A moment to catch my breath...

     That's what I need after a whirlwind two weeks in Virginia with sister, brother-in-law and the two loves of my life aka Vee and Nat.  Those beautiful girls (young ladies) made me so proud and are so great that I will never forget all the fun we had and how much I'm looking forward to seeing them again...(do I hear another February visit possibly?).  From hitting golf balls at the driving range, to hanging in the library, and even spending four and a half hours at the mall while they shopped for their birthday presents, each and every moment I got to spend with them was precious and unforgettable.  I love them so much it hurts and in the best way possible... Love you, girls!

     The flight home was incredibly long even though I got to travel back in time (EST to PST).  I landed in Phoenix at 1130 my time and was back on the job Monday morning...and have been on the job since.  My welcome home consisted of the Branch Manager pinching a nerve in his neck (out Tuesday and Wednesday) and my immediate boss took Tuesday and Wednesday off and was out sick Thursday so it was "glad you're back, run the show!" in a big way.  Luckily, most of the gigs were staffed with our "A" guards and they all showed up and did a stellar job .  The hours were long but I was the "boss"...(presiding over a staff of one---me).  I have Sunday off and it will be spent doing the domestic chores we all know and hate...laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, ad nauseum.  The only good news is that the weather will be picture perfect...(you knew I had to go there), whereas the Northeast is being hit with a fluke snowstorm.  Guess everyone will be trick or treating in parkas and snowshoes.

     I did get to play golf in the tournament we won last year on Friday this week...(of course I had to work before leaving for the tee time).  We played admirably (62) but came up 2 shots short of victory.  Mandy from our group won closest to the pin and SHE won the set of tires just like I did last year.  We had the only group with 2 women and 2 men (all the other teams were stacked with 4 guys) and we still had a shot at the title... (which we won last year with the same group).  My golf bag broke the day before the tournament and I couldn't get out to buy a new one...(the zipper broke on the big pocket and it's pretty old), but guess what?  I won a golf bag in the raffle!  Still living the dream! I will also be posting numerous pictures from some adventures that I keep forgetting to post.  CRS...(Can't Remember S*&^t).

Hi, y'all...

    The cross country trek ended last night at midnight...(EST) I arrived in Virginia and finally fell asleep around 2am.  It was supposed to begin at 12:30pm (PST) in Phoenix but the flight was delayed one hour so I was at the airport from 10:30 until 1:30 before finally taking off.  My connecting flight in Atlanta didn't leave until 10:30pm so my layover was shortened...that's the problem with free flights, you are at the mercy of the airline.  The good news was that my seats were in business class and they were very comfortable.  Add in a neck pillow and I don't remember the first flight...the captain woke me up with the "we are beginning our descent into Atlanta". So with the extended layovers I needed to purchase a new book.  I bought Stephen King's new book of short stories so I hope to be losing some sleep while I'm away.

     So, I am here and the girls are at church, so I figured I would blog until they get home.  They're home! Gotta go! Laser tag birthday party... Talk to you later.

What's going on...

     Once again, I have lapsed into a non-blogging state.  A text from my sister (Love you!) yesterday asking if I was involved in a massive dust storm related traffic pile-up made me realize that I haven't blogged in several weeks.  Much has gone on and the excuse that that I have been busy (even I don't believe it) is lame.  The excuse is laziness.  Sure I have been busy, but so is everyone else... (and you are lots more busy than I am).  Work has been interesting and golf has made a major return to my routine and balancing that with trips to the gym and everyday activities has me running around like a madman, but I'm healthy (knock wood) and happy (knock wood) and live in the greatest place on earth where I can pursue my own brand of happiness and live my dream.

     Speaking of living the dream, I fly into Virginia on Saturday for a well earned and anticipated vacation with my sister and her family for two glorious weeks.  I am bringing a set of golf clubs to leave there for future trips... (along with the set in NY my clubs are getting around).  Both the nieces are learning to play, so Uncle Jimmy can provide his expertise and we'll hit the range for some lessons while I'm there.  Hoping there will be leaf peeping available...(miss the changing leaves, but not the weather that accompanies it).  I will also see if some historical (not hysterical) side trip can be made with the girls.  Uncle Jimmy loves his history, you know.  It will be great to see my Virginia peeps and hope to play a little golf with Keith and/or Blair while I'm there.  Walking the girls to the school bus every morning and having our little chats is one of the little things I love about visiting Virginia...

     Work continues to be on the slow side, but plans are heating up for November and December... (we will be starting a recruitment campaign here and in Tucson for upcoming events next year).  The Barrett-Jackson auction returns in January followed by the Accenture Match Play Championships in February along with the regular goings-on at the Convention Center.  There are plans for trips down to Tucson...(staying a few days) to recruit for the golf tournament, plus my boss wants to see if there is a way for me to go on the road to solicit new business around the valley.  He needs to talk to his boss because he wants it to be a commission type job...(getting a percentage of the business I bring in).  Also there will be expenses and other considerations so for now it is in the planning stage.  But it sounds pretty exciting and I'm up for it...(lots of nice courses in the Tucson area... wink-wink).  I have to work on Friday, so today is packing, hold the mail, arrange rides to the airport and laundry day. 

     Okay, that brings everyone up to speed...oh, yeah.  Somebody (besides family) finally came to visit the Valley of the Sun.  John (from NY) graduated from his training class in Texas and drove out here to visit and his wife Denise flew in Saturday and they are staying this week looking at possible places for relocation.  They stayed at the apartment a couple nights and are renting a timeshare for the week, before driving back to New York next week.  Went out to dinner and played golf  and enjoyed the visit... No pressure on the rest of you, but this is now the ultimate time to visit.  The weather has broken...(it even rained on Tuesday night) and winter is right around the corner... (for you).  Most of the golf courses are closing for over-seeding, but by November 1, they will be lush and beautiful again.  the apartment has plenty of room and there is even rental apartments open for a nominal fee. Ok, got to get to packing.  Will touch base from Virginia, y'all...