Snowstorm

It's very cold and wet today. So cold and wet that the Superstitions and Four Peaks are covered in snow. I got a few pics after work before the clouds closed back in and it started raining again. It has been a very wet winter so far. It's very green here.

Feb 4, 2008 Snowstorm

Phoenix Zoo

We got a big burst of energy this morning and no one was sick so we went to the Phoenix Zoo. The kids had a blast. It's been a long time since we have been to the zoo. I was surprised that Garrett wasn't quite as interested in the animals as I thought he would be, but he still had fun. I rented an electric scooter at the zoo so I wouldn't be crippled by the time we left and that was a huge help. I don't feel drained at all. The zoo wasn't very crowded for it being a Saturday. It must be because of superbowl weekend and the superbowl is here in town so there is a lot going on related to that and there is the FBR golf tournament closing out this weekend. Pictures below:

PHX Zoo

Memories

One of my last visits prior to Dad's death I digitized a bunch of slides that Dad had taken. Almost all of his old pictures were slides. I am finally getting around to posting some of the pics. They include me and my siblings from long ago.

New Car

Well we finally got a new car and got rid of the money pit dually. We got a Mazda CX-9 and we really like it. It's almost completely loaded. It has three rows of seats, Bose 275 Watt sound system, Navigation system and a bunch of other fancy doodads.

New Car

We bought the car at Earnhardt Mazda in Chandler, AZ at Ray and I10. One of the reasons I waited so long to get a vehicle is I absolutely hate the car buying experience with a passion. The only reason I went to this dealership is because through my work I was supposed to get a special no haggle price. That could not be farther from the truth. I haggled more than usual. I went through three levels of assholes playing dumb, my best friend, and a crybaby genius that just wanted to help me out. I don't want to spend forever typing the details, but if anyone ever reads this that is considering buying from this dealer please reply with a reponse to this post and I will be happy to fill you in on the details. I strongly recommend against buying from any of the Earnhardt dealerships. Their slogan is "No Bull" and that couldn't be farther from the truth. I was so pissed by the time it was over I couldn't sleep all night and that's unusual for me. I finally gave up at 3:30 this morning and came down to sit in my recliner.

Oh Christmas Tree

We decorated our Christmas tree this evening. Lindsey came over to help. It was a lot of fun. The kids really enjoyed having her here.

I didn't realize how much I have been slacking on my blog stuff until I looked just now. I remember thinking about adding a lot of stuff, but I guess I haven't. I meant to add stuff about my most recent Wharton trip, but nope.

The kids are really looking forward to the holidays this year. We plan on spending Christmas in Wharton, TX with their Grandma. We haven't figured out how to get there yet, but we better figure it out soon.

Here are the pics from decorating the tree:

Christmas Tree 2007

There is also a brief movie in this album.

I should have a lot of updates this month with all the Christmas activities and all the pretty things to photograph.

Halloween

Well the kids had a great time on Halloween. Justin stayed home to hand out candy. He's too old to go with us. Garrett was a Ninja and Alex was a Alien. They got a huge haul of candy. I've got a massive headache right now from eating too much.

Homecoming Dance

It's the 2007 Homecoming for Desert Ridge High School. Justin has a date this year. Her name is Hannah. She is a freshman, while he is a junior. They are both in marching band. It has been a very busy day for them. Earlier today the band was at the Gilbert invitational competition. The pre homecoming pictures are below.

Justin's 2007 Homecoming Date