Seriously Random Post

It's almost Halloween and I finally figured out what I wanna "be!" I'm gonna be a glammed out British officer ala Kazaky (www.kazaky.com). I ran into this Ukrainian dance music/fashion group a while back on YouTube (they're pretty popular with over 8 million views) and they're really talented.

<---------- When I saw this outfit something just clicked and I decided it could be a fun Halloween costume! I think it will be something that nobody else will do so I won't look cookie-cutter.

On another TOTALLY random tangent. For some reason I've been paying extra close attention to street names lately. I like to wonder where the names came from and how they make up the character of a neighborhood. I was down in Tucson last weekend and really enjoyed the prevalence of street names in Spanish.

This sign really caught my eye --------------->
"Calle Sin Nombre" translated means street without a name. It made me laugh so I made a quick u-turn and snapped a photo. The other funny thing about this particular street name is that most English speakers would think "sin" is something bad and possibly choose to avoid this little path of sin.

Feeling Loved

I know it's not Thanksgiving yet but I'm having a moment of gratefulness so please bare with me! I've had a few trials lately (nothing big) and it's been a little taxing on my emotional well-being but these are the times when I really seem to notice all of the wonderful people in my life. These are individuals who probably don't even realize the positive impact they've had on my life recently.

First, my parents. Nobody loves you like your folks and anyone who knows my parents knows what amazing people they are. Just yesterday my dad was nice enough to come visit and bring lunch to me at work (on his way to work). An amazingly simple act of kindness was just what I needed after a restless night. Chicken sandwiches (made with chicken canned by my sister and mom), an apple and a couple York peppermint patties brought a big smile to my face.

Yesterday was doubly good because I got to catch up with by beautiful friend Jessie. We sat and chatted over some great Mexican food out in Ahwatukee. I am so grateful for her!

Another person who's been such a blessing in my life these days is my roommate Shane. Some of the stress I've been experiencing has been related to our housing situation and he's been so supportive and positive about the whole situation. He's such a great friend and we have such a great time whenever we're together!

Speaking of friends, its so fun when people will just text you randomly and make your day a little brighter. Such was the case today with my friend Jorge. We had lost touch and he randomly texted me to see how I was doing and see if I wanted to grab a drink real quick. We got to catch up and talk about life. It made me happy! Oh, and his new puppy is the cutest thing ever...and super mellow (unlike his dad haha)!

Lastly, my work family. I am very lucky to work where I work and with the people I work with. I had a training class today and I got to see some people I don't see on a daily basis. It just reminded me of how many great people there are in this world. One of my dearest friends at work is Adriana. She is a spunky Romanian girl with a big heart. We really enjoyed working together in the Downtown office where we would constantly tease each other and pretend like we were mad at each other just for fun. We have had some amazing times together and I know she would do anything for me and I would do the same for her (and her wonderful husband).

I guess I could keep going and going with this post. So many people help make my life amazing! I'm so grateful...even if it's over a month before Thanksgiving.

9-9-9 plan...not so simple after all:

I've been keeping a close eye on the group of candidates seeking the GOP nomination and I thought I'd have a little fun and do a facetious, political post.

I have to admit, when I first heard about Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan I thought it sounded pretty smart. I like the idea of making the tax code more fair (although upon further observation I would say 9-9-9 is anything but fair). But, like Michele Bachman recently said, "the devil is in the details." Yes, I did just quote Michele Bachman people...get over it! LOL!

I found this article very informative:

Taxes you'll still pay under Cain's 9-9-9 plan

Also, being a HUGE SimCity buff (back in the day) I thought this article was really funny:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/10/herman-cains-9-9-9-plan-works-well-simcity/43659/

Maxis (the makers of SimCity) Response:

  "We encourage politicians to continue to look to innovative games like SimCity for inspiration for social and economic change," said [Maxis senior producer Kip] Katsarelis. "While we at Maxis and Electronic Arts do not endorse any political candidates or their platforms, it's interesting to see GOP candidate Herman Cain propose a simplified tax system like one we designed for the video game SimCity 4."

Let's just hope Michele Bachman's über-intelligent comment about 9-9-9 acutally being flipped to become 6-6-6 doesn't result in some SimCityesque disaster!

Maybe Michele is right???

Life in the Suburbs!

My "Silver Limo"

Something unusual happened today...I departed from my typical Monday morning light rail commute and actually DROVE TO WORK! And you know what was weird? I really missed the ten-minute, earphones in, zoned out ride to work. It's crazy how you actually have to pay attention while driving down the I-10...no texting for me on this morning's commute!

Anyway, I'm excited to report that I have taken on a new challenge at work and I am now working as a part of what my bank refers to as their "Float Team." It basically means that I'm supporting staff at banking centers as they are short-handed or when new staff is undergoing a training period. It's an exciting new opportunity.

My Temporary Home

Today I had the chance to work at the bank located at 48th Street & Chandler Blvd (in the Ahwatukee neighborhood of Phoenix). This beautiful neighborhood is located at the base of South Mountain and is well known as a haven for raising a family. It was such a change of pace from my usual Downtown Phoenix office. In Downtown the typical clientele are professionals working as attorneys, bankers or city/county/state workers. At the office in Ahwatukee the clientele was mostly small business owners and families. It was fun to watch parents come in with their kids and use the free coin counter to teach their kids about saving money. So, although I missed my friends (coworkers/clients) Downtown, I must say that I really enjoyed my day in "the burbs!" I can tell this is going to be a fun new experience as a "floater."