Unique Identity

                       Here's where we started our day today...well, wait a minute - I actually ran up to Bruegger's first thing for bagels - bambini's love bagels!  Then, Mario dropped off Lexy and Brianna (who love bagels too!)...then, we made our way down Broadway, to Janene's shop 'Unique Identity'...next to Pier One, which was Kimmy's absolute favorite store!  And, next to two, wonderful, locally owned eateries - Arizona Pizza - some of the best pizza in Tucson!  Kim would come down to see me when I managed Linens 'N Things (now the Peter Piper Pizza) and we would go to Arizona Pizza to grab a slice - Kenny, the owner, always took good care of us.  And then there is Shish Kebab House, on the other side of Janene's - great gyros and middle eastern cuisine!!

               Today, Janene set about working on her latest masterpiece...layering Autumn's hair!  This was something Kim and Aut talked about on many occaisions, but never came to fruition.  Janene had Autumn look through hair magazines to get an idea of what she wanted...and then, brought it to life for Aut...

            And, it was another hair success!!  Autumn was so happy (Lexy and Brianna are set to get their hair done tomorrow from Aunt Janene).  You all know how much Janene has helped our family - why, when Kimmy was first hospitalized, it was Janene who first set up dinners for our families and started visits to the hospital and arranging for food and ice tea to be delivered to me at St. Joe's while I lived there.  She has continued to be there for us.

            Over the years,  Kim has had many haircuts...her hair was so thick (luxurious!), and it was hard for her to connect with someone who cut it the way she liked it...you can see, bu the shining smile on her face, that she was ecstatic with Janene's abilities!
            Janene just keeps giving.  A month or so ago, Janene called me, so excited that I could barely understand her...she had come up with an idea, to help Kimmy's Foundation, helping families here in Tucson.  A cut-a-thon.  Kuts for Kim?  Kimmy's Kut-a-thon?  No matter, Janene's idea was to open up Unique Identity on a Sunday, all her girls would be there to cut hair, and 100% of every dollar they took for haircuts that day would go right to Kimmy's foundation!  I was blown away with emotion...100%, entirely - not a portion of proceeds, not a percent of overall sales, not a piece of profits brought in - these ladies will work for free...for Kimmy....how beautiful!
           Additionally, Janene is creating a postcard to hand out to people who get their hair cut on that day...a thank you, for helping Kimmy's foundation, with savings for future haircuts, and Kenny at Arizona Pizza will have a deal  on their, as will the Shish Kebab House!!
            This event, is being planned for Sunday, May 15th...everyone sychronize their watches...now!
Details to follow, right here!

           Well, luckily we went to Janene's today...for she reminded me that we had a family dentist appointment at 1:00!!  Wow, what day is it??? I asked...Tuesday...
           Last year, we had an appointment on 3/17...St. Patrick's Day...and Kimmy had to miss that appointment, because our pup, Zona, was seriously ill and had to go to see Dr. Burrows...and Kim loved to go see Dr. Alexander and his wife, Jane, who works as the office manager there...I now find it ironic, that Kim insisted on going to see the dentist twice a year, but hadn't seen any other doctors for over 6 years...that is a great compliment to Dr. Alexander and Jane!!
           When we moved here, 18 years ago, it was Jane, in real estate at the time, who helped us find a place to stay - having no friends, no family here, we had no where to turn.  Jane was so nice...and when I broke a tooth, I asked her if she knew of any dentists...'My husband is a dentist', Jane told us.  And we have enjoyed our visits ever since.  The bambini's, too, love to go to the dentist.  Dr. Jack is so funny and kind to them.  Jane always gives them new toothbrushes, toys, stickers and....passes to Golf 'N Stuff!!!  Almost as good as a birthday!  Kim always said that Dr. Jack could be my older brother...
             Today, was a nice visit.   And we had Lexy and Breanna with us - Jane made them feel right at home and gave them everything that she gives to our kids!!
              Since we had some passes...we decided to go golfing!  Did I mention that Breanna loves to take pictures?  Well, she does and she decided to bring my camera along!

           Almost there!!!

            Breanna particularly liked the ducks at Golf 'N Stuff!  The kids got duck food and fed them by hand.
And then, it was game on!

                  Cody, Lexy, Autumn, Breanna and Antonio are poised and ready to compete!
Kimmy loved minature golf.  Some of our earliest dates were at a little joint called V-7 in Bethlehem or some subsidary there of, where we could golf and grab a bite at the attached diner.  There was another one in Bethlehem, too, that we went to, it's name escapes me, but there were corn field surrounding and I would delight Kim by dissappearing into the rows of corn, only to appear at a different point on the course, arms laden with ears of corn, ready to play some more golf!  Whenever we went to Beach Haven, on Long Beach Island, we would go to Kiddie Land to play the course they had there...Here in Tucson, we hit the one on Speedway and Wilmot, Golf 'N Stuff, Fantastics, etc...She always beat me ; ).

             Cody leaps out to an early lead...but everyone is dialed in...it's anyone's game...

                     Tonio and Breanna are best buds...and pretty good golfers, too!

               In the end, Lexy edged out Cody for first place...I didn't tell the bambini's who came in 2nd or 3rd, etc...telling them that they all had won!  Later, Breanna told Andrea 'We all won!'...message received!
               It sure was a fun filled day...I told the kids stories about Kimmy and I playing minature golf, along the way...
               Tonight, to continue the cultural well rounding of the bambini, we chose to watch the Blues Brothers...a classic!  Kimmy bought me this on VHS many, many years ago and upgraded me to disc as soon as it became available.  We were both big John Belushi fans...a shame he burned out so young.  Kim and I really loved the Blues Brothers, and posed as them for several Halloweens - and I did with other Brothers over the years, always choosing to be 'Jake'.
                Kimmy loved the soundtrack - she loved the blues.  Cab Calloway plays a great part in this film.  And, at one point, the Blues Brothers drive into a Pier One...ahhhhhhh!!! Scary moment in the film!  And they drive through a Toys R Us.  I worked with a guy in Colorado Springs, who claimed to have transfered from the Joliet, Illinois store that this was filmed in...we may not have believed him, but we wanted to!
                After we moved here, got married and Kimmy was confident that she had cleaned me up, she'd refer back to the scene where Jake sees the light, in a church, where James Brown is the minister singing the sermon!  'I see the light'!!
               We loved how Dan Ackroyd, as Elwood, gets blown up by Carrie Fisher, and, upon returning home, still has, intact, a can of cheese whiz for one of the residents living in the same building - pulling it out of his back pocket.
              And, our favorite quote, that I used endlessly over the years:
             "Me and the Lord have an understanding....We're on a mission from God"
              Yep, I guess I still am, only on a different level...
              And, Pee Wee Herman was the waiter that the boys harrassed as they tried to get the band back together...if you have not seen this film, or it's been more than five years since you have...dust it off and revisit it...!
               That's all I can remember for one night...it's been a weird few days, where I thought I had some business at the Vail School District office yesterday (Wednesday...), to help interview candidates for principal for the new high school opening next year...only to find out yesterday was Monday, not Wednesday...and today, forgetting what day it was, and Janene reminding me we had a dentist appointment today 'What time Janene?'  '1:00'...thank you!   But, tomorrow is really Wednesday, and I think I have the rest of this week figured out...

                  Thanks for listening...
             Love,
                  Dave