Mini

This past Friday marked the first full week of my bike commute to work. As much as I’d like to attribute my eco-commute to wanting to add an extra helping of green to the Hupp routine, its certainly not my real motivation. The reality is, about two weeks back my Mini and I were in a car accident. (Because the accident is still under “investigation” by the insurance companies, details will be provided at a later date).

Despite the passage of time since the accident I can’t seem to type this without, a lump in my throat, and the familiar rapid blink of fighting back tears. My perception of feeling like I had ruined a gift took quite some time to get over, but I try, despite seemingly continual bad news to remind myself how lucky I am to have walked away from a car accident, but, it sure isn’t easy.  


Back in October of 2004 I became the proud owner of a 2005, British Racing Green, Mini Cooper given to me as a gift by my parents. Many a drive included basking in the glory of my opened sun roof and smiling at fellow Mini motorists. In past years I’ve been asked if it was a Saab, a BMW or my favorite, a “Cadillac?”. In the past 6 years my Mini transported Jonathan and myself, as well as our animals at times, around eleven states (NJ, NY, DE, MD, VA, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM & AZ) and the District of Columbia.  I never expected that here, in the Valley of the Sun my Mini would find its final resting place.



Below are a few pictures of the damage done to my Mini. After the first, appraisal (pre-opening of the hood) the good word was that it wasn’t totaled. A little over $4,000 would bring it back to new. Wonderful, I’d have my much cherished car back. Then came the popped hood evaluation. The price rose about $3,500 bringing the cost of repair to over $8,000. I was a little nervous at the steady creeping of the cost, but again, I just wanted my little Mini tucked safely back in our driveway, and was happy to hear the news. The straw that broke the camel’s back. was the third appraisal. The results of which were delivered with, “Hello, I’m calling from the Total Loss Department, and I’m sorry to inform you…”"Devastation" doesn't capture the emotions felt.


This week Jonathan and I made the trip to clean out the car at the auto body shop where it has been parked.  As I gently patted its raised trunk lid  I said my farewells to be comforted by the autobody repairman’s comment of its new "donor" status. May my Mini parts bring joy and vitality to fellow Minis in need.

Hood was pushed up.

Top of the mornin Turquoise

Its taken just short of a year but we've finally managed to eliminate all traces of what Jonathan calls "smurf blood" blue from the interior of the house. Our work in the hallway started with the removal of the linen closet doors and the stripping of the wood surround.  We tend to shy from heavy duty chemicals for nature's sake, but boy oh boy nothing removes thick layers of funky paint better than good ole fashion chemical stripper.  Check out the toxic chemical bubbles.  

 

We called in expert help, Mark Foster to repair and refinish the dry wall in both the hallway and the guest room, which turned out great. Following his completion we primed, then slathered on a coat of none other than Honeydew in the guest bedroom, then shifted our focus back to the hallway. (More on this "dew"sy of a room redo to follow soon.)

    

     As for the built-in section of the hallway, we went for an atomic ranch-esque turquoise.  We had a bit of a hiccup with some replacement light issues, but as of this past weekend we were up and running with a new, more appropriate hall light.   

 

In addition to the bold paint choice, we added a little extra class to the linen closet doors with stylish new handles. No plain vanilla in this section of the house!  The finishing touch in the hallway will be the finishing of the floors, but this is a large project has yet to reach the top of the to-do list. 

Up next, hello honeydew!

Los Suns

Our seats in row 111

Thanks to some free workplace season tickets, Jonathan and I attended our first Suns game at the U.S. Airways Center on Tuesday night. They played the Utah Jazz in a preseason game, and unfortunately lost. I enjoyed watching and of course heckling, but I'll admit, I wasn't too impressed with their overall performance. Not being an NBA aficionado I suppose I can't say much, but it seemed obvious that too many fancy dancy moves and poor attention to teammates cost them quite a few missed passes early on.  And, I'm guessing it doesn't take an avid NBA fan to feel the pain of the high number of missed shots.  At one point an air-ball was thrown. An air-ball for crying out loud! At their pay level the ball better at least hit some part of the hoop/rim or backboard.

You can tell the game started a little rough for the Suns in the picture below.

 Lopez's feet haven't even left the court, meanwhile the Jazz player is about a foot and a half off the ground. Ouchie. During timeouts and breaks we were kept entertained with by the much loved Suns gorilla and scantily clad dancers.  My favorite part of the game had to be the strange over sized ref who ate one of the Gorilla assistants. She wasn't a cheerleader,or a dancer, but rather one of those fan-prize-hander-outers who works to give out freebies while the little chickadee dancers gyrate nearby.

Below are a few pics of the famed Steve Nash as well as some dunking gorilla shots.  He's a little blurry, but look close enough and you'll see a blurry flying primate.

Better luck next time Suns.

pretty impressive for a gorilla!

A mighty wind

Tuesday (10-5) Phoenix and the surrounding areas experienced quite a storm.  Winds up to 70 mph shut down runways at PHX, golf ball to tennis ball sized hail (depending on who you talk to) damaged cars and people, all topped off with some good ole fashion flash flooding. I was sure to stay in the center traffic lane traveling home and held my breath every time my little mini had to traverse a flooded dip in the road.  My 4 mile commute, which usually takes me about 15 to 20 minutes, took a solid hour.

When I arrived home I came across two storm casualties.  Worry not, the pets and house were unharmed.  Jonathan's bike glove was victim number one.  We know Jackson is a bit of a chewer, but the stress of the storm apparently threw him into high gear, as seen to the right.  When I first saw the glove I started to say "bad..." in a slightly firm tone, but turned to find Jackson and saw him cowering behind me.  Poor little guy.  He definitely knew he had done something wrong and from his reaction, he may have been abused before we rescued him, so I left it at that.  After a little heart to heart chat Jackson and I went outside to survey the backyard, which is where I found victim number two.  



Sorry dad.



 Despite Maurice's best effort of reducing the size of his leaves, (regular vs shrunken see here) the wind got in a solid punch and broke one of his branches. We're not too worried since Maurice is a hearty tree and will surely make a full recovery.

 

As of Wednesday we were back to the 80s, sans rain or crazy winds, and I have no doubt we'll make our way up to the 90s soon. 

Keyboard ethics

If you're squeamish you may want to look away, or at least wait an hour if you have eaten anything recently.  The pictures below depict the keyboard of a highly educated, grown man.  Don't even dare think this is someone I am related to or married to because its not.

If you look close enough you might find an entire meal...

Gross with a capital G!!

Mr. Jackson update

Below are a few recent pictures of our little Mr. Jackson.  Everyone who has met him loves him and with a face like this, how could you not?



Jackson is a little remiss in the "release for next toss" concept.
But, tug-of-war is just as fun as frisbee retrieval.

 














  

If you look close near the center of the image, towards
the left you'll see Toby who is starting to make his
move for the frisbee Jonathan has tossed. 




Jackson and Toby - notice that they're the same size and actually only differ in weight by about 1 pound.

  

"What, you were serious about me not eating cat poop?
Lets be reasonable here."











 

Northern Exposure - Idaho style

Friday afternoon (9/17/10) we departed Phx, made a short stop in SLC, then boarded a 44 minute flight to Boise. It turns out that the much debated Boise airport does indeed, as Jonathan argued, have multiple concourses (A,B, and C) however, they're all housed within the same building, so you could still call it a single terminal airport which was my argument. Anywho, my parents picked us up and obliged us with a little Boise touring which included The Modern Hotel as mentioned in Sunset magazine. I was admittedly a little disappointed by its so-called modernism. They got some things right, like the semi retro looking sign, the bar looked pretty swanky and the block wall is a nice retro touch, but their use of steel bars around the hallways is a bit closer to a prison look than retro. Good effort, but its no Prescott Motor Lodge.

After a few blocks of touring we stopped for dinner at Pie Hole Pizza, a NY style pizza by the slice kind of place. I'd never have thought I'd say it, but it was hands down the best NY style pizza I've had in quite some time. They had a variety of slices available which all tasted great! Among us we had, Hawaiian (best I've ever had), chicken + jalapeno + basil (delicious), roasted tomato + spinach (tasty), roasted tomato + basil, and the most unique slice of the night goes to potato+bacon, and yes, it was damn good.

Saturday morning, bright, but not so early we enjoyed clear blue skies, tall pines, rolling mountains and fresh mountain air as we wandered about my parents property. We started by checking out the new, enclosed-porch addition, complete with an eventual indoor koi pond, then made our way to explore the semi-recently purchased property which is a story in itself. The property was purchased about a year and a half ago and thanks to its kooky previous owner came with gorgeous valley views as well as multiple tractors (some useable, some not), junk cars and a plethora of building materials, some salvageable, some wasted and rotten. After a leisurely morning we started helping with some tasks about the house. Jonathan and I manned the log splitter doing exactly that, splitting logs. Its a pretty impressive device, load a log, press down on the hydraulic handle and split a log. Heck of a lot better than swinging an axe all day long. After we loaded the truck to capacity we split up to take on additional house tasks. Jonathan was recruited for some chain saw action, and I joined my mom in applying sealant to a few recently added areas of log siding. Overall a pleasant day of enjoying the great outdoors with the fam.

Sunday started off a bit cooler than Saturday but no less gorgeous. We began our day with a short hike and discovered both elk and two sets of bear paw prints as well as a beautiful panoramic valley view. Rumor has it there is a young bear in the area, but according to the larger print, momma must be near by as well. When we returned home we prepared for a much anticipated Jeep adventure. Talk about wild ride. Twisty dirt and gravel roads, steep drop offs plus a topless-doorless jeep and one rowdy driver equals quality time had by all. A tad bit dustier than when we left we arrived in Idaho City for some quality touristing. We walked the main avenue, took all kinds of photos and even came across Bill Clinton in a jail cell accompanied by a less than attractive blue dress and cigar. You'll notice my apathy for Bill as I have a tender spot in my heart for the Clintons. Finishing off our trip to the small town we ate a tasty lunch at Trudy's and headed home on the highway, an equally beautiful ride without quite as many bumps and skids.

Upon a fork in the road, right being home and left being the off-road route to Boise, in true adventure style we headed left. We stopped to enjoy the view in a few places, looked into a cave that appeared much deeper from the road than its reality and then... it happened. We were coming around a turn and with the help of a little extra gravel and a little lack of traction we ended up skidding into the side of a mountain. Not head on mind you, kind of with the jeep trying to veer right, but just not cutting it, causing the left front tire hit first, kind of at a diagonal angle (thank you working seatbelts!). It was strangely surreal watching the mountain get closer as we continued to approach until we hit. Post bump there was a momentary shocked silence regarding the fact that we just hit a mountain, then, the jeep spoke up. "hisssssssss". We continued to sit in silence, each trying to figure out whether it was the tire, the radiator, or something else entirely. No smoke, no steam, must be the tire. Gently we backed from the face of the mountain and turned into the road to get a better look at our protesting tire. Indeed the random bolder sticking ever so slightly out of the mountain had managed to bend the rim into the tire, causing the leaking air. Keep in mind, this is all taking place in an area without any cell phone coverage quite a few miles from home. And did I mention, it was closing in on evening? No worries, Sassy Shelley our wild and crazy Jeep guide managed to get the jeep the remainder of the trip home without any other, shall we say, incidents. A trip to remember for sure.

But wait, Sunday wasn't quite over yet, we still had some daylight and I was determined to use it! In true Idaho and Arizona resident fashion we took to some shooting practice. I myself had never fired a gun and thought this a better time than ever. We were surrounded by mountains and forest and any nearby locals wouldn't bat an eye at the sound of gun fire. Jonathan and I tried both a 357 and a 20 gage carbine. I was surprised by the force of the hand gun's kick, but honestly preferred the 357 to the riffle. I have no intention of becoming a hunter, nor am I running to the nearest gun club to sign up for a yearly membership, but I could see some Annette Benning, American Beauty style target practice in my future.

We headed back home on Monday afternoon, just in the nick of time for my circulatorty system. The 67 degree temp in Boise was turning my oh so delicate hands into little ice blocks as my blood did its best to keep my central organs functioning. Perhaps I was truely meant for the desert. Thanks mom and dad for the visit, we had a terrific time in Boise, and just as soon as it warms up, we'll be back : )

Who needs updated official forms?

According to several state licensing applications, Janet Napolitano is still the Governor of AZ.  Take that Brewer!

Operation Mosquito

Perhaps I am naive, but I think its pretty bad that the Health Department in Phoenix has an entire department dedicated to mosquitoes.   Recently our bug problem has been so bad that I can't stand still in our backyard without becoming a feeding trough.  After confirming with another neighbor how bad the mosquitoes are I decided it was time to make the call. The very next day we had someone come out to our house to hang a mosquito trap, which would be used to determine whether or not they would fog the area.  I appreciated the fast response, and the effort, but I could get more mosquitoes standing next to the trap for a minute then the trap captured within 24 hours.  4 measly bugs was all it caught, not accurate in the least.

 

The saving grace of operation no-squito was that they found a potential breeding ground.  Some fool on our street apparently didn't notice that their half empty pool had become a virtual hot spot for those little vampires.  We were told by the health department that the pool has been treated which should reduce their itchy spit, blood sucking, pesky numbers.  I'm not one to sue on a dime, but these people should have to pay the neighborhood for our shared pain and suffering.

Yes, I will take another

Another 15 minutes that is : )

A few months back I wrote to Hammer Gel about a tire issue that was resolved using part of their product.  Mind you they make nutritional products and the issue was a slice in a bike tire.  (see entire story in the Flagstaff post back in July). 

Just today I received an email for "Endurance News", Issue #71, the Hammer monthly magazine that includes information on their nutritional products, stories about recent competitions and their sponsored athletes, etc.   If you flip to page 66, or click on the link below, you can find Jonathan and I looking cycle-tastic for about 1/3 of the page, and we are even in color!  Love it!

http://www.hammernutrition.com/downloads/ENews/EN71/?page=66

Color swap

Jonathan, being the good husband he is, let me explore my colorful side when it came to painting the living room.  Hence the purple wall.  I really loved the purple for its eggplant loveliness, however, I'll admit, it just didn't work.  A bit too dark for the space, kind of wonky as a backdrop for our blue couch and quite difficult to work with in terms of decorating accents. 

A few applications of paint and some sassy DIY decorations plus and awesome clock and voila, a way better looking back wall!


The eyesore of an air conditioning unit will be removed soon, but considering its not going to be an easy job, and will require replacement glass its not first on the list.

The new wall color has greatly brightened the room and we're really happy with how the room is coming together.  All we need now is a rug, because as Walter would point out, it would really tie the room together, would it not?

Birthday adventures

This past Friday Jonathan whisked me out of town for a birthday getaway weekend as fast as Tim (1991 Ford Ranger) could haul. We dropped Jackson off with his cousins and drove up to Prescott for a two night stay at the Prescott Motor Lodge. The Motor Lodge started out as summer cabins way back when (1910), which later transitioned to a motor lodge decorated with foofy doilies and teddy bears. Thankfully, Brian and Joe purchased the Motor Lodge back in early 2000’s (I think) and brought the cabins back to vintage glory with sassy paint colors and vintage interiors with modern comforts. Its hands down the best place to stay in Prescott. Upon our arrival we were greeted with wine and beer and at check out were given a bag of fresh baked cookies, now that's my kind of lodge!

Saturday morning we started with breakfast at a cafe down the road from our room where we were served by one of the nicest people I've ever met. He was so nice that Jonathan commented he was "uncomfortably nice". I thought it was a sad yet apt statement on what kind of society we live in when someone can be uncomfortably nice, but I’ll admit, "serial killer" ran through my head when he smiled pleasantly after offering a coffee refill. From a delicious breakfast we made our way down town to check out the plethora of antique and local tchotchke stores. Most of the items we found and liked were a bit over priced, but it was nice way to work off a little breakfast.

Back at the motor lodge we loaded up the beach cruisers that we'd hauled from Phoenix and drove to Thumb Butte National Park, otherwise known by our GPS narrator as, Thumb Butty park. Once we arrived we unloaded our cruisers with pride; however after about 10 pedals uphill with no gears and waning confidence we opted to find another path. We hiked our bikes up a sandy/rocky trail in the hopes that just over the hill we'd hit the pebbled walkway as the map suggested. Not so much. Ok, so maybe we wouldn't be cruising in the National Park. Being a nervous nelly I walked my bike down most of the path; however, Jonathan opted for some bad ass beach cruisin down the steep rocky terrain. Since biking was a bust and we couldn't really leave our bikes unlocked in the car we opted for the 4 mile off road drive up to the scenic overlook. Quite an impressive view. The expanse of lush greenery continues to surprise me in this desert state.

Before returning to our room we stopped at a cafe that Arizona Highways Magazine declared as one of the top 25 restaurants in the state. It was 3:00 when we arrived and the shop closed at 4:00, plenty of time right? Apparently not. When I walked toward the counter the lady at the register informed me that their sandwich maker was about to leave and they would not be serving any more. Hungry and with low blood sugar, I felt inclined to let my annoyance show. She then had the nerve to tell me I could look at the menu, admire the fare, and decide what I wanted to order for tomorrow. The intentional glare I gave must not have indicated that she was crossing the line because at that point she pulled a menu out of its holder and half-ass slid it towards me on the countertop still suggesting I prep my lunch order for the following day. She was lucky Jonathan was still in the shop because had I been alone I surely would have had some choice words for her snide display. Needing something with sugar I asked if I could at least buy a cookie, which is likely the last item I’ll ever buy from this place.

With operation “sandwich” resulting in failure we enjoyed some Chicago style hotdogs then returned to the Motor Lodge where we made friends with the lodge feline who looked quite similar to Ms. Sydney. A few adult beverages later we were off to dinner at the Raven Cafe. The cafe boasts an overwhelming assortment of barley sodas, organic veggies and grass fed meats. Jonathan's Elk burger was simply delectable. During and after dinner we enjoyed a live performance by the Tucson blue grass band, Dusty Buskers. I can't say I'm as big a fan of Bluegrass as Jonathan, but they were a great band and you really can't beat free live entertainment.

Sunday, following a waffle breakfast at the local hot spot, the Waffle Iron (Mine was topped with bananas while Jonathan enjoyed a waffle with bacon cooked in the waffle itself, admitidly it was delicious!) we made our way North to Sedona to pick up a piece of furniture and played tourist in Jerome on the way. I didn't know what to expect of Jerome, but I can honestly say I didn't expect the town to be in the side of a hill. What used to be a mining town has now become a unique little artists village. We toured a variety of shops, tasted wines from Caduceus Cellars and Merkin vineyard owned by Maynard Keenan (previous lead singer of Tool), and bought some local art.

After arriving in Sedona we stopped at the Oak Creek brewery for some delicious locally brewed beer and hands down the best hot dog Jonathan and I have ever tasted. With a little time before we were scheduled to pick up our new furniture piece we visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Churches are not our usual hangout but perched in the side of a mesa, between jutting red rock, this chapel is quite impressive. The build is such that there are no air-conditioner units, and yet even in 90+ degree temps it manages to remain comfortable. When we eventually picked up the cabinet we were delighted to discover that it was an even snazzier piece than we’d expected. Exceeded expectations is always a nice way to finish up a trip!

Despite missing Mr. Jackson and the kitties, this weekend’s getaway was both a wonderful break from the Phoenix heat and routine, and a terrific reminder of how lucky we are to have so many great places to visit just a short drive from home. Till next time...

Late night bender

An intervention may be needed if Toby keeps up these late night benders.  This is certainly not a healthy way to start your day.

Mt. Kilimanjaro

I was about to start my post with, "I try not to judge", but that would have been a big fat lie.  Moving on.

A while back while making a return at Nordstroms Jonathan and I witnessed some good ole Arizona style irony.  I know several states in the union are known for their high rate of truck/SUV ownership.  Heck Texas even has it written on their licence plates (Truck) as if you couldn't figure out the automobile classification without its obvious definition.  Yet having lived in Arizona for a little over a year now I've realized that this state is second to none when it comes to jacking up, over-inflating and tricking out one's truck.  And that's cool with me, but I think its fair to say, if you can ascend Mt. Fordomanjaro, then you can manage without your handicap parking tag.

Addiction?

Every once in a while, or rather whenever there is bread left in the open, Toby has to feed the Carb monkey on his back. And as seen in the photo below, it aint a pretty site.

Like an unsuspecting fool, last night I left a brand new, double plastic wrapped (over priced might I add) loaf of bread out on the counter. When I got up this morning to take Jackson on a walk, this is what I found. The photos are not the clearest, but the damage can be seen nonetheless. About a quarter of the loaf is smushed where his happy belly must have been resting. He ripped the top, and both sides and as you can see he managed to drag out entire pieces of bread.

Notice the complete slice of bread on the counter in the first photo.  I noticed it was a little raised in the middle, and when I lifted it, I found this beauty.   It was as if halfway through eating the end piece of the loaf it got too wheaty and he needed a new slice.

Toby, Toby, Toby.

Case of the Mondays

This one was just too good to pass up.

Soemone called from home with a computer question.  In an attempt to narrow down the issue I asked, "What kind of laptop do you have, is it a Dell"?

"Yes, Dell, HP".

Fail.

Dietary question

Can gorging on fiber cereal be considered pigging out?  

Park for pups

With the temperature at a rare and very pleasant overcast, 83 degrees we decided to take Jackson to a nearby dog park this past Saturday.  The park is separated into two sections, one for “Small dogs” and one for “Large dogs” and despite Jackson’s small stature, thanks to plenty of quality interaction with much larger cousins Max and Maggie we opted for the "large" side. At first he was a little shy, staying near our legs and giving us the “why am I here”? look, but after a few doggy interactions, sniffs of the unmentionables, he was golden. 

This was taken by holding the camera backwards under a bench.  Not bad...

He mingled with fellow pups, and greeted nearly each person in the park.  He played fetch with a tennis ball that Jonathan was daring enough to pick up and throw and put on quite a terrific show of the mom/dad relay. (a.k.a. running back and forth between Jonathan and I as fast as his little legs could carry him.)  I’d say Jackson’s best interaction was with a very submissive female Vizsla who played with him for a little while before joining the other large dogs.  He appeared to long for a little more canine interaction, but overall Jackson’s first dog park experience was a success. 

 

After our Sunday morning cycle and with another day of overcast skies and low temps in store we decided to take Jackson back to the park. However, due to Jackson's apparent appreciation of fetch we were now armed with two frisbees and his own ball.  Just like last time we started in the large dog section, which unbeknownst to us contained a pair of panicky parents.  As happy as ever Jackson entered the park and was greeted by a very energetic female boxer.  She ran to him, they said their hellos and she ran off, leaving Jackson to continue his initial park exploration. 

  We walked about for a little bit and time and again Jackson was greeted, as were we, by this happy go lucky boxer.  Not a bark, growl, nip or rearing onto the back legs was exchanged.  Just two dogs, doing their thing.  But then came the parents.  “Is your dog good with big dogs”?  “Yes” I responded, “he does really well with big dogs”  I smiled, it’s a dog park right, a place where dogs interact, right?  “Well” he continues, “she’s had some bad interaction with small dogs, nipping her face…”  As he was saying this it hit me, he wasn’t concerned about our dog getting smooshed by his rambunctious boxer, he was afraid that our closet ravage beast of a dog was going to rip her face off.  Right.  It got to the point that everywhere we went or where Jackson went, so did those parents.  In fact, every time their dog interacted with any other dog they got nervous and called her name to bring her back to their side.  What the heck is the point of taking your dog to a park if you are so nervous you will not let them interact?

 

Having had enough shadowing by the nervous nellies we made our move to the small dog section. As always, Jackson transitioned with ease and seemingly without concern for what he might be missing in the large park, was happy to repeatedly  retrieve the frisbee and ball.  He actually ran into more guff on the small side with an occasional yap and snap by one of the 3 other, somewhat frantic fellow occupants. Nonetheless, Jackson, being the sweet boy he is, was happy to share his ball with one of the smallest, wiriest, rocketesque dogs I’ve ever seen.  Overall, another great day at the dog park.

 

 We will surely be back, but with the next couple of days expected to be around 113 degrees, I can't say we'll be back too soon.