Happy April

Here it is April already; the day before my eldest sisters birthday; HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS! I hope it's a really good one for you. Got plans?

The park is getting busier; we had a power outage on Friday for about 3 hours. I think everyone in my office went home and took a nap. A few of us wandered in on Saturday to finish up what wasn't done. The office was nice and quiet. Walked to work in a little snow; it was pretty. Boy am I looking forward to warmer weather.

One week ago last Wednesday I got a new do. The ponytail has been saved to send to Locks for Love; but a whole lot more came off.

This is before:


This is after


I like it, and so does Mike.

An observation of human nature or action?

While Mike was getting gas yesterday I was gazing out the window people watching. At one pump I noticed a Cadillac SUV and the pump behind it a Japanese couple pulled up in a rental car. It has been my experience here with anyone in a Cadillac SUV, so far anyways, they tend to 'ignore' anyone, even be rude by cutting off or blocking entrances/exits. (This on was no exception to the latter, but thank goodness I've not had to see this on the road only at gas stations). I watched Mike go in, and a nice older gentleman held the door for him as he noticed him approach; he then walked to the SUV and I smiled inside thinking "hmm, maybe this one will change that image I have" but he climbed in the back seat. When the driver came out, the Japanese man followed him to his car, he glanced at the couple behind him causing me to glance too. They were confused as to how to work the gas pump; not surprising to me. So the SUV driver opened his trunk put in his case of drink and got in the car and left. That surprised me. Even the couple looked surprised; so I rolled my window down and asked if they needed help. They did so I did.
I was a bit disappointed in the lack of actions or should I say the lack of courtesy. I suppose the way the car blocked the way around the pump should have tipped me off; and for some reason I feel or sense the elder man who sat in the back noticed as they drove off.

Mike's words

Brought to him in a dream:

It's not where you
start from today
But rather where you
Finish tomorrow.

Don't think I could've said it better.

As the world turns..'s

As most of you know I no longer have a cell phone; those who want my home number read your emails; it there for YOU to stay in touch should YOU want to.

It's scary reading about all the problems in the 'outside' world, yes it's affecting us here; but not as much I think as a lot of people in my old hometowns. Yet I'm just a bit thrilled to see people re-creating themselves into thriving, caring humans. It's a bit like people waking up after a numbness of watching television for waaayyyy too long.

I've been feeling restless; wanting to move onward. I know I have to wait a while; and learn more but I look forward to moving FORWARD.

Days gone by...

The past two weekends have moved in a blurr with the weekdays used as 'catch up' in taking in a breath.

It was great to have Dwight and Terry here for too short a time. I had to laugh when she looked at me rather seriously and said "Your crows here are as big as chickens!" Ahhh, the raven's; aka, the seagulls of the west. Hell this used to be an ocean; there's proof on the edge of the rim with the fossilized marine life, so I think the sea gulls just got overly burnt by the sun and became ravens. Ate out, walked a lot, drove a lot. Boy their rental car was so big, I think we could've drove our little car into it and still had room for a driver and a passenger. She offered to let me go where I wanted...tempting but I would've come back with more then what my apartment could hold. So I took her to see the wonder and the extraordinary canyon.

This weekend Mike and I used the gift certificate I won at the managers party to stay at the Radisson in Flag. As they had a sleep number bed we found our number, went to dinner at Red Lobster; which I can't remember the last time that was. MJ do you remember? Anyways it was heaven eating lobster tails. Today we leisurely grocery shopped and we're so relaxed; it was nice for a change as we usually leave early in the morning and get back for a late lunch tired and grumpy. I went to do my laundy but lo and behold the door was bolted and locked with a note "Closed until further notice". Grumbling and adding it to my list, after all like MANY things, laundry facilities are NOT abundant here, I think next week I'll take a mule down to the river and pound out my frustrations on my laundry by the river.

Happy Valentine's Day

A marked day for lovers, but also a marked day to reflect on those we love and love us in return. A friend quipped to me February is single awareness month, with Valentine's Day being single awareness day. She had a great idea of having a dinner for all of her single friends, but hiked down to Phantom instead. But it bore a new idea into my brain for next year of having a dinner party where ever I may be with our friends; single or not; to show how singly aware we are of our love for each other. Granted there will be friends that won't be present in physicality, but in spirit I accept that and honor it. Time to get dressed as the coffee is almost done and treat my sweetie to breakfast at El Tovar

Karma and Big Tobacco

Headline: Jury; Florida smoker died because of addiction.

So his widow is going to court to get millions of dollars to 'ease her grief' as her husband didn't know or understand the depth of the dangers of cigarette smoking. Bull****. Did they also sign up for one of those famcy dangerous mortgages that had a 25% balloon on the loan that came due? Where is the common sense? If we were in the 50's 60's or even as late as the 70's I'd agree, it's a new millennium folks and a lot of progress was supposedly made throughout the last one

No I'm not 'rooting' for Big Tobacco; however there is a huge waste with the large money in fines they don't seem to know what to do with. Hmmm, let see, maybe set up funds for those with medical bills who can't afford them to help pay them; consider giving away the VERY expensive patches, gums, and addiction breaking medicines that are there instead of offering discounts; how about funding research into curing cancers? Sure all the 'advertising' is helping some in the job market, but not enough.

I'm baaaacccckkkk

Winter sings in the whiping wind





It's the first time I've seen this much snow on Plateau Point. Beautiful isn't it?

So much for more bars...

Or was it just an excuse? My cell phone company (which will remain nameless - because any kind of publicity is well publicity) has decided they no longer want me as a customer. I've met people with the same company that chose their number in Flagstaff. Yet I get a letter telling me that since I am 'off network' my choices are to shut off my phone or get another carrier I am being released from my contract. Hmm, 5 years, and I thought I was a pretty good customer. Is it because I moved to the canyon? My notion was to be here a year or two and then who knows. I've been here one year as of August.

Well considering how remote this place is I can understand, but only to a point. In my way of thinking customer service would resemble something like; contact me; let me know they can't hold my Florida phone number for more then whatever time period they would allow. Rather then lose a good customer offer to change the number for me and put a recording for a certain time period that my number had changed. Not only am I not happy, I'm downright steaming. Not boiling yet; they aren't worth it.

So much for more bars anywhere....

6 more weeks of winter??

Could've fooled me as we here at the Canyon are in the 50's during the day. I was surprised to see it in the 30's this morning; usually it's in the teens. Being at such a high altitude (7000 feet above sea level) the variation between night and day can be as much as a 40 degree difference.

I still miss the snow, but I suppose (insert heavy sigh) that it's soon time for spring. The mule deer are becoming more frequent in our back 'yard' looking for fresh shoots, we put up a bird feeder and the multitude of little birds don't look all that hungry though you'd wonder they way they fight over the perches. I'll know spring is close when I start to see the Stellar and Scrub Jays; they're so pretty as are the cute little chickadees. There's a lot of beauty here; of course the Grand Canyon is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world so being outside here one breathes deeper. Not only because of the altitude but the spirit one feels here.

I'm glad on one front that winter will soon close; on the human front. It's a time where there's not enough for people to do so they tend to become malicious in talk and action. The Grand Canyon Free Press becomes worse then the New York Times, so soon (hopefully) everyone will be too busy to start a new byline. I will say this for this place; it would make one helluva reality show, that's for sure.

Creative stirrings...

Watching a screen view of art - modern - the canyon's way of visiting a museum - I noticed my eyes relaxed. When I look at pieces of realism, and older pieces they tense as do I.

I want to absorb how they're created...why? Is it because they sell? But do they?
Dare I attempt the 'native dancers' to abstract? Is it opening another dimension? Should I study abstract drawings or will that create tension?

I remember my art instructor in college, at the end/beginning of a project we would watch slides for 2 minutes for inspiration. Once we got the project our table of peeps would 'brainstorm' over the project, shooting questions to one another, answering and throwing ideas into the canvas of the mind creating images. '

Is this what is missing? The inspiration jam.

Not easy to find here.

Decorations all hung (by the chimny) with care

See even more jingles...

It's a marshmallow world in the winter....

Lines from Christmas songs run through my head as I go through the pictures I've taken over the last couple of days. We had a winter 'storm' come through, though the flakes were not big, the main part of the 'storm' went around us. We had what I refer to as lake affect snow; which of course any lakes or water for that matter is a mile straight down it wasn't, it did have the same affect. Beauty.

This is where I work, at the GO building.

This is the road going away from the 'village' towards the Shrine of Ages, Market Plaza and such.
I know Susan is not missing this as it's been cold, but I wouldn't miss this show.

My heart is awed by the greatness in the beauty that surrounds me.

Merry Christmas...MC Escherish

There and back again

Today I hiked with Jill and Jen to mile and a half house. Needless to say it's one and a half miles into the canyon. It was amazing to look up to the walls, smelling the crisp clean air. It takes me longer to walk down the trail as the slopes tweak my knees a bit; ace bandage or not, so they put me in the lead. Made it there in 1 hour and 15 minutes. But coming back up I was again in lead, and kept moving. It felt good to hear them huffing and puffing as much as I was...trust me I moved slow; though all of us were pleasantly surprised we made it up in and hour and a half. It was exhilarating. I was buzzing for over an hour.
Surprisingly just over 8 hours later, thanks to an 800 mg ibuprophen, even my knee doesn't hurt. Pictures to come later.

Black Friday

Well here it is the day after the big turkey. Normally I'd be decorating, but they won't have trees here until the 10th and I'm not about to attempt to go anywhere near a 'township' to get one. I'll wait until next weekend. In the mean while, the Christmas cards are out! (I addressed them while the turkey was cooking and we were cursing our oven).

Our lovely oven decided to go wierd on us; since we've moved in here it hasn't worked right but we thought we'd outsmart it by getting an oven thermometer and work with it. That worked until yesterday, when Mike put the turkey in and checked it 20 minutes later it was at 420, he turned it down, checked it, it went down to 200, and so on. The turkey was done in 3 hours when we planned on 6.

Everything still turned out great, had our 'family' of friends over; they brought the sides and we all had a good time. It snowed on and off throughout the day, then melted overnight.

I hope everyone enjoys the great open doorway to the Christmas season.

HappyThanksgiving

It's still early here, nearly 6am. We have a light dusting of snow so far...

Shells

When I first came to St. Augustine and started playing on the vast beach there I picked up a lot of shells. I miss walking with T talking or just walking in companionable silence. She told me 'when you bend down to pick up a shell, don't leave it there, pick it up anyways; even if it's not something you thought it was'.

I thought of that statement yesterday when I was walking on a trail through the trees back to work; there was some pretty amazing rocks; some I picked up some I just walked past. But those I picked up my imagination saw some beauty. One is small and dark as an inky night sky; there's a few white dots resembling stars with one 'scratch' making it look like a falling star.

I am still amazed at the colors, fragments of fossils from life so long ago, and shapes of the rocks I walk on and by. I imagine the many lifetimes they've gone through, the pressures put upon them to create them as a whole. Yeah, I hear my siblings; 'only you can see things totally different', however the lesson I take to heart; I sense the 'pressure' comes and goes with the ebb and flow of the tide, they pass; we create the 'colors', the visions people see from us, and leave our mark in the only way we as individuals do.

Life in the Canyon

I know, I know, I hear the echo in almost every phone call I get from my family of friends. 'You haven't blogged.' Usually I get an email or two regarding that, but life has everyone a bit busy, and the economy has everyone just a bit worried. I had said I would use it for creative purposes, however, my creativity has been utilized in my environment as you'll soon read. We had our first snow on November 10th. It was beautiful, especially since we were snug in the apartment and I have been going through as MJ put, a 'nesting' stage. Purchasing new curtains (got a great deal), found a beginners acoustic guitar for a great price, it now hangs on my wall; and planning for the holidays. Mike's at home working, doing web programming, so he's been doing the cooking, he's pretty darned good, so I guess that leaves the environment for my homebodiness. (hey that's a new word that's not even in dictionary.com)



I'm looking forward to getting a tree and decorating it. So much that I've entered a 'contest' with a friend regarding our decorating our trees. Yes a picture will be put on the ole blogger. I have to laugh as I remember last Christmas here with Susan; we went to the dollar store, I bought a 12 inch metal tree with bells on it, brought it home, set it on the table and said "trees up!" This year I've already purchased some decor for home and tree, the rest is all around me in its natural state. I'm waiting on the general store to provide the tree. I have some music; Bette Midler, Manaheim Steamroller, but now feel the need to get more.

Now for baking. I've an idea I think will make a great dunk. Cookies! Well that's not original, I know, but maybe a tin with 3 different kind of chocolate chip cookies; the regular, my famous 'damed good chocolate chocolate chip with cinnamon', and peanut butter chcocolate chip. Not the kind with a kiss in it, but with chocolate chips in them. There are moments I like to think outside the proverbial canyon, just moments mind you. Of course I have to say 'canyon' instead of box, well, sometimes you just have to fit the sayings to your environment; 'as the crow flies' is now 'as the raven flies', etc.

I do enjoy my new job here. The people I work with are an absolute great bunch of people. It's exciting to show off what we offer to new people visiting the canyon, not to mention meeting such a variety of people. It's like HR only better. Oops, they better not read that part as I do miss the fun there; but I think I've found the right crevice to be in. Crevice, ha-ha, get it? One of my old boss' came through the office last month and took a double take and said "everytime I see you, you're in a different place." I take that as a compliment for both of the meanings; literally and figuratively.

So there you are my dears, the update. Happier now? Good.