Sept. Self Portrait: Seasonal Switcheroo

Today I went from my usual Iced Grande Non-fat Chai to a hot version. It's still a bit warm out, but the mornings and evenings are cooling down and that was reason enough for me to make the change. Incidentally, this moment was interrupted when I heard the following exchange:

"This is private property and I am going to have to ask you to leave."

I thought the comment was directed at me as I had pulled over to another more vacant part of the parking lot near my gym. Then a guy who is not homeless but still a little vagrant (I'll call him Vagrant Guy - VG) looking says something back to the parking lot security dude (PLSD).

PLSD - Well, where are you going?

VG - I am going over to LA Fitness (mind you, Vagrant Guy is not dressed to work up a sweat and I am not sure the Wal-mart recycle bag is doubling as a gym bag, but who am I to question Vagrant Guy?).

PLSD - Oh, do you have a membership there?

VG - Well, I am going to see about getting one right now! (a little belligerently, and this is when I decide to roll up my window and start making my way out of the parking lot).

PLSD - I don't think so. I am going to call the police.

VG - FINE! If you are going to be like that I am going to leave!

Uh, yeah. That's what you were supposed to do in the first place, buddy.

Splendid Stalls

Tonight was a book fair at E's school. I had to run into the little girls room and was kinda delighted to see the stall paintings, all a little different and brightening up an otherwise institutional room.

Tastes Like Fall

...even if the 106 degree high it reached today doesn't feel like it. Thank goodness for Pumpkin Pie frozen yogurt at Desert Swirl.

Don't Knock It 'Til Ya Try It

Lip-smackin', finger-lickin' full-fattenin' goodness at Lolo's Chicken and Waffles. I will be heading to the gym today for sure!

Shopping in My Closet

The fruits of my weight-loss labors are showing: Five-year-old crops are new again when I can fit back in them!

99 SuftBallons*

E's newest pastime, blowing suftballons (soap ballons) in the shower.

*Inspired by singer Nena's 99 LuftBallons, 1990.

Unrequited Love

E's latest obsession is his love of Lunchables. After having just one (and a subsequent talking to with his father about how awful they are) he can't stop talking about them. Every trip to the grocery store has him imploring, rather passionately, about getting some Lunchables or at least being able to look at them.

I have assured him they are awful, full of chemicals and fake meat and he insists I don't know what I am talking about because his friends have them at school sometimes. I fully anticipate to find a hidden stash of these tucked away in a drawer or closet corner.

Basket-o-behindness

So much catching up to do captured so nicely in my new magazine tote!

Extreme Close Up: Fall Wreaths

Macronificent color in the aisles of Target.

Pretty Topper

I am not a hat person, really. But I am a daisy person and a chocolate brown person. Two out of three resulted in this fun fall purchase from Life is Good that arrived on my doorstep today.

The (Foot)Hills Were Alive

...with the Sound of Music. Still no pics of the boy, but today was a milestone moment: His first trip to the theatre! And the special part was his very own Uncle Scott was in the show. Eloved the singing and dancing by the Von Trapp children and held up really well only asking for Uncle Scott once. Scott did a great job as Max Detweiller and E did a great job in his role as quiet and curious audience member.

Baby Bananas

Never before seen. We actually took them out of the bag and posed them here. Such cutie-patootie-fruity!

Bowlarama

It was an impromptu outing after a farewell happy hour for a friend and colleague. Most of us had our far share of gutterballs but all of us had a great time. Surprisingly, all of the rental shoes seemed almost brand new!

Random Acts of Color

Still no pics of the boy. But no one said I couldn't photograph his things...

Hit Me with Your Best (Flu) Shot

Our office won't get it's supply of seasonal flu vaccine until November. With all the mild hysteria carrying over from the spring, I admit I am a bit spooked. I took E to get his shot today and he asked if I got one too and if he could see me get mine. After I wiped the few tears from his face during his rather brave flu shot showing, we went over to one of the grocery store clinics for mine.

Wax on, Wax off

The dark side of Project 182... personal grooming practices. Prior to Marie, my brows were a bit shapeless and unruly. After meeting her, my eyebrows play in the big-kid circles of eyebrow grooming. It's the few days per month my brows are red carpet worthy.

Book Club Babes

Today is the first day that I have been challenged to go a full week without photographing E for my daily photo project. It can be really easy to use my kid for the project: he's cute and mostly willing to pose for the camera. I mean, this is the time I should be taking advantage of documenting his life! Soon enough the eye rolling and sulking and out and out refusal to have his picture taken will set in, right? Well, it might. But I also need to make sure I am challenging myself in this project to think out of the box, even it is isn't all that far reaching. So, here we go.


These are just some of the awesome Book Club Babes I meet up with the second Monday of every month to dine and dish on the latest read and whatever is hot in our lives. Going strong for almost 7 years, this group never ceases to disappoint. Any of us can be having the roughest day, not have finished the book or did, but hated it, and our coming together is like a soft spot to land, a safe place, a homecoming to people that get you that make you laugh and accept you for who you are. Even if you did just mandate the worst book ever.

Grandparent's Day

Celebrating Gramma at a favorite breakfast spot, First Watch.

Palm Lane

It's day 73 of the 182-day photo challenge and I felt the need to get out of my own comfort zone or at least my own zip code. E had and overnight with Gramma Kathy and I was free to wander. In the car, I traveled down to the heart of the city where there are mature trees and houses that are uniquely different from one another. Prairie Home Companion was coming out of the speakers and I felt a twinge of nostalgia. I found myself enjoying the simplicity of my evening. Just driving around with my camera, able to capture beauty of one of my favorite streets.

Ripple effect

Lucky be me

Supposedly, if you can keep a poinsetta plant alive for one year, good luck shall come to you. This beauty will celebrate its second holiday season with me this year. I have experienced a lot of change these past two years, and yet, I am forever blessed. Maybe the rumors are true...

Beautimous cumulous clouds

I captured these stunning clouds over Scottsdale on this rarest of days: 09/09/09. There will not be another set of repeating, single-digit dates that we'll see for almost a century... until January 1, 2101 (01/01/01). Come to think of it... NONE of us will be seeing it!

Classic consumption

My book club is revisiting the delightful Marjorie Morningstar, a book I read my 16th summer; and, E is allowing me to read him his first novel and childhood favorite, Charlotte's Web. This is made all the sweeter when he asks for just one more chapter each night as we read from my original copy.

Bath-time Bandit

It was no work and all play this Labor Day as E had fun in the tub. I asked him to hold up the washcloth like he was a bandit scaring me, but he decided to play both the bandit and the scared victim. Later, when looking at the picture on the computer he said, "Mommy, LOOK! My eyes look just like Dr. David Banner's eyes when he turns into the Hulk!"

It CAN Come Out Smelling Like Roses...

Window shopping in Old Town after having just had lunch at Frank and Lupe's Old Town Mexico. Who would have thought that there would be such a thing as potpourri for your poop? And in Scottsdale of all places!

Butt there is.

Fun Things Come in Small Packages

A pretty little treat I received when I went to a surprise birthday party hosted by a friend.

Desert Storm

A rare and wonderful day in the desert. E and I were off to Starbucks and to pick up friends David, Larry and Laura for a play date at the Children's Museum and lunch at America's Tacos. Fun and yum rolled into this drizzly desert day.

Practice Makes Perfect

The Kindergartners practice writing a LOT. Every day. New words, their names, everything. I am loving how his handwriting is evolving.

From Inside the Corner Office...

...errr cubicle. Here's what I look at for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. Unless I am in a meeting, which is most of the time. So I really only have this view a few hours each day.

Homework begins!

Today we received a copy of the monthly math homework calendar. An assignment each day, designed to take just a few minutes, to encourage learning and creativity. The assignments are cute and fun. Things like:

Go on a shape hunt and find things the look like rectangles.
Play a game of hopscotch.
Sing "This Old Man".

I think this homework thing is going to be fun!