Year in Review

Happy Holidays! I love December! I composed an update on life which is going out in Christmas cards to those of you who aren't blood related. I figure if you're family you'll hear it all through the family grapevine anyway, and I'll probably see you at Christmas. So here is my 2009 in review:

Well, 2009 proved to be a busy year of travel and changes for both Javi and I. I started off the New Year with a road trip. My friend Carlos and I (and Elvis) drove to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. In February I took a trip over Valentine’s Day weekend to visit Javi in south Florida. In March, Javi flew out to Phoenix for a long weekend. During April, my sister Suzanne and Mom flew out to visit me in the Wild West (Phoenix). In May, Javi and I joined up with some friends in Chicago for a wedding and enjoyed some sightseeing in Chi-town.

Javi and I in Chicago at Valerie's Wedding (May)

Over the past year Javi and I had started to seriously look at the option of moving me to South Florida permanently, regardless of job opportunities. When my apartment lease ran out in Phoenix, I nervously took a leave of absence from my job and up and moved across the country, all in the name of love. After many bittersweet goodbyes to lots of good friends in Phoenix, we sent all of my worldly possessions on a truck, shipped the dog, and drove across country in my new convertible. As soon as we arrived in Florida, I took advantage of the time off and made it up to our family vacation spot in Candlewood Connecticut for a week of much needed Shary family time.

My Nephew Keegan at the Lake Summer 09

After a discouraging job search in South Florida, I took a transfer at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure as a Room Service Order Taker. The work was straightforward, it was generating a humble paycheck, and I was maintaining benefits, so we considered it a blessing. Before I knew it, the stars aligned and I was offered an opportunity to work in Human Resources at the same hotel. I am about to start the position full time and could not be happier about the development.

Main Pool at Hyatt Regency Bonaventure

In November I took a trip to the Northeast to see family for Thanksgiving. At the same time it was a divinely scheduled opportunity to say goodbye to my maternal Grandma, Janet McDonough, who passed away two days before the holiday. We miss her dearly, but she left with quite a legacy: 60 years of marriage, 7 children, 15 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren (and 1 more on the way!). Thanksgiving was bittersweet as we gathered together and celebrated her life. The photo below is Grandma on her wedding day in 1949.

Grandpa meeting his great grandson Keegan on Thanksgiving

Through it all Javi has been my rock, and we have both smoothly transitioned into our new life together. We’re looking forward to a week in Ohio with family to celebrate Christmas. Topping 2009 off this month, Javi and I are both celebrating our quarter-of-a century birthdays! I hope you’ve enjoyed our year in review.

And now for some completely un-related pictures:

Elvis in front of our naked Christmas Tree

Elvis in front of our decorated tree

Road Trip and moving!

Hello from the Sunshine State!

Well after a very tearful goodbye to everyone in Phoenix Javi and I began our great drive from Arizona to Florida. My co-workers gave me a great send off --Although I admittedly avoided saying goodbye to most for a few reasons:

1. I dread goodbyes
2. They always seem awkward
3. I have an inability to control my tear ducts which is always embarrassing
4. It's not like I'm dying-- I'm just moving we can still keep in touch!

Hopefully I didn't hurt anyone's feelings, it's just that I can't handle many goodbyes.

After my last day at Hyatt Regency Phoenix I went out with the office for drinks and later on Javi and I had a great dinner and night out with friends. I cried a lot and said just a few very hard goodbyes.

The next morning was moving day and it was bumpy. After several angry phone calls with the moving company (they told me ON my moving day that the truck wasn't able to arrive for two more days) two great guys came and packed the truck. And thank God for that. Truly. It would have take Javi and I forever and it was so so hot. They were so fast and we were so thankful.

After cleaning, donating a lot to goodwill and the countless other little nuances of moving--we were exhausted and got to Old Town Hyatt Place at 10pm.

And on Saturday July 4th we started the drive. Here are some pictures!

Goodbye for now, Arizona

But before we go...hello Painted Desert and Petrified Forest

Genius.

Javi's favorite photo of the trip.
A picture taken holding the camera up with the top down.

Chihuahua in New Mexico. HA! Cliche.
hello little friend.

Farmland.

Javi is happy--we're making great time!

Hello, welcome to Texas.
"Sir I just clocked you doing 94 mph in a 70 area. Step out of the car please."
Yeah at this point I freaked out a little.
After one $300 dollar ticket Javi decided to slow down a bit.

The Mississippi River!

A rare photo of me driving, because Javi drove for the better part of the trip.

Rain. Ugh.

Priceless.

I missed the welcome to Georgia. Probably because it was dark and we just wanted to get to the hotel. During the final leg of the trip I just stopped taking pictures. Needless to say we were happy to make it to South Florida.

Well, as it is this is quite the long post. I'll save pictures of vacation and details of my current unemployed status for another posting.


peace out.

Moving day and Sally!

My how things have progressed. So much for keeping my blog really updated.

Lots has happened-- I bought a new Car! a 2007 red Toyota Camry Solera. I had my heart set on a convertible and decided that although I loved my Scion TC, Gizmo, life was simply too short not to have a convertible for at least a few years. So far I love Sally my Solera and she just came back from the mechanic with a clean bill of health (sigh of relief).



Unfortunately we've entered the death zone portion of the summer and I've been putting the top down less and less. Though I do just as long as I can handle the oven-like heat. Today it was 105+

Some days I just don't feel well and I'm convinced it's because my internal organs are slowly baking.

In other big news I'M MOVING! It's been nearly two years since I moved to Phoenix in July 2007 and what a ride it has been. I have loved the experience and gotten to see so many parts of the US as a result-- San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Seattle, the Grand Canyon etc... I have fallen in love with this place in strange ways but mostly I have made some great great friends for life and it will be hard to say goodbye...although for the record my ongoing saying is "there's no such thing as goodbye, only I'll see you soon" because you always end up running into people again. Like it or not.


I have really enjoyed my time in the Southwest but as the time approached to sign another year long lease on my apartment-- the idea of being away from Javi for another year was nauseating. We've been flying back and forth and we've both become so weary of talking on the phone all the time and just having to say goodbye over and over again. So after two years out here I've waited patiently for a position to become open with Hyatt and nothing has come through. It's not ideal, but it's life. And we all do crazy things for love.


I'm not sure where my career will take me but it's an adventure and we'll all just have to wait and see.

So these past few weeks I've been packing and tying up loose ends and moving day has nearly arrived. Javi flies in on Wednesday night. Elvis will get on his flight (he's going to stay with Javi's sister and mom while we drive) on Thursday morning. Thursday the 2nd is my last day at work. Friday we pack the truck and send it away. Friday night we're staying in Oldtown Scottsdale Hyattplace and Saturday we begin our roadtrip across the country in Sally!

The plan is....
Day 1 (Saturday) Scottsdale to the Grand Canyon to Albuquerque, NM
Day 2 (Sunday) Albuquerque to Dallas, TX
Day 3 (Monday) Dallas to Atlanta, GA
Day 4 (Tuesday) Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale FL

When we get there Javi has already moved into our new place and hopefully my stuff will make a a timely arrival. Then I'm jumping on a plane for a week of MUCH NEEDED family time in Connecticut at the Lake. I'm so excited especially to see my nephew Keegan. I haven't seen him since Christmas!

After that I'm back to Ft. Lauderdale and back to reality to try and find gainful employment. I'm open to ideas and presently I've applied at a few different places for Activities coordinator positions in Retirement homes which sounds really fun to me.

The next few days will likely be a bit stressful and hopefully not to teary. I've already lost it saying goodbye to my therapist and my mentee Paola. It'll be tough but sometimes change is good.

That's all for now I'll see you in Ft. Lauderdale!

Vitamin C and Laughter

Hola!

Well I've had an eventful past few weeks. Happy to report that Elvis and I have been walking almost every night for about 30-45 minutes. Mostly I've been appreciating the fresh early evening air, the smell of honeysuckle, and of course watching Elvis go on the defense for a plastic bag floating through the air. It is by far the best time of year to be in Phoenix. I've got my windows wide open and Elvis loves it because I can leave the patio screen door open just enough so he can hang out and quietly watch people go by. And although he's not a barker, all the mailmen and apartment maintenance staff know him by name. He just looks so cute with his head through the bars and his ears hanging about.

My sister Suzanne and my Mom are planning to come out and visit in April. I'm tickled pink! I'm making a list of all the fun things to show them. More details to come on that!

In an effort to keep my blog somewhat interesting I'm trying to get people to take pictures of me doing things. Because what fun is a blog with no photos?

A little while ago myself and my colleagues (oooo that makes me sound oober professional) went to the swanky Mondrian Hotel in Scottsdale for an HHRA meeting (Hospitality Human Resources Association). While at this hotel in their swanky white lobby I could not help but notice a lonely sheep. I insisted Anita take a photo of me with the sheep.



Anita and I went out for sushi and martinis and it was a lovely evening. That is the end of that story.

In other news I got free tickets to the Rascal Flatts (country) concert from work and so a whole smorgashboard of people went and it was really fun. They look really hard core in this picture. In reality they played an awesome show and I'd love to go see them again.

Grace and I at the concert.
Ah Grace you are a wise girl. Chin down to avoid the double chin. Damn.

On St. Patrick's Day Casey, Grace and I met up at a rather random pub and enjoyed green beer. Thus my green tongue in this picture.

Other than that I've just been counting down the days until Javi visits, rollerskating and hiking with my Boys Hope Girls Hope mentee, stealing lemons and making orange juice.



As it turns out citrus fruits thrive in AZ. Some of the people in the neighborhood where I walk Elvis have lemon trees in their front yard. Seeing lemons on the ground and dozens still in the tree I did sneak one. It's still in my fridge. don't tell.

Also my friend Mindy has an orange tree in her backyard and she's only about a ten minute walk from my apartment. So Elvis and I went over this weekend and using her "orange picker" ( a small metal basket with claws on the end of a long stick) I got probably 2 dozen oranges. I'm going to peel them and make some more OJ in my Jack LaLane Power Juicer Deluxe. It is unbeleiveable how many oranges grow on a tree.


Elvis had a visit to the Vet today because of some digestive concerns. We got some medicine and CHA-CHING the Vet highly recommended that Elvis get his teeth cleaned. No worries just $300 out the door. Hmph. We're considering and open to employment options for Elvis to pay off his upcoming dental debt.


We'll I've got to peace out because my favorite show Jon and Kate Plus Eight is on!


I will paste this final comic which made me (and my bizarre sense of humor) laugh out loud.
Go ahead....it's good for the soul.

birthdays, ft. lauderdale, and dog sitting OH MY!

Greetings Earthlings.

I've been a bit delayed it updating my postings so I've got several pictures to share.

Around Mid January I, (with some shame) often feel sadness regarding the whole sharing-my -birthday-with-Jesus situation. So this year I decided to have a fun little birthday dinner get together and it was oh.so.fun. My new favorite restaurant is Oreganos for several reasons:

1. cheap and deliciously tasty drinks
2. amazing pizza. and salads.
3. they play jazz music
4. their only dessert is this ooey gooey giant-half baked-chocolate chip cookie with ice cream

Words cannot describe the way I feel for this dessert.

So with that in mind I chose it as my venue. Surprisingly a decent amount of people showed up, and I thank Jenna for that. With a random smorgasbord of friends we celebrated!

Perhaps not the most ideal angle for me. But everyone else looks cute!
(left end of the table)
(Right side of the table!)


My buddy Grace. Excellent at Karaoke.

Over Valentine's day weekend I took two days off and flew to Ft. Lauderdale to see Javi. It was actually just coincidence that it was Valentine's day weekend because I'm not a big Valentine's day person. Although Javi did send me some gorgeous red roses the week before and I did love those. Cliche though they may be. It was a very laid back weekend and our Valentine's day night consisted of watching Big Love, drinking wine, and eating carry out Olive Garden. Couldn't have planned it better.
On Sunday we went out for Annette's birthday (Javi's sister) Javi's brother Raul joined us along with Javi's mom and Jon (one of Javi's roomates).

The birthday girl with her big brothers.
(raul looks like he's indifferent and Javi's trying to imitate Annette)

Waiting at On the Border


Ah. Typical older brother.
Glad my older brother doesn't do annoying things like this....oh WAIT. he does.

Mama Bear.
Who speaks some strange form of slurred spanish I strive to one day understand.

Happy Birthday Annette!

Javi and I.
:)

After coming back from a fabulous weekend in Florida I spent the following weekend at Nick and Eileen's house dog sitting. They live across the valley from me so I just pack up and camp out there when they go out of town. They frequently watch Elvis and the dogs all get along well so it's a good set up. Below are some pictures of the pups.

Bailey
She's a pit bull mix. She's a lover and a licker. She just wants to be near you all the time. Powerful tail too, and a stage five snuggler.

Shelby
She's a basset hound mix. As this picture appropriately depicts her love and loyalty to her raw-hides. She becomes very vocal if someone borrows hers.
She take a little more warming up but she's a closet cuddler.

My unsuspecting bucket of trouble: Elvis.
Playing the role of annoying little brother.
And he refuses to look at the camera.
Sleepytime during the Oscars. ahhh.



Old man Elvis soaking up the sun.

Well that's about it for now. Cheerio.