Happy Halloween!!

I don't have kids of my own, so on Halloween and other holidays I "borrow" my friends' kids. That usually means I just tag along and take pictures. My super-girly niece Elizabeth actually asked to be the Ogre Princess Fiona for Halloween. Her mom Becky put some green makeup on her face, and she had the official Shrek 3 Fiona dress (purchased by her Grandma). She was a cute Ogre!!



I've also included some photos of my friend's work Halloween party. If you've seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the photo's will be even funnier.

Halloween Mojo Style!!

My friend's band, the Mojo Farmers, played at Hollywood Alley last night. They unveiled a new song, Day by Day, written and performed by my friend Jim King. Unfortunately, I couldn't get my camera into movie mode (still working on reading the instruction manual), so I don't have a video, but it was an awesome song. Hopefully I will be able to steal a portion of the clip from Becky's video camera.



The bar is an awesome dive bar half in Mesa, half in Tempe. There is actually a line down the bar that shows the city division. Bar hopping and band watching in Arizona is much nicer now that it is smoke free indoors!!



Happy Halloween!!

Mud Run 2007

The Mud Run at Camp Pendleton, what a blast!! This event happens 4 times during the year, and is a 10K through the Pendleton Marine Corps Base, complete with 3 mud pits, a tunnel crawl, two creek crossings, and a mud crawl. Everyone gets dirty, everyone has a good time, and the money goes to the ASYMCA foundation. I ran with one of my friends from Phoenix, and two of his grad students visiting from Spain, and my sister ran with another team. Fun was had by all! I can't wait until next year. Hopefully we will finally get team t-shirts made up.

Third Thursdays at Tempe Marketplace

As if there weren't all ready enough; a new shopping center has sprung up in Tempe. I have to admit after walking around the Marketplace tonight, I thoroughly enjoyed the set up, with the brick walkways, water features, and even an outdoor fireplace! (I know it's Arizona, but in the fall and winter, an outdoor fireplace makes a nice, romantic touch.) There are several great restaurants, tons of shopping, a gelato shop, a Harkins Cine Capri, and even a Dave & Busters if you feel like gaming.



Every Third Thursday the Edge 103.9 is going to have a live band (or 2) playing in the open air amphitheater. The event is sponsored by Budweiser, so there is beer to purchase. All in all, not a bad way to spend a Thursday, wandering through the shopping center, drinking a beer, and listening to great music. Tonight's band was Authority Zero, a national band that started right here in AZ! It's always great when the local guys make it big. I'm looking forward to spending many more 3rd Thursdays at the Marketplace, especially with the excellent weather Arizona is currently enjoying!

F1 Racing-Hybrid takes the Cup!!

For our annual team building event, my coworkers and I went to the F1 Race Factory in Tempe. It was a blast!! We did two separate races, each consisting of 21 laps. I love to drive fast, but mostly on flat, straight freeways. The curves on the track are slightly harder for me, and I finished third to last and second to last, respectively. Eric took the trophy, with a healthy lead over second place, held by Kevin, and the bronze trophy went to Scott. Afterward, we had dinner at Monti's Casa Vieja, a good steak place in the oldest building in Tempe. I'm looking forward to racing again soon!

Total Colorado Vacation

I thought I would try out the SlideShow. . . .

Pike's Peak

This morning my friend Doug drove us up to the top of Pike's Peak. It's an hour drive, versus a nine hour hike, so I was happy with the chosen mode of transportation. The morning was perfect. The drive up the mountain was wonderful, and I got a chance to take quite a few pictures from the passenger side. The summit was freezing, and there was a lot of cloud cover rolling in, which made for some breathtaking pictures. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Hiking in the Springs. . . .

I'm on vacation this weekend visiting my buddy in Colorado Springs. Last night we had an excellent meal at the Blue Star Wine Bar
consisting of tapas and a bottle of Rioja!!.

This morning we got up and took a 6 mile hike, we finished in under 3 hours, and the guide said it took 3, so we kept up a good pace!!
There was a small creek flowing down the mountain, then we also stopped at Helen Hunt Falls for a photo op. It was quiet and peaceful, the perfect way to spend a vacation day. The weather was beautiful, just a tad windy at the top of the mountain.

Laughlin

I spent 24 hours in Laughlin this Monday and Tuesday. Unfortunately, I was not able to snap any pictures; the security guards frown highly on cameras in the casino area. However, I did enjoy playing many different slot machines. I discovered Hot Hot Jackpot, which I won $90 on, and Monopoly, where I lost my $90. I was in Laughlin with my parents and some extended family, including two of my great-aunts, a great-uncle, my grandma, and my aunt and her boyfriend. We played BINGO, we bowled, we gambled.

I, unfortunately, decided to take the scenic route home from Laughlin. I completely missed the turnoff for Wickenburg from Kingman, so I ended up going home through Ash Fork. It wasn't a horrible detour. Traffic wasn't bad, the weather was nice, and I got to see more of Arizona. I did finally make it home safely, and am looking forward to my next trip this weekend to Colorado Springs!! I will have my camera on that trip, and plan on taking plenty of pictures for the blog. Until then. . . .