Well thank goodness. Our esteemed State of Arizona Legislature and Governor has decided that state employees are getting a raise!
And not some 1.5% like we've gotten in the past, but a 6.3% actually substantial!
After years of being among the lowest paid State government employees in the country - this moves us up in ranking to what - 45th now?
Thank you Governor Napalitano. I like her more and more each year.
Well today after about three months of training my personal trainer (okay my brother) tested me and I got my YELLOW BELT!! 
I know I'm still a little shaky with some of the moves, at this point you're just concentrating on getting the steps correct - sort of like learning a dance routine or arobics. I'm guessing the speed and strength will come with time.
But hey - I'm pretty damn proud of myself today!
Yeah I know, he's dead but WOW! Is his art alive!
Went to a exhibit of his work today at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and was I impressed.
I'd only seen his work through television images, but to actually see it first hand was pretty amazing - to have it just leap out at you. Using different colors to create a different mood for the same image was amazing - and it worked!! There were the 10 famous Marilyn Monroe prints - but the different colors for each print brought out something different and interesting.
And as you can see, his fascination with the famous was very much a part of his work. After all he is the one who said "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Somehow I think being in and among the glittering famous filled something in this eccentric genius.
Here's a sampling of a few of them that were there today:
Well once again people can't leave a good thing well enough alone.
After a lifetime of work, my parents have a summer place up in the beautiful White Mountains of Arizona in Pinetop/Lakeside. Nothing fancy mind you, a mobile home park of working class folks like them. Just a place to be able to get out of the bake oven that is Phoenix in the summer, enjoy some fishing and relax and enjoy their retirement.
Well, it seems a few years ago before my parents bought the place some newcomers (isn't it always the newcomers) decided they didn't like something, sued the board members, who in turn countersued, who then countersued them. And now both sides are trying to drag the other residents into this mess - most of whom aren't even there most of the year as it is!!
And we all know the only ones who are going to come out of this with anything will be the lawyers.
And so my folks are so fed up and have such a bad taste in their mouth about all this they may wind up selling the place this year.
Thanks assholes.
