Shallow

And as shallow as my last post was, lots of not so good things happend yesterday and I'm tired but not like sleepy tired, just tired.

So that's why you get random.

And I LOVE random! :)

more later....

~me

squooooooshed hair....

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of receiving a CT Scan.




Now my directions from the place were:

• No food or drink 2 hours before---well I am so not a breakfast person but as soon as someone tells me I cannot have something, then I was like this starving girl.



• "are you allergic to iodine?" Um, no...i don't think so.



• "You have to be here 30 minutes before your appointment".....so then I think omg they are going to make me drinks something or do something yucky!
  
  

What it really was......

Take off your necklace and earrings.

Lay down and we're going to move you in and out of this thing for 2 minutes and then you are done!

I should have asked why I could not eat or drink anything!?!?!

As I laid on that very comfortable contraption, all I could think about was that I was squishing my hair.....but my hair looked great. I tried a new hairspray yesterday and it was fabulous....Left the house at 10:30 am. Returned home at 10:45 pm and my hair still looked great!

sunshine on my shoulder.....

....makes me happy......

And a good book (or today, in my case, it was a magazine).

And tons of sunshine.

And a cute puppy named Emma.

My mama went out of town to visit Eileen so Emma was all by herself.

So Emma and I spent a good hour outside in the sunshine...........

It made for a good day.........If only for an hour to get away and be quiet and just be!

"There's no time...." Jessie Spano

In my family, when someone says something like "I don't have time" or "I'm overwhelmed", the rest of us begin to quote the infamous Jessie Spano.

In a house full of girls, Saved by the Bell had a special place in our hearts and in our living room.

The above video, of Jessie freaking out (and trying to swallow "caffeeine pills" (or so we think!)

There is not enough time right now, in my day.....Time is a crazy thing because I can't buy more or earn more or save more...........it is what it is.

Maybe I need an assistant? :)

~me

Emma Baffert

I remember a feisty old lady named Emma.........she was my grandmothers close and dear friend and she passed a long time ago........

Fast forward to present day.........my sisters have been talking talking talking about getting another dog and naming her Emma Baffert.

Instead, my parents got the puppy and named her Emma Baffert.

And she's adorable!

I am not a dog person. I wouldn't even consider myself an animal person. But I adore this little bundle of joy.

The baby is engaged....

Bethany is my youngest sister and is the baby.........

And tonight, the baby became a fiance.

We were celebrating my mama's birthday and had a fabulous dinner and fun evening. We were playing catch phrase and after awhile of playing, Zack started to describe his phrase.....and with that, he proposed on one knee!

Bethany's ring is beautiful and she was so happy! Zack was thrilled and I am so glad we were all there to witness it!

Got the worm......

(Above title refers to being an early bird, not drinking tequila)

~Today I learned the beauty of waking up early.

It was difficult

I was cranky.

But..............I got SO MUCH DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I.....

• Went and did my presentation where a lady THANKED ME for working with kids and being so passionate about what I do for the families in Chandler. Made me smile :)
• Went to the store.
• Went and got my nails done (all the above before 10am!)
• Went to Lunch with Becca.
• Went to Williams to do some work (my laptop was at the Club)
• Went to Dunkin Donuts to buy donuts for becca for helping with my budget, Crystal & Liz for doing anything I ask (and I ask crazy things!) and for me so i was loaded up on sugar!
• Came home and took a 28 min nap which woke me kinda cranky but I got over it!
• Went back to the Club.
• Spoke to numerous parents and facilitated 3 basketball games.
• Finally returned home.

So looks to me like you can really get a lot done if you get up early.

But I am exhausted!

~me

Good Morning

I'm up early again.......

Tired.

5 hours and 20 minutes of sleep.

I have a presentation to do this morning at 7:15 am.

And I have a looooonnng day........basketball games end at 9pm tonight.

Thank goodness my parents live 1 mile from the Club because I will be retreating at some point for a nap.

I flipped my hair and procrastinated....yup, that sums in up.

It's 6:12 am.

I am never ever up at 6:12 am. Even on those rare days I need to be up at 6:12am, I struggle.

Yet this morning, I am wide awake....and my mind is all over the place.

• My 2009-2010 budget is due tomorrow and I am struggling over the numbers because we'll be in a new facility so a lot is up in the air. And I am really good at putting off the things I don't want to do.

• Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....I saw M.C. yesterday. (M.C.=my crush) And I think, you can only be soooo flirty for so long. I caught myself flipping my hair while talking to him. Nice. All of a sudden I'm a junior high girl flipping and tossing my hair!!! (Remember in Jr high, that was like a mating call)

• I am so behind on both of my classes this semester (see #1 above)

I need to do something fun........I feel like I am in too much of a routine and basketball season has a few more weeks (the two correlate because I'm working way too many hours a day...yesterday was 11am meeting up to 9:15 because that's when basketball ended.)

So I am working on the budget (and typing this...hello, didn't you read #1).

And I have thought about that handsome fella of a crush of mine. :)

And I am hoping that once I get some of the revenue part of this monster done, I can go back to sleep........at least for a little bit.

Good morning :)

~me

Embrace Your Grace

Saving Grace is beginning it's second season and thanks to the website www.houseparty.com you can sign up and hope that you are chosen to host a party and they send you a kit.

So I was selected to host the season 2 kick off of Saving Grace.

So my kit came today. It has all of these great tshirts that say things like "Challenge Authority" and "Break the Rules" and "Unapologetic" It also came with the FIRST episode of the next season that doesn't air until March 2nd (WOOHOO!!!)

So I have shirts for my sisters, my mama and of course Isabel and Becca, my Saving Grace fans....

You can read my adaption of a speach Grace says below :)

Misadventures of Mindy E.: I want to be....

and....I love winning things :)

~me

Now I'm mad........

We have been friends WAAAY too long for it to end this way.

Through seperations and divorces and break ups, we were friends.

And then I'm suppose to read your mind and know what you are thinking and because I didn't, you go and disappear on me?

I'm going to give you some time to get over yourself and fix this. You know where to find me since now, i can't find YOU!

AND if you don't, fine..............I know where you stand.

~me
(PS---if none of this makes sense to you, it's probably not directed to you. The person it's directed to will know what this means. It will be crystal clear!)

Summering in Durango

While growing up, we use to visit Durango, Colorado every single summer.

And to me, it was paradise.

Today, the weather felt a bit brisk....and it reminded me of being 15 and in Durango.

We use to drive to Durango every summer. We would always pass through Four Corners and we would crab walk (kind of a stand still crab walk not like we were walking around like that) and put a foot or a hand in Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

We would pass through Cortez which always signaled that we were almost there.

We always stayed at Cascade Village Condos in Durango.

I loved this house---It was enormous (to the child I was) we had lots of bedrooms and very little tv stations. (Blues Brothers was ALWAYS on when we were there. Weird)

We would horseback ride.

We were always learning how to fish (yes, us Elias girls would fish)

We would shop and shop and shop in downtown Durango.

We would always watch a movie at the local theater.

We would always take a horsedrawn carrage through the town to hear of the history of the homes and I remember distinctly learning what a widows walk was. The homes were breathtaking.

We would take the durango/silverton railroad to silverton. Spend some time having lunch, stroll through the town and of course, shopping and then drive back to Durango.

We would visit the resort at Purgatory and my sisters and dad would take these landslides down (not me as I am a frady cat and won't go up on a ski lift)

At night, all of the Elias girls would find their way to the loft and you would hear muffled giggles as we were told to go to sleep!

These trips were so wonderful and I have so many amazing family memories thanks to Durango.

To this day, Durango is breathtaking. Durango has these brilliant sky's that make you breathe crisp, fresh air and feel alive.

So today, when I walked outside, I felt 15 again and in Durango.

And that's a magnificent feeling.

Planning or Playing?

I saw that Steve Harvey has put out a new book.......

And he's pretty funny.........and he has some interesting things to say, from the man's perspective.

Like.....Men are either planning or playing. They are either or when they are with a woman. So which is it?

I love this story about the 90 day rule and how people at Ford Motor Company hire people and give them 90 days to see if they get along with others and if they share and if they communicate and after 90 days, they are given benefits. To get their eyes checked and teeth fixed (his words not mine) and that women should have the 90 day rule because it's worked for Ford for all of these years, why not women?

Seems interesting, the concept of a man telling women what a man is thinking. Yet didn't it work for "He's just not that into you"...........that book made millions and is now a movie.

So women are listening to men.......

Would it work the other way around?

~me

Can I Get A.......(What What).....

(pictures above are from Rebecca's Camera)

Now I want you to know..............I HAVE THE BEST KIDS!!!When everybody was taking pictures and pushing (mostly parents!) my kids sat, in these bleachers, waiting our turn. We were suppose to be group 13 and they never made it to 13. And no one complained. No one was upset that we didn't get our picture taken with them...........they are truly the best and that's why I love them and look after opportunities for them to experience.

Remember my words to live by................Hope and Opportunity



Here's a quote from Jay Z.....

....Then he talked about meeting with children at the Mesa Arts Academy earlier Saturday, where more than 200 students performed for Jay-Z, James and Beyonce, who made a surprise appearance.

James and Jay-Z, along with Sprite Green, donated more than 150 instruments and $10,000.Children and parents cried with excitement.

"There were tears of joy," he said. "It was beautiful, it was fantastic. You know, we've reached the heights in our respective careers that we've reached, but we haven't forgotten where we've come from. You know you made it when you can go into a school like that and you can effect people and their lives. You just never know, one of them kids may end up being the next Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gay, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg..."

Put your hands up......(oh oh oh....)

We wanted to sing when Beyonce walked out............It was quite a day for my kids, for Boys & Girls Club and for me, to be there with them..........

Check it out....(More footage on Entertainment Tonight, BET, ESPN, CNN, etc)

Valen-tiny day....

Tonight, the news was full of stories of "Anti Valentines Day" people and groups and stuff.

Now that's a little extreme............don't ya think?

People have stuff that say:

And tshirts that say:

americangreetings.com has an anti valentines day card that says Love Bites!

So what happened and when did we become so angry?

I am not hoping for roses or candy tomorrow from a significant other (or any other, not necessarily significant)........but I don't hate valentines day.

Because my memories come from being a kid----those were the best valentines days.

Lets remember why:

1. You received valentines from everyone in your class. Bonus if you actually liked someone in your class, they had to give you a valentine so hey, you're practically engaged!




2. There was always a classroom party.




3. There was always a cute outfit to wear.

My mom has never missed a Valentines day for her girls............even tonight she said to me to stop by the house tomorrow because she has a little gift for us!

To me, valentines day is the day you say I Love You to all the people you love----(I'm a hallmark crazy girl) so all of my sisters, my friends, my staff, my parents all receive cards and notes and goodies..............

And there is still a cute outfit to wear! :)

So today (tomorrow), make sure you tell people you love them (or like them!)

To keep you updated........

You can visit my other blog

chandlercobras.blogspot.com

Pictures of today's events are there (and new pictures of the Club construction)

~me

tomorrow....tomorrow....

(Okay, I'm not singing from Annie)

Tomorrow we are hosting the NBA ALL STAR Past & Present Players Clinic at the Club!

Then..........................SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!

Being worried/concerned......

I lost some sleep last night.

NOT because of my crush or a late night flirting frenzy.............

But because of all of the changes at ASU.

And Mindy=ASU in many ways.

Let's examine.

First, I live on the ASU Polytechnic Campus. When I divorced a lllllloooonnnng time ago, I was left with a brand new house, not six months old. I lived in said house for almost 4 more years and loved it but it was big and empty and expensive and far and there was upkeep that a husband was suppose to do and I didn't want to do that anymore.

So I moved onto the ASU Poly campus into student housing. Now I have a house---a big house, 1900 sq feet, four bedrooms, 2 bath. I love this little house. It's convienent. and for many years, my clubhouse was here so that's really convienent. (not to mention that I do STILL go to school and of course, The Martinez Family is less than 2 miles away in queen creek)

Second, because I am an ASU Student and have been for many years............I am way to far in to change majors and what if they get rid of my program, like they did for so many?

Lastly, my Clubhouse----I have such love for the little williams campus branch. Being able to open it and create it, what I visioned.......it was an amazing experience.

So why worry?

Well............ASU is going through a whole bunch right now so where does that leave me? What if they get rid of student housing? What if they get rid of my program and the scariest one of all becuase it would happen the soonest...........what if they close the Williams Campus Branch Boys & Girls Club??? There's been a lot of talk of it in the past and if it's going to happen, it will begin to do so in the next 3 weeks.

and then, where does that leave my best friend and roommate? Jobless?

Fear is stopping me today and I don't like that. I don't like to worry and I am worried.

I am scared.

having good friends...........

Sometimes, you have friends in your life that come in and out yet you are able to catch up with them as if time did not go by.

I've been fortunate enough to spend some time talking to my old friend, dan recently.

(our friendship is old, not Dan.......he's my age)

Anyway, it's a good thing.............I love that we have such fond memories and I love that we can chat and catch up and be totally honest.

It's a good thing............I like it :)

Sometime this week, I'm going to post my picture of Dan and I at the Christmas dance in 1991. yes, ladies and gentlemen, we did dance back in those days.........and I had huge hair.

~me

sparkytown....

Today i was able to go (after 3 hours of meetings in Sacaton) to Lexi's school (Arizona State University Polytechnic Elementary School) and see sparkytown.

It's the town that the kids made (she's in Kindergarten) and there was a library and a bank and a police station, etc. She was so excited to show me everything and it was great to see.

So ASU did a great thing by making these public schools. She's SO FAR ahead of all my kindergartners much less most of my first graders.

and then I get back to work...........and there's an email from ASU.

And they are cutting a bazillion programs and classes and schools and firing a bunch of people.

And I worry...........what if MY program goes away before I graduate? Then what? What if they close this campus?

How do you cut programs and close colleges? ASU is one of the most popular schools in the nation?

Crushing..........

Do you remember being in Junior High....(or me, elementary school)

6th grade?

And having a crush on someone?

My 6th grade crush was Michael Carerra. He was so adorable and I loved hearing him talk. And then he asked me out.

In a note, no less!

Oh the days of being in love and in the 6th grade :)

And then we had to go to different junior highs and we never saw each other again....

So this brings me to present time...........

I have a tiny, little baby, small crush.

And he is adorable. And I love hearing him talk.

And that's all...........no note passing or anything else.

Other than it kinda feels good to have a tiny, little baby, small crush.

so if you come here........

stay awhile.

read.

learn.

laugh.

and for goodness sake, leave me a message, a comment.....send me an email.

Something.

Tell me that YES, YOU AGREE!

Or

OMG I can't believe you said that!

Just.
Say.

Something.

Being the exception........

Today we saw:

Now I read this book when it first came out..........because it was written by a writer from Sex and the City. Now there is a SATC episode where Carrie's boyfriend tells Miranda that maybe the guy "is just not that into you".........the book had some fabulous quotes and as did the movie.......
Here are some of my favorites............

• Don't give him the chance to reject you again.

• Don't be flattered that he misses you. He should miss you. You're deeply missable. However, he's still the same person who just broke up with you. Remember, the only reason he can miss you is because he's choosing, every day, not to be with you.

• He doesn't need to be reminded that you're great.

• There's a guy out there who's going to be really happy that you didn't get back together with your crappy ex-boyfriend.

• I don't want to be the rule, I want to be the exception........

• And I don't want to loose hope :)

Loved the movie. Loved the book more. Loved the quotes above.

Today was a good day.........

Here are some updated pictures of the property with construction underway........

And Miss Alexsia just lost a tooth...........look at that smile! :)
Today was our Basketball Picture Day! Even Robbie had a little jersey on! We had a great turn out of people and everyone had a good time!

Just some crazy thoughts in my head.....

Kind of like a to do list but not really.

~People should be excited that we are getting a new building and not being cry babies about the parking situation.

~I don't like it when my sister disables her comment icon on her blog.

~I took a road trip today to another Club that is on the Gila River Indian Reservation and it took me an hour and 13 minutes to get there..........and I didn't mind! I had a new CD and it was good thinking time. Gotta love a good road trip :)

~When I drink Iced Tea, I need LITERALLY 8 or so lemons.

~I filed my taxes tonight! WOOHOO!!!

~I am going to DISNEYLAND (OMG!) in March!

~Drew Barrymore..........gotta love her and the characters she plays! Can't wait to see "He's just not that into you!"

~I don't like IKEA..............I don't like that there is only one entrance and one exit and it's so big, you can't get out and you need a map (I know, I know.....from the girl who LOVES to shop!)

~Tomorrow, I have LOTS and LOTS of meetings............bleh.

~I received some great great compliments today.........one, from a parent at the club. Two, from one of my staff who told me I looked pretty today and three, from one of my dear, old friends about the type of mama I'll be someday.

~Take time today to compliment somebody!

~I have a ton of homework to do this weekend!

~I hope it rains this weekend! It was 80 today and too warm for Feb!

~I have to go to bed..........it's almost 2am! I need to make it a point to go to sleep earlier each nite.

~Goodnite!

The song remembers when...

Ever hear a song and BAM! It takes you back.......

almost like a time machine?


Happens to me all the time..........

They say (who is they?) that memories are triggered and remembered by scents and sounds.....

So here is one that make me feel 16 again.......

Literally feel it, inside my heart, those butterflies in my stomache, the giddiness of being young and so in love with the boy who could do no wrong...........




Many of you know (or don't) that I was married for a hot second......at my fabulous beautiful wedding so many years ago (11 to be exact), one of my favorite parts was when this song played and it was for me and my sisters......coming from a family of all girls, of my amazing sisterhood of Elias', it is only fitting. This song makes me so happy every single time I hear it!

So the dance floor flooded with SISTERS---from my great aunt to my mama and her sister but most importantly, in my circle of dancing, there were the Elias girls dancing away.........

And the irony of it all now (as I am a grown up and I experience irony) is that this amazing group that sings this song is my teen directors mama and aunties..............


Whenever I hear this song, I think of this little baby that I adored as we are 13 years apart in age.......she would look up at me with these giant blue eyes and chubby cheeks and my heart would melt. I was so amazed with this little girl and I loved her so much! (Hello, I still do but stay with me.....) I rememeber telling my mom that when Bethany graduated from high school, I wanted to play her this song.....(Now you have to remember this was 20 years ago and I had REALLY big hair and I was 15 and life revolved around music!)

Again, with the irony............as I drove to her college graduation party----what happened to be on the radio and made me cry my eyes out and think of that precious baby girl? Yup, you guessed it............


That's all for my trip down memory lane...............this was way fun for me so we'll do it again........maybe next time I'll actually scan some pics so you can see (or remember!) how big my hair actually was!

~me

Reasons my day was yucky....

• I woke up this morning with a migraine.





• My first work email was from the janitorial staff that a window was broken.








(not exact picture............why? See below)






• Come to find out later that the window was broken because someone threw a piece of parking lot at it.





• I know someone is taking things off of my desk. My annual report was there on Friday and today it was GONE.
  
  



• I was shopping for Club supplies today and of course, my club credit card was not in my purse.









• I still have a headache.






• My dad does one of those "hi surprise" visits to the club which for whatever reason, makes my staff nervous.........probably because he walks around and looks around.






• I forgot my camera at home today and seriously, my club looks totally different. Made me sad.

Lots of good, no great things happened today like.........

• Despite people messing with me, I got my annual report done.





• I didn't have to cook dinner and that was great (and it was delish)





• Excedrin Migraine was on sale today!





• A TON of construction was done today, in one day.









• my headache is finally going away.









• I won a picture I've been eyeing in an auction for Nie.