Feliz Dia de los Padres

Today I was blessed to share an afternoon with three of my four brothers, my Dad, step mom, and kids... all under one roof. The typical shenanigans of golf, family jokes, and childhood stories always make me smile. Buffalo sliders, mango salsa, steaks and veggies were consumed, followed by ice cream over brownies topped with homegrown blackberries.  YUMMY!!! The absolute best part was seeing my dad smile and be happy around all his kids. 


My favorite memories involving my dad all took place during my childhood years. Every summer we went on backpacking camping trips, sometimes on horseback, sometimes not.  He took me to see my first musical, "Annie" when I was 12. He taught me how to ride a bike, how to build cabinets, how to grow a vegetable garden, how to play the drums, and so many other things I could never list them all. My parents divorced when I was less than a year old but my father never missed a weekend visitation and made sure that I had some experiences growing up that I would treasure for a lifetime. He brought me on vacations to places like Maui, Boston, Mazatlan, Canada, and made sure I knew all my relatives who live back East. When I got married, he paid for the wedding, the honeymoon, and walked me down the aisle. Although the marriage didn't last, the bond we made strong that day will remain in my heart. 


We have not always seen eye to eye, in fact, there were many years we did not speak or attend the same functions, but we never stopped loving one another. My father is one in a million and I am surely blessed to be his one and only daughter. So dear dad, thank you for everything you have done for me, the lessons you have taught me and the experiences you have allowed me to have. I love you so much. 

Generation Next

Isn't it funny how much time has changed what the youthful generation considers to be in style? At risk of sounding geriatric, I remember in my high school days all we needed to be happy was a swatch watch, a radio  and some Ray-Ban sunglasses. The rest was unimportant. Of course, more would have been nice, but as long as you looked the part, you were part of the "in crowd."  We played sports in school and hung out at each others' house on weekends. If you had a phone in your bedroom you were big time. Most of us had the long curly cord stretching 20 feet into our room and hoped our parents didn't pick up another extension and listen in. Most houses had a TV in the living room, you were rich if your parents had cable OR a remote control, otherwise it was rabbit ears. We played arcade games and made our own cassette tapes recorded off the radio. We roller skated, had after school jobs, and had a family dinner every night. We respected our folks and had to use the good ol' Encyclopedia Britannica for research papers. College was optional. 


These days all the clothes in the world don't matter if you aren't equipped with the latest and greatest technical gadget or know what happened on the most recent episode of "Reality TV"  (Because Snookie and Housewives of Orange County are SUCH good role models).  If you can't do the latest dance step (teach ME how to Dougie, please) or have the coolest video game system (which consists of killing insurgents or stealing cars).... Kids are not satisfied unless they have a huge flat screen TV, Blu-ray,  full cable, cell phone, I-pad or E-Reader and money in their pocket for Starbucks, Jamba Juice, or McDonald's when they troll the mall on the weekend. I-pods are full of gender-bashing songs,  texting is the preferred method of communication, after-school jobs are "too stressful". Although college is no longer an option, but required for any decent standard of living, with the use of the 'net, the workload is cut in half. Any information you need is at your fingertips, a few keystrokes away.


Somehow along the way young parents have raised material monsters, myself included. Growing up in my era was much simpler and focused on positive things. With our children's generation, things have changed greatly.  Some for the better, more for the worse. It frightens me how spoiled and lacking of morals teens and 20 somethings are. Can you imagine the NEXT round??? More importantly, what are we going to do about it?

I'm a Believer

Ultrasonic

Today was one of the BEST days I have had in about a year. First, the workday went by at a steady pace and the entire office staff was in happy spirits. As it was Thursday, the doctor's bought everyone the "Free Thursday" lunch, today's menu was a Mexican fiesta from the nearby taco shop. During my lunch I received a complimentary ultrasonic "Kontour" treatment on my face by a coworker. I heard this took 3-4 sessions before you see results, but much to my delight, upon completion all my crows feet lines around my eyes were GONE.  It felt like Christmas morning and my birthday all at once.  I know I sound like I am saying all this to drum up business, but I assure you readers, this is not the case.  I am HOOKED on this process. My face is soft, sun spots are lighter and the extra eye lineage has been eradicated.  At the end of my shift, the Kontour manager told me that as long as my treatments were done during my lunch break and without disrupting client-paid appointments, I could repeat them until I get the final results I want. Are you kidding me??? Good karma has finally come back around for this 40 year old.

Throwing Confetti

A week ago I was crossing all appendages in anticipation of being selected for a new job. Well, I got it! I have officially completed a full week and have learned the basics of how their practice is run on a day to day basis. Several of my suggestions have been put into action already and the doctors seem to appreciate my input. The practice is run by a Mormon family and most of the staff is related on some level. They are very nice to their employees, both related and non related and seem to treat everyone fairly.  I am so appreciative of this opportunity and ready to do a great job... 

Sometimes GOOD things really DO happen to GOOD people!!!