Georgia On My Mind

The little peach is back in Atlanta.

This time, though, I know it's not for good. When her company, NYSE, decided this spring to shut down their Phoenix office at the end of year and move out east, they desperately wanted Shana to go with them, so she went to check it out. They lavished her with praise. Told her she was the one person out of the entire department that they really wanted. Promised her the moon. I got worried. It was a long couple of weeks. She started out telling me that she would never leave home. She wasn't ready, had too much here that she couldn't leave behind. Agreed! I figure I need her here for at least a few more years. I'm not ready for her to be so far away. I like being able to stop by and snuggle on the sofa. Or have a "work from home" day with her. Or scoop her up and drag her to some downtown event with me. Shawn, the grandparents, BF Scott and all her friends feel the same way. But, along the way, she changed her mind and actually considered taking up Corporate America on its offer. She came to the conclusion that she could, in fact, pack up and leave, and, maybe, there was a tiny part of me that wanted to cheer her on, too. Slowly, though, she realized that this job, with this company, in this city, wasn't the right fit. She told me one Sunday morning she was going to decline the offer. If it was the perfect job in a city she loved, she could manage to tear herself away from home, but it wasn't.

 

 

So now she's just there for a little fun (and to help train the new team) before she heads home for good, where she belongs.

 

Austin Circuit of the Americas

It's been another great year for Lewis! Last weekend in Russia, the Mercedes team secured enough points to win their second World Championship Constructor's trophy. Next weekend, we're off to Austin to see Lewis and, with only four more races left this season, he has a chance on Sunday to rack up enough points for his third Driver's Championship win.

I wanna be there for that!

Elton John, too!

COTA

The Lost 80s weekend

Sweatin' to the oldies!

Always such fun with these die-hard 80s fans :))

When in Rome - I Promise You I Will
Lost 80s - great line-up!

The Lisas

Of course the first thing we Lisas do is find a comfy bed to snuggle on! 

I love Nashville with these two.

Plopping down in the middle of Lisa G and Martin's life for a weekend was the best.

Ol' green, the fun truck.

The sweetest girl on the planet

Carved in wood now forever...

Sailor Boy

Three's Company

The Hills Are Alive

Bavarian Alps

Neuschwanstein Castle

Climate Change

Searching for a bit of cool weather, Germany had a different idea, giving us a couple of warm days traipsing from one biergarten to the next in Munich before the temps dropped to an unbelievably perfect rest of the trip. Speaking of Climate Change - these Germans are the real deal. Everywhere you look there are signs of actual acknowledgment and serious effort to reduce waste and make a real difference in our future. Solar panels on roofs, wind energy turbines in the fields, toilets with two buttons - one for #1 and one for #2, light sensors in hallways, a 50:50 ratio of recycling bins to trash bins. It's not political, just smart. And another thing about the climate - just a really nice bunch of people. Another tidbit Tami told us about was a lack of crime. I didn't look it up, but throughout our stay, amazing things kept happening. I'd drop a $20 euro and someone handed it to me. I walked into an adorable hotel late one afternoon and asked for a room for two nights. The nice lady handed me a key, an actual real key attached to a heavy silver holder, took one of my bags and showed me the way. I asked if she needed anything from me and she said, "OK, what's your name?" I told her and she said, "Well, welcome, Lisa." No credit card, no driver's license. Just welcome.

It's the sixty and seventy year old women running things over there. A beautiful, hard working bunch that do it with a calm, efficient, effortless looking style. We ran into just one women, though, during a busy lunch hour and when I asked, "Sprechen sei English?" she replied, "Yes, I need a moment alone," and we never saw her again. Good for her, I say.

Porsche Man

Like a kid in a candy store.

Nurburgring

Bacharach

AutoMahm

Since Mr. Kickball star sliced open his hand a few days before we left, making driving impossible, it was Auto Mom to the rescue on the German Autobahn. A not-so-sexy six speed American four door, trying to keep up with a never ending line of BMW, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes beasts. All I can say is - get out of the way. A one second look down and you've got a 120mph blur coming at your rear. But these drivers are civilized. You learn fast to pass and move. Get in an out fast and back in line, letting others free to pass you by. Our new-to-Germany friend, Tami, explained that drivers who go slow in the fast lane are referred to as "snakes," and the only thing different from them and the real ones is  that the slow poke drivers have the "asses in the front" - ha! I hit over a hundred a couple of times - vroom, vroom!

Rothenburg

Hotel Burggartenpalais

The beautiful hotel

Manhole on the way to "walk the wall"

A sweet treat following the eerie, but hilarious, Night Watchman's tour

who sent us to Hell - we went twice (amazing wine down there!)

TnT

Tim and Tami 

Shawn met Tim a couple of years ago on Xbox (the new playground), which led to BFFs, a spot in the BIG day

and a fun meet up in Germany, where Lt. Tami Bishop is whipping her new troops into shape. 

Bier!

Hofbraeuhaus

I heard there's a breathalyzer on the premises, but it's a good thing we didn't find it. These Germans don't just drink a beer. They have a BEER. In a beer stein, which is like three beers' worth. And then you have another one. We went to two places with Tim and Tami, and that was before the three hour beer tour of Munich biergartens and beer museums and other various pubs before we even reached the Hofbraeuhaus at around 11. I'm sure if we blew into that thing, it would have exploded.

TravelLISAty

Upcoming Germany! Castles. Rivers. Beer gardens. Porsche Museum. Seems like a good place to celebrate a couple of 50th birthdays and the little Princess' new degree.

Then the Lisas are going to burn up Nashville.

Spooky October takes a couple of Formula 1 fans to Austin to cheer on Lewis.

Why Is There No Great Arizona Novel?

Changing Hands - Phoenix location

Tuesday, August 11th at 7

Purple Mountain Majesty

The mountain stopped me. In the parking lot, after a two hour, two drink girls' night, it stood up. Strong and purple in front of waving light orange stripes, and pink. And blue. I turned my friends around to look up. See that? But they didn't grow up with Camelback hovering over their back yards. They weren't shushed by it every night as it turned to red, then purple, then black as the sun sank down. I got my daughter on speakerphone as I headed north to home. She understands her mom's obsession, especially on nights like this, smack in the middle of monsoon season when the humidity changes things. Go look! See that? Do you see that?

Now shush.

Leslie's 30 (again!)

Dancing in the moonlight

Feelin' Beachy

Amy knows how to spontaneously squeeze every little drop out of a weekend. Piers, plays, Laguna festivals, sandy intervals, bananas, Taco Surf, Slomo.

Not bad.

Munchen!

The English Garden

When I'm Six(feet) Four

Two of our favorite patients passed away. Claude, age 95, on July 1st, and, on the Fourth of July, his lovely bride, Adeline, age 101. They had been coming to the office for as long as I can remember, with smiles always on their faces and invariably a little joke from Claude. They were a team, an inspiration, a pleasure to be around. As they got older (and shorter), they would lean on each other as they slowly walked down the long path from the elevator to our office, then back down again. Every Spring, Claude would load up a couple of bags of sweet grapefruit from his prized tree and bring them up for me. Last year, he started to ask me to walk downstairs with them after their appointments so I could get the heavy fruit from his trunk. I worried about them a lot. They were active in their church and the V.F.W., but their families lived out of state. I wondered what one would do without the other and how sad it would be when that day came. Today at their funeral, the priest described how they would lean on each other as they made their way down the aisle to receive communion every Sunday, including the one the week before they died, slowly helping each other. Following the beautiful service, Shawn introduced himself to Claude and Adeline's son. At an even six feet, plus maybe another inch with his fancy suit shoes on, Shawn shook the son's hand and offered condolences. The son smiled and said, "Oh. I thought you'd be taller. Dad said you were 6'4". He thought the world of you."

Ditto. Now we get to look up to them.

Balls 'n Dolls

I live for this. Sitting on the bleachers. Screaming my heart out. It's like therapy, except no tears. Even when they lose. Which the Balls 'n Dolls do, Shana's new co-ed kickball team, even with an occasional home run from Shana. But they'll get 'em next time. COME ON, LET'S GOOOOOO!!!

Upcoming - Movie Madness, artsy nighttime version

smoca

Film series at smoca - next up, Thursday, August 6th 7pm

AZ88 5:30