls, anyone else got a hankering???

Oh well, off to get myself motivated to organize! Enjoy your Saturday!

You say it's your birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Wyatt!
Today Wyatt is 7 years old . . . yikes! Time has flown by so quickly since this little guy was born.
He was born on Father’s Day – what a great gift for my brother, huh?? His first ever ACTUAL Father’s Day, he gets a kid as a gift! TOP THAT, HALLMARK!!! LOL
Wyatt, I love playing games with you and watching your imagination take you away!
I hope you have a good day! ♥ And MANY more Happy Birthdays!

Sisters' Weekend - A BIT late . . . and it's a LONG story!!

Sisters are friends that decided to make to best of a family situation! ♥
(These are some BEE-Yoo-tiful flowers in DeNeece's yard!)

Sisters’ Weekend, 2009
My sisters and I have decided to have a weekend, just one, once a year with no kids, pets or husbands around to bother, eavesdrop or otherwise distract. So, this was our maidenship voyage, if you will!
Ironically, the weekend was decided before any of us consulted a calendar, and it ended up being Mother’s Day weekend. (I don’t have time to go into how much grief I took from Jorge, about not spending Mother’s Day WITH my mother!!)
This year, since we didn’t have a LOT of advance planning/saving time, we stayed at DeNeece’s house, while she sent her husband, kids and dogs on a camping trip, to happen immediately after school Friday. So that’s how the arrangements were made for “Hotel Tippie” for the weekend. We made a menu and planned to eat most of our meals at DeNeece’s house.
Anyway, DeAwna flew to Ontario, CA from Denver, and Karalee and I drove to Riverside, CA from Mesa. DeAwna arrived at a decent hour of 6 pm or so, whereas Karalee and I arrived at 2:00 am. Don’t think for a minute that the late hour of our arrival deterred us from talking, laughing and {even} snoozing for a while before the official bedtime came around. {I think that bedtime may have been around 3:30 am, but I can’t be sure, as I was already sawing logs by then!}
Friday morning we slept til 8:30 or so – that IS sleeping in for all of us, on a weekday morning! DeAwna made us breakfast of fruit, yogurt and granola . . . . YUM!! Then we had to decide what exactly we were going to do – the options were limitless!
We had talked, originally, about having a spa day, but then decided that our money would be better spent shopping! We talked about the Orange County Market, (a huge swap meet style market, at the Orange County Fairgrounds) but found out that they aren’t open on Fridays.
What’s the next best thing??? Clothes, of course!! So, we headed to Ross – I ♥ ♥ ♥ that store! Nice looking, good quality clothes for less money.
2 hours later we walked out of there, heavy laden with our purchases.
We headed back to DeNeece’s house for lunch – she had made some YUMMY pork roast for burritos! After relaxing for a little bit, we headed out to the movie theater.
We had gone back and forth about what we wanted to see, but settled on “The Soloist”. It is a good movie, but not the “happily ever after” ending that one may hope for – but, it IS based on a true story, so real life isn’t {very often} about “happily ever after!!!
DeNeece’s softball team had a game, so that was what we had planned for the evening. She couldn’t miss the game, because too many people (including her husband, the camper) were going to be gone that night.
DeAwna, Karalee and I had fun, sitting in the bleachers, cat-calling the players and just people watching in general.
After the game, we went for a little more shopping, at Old Navy and Target, before we headed home with our fast-food supper and plans to watch a movie and just chill! DeNeece had prepped us for “Seven Pounds”, with Will Smith, but when movie time came around, it was nowhere to be found! So, we settled for “Hitch” {another Will Smith treat} instead! LOVE THAT MOVIE! My favorite part is the allergic reaction and the Benadryl cocktail!
Saturday morning, we were headed to the beach - Oceanside, near San Diego, to be precise. But, not before we made another stop at Ross . . . and lots of drama there!
They are remodeling and adding on to the strip mall, where Ross is located. So, they have cut a BIG chunk out of the parking lot – frustration #1. Then, the customer service situation, much to our chagrin, was LACKING, to say the least, inside the store!! One employee (I believe she was the manager – YIKES!!) even said “If people don’t pay attention {to how the lines go}that’s not my problem!” You’re right, ma’am – if none of these people are YOUR problem, then they can just shop somewhere else, and when you lose your job, because the store has to close – not THEIR problem!!
Then, after that pleasant experience, we get out to the parking lot, and some moron has parked in the part of the parking lot that has been remarked for driving through – HELLO!! We couldn’t resist leaving a not-so-nice note, so that they were sure to recognize their moronishness!! (not sure that’s a word, but hey, it’s my blog and I’ll make up words if I want too!)
By the time we were near the beach, we were hungry! So we stopped for a little Mexican food. And, the weather was . . . . I’ll say “cool”. To us Arizonans, it was COLD, but to the girl who lives in Colorado, it was nice.
It was funny to see people, on the beach, in their beach chairs, covering up with their towels! We tried to lay out for a little bit, but then the wind picked up. We did use plenty of sunblock, because those rays penetrate clouds, no matter the temperature, so we weren’t taking any chances. Actually, I think I was the only one using sunblock . . . .the other girls were using tanning oil!
Not many people were in the water, and I can tell you . . . BRRRRRR!!! I walked down to try it out, and just to get my feet wet.
Our brother, Bart, and his friend, Carolyn, and her daughter drove from Temecula, to meet us. We sat around talking for a little while, but their hunger pains got the best of them, so they left to go get lunch. But, not before we made plans to meet at DeNeece’s house for dinner.
I made stir fry for dinner – YUM! Lots of yummy vegetables and chicken . . . my sisters helped with the food prep, thank goodness! That’s a LOT of choppin’, y’all!!
After dinner we were just hangin’ out and talking and watching “What Happens in Vegas” – THAT is a funny movie!
Ashton Kucther is so cute – he is soooooooooo much an overgrown child! Or at least so he seems in the parts that he plays . . . . and plays well, I might add! Cute movie, though there is some “adult” humor that used to be rated “R”!
It was another late night – but we were all okay with that. Church wasn’t til 12:30 (right, Deece???), so we did get to sleep in a little! What woke us? The yapping of the family dogs and the children returning from their camping trip. But it was fun to watch them hug their mommy and wish her “Happy Mother’s Day” and give her their gifts.
I spent most of the morning working on our First Annual Sisters’ Weekend CD – we had previously made lists, each one of us, of some of the songs that we remember from our growing up years. We compared lists, put the ones that we ALL had listed and then a few others, on the CD.
I purchased an itunes card for the songs that I didn’t own, and brought my ENTIRE CD collection to get the rest of them. Surprisingly enough, it didn’t take that long . . . burning the 4 copies took almost as long as compiling the songs. Now we can always have those songs with us!
The compilation is kinda crazy – everything from the “Fame” theme song, to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. Then there’s the favorite of ALL of us – “Rhinestone Cowboy”, by Glenn Campbell. Actually, DeAwna didn’t have it on her list, but the rest of us did. When we talked about it later, we were listening to it, when DeAwna was still in the womb, and by the time we were done listening to it, she was still a toddler. So, the nostalgia of that ONE song was lost on her, but the rest of us L♥VE it – mostly for nostalgic value.
A couple of weeks after our sisters’ weekend, Bart came to AZ for the weekend. Karalee had that CD in her car’s CD player, and he and I were driving in her car. As we were driving he commented, “This CD makes NO sense! Who would put all these songs together?” When I explained where it came from, he just sort of rolled his eyes and said, “OH – I get it!”
Anyway, to finish out our Sunday – we went to church – Sacrament Meeting only, and then headed back to Deece’s house for taco salad for lunch. Deece’s family was supposed to be at her mother-in-law’s by 3:00 pm, so they were out the door and gone, while we were packing up the car.
DeAwna’s flight was scheduled for 7 pm, so Karalee and I were dropping her at the airport. But, not BEFORE we had another stop at our favorite Ross store! DeAwna and I both had some things to return, so we did that, had some Baskin-Robbins ice cream, and then headed out to the airport!
It was a fun (but tiring!) weekend! But, Karalee drove all the way home, so I got to be the pampered passenger. And, it only took us 5 ½ hours to get home . . . . WITH a 45 minute stop at the Burger King in Quartzite! Go speedy Karalee!
We’re gonna have an annual sisters’ weekend . . . but we’re gonna wait a few months before we start talking about next years’ plans!

WE HAD SOME OTHER PHOTOS, BUT SOMEHOW, BETWEEN A CAMERA BEING LEFT IN CA THEN BEING MAILED TO CO AND DOWNLOADING AND TIME . . . . ANYWAY, NO BEACH PHOTOS!! DANG IT!!

Old friends in an OLD town

A family from Idaho, that we have know for sooooooooooooooooooo many years, was in AZ for a graduation. Of course we couldn't let them come down here without making a plan for a visit with them!

We met them in the {former} ghost town of Jerome, AZ. {Just in case you didn't know - which I didn't, until we drove there - it is about 23 miles south of Prescott} After FINALLY finding a place to park, we found a little restaurant and had some lunch and LOTS of talk.

The amazing thing is that we just picked up like it HASN'T been 25 years since we've all spent time together! They were always like our substitute family, since all of my parents' siblings live either in Utah or Arizona, when we were growing up. We spent MANY a New Year's day together, playing "Spoons", eating yummy food, and having a White Elephant gift exchange.

And then there is the 4H program that Barbara got me started in - and I LOVEd it! And her daughters were all like sisters to me - and it was great to have them!

I l♥ve you guys - let's get together sooner than later, again, huh??

Left to right: Kim, Dianne, Marj, Denise, Barb and Kaelene (with little R in front!)

You said it first!!! {Your age, I mean!!}

Michelle, I want to wish you a Happy Birthday, on the big four-OH! For this post, I will share a photo of your new favorite toy, since I haven't a new photo of you!

Remember, 40 is the new 20! And, given everything that you have been through in the last 20 years (and some pretty amazing stuff, yo!), YOU KNOW you wanna move upwards and onwards towards the best you ever! And, I know you will do it!

You rawk as a friend, scrapbooker, mom, sister, and overall daughter of God. Thanks for being you, and everything that that entails!

Love ya, girl!

Thank you, Mr. Microsoft

You know, I’m afraid that the ever-so-helpful tool, known as “spell check” is completely dumbing down our society! I mean, I don’t even have time or space to GO OFF here about the improper uses of apostrophes and exclamation! points!! And, common words like there, their and they’re are commonly misused. (Case in point, as I’m typing this, Microsoft Word automatically corrected my spelling of they’re, because I am using it out of it’s normal context! See what I mean?)

But really – when you want to advertise or say something clever, whether it be in an office memo, or on your vehicle, don’t you think that you are best served to SPELL IT CORRECTLY???? That’s NOT a crazy question, right???

2 examples, that I saw today, in one ½ hour:
- a pick-up truck with the following phrase on the back window:
“Play Nakad”
I guess we could assume he is trying to be funny by declaring himself a nudist. Or, is this some new board game or intramural sport that we are unaware of?
Personally, I would have spelled it like Calvin, of Calvin and Hobbes fame, if I were at all unsure how to spell it correctly: “Play Nekkid”
But, hey, what do I know???

Then, I can only suppose that this statement was advertising a business, though WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS may be in question:
“Barer Shop” - so, did you forget a “b”, for “barber” or do you want to give Victoria’s Secret a run for their money??? And, in this case, it was spelled incorrectly on 2 windows, one on each side, NOT JUST ONE!!

For myself, I would check, double-check, and then have 2 other people check, to make sure something as permanent as a car window gets any sort of verbage applied to it! That way, ½ of the calls that came in would NOT be mocking my intelligence! But, I am also the type of person who sometimes looks at a word so many times that it really does start to look like it is spelled incorrectly!

I confess, I’m a word nerd . . . but really, please spread the word that “spell check” is available and COMPLETELY free to anyone using ANY type of Microsoft product. And, businesses can ONLY benefit from spelling correctly! (though I confess, this will make my life a little more boring!)

Ya, I’m done with my Friday rant . . . . and I am working on my entry about our sisters’ weekend . .. it just takes time to make it say what I want it to say!

Get your CLUCKS in a row!!

Yes, KFC, I AM talking to you!! Your FREAKSHOW free giveaway, on April 27th was a JOKE!!! A measly piece of chicken . . . were those cornish game hens??? And, nothing else to go with it! So, by the time my husband and I had a real meal, it cost us $10!

The next day, the joke was on you, KFC! Somebody leaked the free promo idea to El Pollo Loco (whose grilled chicken we L♥VE and eat on a regular basis!!) had a free promo . . . . 2, count 'em, 2! pieces of chicken, and the small sides were $1 each! We had a REAL meal for 1/2 the cost - $5.00! And, we already knew that we liked it, so it wasn't a stretch to go in there!!

Then, because apparently the free piece of chicken didn't go over very well, you decided to get Oprah involved . . . . HELLO!!!! Was there any planning done, before that plug was made??? Do your PR people NOT know how many people watch that show, that in most markets plays 2 times a day????

Then, to take the idiocy down the line a little further in your company -- a co-worker of mine took his coupon to our local KFC and they gave him 2, yes 2!!!! of the free meals, with his one coupon, that specifically says, "one meal per coupon, yadda, yadda, yadda!!" Then, later that SAME DAY, another co-worker was told, in the drive thru, "It will be a 30 minute wait!" but then, when she pulled up to the window, the KFC employee told her, "We don't really have that much of a wait time, but we just wanted to be sure we have enough chicken!"
WHAT????? Whose marketing philosophy is that??? What marketing firm gave out that kind of advice for great customer service???

To add more to this drama -- in my neck of the woods -- I decided to use my coupon, since I'm flat broke . But, who knew that they are no longer honoring those coupons - wish I could say that I was surprised! This whole thing has been one clustercluck after another! So, I paid {begrudgingly!!} for my meal, and left with a promise from them that I would get my raincheck in the mail.

Anyone wanna bet me that it will be expired before I receive it???? Don't worry, Pollo Loco, you've already won me over with your good food, and NO hassle!! {or idiots in the PR department!}

I'm baaaaaaaaack!!

So . . .
I really HAVEN’T been hiding! Just really busy, with a new, full-time job and a new calling in church! Add that to a few technical difficulties with my computer and my camera, and that pretty much wraps up why I haven’t blogged in almost a month!

The new job is GREAT! Everyone is so nice and patient with me, while I learn the ropes. I am very grateful for the experiences that I had at my old job, to prepare me for the next stepping stone of life.

I am the Payroll/Benefits administrator, and I work in the same office as the HR Generalist. We bounce a lot of things off each other, since I worked in HR at my last
job. Besides that, she is a scrapbooker, and we have already gone to one late night crop together! It is fun to work with someone that I have a lot of things in common with, and not JUST the job!

So, I have some photos to share .. . . . I’ve been bad about that, this year, so far!! But, I was a little preoccupied with getting a job and everything! That’s my excuse, but it is also the truth!

First, a farewell photo, with friends from Jordan: