new job equals new laptop

On Tuesday April 8th, Scott got the formal job offer for a wonderful new job that totally fits who he is and what he believes in. While we knew he was a shoe-in, there is always doubt until you get that official offer. So he will be leaving the Sierra Club on April 25th and going to work for the National Conservation System Foundation, which is a new non-profit aimed at helping build and sustain “friends” groups to aid the BLM in protecting the land set aside within the BLM’s NLCS program.

So to honor his new job- and to replace the Sierra Club laptop that Scott has to turn back to the club -Saturday found us at the Apple store to finally purchase the MacBook Pro. We had been debating the pros and cons of the different MacBooks for that past two weeks so it feels good to have made the decisions. It is great to see him so excited about the new job and the new toy.

Here’s to great experiences, and I wish you all the best, babe, as you embark on this exciting adventure.

another “mile”stone reached

Yes, you are reading this correctly. It does really say 75000 miles. And yes, our Forester is only 2 years old. We are averaging 37500 miles a year. No wonder it doesn’t have that new car smell anymore!

bird living in a crested saguaro

While Scott spent the day yesterday tabling at an Archaeological Expo at the Arizona State Museum, I visited the Tucson Botanical Gardens. I spent roughly three hours there, wandering through the16 different gardens and spending a significant time in the butterfly greenhouse. You have to pay extra for the butterfly exhibit but it is worth it. The rest of the gardens are ok- although I have to say this time of year is probably not ideal. Give it a few more weeks to see somethings in bloom. The Children’s Garden is fabulous for kids. Overall, I had a great time. I’m getting more and more comfortable with exploring things on my own.

Natalee at Mimi’s

On Saturday, I spent several hours with my good friend Jethe and her 4 yea old daughter Natalee. We had lunch at Mimi’s, which is where Natalee found the orange to add some pizazz to her smile. We had a really great day. I always enjoy getting together with Jethe and her kids.

who’s there?

As I stood there taking pictures of my cat, I was able to catch the exact look and motion he does when Scott is coming from the other room.

my new toy

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Originally uploaded by sunflowerpatch

On Saturday, we purchased my new toy, the iPod Touch. For several weeks Scott and I have been discussing options for how his mother and I could update out devices. She was in need of a new PDA device as well as a larger iPod and I was looking at how I could condense the items I carry with me from three to two.

Scott came up with a solution that we mulled over until today when it all sort of clicked. I had an HP Ipaq and an 8gb 2nd generation Nano that Scott offered to his mother to replace her broken Ipaq and her 1st generation shuffle. To replace what I would be losing, we decided that I would get an iPod Touch, specifically the 32GB as it had just been released and for the price difference, made much more sense.

So today Scott went over to his mom’s to make sure that the Ipaq would work with her computer and it did. So that sealed the deal. Plus what monetary compensation we asked for for these two devices was about a third what she would spend for two completely new items. So the deal was made and when Scott got home, we raced to the Apple store to get my new toy.

And boy is it awesome! I am very happy with it and have only had it for oh, like 6 hours.

surprise, surprise

sunflowerpatch

This past December I traveled up to the Northwest to surprise my mom for her 60th birthday. Through many secret and usually quick conversations with my dad, we arranged to meet at the China Gorge restaurant where I would surprise my mom. Lucky for me my friend Shanna, who recently had moved up to the same part of the country, was able to pick me at Portland International Airport, and after a couple hours of catching up, helped me surprise my mom.

The surprise didn’t go as I had hoped, as I had wanted to be sitting in the restaurant before my parents arrived but it was still a great surprise. Here’s a picture Shanna got of me walking up to my mom and saying “Happy Birthday” to her.

It was a great surprise for sure.

another perfect Saturday

Today, Scott and I headed up to Black Canyon City to take part in a trail head dedication ceremony. The Black Canyon Trail opened up its newest stretch of trail today and it was a perfect day to do so. The weather was a lot warmer than expected so we quickly ditched the fleece jackets. After spending some time walking around the booths and listening to the dedication ceremony speeches, and after Scott touched base with several work colleagues, we headed out on the trail.

Wow!! What a beautiful trail. It was all hand constructed by volunteers and they did a magnificent job. I have to say that this is probably one of my favorite trails. You are surrounded by tremendous amounts of vegetation and beautiful specimens of desert plants. Like I said earlier, it was warmer than expected, giving us a gentle reminder that hiking after noon in the desert is not always the best thing. I actually ended up with a slight sunburn on my forearms and face.

The trail takes you down to the Agua Fria River, which was flowing rather fast after all the rains we have had. It is always a special treat to see a healthy river in Arizona. Usually you would be able to follow the trail across the river, but due tot he high waters and current, it is unsafe to pass right now. So, we sat down near rivers edge and had a snack while enjoying the pleasant scenery and sounds.

All in all it was a wonderful afternoon, as not only did Scott get to take business , but we got to get out out and hike a beautiful, must-see trail.

After a little rest and shower once we got home, we headed out for dinner at an old favorite: Los Olivos Norte. Scott and I frequented this restaurant, and by frequented I mean we ate there like three times a week, when we worked at Staples together. The atmosphere is great and the food as delicious as ever. Since we both have changed jobs, we don’t get here very often, so it was a great way to end our Saturday.

Since we both have changed jobs, we don’t get here very often.

yeah, I’m famous…sort of

An online travel guide company found one of my flickr pictures worthy of their Tucson guide so of course I allowed them to use it. Check out the guide for Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse and you’ll also notice Scott has one of his pictures included as well.

my comfy slippers

I know most of you are thinking, “why is the tag still on the slippers,” but I have a reason. Really I do. My mom sent Scott and I the same pair of slippers for Christmas. So to easily tell whose is whose, I decided to keep the tag on mine. See it makes sense.