AZ to CA to MT to AZ

What started as three days tending these delightful grandsons in Alamo, California

Noah (5 in April) and Brady (was 7 in November) Campbell

turned into many hours of transcribing interviews for their father (Matt) in an effort to meet his recently imposed deadline to get the information to his dissertation committee chair.

Then it was on to Billings, Montana, and the CARRIE UNDERWOOD concert - which was the original reason for the trip.  We had seats in the fifth row (too close) but it was an awesome concert - all the bells and whistles you could imagine.  This picture is part of the stage that was lifted up,suspended above the crowd and taken on a track to the back of the arena.  I tried my darndest to post a video of CARRIE singing - and moving around the stage - so that Vince could see how she has improved, but that was not to be.  Again I need to know more about this blog stuff.

Greg Smith, my nephew, who was my date to the concert.

Dione Smith - my sister

Ning

While in Billings I stayed with my sister and took advantage of my time there to see a favorite relative of mine Ralph Shirley, my father's brother and the only surviving relative of my parents' generation.  He has always been called Ning by family, which I guess is a nickname given him by his father when he was a child.  He doesn't know why.  He is a World War II veteran (93 years old now) who was a mechanic in the Air Force.  He was stationed in Kermatola, India, and was responsible for maintaining the aircraft that "flew the hump" (from India to China and back).  The map behind his head in the picture is of that area.  He says that his strong faith is based on his getting through his war time experience.

A JOKE

(which my uncle says was his father, my grandfather's favorite.)

          Three priests, two young and their much older mentor, were going by rail to Pittsburgh.

          One of the young priests went to the counter to buy the tickets.

          The clerk was a voluptuous young lady in a very low cut blouse.

          The young priest said:  "I would like to buy 3 pickets to Tittsburgh"  He was immediately

          embarrassed and turned to go back to the other priests.

          The second young priest said he would buy the tickets.  She he went to the counter and 

          said:  "I would like to buy 3 tickets to Pittsburgh, and I would like my change in nipples 

          and dimes."  He too became embarrassed and returned to the other priests.

          At this point the older priest said,  "Okay, let me show you how this is done."  He walked

          up to the counter and said to the young lady, "I would like to buy 3 tickets to Pittsburgh, 

          and I would like my change in nickles and dimes."  He was given the tickets and began to

          walk away.  Then he decided that as a priest it was his duty to speak to this woman about

          her immodest form of dress.  So he turned to the woman and said:  "Young lady how do 

          you think you're going to feel when you see St. Finger and he points his peter at you?"

And now for the conclusion to this trip.  I show you a picture of the Billings, Montana, airport because I spent 7 hours there waiting to get back to Arizona.  I got to the airport at 5:30 p.m., for a 7:30 p.m. departure.  However the flight was delayed and did not leave Billings until 12:30 a.m.  That meant that I arrived in Mesa, Arizona, at 2:30 a.m. only to find that my car, which had been parked there for 9 days, would not start.  I called AAA and was told they would be there within the hour.  The very kind lady I had been sitting next to on the plane, from Red Lodge, Montana, came by and offered to give me a ride to the nearest hotel, which I accepted.  I then paid $159 to sleep about 4 hours, and be returned to my car in the morning so that I could drive the hour and a half back to Surprise.  Amen!  Oh, not quite.  My car wouldn't start the next morning either so it now has a brand spanking new battery.

The Harlem Globetrotters

U. S. Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona

Another check mark on my bucket list - seeing the Harlem Globetrotters in person last Saturday. 

GLOBIE - the Mascot

Big G

The old "Spin the Basketball on a Finger" trick

Such fun.  Real entertainment.

Surprise, Arizona

Surprise, Arizona, is a little over 20 miles northwest of Phoenix.  Population is just under 120,000 according to 2010 census, which is up from 38,000 in the 2000 census.  Needless to say, it just grew.  It is the home of spring training camps for the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals.  The surrounding towns have training camps for something like 16 major league baseball teams.

I’ve been here now since January 4^th and so far have become involved in the following:

(1)  A Course in Miracles – meets every Friday at the Surprise Unity Church.  The teacher is a fellow named Hal Lafler.  If you Google his name you can get an idea of who he is.  He certainly gets my vote for a wonderful instructor and I am enjoying the class immensely.

(2)  On the first Monday of the month is a class on a book entitled:  “The Gift of Years” by Joan Chittister.  I have only attended once but plan to be here long enough to finish it.  I’m sure you can tell what it’s about.  My initial assessment is, “just okay.”

(3)  On the last Monday of the month is a class on a book entitled:  “Loving What Is” by Byron Katie.  The first one I showed up for was cancelled (not a very good sign) but I very much want to see how this one goes.  It’s about a process called The Work.  It is based on four simple questions that you ask yourself when having difficulties with, I guess, anything or anyone:  (1)  Is it true?  (2)  Can you absolutely know that it’s true?  (3)  How do you react when you think that thought?  (4) Who would you be without that thought?  Seems like a good approach to Cognitive Therapy to me.  What do you think?

(4)  I am also spending time transcribing interviews that my son, Matt, is doing as part of his dissertation for his doctoral degree in education.  He expects to be in the graduation class of May 2013 from St.Mary’sCollege.  (Just so he acknowledges me along with his wife and children if he has to give a speech!) 

 

(5) Last but most definitely not least.  The real truth is that I am spending the majority of my time following the Jodi Arias trial on TV.  She admitted to killing her boyfriend, Travis Alexander, by shooting him in the face, stabbing him 29 times, and slitting his throat.  (She says it was in self defense.)  This all happened here in Mesa, Arizona, so it's on TV all day and I am not missing another opportunity to follow a big murder case.  I missed O. J. Simpson, and I missed Casey Anthony.  This one I’m sitting in on – up close and personal.