Off to the Waste Management Phoenix Open!

I am looking forward to sneaking out of the office early on Friday afternoon to attend the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open. The weather should be perfect and although the event will be packed, it is always fun to see the crowds.  This golf tournament is like no other I have ever seen, it is more like a football game atmosphere than a golf tournament. 

I was given the ticket from a colleague, so that makes the event even more inviting to me.  I will record and watch the final Sunday round on television, rather than being a part of the craziness that goes on there during the weekend.

I wish that I could take my camera to get some shots of the event, because the views are spectacular, but I'm sure that it would be taken away from me before I had a chance to snap the first picture. So, I will only be able to describe what I see in my upcoming posts. 


We welcome Sam & Donna  and Ali to our Blog today. We have been following Sam & Donna's Blog for some time and have enjoyed it very much.

Daily Quote! “Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there. ” A. A. Milne (1882-1956)

Head Of The House!

Midnight thinks that he is the head of our house and in charge and often times he is. He and his sister (by adoption) Tiger Lily roam the house each day sleeping, eating and sleeping some more...nice life if you can get it.

I want to welcome two new followers to our Blog, they are Jim and Sandie. Welcome aboard and thanks for joining us!

Daily Quote! “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Seneca

On Our Hike Up The Clay Mine Trail...

On our hike up the trail to the Clay Mine, we came across a couple of very interesting things...

The first was what appeared to be the beginnings of a foundation for a house that was never finished.  There were no signs around, so we couldn't tell if this may have been a Boy Scout project (as you will see in the next two pictures) or an actual foundation built years ago by some unknown individuals.

The next was a Waffle Garden built by a Boy Scout Troop with the following explanation. Tracy wondered why nothing was growing in it and I showed her the paragraph in the explanation that said women and children would bring water from the river and there are no women or children tending this garden and certainly no river near by.

We want to warmly welcome Michael and Dee as our very first Blog followers.  In looking at their Blog, it looks like they are in beautiful San Diego California, which is our home town.  I'm not going to tell Tracy about their current location, because summer is quickly coming and she will remind me that we only lived 12 miles from the ocean, when it is 115 degrees in Scottsdale. :-(

Quote of the Day! “A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools. ” Spanish Proverb.

Great Weekend In Cave Creek Arizona!

We had a great weekend in Cave Creek...Friday was cold and windy, but Saturday and Sunday were great.  Took many hikes, enjoyed the warm weather and got in some nap time as well. Please enjoy the pictures of our weekend below.

 Our spot on the hill...nice view!

Beautiful Arizona Sunset.

Horseback Riding Anyone?

 Hike up to the Clay Mine...Maybe we will find gold!

No gold for us, this mine is locked down!

 

Had a great visit with our oldest daughter Stephanie...

S'mores Anyone?

What a great weekend to relax and enjoy nature...can't wait to go again.

Battle of the Bulge 2!

As I said yesterday in my Battle of the Bulge posting, I am trying to use technology, specifically my new iPhone, to make my weight loss journey more interesting and less monotonous.  I found another application that I think will help.  The iMapMyRun application tracks your activity through your phones GPS system and maps out where you have gone, provides you with the distance and the estimated calories burned.  Although I am currently not a runner, I do walk as part of my exercise program and this new application is great.  Together with my Lose It! Program, it adds a whole new dimension to tracking my food intake and exercise.  Now if they could only communicate….

Battle of the Bulge!

One of the many not so wonderful things about being 50 years old is that my metabolism has slowed and I think sometimes stopped, which has contributed to the bulge around my waistline.  I wanted to make sure that I did not post a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight to only break it 7 to 10 days later.  So I decided to watch what I eat and exercise at least 2 to 3 times each week in preparation for my physical exam in April. Since I have my new iPhone 4S, I decided to see how this technology could help me.

I found a free application called Lose It that I downloaded and have been using.  It is absolutely amazing so far and I have already lost 3 of the 20 pounds that I want to lose before my April 4^th appointment.  This program provides me with a target based on my desired goals and tracks my food intake and exercise each day. The program has been easy and fun to use and has helped me make better eating decision so far.  I will let you know how things go and I am resolute to make some healthy progress this year!

More Barrett-Jackson Auction Photos

We had such a great day at the Barrett-Jackson Auction.  The sun was shining as bright as the cars and it was great fun people watching.  There were so many great cars that we saw, it was hard to decide on which ones to take pictures of.  As a result, many of my pictures were of smaller cars for some reason, not the classics or muscle cars that brought big money at auction time.  Here is a sampling of the small cars that we saw...

This final one I couldn't resist as my wife and I were just talking about the Monkees...

New Camping Chair!

Just purchased a new anti-gravity chair at Costco and I can't wait to give it a try next time we go camping.  I am not sure what makes it "anti-gravity", but it reclines nicely, which will be great for my favorite afternoon naps while camping.  I let you know how it works, but at $48, I couldn't pass it up.

Great Afternoon at the Barrett-Jackson Auction!

Spent yesterday afternoon at the Barrett-Jackson Auction here in Scottsdale...what a beautiful day looking at some great vehicles. Here are some interesting RV's that I thought you might enjoy.

So Proud!

Our daughter Sarah is at ASU this year as a freshman on an academic scholarship. Today we received a letter welcoming her to the Dean's List with a 3.91 GPA for her first semester.  Sarah has been able to balance school, a boyfriend, work and a busy social life very well. Needless to say, we are very proud!

The Five Great Principles For Life!

I attended a Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Leadership Conference and Board Meeting this morning and had the opportunity to hear C.R. Stewart (http://www.thebritfieldgroup.com) speak on his new book.

The Five Great Principles for Life is an encouraging, fast-moving, and thought-provoking book.  Written in a straightforward style, it deals with complex issues in a simple way and explores such subjects as: The Art of Discipline; The Significance of Passion; Preparing for Change; Overcoming Excuses; The Power of Patience; Leading Others; and Balancing Success.

Although these concepts are not new to me, it is always great to be reminded of the importance of these leadership qualities thirteen days into the new year!

Liking My New Phone!

With only a few minor hiccups, I am really liking my new iPhone 4S.  Apple has done a great job of making integration seamless and easy, with email setup very quick. Still working out some details with syncing contacts and calendars, but hopefully I can get that working flawlessly soon.  More to follow as I have more time to learn more how things work!

New iPhone 4S Phones

We have used smartphones in our business for years, starting with two or three versions of the Palm Treo, then two versions of the Blackberry Storm, which has driven us crazy over the last three years.  The BB Storm has plagued us with freeze ups, failure to sync contacts and calendars and overall system shutdowns, requiring complete factory resets.  I can’t tell you the number of hours we have wasted trying to keep these phones going.  Finally, yesterday we came to the breaking point with the third factory reset of my phone in the last five weeks.  We made the decision with the willingness of Verizon to allow us to upgrade early, to purchase the new iPhone 4S which is supposed to have many new features including an 8MP camera, a faster processor and Siri, which acts as a sort of personal assistant.  The phone will not be available to ship until January 17^th and I am sure that we will have a learning curve getting them up and running.  I will look forward to sharing our experiences with all of you as our company implements these new phones and hopefully I will have good news.  Hey, anything is better than our BB’s.  

Street Fair - Great Weather!

My wife and I attended a street fair near our home in Scottsdale on Sunday after church.  It was fun, with lots of hand made jewelry and many food vendors to choose from.  The weather was absolutely fantastic in the mid 60's and many of our Canadian friends were there and enjoying it.  Came home and worked on the Fantastic Vent in our motorhome, getting it cleaned up from the years of built up dust and dirt that it appears had never been addressed. Looking forward to our upcoming camping trip and can't wait to try our new stove!

New Grill...Great Price!

Been looking for a new propane grill for camping. I had seen this one at Home Depot before Christmas for $99 and I decided to hold off.  Last month they dropped the price to $79 and I decided to still hold off. Glad I did, today they dropped the price to $39, so I bought it.  Although I am not an ASU Alumni, my oldest daughter graduated from ASU last year and my youngest daughter is currently an ASU freshman, so we support ASU! Hopefully it will work well, I sure like the size and I really like the price!

Iris...

My wife and I purchased a 1993 30 foot Tioga motorhome when our youngest daughter left home for college and we became empty nesters.  My wife said that we traded one 18 year old for another when we purchased our motorhome that we fondly named "Iris". I have been in process of updating and repairing both minor and some major items that Iris needed to look and operate better.  Iris has a Fantastic Vent in the front over the above the cab bed and the outside vent frame was cracked and needed replacing.  I called Fantastic Vent and they said that the fan had a lifetime warranty and they would replace the cracked frame at no charge, but I had to pay shipping of $14.00.  Wow...a free plastic replacement frame that probably is worth $8.00, that will cost me $14.00 in shipping.  Oh well, it arrived yesterday and I installed it and it looks great!

A New Year!

Well it is the start of 2012 and I am looking forward to an amazing and productive year! 2011 had its challenges with the economy, stock market, high unemployment, etc., which created what I have referred to as the Great Malaise!  I am approaching this year with a new enthusiasm and faith that what lies ahead should not be feared, but embraced.  Today is the first day of the New Year, so let’s see what lies ahead together, thanks for your interest and let’s make it great!