Rollin' rollin' rollin'

Rolled over to 150,000 thousand miles today. Those Japanese can sure build 'em. Yeah, it rattles, it squeaks, my trunk light has some kind of short in it, but a job well done. Now crossing my fingers for a few more miles.

Pinkies up, Ladies!

Met the lovely ladies for an English Holiday Tea at the adorable English Rose Tea Room in Carefree.

Scones, jam, all sorts of teas, cucumber sandwiches and lots of laughs, lots of hats, lots of well, we finally made it through this year, hope the next ones just keep getting better and better.

Sealed With A Kiss

Shawn, The Man, Babycakes, Sailor Boy, WZUPDC, Speed Racer is having a happy, happy, happy birthday today.

MMMmmmwwwwwwaaaaaaa!

Toasted

Snuggled on the cozy leather sofas, toasty by the fire at great winter-in-the-desert place Camelback Inn for a little (too much) tequila, some red rabbit balls, some carnival worker age guessing, some boyfriend of Christmas past right next to boyfriend of Christmas present, guy named Dooley, the did she just wink at me and where's the doghouse couple of hours out on the town.

Soleri Bridge - Opens Today

The bridge is done! Shawn and I peeked in through the fence before din din on Monday and it looks incredible, especially with a pink and purple sunset behind it. It's nice to live near Paolo Soleri, his amazing mind and his bells and maybe someday even his ultimate way of life will come to fruition. For now, there's a Celebration and official dedication of his bridge down at The Waterfront. Activities Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but looks like Saturday at noon is the historic moment.

Movie Madness - The Tourist

Call Amex and gather up your frequent flyer miles - we're going on a little trip and, for a post-birthday Movie Madness treat, even this guy is coming (eat your heart out, Johnny),

my all-time favorite travel companion, well, Shana's tons of fun, too - there they are on top of the Eiffel Tower. What are you doing, Dan Harkins? Want to come, too? And maybe, please, please, please bring me a nice, new Harkins 2011 Souvenir Cup, maybe one for my birthday boy, Shawn, too (remember, he just loves popcorn, so a t-shirt would be great as well).

Update - Dan never showed up. Maybe I should stop begging, stalking, wishful thinking-ing. Even Johnny Darling looked a little weird. But at least we'll always have Venice...

They say it's your birthday...

TGIF! TGFS (thank god for sue)! Big b-day party for Sue. The stories around the table were lively - talk of the old days when instead of sitting around the table, she danced on it. She's still got it, though, stuffing all of the tissue paper from the gifts you-know-where...

Happy Birthday, Sue!

Nido Vacio

Look what came in the mail today. Pass the Kleenex. Just when I thought I had the whole Empty Nest thing (nido vacio) figured out, it came around again. We're sending her off. Seven months in Europe. Go learn something for a semester in Spain, then putz around for awhile, little chick-a-dee, have fun, grow up, figure out all of the answers and, just to make sure you don't forget about your loco padres,

we'll be bringing the nest to you...

Cookie Monster

The other day during a writing workshop we were given a prompt, something to make us think of the holidays, some old-time recipe, some tidbit from our childhood, perhaps, of warm apple pie baking in the oven as we passed around a container of cinnamon. It smelled so good. I wanted to grasp some memory, but all I could come up with were the directions to Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Boil water, add pasta, cook, drain, add 1/4 milk, 1/4 butter and then mix in the "cheese" packet. Total yummy goodness every time. So when I got the notice that book club was doing a cookie exchange this year, I stressed. I looked up an incredible Double  Chocolate Meringue Cookie recipe my sister and I had at Miraval. Low cal, one point each, sort of. Perfect for the new Weight Watchers, going to get through the holidays without gaining any pounds, goal. I bought all the stuff. Before last week I had no idea what parchment paper was. Or cream of tartar (sounds like it goes with something else from my youth, fish sticks), but now I know you get it in the baking section and it's not cream, it's a powder used to help make meringue fluffy. I made the cookies. Not good. A little charred. I tried again last night. No better. Flat, too crispy. Shawn and I and one of his patients that's a baker at AJ's reviewed my plight and figured that maybe it's the chocolate chips. Maybe they are pulling down my cookies. So I tried again. It's for the book club after all, needs to be good. I did the Miraval deep breathing. It's sort of like climbing a telephone pole and jumping off. It's all in your head. Just believe. It's only a bunch of egg whites. Really, how hard can this be? So I beat the crap out of them tonight and skipped the double part of the double chocolate meringue. Better. Chewy, chocolatey enough. I did it. Shawn finished them off. Tuesday book club, no more store bought loser stuff from me. I'm a baker now.

Upcoming - Taliesin and Herberger Lunch

Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin has some tours of the student's homes - the Desert Shelter Tour. Looks cool.

Saturday, December 4th at 1:15

Herberger Lunch Theater

11/2 - 11/11

I'm going Wednesday, November 3