North Carolina...home sweet home!

Pino's Pizza al Centro

We are beyond excited. Our neighbors Kim & Tom - our lifesavers out here - took us downtown for dinner Friday night to celebrate Shawn's birthday. We started with drinks at Tom's brother BJ's house, then we all headed to Pino's for dinner. It's crazy - a local place that's only open weekdays from 10-2 and 5 - 8. Lots of good Italian food and quite possibly the BEST pizza I have ever had out west. I am a big fan of our local thin-crust brick oven place, but Pino's had that east coast flavor that is hard to find anywhere else. Haven't had their regular yet, but I'm sure it won't disappoint. Pino took good care of us (Tom & Kim lived nearby before moving to Verrado a few years ago) and we will definitely be back.

(Not Pino's but close...actually thin-crust at a local spot in our village of Castellina in Chianti, Italy, September 2006.)

Hometown Holidays

Verrado always has something special going on, and this past weekend was our Hometown Holidays celebration. The bloodmobile was here all day taking donations, there was a pancake breakfast in the morning, and a vendor gift shopping fair during the day. At night the town square was lit up - palm trees included - and they had all kinds of activities for big and little kids alike including making 

gingerbread houses, roasting marshmallows and making s'mores, two snow pits for the big and little kids to enjoy snowball fights (hysterical), a horse-drawn carriage/hayride around the square, the middle school band and chorus performing,  the tree lighting, and, of course, Santa. Vendors had soup, hot chocolate, and other winter favorites, and it was cool enough out to enjoy them. Definitely geared more for families, but a great event even without kids.

A New Career

It is safe to say that NO ONE will guess what I am doing in my new position, but it's an amazing, growing company with great people and valuable work that the employees can really get behind. Check us out. 

East Coast Reunion in the West Valley

Thanks to Facebook I reconnected with a classmate from middle school who moved to Arizona a few years ago. I had seen that she was out here back when I thought we were a couple of years away and reached out, then we got in touch again when we knew we'd be moving out here sooner than planned. Jean and Steve live about as far across the valley from us as possible, but we recently got together with them and other friends of theirs from the west valley at Westgate, the outdoor shopping and entertainment area that was built next to the stadium before the last Superbowl.  We hit Margaritaville and The Brew House and had a great time.

 

   

"Won't you miss the seasons?"

In a word, no.

Long Overdue Update!

I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted. Somehow, from the time I got my job offers until I accepted and started working again, weeks passed.

Where to start? I guess I'll do a few entries starting with some great pics of our camping/off-roading trip in Sedona/Oak Creek/Camp Verde. We met our friends Eric and Kristen for a great weekend at a favorite site and took three separate off-roading trips, the first being the Broken Arrow trail in the red rock country of Sedona. This is where the Pink Jeep Tours go - amazing stuff.

We came down this one - "The Steps". Check out the above link to see what it looks like with a vehicle on it!

"Chicken Point"