Dude, I got the best parking spot today. Right by the elevators in my parking garage. That saved me like 20 feet worth of walking.

Don’t laugh. When the clock says 7:58 and you just pulled into the garage, that 20 feet is an eternity. Suddenly you feel like a Hobbit going on a long adventure, hoping to make it to your meeting with Gandalf only to discover the wizard is running late. Like 2 weeks late because he just had to stick his big nose all up in Sauruman’s business and got himself stranded on top of the tower. But it doesn’t matter in the end because a wizard is never late. He arrives precisely when he means to.

Gah. Freaking wizards.

So, basically, I love my job. That probably doesn’t surprise anyone since I’m doing almost the exact same thing I did in La Paz County. Just less of it. Fewer hats and responsibility. It’s nice to be able to sit down and do one job function all day instead of splitting my time switching back and forth between duties. However, we all know I like chaos so let’s see how long that lasts.

I’ve got this running list of things to accomplish before I consider myself a Phoenician. Yes, John Wright, I used that word. Here is my list so far:

Shop at the Phoenix open air market on Saturdays.

I already do this but I want to be that fully invested hippy that “only” shops at the farmer’s (or is it farmers’) market for veggies and craft goods. Ha. That will probably never happen. I will just end up going for their breakfast burritos.

Join a Gym.

This actually happened. Like, I literally joined a gym. It was amazing. —I think Greg hates all those words.

Drink lots of local craft beers.

Since I joined the gym and mostly gave up beer, this is going to be a problem. I might need to modify this to drink local craft beer and take the “lots of” out. So sad.

Take a spin class.

I have no idea what this is but Phoenician women talk about their spin classes so it must be awesome, right?

Find “my place”

Greg has a place. It’s been his place for like 8 years. I’m totally jealous and I want a place. I just hope I don’t end up liking a place that smells like musty books. Books smell good but musty books smell musty. Well duh. But they smell like musty, moldy things. I’m afraid “my place” will smell like that. “Hey babe, I’m going to my place for a couple of hours. Don’t wait up,” I will say one night. “Just make sure you fabreeze yourself before you come home. I don’t like that musty, moldy smell,” Greg will someday reply. That’s gonna make me sad. Now I have to find a new place.

Get a coach purse

Actually, I’m not going to do this. I just noticed that all the cool girls have one. I’m not mainstream enough for this nonsense. Although I did get new glasses. Coach glasses. They are badass.

In other news, the kids are adjusting well. The boy’s school is fantastic. Madison is the best district in Phoenix and his school is only a few blocks away. He has a specialized team that works with all his special needs and they love him as much as his Parker team did. How could you not love that curly haired cutie pie?

The girl had a bit of a hard time adjusting at first. We originally enrolled her in North High, the Phoenix Union High School in our district, but with 3,000 kids, she couldn’t find herself. Literally. Greg and I remembered the Madison was opening a brand new high school so one day we checked it out. The principle and staff treated us like royalty and quickly wooed Darbs into enrolling. The school is very hands on, uses a hybrid of traditional and online learning and is very focused on STEM curriculum.

She ingrained herself immediately. Now, she is Captain of the cheer squad, President of the Future Business Leaders of America, and all around awesome. Engineering is a required class for the students and she mock designed a set of hand weights that women can carry during nighttime walks. Already been done you say? Well her hand weights have switch blades inside. Yeah. Come at me you nighttime stalker, I’ll cut a man!

That’s my update. I thought I would be blogging my Urban adventures but between the new move, a dippy dog, a marriage, the kids and my Master’s program, I’m a bit busy.

Oh, and I got married. But I’m saving that for another entry.