The world lost a great guy...

Last night my father in law had a stoke and died, those are the simple facts. Bill was one of those all around good guys, always with a story or two to tell. We had the privilege of spending time with him on Max's birthday and then a few days later on Christmas Eve.


I made him a western apron for his new BBQ.... He wore it the whole night and modeled it well!
Tim has been wanting a Swiss army knife and we knew Bill would be the "perfect" one to pick one out for him. Here is Tim and Bill when he opened it. Bill later had a good talk with him alone on safety and responsibility...

Here he is with Max, Bill always understood because we only see each other every few months that Max had to warm up to them. After being here for his Birthday a few days before, Max ran out of the house when they arrived on Christmas eve yelling Grandpa Bill and Bana, Grandpa Bill and Bana. He even gave him a big hug as they left.

If there was ever a time that I was with someone and had to think back and say is there something I should have said or did we leave on a sour note this was not one of them. Bill raved all night what a nice eveing it was he gave everyone their bear hugs and it was a perfect night one I will remember forever.

We will miss you Bill....

Somedays you win somedays you....well you know...

I am glad to report today it was a win, even when it seems there are so many things that could be and are going on that are not in the "win" catagory!
I didn't have work today, and while that sounds great it is just a reminder that I need to get another job. I decided to take advantage of the time with Max while Tim and Abby were at school. He had a little bit of birthday money and I thought we would go to the mall and see where that took us. As I was getting ready Jim called from work and asked if I would bring him something he forgot. Max loves to go to Daddy's work because it means a trip to the airport and there are so many things that he loves there! On the way they we drove though Papago Buttes by the zoo, Max exclaimed Mommy mountain! I want to climb it! So we drove on to the airport and we saw the new light rail trains (very exciting) then a large crane, and of course plane after plane. It was a trip filled with ooohhhs and wows! On the way back I decided we would "take a hike" Max was VERY excited! So we pulled into Papago Park, I though hole in the rock would be the perfect "hike". We drove in at the zoo entrance and right away he knew where he was, I thought we might have to take a quick walk around the zoo, but he was focused he wanted to hike! We drove around found a parking place and started up the hill! I asked him to stop to take a picture and he was not going to have that! "No Mommy hiking" He raced up the back of the hill which is mostly stairs out of railroad ties. When he spotted "the hole" he asked' Who made that" I let him know that god and the wind did.
Here he is in his victorious moment!


Here he is with the zoo in the back ground
When we got to the bottom we checked out the pond near the car. He is waving at the ducks. Carefree skipping across the bridge...

We went to the mall and picked out a new "Cars" toy and had fun just wandering the mall. It is interesting to see where a almost 3 year old will take you!

Tomorrow we are celebrating Max's 3rd birthday! I enjoyed today so much, he is really putting his words together and becoming such a little man. I am going to take advantage of this time with him. Max gets the short end of the stick a lot catering to the older kids schedules and activities, it was nice to have a carefree day..... and all day all I could imagine was my Dad smiling from ear to ear to have another hiker in the family!

Winter is here!

I sit here at the computer looking out at the cold cloudy sky, I just can't get warm today! I have my sweats on and fleece vest and I am watching the kids run around the back yard. I had enough time out side today and I tap on the window to signal to stop fighting or some other command...
It is winter in Scottsdale! It is 64 ish degrees as I type this, that is near freezing! I did just have to go outside toi verify this fact for you and I now have goose bumps! For those of you who have never lived in Arizona, there is just no real way to understand. My friend Gena lives in Georgia and freezes there and blames it on being an Arizona girl.
You see when you spend over a hundred days of the summer and fall over 100 degrees it changes your body! When you spend most of month of July over 110 degrees 60 is a bit of a chill! They like to say your blood thins out...(what ever that means) I just think the heat messes with you mind so much that you go a little insane!

The sun has also not been out in two days. This is rare, I guess it rained because there was mud all over the playground at school. I never saw it or heard it, but man I miss the sun!

I hope it is sunny and warm where you are!

It's is DECEMBER!

I love Christmas! I do admitt to getting a little over zealous with it but I do love it! I love buying presents for people. I love wrapping things up, I LOVE to decorate the house. I already have plans for Tim's room to be a Christmas / sewing craft room when he moves out! It will be Christmas all year around!

Sure the economy sucks and the job market well it sucks too. There are a million things to be fearful and dreadful about, they will be here just the same after the holidays too, so I am giving them some well deserved time off!

This is a year to be THANKFUL for what you have and for what you can give or do with your friends and family. There will always be people who have more and people who have less than we do. This Christmas is not about keeping up with the Jones, I am gladley give them a rest each year! They are not all they are cracked up to be!

I have great promise for what 2009 will hold. I hope you do too! I hope you get to share it with all the people you love and hold dear!

May your days be Merry and Bright......

I am going back to school....

I started back at school, I am doing a total do over! I am starting at preschool!
When my hours were cut at my job I needed something to fill just one day a week during school hours. This seemed like an impossible task! Where was I going to find such a job. In walks my "village" most of whom work at the preschool the kids went and will go to. The need an assistant in the monday class! A one day of the week gig, things just have a way of working out!
I LOVE this school, it has always had a special place in my heart. The teachers and the director were not teachers there when Tim first started school but parents of classmate, who became teachers there as other teachers moved along. They brought a new life to the school and it has been fun to watch the program grow evolve.

Going back to preschool has also given me some perspective. The philosophy at the school is to foster independence of these tiny little people. I am helping in Mrs H's class on Mondays when she has 3 and 4 year olds together. There are 14 little people. They sit in cirlce time, they do a craft project to varying degrees of success. They have snack and even pour their own drinks! (this has always been an adventure). We expect a lot of of them, to say please and thank you to acknowledge when we have hurt someone and say your sorry. We don't expect that they are all going to be best friends but we do expect them to polite and courteous to each other. We do have such high expectations of them, I was thinking about this yesterday out loud with another friend, how can we are parents, teachers (not just in the classroom sense) and role models expect our littlest kids, not just at the school but our kids at home to do this when at best as adults we have the hardest time following the rules we have set forth for them.

Be Kind

Say your sorry

Keep your hands to yourself

Take turns

Don't hurt our friends feelings

Put things away

Clean up after yourself

The golden rule and all those great cliches.... that we repeat time and time again to our kids....

Instead we seem to implore the opposite, do as I say not as I do...

Sometimes life lessons are best learned when we take a step back and start over, I think everyone could use a day at preschool now and again to remember, LIFE IS about the small stuff, not a career or new car, but about being a good citizen, saying please and thank you and playing nice in the sandbox of life.

Like her or not Hillary was right....

It takes a village...

I am very lucky to have a "village"! When you think of the word it self it is very much about a "place" like the dictionary defines it....

Village

 –noun
1.
a small community or group of houses in a rural area, larger than a hamlet and usually smaller than a town, and sometimes (as in parts of the U.S.) incorporated as a municipality.
2.the inhabitants of such a community collectively.
3.a group of animal dwellings resembling a village: a gopher village. –adjective
4.of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a village: village life.


I like this more...

村庄

This is the Chinese symbol for it.

Look the figures look like they are holding hands the they building upon on another. That is what my village does. So you might ask where is your village you live in a large city in a major metro area. My village is more of a "pie in the sky" type of thing. You know those little halo's that follow your character on a video game... that is is about how it is.

You see I have a village of friends and family that have the same goals and ideas on how to raise our kids. My village started when my oldest two went to preschool but didn't really fully form until the kids grew a little more as did our friendships and relationships. The members of my village are there for me, I have to get two kids to two different places at the same time....one of the villagers is always there to help. I need to figure out what homework is due, my village is the fastest way. Need to find out what needs to brought to girl scouts tonight they are there. A shoulder to cry on... there they are, a drink after a long week you guessed it I call on the village. There are many children in our village, the great thing is you can see that sense of community in them when they branch out in the larger groups they belong to. They stand up for each other, they know they always have someone to talk to. If a mom is running late they know who to ask "is she coming? Are you taking me home" they know the elders in the village and wouldn't hesitate to ask for help from any of them. They are great kids the kids in our village. Some are in the same grade and class others on the same teams. The oldest child in the village will be going to high school next year (gasps) the youngest is Max, don't tell him he has no clue.

Ultimately the village is about give and take, being there at just the right time, knowing in a moment you can call them and they will be there.

Do you have a village? I sure hope so it would be a lonely world without one!

This life so Far II

If you have been reading along or if you haven't you can ship down a post or two and find the story of the trip Jim and I took to see our friend Ian's fathers art show.

It is bitter sweet for me to tell you that he passed away this last Monday. I say bitter sweet because when someone has been sick like Jim was, like my Dad was there is a bit if sweetness in their passing. If you have lost someone to a terrible cancer you know what I mean. The suffering is over, they are at peace there is a sweetness in that.

Peace...to you Jim....

VOTE VOTE VOTE!

Which for me and those who know me personally would probably find it hard to believe this is my FIRST political post!
I am sure by my new video you can tell who I am voting for, but that is not the message here.
You see I just want YOU to vote!
We as Americans have a choice, to stand up and be counted.
We have a choice on who we vote for!
We have a choice!

Now who you choose is of your our convictions, I just ask that you vote for your convictions in a way that you pick the candidate that most suits your values and morals, and that you vote for them because YOU know where THEY stand on those issues. Not because someone else told you where they stand by YOU looked it up.

So I ask you my friends to be informed and VOTE!

Oh and may the best man win!

I miss my mommy!

She has been gone for 2 weeks, she will be back in two more. I made the mistake of saying it while I was doing laundry when she was calling to check in. You see she does the laundry in the house. (I know hate me) The fact is she has done my laundry most of my life. Laundry is just that one thing I can't quite ever get on top of, or get done in a timely manner or just dedicate time to. Know I know there are people with more kids who work more hours and it really isn't that hard to do. Open the door fill it up push a few buttons, it is not rocket science! Yet somehow it is my Nemesis! Even when she is here to DO the laundry it can sit for a week clean in a basket because it HATE to even put it away! This is not Jim's strong suit either, when I finally get the motivation up he still has not found it!

Anyways the laundry is not the reason I miss my mom. Although it is a casualty of her being gone. The fact is my mom has been a part of my daily life well pretty much most of my life. Some days we laugh so hard we could pee our pants, others are days of quite companionship. I know people who don't really talk to their parents and others who find it is chore. When she said she was going for the whole month I thought oh that will be nice for her and had dreams of being able to walk around the house naked or have a romantic diner with Jim heck maybe even naked LOL but we haven't we have both decided we miss her.....and it is not just because the clean and yes folded laundry is still on the couch in the family room, some even on hangers just waiting to be hung up....

-This Life So Far-

This last weekend we had the amazing privileged of going to LA for a showing of art works of Jim McHale. They are beautiful awe inspiring pieces of art. Now you may not know who Jim McHale is, chances are you don't, I was an outsider looking in and would like to share with you what I was witness to.

First about Jim he is dying, he has cancer and the morning before this show he checked into a hospice, but still managed to make it to the show. The Dream Foundation set up the event, they are like Make a Wish for adults. The event was held on a sound stage at Hollywood studios. Jim Max and I drove out with Chad and his son Chet. Jim McHale is Chad' uncle. Chad is as much family as any blood is to us and my Jim has know Jim for years and it just felt right to be there. I was skeptical about going, I didn't know if I was ready to see another dad dying.

The art work was amazing it is made up of little dots and circles and you get a different perspective at every angle of it.

Just as beautiful was the family and friends that showed up to be a part of the day. There are some things you see happen when someone you love is dying, that you always wish could have happened years ago. Healing between a father and son. Family gathering and are truly thankful for the life they shared, the good the bad and the indifferent all got them to where they are today. It is always bitter sweet, to know that words like "I'm sorry" and "I love you" were not said as much as they should have been and that it takes an overwhelming tragedy to come to terms with what has been -THIS LIFE SO FAR-

But more important is what do we do from this point? This is something we all should think about, not so much the past but what is the next part of our life, what will my legacy be? I wish it was thought about long before we are sitting at our loved ones death bed. I wish it was something we thought about each day as we woke up. If we did I bet we wouldn't fight as much over the little things, I'd bet we would hug just a little longer and say things like please and thank you and I love you just a little bit more.

So you my friends I ask you where do we go from here. You have lived THIS LIFE SO FAR...what will the rest of the story be?

I hope for you all it will be a story of love, peace and forgiveness, and living each day like it is you last!

The last week in pictures...

There are lots of birthdays in September in these parts!







Amber turned 11










Trevor turned 9!

Holly turned 9!

Tim had his 11th bday!

Abby had a tonette concert
After which we made 19 2 gallon bags of salt dough for the 5th grade
Soccer pratcie

Volleyball and Jr Girl scouts and there is our week!

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

For me I have the actress all picked out, like most people I think, I am picking someone who is prettier than I am but she does have a hollywood stylist and I don't. She has played in many movies and you may or may not know her. She is a lot like me, when her hair is not so blond. We even have the same dimple although hers is more pronouced. People have told me after seeing movies that she was in that I remind them of her or her mannerisms... so she seems the most likey choice. Because of course she talks with her hands! (which you can't see as I type)



She would have play the part of a small town girl who is wisked away from her family to a new place where she breaks out of her shell and has all kinds of adventures. She would marry young and drop out of college but she would always land on her feet some how some way. She would have two kids and then go through a divorce to again land on her feet and meet the man who was there waiting for her through a thread of comon people and places that just took time to weave it all together for the to find each other only to find thier lives were intertwined the whole time. She would have another baby who would be the apple of his fathers eyes. She would endure the devastating death of her father and comedy that ensues when they all move in her mother in her parents house. You would get to know her amazing friends who are the wale threads that hold the pattern of her life together. You would see the heartbreak, joy, the craziness that would be her life....hopefully leaving this place a little better than she found it...



Oh and to see who the actress is click HERE

So who would play you? Leave a comment and lets see who we need to get under contract... =)

Mertil and Edie go to CAMP SURF...

I know you are thinking who the heck are Mertile and Edie...Well here they are you might know them better as Holly and Abby....as they are pictured here in all the glory of their wetsuits!

They are THE best of Friends and maybe some times a little too alike and a little too comfortable with each other! We joke that they are like too little old ladies, you know just say what is on their minds, feisty ( a polite way to say bitchy) little girls they are not 9 going on 16 they are 9 going on 87! Sandra and I can envision them in the nursing home together, yelling "what I can't hear you.... " " You are not doing it right"

They will give the boys they meet along the way a run for their money! They both are opinionated, adventuresome, strong willed. The kind of things that some times make it hard to "mother" them at times. They are also the things that will make them strong women who won't put up with crap from anyone when they are older (at least we hope that is the good that comes out of it!)
We decide they should be called Mertile and Edie after our grandmothers who have great old fashioned names, and are also feisty women who speak their mind.

Anyways back to surf camp which I am glad to say I showed some restraint and only took under 200 pictures match that with about the same from Sandra, I will share some of them later this week.

The girls were really amazing, they got right in the freezing water and I though maybe they would last an hour if that. They were out there all day trying to surf , they both got up on their feet! They also spent lots of time on the boogie boards! In true Mertile and Edie style they were the first ones up by 6 each morning, we found them walking along the beach looking for shells and just sitting there on the beach chatting away and bickering about weather they should do their first 2 years of college in Australia or the last two and what school they want to go to here.....

I see a new photo montage coming on when I get all the pictures from everyone!

Bliss

bliss –noun
1. supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment

Days are sometimes long and night restless but some where in between the comings and goings there is BLISS.. Here are some moments of BLISS I want to share with you..


Best Friends - So Proud to have thier new green JUNIOR GIRL SCOUT vest!


Bags packed for SURF camp! Yes that means we (Abby & I) leaving soon, well Saturday morning for the long weekend in San Diego camping on the beach! Consider this your warning that surf camp picture over load is on it's way!

Ahh the joys of child labor...yes this is bliss! (for me at least)

Even better yet the same boy whose teachers have never had anything nice to say about his handwriting has either hired someone to write for him, or has enough sense about him to slow down...it isn't perfect but boy what an improvement!
and of course when you are 2 and half how can your life be anything BUT BLISSFUL!

Even if you are a glass half full type, there is BLISS in the everyday, you just some times have to look for it!

This should include a note to see previous post...the sure bliss of time with good friends and laughter!

Recon Mission....

We like to have girls nights out, some times there is 10 of us some times 20 or more, no matter who shows up they are FUN. Marin typically sends out an evite and we all go some where fun for drinks and such... Recently her mom found a new Irish Pub and said we should go there for a GNO. Now daughters at any age don't trust their moms when they tell them a is "cool" so we set out on a recon mission. We clearly must check this place out before we invite the whole "gang". So of course we invited Patty because would be better to check out an Irish pub, and we should have been at deep water class with Sandra so of course she needed to come too. We were all excited to just go and have some fun. This is what happens when you can't quite figure out the bill...

Sandra and I took a romp in the fountains!
While Patty and Marin supervised...

But the biggest laugh we had all nite was at Borders.... they have all types of magazine, we found the ALPACA magazine too funny. I shot a little video , it even made my mom laugh when she say it this morning I hope it does the same to you...

Planning for the Holidays...

Well it is about the time of year I start thinking about the holidays! I was in a little panic going into it all this year and I typically buy my cards at the after Christmas sales and I had none, well not "none" I always have a few around but none that sang to me..."pick me pick me!" I was out shopping two weeks ago picking out some new duds for the kids for back to school and wandered into Hallmark and low and behold all the cards they had were ONE DOLLAR a box. I gathered up 4 boxes and rushed to the check out! I have started my fall ritual a little early this year and started to address them, I typically do this in September but it is one of those things I love to do while watching TV dreaming the house is decorated and more importantly it is COLD outside! I like to look in the address book and see all the names of the people I love who I never get to see as much as I would like. Then typically in October we snap a family picture. Last year it took me two days and three Zanex to get one picture of the three looking in the same direction. My dear (read lifesaver) of a friend Marin said she would love to try to take a picture of my 3 monkeys and she will probably not require the same amount of drugs to do it. I am sure they will be angels for her!
I think about this now because I like my card to the first one you get! Not because it is a contest or anything like that, I like to know that they are done and I don't have think about them. In town I mail the day before Thanksgiving so that you get them Friday out of town it is the Monday before thanksgiving to get there just in time! That is the plan again this year, as long as we can get a picture of the kids that is.....


now here is the part where you all elave crazy comments about how crazy I am...and that's okay I am at one with my "craziness"

Monkey see...

Tim Max and I went to the zoo early this last Sunday morning. We were there by 8am and it is a great time to see the animals they are up and about and here is little of what we saw...



Max go up close and personal with a Baboon!
Here are two other "monkeys" near the Spectical bears
Here is one of the two new baby Zebra's at the zoo with the proud Daddy, can you believe he was born in June! That is a BIG baby!
Max was the navigator on the train around the zoo! He was facinated with the MAP!
We finished our trip with a splash around in the splash pad, we are excited for the new under ground water play caverns to open next month! They should make a summer day at the zoo extra nice!

Schools schools are more schools

Another installment of my "lists"
When you move as much as I did it in voles lots of schools!

Terry Nursery School- Terryville CT- I know not a big school but my first school experience!

Prospect Street school- Terryville CT- kindergarten first and second grade I went here. My dad AND my grandmother both went to this school. My great Aunt Grace lived across the street and she would stand out front and wave at us after school.

East Main Street school- Terryville CT- This was for 3rd grade same town same kids you just went on to another school after 2nd grade

Ivy Drive School- Bristol CT I went to the end of 3rd grade and 4th grade here.

Emanuel Lutheran School - Tempe AZ- is where I spent most of 5th grade even after we moved to Casa Grande my mom drove us up since our tuition was paid and gas was far from 4 dollars a gallon!

For the last 6 weeks of school I moved to Casa Grande schools and there was literally in our backyard but the 5th grade was full so I had to go to another school with one other girl in the same position for the end of school, my brother got to go to the school in the back yard!

They I went to the school in the backyard for the last few weeks of the 5th grade and the all of 6th grade I can't even remember the name...

Harry S Fisher Jr High in Terryville CT- I went here for 7th grade

Back to Arizona we came and to Scottsdale where we have stayed, we moved several times but I was able to stay with the same kids!

Supia Middle school was my home for 8th grade

Then to Coronado High school for 9-12

So 10 if you count nursery school 11!

Was it crazy , well yes! am I the person I am today because of it all, that is another big yes!

houses houses and more houses..

If you have been reading you will know that I have had lots of jobs, this is who I know a little about a lot stuff! Have I told you how many houses I have lived in?

No?? Well here they are

1. Union street, Terryville CT - This is where we lived when I was born

2.Orchard Steet, Terryville CT - I lived here the longest it was 2 doors up from my Dads parents and my mom parents lived in the downstair apartment after her dad had a stroke. It was an ideal place for those growing years

3.Brentwood Drive, Bristol CT. - We moved there to live in a one level house hoping it would be helpful for my moms health

4.Priest Dr, Tempe AZ - We lived in a trailer in Tempe for about 9 months

5.Eileen DR. Casa Grande AZ - Dad got a job for Frito Lay and we ended up in the middle of the desert!

6.Main Street, Terryville CT - We were home sick and mom seemed to be doing well, the first winter got the best of her and....

7.Osborn RD, Scottsdale Az - Back to Arizona we came! This was an apartment

8.Roosevelt Rd, Scottsdale AZ - another apartment

9.Continental Dr, Scottsdale AZ - the same street as Roosevelt just on the other end of it..

10.4th st, Scottsdale AZ- My Senior year my parents bought a house (they have not moved since)Me not so much...so the story goes on...

11.Olive Rd Glendale Az - the first apt Tom and I had, and left quickly

12.Bell Rd- Phoenix AZ the 2nd apt we had

13.Roveen Dr, Phoenix AZ- The crazy house we shared

14.Fillmore St Phoenix AZ - Tom and I bought a condo there

15.Hazelwood Dr, Phoenix AZ- A house we rented when the condo got too small

16.Hayden RD, Scottsdale AZ- an Apartment we shared and I kept after the divorce

17.Scottsadle RD, Scottsdale AZ- My first new place after the divorce a roomy 3 bedroom

18.4th street, Scottsdale AZ - I went back home with the kids when I was laid off once for a few months

19.Thomas RD, Scottsdale AZ - Back on my feet again this was the first place Jim and I shared

20.Lewis St, SCottsdale Az - the town house Jim and I bought ( our love nest)

21.4th street scottsdale Az- When my dad passed away we moved in with mom ... we don't plan on leaving.

Mom and I joked for years that we don't spring clean we just move. So I guess I am going to have to start spring cleaning!
Another day I will tell you how many schools I went to the list is not quite as long!

Back to School!

Well it was back to school day here! Aug 11th only a cool 109 or so today! A perfect day to start school! When we dropped off the kdis the A/C was not working again no biggie it was only 95 or something ungodly like that when I dropped them off! Lucky they fixed it quickly
The kids had a good day! Abby started 4th grade and Tim 5th!

Not to outshined by the kids, the moms and our home coming to the benches! Oh how we missed them and all of our dear friends we find there! Welcome back to school girls! I missed you all over the summer and can't wait to catch up with all the regulars!

15 dollars a week!

That is my new saving plan!
I just have to do that for the next 8 years!

See my dear friend Sandra and her family are planning on going home in just over a year, back to Australia, I get misty even thinking about it. But being the resourceful girls we are we hatched a plan. My friend Marin and I will both have big milestone birthdays the same year, so we are going to have the ultimate girls night out and go visit Sandra and family in Australia!
See the thing is about big plans like this is the more people you tell the more accountable you are to MAKE IT HAPPEN! Sandra figured out over lunch that if we save 15 dollars a week for the next eight years we will have over 6,000 to have a great blow out of a trip!
So I am telling you all my BLOG readers! Ask me how much I have saved!

We figured out our boys will be 18 and our girls will be 16 so we will have so catching up to do! That is if we survive the teen years with our girls!

Who wants to come with us?? 15 dollars a week that is it! I think I might have it auto deducted from my paychecks, hack I might even go for 40 a pay check! Maybe we can fly first class!

Jobs jobs jobs...and more jobs...

My friends Sandra thought it would be interesting to actually know all the jobs I have had, it seems anywhere we go I say "I worked there" Last night when we were swimming I told her about a job I had that she never heard of, she was amazed! She said she would like to see a list one day...so here ya go Sandra

1. Papergirl - I delivered and collected the money for a small paper route in Terryville Ct. This was my first paying job! Can I say it SUCKED in the winter!

2. baby sitter, I put this only because I was a professional one! I mean I did it ALOT!

3. Breakfast server at Embassy Suites hotel (now Chaparral Suites) I got up at 4 am and went to work and came home smelling like maple syrup and bacon!

4. Dress makers Apprentice- I got school credit AND got paid, I did this most of my senior yes of high school.

5. Carimar Jewelery at SFS mall.- This was my first mall gig I had to pierce ears and I worked alone in the store. We had to wear a hat from the store 4 watches and some other ridiculous things! The first little girl's ears I pierced I didn't go all the way through which resulted in a bloody mess! I did end up piercing them and the mom was very calm and cool about the whole thing!

6. Everything but water- @ SFS mall. This was a great gig! It was during the Christmas rush and well we were not very busy at all! The down side we had to wear a swim suit everyday! Not only that but one off the racks and then put them BACK! You had to wear your panties but still! The grossest things happened at that store the store had no public restroom and the marble floors were cold and I couldn't tell you how many times when we emptied the trash cans in the dressing rooms that they will filled with PEE (yes urine) from upscale women buying $200 +++ swim suits!

7. The Nature Company at SFS mall - Oh how I loved this store it was nature inspired and I felt at home. I mean I got to use all the knowledge of rocks to use. I worked there for 2 years.

8. Ginza Southwest- A Japanese restaurant with a Scottish owner and Mexican prep cook who spoke no English, and a Japanese chef . the owner spoke Spanish with a Scottish accents and the Japanes chef spoke Spanish with a Japanese flair! I worked the counter along with a friend of mine when we were in college. It was in the closing days of the galleria and SLOW, we did homework and I learned how to use chop sticks

9. MCI- yes your remember the long distance company...remember their friends and family plan. What you did was narc out who you called and we would call them if they were not a customer already. I hated "out bound calling" telemarketing! You had to do it for 3 months before you could be transferred to inbound, which was easy! People called you because they saw a ad on TV. I worked from 3pm to midnight and we had several habitual prank callers. We even gave then names. One was the toe sucker he would call and hang up till he got a girl and then ask to suck your toes. Always added some excitement to the job!

10. PageNet -the world largest paging company...well at least then. I worked here the longest! I started out as a customer service rep and before leaving had become the customer service manager and an outside rep all while the company went through chapter 11, a reorganization, and a merger..During all of that we could only hire temps and I could go on and on about them! Don't get me wrong there were some great ones but man finding the trow up in the file boxes was a special treat!

11.oups forgot-- I worked a 2nd job at William Sonoma for awhile while working at PageNet. I did this on and off for a few years.

12. Davids Bridal- aka Bridal hell! I was the assistant manager, to a huge black cloud that no one I mean no one ever wanted to be around. Not to mention BRIDES AND THEIR MOTHERS. Really people think oh that must be so much fun and it could be with about 2% of your customers the rest are just miserable or their mothers are. Don't even get me started on bridesmaids!

13. Qwest- this was a short gig! I hated it there.

14. Wireless retail- Started as a rep and then was a sales manager then laid off. We re sold cell phones. There was a lot of good fun there..

15.Asst to a insurance man- B O R I N G-

16. Demetrios Bridal- Yes I am a gluten for punishment- and I do believe that all managers of bridal stores are cut from the same mold!

17.Urban Graphite now Studio Sprawl- One of the best jobs I have had, as far as being flexible and good people to work with and for!

So there you have it! 17 jobs!

De cluttering day II

The kids are still out of town and I decided to tackle Tim's room next, I did this yesterday...This was my Dad's office and he buidlt this in the room. The drawers serve as the Tims dresser so it is really the only furniture he has. They are super deep and hold so much! This is what is looked like BEFORE...
These are all the CLEAN clothes I found UNDER HIS BED! It is only a twin! There was a heard of dust bunnies living with them so I thought it was best that we wash them AGAIN!

This is what the after looks like. Look there is a pretty laminate counter top!

Here is the other side...with a nice stack of school supplies waiting for him!


I should have taken a picture of under the bed, he NEVER believes me when I tell him what I pulled out from there! It is nice and clean now! There are about a half dozen or so baseballs under the desk but I will let him fish those out!
He only had one bag of trash like a small shopping bag and then a pillow that had seen better days if it weren't for the clothes I would have been a pretty happy camper.

Cleaning and de cluttering! Day 1

Tim and Abby are gone for the week with their dad to Cali on a vacay! School starts next Monday so I thought I would take this time to organize their rooms and get them started on the right foot.

So Abby's room was first! They did clean before they went on vacation but I knew there where things hiding!

Here is her closet before! I know a problem a lot of moms have is there sentimental value they have on some things that the kids may not even have. You will note there is a baby doll stroller in the bottom of her closet. Yes it should have been gone years ago but my Dad had retro fitted the handles you see even when she was 4 and 5 what would be the right age she was too tall to push such a stroller. Now that he is gone it is just one of those weird things I can't bring myself to get rid of..

This is the pile of "stuff" outside her room. I found enough school and art supplies for a whole classroom! Just checked a bunch of things off my list! One box for good will 2 bags of trash, mostly paper she keeps such odd papers!

Here is the after! She doesn't have a dresser she uses the drawers in the closet. It does work out great. You can see a little of the wardrobe on the left hand side that is where her stuffed animals live. Max was in there with me, we took in some Blues Clues while we worked! I wish I took a picture I found my 3 pound weights in her closet and I put them on the bed, when he found them he said " Me Strong: and lifted it above his head"

This is her desk area that I built for her the Spring. All the art supplies are in the little boxes on the shelves.

Tomorrow I plan on tackling Tim's room/ He has awesome built ins my Dad made, and he is a clutter bug! So that one will be a big transformation!