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.

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! :)

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. :)

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!!!

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.