Arizona on My Mind . . .

This just shows how long I have been off the grid – I got home from visiting my parents seven weeks ago today and I am just getting around to posting the pictures.  Mom and Dad came back to Ohio three weeks ago today.  Mom’s leg has healed.  Oh – you don’t know about that yet . . .

This was the first time I had gone to Arizona alone since 2008 – in 2009, I convinced Blake to come along for the ride/hike the first time we did the Grand Canyon and we had gone together since.  But he got promoted in January and just didn’t have the time this year.  And while this picture looks like it might have been intended as a tribute to my missing brother, it was just a way to keep my hat off the ground the first time Dad and I stopped for a break on the trail.  And I liked the pic . . .

 

Saw lots of these leftover stalks from the yuccas along the trail – and got lots of chances to take pics of Dad while he was eating during rest breaks.  You’ll see jackets a lot – it was 85+ degrees in Tucson the whole time I was there, which meant that Dad took us farther and farther up into the mountains in search of comfortable temperatures.  I like hot weather, but I will admit that the one day we spent in lower elevations was grueling so I defer to his better judgment.

 

I’m not a photographer, but when we’re hiking I’m always in search of “that picture” – the one that would look great in a frame on the wall or a collage of photos from the trip.  The first day, we hiked on the Babad Do’ag Trail (apparently the locals refer to it as “Bad Dog”).

I thought this was interesting, mostly because of the little lake I could see in the distance, thousands of feet up in the mountains.  Dad said he has hiked there before and it’s really pretty.

 

Dad is not afraid of heights – I am (though not nearly as much as when I was a kid).  So if you see a picture of me perched precariously on top of a rock, you can be pretty certain that it’s an optical illusion.

 

Two different views from the same spot.  Again, it was a long way down . . .

And yet for most of the second day, we were always close to the road.  So even if you don’t hike, you can see many of the same views that I did from Mount Lemmon.

 

The second night I was there, Mom and I went to the Gaslight Theatre.  If you like really corny slapstick parodies, the Gaslight is a “must see” if you’re in Tucson – but you usually have to make reservations several weeks (or months) in advance because it’s usually sold out.  There is an early show on the weekends – and since my body clock was on Eastern Time, getting out of the 6:00 show at 8:15 meant it was already past my bedtime.

 

Don’t see a lot of this along the trail in the desert – didn’t even see running water in a stream until the fourth day.  So a little splash of color stands out.

 

This was from the low altitude hike – we were headed to the top of the peak in the distance and it was hot, so a bit of shade on a break was appreciated.

  

On top, I found three things of note – a survey marker, a plastic tub with a notebook inside so hikers could sign in and register their thoughts (not sure why the spoon was left behind), and fencing from a time when cattle grazed here . . .

The view from that peak – that’s Tucson spread all through the flat ground in the distance.

 

Still searching for that perfect picture – still haven’t found it . . .

 

Once in a while, I run across some greenery that catches my eye.  A cactus with “arms” coming out of its “head” is rather rare.  And I referred to this little fellow as a “Mickey Mouse” cactus . . .

 

Occasionally, we come across a couple taking a picture and I always offer to take the shot so both of them can be in it.  Sometimes they will then offer to take one of us – I appreciate those shots . . .

 

There is a story behind these two pictures and the few that will follow.  The one on the left was taken on my cell phone in 2002, the first time I came out by myself to visit Mom and Dad.  And it was the wallpaper on that cell phone for a couple of years.  When we walked by the same spot again this year, I remembered the shot and wanted to recreate it . . .

 

It probably would have been a little better if I had remembered that 12 years ago I was sitting on the other side of the rock formation . . .

 

Our last hike was all the way on top of Mount Lemmon, north of Tucson.  Saw a few deer along the road and stopped to take a couple of pictures – they weren’t the least bit afraid of us.

 

The Old Carter Canyon Trail starts just above the village of Summerhaven near the top of Mount Lemmon.  Dad said this is an area where the rich folks from Tucson had summer homes back in the days before air conditioning – it’s much cooler at 8,000-9,000 feet.  This trail literally starts above a very nice home at the end of a cul-de-sac . . .

And the trailhead comes complete with its own survey marker.

 

This trail is very obscure and doesn’t seem to get a lot of use.  But it’s well marked with little pieces of ribbon (look for it in the right picture – in the branch straight above Dad’s head) and large washers that can catch the glare of the sunlight nailed into trees (both pictures – in the burned out stump ahead of Dad).  This area is very barren because of a forest fire that roared through Summerhaven several years ago and burned much of the town and the surrounding hillsides.

 

At the top of Mount Lemmon is civilization – observation areas and transmission towers . . .

 

And a very popular skiing area.  I took a pic of the map of ski runs – #2 that goes straight down the mountain is called “Hot Dawg”.  Not for me, thanks . . .

 

This is my idea of a quality ski lift experience – it’s not moving, and I’m not freezing . . .

 

From the top of Mount Lemmon, I could see two peaks to the south (Mount Wrightson on the left is also known as “Old Baldy” and Mount Hopkins on the right) that we hiked/climbed three years ago – these are more than 60 miles away.

And on top of Mount Lemmon, I found a little touch of home – dandelions . . .

 

This was my favorite sight of the whole trip – an observation building on top of Mount Lemmon.  Apparently it’s still in use – Dad has been here when the boards that cover the windows were open and someone was inside.  But not today.  From this point, you can see for miles in every direction with nothing to block the view.

 

Original site of the lookout tower . . .

No kidding . . .

 

Just because I thought it was interesting.  And another little critter along the trail (look for it) . . .

 

More views of that little lookout shack – I saw it all day long as we hiked and took pictures from all angles.  Dad finally took a picture of me taking pictures of it.

 

More views of the lookout shack – I told you it was my favorite sight of the trip.

 

Saw a lot of this on the trail – apparently planes dropped seeds over the burned out areas in an attempt to restore the forest.  And our first view of Summerhaven as we neared the end of our last hike and returned to where the car was parked.

I took this picture of Mom just before I left for the airport – she spent most of my visit with her leg propped up because she had a squamous cell carcinoma (one step worse than a typical skin cancer) removed from her leg just before I arrived.  They got it all – she’s fine.  I also took a picture of the incision to send to Blake, but I won’t share that one with you.  You’re welcome . . .

 

We usually take a short hike before I head for the airport to go home – makes the day seem more like a vacation day and less like an all-day travel day.  But this time, I wanted to watch the usual Tuesday pickleball games – Dad talks about their pickleball games a lot and even though Blake and I played some with him last year, I hadn’t seen him play with his friends.  So I watched and took pictures . . .

 

Until they ended up a player short and drafted me.  I do better when the ball isn’t moving.  We looked at these pics before I left for the airport and Dad wanted to know why mine of him didn’t show the fencing – he gave me one of those “Why didn’t I think of that?” looks when I told him that I put the lens through one of the holes . . .

More stories to come – I’m not caught up yet . . .

Life’s Little Irritants . . .

We have spent most of 2014 waiting for new items to arrive.  Almost all of the new releases have involved some period of time between the announcement and the actual release – and sometimes a delay as well.

This was/is, without a doubt, the hottest item we have offered in a long time.  The Tool ‘n’ One from Spellbinders was originally supposed to arrive in mid-March with the rest of their new dies and folders, then was delayed until “sometime in April” and finally arrived in early May.  But they still didn’t send us enough – we got through most of the advance orders placed through mid-April before they ran out.  I talked with Spellbinders on Friday and they expect more sometime next week and we’ll get them a few days after that.

  

And then there are the new Stella Edge and Stella Task Lamps (the Tim Holtz “Industrial Collection”).  When these were first introduced in January, there was only one lamp and it was coming out in April.  Then in March we learned that there were going to be four – a clamp lamp with either a black or white neck and a desk lamp with either a black or white neck.  But April came and went and still no lamps.  Today, we heard that they had been delayed again – so we called Stella to find out why.  Apparently when the prototypes came in, Tim took a look at them and made some “adjustments” – and of course adjustments mean delays.  So now it’s supposed to arrive in late June or early July.

I’m just the messenger . . .

Missing Person Alert . . .

I am not really missing . . . but sometimes it seems that way.  Life has been so hectic these past couple of months, and my son’s upcoming nuptials (four weeks from today) are only part of the hubbub.  I still haven’t even posted the pictures from my trip to Arizona – and my parents have already been back in Ohio for two weeks!  There were a lot of instances where I saw something that just begged to get posted on the blog, but I was so busy helping Debbie and Patti ship new Spellbinders or Tim Holtz stuff that I couldn’t justify stepping away for a few minutes and leaving an order unshipped as a result.

But I’ll get my act together early next week and start telling stories again.

No, Nala and Zoe are not looking for me – our front windows at home have been open a lot lately and they like to watch what’s going on outside.  Would like to say that it’s because of the great weather we have been having here, but instead it’s because our central air went kaput after 23 years and we have to fit the new installation into our furnace guy’s schedule.  But that will be a story all by itself.

Stay tuned . . .

Some Really Good News Heading Into a Holiday Weekend . . .

I have been completely off the blogging grid for the past three weeks.  Had a great time in Arizona with my parents – pics and narrative will come in a few days.  Even though I know there are a few of you who have been looking for that, I figured there were even more of you who preferred that I spent my time helping to ship the new items that have been pouring in since I got back.  So that’s what I have been doing.

But the news that arrived concerning my mom’s sister Nancy last Saturday and yesterday was just too good and I had to share it . . .

Last Saturday, I was at the store pulling new Spellbinders dies to fill your advance orders when my cell phone rattled on my hip.  It was Nancy, telling me that the day before she had gone to whichever doctor (there are so many) is responsible for the radiation combating the tumors in her brain.  She was told that the tumors had decreased in size enough that they are now operable, using a laser surgery that won’t even require an incision.  She wasn’t quite certain of the timetable, but yesterday she was being fitted for a “helmet” that will steady her head during the procedure.

Yesterday’s news was even better, and it was delivered by Nancy’s daughter Pam.  I was getting back from lunch when a note came in – I’m going to quote it directly since it’s just too good to paraphrase . . .

“Update on Mom – She got a call from the doctor this morning letting her know about her test results from the PET Scan and MRI.  The doctor said things are going better than expected and has to change his prognosis.  Some tumors have gone away and others have grown smaller.  He wants to talk to her in a couple of weeks about taking her OFF hospice care.”

Your prayers have meant so much to Nancy, and to the rest of our family.  And as such, I needed to let you know how they are being answered.  Thanks – have a great Easter weekend.

Video Grab Bag . . .

Three weeks is a long time to be off this grid.  But it has been a busy three weeks – a show in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a nasty cold, wedding planning, rotten weather.  You get the idea.  By the time most of you read this, I will have arrived in sunny Tucson for a few days with my parents – of course, I waited until the first day of what appears to be spring weather in Ohio to finally escape.

Here are a few things I noticed over the past few weeks . . .

The best thing I saw all weekend in Allentown.  I have seen canines in strollers before, but never with a private wheelchair . . .

If you’re on our e-mail list, you may have already seen this.  We R Memory Keepers sent a demo Flower Punch Board to me in Allentown, so I sat down at the workdesk in my hotel room and made this flower –  with the tagline, “If I can do this, surely you can do better.”  Melinda Doster insisted that a picture be taken as I wore my creation – no doubt you can tell how thrilled I was.

I heard quite a commotion while we were tearing down the booth, and looked behind me to watch Joel of Heartfelt Creations pulling one of his cabinets into a truck with a cable and a winch.  It was quite the sight, especially when it reached the top of the ramp and started to sway.  So I pulled out my phone and got video of his next attempt.  For those of you who get the blog by e-mail, click in the black box above and the video should show up – if not, click this instead . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw5cXnBMmuA

When I got home from Allentown, my first duty was to deliver the treats that Bev Parnell brought to the show for Zoe.  I wanted Bev to see Zoe’s reaction, so out came the phone again.  Again, for those of you who get the blog by e-mail, click in the black box above and the video should show up – if not, click this instead . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPjPk_hQuz0

I love the NCAA tournament, but ran into a dilemma last Thursday when the University of Dayton Flyers played The Ohio State University Buckeyes (watch the introductions on any NFL game this fall – an Ohio State alum will always refer to his school as “The Ohio State” – I’m an Ohio State fan and it gets old).  I root for both teams, but when push comes to shove, I am an Ohio State football fan and a Dayton basketball fan.  When I was in college at Miami University (that’s the real Miami in Ohio – we sometimes remind folks that Miami was a university when Florida still belonged to Spain), I used to sit in the front row at Millett Hall for Miami/Dayton games and root for Dayton.  The frat boys hated me – but while Miami got my money, my allegiance was with Dayton.  When Dayton won last Thursday, the local paper skewered Ohio State on the front page, and the headline went viral.

If you don’t have a rooting favorite Thursday evening for Dayton/Stanford, you can join my mom and me and root for the Flyers – we’ll be watching from Tucson.

And last week we went into serious Wedding Planner mode – and learned that Panera Bread is a great place to spread stuff out on tables.  We accomplished a lot – the invitations were picked out, guest list was finalized, and much much more.  This is Emily along with her mom and stepdad – Ryan was on the other side of the table but I cropped him out because he was looking goofy.

That’s it for now.  Don’t expect too many pictures of me from the trail – Blake isn’t making the trip this time so I’ll be on the wrong side of the camera . . .

My Sincerest Apology . . .

Oh, how I messed up . . .

When I posted this picture in my last blog post, I made the following comment – “She said her dad would be less than pleased that she was wearing an Ohio State logo (he’s an Indiana fan).”

Three hours after it posted, I received the following message from Phil Arnold – “OK, Greg. Now you're in real trouble. I'm a PURDUE Alum, not an Indiana fan. My next favorite team is whoever is playing against Indiana. I may have to reconsider golfing with someone who would insult me like that! :-)”

I have committed a sacrilege akin to someone referring to me as a Michigan fan (with all due respect to our friends and customers who follow That Team Up North).  I have already corrected the blog post and offered a personal apology, but can’t change what was already sent to those of you who get the blog post by e-mail.  Therefore, I offer the next best thing – visual aids . . .

 

Growing Up on the Road . . .

One of the interesting sights that customers often notice when the convention comes to town each year is the change in our children as they grow up.  My son Ryan was eight years old when we first started traveling – in four months he will be 26.  He was one of several kids who grew up together on the circuit – none of whom has been seen at a show in several years.  But they have been replaced by a whole new generation.

 

The Lindeman kids (Noelle and Alana – their parents are Steve and Michelle from Toomuchfun) are different from most – they were born on the show circuit.  And I have taken lots of pictures of them around our booth over their lifetimes because they are both in love with Keia Arn0ld.  Keia and her mom Robin started working with us at shows in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio when she was about ten years old – so we have watched her grow up in our booth as well!

Last weekend, we were in Indianapolis – and very little has changed . . .

 

Saturday was Noelle’s turn.  Early in the day, we were too busy for visitors.  But as the afternoon wore on . . .

 

. . . there was this magnet that just drew her to Keia.  And it’s obvious by the way she interacts with kids that Keia was born to be a teacher.

By Sunday, Alana also found her way to our side of the room.  Of course, the kids could have spent the day – there were Snowmageddon Warnings all weekend so most of our customers came on Saturday and we had plenty of time to visit (and very little snow – the “up to a foot” that was forecast turned out to be about two inches).

Midafternoon Sunday proved that kids can be exhausting.  Keia has been out of college for almost a year, but this reminded me how easy it is for the college-age bunch to fall asleep anywhere.

They also recharge their batteries quickly.  This shot was taken just as we started to tear down the booth – we were right next to an open garage door and Keia was freezing, so I offered her an extra sweatshirt that I carry in the truck.  She said her dad would be less than pleased that she was wearing an Ohio State logo (he’s a Purdue alum).

 

This was the slippery view during teardown – the second round of snow began just as we started, and of course it was blowing into the truck!  And it was a long snowy walk for Robin as she walked across the parking lot to bring her car closer to the building.  Maybe Spring will finally come by the time we get to Allentown, Pennsylvania in ten days – but at this rate I doubt it . . .