March 31, 2015

Tiki Tuesday!

Who knew that Cindy and I would walk out of yoga and into Hawaiian paradise! We sauntered into one of our favorite watering holes and found out it was Tiki Tuesday! Well we joined in the celebration but I let brave Cindy take on the "Zombie" while I stayed with the safe Mai Tai! Mahalo!

March 30, 2015

The Soap

I have a particular item in my shower that I have to have to start my day off right. Italian soap. Yes, I know that sounds uppity and persnickety but it is true. I think that this all started two years ago when my sister, who lives in Italy, gave me some Italian bar soap and I loved it. I loved the smell and the way the olive oil made my  skin feel. I was dismayed when the soap was gone because as fantastic as it was, it is not very economical to fly to Italy for soap or to ship it for that matter. However, I was overjoyed when I found a local source for my new international addiction! And would you believe it was not at an expensive boutique? It was at Marshalls! Since then I have also found it at Ross and TJ Max. So the next time you want to spoil yourself a little, go get some European suds....Sei bellissima!

March 29, 2015

Garden Gnome

I decided that this Spring and Summer I am going to help Don with yard work. I am too sedentary with my electronic devices so this will give me more activity and besides I am positive that I will have some great advice for him here and there! My job today was to clean out the dead plants from our flower containers. I think I did a pretty good job when I wasn't distracted. For instance, I noticed that the ceramic deer that were given to us as a wedding present were damaged. I found the missing ear and did an antique restoration ( it is almost 29 years old!). Now these sentimental deer will continue to live in the back yard under a bush (per Don's request) for another quarter of a century. 

Ear trouble

The Garden Gnome is watching.....

Maggie my helper 

Bloom away!

March 28, 2015

Stuck

One of the worst things in life is being stuck in traffic. I got stuck in a horrendous traffic jam on I 25 this afternoon. Stop and go for an hour. What positive spin can I put on this you ask? Well, first I was thankful that I wasn't the cause of this motorized mess. Second, I was driving a loaner car since my car is in for maintenance. This meant that I had satellite radio and I found the comedy station. I'm pretty sure that I was the only person smiling in the lanes around me! Sometimes you just gotta laugh!

March 27, 2015

Advice for the Knit Wit

This morning I hung out at the local knitting store. The Knit Knack in Arvada is where I learned how to knit a few years ago. Since I am so slow to finish projects, I don't go in there frequently but it is so cozy and the staff is so helpful that I'm considering hanging out there. I could have my own stool and they could call me Norm....or maybe Purl...Anyway, the owner, Geri, took the time to help me understand the pattern that I'm going to attempt with the beautiful yarn that she helped me select. My friend Marie came in and I also ran into my friend Jennifer! I really could have stayed there all day! 

Marie is my knitting partner in crime and gave me some advice that humbled me. If you are an avid follower of my blog, you will know that iPads are my passion and my job. Well, in the store I was admiring a cloth portfolio that could hold a knitting pattern complete with a magnetic bar to mark your place on the pattern. As I was convincing myself that I had to have this item, Marie snapped me out of it in a language I understand. "Just download your pattern into Notabililty on your iPad and highlight where you are." What!? That should have come from my wired brain! I guess that is why I hang with Marie....she's not just a pretty face!

March 26, 2015

Too Much Was A Good Thing

My legs are numb, my back hurts, I'm lethargic- no it is not the flu- it is a result of binge watching Madam Secretary. There is something about that show that intrigues me and I was behind a few weeks and thought that tonight would be a great night to catch up. I love to watch Tea Leoni- there is something so unique about her voice and mannerisms. And then of course how can you go wrong with Bebe Neuwirth who I have loved since Cheers!So anyway, I have stumbled my way up to bed, stepping over my still unpacked suitcase. I'll worry about that tomorrow.....

March 25, 2015

Awakening

I have to say that I was not looking forward to coming home today- especially when I read that it was snowing and in the 30's. However, when we arrived this afternoon, the snow had melted and the sun was shining-partially- but more importantly, I'm starting to see green! Spring is starting to show her beautiful face and soon we will be in bloom! So I'm reminding myself that this is why I did not enjoy living in Southern California And probably could not live in Arizona - I enjoy the variety of our seasons and especially the awakening of Spring!

March 24, 2015

The Missing Links

We played golf today at the Orange Tree Golf Resort in Scottsdale. It was a beautiful course tucked in a gorgeous neighborhood. I like to golf but I don't go very often which means I'm not very good. The thing about golf is, if there are not four people in your group, you will be paired with people who you don't know. This intimidates hackers like me. However, usually the people you end up playing with are nice and even the best of golfers have their off times. We played with Skip and Arnie- two semi-retirees who were very fun companions. A year or so ago, Don and I found that the only way that we could play golf together and stay married, was to play "best ball" which means we both hit from the best played ball. This way Don is not annoying me to hurry up and I am not pouting the entire game! Believe it or not, we did end up using my hits a few times...thank you very much! 

My niece and her husband live in Phoenix and we were able to meet up with my nephew-in-law tonight and we had a great dinner. Unfortunately, my niece is out of town but it was great to see Jon. In fact, we had such a great visit that I forgot to take his picture...sorry Jon! 

Hopefully all of the sunshine we soaked up the past few days will last awhile as we head home tomorrow to a lot colder temperatures. Phoenix has a way of making me want to skip right past Spring into Summer!

"Best Ball" makes the best marriage!

Hacker!

I had to take a picture of this dog house that we spotted while golfing - it is complete with an air conditioner!

March 23, 2015

Teenagers and Other Animals

Today was a partial work day for Don. I lounged poolside while he did conference calls. Have I mentioned that we are sharing our hotel with several high school baseball teams? Yes, our room is between two rooms of loud, energetic teenagers. Fortunately, they did sleep eventually and were gone during the day. We gave them a break and were not the "old people" to complain to the front desk because we have been on the other side of the fence when Alex was in baseball. Actually, if I remember right, it was the parents who got in trouble for being too noisy- not the boys! Karma.

Speaking of animals, Don and I toured a brand new veterinary hospital built for the new veterinary school at Midwestern University. It is huge but it seems even bigger because there are only freshmen students this year who are not ready to work in the hospital yet. Laurie Miller, Practice Manager for the hospital, is an acquaintance of Don's and gave us a wonderful tour. Wheatridge Animal Hospital has outgrown its building and will be building a new facility so seeing the features of this state-of-the-art hospital was very helpful. I want to come back in a year or two and see it when it is in full swing!

The Equine and Bovine Centers are still being built

Now that is a reception desk!

The blue mats on the treatment tables are yoga mats-what better to perform downward facing dog...and cat!

March 22, 2015

Double Play

We headed over to the ballpark again today a couple of hours before the game in the hopes of catching a little batting and pitching practice. I can't help but equate this experience with going to the zoo. Fans gather to peer into cages but instead of seeing animals, we see men trying to improve their craft. How can these poor players focus with all these onlookers? I guess when you play professional baseball, you have to get used to thousands of people watching your every move..and providing their comments and coaching tips! Paige got to watch two innings, which included a great hit by Tulowiski, before I had to wisk her off to the airport. Unfortunately, as my Spring Break starts, hers is ending. Thanks to a zippy rental car and light traffic, I only missed two innings! Another beautiful day in the desert!

At the "zoo"

The gangs all here!

Rules for the "zoo" animals

March 21, 2015

Play Ball!

It was a beautiful day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona. We met up with Don's folks and friends to watch the Rockies beat the LA Dodgers. This is our third visit to Spring Training at this new location but we went frequently when the training camp was in Tucson. This new field in Scottsdale is beautiful and my father-in-law scored us great seats in the shade! 

Nolan Arenado - my favorite!

Sangria at the ballpark...very festive!

March 20, 2015

Spring Has Sprung!

I finally feel like I'm on Spring Break. It has been a busy day with lots of loose ends to tie up. We're now waiting in the airport for our plane to Phoenix which is unfortunately late as it is coming from snowy New York. 80 degrees and our boys in purple await so we will be patient. Happy First Day of Spring!

March 18, 2015

Augmented Reality

As soon as I saw Augmented Reality, I knew I wanted to try it with students. AR is when an object is scanned with your phone or iPad that has the AR app, the inanimate object comes to  "life" and a video clip will play. It's like Google Glass on a budget and the effect is similar to the newspapers in the Harry Potter movies. Anyway, I tried it with fifth graders. They had created movies about the body systems they have been studying (no -the reproductive system was not a choice). So I had them create a poster of their system, trigger it with the Aurasma app so when scanned, their movie would play. They thought this was as awesome as I did! Of course, as always, there was reciprocal teaching going on. I pushed the app out to them yesterday so by the time I walked in the classroom today, they had it all figured out and was able to show me some things! I love this reality!

March 17, 2015

Happy St Patrick's Day!

March 16, 2015

Potholes

The weather is warming up so we will soon be in pothole season. We need to steer around them as best we can but more than likely we will hit a few. Kind of like life. This blog is dedicated to my friend who seems to be hitting a lot of potholes while on the road to reach a high goal that he has set his sights on. Lately, it  seems like to him that for every step he takes forward, he falls back two. I want to encourage him to continue to push forward because I have no doubt that he will reach that goal he's striving for and he will do terrific things when he gets there! Roll down the window, feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your face and you'll be there before you know it!

 

March 15, 2015

Flying Southeast on Southwest

It has been awhile since I've flown Southwest Airlines and had to get reacquainted with no seating assignments. I flew by myself since Don left before me and was on another airline but he did cough up the $10 fee each way to get me towards the front of the pack- which I found out was a very kind  gesture on his part! There were some very helpful folks in line with me when I was leaving Denver and they gave me some good pointers about securing a good seat. I scored a front row seat but then found out that even though you have great leg room there is no room for your stuff - you have to store it above you in the bins. Now, this does not work for me because I am like a kid - I need an activity bag to fly and it needs to be handy because I never know what I might need at any given moment. For example, I may need my magazine for take off, my iPad and earbuds during the flight, my knitting, snacks, pressure bracelets when it starts getting bumpy, water, socks if my feet get cold......you get the picture! Well, I stuffed what I could beside me, out of sight of the flight attendant, and suffered through until we got to Georgia. When I switched planes I was more thoughtful in my seating choice. 

And then there are the cheaters...you know who you are! When I got on the plane today I started noticing coats and purses strategically placed beside people like that person is on the plane but in the bathroom or at the snack bar..really!? They weren't fooling anybody with saving seats. I really wanted to tell on them! But I found a good window seat and had a very nice young man ( yes I know how old that makes me sound!) sit next to me. I called him my personal assistant. When I would rummage through my activity bag he would give me room and prevent my tray from bonking me in the head, made sure my drink was delivered and removed my trash for me. I really didn't know whether I looked that clueless or that old but when the flight was over I noticed he was wearing a Southwest shirt. Maybe that was a customer training exercise - whatever it was it was nice to be that attended to!

March 14, 2015

Fun in Tampa

We are in sunny Tampa! Don has a conference here and I joined him so I could see some green and feel some warmth but more importantly, to see Alex! He joined us where we were staying downtown and we found our way to the Riverwalk to explore a little of Tampa on foot. The Riverwalk is a fairly new open space creation by the city of Tampa which has been built alongside the Hillsborough River.     Along the way we discovered some St. Patrick's Day celebrations complete with dying the river green! This is the second city that we have been in to see this weird tradition. We were on hand when Chicago did it but it is a much warmer event in Tampa!

 Staying at this hotel brings back great memories of the cruise we did as well as a previous Spring Break. It is definitely hard to see the ships and not be able to board for another adventure! This short adventure is coming to an end and it is very sad to say goodbye to Alex. We are counting down the weeks (6) until we see him again!

March 13, 2015

New Friends

We met some new friends tonight at the American Animal Hospital Association dinner. We came in a little late so we sat down at some empty spots at a back table. Throughout the evening we got to know the other people at the table - a family from Pennsylvania but originally from India. The husband is a veterinarian and his wife is the clinic manager and their college aged daughter was also with them. We had many things in common and had a wonderful time talking with them. It is amazing to me that from afar people seem different but once you get to know them, they are more similar than not....major proof was when Sudha and I showed our dance moves on the dance floor!

It is not too often that you see a shark "swimming" in the ballroom!

My new BFF Sudha!

March 12, 2015

Words to Live By

I came across this quote today and it really hit home with me. In my opinion one should not get out of bed unless there is a great outfit waiting and something to learn. Shop, drop and enroll...my new mantra!

Match 11, 2015

Tweeting

I am loving these sunny days. It is definitely feeling like Spring, especially the morning Twitter......the birds are back! I love hearing the birds in the morning although I think they are a lot happier now that our weather is warmer. I heard them two weeks ago during the snow storm and their morning song I'm sure could have been translated into, "What the ......We came back too early!" 

Yes they are singing more positive notes now....#springisnear #fillthebirdfeedersplease

March 10, 2015

Friends From Afar

I love my friends and feel fortunate to have them - all shapes, sizes, beliefs, colors, and ages! But with the fun and happiness of friendship comes sadness when life constitutes change and change sometimes mean friends move away. Today my friend for twenty years, cut my hair for the last time. She has decided to move to another state and I will miss her. Yes, for the shallow reason that she worked magic on my sorry tresses, but truly for the friendship that we have cultivated throughout the years. A dark cloud sat above me today during my appointment because I was dreading the moment that we had to say goodbye. Thank you for your friendship Toni! 

March 9, 2015

True Confessions

I blame my daughter. She is the one who got me addicted to The Bachelor. Tonight was the finale so if you recorded it and haven't watched it yet stop reading now....spoiler alert! I don't know why I kept watching every week. I guess it is like slowing down to check out an accident but I also found it a study in human behavior. Of course reality TV is far from it. I am sure that a lot was scripted and they edited the shows  to lead the audience in the direction they wanted. But it was a diversion from my own reality and gave us all something to talk about. I must say that I am pleased that he picked Whitney - I think they are a good match. I don't know if I'm up for another season but this one was good while it lasted!

March 8, 2015

Happy International Women's Day!

I hope everyone sprung forward this morning. I, for one, always feel ripped off that I lose an hour on the weekend. I saw a post today that someone thinks that Daylight Savings Time should start at 4pm on a Monday. I would vote for that. 

On the positive side, today is International Women's Day. According to the International Women's Day web site, (http://www.internationalwomensday.com) this day "is a global day celebrating  the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future."  It has been celebrated since the 1900's - the first being on February 28, 1909 in the United States. The web site also explains that, "IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers."

Since this is the first year that I became aware of it, I will certainly mark my calendar and celebrate it some way next year. In the meantime, the theme for 2015 is Make it Happen. So girls, make every day Women's Day and make it happen!

March 7, 2015

Bluebird Day

It was a beautiful day in Colorado today - blue skies and sunshine. The best part of the day was that I got to spend time with some great girlfriends. Cheers!

March 6, 2015

Slow Down

It has been one of those weeks where I have been running here, there, and everywhere. Usually I switch schools half way through the week but because of testing I have been going back and forth frequently. On Wednesday, I found myself in my car racing against the clock when all of a sudden I had to slow down...actually had to stop. A gaggle of geese that frequent our school grounds decided that they needed to cross the street. I had to wait. I didn't want to be a cold hearted goose slaughterer and they were in the crosswalk after all so I waited, breathing deeply until the last webbed foot stepped up on the curb. This little interruption made me realize that it is okay to slow down and occasionally emulate these laid-back-not-in-a-hurry birds and just waddle once in awhile. No harm no fowl!

March 5, 2015

Teachable Moments

Lately it seems like I have been bogged down with the administrative responsibilities of my job. Today, however, I got to teach a few classes and that always reminds me how much I enjoy that part of my job. The icing on the cake was when after one of my classes today, a third grade girl threw her arms around me and thanked me for teaching them "all this stuff!" That is all the reward I need!

March 4, 2015

Band Mom

Once a band mom, always a band mom...I went to Paige's band concert tonight...at CSU...at 8pm! I had to go because my little maestro is first chair clarinet in the CSU Concert Band and she had a solo which was quite excellent I must say proudly! It is a big band and all the members represent almost all of the majors on campus. It is great to see these young adults continue their love of music. It motivated me to maybe dust off that violin of mine! 

March 3, 2015

Afternoon in the Library

Every year the PTA at one of my schools has a Time With Teachers auction. Students - with their parents' wallets - bid on which teacher they want to win time with and it results in a pretty good fundraiser for the PTA. Teachers get to decide what the "time" will be - a special lunch, ice cream party, board games after school, etc. My para and I plan the Afternoon in the Library. Two hours of fun after school in the bibliotheca! We had five students stay today and I think they had some fun. We had them make commercials about the library using iMovie on their iPads and watched their creations after the pizza arrived. We also made beautiful and Pin-tresting book necklaces. Although this is "one more thing" to do, it ends up being pleasant for all parties involved because we can enjoy each other's company with zero learning goals or assessments!

March 2, 2015

Up for the Test

Tomorrow is the day. The day that both of my schools begin the PARCC Assesment testing for 3rd-6th grades. Every test is on-line so I spent the day today setting up laptops, running surge protectors, and testing computers. The testing will close down my libraries and computer labs for the next 21/2 weeks. In order to keep books in the students' hands, my paras and I will be bringing a Book Mobile - a cart of books -to their classrooms. This will be a new adventure! 

The positive side of all this testing -which will happen again in April and May on a smaller scale - is that our school district is ready. Jeffco is very proactive and our tech department has been helping us prepare for this for the last two years. Of course the true "test" will be tomorrow when 100 schools and 6,000 students log in for their assessment! Stay tuned!

March 1, 2015

History

Tonight I watched the final Downton Abbey episode for the season and in doing so I brought a finale to my historical weekend. While at my mom's we went through some old photos that belonged to her mother. My Grandma Minnie died when I was only 16 and I didn't get to know her like my older siblings. By the time I came around, we didn't live near her but I know through family stories, she was a strong woman who accomplished a great deal with only a third grade education. I would love to write a book about her some day but it would be such an overwhelming task, I don't really know where to start. I guess I could start in my favorite place...the library! 

Grandma Minnie