The Power of 6!

According to the calendar it's currently spring, but in the land of being a school administrator, the end of the school year marks the beginning of summer, despite the last day of the school year happening during the month of May. With that being said, I must say that of all school years, this one has seemed to fly by the fastest. Either time passes much more quickly the older you get, or I'm legitimately having a lot of fun on the job. Maybe it's a bit of both. Anyway, winter is gone and spring/summer have arrived, which is always my favorite time of year. 

This spring has been full of adventure, specifically hiking. I haven't taken Alfredo on any recent hiking trips, but that's only because I've been charting unknown territory. Here are some pictures of recent hikes I've been on. These happen to be three of the coolest I have ever done.

Robber's Roost, Sedona

Tonto Natural Bridge, Payson

Soldier Pass, Sedona

Next week I'm headed to San Diego for a much needed vacation. It's quite sad that all of my recent trips throughout the last year have been visiting Kansas, Indiana, and Michigan. I'm in desperate need of a beach. While there, I plan on heading to Potato Chip Rock for what should be another great hike. You can see how cool it looks here. Interestingly enough, I've never actually hiked in California. It's likely Alfredo will get to join in on that adventure since he'll be in tow. It'll probably be good for him. He's been going a little stir crazy lately being stuck in the tuna.

Playing fetch indoors

Standing on tables. You know, the usual!

I am actually thinking about buying a house so he can have the luxury of having a yard. So often I tell him mom has to go to work so that I can buy him a dog house. I should probably make that a reality sometime soon. He's been in the tuna since he was 1, and speaking of age...

Naturally, we celebrated his birthday in style this year. It's hard to believe he turned six last month. He's still a bundle of energy. This year we had a birthday brunch at "The Morning Squeeze". I ordered him the doggy omelette as pupcakes weren't as big of a hit last year. He seemed to do okay with this year's entree.

This isn't the most thrilling picture of him, but I promise he enjoyed himself.

After brunch I took him to Petsmart, where I allowed him to go on his very own shopping spree. He was pretty decisive this year. It only took him about 30 seconds to pick out a toy, and luckily for me, he only chose one - although most of the others were a fraction of the price. I guess fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Expensive taste!

True to form, he took it all the way to the register and then to the car.

In other news, my absolute favorite event in AZ, known as Junk in the Trunk, took place a couple of weeks back. You'd think it was my birthday with some of my purchases (again, another reason why I need to bite the bullet and purchase a house). I bought the coolest storage bench. I just love it! Apparently, so does the dog.

I really need to hide the TV wires. Drives me crazy.

Speaking of things he loves, another new love at the age of six is apparently rolling around in the flowers that fall from the nearby plants. Either that, or he's giving me a hint it's time for the groomer.

And lucky for him, the other day when I were at the pool, the neighbor mentioned that his cat hates the new bed/pouch thing he got for him, so Alfredo has since adopted something new to lay on. I'd say six is off to a great start!

El Nino has arrived, and so have I!

Well, when I decided to take a two week adventure to the Great Plains and Midwest for Christmas, I admit I was a bit apprehensive because of the risk that comes along with winter weather. Boy was I mistaken. Not only has the high in Kansas (my current location) been warmer than recent days in Phoenix, I couldn't have had a more perfect drive here. The only snow I actually saw along the way was settled on the trees from a previous storm in northern Arizona, known as the "high country"

as well as snow that was settled in Liberal, Kansas from a storm that hit a few days back. Given they received roughly 8 inches, most of it had melted. I did, however, find a nice patch for the purpose of introducing Alfredo to snow. The only other time he's ever experienced snow (which was sort of debatable) was a few years back in Scottsdale. While extremely rare, the valley can get snow every now and then, and we did. It only stuck on the ground for probably an hour, but nevertheless, he hated it then, and not much changed this time around.

There is no denying that he is a total desert dog. It would be interesting to see how he would react to actual snowflakes falling from the sky, which he has yet to experience. Who knows, maybe one day!

Anyway, since arriving to Wichita, we've been out and about pretty frequently. Mom and I have gotten some fun shopping in, and I've maintained my workouts by going out for a couple of runs. I even let the little one tag along, which is rare. He seemed to enjoy himself, nevertheless.

It was actually only in the 40s on this run, so I made him wear his coat.

After the run, he still played the game he always plays called, "I'm going to bite mom's feet until she gives me her shoes." 

Unreal.

Tomorrow my journey continues to Chicago, where I will spending the next several days in Indiana with Kevin and his family. Words cannot express how excited I am to see him, and my anticipation makes me wish I was there already. It has been a very rough couple of weeks in the nation. Arizona has had it's fair share of very random freak accidents, and because of El Nino - as much as I love it - there's also been all kinds of tornadoes in the Midwest/South, which led to fatalities tragically. This of course makes me even more anxious just to get there.

 

Well, off to bed for tomorrow's travels and fun Christmas festivities. Alfredo will be spending the next several days at grandma's house here in Kansas, which he certainly seems to be enjoying (although the cats aren't). Merry Christmas!

As the seasons change, so do I...

Change isn't easy. In fact, I think it can be one of the most difficult things to endure. When lots of changes happen at once, it can feel overwhelming. Such has been the case with me for a few months now, so much that when I think about the material for this blog, the topic of change seems to trump everything else.

In my last post, I wrote about my first adventure to Kansas. Well, as of last week, mom has officially moved there. Prior to the big move, I had the opportunity to visit the house in Crown Point one last time. Having lived there since I was 8 years old, I can't say it was as emotional as I thought it would've been. I remember lots of good memories there. My greatest have to be growing up and being outside with my friends who lived on the street/neighborhood, the large rope that my friends and I used to swing on from the massive tree (that was ultimately taken down) in the front yard, the frogs I used to catch in the grass and keep all summer long, sleepovers with friends, receiving and opening my IU acceptance letter in the kitchen, running on the track behind mom's house the day I decided that I was going to make running a lifelong hobby, interviewing for (and ultimately receiving) my first teaching job while sitting on mom's back deck in my pajamas, numerous evenings in the hot tub reflecting on life while watching the stars and planes fly toward Chicago, swimming in her pool on beautiful July days, the 4th of July, which was always a good atmosphere in her neighborhood, shoveling the driveway after massive snowfalls, playing softball for the subdivision, and most importantly, my own little sanctuary - my bedroom - which changed as I did with age. Then of course there were the not so good times, like when I watched my dad drive away  out of my bedroom window for the very last time when he moved out, being in total fear of my mom when she was in a bad mood - because if there would've been a secret room somewhere in the house, I would've escaped there, the death of Sheba, my very best friend and dog that I had from ages 2-13 years old, and maybe a few others things I prefer not to mention. The loss of Crown Point is probably more impactful than the loss of her house, although based on my current dating situation, the loss of Crown Point I guess really isn't a loss after all. I once read, "Sometimes where you started is right where you belong." Now, I won't admit that Crown Point, or even Indiana, is where I truly belong, but I will admit that having connected (or -maybe even- reconnected) with Kevin was certainly meant to happen, and now I have him to thank for keeping Crown Point a significant place in my life given we share a very important and unique thing, the same hometown.

On a side note, here is the last picture I took standing in my mom's driveway. It was Halloween, so naturally I took a picture of one of my favorite things.



While on the Midwest moving topic, interestingly enough, I'm not the only one dealing with change. My dear friend Staci, who I've referenced in this blog on several different occasions, just moved back to her home state of Iowa. This took quite a toll on me - and I believe for Alfredo - since she was one of my very best friends here in Arizona. Considering she was my next door neighbor, it was always very convenient for us to dog sit for each other. I can't explain the excitement Alfredo used to get when he'd see her or her dog/his girlfriend, Dion, through the window. What a loss this certainly is. Here we are at what I like to call, "The Last Supper":

I already miss her immensely. This has also got my mind on the Midwest lately.

 

Shifting gears back on AZ, the fall has been alright. Unlike last year, I scored big at the State Fair this year. When I wasn't adoring or taking selfies with all of the farm animals, I was spending a stupid amount of money on games.

Okay, maybe Alfredo scored big. I have no idea what to do with a human sized donut other than to give it to him. It's a total eyesore, and as far as the cow goes, he's now missing his ears and some of his face.

 



 

Other than that, it's been a whole lot of work. One thing I'm trying to change there is the morale, so last Sunday Alfredo got to experience running around in the elementary school while I surprised two co-workers with balloons galore on Monday morning for their birthdays. This means Alfredo has officially been to all four sites that I have worked for in the district. Spoiled boy.

He wasn't a huge fan of being stuck in a classroom. For that, thank God he's not a real kid.

"Get me out of here."



 

And speaking of "get me out of here", I'm excited about my next journey to the Midwest over Christmas break. I'm not sure I've ever been so excited about leaving Arizona during the winter, but I guess it's not the place that makes my heart full, it's the people that are in the place. I recently spent Thanksgiving with Kevin, who flew out for the holiday. It meant the world to be able to spend the holiday with someone I truly care about, and in turn, with someone who truly cares about me.

I've never wanted time to go by so fast, but I'm optimistic. For the next few weeks, it's going to be preparing for my favorite holiday, Christmas! Until then...







   

There's no place like home.

For the first time in over two years, I actually took an entire week off of work. Both my professional and personal life have been so crazy that I felt it was time. One crazy experience includes mom's relocation to the state of Kansas, so I decided the Heartland of America was a great destination. She isn't quite settled yet, but I-and Alfredo- did get to see her new house.

If it looks like he was dreaming of the grass, don't worry, he got to enjoy that also.

Exploring Kansas, specifically Wichita, was a great time. I'm all about traveling to new places. The people were great, which is exactly what I expected. I saw fields of wheat for the first time of my life, and I loved that there are bales of hay everywhere.

If this doesn't signify the Great Plains, I sure don't know what does.

Anyway, getting to Kansas wasn't necessarily easy. Turns out, driving approximately 15 hours in a day gets to be quite exhausting. I also left on only two hours of sleep, which probably wasn't the wisest decision. For the majority of the trip, I was literally in the middle of nowhere in the great wide open. Not having any eye stimulation to the brain probably didn't help.

I will tell you what did help, though, and that was being pulled over in Oklahoma.

Now, I think it's important to admit, especially since police officers are getting such bad publicity in the media lately, that this experience was actually a pleasant one. The officer who pulled me over could've been one of the nicest officers I have ever met. I was pleased and shocked that he let me go with a warning. When I asked him how fast I was going, he simply said, "more than 65". I literally had no idea what the speedometer said, which gives me reason to believe that by this point, I was feeling pretty delusional along in my drive. When this experience happened, I was 11 hours in. And because I basically go above and beyond in almost everything I do, I actually found the officer later on in the week on social media and thanked him for pulling me over but not giving me a ticket. He did so much more than he realized. It allowed me to refocus which is something I desperately needed.

Now, as far as Alfredo is concerned, he spent the majority of the time relaxing and sleeping. I can't decide if this made the drive easier or more difficult. I guess if nothing else, it was nice having the opportunity to look over at him and pet him from time to time. Although he was in relaxation mode for most of the journey, I didn't really feel alone.

And of course, there were times it seemed he was checking up on things. He even growled at the police officer during my warning experience in Oklahoma. Protecting his mama I guess.

I look exactly like I should in this picture. Tired and exhausted.

If only we could've taken turns.

The only other time he was up and at it aside from checking things out from time to time is when we stopped for meals. He looks just a tad excited about his roast beef from Arby's, don't you think?

He is quite the lucky dog in that he's been in many places all over the country. Unfortunately we didn't find Toto while on this trip, but he sure enjoyed playing fetch in the lovely, Kansas grass.

Another thing we had the opportunity to do was walk along the Arkansas River (which the residents refer to as Our Kansas River). This was monumental for me as it was the first time I really tested out my ankle which has been recovering for weeks after my fall from Humphrey's Peak. Alfie seemed to enjoy it also.

And speaking of my recovering ankle, I tried running today and succeeded. I almost began crying as I took off, because I knew being able to run meant I was officially healing, something I thought would never happen. I guess I'd say it's been a nice week so far. The goal for tomorrow is to successfully get back to AZ, because after all, there is no place like home.

"Patience, grasshopper"

The best way to start with this passage is with a disclaimer; this will be by far the most random, often sad, but also uplifting post I've written, probably ever. The amount of change that has happened since my last post feels almost unbearable at times, but, as I've mentioned in this very same blog previously, I've got to roll with the punches, because life goes on. Never has my patience been tested as much as it recently has, which is something I need to do a better job at developing. I guess more than ever my patience has been put to the test.

First there's James. Now, I prefer to avoid talking publicly about private, personal things, so this won't be very detailed. The moral of this story is simply this; there are many things in life that I will never truly understand. One of those things is the ability of one human being to screw another one over, sadly, on more than one occasion. I guess for some, when the going gets tough (and even when the going really isn't that tough), it's easier to quit than to put in the effort. I guess not all people value relationships equally. Nevertheless, it's tough times that put into perspective the importance of friendships, and I'm ridiculously grateful for the friends I've got. That, and Alfredo has continued being the best companion imaginable. I'm convinced dogs are capable of gauging the mood of humans.

The only other piece of  this story I am willing to share is my ability to learn from the experience and move on. My friend Mark has said time and time again that the best thing we can do is take what we've learned and use the information when making future decisions. I think of this advice often. That, and I found a quote the other day that I think is quite powerful and also goes along with the theme of having patience: "Hold the vision, trust the process". It's just so true.

Now, usually when I'm blindsided, my go-to is changing other things in my life in an attempt to lift my spirit. So, I've rearranged my bedroom (and living room although that room is still in the process) - and yes, naturally Alfredo helped, and yes...

I ensured he still had window access...

I chopped my hair...

and I did the unthinkable. I took a random, last minute trip to Kansas City to see Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney with Nic, my bestie. The tickets were stellar... 

and so was the barbecue.

It really was a much needed weekend.

Let's just continue this summer in chronological order. After some ups and downs in the personal life, the same held true in my professional one. Last March, I became the Dean of Students at the alternative school in the district, and for approximately one month over the summer, I served  as acting while my boss was out. This included overseeing the underage students that were incarcerated, as well as overseeing the adult students in the GED program. I loved it, and when I say I loved it, I really mean I LOVED it. I was thrilled about working directly with students again, which is what I really missed while working in HR. Anyway, fast forward six months, and I was told that I was being promoted as the Assistant Principal at the elementary school. What an honor!

Now, I'm a few weeks in, which means I'm officially in Panizzo Pizzazz mode. However, the change was very difficult for me, having left the students -and some staff- I was ridiculously close with at the alternative school. I didn't leave without speaking writing from the soul, though. I ended up hand writing each of them a letter upon my departure. What a great group of students, despite many of their circumstances.

A couple of weeks before I knew I was going forth with the big transition, I let Alfredo hang out in my office for a day. It was nice having him there while I wrapped up final projects and prepared to train my replacement. He found himself right at home, which was fitting, because that's exactly how I felt being there. It really was a great experience.

At my final days on that campus, the students and staff really went all out for me. JJ, one of my closest colleagues there, purchased the biggest pizza as a going away meal that I have ever seen in my life. He even ended up ordering a side cheese, since he later found out I'm not into pepperoni. 

Another teacher allowed me to bond with his class pet, Charlotte, who I helped keep alive over the summer (sort of against my will).

Turns out, tarantulas are actually rather cool.

And then there's Cherry, who painted a sweet picture for me that now hangs in my office at the elementary school.

Pure love.

Switching gears back to my personal life, then there was Kevin, and before I start, let me just say, similarly to curve balls being thrown in life are also pleasant surprises which sometimes appear out of nowhere. Such is the case here.

I've known Kevin for years, sort of. Originally from my hometown, Kevin and I literally grew up less than one mile apart. I officially met Kevin while in 8th grade. He was a freshman at Crown Point High School, and my "boyfriend" -I guess you could call it- at the time, played on the same baseball team with him. I didn't really know him all that well in high school. For me, he was well known as having an identical twin, which, interestingly enough, was brought up by another individual originally from Crown Point (random) at one of the coolest little places in Flagstaff, Arizona imaginable. Anyway, back then I really could never tell them apart. I just knew Kevin was always the nicer one. The reason he is being mentioned is because over the summer, Kevin came to Arizona to visit his best friend. Naturally, I reached out to him and ended up meeting him at one of the greatest wild western places here. The journey  doesn't end there, though. He was brave enough to do the unthinkable with me, which was climb the highest point in the state of Arizona, Humphrey's Peak in Flagstaff. This is something I've been wanting to do for years, and none of my local friends were interested (for good reason). Knowing Kevin had never seen this particular mountain before, I knew I could sucker him into it. The experience was one of a kind, and in the grand scheme of things, I'm so glad he was right there with me. We have both been going through our own struggles in recent times, and therefore, it was much appreciated, despite the incredible challenge it took in getting there. If only he didn't live what seems like 58340200983467432 miles away. I'm just so grateful to have him and other great people in my life.

Now, reaching the summit was extraordinary, and the entire experience was life changing, in good and in bad. Moments after this picture was taken and we were headed off the mountain, I rolled my ankle, which resulted in a trip to urgent care and one of those robot looking casts for the last two weeks. Well that, and lots of ice, elevation, and wraps.

Another freaking total bummer. 

So, what's going on with me now?! Well, my elementary gig is currently eating up a good 12 hours days during the week, my ankle is slowly making progress, I'm doing my best to manage my time wisely -although the blog has been on the back burner. If you, the reader, knows anything about me at all, you know the inability to run is also driving me completely mad. On many days, I feel like Alfredo probably does lately...simply going crazy.

He hasn't even gone "bye byes" in so long, that I finally got him into the groomer, another area that was lacking.

I guess I'll finish this note on a good one: a stranger and brand new colleague came up to me the other day and said, "Things are going to get better". Until then, I will continue focusing on the positive, and learning to do something I'm not good at and also can't stand hearing, even though it's good advice. "Patience, grasshopper". Until next time, which I hope it's another 2 months from now.