Fair Thee Well

Off to the Fair

Rides, cotton candy, a petting zoo and even a Star Trek exhibition,

so I don't have to go alone

National Cat Day

Just heard it's National Cat Day

All about the cats, special treatment, extra treats, lots of petting

Or, as otherwise known in our house,

 National Just Like Every Other Day Day

Boo!

Maggie's 5th Annual Halloween Party!

Our unbelievably creative and Bewitching hosts - Maggie and Jens.

Party People

I went as

 www.healthcare.gov
and tried to sign up some characters for a little insurance,

but kept running into a bunch of scary "glitches"...

Lit Lounge - Wabi Sabi

Such a fun Friday thing to do. Listening to hilarious storytellers, sitting next to Leslie, the funniest storyteller I know. Wabi Sabi.

Wabi Sobby!

AND a band - dulcimer, accordion, really cute dress - Where Have All The Buffalo Gone?

Book Club - tiny beautiful things

Great book by Dear Sugar (Cheryl Strayed)

Like Dear Abby with an attitude.

They just dig. It's too much paint.

Tiny beautiful things like beanies and weenies, massive marshmallows, enormous skewers and lots and lots of Divas surrounding Leslie's spectacular bonfire.

Dear Sugar,
Stop on by next time. You'll fit right in.

Mah Jongg Babies

Gorgeous Gabriel

Lovely Leah

My Mah Jongg group has been yelling cracks and bams for almost fifteen years, huddling at dining room tables a couple of times a month, watching kids run around, getting ready for bed, then running off to college and leaving the nest, watching the husbands pop into the kitchen for a snack, then escape to the semi-quiet of a back room somewhere. These days we're lucky enough to catch up at a table at Fry's for a few hours worth of games, but that doesn't stop the yelling. This month we've got two BIG things to shout about - babies! Holly's little Leah and Brian's cutie Gabriel.

Time flies when you're having fun...

MammoGrahams

Sunday Shakespeare

Mesa Encore Theatre
Hilarious. A fast-paced abridged version of every Shakespearean play. Great acting. Totally original concept. I even almost got decapitated by a fake sword. 

Upcoming Fun - Rock and Butterflies!

MIM

Butterfly Wonderland

Time to get out there for some fun...

Movie Madness - Captain Phillips

I just love Tom. Even on a Sunday morning trapped on a ship surrounded by Somali pirates.

Thursday Twosome

Old Wildcat ventured down to my barrio, rescuing me from the office for a special Thursday treat at 

Barrio Queen.
Expert plumbing advice, the miraculous opening of the U.S. Government and the crazies running the place, the family tree branches from Paris to Phoenix, including a young girl's incredible journey to the west coast, stopping alone in Chicago, the Herculean effort of the Bretton Woods Conference, the low-to-the-ground-path to crystal clear ice cubes, some really good guacamole.
Made me feel like a Queen, indeed. 

Hump Day Happy Hour

Who knew the gang was so desperate to get out? Big hump day crowd for Chambord margaritas and catching up with Jill, Leslie, Jaye, Louise, Ronnie, Cecily, even MIKE, MIKE, MIKE, MIKE, MIKE showed up and so did the new Mr. T (no, not the old Mr. T).

Cheers!

Thirty Years???

The Arcadia Titans Class of '83!!
Well, about 20% of us (seems like the boring ones stayed home).

THIRTY year reunion. What a wild ride! From the third grade memories, the old teachers, the out-of-control parties to the new stuff, the marriages, the kids, the busy, busy lives, the let's-keep-in-touches.

Tour of the school

O.H.S.O happy hour

Reception at Roaring Fork


Lisa Segal, Mary and Lisa D.

Tod W., Kaye B. and Lisa D.

Our Homecoming Royalty,
Kaye and John, still both just as sweet as back then.

Go Arcadia!
XXXOXO

Thank You For Saving My Life

After raging against the machines all day - the fax, the desktops, the new leg circulation testing thingy - and getting blurry-eyed arguing with insurance companies, software techs, Cox cable guys, balancing the business end, somehow morphing into a fake Type A to get through the days, playing coach on the sidelines, fetching water, making sure Dr. Everythingwillbealright eats a little something, patting him on the behind as he heads into the next flagged exam room - doling out extra "you're doing great, keep up the good work, and hang in there 'cuz the team needs you" on a long, long, long Tuesday, sometimes it's easy to forget why we're there. Then the last patient of the day says Thank you for saving my life.

Suddenly it all makes sense.

Power Off

I spent probably two hours this week fighting with a fax machine, but I won. For now, at least. I thought it might end up in my Electronics Recycling box, gathering stuff for the past few months in my garage, waiting for today when I can drop it all off for reincarnation into some other purpose, or at least keep them out of a landfill. My eight year old scanner made it into the box, finally biting the dust this summer after a year or so of babying it and eventually realizing that the couple of medication adjustments for our front office employee to try to help their relationship weren't going to work. I happily broke up with our decade old clunky laptop a few days ago. A hand-me-down from my father-in-law, back when the business world didn't speak to Shawn's beloved mac products. About a year ago I started to feel little shocks on my wrists while working from home, happily typing away ten miles away from the office, a big concrete building, always about 53 degrees with really unflattering florescent lighting. The shocks got worse. I had to start holding my wrists up high, curving my fingers down to the keys, recalling bad memories of piano lessons from way way back. It was the power cord that helped me make my decision to finally push the Purchase button on Dell.com. The rectangular thing in the middle of the cord got so hot after about two minutes being plugged in. I replaced it when Mr. Chew Boy Nicky chomped through the original, but once the burning continued with the new one, I added one more hunk of metal to the box in my trunk for the recycling bin.

Brace Face

He had me at "gum graft"
My dentist told me I need braces. Then an orthodontist told me the same thing - surprise! Something about a slight shift. Some grinding. Some wearing down. Seems like one round of braces should have been enough.

Say Cheese...