A So Cal Girl in the Desert

One of our favorite Sunday afternoon activities is playing Dogopoly. With Kermit's help, I actually won last Sunday! Big B lost after about an hour and a half, but Little B and I battled it out for another two hours. Here we are enjoying our chili lime pistacios and grapes, and Kermit is trying to steal all the money and property while I have my back turned.

The contractors are now installing the electrical components in our house! We've seen electrical contracting trucks outside our house for the last two days. I'm sure my father-in-law (who owns an electrical contracting company in Northern California) would love for me to explain more, but I just don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe if he comes to visit he can check it out and explain it all to me. Hint, hint...

I won't bore you with all the pictures we took of the wiring and outlets, but we particularly liked this shot of our master bedroom. The three mini can light receptacles you see there will be in the ceiling of the master bedroom just above our bed. You can also see a can light off to the right next to the A/C duct that will be above our dresser between the two windows. Very exciting!

For the last few days, government officials have been warning Maricopa residents that the recent rains in Tucson and Northern Mexico would bring flood waters to the Maricopa washes and streets. Our home is being built along one of these washes. There is no danger of the homes flooding because the washes are designed to hold all the water. The only danger comes if you get stuck in a wash area, or if you're stupid enough to play in the wash area or drive your car through a flooded street. Hence the stupid motorist law in Arizona stating that you are liable for all costs associated with your rescue or your car's rescue should you get stuck. There are two streets that dip into the wash area in Rancho El Dorado, our development. This first photo here shows the road closest to our home. (I pulled these photos from an article on 85239.com.) The second photo may have been taken from our lot or one of the lots next to ours. As you can see, when the washes flood we suddenly have lakefront property. Aside from being an inconvenience to get to our home the "back way," the flooding makes for a nice view.

My husband and I will celebrate our third wedding anniversary this coming Wednesday, August 31st. It's hard to believe it's been three years! Sometimes it seems like just yesterday was our wedding day, while other times it seems like we've been married forever...so much has happened in such a short amount of time. Since my stepson's mother is in town for the weekend and my husband and I have some time alone for the first time since we moved here, we decided to celebrate our anniversary a little early by going to the places we can't go with a kid.

We first stopped by J-bar at The James Hotel in Scottsdale for their famous mojitos. We had been there before on a couple of occasions when we were in the Phoenix area looking at houses, but we haven't been able to go recently since we have our son, so this was really a treat. J-bar has THE BEST mojitos ever. Their recipe uses everything fresh. It's not too sweet or too sour. The best part is the mint foam they add on top. We really like J-bar because it's hip and cool, but not pretentious. It's very "L.A." without the L.A. attitude. We sat outside on the patio and slowly sipped our cocktails while enjoying the warm night (bordering on too hot to sit outside, but I'm a die hard when it comes to outdoor dining opportunities).

Then we went on to the main attraction, Cowboy Ciao. We heard about this restaurant through one of the wine distributors my husband interviewed with, and as soon as we checked out the menu on their Web site, we knew we had to go. Talk about an indulgent evening! We got there at about 8 pm and our reservations weren't until 8:30 pm, so we sat at the bar and ordered a flight of sparkling red wine. Three flutes came half full with three different types of sparkling red, and the base of the glasses were slid into a rustic looking wood rack for transporting. The rack was branded with a "1," "2," and "3," and there was a little clip on the top of the rack that held a strip of paper that described each wine. As we tasted the wine, we checked out the room. The decor is described as "Cowboy chic," and I would have to agree. All the wood surfaces were rustic, the fabrics rich, the walls deep colors, and the chandeliers looked like something you might find in an old western whorehouse. Or so I imagine. The patrons were buzzing and the staff was busy, yet the place still seemed really relaxed. My husband was in heaven because the wine list had over 1850 listings. It was a miracle he ever selected anything, because he has a tendency to get lost in extensive wine lists. Their list is actually provided to each table in two forms. One by price, and one by varietal.

We were sat at a nice table for two by the window that also had a good view of the kitchen, the arched doorway to which was framed by a stage-type curtain. Our server, Justin, was great. He was just the type of server you want for an enjoyable evening. Confident in his recommendations but not pushy. Attentive but not overly so. Very friendly, but didn't talk your ear off. We took his appetizer recommendations and couldn't have been happier. We started with the "Mini Mushroom Pan Fry," a smaller version of their signature dish described as "cremini, button and oyster mushrooms in ancho cream over double-cooked polenta with grilled portabellini, avocado, tomato and cotija cheese...our signature dish." The flavors and texture were amazing. We often seek out mushroom dishes, and this one was up there with the best, if not THE best. We then had "The Stetson Chopped." It's listed as a salad, but I'd describe it as more of a mixture of ingredients. They describe it as "smoked salmon, arugula, bruschetta tomatoes, sweet dried corn, pearl cous cous, Ciao train mix (asiago cheese, black currants, pepitas) tossed at the table with pesto buttermilk dressing." It came as stripes of each ingredient on the plate...just beautiful. The server described each ingredient, delicately drizzled the dressing over the top, then tossed and served. It was absolutely delicious. It was unusual because there were so many ingredients that all worked together to where you could taste each flavor individually and as a combination. Justin told us we HAD to try it, and he was right. My husband went on to have a special, a rib-eye steak with cheddar bacon mashed potatoes and vegetables. Delicious. I had "Puerco Lento," "pork shank slow-cooked with cumin, chipotle, paprika and Mexican oregano; served over creamy fingerling potato casserole with cranberry/walnut chutney." It was one of the best dishes I've ever had. It was also huge (my husband is cooking the leftovers up with some egg right now for breakfast). When it came out, the server said, "Yeah, this is actually one of the smaller shanks. I think it's kinda like the Flinstones." Exactly. The problem with this place is that there are so many amazing dishes on the menu. We wanted to try everything. We will have to go back again and again, which will be a strain on the wallet and the diet. Since I was stuffed and could only eat one bite of desert, my husband made the selection. He chose the "Chocolate Peanut Butter Pot Pie." Sounds light, huh? It was pretty much like the best chocolate souffle ever with a glob of molten peanut butter in the center. Around the plate were root beer-glazed peanuts and grape jelly sauce with a scoop of peanut butter ice cream. I had more than one bite.

Needless to say, I was just about in a coma when we were finished. I actually fell asleep on the ride home. What a wonderful anniversary. We had great conversation, superb food, a lively, fun atmosphere...perfect for a special celebration.

So this morning I'm off to take care of my first official client! He's a greyhound, and he's super sweet. We are thinking of possibly adopting a greyhound, so the experience with this dog will really help us make our decision. Dog racing is huge here in the Phoenix area, and the retired greyhounds all need homes. There are a ton of them, and there are groups specifically dedicated to finding them homes. I spoke to a lady from one of the groups a few weeks ago and learned that most of the adoptable animals are between one and three years old. They come with racing names and racing papers, as well as nicknames. The interesting thing about them is that when they are adopted they only know the racing life, which is a bunch of lying around in the sand, going potty at very specific times, and running their butts off. When they go to their new home, they are exposed to all sorts of new things that take some getting used to. Carpet, tile, concrete, gravel, and grass, are some of the ground textures they have to learn about since they are used to only walking and running on sand. The new owner has to walk them across all kinds of floors and coax them so that they know it's okay. Slippery surfaces can be especially rough. Can't you just imagine a long-legged greyhound doing the splits on your bathroom floor? They are also especially afraid of ceiling fans. They don't know about windows and glass doors, either, so they tend to run into them and get hurt. The suggestion is to put painting tape up in big Xs on the windows helps until they gain an understanding. One thing they never get used to is walking off leash. They will run after ANYTHING, including trash that blows across the street, because they are conditioned to do so. It's for their own safety that you keep them on a leash at all times. It sounds like a lot of work to own one of these retired greyhounds, but it's just the kind of challenge I like. And after they are accustomed to their new home, they relax and have a very sweet disposition...very loving of children and other animals. Perfect. I just have to make sure to get one that kisses.

I also booked my second client for a job in November. It feels good to finally be a legitimate business!!!

This weekend we had our very first visitor! My brother-in-law, Gregory, came for to see us. It was a great time, but now we're depressed. I think we were doing better emotionally before he came, and now that we've had a taste of family, it's hard to get back to things being just us. Greg flew in on Friday night and left Sunday afternoon. We wish he could have stayed longer. We have a couple of other visitors lined up in the coming weeks, so we'll have to keep our chins up and look forward to that.

After picking Greg up at the airport on Friday night, we went to Richardson's in Phoenix for a late dinner. It's one of our favorite places that we found the first time we visited Phoenix. We asked the concierge at the hotel we were staying at for a recommendation for nothing fancy...just great traditional southwest food. Richardson's is THE BEST. Just about everything there is spicy, and everything is delicious. We got a great table, had some cocktails, and really enjoyed ourselves.

On Saturday morning we took Greg down to Maricopa. He mentioned how far it was as we were driving south through the Indian reservation, but once we got into town, he said, "Now I can see why you guys moved away from the city." We first went to my husband (coach) and stepson's first soccer game of the season. It was great that Uncle Greg could be there for that. The kids did really well in 100º heat. One smart mom brought cool wet rags for the kids to wipe their faces with after the game. I was hot and sweaty just standing there watching, so the kids athletic enthusiasm was something to see. One kid almost overheated, but we got him some Gatorade just in time.

Then we headed over to show Greg the model of our home and the actual house, itself. It was great to finally show someone after all this time. He seemed to really like it, and said he was looking forward to more visits after the house is done. We also found that some more of the plumbing is in. You know how we always tiptoe around the house to take pictures and how we're not even supposed to walk around the construction site? Well, Uncle Greg just walks right inside the house. So typical of him. That's one of the things I love about him, though. Never afraid to do anything, and you know, if we did get in trouble, Greg would have talked his way thorough it and probably would have ended up with hard hats for all of us and a guided tour of every home on the block. That's just how he is. Of course, my stepson was right behind him, telling Uncle Greg he was breaking the rules as he slid his body between two pieces of framing. Then my husband and i joined in the fun, and Uncle Greg took a picture of our family in our future family room. We didn't get caught, so I'll say it was worth the risk. After the tour of the house we went over to the golf club for lunch. The rest of our day back in Chandler was spent swimming and mini golfing.

On Sunday we just hung out together and walked around Chandler Fashion Square for a bit. The day went way too fast, and before we knew it we were dropping Greg off at the airport and saying "see ya later." Then we all got really depressed. It was such a nice visit, and we didn't ever want it to end. Even the dog was moping around. Come back, Uncle Greg! We miss you!

This morning I dropped my husband off at the airport so he could travel back to L.A. to take care of a traffic ticket. He worked out the cost of the plane ticket plus traffic school vs. the cost of insurance going up and decided it was better to try to fly back. The only thing I worried about after dropping him off was making it back home. Even with Mapquest, I'm absolutely terrible at directions. No internal compass whatsoever. On the way to the airport, I said to my husband "how am I gonna find my way back here to pick you up?" He knows me, and said "yeah, you'll probably call from Flagstaff and tell me you got lost." Har-de-har-har. Totally true.

So I did pretty good with the directions and was on my last freeway when "POP." DAMN! The truck in front of me kicked up some gravel and it made a dime-size divit in my windshield. This isn't uncommon in Arizona because the freeways and roads are flanked by banks of rocks. So I chant the license plate over and over in my head. Determined to remember it as if the truck company would do anything about it. Of course this boy-handling thing happens the second the boy leaves town. This coming on the heels of my husband running over blown steel-belted semi tire tread last week did not amuse me. Why do these things always happen when cash is tight? So I'm already doing the calculations in my head...here's 200 bucks for a new f-ing windshield! I call my husband, who hasn't even made it through security at the airport and he advises me to try the New Yorker at the gas station before I call to have the whole thing replaced. He tells me about something called liquid glass that I've never heard of. That's how clueless about cars I am. You see, there's this guy at the gas station near our apartment with this really thick NY accent...the Brooklyn one, I'm pretty sure. He always comes up to your car to check for dirt and cracks in your windshield, and he's always trying to sell you something...car wash, window wash...something! And it's a hard sell. Those kind of people really piss me off, but facing him was better than getting a whole new windshield, so I pull into the station.

The second I pull in he looks at me, stalking the windshield. Usually I'm pretty rude to him...I can't stand pushy sales people. I gave him the "come hither" look and curly finger. He looked around like you would at a party if you didn't know the person was waving to you. Then he pointed to himself and mouthed "ME?" I nodded and he came trotting over. "What can I do fo ya, mam?" he asked. "Do you have any means of fixing this?" I asked, doubting it. "Oh yeah, no problem" he said. "Just pull ya ca ova hea."

Five minutes and thirty bucks later the divit was gone. Good as new! Wow! I told him I couldn't believe my eyes and tried to give him a tip, but he refused. He asked my name, and I asked his. Al. Nice guy. Well, he's nice now that he fixed my windshield. I should be nicer to people. I just always feel like crawling into a shell when those sales people come up to me. And the Brooklyn accent didn't help. Maybe that's the L.A. still in me. No tolerance and no socialization with strangers. Something to work on.

Later in the afternoon I was sitting at the computer and I pulled up the dashboard on my Mac. One of the widgets is a Hermosa Beach Cam...the beach right near my hometown. I put it on there so we could check things out now and again. So I get this crazy idea and call my husband. "Hey, honey! You don't happen to be in Hermosa Beach, do you?" "Well, yeah!" he said. I'm having a drink with my buddy at Patrick Molloy's "Why?" "Ooo. Ooo!" I said. "Right now, please go run over to that orange consruction sign at the end of the promenade. I wanna see if I can see you!." So he did. And I saw him. It was so cool! The picture doesn't really do it justice. I was so excited I forgot to use my brain and just do a screen shot, so in true Kristen fashion I whip out the camera and take a picture of the screen. Duh. Anyway, he's the guy in the white shirt standing next to orange sign. See him? Cute, huh?

The latest progress update...The bathtubs have been placed in the bathrooms, and most of the plumbing is in! Check it out...

The downstairs bathroom by way of the guest room...

The master bath. See the tub under the window?

And the plumbing for the kitchen sink. It doesn't get much more exciting than this, folks!

I've just realized that these updates are going to become much more difficult once the drywall starts going in. Hmmmm. I might have to start some midnight covert operation. Stay tuned...

We wanted to make this past weekend eventfully uneventful, and we did. I've been working at the computer a lot and really needed a break.

My stepson didn't have school on Friday, so we were determined to have a leisurely fun-filled day. Before any fun could begin, Little B had to do his weekly major guinea pig cage cleaning. His dad was nice enough to help, or it may never have been finished. They scrubbed and disinfected every little thing and changed all the bedding. While all this was happening, I was in charge of babysitting Rosie Rose and Kermit, both of whom seemed to be mildly frightened of the banging and vacuuming that was going on. So I decided to shut them into our bedroom and have a little photo fun. It's really a shame that I didn't have any baby doll outfits. That would really have been something to see. This whole scenario was like a blast from my childhood. I can't tell you how many times I locked the animals in my bedroom in order to put on musical productions, play house, school (I was the teacher, of course), or play just a good old-fashioned dress-up tea party game. I could play like that for hours, and the animals never bit me. Ever. They were always tolerant, yet slightly depressed about the matter (see photo for example of this type of expression). Blouses became clown collars, skirts became nun hats, too-small shorts would have tail-holes cut, and t-shirts were worn as dresses. Oh, what fun we...er...I...had! So this cage-cleaning thing really set a nice comforting tone for the whole weekend, I think.

After the cage cleaning was done, I hopped on the Internet and Googled "family activities, Phoenix area." There's lots to chose from, but we selected a national tour production of "Little Shop of Horrors" being performed that evening at ASU's Gammage Auditorium. Then I looked up some of the restaurants on my "Sarah's Favorite Restaurants" list. My friend, Sarah, who actually used to be a client of mine, grew up in Phoenix. As my going away present, she hooked me up with a list of all her favorite places to eat, complete with editorial comments. Since there are so many great restaurants right around our house, this was actually the first time I'd consulted the list. We decided on a restaurant called Anzio Landing in Mesa. No where near the theater, but we had plenty of time to drive all over town and it sounded like so much fun, so we decided to give it a try. Sarah described it as "A quaint Italian restaurant with a WWII theme based on the historic battle called Anzio Landing...It is very affordable, but somewhat of a nice place...You can sit at a table by the window and watch the little planes come in." Sounded neat, so I made the reservations. We had some time to kill before we had to get ready, so we headed out to the pool, which was so nice and relaxing.

Our drive to Anzio Landing was a little less relaxing. Driving on the freeway we could see that we were headed straight for a dust storm (see photo). And we all know what that means. So we drove through the wind and the dust and arrived at the restaurant just in time for the downpour. Once we got inside, the restaurant was really nice, just as Sarah described. The whole back wall of the restaurant was windows overlooking the runway. It was a shame that it was so stormy because there weren't any little planes landing, but the show we got from the storm was equally spectacular. It rained off and on...sprinkles, then pouring, then sprinkles again, then we could see huge beams of sunlight breaking through the clouds. It kind of felt like we were participating in the filming of "The Ten Commandments" or something. And we could see other parts of the storm in the distance. My husband took some really nice pictures. The food at Anzio Landing was excellent. I had the Ravioli Combination, which I couldn't resist to save my life. It's "lobster ravioli topped with bell pepper cream sauce, shrimp scampi ravioli with spicy blush sauce, and asiago cheese ravioli with sundried tomato pesto sauce." Yuuuuuuuummmmmmm! It was very rich and delicious, and since I've been eating a little healthier lately it made my stomach hurt a bit, but it was well worth it. Speaking of indulgences, through an unlikely turn of events Little B ended up with three desserts. After he had decided on a virgin Piña Colada, the waiter brought him the kid's sundae that came with his meal. He was switching back and forth between the two when PLOP! A big scoop of his vanilla ice cream fell into his root beer left over from dinner. Presto! Three desserts! As you can see, he was quite happy.

The rain had let up during our meal, so the ride over to the Gammage Auditorium in Tempe was much calmer. The theater was nice, and they offered children cushions to give a little boost. We thought Little Shop of Horrors would be a great "first big theater show" for Little B. Big B and I had both participated in small youth productions of the musical many years ago, so that made it even more fun for us. Even though you're not supposed to take pictures in the theater (not even before the show!), we did. Here you can see the picture my husband took of Little B and I just before we got caught taking pictures. We had no idea when the picture was taken that that was the look he had on his face. Once I uploaded the pictures and saw this photo I couldn't stop laughing (still can't...I'm laughing my ass off right now). I asked him what he was doing. "Your evil stepmother can't be THAT bad!" He said, "No...that's when I saw the lady coming to tell us to stop taking pictures and I got scared that we'd get in big trouble." Poor guy! Not only are we taking him to a play with a giant man-eating plant, we're also forcing him to break the rules. Awesome parenting. Sometimes these things are just worth the "completely screwing you up" factor, as you get Grade A pictures like this one. This, along with the one where he's picking his nose will go in the "Show All Your Girlfriends" album. So once we got past all that, the play was great. The woman who played Audrey was phenomenal, and Little B only asked about twenty-five times during the course of the show how much bigger the plant would get. Just so you know, it was a happy ending and we all survived, none of us eaten by Audrey II. The theater has upcoming shows of "Annie," "Joseph...," "Cats," and "Wicked," so I think we'll be back to expose Little B to more theatrics. I'll be sure to bring the camera.

The rest of the weekend was pretty dull to report on, but lots of fun and very relaxing. On Saturday we hung out at home and popped over to the Chandler Fashion Center for a stroll and just hung around the house. On Sunday morning we took Kermit to the Bark Park, where he met a few buddies for some butt-sniffing and tennis ball-chasing. He had a blast, and finally drank out of the community bucket. Usually he's a total snob and will only drink the bottled water we bring for ourselves. Normally we would have no problem drinking after him, but after all that explicit butt-sniffing at the Bark Park, we usually end up having to sacrifice a bottle for his exclusive use. There was a Jack Russell named Maggie there, and I think she reminded him a little of his long-distance girlfriend, Lucy, who he had to leave back in California. Only Maggie didn't hump his head, so she may not have had the same appeal. Nevertheless, it was a doggy-dog good time for all.

The rest of the afternoon we spent flying balsa wood gliders outside our apartment and playing a competitive game of Monopoly. Day's end held a magnificent sunset. All this relaxation was just what the doctor ordered! I'm back with my nose to the grindstone today, and loving every minute.

Check out this huge storm that was approaching our apartment complex this afternoon! My husband spotted it as he drove off to pick up our son from school and called to tell me to get in my car and go see it. Of course, I brought the camera! The storm generated some huge lightening bolts and thunder that shook the apartment building. I could feel the rumbly in my tumbly! We didn't get too much rain at our apartment, so I think we just caught the edge of it, but my husband went through the downpour on the highway. These desert storms are intense. This photo was taken at the edge of the apartment complex.

...a Phoenician because, like my friend Sarah told me, they test market a ton of stuff here. I always thought this new stuff would just blend in with the old stuff--until now. I'm am enjoying the testing of "9th Street Market" beer on my market. If you don't already know, I'm a big beer fan. Always looking for new ones to try. So a couple of weeks ago I see this yummy looking beer. It's light caramel in color with a sort-of country-western-Trader Joe's type label. It's lime & cactus flavor. Yum! But I don't buy it because it's $7.50 for a six-pack, and we don't have any income, and I know if I try it I'm gonna be hooked and need it on an IV drip or something. Best to get hooked on the cheap stuff. Then I hear a radio ad, and I'm even more enticed. So last week my husband comes home and says, "Hey, babe, I found this great new beer in the grocery store. Check it out!" 9th Street Market, pomegranate and raspberry flavor. I knew I was in trouble. Let me tell you that this beer was so refreshing, light, and tasty! Not sweet at all, like you would expect. Just a slight flavor. So we savored them as long as we could, then last night he brings home the cactus & lime. It's like a Corona with lime but so much better. I'm in some serious trouble! And they're made by Anheuser-Busch! The third flavor they have is blood orange & grapefruit. Haven't tried that one, yet, but you know we will. So...I know you're jealous. You'll just have to come visit if you want to try one, 'cause they're only available in Phoenix or Casa Grande (both in AZ), and San Diego or San Marcos (both in CA). When are you coming to visit?

This past Sunday, my family and I decided to have some adventure. You see, amongst all the brochure-making I've been doing, job hunting my husband's doing, and guinea pig caretaking my stepson is doing, we're trying to find as much time as possible to explore our new city. My husband and I remember reading an article several months ago in Sunset Magazine about this place, Water Works at Arizona Falls. It is described on the SRP site as "a restored hydroelectric plant and neighborhood gathering place where visitors can learn, interact and reflect. The new Arizona Falls combines art, history, and technology to generate clean electricity from the canal's waterfall."

We only encountered one problem in our quest. We got majorly, completely, totally, embarrassingly lost on our way. It's all part of moving to a new city, right? Now I would completely expect this out of me, and I WAS the one in charge of directions, but usually my husband is pretty quick to discover that we're not where we should be. This time it took him a bit longer. It should have been simple enough. I went to the Web site to get an address so I could Mapquest it. I know Mapquest isn't always the most reliable, but I choose to have faith in it because it's a huge improvement over my nonexistent internal compass. Usually. On the Web site, there is no address for Arizona Falls, which actually makes sense because it's just sort of there in the middle of the road. I guess there could be an address because there is an actual building, but there's not. The site directs visitors to "56th Street and Indian School Road." Good thing Mapquest does that intersection search.

So off we go with our directions that lead us about thirty miles northeast of our apartment. When we get off the freeway, there's MAJOR construction going on. They have a six lane road down to one lane on each side. We have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery as our car inches along. It was one of those "glad we don't live here" kind of places. Let me list the sights for you..."$1 move-in special" apartment building...beat up hot pink SUV parked on the grass...$249 furnished apartment (my husband wondered why I didn't find that deal of a lifetime before selecting our current place of residence)...two men dressed from head to to in black running across the intersection with their pants falling down...unattended case of Bud Light on the staircase of an apartment building...dead grass...dead grass...dead grass...and I won't spoil the rest for you in case you want to take the tour yourself. "How far did you say it is from here?" my husband asked. "Um...(checking my trusty Mapquest printout)...just under a mile." I reported. We finally found Indian School and hung a left. The construction eased-up, which was good, but the neighborhood didn't improve. No big deal. We can make it in the 'hood. So when we finally reach the designated intersection, all that's there is a house with boarded up windows and an old rusty lawn mower sitting in a field of...dead grass. "What intersection did the Web site say?" my husband asked. "It says 56th Avenue and Indian School Road on the Mapquest printout...that must have been what I typed in," I said. "Is that what the SRP Web site said?" he asked. "No, honey (getting testy now), I just typed in some random intersection." "Well it would appear so" he said. Hmm.

"Oh, well, we didn't find it. Let's just go home and go swimming," my stepson chimed in.

I suggested we go to the nearby Walgreens for directions, but first my husband had to check 59th street, in case I flipped the six with the nine, then check out a group of trees that ended up being a ghetto golf course, then drive up and down 56th street, then 59th, then..."Oh dammit can we just go to Walgreens and ASK?!" I said. Hubby whipped the car into the parking lot, and we all went inside. "We're looking for Arizona Falls. Do you know where that is?" we asked the man behind the counter. Blank stare. Good thing we didn't need a smog check, too. "Have you ever heard of it?" "No," he said, and slammed down the phone book in front of us. "Can we just go swimming?" Little B sung repeatedly in the background. While my husband searched the phone book, I called information and got the address and phone number, confirming it was the correct information for "Arizona Falls" three times. I thought the suite number seemed a bit odd. No luck with the phone book, so we get back in the car and just start driving. I call the number information gave me. The recording said "Thank you for calling the Arizona Fall Little League."

"I know!" hubby says. "I seem to remember someone telling me that Phoenix is really easy to get around in because all the avenues are west of downtown and all the streets are east. We went to 56th Avenue. I bet it's on 56th Street and Indian School!" Great! Only 112 blocks away! So we hop on the freeway, and lord only knows how, but my compass of a husband finds the damn place in about twenty minutes and it's in COMPLETELY the opposite direction that Mapquest took us. I think next time I'll just tell him the intersection. Much more reliable than Mapquest. It ended up being in this really nice neighborhood in Scottsdale. Ahhhhhh. Pretty. "Well, at least we got to see a side of Phoenix we never would have seen!" My husband said, cheerily. "Uh-huh," little B said, rolling his eyes.


Arizona Falls was a sight to see. We got to stand under sheets of water, climb the sides of the canal, and stand inside a "water room" with three waterfall walls and seats made of stone from the original dam that was there. It's amazing to think that the falls generate up to 750 kilowatts of electricity, powering 150 homes! And after all that, we're still one happy family. The water must have had a calming, soothing effect on us.

This is so exciting! I'm actually pictured and talked about in an article on 85239.com, a local Maricopa Web site! It's so fun to be in a small town and feel like what you do matters and that others might care about it. The article talks about the Maricopa Women in Business group that I'm a part of. Check it out! Oh, and I also learned how to make links in the text of my blog, as if you didn't notice. I did it all by myself just by reading the instructions and a little trial and error. I'm a computer wizard! Charles would be so proud! Now all I need to do is learn how to have the link open a new window. Steph?

Yesterday afternoon we brought home a new addition to the family...Introducing Rosie Rose the guinea pig! She's four months old, so she'll get bigger. How much bigger, we're not entirely sure.

It all started when Little B came home from his first day of school telling us that his teacher was giving guinea pigs, rats, and hamsters away to good homes, as long as the parents said it was okay. It seemed strange to me. This would never happen in Los Angeles...people would be too afraid of getting sued because the rodent caused psychological damage to the child when it wouldn't be petted, or some such thing. I didn't truly believe the teacher would give his students a pet. But then the next day when the note came home, we started to consider it. It said that he was giving these rodents away to "a good home" with "a note from the child's parents" and "a cage." Little B wanted a guinea pig very badly.

So for the last two weeks, we've been doing guinea pig research. We went on the internet, talked to the guy in Petsmart, and bought a guinea pig book. It turns out that they're super social animals. They love to have a cage mate, but will be happy alone if you give it lots of attention and exercise. You have to give it toys and keep it entertained so that "it doesn't lead a dull life." We learned about all the gear they need. We learned about their diet. We learned about guinea pig disposition. We talked with Little B about how the guinea pig would be his responsibility...blah blah blah. Cage cleaning, feeding, watering, etc. He still wanted one, and so far has done well. He even picked up pellets off the carpet this morning! We'll see how long his eagerness for care taking lasts. I'm determined not to be one of those parents that takes over the duties!

When my husband and I went into the school to pick up our son and Rosie Rose yesterday afternoon, the ladies in the office said "Oh...another pet going home! That's one less guinea pig we have to worry about." I guess the whole school is in on the rodent giveaway. When we got to the classroom, Little B was holding Rosie Rose in a cardboard box with holes provided by the teacher. Little B and some of the other kids had decorated the box top with things like "fragile," "be careful," "my guinea pig," "RR" for Rosie Rose, and a little drawing of her. Too cute! Little B was so proud as he carried the box down the hallway and to the car, with all the children buzzing around him asking what was inside.

Once we got Rosie Rose into the car, Little B insisted his dad turn the A/C on full blast so she would be comfortable. After we got on to the highway, he suggested that we "drive in the left lane because it's smoother and the bumps scare Rosie Rose." He kept her in the shade in the hallway of the apartment building because he said it would take too long for us to get the keys out and open the front door, which was in the sun. I'm so glad he is thinking about how to take good care of his new pet. It's nice to see and eight-year-old boy be thoughtful every now and then.

We put her in the cage to get used to her new environment. Dad said we had to leave her alone for a while, but we wanted to play! After about an hour of that nonsense, I got Rosie Rose out of the cage. Dad gave me a disapproving look, but once I made him hold her, his heart melted. She is so cute! Even Kermit the Dog seems to like her...a little. He's very curious and very jealous at times, but we're trying to give him as much attention as possible. I hope he will be a good big brother.

You may be asking "Why 'Rosie Rose'?" I, for one, thought the poor girl would be named after a video game character or something. I was pleasantly surprised. We were all driving around in the car the other day trying to think of guinea pig names. I was trying to think of something that would relate to the desert but be feminine and pretty. "Desert Rose, with Rose for short" was my suggestion. Big B then immediately suggested "Rotisserie! Get it...pig...rotisserie?" Um, no. So then Little B said "Rosie! Rose for short." We asked if he was sure, and he was. The cage we purchased a few days later has a little name tag you can clip to the cage. It says "my super pet," and then there's a spot to write a name. Little B said "I'm gonna put both her names on there." So he wrote "Rosie Rose." Now we all call her Rosie Rose. And that's the truth.

We plan to stay around the house for most of the day so Rosie Rose can get to know us. Research says that guinea pigs are super shy at first, then very interactive once they get to know you. She doesn't like us to pick her up, yet, but once we have her, she enjoys cuddling. She also loves carrots and hay. They say you have to hold them and play with them a lot so that they get used to you. I should have her kissing by the end of the day!

Drove past the house this morning and the bathtubs are sitting in the garage! That must mean some action will soon be taken!

On our way into Maricopa this morning, my son asked me about a sign we see every day. It says "ENTERING MARICOPA. ELEVATION 1190. INCORPORATED 2003." Little B asked "What's elevation?" I explained that it's the height of the land we are on in comparison to the level of the sea. "Well then, where's the beach?" he inquired. I started to laugh. "Back in California where we came from." I answered. "What? There's no beach in Arizona?" he asked. "Nope, it's surrounded by land," I said "but there's a lake." "Can you swim in it?" he asked. "Absolutely." was my response. "Well, that's fine then. I don't care what kind of water it is, as long as I can swim in it." Looks like a trip to Lake Pleasant is in our near future.

You may have heard about it on the news! On Tuesday night the Phoenix area experienced the biggest monsoon they've had in two years. Unfortunately, we were out in it.

I had a meeting with some local business owners in Maricopa, and my husband and stepson drove down with me to have dinner with Mr. D and Little D (Mrs. D was in the meeting with me). After the boys got home from dinner and the meeting broke up, Mrs. D and I took the dinner the boys brought home for us and went together to make her rounds. I may not have mentioned this before, but we both own our own pet sitting business. Mine is just starting up, and she has been a tremendous help and a wonderful friend. So we walk outside her house and we're in the middle of a huge cloud of dust. It's really bad, and dust is getting in our eyes, which really hurts. We jump in the car and head out. I asked her, "Do people stay home when this happens, or do they go out and drive around and live their lives like normal?" She said, "Well, it usually doesn't last very long, so people usually go out in it. The dust part never lasts over ten or twenty minutes." Okay. I have to say I totally trust her and her driving because I've been in the car with her before, but I was really quite scared driving around. The visibility was about zero, and when you could see something it was usually a tumbleweed or branch rolling right in front of your car. She was driving and chatting...driving and chatting. I was sweating and gripping...sweating and gripping...trying to listen.

We got to the first house and the dust had settled, literally, for the most part. Just a little wind and a few drops of rain (the rain part comes after the dust part). It was a quick stop with a Great Dane puppy. Oh my! His head was up to my chest, and the house was full of glass cabinets and vases. The puppy was hurdling the living room furniture, and it's tail kept whipping everything. The vases would spin on an edge of their bases and settle back down until the next whipping. It's a miracle nothing broke. And you know how puppies like to jump on new people? Well, this one was no different, only he was taller than me on his hind legs. Can you say H-O-R-S-I-E?

We went back to the car and the weather was just a little windy, but by the time we got to our second stop at the German Shepherd's house, it was blowing pretty hard. Mrs. D did her duties, and we sat down at the dining room table with our Styrofoam containers. Then the lightening started. The sky lit up purple all over. It was the only time we could see outside at all, because there are no street lights in the residential areas of Maricopa in order to preserve great star-gazing conditions. So then the doggie door started to bang, and with each bang came a huge gust of wind. I never knew you could feel that much wind from a doggie door. We started hearing rain, but kept on eating and chatting with the GS in our nice dry spot. When it was time to leave, we opened the door and shut it right back again. However this home's roof was designed, it was not kept in mind that someone might need to leave during a rain storm. All the roof angles pointed down to about two feet in front of the door. So not only was the sky dumping, but there was a genuine waterfall, which was nearly making froth on the front porch. We started laughing. "Do you want to brave it?" Mrs. D asked. "Let's go!" I said. So we did. Never mind the fact that we both had on white shirts...we'll save that story for another audience. After making it ten feet to the car, we looked like we had just jumped in a pool.

On the way home, it began to rain even harder. There were a couple of trees down, and with all the construction going on, there were lots of downed construction barriers and the like. We made it back to her house safely, and then it was time for me to get back in the car with my family and make the trip back to Chandler where our apartment is (about 28 miles). As soon as we got into the car, the lightening frequency increased even more, and it started to rain harder. We thought the wash area might be flooded, but we made it out of town just fine. Then we hit the 347, which is a four-lane highway that stretches through the Indian Reservation just north of Maricopa. Pitch black, then lightening, at increasing frequencies. It became like a strobe light, and watching the windshield wipers was like watching a bad 80s dance video. My stepson was scared when the thunder started, and we were all scared when the lightening bolts started hitting the ground quite close to us. "The car is one of the safest places to be because the rubber tires act like a barrier. Just don't touch the metal door handles." My husband instructed. Huh? I think his intention to calm us had the opposite effect. He kept reducing his speed, and on a road with a speed limit of 65, we were going about 35. I asked if we should pull over, but we pressed on. When the rain started to come directly at the windshield, sideways through the air, and was the hardest rain I'd ever seen, my husband started to crack-up. "What's so funny? What's so funny? What's so funny?" My stepson asked. "Well, it's just, um, well...CRAZY!" my husband said. How do you explain this driving situation to an eight-year-old? You don't want to alarm him and say "Well, son, I can't see a damn thing, and our car is about to get blown off the road." The lightening was blinding. I've never in my life seen so much of it. I would say the sky was lit up more than it was dark, and the bolts seemed to come from every direction. We finally made it home safely, though sopping wet, and heard on the news how the airport was shut down and that it is the worst monsoon the area has had in two years.

On Wednesday morning our world was covered with dust and mud. The most unbelievable thing happened when I got into my Jeep to take my stepson to school. Even though all the windows were zipped up, the inside of my car was covered with dust and had a musty damp smell. It appears as if the dust and rain got through the zippers and Velcro of my soft top while it was parked in a covered parking spot surrounded by other cars. This is weather they just don't have in So Cal! Nothing a good car washing won't fix. Hey, Honey?

My husband had a job interview this afternoon, so I made the trip back to Maricopa to pick up our son and check out the progress on the house. Some of our A/C ducting is in!

Here's taken from the living room up into the loft area.



And from the dining room up the stairs.



And the family room!



All of these are unauthorized and taken from "inside the walls" because I'm too chicken to completely break the rules and go inside...as much as I'd like to.

I never thought I'd be so happy to see some tubing! After I dropped my stepson off at school this morning I drove by our house and there were real live actual workers inside! Our house! Not the neighbor's as is usually the case, but ours!!!! There was a big pick-up truck parked in the backyard, and there were several men installing the A/C ducting system. There was also some PVC lying around and propped up against the side of the house. It doesn't seem like much, but after weeks without a sign of life, there's finally a little bit of progress being made! It's really exciting because I've never actually seen anyone working on the house. I'm bummed I didn't bring the camera. I stopped bringing it because there was never any reason to. I'm going to send my husband with it this afternoon when he makes the afternoon school run. Stay tuned!