Meeting the Tribe

 We were so excited that Trey was feeling well over Thanksgiving.  We thought for sure he would return to school on Monday.  Not so much, he got the virus that Dax and Derek had.  I tried so hard to get him to go to school on Monday, then Trey said "Why do you want me to go to school when I feel miserable".    Turns out he really did feel awful, fever, aches bad cold, etc.  At first, I thought he didn't want to go to school just because he didn't want to get others sick.  I told him to wear a mask, it became obvious he felt awful.

So Trey missed another week of school.

Dax flew out to Huntsville, AL to meet some friends. These are friends he had met online and they do 3D art together.  He has known them for a few years, and He has been talking about doing this trip for a while.  I'm glad it finally came to pass. It sounds like he had a great time.  We're happy he had this experience of hanging with friends and having fun, acting 22.

Before Dax left he mentioned something about making a good impression, and maybe he would wear a suit.  I told him the suit wasn't necessary, shaving, and trimming his mustache would be a good first step.  Then I saw the picture with his friends.  Apparently, they all need a trim and what do I know?  I'm glad he finally found his "Tribe" and met his people.

A few pictures Dax sent over.

Dax found his people :)

Mean while it rained here in Phoenix.  Always an exciting day.  Not only did it rain, but it was a slow constant rain for almost 24 hours.  Very much needed, and appreciated.  A nice change.

A screenshot of the weather.  Very rare to see a 100% chance of rain down here.

Thanksgiving at the Del

 We decided to spend Thanksgiving at Hotel Del Coronado near San Diego.

It is close-ish, nice weather, and something we could agree on.

Sunset from our deck,  My absolute favorite colors  combination is blue and orange

When we left Dax, had a bad cold, but Trey was actually starting to feel pretty good.  The headaches are improving so that was a win.  While we were there Derek started to feel sick.  Trey felt well enough to participate in all the activities and life was reasonably good for Trey.

We had a great time.  The Hotel Del is beautiful, the last time we were there was for Curtis' 40th Birthday, so it has been 10 years.  We stayed in the brand new part "The Shore House" it was all decorated for Christmas.  I usually don't get excited about Christmas decorations but they were pretty spectacular at Hotel Del.

Before we went to Thanksgiving dinner, we did the "Pepsi Challenge"

Recently we watched the show on Netflix "Pepsi, where's my Plane"  They showed a few people doing a side-by-side taste test.  I thought it would be fun to do with the family.

We are a Coke Family, Curtis came from a Coke family.

As I get older, so are my taste buds, I really couldn't taste much of a difference.  I'm not going to admit which one everyone chose, because we are a Coke family, no matter what.

Once when I was about 12 when the "Cola Wars" were a big deal.  I was at the county fair and Pepsi was there doing the "Pepsi Challenge".  I happen to walk by and I saw a person taking the challenge and then Pepsi revealed which soda was which.  Then I wanted to take the challenge.  I honestly thought side-by-side Pepsi tasted better, but I wasn't going to let Pepsi know, since I already knew which soda was Coke.  I cheated and I picked Coke.  This time I couldn't taste a difference.  

Thanksgiving at Hotel Del was amazing.  The food was excellent and they had a wide variety.  They had the traditional Thanksgiving with yurkey and all the trimmings, then they also had a seafood buffet. The seafood display was amazing.  

Ice Sculptures for the Seafood Buffet

They did a large variety of desserts, but they were all small tart/bite size so you didn't feel bad about taking 5.  The actual pumpkin pie was full-size

While we were there Curtis and I both ran into people we knew.  This is Curtis' Real Estate friend, Tom, from Auburn.  Then I ran into Eric Giaque a guy I have known since Kindergarten or 1st grade.

The "Sand Castle Man" was doing his thing on Coronado Beach.   Every time we walked by he changed it up a bit.  Trey wasn't with us on this adventure.

Inside the igloo.  You can see the space heater next to Curtis

Friday night we spent a few hours in an igloo.  They have these "Igloos" that have a space heater inside, then on the outside, they have a small firepit where you can roast marshmallows and hotdogs.  This was a fun night.

Our other fun adventure was Ax throwing.  Unfortunately, Derek was sick by now and he didn't join us.

Battle Ax DAX

Tomahawk Trey. He got pretty good throwing the Tomahawk

Dax got a little wild with the Battle Ax.  Somehow it ended up way high and he broke the handle.

Ax throwing was really fun.  Curtis did pretty well starting out, he actually has some athletic ability.  For Dax, Trey, and I it was rough at first, but we got much better with practice.

A funny little story as we were leaving San Diego.  We needed to buy gas, but we didn't want to get a full tank while we were in California, we saw in some places it was almost $6.00/gallon.  We wanted to buy just enough to get us to Arizona then we would fill up there.

Derek also needed some tissues, so we thought we would just look for a gas station, fill up, get tissues and head on our way.  As we were driving around I saw the gas station where gas was only $4.40 a gallon.  That was a great price, so we pulled in.  Curtis started filling up and I went to find some tissues.  

The Gas station with excellent prices

I could not believe my eyes.  The tissues were only $1.25/box.  What?? I'm at a gas station in California and these things are cheaper than the grocery store at home.  I thought they would be about $5.00/per box.  So I bought two.

I get up to the cashier and he asks for my ID.  I said why do you need ID if I'm just buying kleenex?  He points to a sign that says you must show your military ID.  I saw the signs but I didn't think much of it because a lot of places give discounts to active military.  I showed him my ID and the guy seems annoyed.  Then it suddenly dawned on me that I was at a Military only gas station.  OOPS!!  The guy let me pass since I was only buying two boxes of tissues.  I apologized and said sorry I'm not from here.  He could tell since he saw my ID.  He said "Don't do it again"

Then we get to AZ and we need to fill up more.  It was then I realized we should have bought a full tank at the Navy Exchange.  Gas was more in AZ than what we paid in California.  Haha that was funny.

$4.99/ Gallon in Dateland

Then at the Dateland Travel Center, we had ice cream and a milkshake, and, Dax bought Trey the knife he wanted on the way over.  They wouldn't sell it to us because Trey was under 18.  The cashier didn't care that I was over 18 she knew that it was for a minor so she wouldn't sell it.  Funny how they sell knives to minors like crazy at Scout Camp.

Milestones

 We had some birthdays at our house.  I usually refer to it as the never-ending birthday and it was again, just in reverse order.

This year I had the No 50 Birthday celebration.  Months ago we bought tickets to the Elton John Farwell tour.  I wanted to go to see him back in 2019 when his farewell tour started.  I missed his stop in Phoenix so I wanted to travel to see him in another city.  He is legendary and I know once he is gone, he's gone.  Then we had a pandemic and his tour was canceled.  Luckily for me, he started his tour all over again.  He was going to be in Phoenix from 11/11-11/12.  I chose the 11th because the 12th is Trey's birthday in case he wanted to celebrate his way.  That was months ago, maybe in April, I bought those tickets. I thought that would be a good way to celebrate my 50th birthday.

Since Curtis had his 50th earlier this year, along with all the people I grew up with, I started to see a trend in how this goes down.  If you don't have something spectacular planned for your milestone birthday someone else will likely decide for you that you need to celebrate in a grand way.  I started getting the question "what are you doing for your 50th? You have to do something for your 50th"  Are you taking a trip for your 50th?"  I started to understand the pressure Curtis felt and why he told people "don't talk to be about it until June"  very kind people decided Curtis didn't do enough for his 50th so they planned a surprise party.

 I realized if I didn't take control of this situation someone else would. When I mentioned Elton John, people didn't think that was good enough.  "You would have gone to that anyway, it just happens to be your birthday weekend " they would tell me. So I decided to throw myself a party and have total control of the situation.

I had my good friends fly in, Stephanie Carter and Amy Wareham (cousin).  I invited others but they had extenuating circumstances so they couldn't come (broken foot, moving, and working retail the month before Christmas)  I rented a nearby AirBNB in downtown Chandler ( I didn't want to have to clean my house twice) then I had a party with my good friends.  The theme was No 50 like Chanel perfume No5.  I probably spent way too much time preparing for it but I think I realized doing parties is something I really enjoy doing.  I love planning the invitation, the decorations, the party favors, and all the small details that go into a theme.  The party was on Thursday, November 10th It was a great night, the venue was really fun, my friends loved it and the food was yummy.

The next day was finally Elton John, Amy and Stephanie flew home.  It was great to spend a few days with them.  This was the first time they had actually met after both of them hearing me talk about the other for years.

Elton John was great however there were way too many people there.  We thought we left early, but getting to Chase field there was a ton of traffic.  We finally found a side street to park on (even though we had a parking pass) We would have never made it on time if we waited for the parking garage.  Then we walked to the stadium and there were a ton of people waiting to get in.  We have been to Diamondback games at this venue more than several times and it never took more than 20 minutes to park, walk in and get to your seat.  Not that night.  I have never seen so many people at Chase Field.  Every seat was filled all the way up to the nose bleeds, then they added more people and packed them in on the field/floor.  I don't think the venue was ready for this crowd.  We were still waiting to get in when we heard the concert start.  It was a bit of a fiasco but we finally made it to our seats.  I'm glad we got to see such a legend. Elton John was very gracious to the crowd and his fans for all his success.  I'm glad I got to see him in his garish outfits, although I think he has toned it down since the 1970s.  I realized I wasn't a true Elton John fan or I would have known to wear sequins and EJ glasses. Many people in the crowd were, and he thanked them for dressing up.  He mentioned he was 75 years old, he gimped around on stage a bit and wasn't as energetic as his younger days, but he still gave a great performance.

Curtis and I both decided we are too old for these big crowds, we're going to stick to smaller venues in Las Vegas if we want to see a show.

Then it was Trey's #14 Birthday.  Unfortunately, the headaches continue.  The good news on his actual birthday, he felt decent, not terrible.

I made him waffles for breakfast, and he opened up a few gifts:  A new computer monitor at his request, a few new T-shirts, and new Sunday Shoes.

The most exciting thing Trey did for his birthday was go on a walk with his brothers, and we picked up Culvers with an order of Cheese Curds.  The walk was a big improvement for him.  The next day he felt awful.  I'm glad he at least felt decent on his actual birthday.

A nice big smile for this Birthday boy.

This week's funny.  Curtis and I went to an RV show at the parking lot of the Cardinal stadium.  Maybe someday we will buy one.  There was also some type of Chevy Truck show going on nearby.  I have never seen so many Chevy trucks old ones, new ones, and some I have not seen since my childhood.  We had to drive past the Chevy Trucks to get in and out of the RV show.  We saw this souped-up wheelchair/recliner passing by.  I wish I had a better picture but we were stopped in traffic.  Curtis wanted me to be discreet as I took the pic, clearly, the guy noticed and approved of me taking his pic.  I think he loves the attention as I noticed other people were giving him thumbs up etc as ge strolled by.

I got this shirt when I went to Oregon.  I thought it was fitting for Trey since he actually requests Tillamook cheese because it melts better, and cheese Curds have been his #1 food request since this headache issue started. He is yet to wear it, since he hasn't really gotten out of bed.

Uneventful Halloween

Unfortunately, Trey's headaches are back. At first, we thought it was flu because most of the family had it. Then the flu left, but the headaches continued. We have emailed his Doctor and he reduced his meds a bit. Hopefully, he will return to school soon.  So much for feeling good.  School started back up after Fall break (which Trey felt great during school break)  Trey went back to school for two days and he hasn't been back since.  I'm getting messages from his teachers, they are concerned, which is nice.  We're sick of this.

Curtis reluctantly went to Utah this week for some EXP meetings.  They went well, he is just a little irritated with EXP right now.  Then he knowingly put himself through more punishment of going to a BYU game while he was up there.  They are on a bad losing streak, and it continued.  I saw this posted somewhere "Men pick their favorite sports team when they're like 11 and let it make them upset for the rest of their life."  Curtis confirmed it was true.

He did go up to Ogden and spend some time with his Dad while he was there.

Curtis and Brent Johnson    

Curtis flew home Saturday evening, and for the first time in probably 20 years we did not go to Trunk or Treat.  Trey didn't want to dress up and collect candy, because he is trying to be healthier due to his headache issues. I had to pick up Curtis in the middle of it, and I think everybody was ok missing it this year.

Halloween was pretty uneventful now that kids are getting older.  Dax and Trey sat on the porch and passed out candy.  I made Halloween food.

I made skullzones, like calzones but skulls stuffed with pizza ingredients,  one night, then skull cornbread and chili Halloween night.

Dark Halloween Grazing platter.

Trey had an eye appointment with the pediatric ophthalmologist to make sure his headaches were not causing problems with his optic nerve.  All was well there.

EXPCON

 Curtis has been going to Real Estate Conventions for 20+ years.  I just joined him for the first time for EXPCON in Las Vegas. I thought it was better than expected (my expectations were low) and Curtis was disappointed this year.

We went a few days early for the BYU/Notre Dame game.  Curtis' friend Don, from Fidelity Title, is as big a Notre Dame fan as Curtis is a BYU fan.  Don lives in Phoenix and he has Notre Dame season tickets.  Since Notre Dame controlled most the of tickets Don hooked us up and we sat amongst his Notre Dame friends.  They were very kind to us.

Don and Curtis looking fierce in the fan gear

Notre Dame won, Curtis was bummed.  We had a fun time at the Raiders stadium.

"Before" the game pic.  Curtis was happier.

A true Notre Dame Fan. Sporting the Irish look.

We hung around Las Vegas for a few days then the EXP people started to show up.

Early EXPers that were on our flight

Curtis visited the Fabulous Las Vegas sign with me.  I'm wearing the same clothes and the same Elvis was there as when I visited in June.  Just add Curtis to the photo.

I went to a show Monday night with Kristi, she works for Curtis.  What happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas.

Getting ready for the Main event Wednesday morning

Curtis on the big stage interviewing Kenny Fast.

Curtis led a few panels and discussions.  He really is a celebrity in the Real Estate world, #8 in all of EXP 80,000+ agents. Everyone want to meet him and talk to him.

The Arizona Brokers Group had a party in the -5 Below Bar. It's pretty much -5 degrees and everything is made of ice, seats, cups and everything.

 I have walked past this place 100 times and I was never interested in going in.  I only went in because someone had bought me a ticket for this party.  It was actually more fun than I expected.   Pretty creative how it is set up. We didn't stay very long, maybe 20 minutes then my fingers, and toes started to freeze.  There were people with drinks in an ice cup.  That just looked miserable to hold in already freezing fingers. Had I known I was headed there I would have come more prepared with better gloves (they give you cheap throw away gloves) and ear coverings. They do give you a nice warm jacket.  Ear coverings are an up sell. Curtis had another meeting so he missed the Ice party.

Courtney in her Star Wars Dress.

Next stop we had the Awards Gala.  Curtis really didn't want to go to this, but there is a gal, Courtney, who is one of the executives at EXP.  Curtis has really helped her out a lot with Marketing and getting this event off.  She invited us to sit at her table, which was an extra expense and she paid a lot of money for it.  So we went.

Courtney's dress was something else. It is a Tom Ford, which aparently is a big deal, she saw this dress and she said she had to have it.  I kind of got the impression, that she rented it and didn't buy it.  Supposedly there are a very limited quantity.  When I pulled up the dress on line it was listed as $11,850.00.  I really hope Courtney didn't buy the dress, 1.  I didn't think it was that great, actually more in the wierd side, and 2.  that is a RIDICULOUS amount to pay for a dress.

My dress was $36 on Amazon.  

This violinsit was so cool.  She stood on a table with a super long dress draped over the table so she appeared svery tall.  She played contemporary music.

Here we are "Dripping in Diamonds"

The main room where the EXP events were held.  I thought it looked cool for the gala.  This was honestly the biggest room I have ever been in.   This pictures is only the first 1/3 of the room.

I went home the next morning, and I'm glad I did.  We both started coming down with the flu.  Curtis had to stay two more days.  I was coming home because I had stuff waiting at home, timing was good since I was starting to feel sick.  The flu kicked my butt for a few days. Aparently I missed a super fun party.  I don't think I would have felt like going anyway.  

Good Times, Maybe I will go again next year.