There are many things of beauty in the state of Arizona but capturing two such totally different ideas was just a delight.  First there is the beauty of the Prickly Pear cactus that can be seen all over the area.  Take a walk in the desert and you will be surrounded by the different varieties of cactus, all with their own form of beauty.  What a great way to spend some quiet time just enjoying what nature has provided for us.

Then you can go where the noise is adrenaline driven, where the horses are beautiful, the owners so proud and the crowd excited when their horse comes in first.  The track in Phoenix is beautiful with the wide array of flowers around the winners circle and the water ponds in the infield.  Then there is the turf track that looks like a well cared for fairway at a top level golf course. 

Each of these is something to be enjoyed, in their own way.

 

 

 

We had a delightful time with our visitors from Russia this week.  Super nice ladies, each with their own sense of humor and stories.  Hopefully the balance of their trip will be successful too.  Of course, they were tired.  It seems that programmers just don't realize what it is like to be on the road and on the go every minute of the day for weeks on end.  What visitors really appreciate is a down day, where they can sleep if they want, go shopping, go sightseeing at their own pace and not have to be on "the stage" all the time.

Each programmer thinks that it is their duty to fill the time they have the visitors in their town with everything they can think of for them to do and see.  When in fact, if you have traveled a great deal you know that there needs to be a down time.  Just personal time, where you can just be you, can miss your family, friends and home without having to make excuses or try to cover it up.  That comes from an experienced programmer, one that has done a fair bit of traveling herself and knows how exhausted you get after being on the road for long enough that the glammer and charm are gone.  Wish all programmers had to travel for more than a week, stay in different towns, different hotels, eat at different peoples homes and try to stay positive.  If they did, they would realize what a day to themselves would be worth and perhaps would then be kind enough to the visitors to give them a break.  Particularly after the first couple of weeks.  Weeks 3 and 4 are the roughest for the visitors to stay positive, they are tired and homesick by then.  A day of relaxation really helps to bring back the joy of the program.

Regardless of how tired they were our guests were delightful.  I encourage everyone to get involved in the Tucson International Visitor Council and take advantage of the opportunity to host guests for dinner or coffee.  Get to know them, it's well worth the effort it takes.

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It has been a wonderful experience to be working on our sites from here.  The quality has improved, the dedication has improved, and the creativity is soaring.  Gosh it's nice to be able to work in an environment that is conducive to getting things done and not babysitting.

Not only is the work on our sites going well but the opportunities for exploring other interests is so much greater.  Having a coffee for a candidate will be a great way to learn more about politics in this state vs the other state.  We are looking forward to it.

The International Luncheon will also be a nice change of pace.  Being back in the world that I truly loved when I was involved before is stimulating and exciting.  It was such fun to put the programs together, to meet the people, to learn about their cultures and to show them that Americans really are good people, not a country to be afraid of but one to share understanding with and work toward common goals.

The Car Show will be another experience that will be fun.  A fellow Rotarian from our club wants to go with me and since I really like her I am looking forward to it.  It will be another opportunity to network with other business people and perhaps get some more leads for the site.

We have Cow Pie Bingo tickets to sell, I have an idea for a location to visit which I will discuss with a fellow Rotarian tonight and see what she thinks.  It will require some courage, but hey, competing with the casinos should be a riot!  We'll see.  I need to check with the casino to find out how much trouble we would be in if we tried my idea.

Having the family home this weekend was superb.  Each and every one is so very special.  Being able to spend some time with them, laugh, talk and cook is just about as good as it can get.  It really helped to have my youngest step in and help with the preparation and getting things on the counter in an orderly fashion and then she and her friend did the dishes.  I owe them for that!

The baby quilt is coming along and now I know that I have another one to make and a quilt for my oldest granddaughter.  She wants one before she leaves for school.  The birthday girl told her Papa that she wants him to make her a new quillo-case so it sounds like we will be busy this winter doing projects for the girls.

The file cabinets are now in the garage, ready to be cleaned up and moved in.  It will be so nice to be able to have those things that need to be organized all in one spot and neat rather than piled hither and yon.  The site visit will be next Monday so we want as much ready as we can have done.  Getting all new computer equipment will make life so sweet!

Now it is time to leave for the Post Office and then Rotary.  When I get home tonight it will be cleaning time and tomorrow the event.  Most of the food is ready so the load tomorrow will not be as heavy as I was afraid it might be and the thought of having friends and neighbors over is just sweet.

The move to Arizona was one that we had been discussing for some time; now that we are here we can admit that it was a good move.  There are things that keep us busy all the time, mostly work related but some just for sheer joy.

Last night we went to the dog races, didn't stay long, just long enough to enjoy them and win 4 out of 5 wagers (of course, that still didn't amount to much because we don't bet much!)  In fact, we didn't win enough to cover our dinner cost which was only $14 so you can see that gambling isn't a strong suit with us, but we do enjoy watching the races.  The dogs are so pretty and they put on quite a show before the race and after as they mix with each other and the handlers.  It appears that they are well taken care of and like the people they are around.  That is a good thing; otherwise I wouldn't be able to attend.

We are working on many projects now, it's fun to develop new things and continue to work on the old.  The work load is rather overwhelming but we just keep plugging away and gaining a little.

This afternoon is orientation for Rotary.  I'm looking forward to finding out what this club is involved in for projects.  It seems like they are super involved in things with kids and with the community.  At the last meeting they decided to have a fundraiser called "Cow Pie Bingo."  I'm not sure how it all comes together but obviously everyone there knew and thought it was a great idea.  Should be fun.

I haven't seen my grandson that lives here in Tucson for ages.  He and his parents need to come on over, guess I'll have to call and see if that will work.  Miss them all.  We are going to go see our birthday girl in September.  Excited about that and seeing how the kids and the new one on the way (Pete) are doing.  We will probably be making that trip more often now that we are "kind of" settled in the house.

It's great to have the other daughter so close, we have gotten together for "coffee" a few times and just being able to drop in (after calling to make sure it's ok) has been a delight.

The bird bath is now in the backyard.  It went in this morning so it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the birds to find it…if there is any interest.

Now it's time to make some calls.  Have a great day!

 

Since there aren't any horse tracks around here we decided to go to the dog track last night.  Actually, it was rather fun.  When we first pulled up all we could think was that it was in pretty worn out shape, then walking inside we got the giggles (at least I did) because it reminded me of Puerto Rico, the smells, the design, the 3rd world environment, worn out but still functional.  Interesting. 

We commented on how some people we know would have a heart attack going into this type of environment and then thinking about his parents we knew they would be just as comfortable as we were.  Think that comes from some of the traveling we have done because I can guarantee you that 15 years ago I would have been taken back, now, it really seemed kind of normal.

We walked around outside and talked to some people to get a feel for what was going on.  Now, talking to some people means the two that were sitting in the smoking section, two of the, perhaps, 10 people outside, most of whom were staff.  In other words, there wasn't a huge crowd.

We walked over to where they keep the dogs, it was actually rather interesting, the vet is there, there is a walking bridge that we assume the dogs walk up prior to the races for the vet to check them over (didn't see that happen, but since there were more than one in separate rooms it made sense.)  It was clean, if basic.

When we went into the "Clubhouse" for the dinner and watching the races we were among, perhaps, 30 people in the facility that would hold 250.  There were more people outside by this time but still, not Prairie Meadows.  The dinner was actually pretty good and very reasonable.  $8.99 for Black Angus, baked potato and salad.  The steak was good and big enough so I couldn't eat it all.

When the dogs and the walkers came out on the track we paid close attention to how the handlers were with them.. One of the things I noticed was the way one of the handlers was unconsciously stroking the dogs ears.  Just petting and petting, the others were inclined to run their hands down the dogs head and back but this one guy was doing the unconscious action, so natural.

At the end of the race the dogs all ran to the edge of the track and got a treat, then went right to their handler.  Didn't appear to me that there was any mistreatment, at least I sure hope not, since it was really fun.

The General Manager/CFO of the track came over and visited with us a few minutes.  His name is Tom, nice guy.  Been with the track for 10 years.

Anyway, it was fun.  Flashbacks of the places we have visited in the past in other parts of the world.  Just makes me want to travel again, great experiences and super people.

What a delightful experience I had while visiting the "new" Rotary in the Vail area.  The club was split off from Pantano a year and a half ago and is in the growth mode.  The members are educators, insurance people, an escort officer for international visitors (not how he described it but that's essentially what he is) who works primarily with people from Eastern Europe (Russia) and others that I'm not sure of their occupations.  I will go back next week, it seems to be a great bunch of people.

The District Governor for District 5000 was there.  He's an attorney with a great sense of humor.  He told about how he was supposed to speak at the Pantano Rotary this week and had received a call asking if he could delay his presentation since they had an out of town speaker coming and apologized for the mix-up.  He said he would.  Then he got the newsletter from the club with the storyline that said that "He (District Governor) was supposed to speak but was going to be moved for an interesting speaker."  He, as well as all of us, found that to be really funny!

The girls went to the Theatre workshop today and it sounds like it went pretty well.  They are supposed to call me later and tell me about it.  It should have been an exciting time for them with new experiences and challenges.

The TCIV (Tucson Council for International Visitors) will soon be in possession of my dues.  I look forward to the opportunity to become involved with this world again, I have missed it terribly.  The organization here is different than the one I worked with since it is small, underfunded and so on, but the challenge to get it to be a viable part of the community is really exciting to me.  I certainly have the experience to help get it to its goals so I look forward to it.

We had our carpets cleaned today by Dave's Carpet Cleaning.  A one man operation that did a SUPER job.  He was reasonable, courteous, careful and thorough.  Pretty tough to beat that combination.  If you want your carpets cleaned by a super neat guy his number is 520 (obviously) 745-1530.  He will do your job correctly; at least he sure did a great job at our house!

What a delightful evening, the Prof's parents were here for dinner and then we all went to the capital for the concert on the hill.  It's such a neat way to spend the 3rd.  The symphony playing patriotic songs, a Broadway actor singing some of the songs from his run and then Simon Estes singing songs such as "Old Man River" and "You'll Never Walk Alone." Just a great way to spend the night, with over 125,000 other people!  It was mobbed, but everyone was so courteous that it wasn't an issue. 

We had to park a long way from the center; in fact we parked at the old Friends Church which was taken over by Mercy Hospital some time ago.  What a beautiful building and now it’s just there with windows covered over with plywood and not a Friends Church left in Des Moines.  Bummer.

The walk back to the car was primarily up hill so we weren’t sure if the Prof’s mom could make it, but we took our time and she did just fine although it was hard for her.  The exercise was good, she said, and we agreed.

I took some fried chicken and the other things that go with it down to the front desk clerk tonight before we sat down to eat, when she brought the plate back she had it filled with sugar cookies.  Nice trade J

Dinner tonight was rather funny (only to me) because it was a repeat of the dinner we had at C’s the other day.  I wanted the space in the freezer so cooked the chicken, it was a hit so all was good and no one else knew that we had just had it on Sunday!  Of course, they hadn’t had it so it was a treat for them.  Although we did end it with chocolate cake and ice cream.  The Prof and I didn’t have the ice cream but his dad is a huge fan of ice cream so we figured he would like it…he did!

Have a great 4^th! 

What a thrill it must be for the family of Shawn Johnson, the 16 year old that has just won the Olympic trials to go to China.  She is a very poised, pretty young lady, a tribute to herself, her family and her coach.  The news has been covering her since we moved to DM so when I saw that trials were on TV today we watched (well, I did).  She, and the other girls, were superb.

The other sports news from DM is that the Hy-Vee Triathlon was this weekend.  It had a tragic event occur when one of the amateur contestants had an apparent heart attack during the swimming section and died.

The office will be quiet tomorrow with T gone, he is taking his wife to get her tests in IC.  He’ll be back Tuesday and I leave Thursday so it will be a strange week.

Hopefully the trip to Flagstaff was enjoyable for the kids, they were sure excited!

Whew, the sale is over, the stuff is gone and we had a delightful dinner with friends after the sale.  It's probably the last time we will ever go to "the Little Pink House" for dinner, but it was a delightful way to end a long and stressful day.  Janet and Ernest are so fun to be with, she is, without a doubt, the most pleasant person I have ever met.  She always make me chuckle, even when it doesn't seem possible and Ernest, with his white beard and shorts and suspenders just cracks me up!  Janet kindly informed Martha that she has known me longer than anyone else in MP, which is true.  I met her when I first went down to look for housing and stopped at the bank to ask if they knew of anyplace.  She made me smile then and has never quit.

It was also nice to have her give me a hug and tell me that she will miss me.  I'll miss her too.  Strange that she would be the one that broke the control and reserve I had built up, but I didn't cry, just smiled and enjoyed the moment.

Russ, from the bank, came over on Friday while I was in the laundry room vacuuming.  I didn't hear him knock (obviously since I was in the laundry room with the vacuum going) so he came in and knocked on the laundry room door, didn't really even scare me, after all, I was in our house and that house has always been a safe haven for us.  Nothing can get us there, right Cyn?  We had a good visit, it was nice to see him, it had been awhile.

I did get to see some people, at the sale, that I really enjoy.  Janet Jennings was there and we visited for quite awhile, then there was Dave Cordes, he really is a sweet man.  Both Greg and I enjoy him.  Ingrid and Randy came, separately since Randy was just getting in off the road and Ingrid came after work.  Martha was there, of course.

There were a number of people there from the auction days but to be honest, I wasn't in the frame of mind to visit with them, so I didn't.  I wasn't trying to be nasty, just felt that I needed to stay on the porch or in the house most of the time, I didn't want to cause myself any more stress than I was already in and knowing that I wouldn't see them again would have done that I think.  Some of them (like Allen and Michelle) have come to mean a great deal to me.  Greg visited with Michelle for awhile.  I just didn't choose to.

The sale went well, almost everything that we wanted gone is gone.  There were a few things that got left that went into the dumpster on Friday but in reality, not much.  Amazing how some of the stuff that we truly thought of as junk got snapped up.

Now, it's not inexpensive to have a sale, there are the costs for advertising, moving the stuff to the trailers and setting out the furniture and all that and then there is a 20% fee, but when I saw all the work involved I guess I wouldn't do it for less if I were the auctioneers.  Menke-Hoyer did a good job, were pleasant to work with and had the accounting done immediately after the sale so we got the payment within 40 minutes (or less) of the end of the sale.  The beauty of computerized auctions.

Sue Gray, the realtor, told me that she has a guy that desperately wants the house.  He has a ranch in CO that is on the market and he wants to sell that and come here and buy our house and make it into a B&B.  She said he just loved the house.  That's what I hope happens, someone that will love it the way we have and enjoy it the way we have, will buy it.  It would be a great B&B although I sure as heck don't want to have to be up and fix breakfast for people at 6 AM everyday.  I don't even like people at 6 AM!  Anyway, that's one guy and Holly has one too so perhaps it will work out the way we hope.  I know it will work out the way God wants it to so I'm not going to worry about it.

My brother called to see how it was going and if I was ok.  Such a great guy.  I adore him (as if I haven't said that a million times to my kids and husband!)  They are in Washington State, having a fabulous time with friends seeing all the sites.  They were headed for Canada one day but I didn't ask if they got there when we were visiting.

We went to the Famer's Market on Court this morning.  It is so much fun to go to, there are musicians playing, food vendors (although we ate outside at Spaghetti Works), HUGE tomatoes and peppers (of which I bought enough to feed the whole family so we will be eating healthy things for the next couple of days) and all sorts of other stuff. I sure hope there is a similar one where we are going, love them!

The Prof may be headed for Texas while I am traveling.  There is a seminar there that will be very interesting for him I think.  He hasn't decided yet, but hopefully he'll decide to go. 

Mercy was a hoot when I got home last night (I came before Greg since I had meat for Terry and Susan and they were going to come and get it before Greg got home.)  She wanted to act mad at me but was so glad to see me that she had to get petted first, then brushed before she bit me LOL.  Of course, she then got smacked on the nose with the brush (no, not hard but darn her anyway..she bit me twice!)  But then she had to jump up and get some lovin' and then we played with her pink mouse on a rope (she loves that stupid $3 thing!).  When the Prof got home she acknowledged him but wouldn't snuggle.  She always get angry with him when he leaves her, he isn't supposed to I guess but she really doesn't seem to care if I leave (as long as I come back).  China may have been the beginning of that personality change, not sure.

Tonight we are going to the races.  We won't get to see many more so may as well go and enjoy them. 

Two of the girls and their kids and other friends are in Flagstaff today.  I sure hope they are having a blast.  They were so looking forward to it!  Also hope there are bathrooms around since the soon to be new mom seems to have difficulty keeping things down right now!

Now, because I can, I think I'll go take a nap.  Sounds wonderful to me (as the Prof has already laid down on the sofa)

 

 

Just look at the new site available for you to explore join 3gb community www.3gb.biz

This is a neat way to meet new friends, catch up with family members and see the latest pictures they want to share.  The site is easy to navigate which makes it even better!  Don't miss out on the opportunity to expand your reach beyond the normal email programs and addresses. 

Enjoy the adventure!