Monday, November 20, 2006

Obadiah Parker rocks the house!


Some of you may have seen a video on youtube or heard on the radio of a guy named Mat Weddle. He is a local guy here in Phoenix, AZ that is very talented. By the way here is a link to his youtube video where he sings an accoustic version of the song "Hey ya" by Outkast....it's terrific! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXlSrfkNxPw

So, when I found out that Mat Weddle lives in phoenix, I went to his band's website www.obadiahparker.com and found out he was playing at a small venue only like 3 miles from my house, so I said "I'm there dude!" and went last friday.

I thought for sure that the other two band members of Obadiah Parker would just be "ok" but I was terribly wrong. The base player was amazing, was all over the neck of that bass. The girl on the keyboards was also very, very talented and broke out the trumpet of all things on some of the songs.

These guys were so good live that no one could help but shake their heads or even dance to the groove they were laying down. I was so impressed that I bought a CD from Mat's parents....yes, you heard right, his parents were there selling the CDs and supporting their son. It was heartwarming to see them there at 10pm on a Friday night supporting their son like that. They had smiles on their faces a mile wide and you could tell they were proud.

Actually, I was a little disappointed in the CD because Obadiah Parker was soooooo goooood live! It is rare when a band is better live than on their CD. Don't get me wrong, the CD was good, but it was a little rehearsed or something...it lacked the feeling I think. The CD only has 5 songs on it (which I knew before buying it) and they are trying to get another CD released before Christmas.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

My first business trip

Well, I had my first business trip for work. A group of us went to Austin, TX to visit a potential customer. My boss and I went monday night and flew back to Phoenix on Tuesday. It was a quick trip and the visit went well. We stayed at the Marriott Springhill Suites and they were very nice with a decent breakfast as well. Monday night we ate at a restaraunt that I think was called "Texas Land and Cattle" which had very good fried jalapenos and the filet was quite tasty as well.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Started my new job!

I just started my new job at a small company in Tempe on Monday. Everything is going great, going through the learning curve again. I like learning so that's not a problem. The people here are polite and friendly, and I hope to get to know them better and maybe make some new freinds.

The commute is going to take some getting used to....I was spoiled at my last job which was only 5 minutes from my home. I could go home for lunch and didn't have to fight any traffic to speak of. Now, I have a 30 to 35 minute commute minimum and it is a huge pileup mess of cars which drives me crazy! It's just the first week....I'll get used to it I'm sure.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Brother Vinny

My brother Anthony who has taken on the name of "Vinny" came to visit this last weekend and we had a blast! We golfed every day he was here....and YES, I beat him EVERY TIME! Yeah! I did have the home course advantage because I have played each of these courses a few times before. When I visited Vinny up in his neck of the woods, he beat me at his home course, so now we're even!

The first day Vinny was here we played Longbow with my father-in-law, Jimmy. It was so windy that we were miserable, but at just shy of $25 for 18 holes, a cart, and practice balls, we weren't complaining too much.

Next was The Raven, which we played in beautiful weather, but dry conditions because they were preparing for overseeding. It was very difficult to stop the ball on the green and actually, also in the fairway...the balls would tend to roll more and drain into the plethera (yes, I said plethera) of bunkers.

Finally we played Club West, which has the best views of any of the three courses in my opinion. There are two par 3's with elevated tee boxes and gorgeous vistas. The funny thing about Sunday was that we arrived just barely in time to pay and get on the first tee box and we had the best round of the weekend! :)

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Guys weekend of Golf in Prescott

Last friday after work my friend Med and I headed up to Prescott with Med's friend Sensai for a guy's weekend of golf. We got up there in good time for our 2:15pm tee time at StoneRidge golf course, which is a beautiful desert/mountain course design. It was a beautiful afternoon and the course was in excellent shape, but we didn't know what was in store for us.

We found out on hole #2 that we were not allowed to drive the golf carts on the fairways, but would have to leave the cart on the cart path and carry a club or two to our ball. This doesn't seem like a problem, but this course was hilly and most times my ball was on the other side of the fairway. We were so worn out and tired by the time we were done that when we got back to Sensai's cabin in Prescott, we just wanted to pass out. That evening another friend, Will, arrived and the foursome was complete.

Saturday morning we played a cheaper course, that was ok, but the most challenging part was trying to tell what the distances were, due to few yardage markers. The ranger on the course was very friendly and helped Will with his swing on the driving range, came by occasionally to give us tips on a particular hole, and afterwards in the clubhouse gave us some reviews of golf balls.

That afternoon we went to downtown Prescott and Sensai showed me around. It has an old town feel with a central square and little shops all around it. The people seemed very friendly and the air was cool and clean. I could get very used to this town!

Sunday we tackled Antelope Hills. This was the favorite course of all of us. It was just right for me....challenging, but forgiving. We played the North course, which was very green and had lots of big trees, which sometimes got in the way. :)

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Neal Williams Reunion near Seattle, WA

(pictures will be added later)

We had a great time at our family reunion near Cle Elum, WA which is about an hour outside of Seattle. The mountain views were so beautiful and it was so wonderful to get out of the Arizona heat!!! Here's the rundown of what went down:

Friday morning we flew out of Phoenix and arrived in Seattle with no problems. Our airline of choice was Southwest...Alicia calls it the "Ghetto Bus in the Sky". We noticed as we were walking to baggage claim that the line getting back through the security checkpoint was VERY long....so long in fact that there was a person at the end of the line holding a big sign that said "END OF THE LINE". We made a mental note to arrive early at the airport for our return trip.

Rachel picked us up at the airport in Nate and Natalie's car since hers has expired tags. (Rachel will appreciate anyone willing to make donations to the cause.) We would have just gone to Ensign Ranch, but Nate had talked Rachel into leaving her stuff in her car so that she would have to return to their house (which is out of the way) before going up to the campsite. This was part of Nate's evil plan. I still don't know if his motivation was to see Alicia and I sooner, or if it was so they could see how much space we had in the car to take more of their stuff. We ended up putting a nice box between Alicia and Shannell in the back which made for a great arm rest. :)

We made it up to Ensign Ranch just fine and not too long after Anthony and party had arrived. Brett and his clan got there shortly after as well. We made camp at cabin #1 and waited for Nate and Natalie to arrive. Isn't that strange that the planners of the event and the closest residents to the location were the last to arrive? Things that make you go hmmmmmmm :)

That night we had a great time around the campfire. Anthony and I sang some songs. The comment from Anthony that I remember most is, "my songs aren't funny like Seth's!" Anthony, the reason I have to make my songs funny is because I can't sing worth crap! :)

By far the most entertaining event of the evening was my Dad's storytelling. Some parts seemed to drag on with no apparent direction, but the payoff came when Dad told about his sweet cars he had in high school. One in particular that was a hit to us all was the Chevy he named "Broad Jumper"....he even had the name in chrome down the side of the car! It was obvious to us and to Dad that the reason why he chose this name was because Dad was in track and competed in the broad jump.

Dad told more stories about when he borrowed his brother-in-law's (Lyle) car with fancy hub caps...how they got stolen...and how he and his buddy left their dates at the cafe to go find them. Dad also told about how he met my mom and how their first date was spent taking his friend's mom to the hospital. We'll definitely have to get some recordings of these stories for future generations.

Saturday the kids and some of the adults rode horses on the ranch. The adults looked funny with their little white helmets on. We got together and played softball on a field that they had there and the kids had a blast hitting the ball and running the bases. Anthony almost took Ethan's head off at third base with a blast that he hit. The kids also went on a small waterslide they have at the ranch....it was a day full of fun and also relaxation. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was gorgeous!

Sunday we packed up and left ensign ranch. Anthony and company headed on the road back toward home. Brett and company, Alicia, Rachel and I went to Nate and Natalie's house where they met us for some extra family fun. It was the first time we really got to see their new house in Redmond.

Next, we went to Rachel's apartment in downtown Seattle where it all goes down (happens). Her apartment was actually quaint and is very close to the salon where she works. Alicia and I stayed with her that night and went to see her salon the next morning, quickly saw some of downtown and Pikes Place market and then rushed to the airport. While at the salon, Rachel gave me a great haircut....thanks Rachel!!!

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Matt Leinart works out at my gym!



Matt Leinart, the Heisman Trophy winner of the 2004-2005 football season and award winning Quarterback for the USC Trojans, works out at our gym in Tempe, Arizona. Alicia and I have seen him twice at the gym in the last couple of weeks. The first time I thought it was a fluke...maybe his gym was under repair or he just happened to be in the area for the evening and wanted to work out. Then, Thursday night we saw him for a second time. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, so it makes sense he would be in the area, but you would think he would live in Scottsdale and maybe even have his own home gym.

Why does everyone pretend that Matt doesn't exist? Everyone, including myself, just tries to ignore the fact that one of the greatest college QBs is running on the treadmill next to you, or waiting behind you for a drink out of the water fountain. Maybe it is just out of respect for the man, knowing that he doesn't want to be bothered during his workout. I think Matt is lucky that he is not being bothered with autograph requests and such....although now my mind is running wild thinking of rookie football cards with Matt's signature and how much they could be worth in 20 years! :)

Matt sure doesn't act like he's grateful for the respect we show him by not bothering him or talking to him. He walks around the gym with his head down and does not make any eye contact whatsoever with anyone. I was doing lunges and he thought his weights were in my way so he said, "Sorry man" so I thought that was nice of him. But during my rest between sets I said, "how's it goin" and he didn't even look at me, said "fine" and turned and walked away. I guess I can't say I blame him...I'm sure he doesn't want the hype of stardom and wants to live a normal life as much as possible, but I wonder, how normal is a life of lowering your head and not making eye contact or being cordial to anyone. Maybe that's normal to Matt, but it's not to me.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Day 8 - Costa Rica - Fly from Costa Rica to Phoenix through Houston

Saturday morning we got up early (4 AM), grabbed our bags and rushed out to meet the travel agency taxi dude. He was the same guy that took us from the airport on day 1. He was nice and took us on some back roads that got us to the airport quicker.

At the airport, we had to fill out some paperwork and then wait for our flight. We were sad to leave such a beautiful country, but eager to get home where we could sleep in our own comfortable bed and drive places without fearing for our lives! The driving experience in Costa Rica made us appreciate the wide roads, the street signs, the rules of the road, and the enforcement of those rules in the USA.

Day 7 - Costa Rica - Drive from Manuel Antonio to San Jose

It has taken me a while to finish documenting the Costa Rica trip. I've probably lost most of you by now, but just in case someone is interested, day 7 was a Friday. We basically just had a relaxing day at the hotel, with breakfast and beautiful views.

We went to lunch with Alicia's friend Krissy at a nearby spot that was basically a rooftop converted into a little cafe. The nachos were great and the views again were spectacular!

Soon afterwards, we had to check out of the hotel and begin the dreaded trip back to San Jose. Actually, the road back was quite good and didn't rain on us until we got into the city. There was only one notable incident that happened on the way back. A bus full of people was cutting people off, including me! This bus driver was crazy...he ran me off the road and then was passing cars and trucks on narrow roads. The whole time with a bus load of people! I don't think I will be taking the bus any time soon in Costa Rica!

When we got to San Jose, it was pouring! We luckily guessed the right street to take that took us right down into the middle and heart of the city. Since there were no street signs, we had to rely on the map and the landmarks. Alicia did a great job of finding landmarks, such as the hospital, cathedral, or town square and then counting the streets until we got to ours. The street that we turned onto was narrow and packed with cars, people and buses. Even though our hotel was only about three or four blocks from the turn, it took us forever to get there!

After arriving at the hotel, I dropped Alicia off and had to fill the car with gas. The car rental place informed me several times that I must leave it filled with "Super" (the type of gas, like Supreme). So, I got directions and in the pouring rain, tried to find the nearest gas station. I went in a couple of circles and had trouble finding a station, and then took a couple of wrong turns on the way back, but eventually I returned with a full tank of gas. Luckily, the car rental place came and picked up the car. The guy was right there at the front waiting. I was so relieved to be done with driving in Costa Rica!

I was starving, but we had no car and it was pouring rain, so I ordered Pizza Hut. They delivered and again we had a great meal! :)

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Day 6 - Costa Rica - The beach and monkeys

Thursday we spent most of the day at the beach. There is a park on the beach that has trails and nice beaches, so we went there. It was a little peninsula that stuck out in the ocean with beaches on both sides and a jungle in the middle.

After relaxing on the beach for a while, we decided to head back and found a small trail that we hadn't explored yet. It was dark from all the trees and vegetation blocking the sun, and no one was on it, so it was quite eery. We kept seeing these bright colored crabs, orange and blue I think and we could also hear them scurrying in the bushes. As we went along there were more crabs and they were bigger, so we decided to go back the beach and go another way! :)

At the main trail to the beach a monkey all of a sudden jumped from a tree on one side of the trail to the other, which startled us! The white faced monkeys were right there. They came down and were looking around. I was standing right in front of one of the monkeys and I'll admit I was a little nervous, but I was getting some great video! :)

Later that afternoon while we were eating lunch at the hotel restaraunt, with a gorgeous view by the way, some squirrel monkeys were jumping and climbing around in the trees that were right next to our table. We thought after about ten of them that we wouldn't see any more, but there ended up being about thirty of them at least that came by. The squirrel monkeys were smaller and had a high pitched squeel....I think I would have thought their sound was from a bird if I couldn't see them with my eyes.

That night we met up with Alicia's friend Krissie, who lives in Costa Rica. She and her boyfriend, Jason, were very nice and took us to a local hangout spot in Quepos. We walked around the little town afterwards, which made Alicia nervous because it was dark and late and there were bums on the street. They also gave us a tour of Jason's father's house in Manuel Antonio, which was huge, with a great view and pool and rents for $10k a week! Bruce Willis and other stars have stayed there with their families.

Day 5 - Costa Rica - Drive from La Fortuna to Manuel Antonio

Wednesday was a long and rough day. We drove from La Fortuna (Arenal) to Manuel Antonio, which took us about 7 hours. Most of the drive was in the rain and we didn't really know where we are going. The signs in Costa Rica have much to be desired, and the roads were wet, windy and narrow.

The best part of the day was when we got back to the Pan American highway, and then pulled off at a town and saw a Pizza Hut. We were starved and this medium pepporoni pizza was the best food we had the whole trip!

We were so relieved to finally arrive at Manuel Antonio and find our hotel, Si Como No. This hotel was very nice, but different than Tabacon. Manuel Antonio is next to the Pacific Ocean and our room had a spectacular view of the ocean! We had our own deck with big windows overlooking the ocean.

Day 4 - Costa Rica - Butterflies, Hike to the Waterfall

On Tuesday we ate breakfast and then headed back up the bumpy road toward the Arenal Observatory and Sky Trek, but this time we went past Sky Trek to the Butterfly Observatory. It was very humid and we were sweating a ton! The people working at the observatory were very friendly and told us all about the butterflies and showed us a poisonous frog that has a red body and blue legs. He said in Costa Rica, they say they have blue jeans on.

The butterflies were in these mesh tents, like greenhouses. We took tons of pictures and video and were amazed at the various types and colors of butterflies! Then, it was back into the Dihatsu.

We drove back to the Arenal Observatory and this time we walked on a trail down to a waterfall. The hike was only about 30 minutes, but was fun to get out into nature.

The rest of the day we spent back at Tabacon at the pool and at the hot springs. That night we saw the volcano lava go down the side of the hill. It looked like fireworks...it was awesome! I didn't realize you could see it at night until someone pointed it out to me. Then I spent the rest of the evening trying to capture it on my camcorder! :)

Day 3 - Costa Rica - The Zip Line!





Monday morning we woke up early, ate the complimentary breakfast offered by the Tabacon resort, and started the drive to the Sky Trek zip line tours. We had good directions from the concierge at Tabacon, but we had no idea that the final road up to Sky Trek was going to be an off-road adventure! The road was gravel, or bigger rocks in some areas, and really wasn't too bad, but in our little Diahatsu it felt like we were going to need serious chiropractic care when we got back to the states! :)

When we arrived at Sky Tours, we were amazed at the beautiful view from the base. We were introduced to our tour guides, Hector and Elvis. We were lucky that we were there during the off season because normally they said 4-6 people would be on the tour, but in our case, we were the only ones! The views from up on the canopy platforms were amazing! We could see Lake Arenal and the Volcano Arenal.

Our tour guides showed us the basics of zip lining and then let us practice on a short line. After that, we were ready for the big lines! I had so much fun that I think my favorite thing I did on the trip! On the way down the zipline, I would get going so fast and then I could look to one side and see the lake and then look down and see how high I was above the trees. In all, I think there were around 8 different zip lines.

Afterwards, we went over to the Arenal Observatory, which is like a park with paved, and unpaved trails. The view of the volcano was great from there. We hiked around the grounds and saw some monkeys in the trees, took pictures of them, and then drove back to Tabacon.

At Tabacon we went swimming in their beautiful pool that was steps away from our room and ordered cheeseburgers. We were in paradise!

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Day 2 - Costa Rica - Crazy Drive to Tabacon

This was an interesting day!

Alamo was supposed to deliver our car to the hotel, so I had found the directions to the highway that would take us most of the way to our next destination, Volcano Arenal. However, we were taken clear across the city of San Jose to the rental car location and had to get new directions.

Driving in Costa Rica was quite an experience! You take your life into your own hands when you make the decision to get on the roads with those crazy Costa Rican drivers! The roads are narrow, with no lanes. If there is an opening, a taxi driver or a big bus will fill it somehow, darting in and out, squeezing in between a parked car and a truck. They are crazy! Most, if not all of our marital fighting was while we were driving. There are no street signs, limited directional signs, and ABSOLUTELY NO RULES!

Once we got out of San Jose, it was much better. The highway had actual lanes and was in decent shape. We were on our way to San Ramon, a midpoint on our trip to Arenal. This road was not as crazy as San Jose, but had its own peril. The road was windy and narrow. This didn't seem to phase the Ticos. They sped around the corners with no thought as to if someone was coming the other way. They would sometimes even pass us on these blind corners!

The countryside was beautiful. So green! Rolling hills, Cattle, and farms...something off of a postcard or travel magazine. Every once in a while there was a small quaint town with the villagers sitting right on the highway watching a local soccer game. Several times we had to avoid hitting a Tico walking right down the street and not even flinching as we went by. It seems that the people there don't care if they live or die. Alicia liked the chickens that were outside most of the houses along the highway. There were signs everywhere of Cheese for sale, clean bathrooms, canopy tours, horse riding, or steak houses.

Since there is a lot of rain in Costa Rica, it makes sense that there be a lot of rivers, creeks, and streams. Well, because of these waterways, there must also be a lot of bridges on the highway. Well, in Costa Rica, they decided not to make bridges where cars in both directions can pass at the same time. We went over so many narrow bridges, wide enough for only one car. They put a Ceda or yield sign on one side of the bridge so that if two cars arrive at the same time, the one with the yield sign must wait. The most interesting bridge was one that was long and narrow, with gaps about half a tire in width and toward the end of the bridge there was a huge piece missing, so they just took a ramp from an auto garage to "bridge the gap" so to speak. :)

The drive was way more beautiful than it was dangerous! When we arrived at La Fortuna, we knew we were close. We could see the huge volcano in the distance. From there, the road weaved up to the right of the volcano with restaurants and hotels lining the road. Finally, we saw the rock sign of Tabacon and the cobblestone driveway. The hotel was absolutely gorgeous and the staff was very nice. They greeted us with guava juice and rolled up wet towels to cool our face.

After getting settled into our spacious, beautiful room with a great view of the volcano, we walked down to the natural hot springs. Tabacon has a restaurant, swimming pools, and beautiful natural hot springs that seem as if they come down from the volcano. The walkways and paths are paved with small bridges and waterfalls, with lots of private pools tucked away into the vegetation. The flowers and plants around the whole premises are absolutely spectacular. We walked around, got into the pools, and I stood under the waterfall with the hot water pounding on my shoulders. It was like a free heated massage!

Day 1 - Costa Rica - Fly to San Jose

Our day started with our ride to the airport not showing up at our house. So, we packed our bags into my Tahoe and parked in long term parking. We arrived plenty early at Sky Harbor International airport. We flew Continental Airlines and our trip from Phoenix to Houston went smoothly. I had brought the portable dvd player and some dvds, but we didn't need them because we had reading material.

In Houston we had a three hour layover and the airport was nice! We ate lunch at Papasitos (a Tex-Mex restaurant) in the airport, changed some dollars into colones (the Costa Rica currency), and I bought a book at Borders. As I was getting onto the next flight from Houston to San Jose, Costa Rica I thought about how glad I was that we had the dvd player for the three hour flight. The dvd player!!! I didn't have the portable dvd player!!! I had left it safely tucked under the seat in front of me on the previous flight!!! I frantically asked the Continental staff at the gate where I was boarding my flight. They said that since our plane was taking off in 15 minutes, that I should just board and fill out a report at the Costa Rica baggage claim. I was so mad at myself!!! But, we boarded the flight and Alicia was pretty nice about the whole thing.

We arrived at 9:30 pm in San Jose, CR and we went through customs. We had arranged our trip through a travel agency and there was someone waiting for us to take us to our hotel, Hotel Brittania. It was the first time I have ever had someone waiting for me with my name on a sign. We felt important! There were tons of people at the door outside the airport waiting for their brother, sister, dad, cousin, or maybe even aunt to arrive. They were all pressed up against the window like fans waiting for Michael Jackson.

We checked into the Hotel Brittania and got into our room. We were shocked at how small it was. It had two beds, one full and one queen with a little closet and a bathroom. There was barely enough room for the 13 inch TV! The best thing was the see-through "bath towel" that barely fit around my left butt cheek, or maybe it was the beer bottle opener installed on the tile wall in the bathroom. Pretty classy place!

I think we have turned into mattress, pillow and sheet snobs because of the nice ones we have. Neither of us slept well on the cement hard mattress with potato sack pillows.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Texas state capitol

Lake austin

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Isn't she cute?

Friday, April 28, 2006

Med and i after golf

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Pinetop country club

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Monday, April 03, 2006

Miriam


My sister, Miriam, also came to visit during her spring break. It was good to see her and catch up, if that makes any sense. :)

(the phrase "if that makes any sense" is an inside joke between Miriam and I, but don't mention it to her or she will get offended and will get very defensive. So, just smile and nod, or say, "yes, that makes perfect sense.")

Friday, March 31, 2006

Mac and Debbie




Mac and Debbie came to Arizona for their 1 year anniversary. They were kind enough to let me hang out with them for a few hours while they were here.

Mac is as funny as ever and kept us rolling on the floor with laughter! :) Debbie is so sweet and nice....always smiling.

Mac and Debbie invited Alicia and me to a spring training game, featuring the Mariners and the Padres. Alicia was not able to go, but my sister, Miriam, was in town so she went with me. Afterwards we went out to dinner and then back to Mac and Debbie's hotel and had a great time visiting with them.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

anthony and shannell

Anthony and Shannell came to visit Alicia and me. They came for the Bon Jovi concert at the Glendale arena and of course to visit us! :)

Anthony and I golfed nine holes at Dobson Ranch and then we all went to see the USA baseball team crush South Africa 17-0. It was extremely windy and a rather boring game, but we still had fun finding a parking spot and walking around Scottsdale afterward.

It rained all day Saturday so our golfing plans and dreams were ended. :( Instead, we went shopping at the Chandler mall and saw a matinee. In the evening we went dancing at Grahams Central Station in Tempe.

Sunday was beautiful, so Anthony and I tried to get on again at Dobson Ranch, but we were denied! So, we just hit balls at the driving range. Anthony makes unbelievably good ball contact for not having played all winter!

Friday, February 17, 2006

New York City

Alicia and I went to NYC for five days (Sat-Wed). Alicia was there for business, and I was there for pleasure! Saturday night and Sunday New York had the 2nd biggest snow storm in recorded history!

Sunday afternoon we visited my Uncle Clyde and Aunt Norma. Clyde is my mother's oldest brother. They are living in a one bedroom apartment near the Manhattan LDS temple. They are serving an LDS temple mission and have been in NYC for 2 years.

On monday we were audience members of the Late Night Show with David Letterman. We sat right next to this guy who was on a "Show and Tell" segment of the show. He stuck five coke cans on his forehead and cheeks. It was pretty amazing and funny!

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Fiesta Bowl 2006

Even though we had a crappy Christmas, our New Year was great! On the 2nd of January Alicia and I, along with Jimmy and Ron, went to the Fiesta Bowl at Sundevil Stadium. The teams playing were the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

I don't know which was more entertaining, watching the drunk fans yell until they lost their voice, or the actual game. I did notice that the Ohio State fans were much more annoying and rowdy than the Notre Dame fans.

I was routing for the underdogs, The Fighting Irish, but they didn't play their best game and Ohio State was much stronger and faster. ND did make a good run for it at the end, but it was too late!

Ron and Jimmy sure enjoyed the game as you can see!

Jerry Rice was there too!

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Crappy Christmas!

That is exactly what my wife, Alicia, called this Christmas. The reason being that we were supposed to travel up to Lakeside/Pinetop for Christmas to spend with her parents up in the pines, sipping hot chocolate, and enjoying the holiday decorations that had been so carefully and lovingly placed.

However, our plans started to change when we found that Alicia's mother came down with the flu and that her father wasn't feeling well either. We were questioning whether we should go up and not only possibly catch the virus, but also force her parents to be hosts to us rather than rest. If you know Alicia's parents, they will not rest if they have guests, even if they are on their deathbeds. They are too nice!

Our questions were answered when, on the Friday before Christmas, I came down with the flu. We felt terrible that Alicia's parents had spent so much time, money and effort on the Christmas extravaganza and we weren't coming up to enjoy it with them! Not only that, but her parents drove down here to Mesa to spend Christmas with us in the townhouse. Alicia's mother was feeling better by then, but her father was as sick as I was, yet they still drove down here! We should have driven up there!

Oh well, our Christmas was Crappy, but at least we spent it with Alicia's family. My family was up in Idaho and Utah freezing their butts off! I did get to talk with all of them on the phone and wish them all a merry Christmas and complain to them how badly I was feeling! :) What's better than the sympathy of family?