Kim and I ventured down I-95 many times, seeking warmth and sun and the chance to work on our tans...and that feeling of being together, of adventure and being carefree - flying down I-95, peeling peanuts and throwing them out the window...I remember being pulled over in Virginia, for speeding and being so mad, telling the officer 'I paid like $150 for this radar detector...how'd you catch us?'...the officer, not impressed, explaining that as soon as those devices come out, the police simply switch technology...but, we did not let little detours like that ruin our time...
As you begin to get close to South Carolina, there are billboards for a wonderland called "South of the Border". Billed as 'America's Favorite Highway Oasis'. The first time we went to South Carolina, our curiosity was piqued, but, we were anxious to get to the beach, and we would have had to travel a way further south than our trip tik from AAA called for (hey, a trip tik was an ancient form of GPS back in the day!), so we resisted its sweet call...but the next time...we were drawn in like it was some strange magnetic force...the billboards, so compelling - marketing genious! Here's some expamples: Picture a dachshund, with the body of a hot dog...caption reads "Everyone is a Wiener at South of the Border!" Then, there is one that has a picture of "Pedro", in a large sombrero, with the words "South of the Border", printed upside down and then, rightside up, it says "Too Much Tequila!" In fact, don't let me try to explain these brilliant ads, just go to thesouthoftheborder.com and enjoy it firsthand!!
Well, we went the extra distance to see this oasis and found that it is a string of shops all peddling the same 'South of the Border' trinkets...and a few restaurants...and fireworks shops! OK, we did do some heavy shopping in the fireworks shops, so it was not a total loss! And, we took a bunch of cheesey photos at "South of the Border", too - there was a large gorilla and Kim laid in its arms, shrieking! I sat atop the dachshund statue that I decribed above, etc, - of course, we had fun!
Leaving, fully armed and ready to hit the beach, we traveled down a smaller road to get to Myrtle Beach. It wound through some old plantations, some still growing tobacco and many having tin shacks. The trees were large and filled with Spanish moss - very beautiful...we really liked the state, and loved the beaches.
The water is an aqua blue and the beaches are white sand. We would spend all day on the beaches, tanning, swimming, taking long walks and collecting shells. Kim always tried to bring home as many shells as she could - to this day, we have various decorative bowls and vases filled with shells from the many beaches we enjoyed together.
We always stayed in the cheapest dive hotel we could find, since, we knew we would not be in the room much, as when we were done with the beach, we'd go eat and stay out to close the night clubs. South Carolina had some great seafood buffet restaurants called calabashes. We'd scope them out through the windows to see who had the largest selection before choosing one. The seafood was always great!
I may have already told parts of this story, but once, in April, tired of the Pennsylvania winter, we once again found ourselves speeding down I-95 in search of warmth and sun. We had somehow lined up that rare, long weekend, where we both were off from work...Only catch was, it was Easter weekend. We promised to be back in time...
We had found a great 'dive' hotel, checked in and hit the beach. Later, we ate at a calabash and went in search of some nightlife. We walked for a couple of miles and came across a bar called 'PJ's'. Looked good. We entered, and a lady behind a caged in desk asked us for cover charge $$. We happily paid and turned to the inner door to enter, finding it locked...the lady we had paid the cover charge too, said 'oops, let me buzz you in' - there was a loud buzzing, a click and wah-lah! We could enter...although, in retrospect, it typically is not a great idea to enter a place where the lady collecting the cover charge is in a cage, and has to buzz you in to enter...but, we were young and naive and just didn't care - we were together!
The band that night was fantastic - playing a lot of cover tunes that we loved. At one point, I had to use the men's room and remember it being pretty well covered in blood, passing the loser of that skirmish on my way in. I went back and told Kimmy...she asked if I was ok - I told her yeah, just needed a beer and we resumed watching the band....until the place closed. The band came out and we met them and hung out for awhile. When it was time to leave, the band invited us back to their hotel - we declined - ok, we weren't that naive!
Getting back to our dive hotel around 3 a.m., we could hear a lot of action going on several floors above us - loud music, singing, etc. I went to close the sliding glass door (we loved to keep it open to smell the ocean air and hear the waves...), when a lounge chair went whistling by our balcony, landing with a crash next to the pool, just below! This is about the time we'd head out to the beach, with our arsenal of fireworks and set them off, oooohhhing and ahhhhing over our own display. Good times....
Anway, it had been a chilly beach day, and we did not get much tanning time, as was the next day...but, the day we were to leave - it warmed up into the 80's...so we decided to stay...but would have to miss Easter - not a comfortable phone call to our parents, but, it was so worth it! We got great tans and had a lot of fun.
Myrtle Beach had a pretty good amusement park, too. Kim and I were always suckers for a good roller coaster, and this park had the first corkscrew roller coaster we had ever been on - it was pretty wicked!
We loved the beach and always thought when we hit the lottery, we'd definitely buy a house right on the beach. Over the years, the location of where we were going to buy changed...Long Beach Island, N.J....South Carolina -any beach! San Diego....and, most recently, Laguna Beach (oh, it would have to be a serious Powerball jackpot!).
I know I have a lot of pictures from South of the Border and South Carolina - I just can't seem to locate them at the moment, having even check Kim's basement under our bed (found another pair of her sneakers and a couple more framed photos!) - but, I'll keep looking and update this post when I do!
Bambini's are doing great! One more day of school and they have a 4 day weekend for Rodeo Days! That's right, Tucson may very well be the only city in the country that awards the kids a long weekend for the professional rodeo that comes through town, kicked off Thursday by the longest, non-mechanized parade in the country! Yee-haw! We love it! They stayed after school today and got their homework done again (thanks Mrs. Schrantz and Mrs. Rudzena!) and I was able to peddle a lot of raffle tickets to the teachers and staff - thank you all for your generosity! We ate at Bruegger's Bagels tonight with Betsey, Brian, Mitch and Hadley, Amy and Alex for a Rincon Vista Middle School fund raiser - first of its kind at Bruegger's out here. Great sandwhiches!
And Barnes & Noble is helping me ease back into work life, slowly and graciously...Jaimelyn and the team have done a great job keeping the store looking fantastic and not piling me up with a lot of work. And Regina, the Foothills Mall manager, had me down to her office today to welcome me back - they had done a lot for our family, too, in terms of gift cards and checking in on the store - and is going to help sell Knight of Columbus raffle tickets to benefit Kimmy's foundation! And Mary, the Marketing Director for the mall, had cute Valentine's bears for each bambini, along with pens and other neat stuff - the kids were delighted!
My focus seems to be returning - I can't tell you how good it feels to be able to do 80 on the 10 and know where I am and where I am going (well, I had a small lapse Monday, but recovered nicely)! And getting back to work on the new high school planning committee Monday was nice, too. Everyone at the Vail School District Office had such nice things to say about Kimmy and how much they loved working with her...
So, I'm just keeping my eyes focused on the sun....
Love,
Dave
We Climbed before the Klimb 4 Kim...
1997's Climb
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday...again...
Our Sunday routine has become pretty complete...church at Our Mother of Sorrows...Tonio is so happy to be in his friend, Monsi's class, thanks to Lupe...the kids played with Breanna after church for a bit - poor Lexy has had the flu all week, Autumn misses her so much...then, off to Viro's - big crowd today, and, as usual, I ate too much (veggie omelet w/ hot peppers, thanks Kristina!, two deviled eggs, two bowls of seasoned home fries, chicken and potatoes, mashed potatoes and a Pope's pillow for dessert (flaky pastry with strawberry filling and cream topping - Rosa makes these soooo good!) plus, a cappuccino - Erika makes a great cappuccino! Kim always wanted to get into the bakery on a slower day (like they have any of those) just to work along side of Rosa, to learn some of her baking technique and secrets. She loved all of the incredible pastries that Rosa is so good at making. Her, Vito and Rosa actually talked about it several times, but, as you know, time has a way of slipping through our fingers...
After this incredible meal, we went out into the desert into Fantasy Island again...our 4th week in a row. We had a smaller crew, as Brian had to work and Mario has a chest cold, so it was Tom, Alex, Cody and I...I knew I was in trouble - they all have one gear - fast and Tom and Alex just got new bikes, so I knew they'd want to test them and Cody was hell bent on getting back to the Fire Trail, where I renamed the Elbow Jammer two weeks ago - time to get back on that horse!
Sure enough, the boys took off at their usual break neck pace - by the time we hit the Fire Trail I was hurting...I picked the wrong day to forget my iron lung.
And soon, I had to reface my nemesis, the Elbow Jammer (I'll keep it at that, as this is a family blog!). I went down first, so these guys could clean me up if I bit it again...and so I could take a photo. Cody's ready to come down, followed by Alex and then Tom. I can't believe the speed that Cody takes this hill, and then smoothly takes the transition into two quick up and down hills.
Alex gets ready to go down The Slide, which is nearly straight down, as Cody watches from way below. I literally slid down this sideways, as I over applied the brakes, but survived the descent.
Ahhhh, the fabled troll bridge, and I'm hoping that the boys remembered to pay for me before I cross...and realized that they had lost me for the rest of the ride, as I struggled to catch back up, my legs feeling like over cooked penne pasta, and my lungs burning...I saw a lone coyote, limping, several yards away - he sensed I was a little too scrawny to eat, thankfully...I saw two bikers resting ahead, thinking Tom and the boys were waiting for me, I started to tell them about the coyote and realized that I did not know them...'Where am I?' I asked...one of them said something to me in German, and I just waved and told them to have fun...as I neared the final 100 yards, a slight up hill run along the air force base fence, I decided to remove my helmet, and let the steam rise out of my head, thinking I'd never crash going up hill....and, at the end of the trail, there were Tom, Alex and Cody, already loading their bikes to head home.
To end our day, Jaimelyn and Scott came over, bringing homemade pesto (I'll have to get the recipe to post) that we put over some penne - it was incredible! Jaimelyn also makes her own bread and brought a fresh loaf that was still warm! Cody went to dinner with Amy, Tom and Alex to Daglio's, where, as I mentioned yesterday, they have the finest cheesesteaks on the eastside of Tucson!
Here's another entry from Kimmy's journal:
October 23, 2003
Autumn went on the potty today!! We tried everything to get her to try and she was simply not interested. Today, I was talking to my mom on the phone, when I heard Autumn scream 'I pooped!'. I ran to see what happened and sure enough, she had gone on her little potty all by herself! She was so proud. I was so proud I cried! And Grammy even shouted over the phone! As a treat, we went to Kohl's to tell Daddy and Autumn picked out a Dora the Explorer gift set. Three cheers for Autumn!
Again, the proud Mama - she delighted in every accomplishment of her bambini's and encouraged them to do their best at everything that they tried or had to do. She taught them well!
Love,
Dave
After this incredible meal, we went out into the desert into Fantasy Island again...our 4th week in a row. We had a smaller crew, as Brian had to work and Mario has a chest cold, so it was Tom, Alex, Cody and I...I knew I was in trouble - they all have one gear - fast and Tom and Alex just got new bikes, so I knew they'd want to test them and Cody was hell bent on getting back to the Fire Trail, where I renamed the Elbow Jammer two weeks ago - time to get back on that horse!
Sure enough, the boys took off at their usual break neck pace - by the time we hit the Fire Trail I was hurting...I picked the wrong day to forget my iron lung.
To end our day, Jaimelyn and Scott came over, bringing homemade pesto (I'll have to get the recipe to post) that we put over some penne - it was incredible! Jaimelyn also makes her own bread and brought a fresh loaf that was still warm! Cody went to dinner with Amy, Tom and Alex to Daglio's, where, as I mentioned yesterday, they have the finest cheesesteaks on the eastside of Tucson!
Here's another entry from Kimmy's journal:
October 23, 2003
Autumn went on the potty today!! We tried everything to get her to try and she was simply not interested. Today, I was talking to my mom on the phone, when I heard Autumn scream 'I pooped!'. I ran to see what happened and sure enough, she had gone on her little potty all by herself! She was so proud. I was so proud I cried! And Grammy even shouted over the phone! As a treat, we went to Kohl's to tell Daddy and Autumn picked out a Dora the Explorer gift set. Three cheers for Autumn!
Again, the proud Mama - she delighted in every accomplishment of her bambini's and encouraged them to do their best at everything that they tried or had to do. She taught them well!
Love,
Dave
Knights of Columbus
As I've told you, I knew Kimmy for about 33 years...I was very blessed to have known her that long and to have had the chance to experience so much with her...And, looking back on everything, I truly believe that she spent those 33 years, shaping me into the person I am today, so that I would be ready for this part of my journey.
About 8 or 9 years ago, one of Kimmy's ideas to 'save my soul', was that I should join the Knight of Columbus...being Kimmy, she didn't just come out and say that, but, over the years, she gently urged me to get more involved with the church and the Knights of Columbus became that vehicle. She told me how proud she was of me to get involved with such a community oriented group and would help with fish frys, pancake breakfasts, blood drives, etc.
And when Kimmy got sick, the Knights were there, creating prayer groups across the country. Reaching out, to be sure our family was ok. And when Kimmy passed, the Knights were there again, with donations and heartfelt condolences...well, they have not stopped working hard to help our family!
Now, the St. Pius Council, has voted to donate 50% of their annual raffle to Kimmy's Foundation to help others here in Tucson, families, like mine, that have been devastated by the loss of a loved one. This is one of their largest fund raisers of the year and I was humbled by their offer to help Kimmy's Foundation.
The tickets are $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. The drawing is on May 21st, my 18th wedding anniversary...
1st prize - a trip to Paris, 6 days, Hotel for 2
2nd prize - trip to Germany for 2
3rd prize - trip to Jamaica for 2
4th prize - $2,500
5th prize - $1,500
6th prize - $1,500
7th prize - $1,000
8th prize - $1,000
9th prize - $500
10th prize -$500
If you would like to purchase tickets, please let me know or stop by St. Pius church. All churches are selling tickets right now, but only tickets purchased through St. Pius will benefit Kimmy's Foundation.
Thanks for your help!
Love,
Dave
About 8 or 9 years ago, one of Kimmy's ideas to 'save my soul', was that I should join the Knight of Columbus...being Kimmy, she didn't just come out and say that, but, over the years, she gently urged me to get more involved with the church and the Knights of Columbus became that vehicle. She told me how proud she was of me to get involved with such a community oriented group and would help with fish frys, pancake breakfasts, blood drives, etc.
And when Kimmy got sick, the Knights were there, creating prayer groups across the country. Reaching out, to be sure our family was ok. And when Kimmy passed, the Knights were there again, with donations and heartfelt condolences...well, they have not stopped working hard to help our family!
Now, the St. Pius Council, has voted to donate 50% of their annual raffle to Kimmy's Foundation to help others here in Tucson, families, like mine, that have been devastated by the loss of a loved one. This is one of their largest fund raisers of the year and I was humbled by their offer to help Kimmy's Foundation.
The tickets are $5 each or 5 tickets for $20. The drawing is on May 21st, my 18th wedding anniversary...
1st prize - a trip to Paris, 6 days, Hotel for 2
2nd prize - trip to Germany for 2
3rd prize - trip to Jamaica for 2
4th prize - $2,500
5th prize - $1,500
6th prize - $1,500
7th prize - $1,000
8th prize - $1,000
9th prize - $500
10th prize -$500
If you would like to purchase tickets, please let me know or stop by St. Pius church. All churches are selling tickets right now, but only tickets purchased through St. Pius will benefit Kimmy's Foundation.
Thanks for your help!
Love,
Dave
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Vail Pride Day
Vail Pride Day is a magnet for bad weather...and today did not dissappoint! The winds were fierce, knifing across the Pima County Fair grounds, carrying more dust than seemed possible. But, at least it wasn't raining!
Kim loved this event, as I've told you. She just thought Vail School District was fantastic to host a day to celebrate our children and all of their academic accomplishments. So, as you can imagine, she worked hard helping to plan, organize and work where ever she was needed the day of the event. Last year, we helped sell pizzas with the PTSA. The stand was situated next to a doorway, and a portable pizza oven in a truck was parked just outside making fresh pies! The rain was coming down sideways and we were soon standing ankle deep in water and it was rising. I was running the cash register and Kim was frantically trying to get me away from it, fearing I would get electrocuted. I finally fished the extension cord out of the water and strung it high along the wall, so she could relax and enjoy her work! We ended up having to put sand bags around the entrance, as the water got deeper and deeper. But, we sure sold a lot of pizzas!
Mary Montes gets help from her niece (sister, Ami's, daughter), Hunter, running the cash register! If you haven't visited Ami's blog about her triplets (!), you need to check out her last post in which Hunter is the super hero 'Statica Electrica' - cute photos! (I have the link to her website posted down the right hand side of Kimmy's blog). And Sherri Rodriquez and her son Caleb sell beverages.
Alyssa Perrini, Mrs. Murphy, Jenn Bell, Tammy LaPlant and Annette Perrini sell pizzas! A little ironic for the Perrini's, as they brought pizza to our house last night after we went to see Gulliver's Travels (a classic Jack Black movie! The kids enjoyed it, and of course, plenty of laughs for us grown ups!).
I had the honor of helping judge the Math Bowl, thanks Mr. Edwards! Along with super volunteer/mom/education advocate, Kristi Hill and Mark Breen, who Kim worked with over at Rincon Vista. Kristi reminded me that she met Kimmy way back when she was pregnant with Autumn and Kristi was pregnant with her second child. Cody and Kristi's first child were in swim lessons together. Mark reminded me that he saw Kim and I at Daglio's (best cheesesteaks in town!) just two days before Kim went into St. Joe's. He was there with his family enjoying cheesesteaks. While I was judging and to stave off total anarchy, Ms. Bryson (Cottonwood's prinicpal) sagely snagged the bambini's and took them all around the fair grounds, buying them snacks and treating them to a fantastic time!
Ms. Bryson let the kids play in the playground bus....
Autumn's dolphin graces the 'peaceful' waves...we'd often see dolphins off the shore in San Diego and Laguna, and Kim and I saw them at Long Beach Island, NJ and in Florida, too.
Tonio's assignment was to scribble, and then 'find' animals within the scribbles and bring them out...
The bambini's are obviously excited with their work, especially Cody!
Oh, how pleased Kim must be...to have finally got to say thank you to many, many of you who helped us...and that sweet, smile on her face...we ran through the debris filled wind tunnel that was the parking lot to the safety of our car, Kim's Expedition. Cody quickly cranked up some tunes, as we could not talk...and we hurried home.
Cody went to Alex's to watch the Arizona Wildcats game (they won again!!) and I made rolled chicken tacos (thanks Andrea, although I could not keep mine from falling apart!)...Tonio and Autumn were soon turning the living room into a battle ground...so, pulling out another Andreaism, I left the room...to relax and find soothing thoughts, to avoid exploding...caught the exciting end of the Cats game and then found some Super Liga soccer - Guadalajra Chivas versus Atletica Pachuca...soon, Autumn snuck in to sit and watch with me...followed by Antonio....GOOOOAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!! Famous announcer, Pablo Ramirez intoned, to the delight of the kids. Chivas won easily 4-1...and I had regained my mojo, without raising my voice. Kimtastic.
"You touched my heart, you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals..."
-James Blunt
Love,
Dave
Kim loved this event, as I've told you. She just thought Vail School District was fantastic to host a day to celebrate our children and all of their academic accomplishments. So, as you can imagine, she worked hard helping to plan, organize and work where ever she was needed the day of the event. Last year, we helped sell pizzas with the PTSA. The stand was situated next to a doorway, and a portable pizza oven in a truck was parked just outside making fresh pies! The rain was coming down sideways and we were soon standing ankle deep in water and it was rising. I was running the cash register and Kim was frantically trying to get me away from it, fearing I would get electrocuted. I finally fished the extension cord out of the water and strung it high along the wall, so she could relax and enjoy her work! We ended up having to put sand bags around the entrance, as the water got deeper and deeper. But, we sure sold a lot of pizzas!
I had the honor of helping judge the Math Bowl, thanks Mr. Edwards! Along with super volunteer/mom/education advocate, Kristi Hill and Mark Breen, who Kim worked with over at Rincon Vista. Kristi reminded me that she met Kimmy way back when she was pregnant with Autumn and Kristi was pregnant with her second child. Cody and Kristi's first child were in swim lessons together. Mark reminded me that he saw Kim and I at Daglio's (best cheesesteaks in town!) just two days before Kim went into St. Joe's. He was there with his family enjoying cheesesteaks. While I was judging and to stave off total anarchy, Ms. Bryson (Cottonwood's prinicpal) sagely snagged the bambini's and took them all around the fair grounds, buying them snacks and treating them to a fantastic time!
And bought Tonio a chicken! Oh, no, he tells me she did not buy it, but let him hold it...
When I was done with the Math Bowl, she brought them back and they took me to proudly show me their art work...another Kimmy favorite. Kim always loved Mrs. Peck, our art teacher at Cottonwood, and all of the technique she took time to teach the kids and her use of various mediums. She'd always tell me, 'Mrs. Peck is such a treasure for our children...she actually teaches them so much about art, instead of just doing crafts'. She loved Mrs. Peck's teaching style and the patience she had with the children. Cody, Autumn and Tonio thrived in her class and would always be excited when it was their day for art class!
And he should be, here's some of his work, showcased......I know Kimmy's proud - he is definitely following in her artistic footsteps!
It was pretty crowded today, as Vail parents came out in throngs to see their children's work. I remember that Kim used to get a little overwhelmed, and sometimes tried to melt into the background or just want to leave...of course, we'd want to say hi to everyone, but she'd call me the 'friendly bastard', because I'd just keep chatting...today, though, I was getting a little overwhelmed...but had no one to bail me out, so, I turned to Cody...'Cody, I need to leave, I can't breath...find the exit and get us there!'....And I'm sorry if I didn't get to talk to you, I wanted to...We beat a hasty retreat out of the building and towards the fair ground's exit....where we were literally stopped dead in our tracks...
Cody went to Alex's to watch the Arizona Wildcats game (they won again!!) and I made rolled chicken tacos (thanks Andrea, although I could not keep mine from falling apart!)...Tonio and Autumn were soon turning the living room into a battle ground...so, pulling out another Andreaism, I left the room...to relax and find soothing thoughts, to avoid exploding...caught the exciting end of the Cats game and then found some Super Liga soccer - Guadalajra Chivas versus Atletica Pachuca...soon, Autumn snuck in to sit and watch with me...followed by Antonio....GOOOOAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!! Famous announcer, Pablo Ramirez intoned, to the delight of the kids. Chivas won easily 4-1...and I had regained my mojo, without raising my voice. Kimtastic.
"You touched my heart, you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals..."
-James Blunt
Love,
Dave
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Vail School District Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
This weekend is a big event for the Vail School District...the district sets up all of the student's art work, science fair projects, hosts musical events, trivia and math contests, there is a book fair, food, games, rides, jumping castles, taking up a large portion of the Pima County Fairgrounds and calls the event 'Vail Pride Day'. This is an event that made Kim and I absolutely love the Vail School District, as they showcase the talents of their students and the passion of their teachers. The bambini's have loved to attend this event every year. Kim loved to attend, to help run the book fair and to sell pizzas for the PTSA, but mostly to see the kids art work on display. It made her so proud of them to see it and Mrs. Peck, our art teacher, has done such a fantastic job over the years to prepare for Vail Pride Day.
Today, officially kicked off the start of Vail Pride Day with the volunteer appreciation lunch. The volunteer coordinators work very hard over several months to plan a nice lunch and decorate one of the halls for the volunteers to enjoy a meal. Kim worked to chair this event last year and started the planning for this year's event, before she got sick. I remember how nervous she was about having to speak in front of several hundred volunteers, peers and administrators. She looked so nice in her suit and derby hat and spoke so well, her soft, angelic voice was a pleasure to listen to. And she worked the crowd like a pro, going from table to table, greeting each volunteer personally and thanking them for their help over the year.
This year, was a beautiful event. The volunteer coordinators had the hall looking so nice and a buffet meal for us. Rebecca Manoleas gave a moving testimony for Kimmy - talking about what a pleasure she was to be around and what a hard worker she was. Many volunteer coordinators and administrators came up to me to tell me what they liked best about working with Kim and getting to know her and see her passion for our school district...They had a nice picture of Kim and I on the big screen...she looked so incredibly beautiful...and then, I was floored as they announced each school's volunteer of the year, and Melissa Grossheim, Cottonwood Elementary's volunteer coordinator, said that the school's volunteer of the year were Kim and Dave Conca...and patiently waited for me to digest what she said...and Ms. Bryson, our principal, gently encouraged me to stand up and walk up for the beautiful plaque that Melissa was waiting to present...I floated to the front and Melissa gave me a hug (held me up is more like it!)...this school district has been so overwhelmingly supportive!
....And, somehow, I neglected to put this on Sunday's post! Cody, Tonio, Autumn and Lexy enjoy the kaliedescope of food on Viro's breakfast buffet (and, I had the delicious cappuccino pictured!)...we'll be looking forward to going there again Sunday after church!
Anyway, I was, once again, so proud of Kimmy today...and all of the lives that she touched...the memories shared...and the work she did for our schools and our children, whether helping kids to read in the Head Sprout program, or passionately trying to get a garden built for the inclusion kids, or helping with PTSA functions or fundraisers...Kim absolutely LOVED our schools and wanted to give back - our kids are so well cared for...thank you teachers, for your long hours and dedication and the nurturing environment you create...thank you administrators for your hard work and leadership...thank you to all of the parents, who tirelessly, come out to support school events and help in the classrooms!! We are truly blessed in the Vail School District...
"Smile five times a day at someone you don't really want to smile at - do it for peace"
- Mother Teresa
Love,
Dave
Today, officially kicked off the start of Vail Pride Day with the volunteer appreciation lunch. The volunteer coordinators work very hard over several months to plan a nice lunch and decorate one of the halls for the volunteers to enjoy a meal. Kim worked to chair this event last year and started the planning for this year's event, before she got sick. I remember how nervous she was about having to speak in front of several hundred volunteers, peers and administrators. She looked so nice in her suit and derby hat and spoke so well, her soft, angelic voice was a pleasure to listen to. And she worked the crowd like a pro, going from table to table, greeting each volunteer personally and thanking them for their help over the year.
This year, was a beautiful event. The volunteer coordinators had the hall looking so nice and a buffet meal for us. Rebecca Manoleas gave a moving testimony for Kimmy - talking about what a pleasure she was to be around and what a hard worker she was. Many volunteer coordinators and administrators came up to me to tell me what they liked best about working with Kim and getting to know her and see her passion for our school district...They had a nice picture of Kim and I on the big screen...she looked so incredibly beautiful...and then, I was floored as they announced each school's volunteer of the year, and Melissa Grossheim, Cottonwood Elementary's volunteer coordinator, said that the school's volunteer of the year were Kim and Dave Conca...and patiently waited for me to digest what she said...and Ms. Bryson, our principal, gently encouraged me to stand up and walk up for the beautiful plaque that Melissa was waiting to present...I floated to the front and Melissa gave me a hug (held me up is more like it!)...this school district has been so overwhelmingly supportive!
Here's a shot of the beautiful center pieces on all of the tables (Kim loved hot air balloons! We'd often go to balloon shows and she took me on a hot air balloon ride for my 21st birthday.) Ms. Bryson made sure that I got my table's centerpiece, telling me to give the M&M's to the bambini's.
I can't thank Vail, the school district, the volunteer coordinators and everyone at Cottonwood who made this special event happen for us, enough! And the final, special touch...everyone received a rice krispie treat! Kim loved rice krispie treat...Angie and her daughters, Andrea, Janene, Kristie and Kim, would make various shapes and colored rice krispie treats to hand out after every birthday or holiday, always making sure to send us home with a couple extra... : ) Kim enjoyed them and always thought they made such a nice 'party favor', so it was a fitting parting tribute today.
I forgot, when I blogged about Barnes & Noble, to include a shot of my desk...complete with many photos of the bambini and Kimmy...the obligatory Cafe Americano, ready for action on my desk, flanked by an iced tea...just in case. The Trader Joe's bag is chock full of goodness from Lola, the patron saint of our book store. She always brings us snacks from Trader Joe's!!!
Anyway, I was, once again, so proud of Kimmy today...and all of the lives that she touched...the memories shared...and the work she did for our schools and our children, whether helping kids to read in the Head Sprout program, or passionately trying to get a garden built for the inclusion kids, or helping with PTSA functions or fundraisers...Kim absolutely LOVED our schools and wanted to give back - our kids are so well cared for...thank you teachers, for your long hours and dedication and the nurturing environment you create...thank you administrators for your hard work and leadership...thank you to all of the parents, who tirelessly, come out to support school events and help in the classrooms!! We are truly blessed in the Vail School District...
"Smile five times a day at someone you don't really want to smile at - do it for peace"
- Mother Teresa
Love,
Dave
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Barnes & Noble
My Barnes & Noble @ Foothills Mall
Kim and I spent many hours at Barnes & Noble over the years...we loved to go to the Foothalls Mall location, a big, two story spacious building...it started out as a Goldwater's Department store, then was a Dillard's. Kim and I would get a cup of coffee and sit and talk in the cafe, or stroll around the stacks looking for something that interested us. It was always calm and relaxing.
When I worked at Toys R Us on Broadway and Craycroft, the Barnes & Noble used to be right across the street on the southwest corner, where Kinko's is now. I'd get off of work, and we go over to Barnes & Noble and hang out until they closed.
Once we had kids, we loved to take them to the wonderful children's section, and sit with them on the stage that they have and read to them. The kids have always loved books. When I saw that Barnes & Noble was looking for a store manager for the Foothills location, Kim and I looked at each other and said, I can't believe I never thought to apply there earlier in my career!
Obviously, I feel blessed that I am with Barnes & Noble - they have taken such good care of me and my family...this week, I started back to work and the store looked great and felt great. Everyone was excited to show me their departments and what they have been doing to drive sales.
And here is the view of the mountains looking out of them. It is so incredible during monsoon, as the black clouds and lightning come over the mountains.
It is good to be back, with the great people that I am blessed to work with and I appreciate all that they did for me and the family!!!
On the way to work, I noticed a stray Christmas tree sitting, lonely and abandoned, in front of the Good Will on Valencia Rd. There is some unwritten law, that, this is where you come to dump your dead Christmas tree. Kim and I would pass by and rubber neck, with fascination, over the mounds of trees that would accumulate beginning 12/26. When the mound got high enough, the city would come by and take them away. The very next day, the pile would commence growing again...as if by some sentinel force. It was eerie.
Just the other day, Cody and I were passing that spot and I commented 'I keep looking for another tree to show up'. Cody thought it was way too late for that to happen...and yet, when I passed this morning, there it was! I quickly texted Cody 'Dude, passing Good Will and there is a lone, stray tree in front! Love U' He hit me back: 'Awesome! Love u too. Bye!'...he's a sweet kid.
The bambini's had a good day in school...and talked me into In & Out Burger for dinner...I remember, when I busted Kim out of the hospital one time, all she wanted was to stop there and eat. We went through the drive thru and sat together in the parking lot enjoying our burgers and each others company...I'll always have a fond spot in my heart for In & Out Burger...
Love,
Dave
Monday, February 14, 2011
St. Valentine
Happy Valentine's Day! Today, I read Robert Sabuda's retelling of the story of St. Valentine, the priest from ancient Rome, who was also a physician, to the bambini's. St. Valentine treated a young girl, who had been born blind and restored her sight. He was soon after sentenced to death for being a christian by the emperor.
As you might imagine...Kimmy made our Valentine's Days pretty special. She would always send the bambini to school with delightful treats, like cream cheese brownies!! I did manage to have them fill out a Valentine for each child in their classroom (thanks Mrs. Schrantz and Mrs. Rudzena for making this easy on us parents by providing the names of the children in your class!) and a small something for each teacher. And Mary and Emilio Montes just reminded me of the chocolate covered strawberries Kimmy would make...everyone LOVED those!!
And, Kimmy always got each child a nice Valentine and a special gift - this I remembered...and she helped the kids buy us something too...oops, didn't think of that! But, Andrea picked up the slack, helping the kids put together Valentine's for me and some cashews and Tazo Awake tea bags, so I can make my favorite iced tea and some new frames for my desks with photos of our family. Let me tell you, they were just beaming this morning when they could present their gifts to me! I probably could have not gotten them anything, they just felt so good about being able to give me gifts - it made them feel special
For dinner, Kim would typically make us shrimp scampi or linguini with clam sauce....it was a toss up, but we decided we would try the scampi!
Here is how Kim used to make this scrumptious dish:
Melt 2 tlbs spoons of butter in a sauce pan with 4 tlbs of olive oil.
Once white froth of butter starts to burn off, add 3 minced garlic cloves.
Let these simmer a few moments, but not brown.
Add 1 cup of your favorite pinot grigio.
Add shrimp and turn up heat.
As shrimp become pink, turn them over.
Add 3 or 4 sprigs of diced Italian parsley.
And some diced green onion, to taste.
As you are doing this, boil water for angel hair and prepare the pasta.
Once the shrimp is pink, mix in the pasta and serve! Like this:
After school, Autumn, Tonio, Lexy and Breanna exchanged Valentine's (look at the cute shirt that Lexy got Aut!!) and ran around crazy. Cody took advantage of the 80 degree weather and rode bikes with Alex. My neighbor, Tom and I had Peroni birra for a Valentine's Day treat while the kids played.
During dinner, sweet little Tonio asked 'Dada, why did Mama have to die so young?'...I explained to him, that God needed Mama in Heaven...and told him how Mama knew she was very sick and was going to go to Heaven soon, and was not afraid, in fact, she was happy. We talked about how she was no longer in pain and she did not have cancer anymore. Autumn chimed in with a memory - one time, we were playing a game called 'Family Dinner - box of questions', a game that Mary, at Barnes & Noble got our family last year for Christmas and the kids love to play - the question 'What are you afraid of?' came up...we went around the table with our answers, and Cody said 'I'm afraid of dying'...Kimmy told him, ' I can understand that, and I hope I go peacefully, in my sleep, but you guys know, you will go to Heaven and there is nothing to be afraid of'...Autumn remembered that and commented 'Mama did go in her sleep, just like she wanted to!'. Just like that, Tonio ran from the table, grabbed the game and we started to play. Tonio asked the question 'Which teacher or coach has had the most impact on you?' Tonio quickly answers "Mrs. Schrantz! She is so nice to me every day!"...Autumn says "Mom and Dad - they have taught me so much", sweet right? Prompting Tonio to change his answer, "oh, yeh, me too! Mom and Dad!", to which sweet little Autumn replies "hey...stop stealing my answers or I'll throw my fork in your eye!"...and so it goes....
And I quote to the bambini:
"Everybody come take my hand. We'll walk this road together, through the storm.
Whatever weather, cold or warm.
Just lettin you know, you're not alone..."
-Eminem
Love,
Dave
PS What was my answer to the question at dinner? Jesus Christ. Taught me that I am not alone, and to love my neighbor and to be a better person and gave me the ultimate sacrifice, reminding me, that whatever pain I might feel, it is nothing compared to what he suffered...and gives me strength to be there for the bambinis...and Tonio said 'wow, that's a great answer...'
As you might imagine...Kimmy made our Valentine's Days pretty special. She would always send the bambini to school with delightful treats, like cream cheese brownies!! I did manage to have them fill out a Valentine for each child in their classroom (thanks Mrs. Schrantz and Mrs. Rudzena for making this easy on us parents by providing the names of the children in your class!) and a small something for each teacher. And Mary and Emilio Montes just reminded me of the chocolate covered strawberries Kimmy would make...everyone LOVED those!!
And, Kimmy always got each child a nice Valentine and a special gift - this I remembered...and she helped the kids buy us something too...oops, didn't think of that! But, Andrea picked up the slack, helping the kids put together Valentine's for me and some cashews and Tazo Awake tea bags, so I can make my favorite iced tea and some new frames for my desks with photos of our family. Let me tell you, they were just beaming this morning when they could present their gifts to me! I probably could have not gotten them anything, they just felt so good about being able to give me gifts - it made them feel special
For dinner, Kim would typically make us shrimp scampi or linguini with clam sauce....it was a toss up, but we decided we would try the scampi!
Melt 2 tlbs spoons of butter in a sauce pan with 4 tlbs of olive oil.
Once white froth of butter starts to burn off, add 3 minced garlic cloves.
Let these simmer a few moments, but not brown.
Add 1 cup of your favorite pinot grigio.
Add shrimp and turn up heat.
As shrimp become pink, turn them over.
Add 3 or 4 sprigs of diced Italian parsley.
And some diced green onion, to taste.
As you are doing this, boil water for angel hair and prepare the pasta.
Once the shrimp is pink, mix in the pasta and serve! Like this:
Unbeknownst to us, while we enjoyed our frosty beverages, Bella, sensing the time for revolution was right, armed herself...joining the regime of my sister, Sherri's, dog, the nefarious Mause, the Jihad expert. There will be no sleep here tonight...
Today, I ventured back to work, after a 4 1/2 month hiatus...that team over at Barnes & Noble took such good care of me - the store looked fantastic, like I was never gone! It was good to be back and to see everyone and to drink Cafe' Americanos and black iced tea with two pumps of sugar! The Foothills Mall Barnes & Noble is such a fantastic building. One of the largest in the company, it is two stories and has majestic views of Pusch Ridge out of the second floor windows. And the team had done some great displays and were proud to show me all that they had accomplished over the weeks. And I still got out early enough to go get Cody!During dinner, sweet little Tonio asked 'Dada, why did Mama have to die so young?'...I explained to him, that God needed Mama in Heaven...and told him how Mama knew she was very sick and was going to go to Heaven soon, and was not afraid, in fact, she was happy. We talked about how she was no longer in pain and she did not have cancer anymore. Autumn chimed in with a memory - one time, we were playing a game called 'Family Dinner - box of questions', a game that Mary, at Barnes & Noble got our family last year for Christmas and the kids love to play - the question 'What are you afraid of?' came up...we went around the table with our answers, and Cody said 'I'm afraid of dying'...Kimmy told him, ' I can understand that, and I hope I go peacefully, in my sleep, but you guys know, you will go to Heaven and there is nothing to be afraid of'...Autumn remembered that and commented 'Mama did go in her sleep, just like she wanted to!'. Just like that, Tonio ran from the table, grabbed the game and we started to play. Tonio asked the question 'Which teacher or coach has had the most impact on you?' Tonio quickly answers "Mrs. Schrantz! She is so nice to me every day!"...Autumn says "Mom and Dad - they have taught me so much", sweet right? Prompting Tonio to change his answer, "oh, yeh, me too! Mom and Dad!", to which sweet little Autumn replies "hey...stop stealing my answers or I'll throw my fork in your eye!"...and so it goes....
And I quote to the bambini:
"Everybody come take my hand. We'll walk this road together, through the storm.
Whatever weather, cold or warm.
Just lettin you know, you're not alone..."
-Eminem
Love,
Dave
PS What was my answer to the question at dinner? Jesus Christ. Taught me that I am not alone, and to love my neighbor and to be a better person and gave me the ultimate sacrifice, reminding me, that whatever pain I might feel, it is nothing compared to what he suffered...and gives me strength to be there for the bambinis...and Tonio said 'wow, that's a great answer...'
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The 13th...
On October 1st, 2003, Kim made this entry in her journal:
"Just shy of 3 months old, Antonio rolled over today! He pulled his leg as high as he could, crossed it over his body and he began to turn! He was so proud, he smiled! What a proud moment. I'm so glad he started my day that way :)."
And her little ones continued to make her so proud, with whatever they did...I remember, she would call me at work, so excited that one of the bambini had smiled, or crawled, or walked a few steps. Later, it would be tied their shoe, pedaled their bike,etc. We were blessed to be able to have Kim be a stay at home mom for twelve, wonderful years. She got to be there and experience every moment of her children's accomplishments and cherished each one. I know that I'd often tell her, that she had a much harder job than any that I've ever had. There were no breaks. No lunches. No vacations. And no paycheck. But, I'd always let her know, that you could not put a monetary value on the work she did. Kimmy truly nurtured and shaped Cody, Autumn and Antonio into the remarkable children that they are today. She would not have traded that for the world. There would be moms that told her 'I don't know how you do it, I need my 'career''. Or, 'you need to get a babysitter for yourself or put them in pre-school'. Kim would just smile and nod, knowing that she got such satisfaction over what she was able to do and would not have passed that responsibility on to anyone, let alone a stranger at a daycare. She'd also point out, that, any earnings she made would go right to paying for that childcare anyway...
And they have been so resilient...we got to go to Mass as a family today, at Our Mother of Sorrows. Monsignor Tom held a special Mass for the religious education classes in the church's hall, so he could explain the different parts and their importance. Afterwards, we took Lexy with us to Viro's (to quote the immortal Brian Duffy 'what a surprise!') and all of the kids ate incredible amounts of food - where do they put it? Rosa and Vito had a huge breakfast crowd today, but, as always, took time to visit with us all.
Then, it was back to Fantasy Island! We took Cody's buddy Ryan, our neighbor, Alex and Mario and David, while Andrea stayed back to watch Lexy, Breanna, Autumn and Tonio at our house. Cody set a scorching pace for everyone...it was a fantastic afternoon in the mid-70's as we took our ride. Mario, David and I did the 7 mile course and Cody, Ryan and Alex did the 10 mile ride...I opted not to go through the Elbow Jammer this week...It was a great ride! Meanwhile, Andrea worked on Valentine prep with the bambini, read the St. Valentine's story by Robert Sabuda to them and cleaned!!!
Cody ended up going to Alex's to play video games and Amy made them spaghetti!
For dinner, I made chicken with rice, a recipe that Andrea had given to Kim many years ago and I know the kids will always eat. Can't remember if I've shared it or not, but just in case, here it is:
I usually buy one of the roasted chickens at the super market and shred the meat.
Then, make some white rice.
While that is cooking, put some olive oil in a pan, heat it up.
Once heated, add a clove of garlic, minced and a 1/2 cup of chopped onion.
Allow this to begin to brown, and scramble two eggs in.
Once the eggs have cooked, add 1/2 bag of frozen peas/carrot mix.
Allow that to heat up and stir in some green onion, to taste and then the chicken.
Mix that all up good and when everything is warm, stir in rice and add soy sauce to taste.
I like to add a healthy amount of pepper, too!
And Bella, she had a fun weekend, too! Andrea's son, David, cleaned out his room and generously gave Tonio some of his Nerf guns...a few of which have lasers. Well, the kids quickly figured out that Bella will chase the lasers for hours...they had her turning on and off lights, by pointing the laser at the light switch and jumping high off the ground as she would try to chase the light up the wall!
Here she is, stalking a laser beam now....
We ended our day with yet another movie night (our friends, Kirk, Annette and Alyssa, brought us over a huge basket of movie snacks - thanks guys!), watching 'The Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole'. Autumn is a huge owl fan and this was an early Valentine's Day present...yep, I remembered that Kimmy always got the kids a card and a little something special...I will write their cards out once Cody gets to bed! Although, Autumn pointed out to me, as she sleepily marched off to bed tonight, that I had forgotten to get out the Valentine's decorations this year...
Love,
Dave
"Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all"
-St. Augustine
"Just shy of 3 months old, Antonio rolled over today! He pulled his leg as high as he could, crossed it over his body and he began to turn! He was so proud, he smiled! What a proud moment. I'm so glad he started my day that way :)."
And her little ones continued to make her so proud, with whatever they did...I remember, she would call me at work, so excited that one of the bambini had smiled, or crawled, or walked a few steps. Later, it would be tied their shoe, pedaled their bike,etc. We were blessed to be able to have Kim be a stay at home mom for twelve, wonderful years. She got to be there and experience every moment of her children's accomplishments and cherished each one. I know that I'd often tell her, that she had a much harder job than any that I've ever had. There were no breaks. No lunches. No vacations. And no paycheck. But, I'd always let her know, that you could not put a monetary value on the work she did. Kimmy truly nurtured and shaped Cody, Autumn and Antonio into the remarkable children that they are today. She would not have traded that for the world. There would be moms that told her 'I don't know how you do it, I need my 'career''. Or, 'you need to get a babysitter for yourself or put them in pre-school'. Kim would just smile and nod, knowing that she got such satisfaction over what she was able to do and would not have passed that responsibility on to anyone, let alone a stranger at a daycare. She'd also point out, that, any earnings she made would go right to paying for that childcare anyway...
And they have been so resilient...we got to go to Mass as a family today, at Our Mother of Sorrows. Monsignor Tom held a special Mass for the religious education classes in the church's hall, so he could explain the different parts and their importance. Afterwards, we took Lexy with us to Viro's (to quote the immortal Brian Duffy 'what a surprise!') and all of the kids ate incredible amounts of food - where do they put it? Rosa and Vito had a huge breakfast crowd today, but, as always, took time to visit with us all.
Then, it was back to Fantasy Island! We took Cody's buddy Ryan, our neighbor, Alex and Mario and David, while Andrea stayed back to watch Lexy, Breanna, Autumn and Tonio at our house. Cody set a scorching pace for everyone...it was a fantastic afternoon in the mid-70's as we took our ride. Mario, David and I did the 7 mile course and Cody, Ryan and Alex did the 10 mile ride...I opted not to go through the Elbow Jammer this week...It was a great ride! Meanwhile, Andrea worked on Valentine prep with the bambini, read the St. Valentine's story by Robert Sabuda to them and cleaned!!!
Cody ended up going to Alex's to play video games and Amy made them spaghetti!
For dinner, I made chicken with rice, a recipe that Andrea had given to Kim many years ago and I know the kids will always eat. Can't remember if I've shared it or not, but just in case, here it is:
Then, make some white rice.
While that is cooking, put some olive oil in a pan, heat it up.
Once heated, add a clove of garlic, minced and a 1/2 cup of chopped onion.
Allow this to begin to brown, and scramble two eggs in.
Once the eggs have cooked, add 1/2 bag of frozen peas/carrot mix.
Allow that to heat up and stir in some green onion, to taste and then the chicken.
Mix that all up good and when everything is warm, stir in rice and add soy sauce to taste.
I like to add a healthy amount of pepper, too!
And Bella, she had a fun weekend, too! Andrea's son, David, cleaned out his room and generously gave Tonio some of his Nerf guns...a few of which have lasers. Well, the kids quickly figured out that Bella will chase the lasers for hours...they had her turning on and off lights, by pointing the laser at the light switch and jumping high off the ground as she would try to chase the light up the wall!
We ended our day with yet another movie night (our friends, Kirk, Annette and Alyssa, brought us over a huge basket of movie snacks - thanks guys!), watching 'The Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole'. Autumn is a huge owl fan and this was an early Valentine's Day present...yep, I remembered that Kimmy always got the kids a card and a little something special...I will write their cards out once Cody gets to bed! Although, Autumn pointed out to me, as she sleepily marched off to bed tonight, that I had forgotten to get out the Valentine's decorations this year...
Love,
Dave
"Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all"
-St. Augustine
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Old Tucson
Saturday...the bambini's slept in...Autumn until 7:30, Tonio until 8 and Cody, who slept at Jesus' (yes, we missed him!), texted me at 10 to say he had just woken up! We had decided to go to Old Tucson today...Jaimelyn's (Barnes & Noble) husband, Scott, had been a stunt man there for many years and they have graciously hooked us up over the years with free passes. Scott recently found a better job, as an sculptor and gave us the last of his passes :(
And what a gorgeous day for it! We hit a high of 80 today, blue skies, no clouds. We picked up Lexy and headed out (minus Cody, who opted to stay with Jesus today). It is a beautiful drive to Old Tucson, through the towering saguaro cacti, thick as a forest as far as the eye can see...The Tucson mountains are pretty, too, many of them showing up in old westerns that were filmed at Old Tucson.
As we approached, I remembered our wedding day...when we took our wedding party to Old Tucson after the ceremony at San Xavier Mission. It was much hotter that day...and Old Tucson looked significantly different...a few years after our wedding, most of Old Tucson burned to the ground. The night we heard it was burning, Kim and I drove out there, parked in the desert and watched it burn, in each others arms, tears streaming down Kimmy's cheeks..."we were there on our wedding day..." she cried. And many others, too, as we had quickly become members and went often.
They did not have adequate water on site to battle the blaze...it took several years to rebuild Old Tucson, but, the owners had a decision to make. Should they rebuild as a movie studios, or a theme park. Unfortunately, they chose theme park and rebuilt using a lot of cement, instead of the old wood planking that gave the original Old Tucson the old west charm and authenticity. They also reduced the number of shows, and pretty much eliminated the audience participation. Kim and I had been selected for many shows when we'd go out and they'd have you go into wardrobe to put on old west clothes. Kim was in a great skit on Main St. one year, where she got to throw a big punch and knock a bad guy off his feet (I'm sure it was a thrill for the stunt man to take a dive for Kimmy!). They also had a movie set inside, where you could watch shows and participate, too. I once was in the production of 'The Good, the Bad and the Dumb' and still have the VHS that Kim had bought of the skit to surprise me.
Sometimes, after work, Kim would pack us a dinner and we'd head out to Old Tucson with Cajun, our lab/border collie pup.
We would sit at this very picnic table, in the shade of this mesquite and eat. I remember one time, she packed spaghetti in some sort of warming bag. We'd put Cajun right up on the table, so she wouldn't run off and wouldn't get bitten by ants (she suffered a few red ant bites on time on a hike we took in Avra Valley along some water they have down there) and we'd share our dinner with her. Afterward, we'd all ride the train. You can't take pets there anymore, sadly. We found out the hard way, shortly after we got Bella, we went out to enjoy the park and they wouldn't let her in! The kids were so dissappointed, so Kimmy stayed in the car with Bella, so I could run through a few rides with the kids - that was Kimmy, always sacrificing for our family.
One year, we had Cody's birthday party at Old Tucson. He had a huge Scooby Doo pinata that we hung from a large tree for his friends to hit. We had food and the cake in one of the restaraunts there that had been named after 'The Three Amigos' ('80's film starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short that was filmed at Old Tucson and is a Conca family favorite!), that is now called Vaqueros.
Old Tucson hosted concerts for awhile. We went to see Blue Oyster Cult there one time and Eddie Money (not sure why, but we had fun!), who was pretty funny, although I'm not sure if he was trying to be. Cody must have been one or two for that concert and seemed to enjoy the music. We saw America and Three Dog Night there, too - I guess on of the guys from Three Dog Night lives in Tucson. And they also used to hold rodeos there - we saw several, including a college one. Good times...
Now, most of the old rides are closed or have been altered. Like the Iron Door Mine, used to have mine cars that took you through a haunted mine. Now, you walk through with a guide. Lexy, Autumn and Tonio enjoyed it today, our guide had some good stories and the kids had a couple of scares, too.
And we road the train...it circles the perimeter of the park and the mountain views are stunning...
This locomotive was a real working train built in 1897 and carried presidents and celebrities. It has shown up in 100 movies, including Joe Kidd (classic Clint!) and Tombstone. The kids were able to climb up into it and had fun playing with all of the controls. We saw a couple of good gunfights, locked the kids up in jail and checked out every inch of that place!
Ahh, some great food!!! Everyone ate a ton (Lexy had carne asade, Aut a chicken tostada, Tonio a bean and cheese burrito bigger than his head and I had the chile relleno) and they all saved room for desert!
And what a gorgeous day for it! We hit a high of 80 today, blue skies, no clouds. We picked up Lexy and headed out (minus Cody, who opted to stay with Jesus today). It is a beautiful drive to Old Tucson, through the towering saguaro cacti, thick as a forest as far as the eye can see...The Tucson mountains are pretty, too, many of them showing up in old westerns that were filmed at Old Tucson.
As we approached, I remembered our wedding day...when we took our wedding party to Old Tucson after the ceremony at San Xavier Mission. It was much hotter that day...and Old Tucson looked significantly different...a few years after our wedding, most of Old Tucson burned to the ground. The night we heard it was burning, Kim and I drove out there, parked in the desert and watched it burn, in each others arms, tears streaming down Kimmy's cheeks..."we were there on our wedding day..." she cried. And many others, too, as we had quickly become members and went often.
They did not have adequate water on site to battle the blaze...it took several years to rebuild Old Tucson, but, the owners had a decision to make. Should they rebuild as a movie studios, or a theme park. Unfortunately, they chose theme park and rebuilt using a lot of cement, instead of the old wood planking that gave the original Old Tucson the old west charm and authenticity. They also reduced the number of shows, and pretty much eliminated the audience participation. Kim and I had been selected for many shows when we'd go out and they'd have you go into wardrobe to put on old west clothes. Kim was in a great skit on Main St. one year, where she got to throw a big punch and knock a bad guy off his feet (I'm sure it was a thrill for the stunt man to take a dive for Kimmy!). They also had a movie set inside, where you could watch shows and participate, too. I once was in the production of 'The Good, the Bad and the Dumb' and still have the VHS that Kim had bought of the skit to surprise me.
Sometimes, after work, Kim would pack us a dinner and we'd head out to Old Tucson with Cajun, our lab/border collie pup.
One year, we had Cody's birthday party at Old Tucson. He had a huge Scooby Doo pinata that we hung from a large tree for his friends to hit. We had food and the cake in one of the restaraunts there that had been named after 'The Three Amigos' ('80's film starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short that was filmed at Old Tucson and is a Conca family favorite!), that is now called Vaqueros.
Old Tucson hosted concerts for awhile. We went to see Blue Oyster Cult there one time and Eddie Money (not sure why, but we had fun!), who was pretty funny, although I'm not sure if he was trying to be. Cody must have been one or two for that concert and seemed to enjoy the music. We saw America and Three Dog Night there, too - I guess on of the guys from Three Dog Night lives in Tucson. And they also used to hold rodeos there - we saw several, including a college one. Good times...
Now, most of the old rides are closed or have been altered. Like the Iron Door Mine, used to have mine cars that took you through a haunted mine. Now, you walk through with a guide. Lexy, Autumn and Tonio enjoyed it today, our guide had some good stories and the kids had a couple of scares, too.
Without a doubt, their favorite ride was the motor cars. There were no lines, so they would ride, get off and run back to the front to ride again...this was Tonio's first time he was tall enough to ride himself...so I got plenty of photos, as I know Kimmy would have - she would have teared up to see our little one finally able to ride alone...
Finally, it was time to leave...we were there about four hours! I took the road through Gates Pass on the way out and the kids thought it was so beautiful, twisting up through the Tucson Mountains. And, we were pretty hungry! Being on that side of town, I thought I'd take the kids to El Rio bakery for some food.
As we drove down Speedway towards home, I realized that I had made a location error a few blogs ago...Rosie's Cantina had been on the corner of Speedway and 6th, not Euclid...now there is a preschool there...so where Kim and I once dined and dance, toddlers are crawling across that very floor...
We stopped at a Redbox on the way home and the kids picked out a movie to watch tonight...but now, Lexy and Autumn are having a 'dance party' in our hallway! They choreograph dances to their favorite songs and put up posters advertising their big show...pretty cute.
We sure had fun at Old Tucson today and it brought back good memories. We had actually made it out there as a family back in early October, just before Kim went into St. Joseph's...Tonio brought it up as we explored the set of High Chapparal, the '60's t.v. show filmed there. He suddenly said, 'Dad, we were just here right before Mama went into the hospital, I remember her talking to a lady who had known some of the t.v. stars..'. He was right. There had been a lady on one of the sets who fondly remembered working with the cast of the show while it was being filmed and Kim had been fascinated...
'Nother good day, ending a pretty darn good week...next week: Back to work!
Love,
Dave
Friday, February 11, 2011
Parent/Teacher Conferences...
Parent/Teacher conferences were this week...I always feel bad for the teachers. They cram in 25 + visits, usually over two or three days, and they must be exhausted. I love the parents who go in and are surprised with how their kids are doing...or one set today, who's child wasn't doing so good, asked the teacher what she intended to do to make her child understand better. So, yes, I empathize with these teachers, at this time of year - they work hard, take care of our kids for 6 1/2 hours a day and still face parent who have no idea of what is going on...
This was one of Kim's favorite times of the school year. She always made sure to bring in some sort of treat, to show our appreciation for the teacher's hard work (especially the poor teacher who had to handle Antonio!). I wanted to do something like she would have done....but I choked, but did manage to bring Mrs. Schrantz a coke and Mrs. Rudzena and iced tea...
All of the teachers knew, to have plenty of tissues on hand for Kimmy. The teachers would be telling us all of our kid's accomplishments and saying nice things and Kimmy's heart would fill up, so proud and thankful for their hard work and the tears would flow...everytime...it was very sweet. I actually made it through five teachers and my final teacher, Mrs. Lopez, Cody's algebra teacher, cracked me. I quickly thanked her, gave her a big hug and ran out the door...
But honestly, these teachers have not only been there academically for the bambini, but emotionally, as well, as they transition to our new journey. Mrs. Schrantz has consistently been in tune with Tonio's sadness level, giving him jobs to do and making him feel special to keep his mind off of things. Mrs. Rudzena, has shared her own loss of her father with Autumn, becoming almost a big sister to Autumn and filling her with confidence. Cody's teachers, Mrs. Archuletta, Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Payton and Mrs. Lopez, have all taken Cody aside to let him know they are there for him and have worked with him on his studies. All of the kids have great grades! We are so blessed to have these teachers!! I'm not sure where we'd be without their dedication and compassion.
After these conferences, I was completely blown up, emotionally spent. So proud of the kids, but wishing Kimmy could have been here with me to hear the praises, although I know she heard it all. I did it solo. And I went home and pulled out another Andreaism...the ocean sound machine. When Kimmy first got sick, Andrea bought her one of the Homedic sound machines. Kim loved to fall asleep with 'white noise'. We've always had a fan or air purifier to lend that soothing sound to fall asleep to. Kim loved the setting with the waves hitting the beach and used it nightly in the hospital and when she was home...When I have a tough moment, I will put on the beach sounds and just empty my mind...and it always helps. Antonio loves it too, and turns it on every night before we go to sleep!
After school, Lupe and Manny, who's daughter, Monsi, is in Tonio's class took Autumn and Tonio to Peter Piper Pizza, right after school and then back to their house to play. They had so much fun. Cody's friend, Jesus, invited Cody over for a sleep over. After I got my bearings, I managed to make it over to Jesus' house to hang out with Monique and Joe for awhile, leaving to pick up Aut and Tonio and hanging out with Lupe and Manny for awhile (at least one beer) and then back to Monique and Joe's for pizza (and another beer). We miss Cody already...
It rounded out the week nicely - the kids all having great weeks - me too, except for falling down a little today. We're getting there, one day at a time...
Love,
Dave
PS Mrs. Schrantz had her kids write a letter to their parents about what they think she will say about them...
Here's Tonio's:
"Dear Mom and Dad,
My 2nd grade year has been unusually good! I think Mrs. Schrantz will tell you that I'm doing fantastic.
Love,
Antonio"
This was one of Kim's favorite times of the school year. She always made sure to bring in some sort of treat, to show our appreciation for the teacher's hard work (especially the poor teacher who had to handle Antonio!). I wanted to do something like she would have done....but I choked, but did manage to bring Mrs. Schrantz a coke and Mrs. Rudzena and iced tea...
All of the teachers knew, to have plenty of tissues on hand for Kimmy. The teachers would be telling us all of our kid's accomplishments and saying nice things and Kimmy's heart would fill up, so proud and thankful for their hard work and the tears would flow...everytime...it was very sweet. I actually made it through five teachers and my final teacher, Mrs. Lopez, Cody's algebra teacher, cracked me. I quickly thanked her, gave her a big hug and ran out the door...
But honestly, these teachers have not only been there academically for the bambini, but emotionally, as well, as they transition to our new journey. Mrs. Schrantz has consistently been in tune with Tonio's sadness level, giving him jobs to do and making him feel special to keep his mind off of things. Mrs. Rudzena, has shared her own loss of her father with Autumn, becoming almost a big sister to Autumn and filling her with confidence. Cody's teachers, Mrs. Archuletta, Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Payton and Mrs. Lopez, have all taken Cody aside to let him know they are there for him and have worked with him on his studies. All of the kids have great grades! We are so blessed to have these teachers!! I'm not sure where we'd be without their dedication and compassion.
After these conferences, I was completely blown up, emotionally spent. So proud of the kids, but wishing Kimmy could have been here with me to hear the praises, although I know she heard it all. I did it solo. And I went home and pulled out another Andreaism...the ocean sound machine. When Kimmy first got sick, Andrea bought her one of the Homedic sound machines. Kim loved to fall asleep with 'white noise'. We've always had a fan or air purifier to lend that soothing sound to fall asleep to. Kim loved the setting with the waves hitting the beach and used it nightly in the hospital and when she was home...When I have a tough moment, I will put on the beach sounds and just empty my mind...and it always helps. Antonio loves it too, and turns it on every night before we go to sleep!
After school, Lupe and Manny, who's daughter, Monsi, is in Tonio's class took Autumn and Tonio to Peter Piper Pizza, right after school and then back to their house to play. They had so much fun. Cody's friend, Jesus, invited Cody over for a sleep over. After I got my bearings, I managed to make it over to Jesus' house to hang out with Monique and Joe for awhile, leaving to pick up Aut and Tonio and hanging out with Lupe and Manny for awhile (at least one beer) and then back to Monique and Joe's for pizza (and another beer). We miss Cody already...
It rounded out the week nicely - the kids all having great weeks - me too, except for falling down a little today. We're getting there, one day at a time...
Love,
Dave
PS Mrs. Schrantz had her kids write a letter to their parents about what they think she will say about them...
Here's Tonio's:
"Dear Mom and Dad,
My 2nd grade year has been unusually good! I think Mrs. Schrantz will tell you that I'm doing fantastic.
Love,
Antonio"
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Memories...
You know, somebody commented to me recently over what a great memory that I have, to be able to write about all that Kimmy and I were blessed to do together...yes, I have so many great memories, but, it is amazing, day to day, what triggers them. It's not as if all of them are right there on the surface, although, of course there are a lot there - keeping me going...but, simple things during the course of my day will help a hidden gem to come uncovered...
Super Bowl Sunday, as I headed to 'Uncle Art's' for his Super Bowl party...we took I-10, and, as we passed the 22nd street exit, I caught a glimpse of the Howard Johnson's just west of the exit...and, just like that, I was awash in some great memories...
I-10 and 22nd street is no place you ever want to stay, if you are visiting Tucson - my friend, Joe, who works for the Fire Department, says this is an excellent place to get mugged, or worse. As an EMT, he has seen some hairy action in this vicinity. And my friend, Brad, who works for the Tucson Police Department, says it is an excellent place to get killed, or worse. I believe them now, but, Kim and I had spent our share of time in Philly, and when you are in a bad neighborhood there, it is very apparent...Tucson is different, the bad areas just don't seem bad..
And the nightly rate was $18.99! That sounded good. We loved that there was a Waffle House right across the street and ate there each morning (scrambled eggs w/ cheese and raisin toast! Kimmy's favorite!!). We get up early, around 11 a.m., and head over there and plan our day...a little hiking (who cared that it was August?) and then, we'd find a place for dinner and some nightlife. We knew where the University of Arizona was, so we'd just head down I-10, take the Speedway exit and look for a joint. We ended up finding an all time favorite on the corner of Speedway and Euclid...Rosie's Cantina - at the Super Bowl party, I struggled to find the name of this place, but Janene remembered it and once she said Rosie's, I remembered we even had bought shirts there to commemorate our good times there! They had great Mexican food and beer specials and the people working there were so friendly (well, our relatives who came out in December, all commented on how friendly people here in Tucson are - and why not, it is an incredible place to live!). We danced and ate and had beers with limes in them and danced. It was a great place. By the time we moved here in 1994, it had been transformed into 'Cluck U Chicken'...we tried it, but it was not the same...I can't even think of what is on that corner now (southeast corner of Speedway and Euclid)...
A favorite dinner spot was all the way down on Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon, in the shopping plaza on the southwest corner - it was called Jerome's and was just a beautiful place with great food - it was still there, briefly, when we moved back, living just up the street in apartments at Tanque Verde and Dos Hombres, and we went there a few times.
So just driving by HoJo's, brought back the flood of great memories and vivid detail of our vacations here in Tucson all those years ago...that's how it happens!
Well, we are nearing the weekend, and I'm so glad the bambinis all had a great week! Today, was a half day and I picked up Tonio and Autumn first. Mrs. Schrantz had been kind enough to allow Tonio to bring in his latest Lego creation to class today. He was so proud - he chose the set himself and paid for it with his own money! When we got home, he sat down, pulled out the directions and went to work building the dragon exactly as pictured...all by himself!
Then, we ran over to Desert Willow and picked up Lexy and next, over to Desert Sky and grabbed Cody...we were off for a nutritious lunch at...In and Out Burger!! We scarfed down burgers and fries and headed over to the 'cheap theaters', formally known as the dollar theaters, to see Megamind...this is a must see! Will Farrell place the villian and Brad Pitt the hero...everyone loved it and we gorged on popcorn and candy. The soundtrack was pretty good too, with some AC DC, Guns and Roses and ELO...anyone remember them? They played "Mr. Bluesky", which was Kim's and my favorite off of 'Out of the Blue'...it took me right back to Nitschmann Junior High and the times we shared there. On the way home, we stopped at Circle K for drinks - I told Andrea, we had stuffed her poor daughter with a bunch of garbage all day! But, we'd make up for it at dinner, serving up some...you guessed it! Pasta!! They had worked off the day's debauchery with a brisk run with Bella around the neighborhood. Bella loves company. The kids have taught her to play 'hide and seek'. They throw her ball down the hallway and scatter to hide. Bella will patiently hunt each kid down. It is amazing and she has so much fun!
We still had vodka sauce left, so we were able to treat everybody ('cept Breanna, who said she was too tired to eat, poor girl) to some angel hair. Autumn and Lexy can really put away the pasta! Does my heart good to see people enjoy pasta...The girls even eat big salads, too!
Cody missed the pasta, having gone to Alex's house - Amy and Tom were nice enough to take him for some Mexican food down the road at the Rita Ranch Market and then they played video games for awhile...
The stars had so much clarity tonight, when we stepped out to say goodnight - you do have to bundle up - I put on my cozy Italia hoodie and Tonio will leap right up into my arms and tell me he'll keep me warm if I carry him! The moon is up to a half smile now, and we had a great view of the Big Dipper as we wished Mama a good night...
Hey there misses blue
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Ev'rybody smiles at you
Misses blue, you did it right
But soon comes mister night creepin' over
Now his hand is on your shoulder
Never mind I'll remember you this
I'll remember you this way
-ELO
Yes, I changed mister into misses in these lyrics...fits better...
Love,
Dave
Super Bowl Sunday, as I headed to 'Uncle Art's' for his Super Bowl party...we took I-10, and, as we passed the 22nd street exit, I caught a glimpse of the Howard Johnson's just west of the exit...and, just like that, I was awash in some great memories...
I-10 and 22nd street is no place you ever want to stay, if you are visiting Tucson - my friend, Joe, who works for the Fire Department, says this is an excellent place to get mugged, or worse. As an EMT, he has seen some hairy action in this vicinity. And my friend, Brad, who works for the Tucson Police Department, says it is an excellent place to get killed, or worse. I believe them now, but, Kim and I had spent our share of time in Philly, and when you are in a bad neighborhood there, it is very apparent...Tucson is different, the bad areas just don't seem bad..
And the nightly rate was $18.99! That sounded good. We loved that there was a Waffle House right across the street and ate there each morning (scrambled eggs w/ cheese and raisin toast! Kimmy's favorite!!). We get up early, around 11 a.m., and head over there and plan our day...a little hiking (who cared that it was August?) and then, we'd find a place for dinner and some nightlife. We knew where the University of Arizona was, so we'd just head down I-10, take the Speedway exit and look for a joint. We ended up finding an all time favorite on the corner of Speedway and Euclid...Rosie's Cantina - at the Super Bowl party, I struggled to find the name of this place, but Janene remembered it and once she said Rosie's, I remembered we even had bought shirts there to commemorate our good times there! They had great Mexican food and beer specials and the people working there were so friendly (well, our relatives who came out in December, all commented on how friendly people here in Tucson are - and why not, it is an incredible place to live!). We danced and ate and had beers with limes in them and danced. It was a great place. By the time we moved here in 1994, it had been transformed into 'Cluck U Chicken'...we tried it, but it was not the same...I can't even think of what is on that corner now (southeast corner of Speedway and Euclid)...
A favorite dinner spot was all the way down on Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon, in the shopping plaza on the southwest corner - it was called Jerome's and was just a beautiful place with great food - it was still there, briefly, when we moved back, living just up the street in apartments at Tanque Verde and Dos Hombres, and we went there a few times.
So just driving by HoJo's, brought back the flood of great memories and vivid detail of our vacations here in Tucson all those years ago...that's how it happens!
Well, we are nearing the weekend, and I'm so glad the bambinis all had a great week! Today, was a half day and I picked up Tonio and Autumn first. Mrs. Schrantz had been kind enough to allow Tonio to bring in his latest Lego creation to class today. He was so proud - he chose the set himself and paid for it with his own money! When we got home, he sat down, pulled out the directions and went to work building the dragon exactly as pictured...all by himself!
We still had vodka sauce left, so we were able to treat everybody ('cept Breanna, who said she was too tired to eat, poor girl) to some angel hair. Autumn and Lexy can really put away the pasta! Does my heart good to see people enjoy pasta...The girls even eat big salads, too!
Cody missed the pasta, having gone to Alex's house - Amy and Tom were nice enough to take him for some Mexican food down the road at the Rita Ranch Market and then they played video games for awhile...
The stars had so much clarity tonight, when we stepped out to say goodnight - you do have to bundle up - I put on my cozy Italia hoodie and Tonio will leap right up into my arms and tell me he'll keep me warm if I carry him! The moon is up to a half smile now, and we had a great view of the Big Dipper as we wished Mama a good night...
Hey there misses blue
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Ev'rybody smiles at you
Misses blue, you did it right
But soon comes mister night creepin' over
Now his hand is on your shoulder
Never mind I'll remember you this
I'll remember you this way
-ELO
Yes, I changed mister into misses in these lyrics...fits better...
Love,
Dave
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