2010 New Year's Resolution

I have only one resolution for the coming year -- to keep on swimming! This one resolution provides many benefits, such as:

• Weight control
• Fitness maintenance
• Social activity
• Enjoying life

So, instead of making a bunch of resolutions that I'll either forget about, or fail to complete, continuing to swim is one I know I'll keep, 'cause it is so fun to do!!

Happy New Year, everyone!! Here's to a fabulous 2010!!

Tom Celica!!

My daughter found a car this weekend. It's a really cute 2000 Toyota Celica that we named "Tom Celica". Since she is starting school in a couple of weeks, she has been really ansty to find something. We got lucky today while searching the Internet and she is now the happy owner of a nice little car.

Pool LOLs

During my daily perusing of the Interwebs, I recently came across three swimming-related LOL pictures. The first one was probably a prank, but it really made me laugh. The pool where I do my swim workouts is only 4 feet 4 inches at its deepest and has the same warning posted.

This next image is one of those WTF! kind of images. I'm not sure how this picture was put together, but it really does look like the kitten is trying to swim in the air!

Last, but not least, is a post from itmademyday.com. Too funny!

The Squeaky Wheel Does Get the Grease!!!

Have you ever had this happen? I am sure I'm not the only one who has forgotten whether or not an online payment was scheduled. In my case, it was my home mortgage. I ususally schedule a payment well in advance of the due date and record it in my checking spreadsheet. It turns out that I found two entries for my car payment, that were entered 6 days apart, and in horror, realized I probably had not scheduled my mortgage payment, and instead mistakenly paid my car payment twice!! Yeegads, that's a first.
Well, I tried in vain to ascertain whether or not I had indeed scheduled a payment by first calling Wells Fargo customer service. It turns out that they cannot see whether or not an online payment is pending. Nor could I verify this online through my Wells Fargo Internet account. Boy, talk about frustration.
I ended up emailing Wells Fargo and let them know the problem I was having. Well to my surprise, I received a response within 24 hours, telling me that I had not scheduled a payment. So, there really is a way to tell whether an online payment has been scheduled, it just isn't a feature that is available through normal channels.
Okay, I was glad to know this and was able to schedule a payment in time to meet my mortage deadline; however, I responded to Wells Fargo with the following email:

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate you being able to confirm whether or not I had scheduled a payment.

I would ask that Wells Fargo consider adding this feature to their online service suite of tools.

Ultimately, I realize that I am responsible for knowing whether I have scheduled a payment, but since I am human, there is always the chance that I, as well as others, may make the same mistake another time.

Best regards,

Debra Duane

Here is how Wells Fargo responded:

Dear Debra Duane:

We apologize for our delay in responding to your inquiry.

Re: Loan xxxxxxxxx

Thank you for your reply. You make a valid point regarding the lack of notification for the pending payment transactions. Please be advised however, that Wells Fargo is in the process of adding the notification feature to our online services. Unfortunately we don't have an estimated time when the feature will be made available.

Thank you again for contacting Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. If you have further questions, please reply to this message or contact a loan-servicing representative by calling (866) 234-8271 Monday through Friday between 6 AM and 10 PM CT and on Saturdays between 8 AM and 2 PM CT.

Sincerely,

Kevin Roderick

Mortgage Online Customer Servicer>

So, for all those naysayers who say you can't get anything done by complaining -- yes, you can -- if you go about it the right way. I was taught early on in my adult life that if you are going to complain about something you need to offer a solution along with the complaint. I offered one to Wells Fargo, and they committed to doing it! Way to go Wells Fargo!! Sometimes the squeaky really does get the grease.

Breaststroke anyone?

The first stroke I learned as a young child was the breaststroke. I remember my Red Cross Instructor not wanting us to "dog paddle" and instead, taught us how to breaststroke to gain confidence in the water. Once we had that one down, she moved on to the backstroke and the "australian crawl" as it was called then.
Now, all this took place when I was about 8 or 9 years old -- I didn't swim again seriously until I was 15 in high school, and as I've mentioned previously, I experienced another lapse in swimming between 1976 and October of this year.
Now that I am swimming again, I am seriously asking myself "WHY!!!!?" Why did I stop swimming when I love it so much? Yeah, I've been in the water many, many times over the past 33 years, but never did more than 10 laps in a 25-yard pool -- usually after a power walk workout as a cool-down.
But, thanks to Masters Swimming, in only two weeks of coaching, I swam 1400 meters today in one hour. And, my coach told me she wished she could have me on her high school team as a breaststroker. She said I have really good form. Wow, I haven't had a compliment like that in years!
So, big thanks go to the anonymous Red Cross Instructor, who all those years ago, taught a little girl to swim the breaststroke. I'm not sure whether I will pursue competing, but I must say I'm thinking about it a bit more seriously now.

You're Gonna Love My Nuts!!

I tell you, that Vince guy who hawks the "Sham-Wow" and the "Slap Chop" really creeps me out. I've been meaning to post this picture of my daughter doing her best "Creepy Vince" look while holding the Slap Chop for quite some time. Not long ago, both of my daughters played me the funniest song on YouTube that someone made by taking Vince's Slap Chop commerical and doing the most awesome editing job I've heard in a long time.

Update on Swim Workouts

My first workout was great, but tough!! I managed to eke out a measly 750 meters (30 laps) in 60 minutes. I really like the new Masters coach. She really helped me fine-tune my strokes. After 25+ years away from swim workouts, my technique wasn't as good as it could be. But, within 15 minutes of doing stroke correction drills, I saw definite improvement. I read somewhere that swimming well is 70% technique, so I'm well on my way.
My Thursday morning workout went much better. My aerobic capability is already improving and I was able to swim several 100s without stopping to catch my breath. I got in 1000 meters in 60 minutes, which I was very happy about. My goal is to get to 2000-2500 meters in a workout, so I have a lot of work ahead of me. Fortunately, since the Masters swim had been on hiatus due to the former coach moving away, I have Karen all to myself for the time being. What a lucky duck I am!!
A bit about Karen -- she is the swim coach for the new high school in Gilbert. She's an easy-going coach and allows me the time I need to recover between sets. Since I'm working on my fitness right now, there isn't any pressure to go fast. That will come later should I decide to compete again.
Speaking of competing, I went out to watch the Open Water swim at Tempe Town Lake last weekend. I was really inspired by the swimmers who participated. They represented all ages and abilities. One of the competitors was a little 13 year old girl who swam in the 2000 meter wetsuit race. Another of the swimmers who caught my eye was a gentlemen close to my age (maybe a little older) who swam the 2000 meter wetsuit race even though he is missing his right leg below the knee. Seeing that made me even more determined to reach my fitness goals. I have no excuse for not getting back into shape and staying there.
Can you tell I'm stoked!! I am!! Stay tuned for updates. :)

Getting back into the "swim" of things

Being a Scorpio, I know its true that I am influenced heavily by water (afterall, it is a water sign). I've loved water in all of its forms my entire life. My all-time favorite picture of myself is one of when I was less than two, taking a bath in the kitchen sink. The look on my face says it all!

I remember the first time I saw a "built-in" pool. I think I was between 3 and 4. I don't remember whose house it was, but I could see the pool through the back patio door and had to go out and see it. I managed to get outside and saw a flat innertube floating near the deep end. For some reason, I decided to try and grab it and ended up falling in. I remember this very well, and surprisingly I wasn't afraid in the least. Luckily for me, one of the grownups saw it happen from inside the house and snatched me out of the water.

My next recollection is from a couple of years later. My aunt and uncle had a Doughboy pool in their backyard. It was probably less then 4 feet deep, but I learned how to swim underwater in that little pool. I would pretend I was a dolphin (the TV show, Flipper was really popular then).

When I was 8, my mom took me and my sister to the Colorado Lagoon and enrolled us in a Red Cross "learn-to-swim" class. At the culmination of the class, students had to be able to swim the width of the lagoon and back to get their completion certificate. I managed to do it without any problem. I do remember getting a horrendous sunburn early on, but somehow survived it (although it's not much to boast about -- I see a dermatologist yearly due to the amount of sun I got as a kid).

By the time I was in Jr. High, my sister and I would pay 10 cents to ride the bus to beach. We had our choice of the Cherry Avenue beach (Ocean Blvd. and Cherry) or, we could transfer to another bus and be dropped of at the Long Beach/Seal Beach border (near what is now Seaport Village). We could walk across the jetty bridge and we would find ourselves at Rivers End. Seal Beach had waves and Cherry Beach didn't!! So, obviously, Seal Beach was better. At 17, I tried my hand at surfing at that very beach, that is until someone stole my surf racks off of my car in the school parking lot. :(

When I was 12, my dad finished building the boat he had started before I was born and we spent many weekends and vacations boating off the coast of California. Sometimes we would stop halfway between Long Beach harbor and Catalina Island and my sister and I would take a dip. Fish would actually come up and nip at our toes! I have no idea what kind they were, but after seeing Jaws in 1975, my memories of deep-water swimming took on a whole new meaning.
Once I was able to drive, every free moment was spent either at the beach or at the stables with my horse. My favorite beach was Tower 21 at Bolsa Chica. The waves were always big and the water was cleaner than my local beach.
During my sophomore year in high school, I learned I could take swimming as my primary P.E. class, which meant I could swim every day, all year long! Woo-hoo! I was in heaven. In this class, I really learned how to swim. My coach taught me the basics and I ended up trying out for the girl's swim team the next year. I was a "B" swimmer (we only had one girl who was good enough to go up against Susie Atwood at Milliken). I didn't come in first in any races, but I wasn't always last either, so I had fun competing. I also passed the Jr. Lifeguard test (part of the test was having to "save" my swim coach, which was one of the hardest things I've ever done). After passing the lifeguard test, I was allowed to teach some of the non-swimmers how to get over their fear of water. I remember this one girl who was terrified of putting her face down in the water. I managed to gain her trust and before long, she was swimming. It was only the dog paddle, but she wasn't afraid of the water anymore. Here's a picture of my team from my 1970 yearbook. I'm the second from the right in the back row. My best friend at the time is sitting to my left.

The swimming I've done since high school has been purely recreational, although I still jump at the chance to swim whenever I can. So, here I am, much older and wiser (I think), and ready to get back into the swim of things, literally.
Through a colleague at work, I learned about Masters Swimming. I had heard of it before, but thought it was for serious, competing swimmers, you know, a "master" swimmer. But, after hearing about it again, I decided to check it out online and found that in its basic form, it is simply a swimming program for adults over the age of 19 -- competition is optional. Masters Swimming is touted as a great way for adults (especially those my age) to get back into shape, regardless of your swimming experience. Goodness knows my knees have their bad days now and then, and I haven't kept myself in the best of shape over the past few years (and, don't get me started on the effects of "mentalpause", as I like to call it). Swimming is much easier on your joints than "dryland" sports or exercises.
I've been doing my own thing for the past 6 months, but my progress has been slow. So, I bit the bullet and became a member of Life Time Fitness in Gilbert. Not only do they have the best gym and fitness programs I've ever participated in, they also have a Masters Swimming program. So, Tuesday morning, at 0-dark-thirty (that's 6:00 am in real time) I will be attending my first Masters Swim and absolutely cannot wait. I know I'm gonna get my butt kicked, but it will be so worth it!

It Made My Day (IMMD)

If you haven't visited itmademyday.com, you are really missing something. Every day, people post funny things that they've witnessed or experienced that made their day. Here's an example from today's posts that really cracked me up:

I’ve always hated those stickers on Jeeps that say “it’s a jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand”. Saw a sticker on a Suzuki SUV today that said “I got your Jeep thing, now it stings when I pee”. IMMD

I'm not a big fan of the smug "Jeep thing" sentiment either, so reading this really made my day. :)

What's in a name?

My favorite nickname is of course, Debaru. Why Debaru, you may ask? I'm sure it has something to do with the Subarus I've owned during the past 10 years, and the fact that my first name is Debra. Well, to my surprise, I learned today that the word "Debaru" in Japanese translated in English means: to project, to stand out, to jut out, and to protrude.

Now I like to think that because I drive a Subaru, I tend to stand apart (or stand out) from the crowd. Let's face it, Subarus aren't the most common car on the road. If you ask most people "who drives a Subaru?", you'll probably get "hippies and tree huggers" for a reply. Now, I don't think I fit into either category -- I just happen to like Subarus -- a lot! I'm not trying to make some kind of cosmic statement to the world. So, if you happen to be driving in the Phoenix-metro area and some crazy lady cuts you off in a sage green Subaru Forester with Debaru on the license plate, cut her some slack -- "she's just standing out".

On a clear day...

...from the top of Mt. Ord, you almost can see forever.

I have driven by the Mt. Ord sign while heading toward Payson on Highway 87, and always wondered what the heck was up there. Well, now I know. I knew there were communication towers and a forest service lookout, but I had no idea how beautiful, not to mention lofty this peak is. According to what I found on the Internet, the top of Mt. Ord sits at 11,348 feet above sea level. Amazing, considering it's only 50 miles from my house in Gilbert.

One mile from the summit.

The road takes you as close as one mile from the summit. Since I had hiked pretty hard the previous day, I decided to leave the summit climb for another day. While up there I was treated to some beautiful fall color, with several oak trees in full splendor. I couldn't believe how red the leaves were.

On the way up the mountain you're treated to some really

nice views of Roosevelt Lake and the Tonto Basin.

Backside of Mt. Ord (taken near Jake's Corners heading into the Tonto Basin on Highway 188)

Cheryl and I stopped and ate our lunch at the Roosevelt Lake Vineyard Canyon picnic grounds.

San Tanorama

Cheryl and I took a hike in the San Tan Mountains Regional Park this morning. We traveled the Littleleaf, Goldmine and San Tan trails. The Goldmine trail is definitely the toughest, with an elevation gain of 1000', but the views are worth it. Here's a link to the park map.

Looking northeast across Queen Creek toward the

Superstition Mountains.

Cheryl striking a pose halfway up the Goldmine trail.

On our way to the summit, we had passed a rather large rock that had rolled onto the trail from its previous perch above. I jokingly called it the "Blarney Stone", kissed two of my fingers and pressed them to the rock. Cheryl went so far as to bend over and kiss the rock. Too bad I didn't get a picture of that. :) Therefore, in honor of the "Blarney Stone", we dubbed the Goldmine summit, Blarney Peak.

Deb at the summit (a.k.a. Blarney Peak) of the Goldmine trail.

Someone had left behind a little American flag

commerating their climb to the top.

Cheryl at the Goldmine summit.

Based on the topo map in the ranger's office, I'm guessing this particular summit along the Goldmine trail was approximately 2400'.

No Fat Man Shall Pass

Now before you get your knickers in a knot, I'm not making light of people who have weight issues. I myself am at least 30 pounds overweight.

I took my first hike in South Mountain Park today with the Arizona Travel and Outdoor Club (AOTC). When I learned we would be going through an area known as "Fat Man's Pass", I was wondering whether I would be able to fit through the fabled pass. Well, I did and it was fun.

Fat Man Pass in Hidden Valley, South Mountain Park

The trail leads you through three giant boulders with just enough room to squeeze through. So, calling it Fat Man's Pass is a bit of a misnomer, hence the title of my blog post. :) The views on the way up were spectacular!

Looking northeast from about 500' up the trail.

We couldn't have asked for better weather for our hike. When we started out it was in the low 70's with clouds and a nice breeze. This particular hike reminded me a lot of the East Pinnacles Monument in California, which was one of my favorite places to hike when I lived there (my two daughters called it the "Pig's Knuckles"). Just like the Pinnacles, there's literally tons of granite, with many lying one on top of the other creating small caves and tubes.

Boulders in Hidden Valley

Boulder Tube

I noticed in many places that erosion over the millenia have carved out round hollows in the rock. I'm sure if this area could talk, the stories it could tell of the native peoples who lived here.

This was my second outing related to AOTC, and I must say, they really took good care of me. I haven't hiked much in the past four years, and let me tell you, this hike is not for the faint of heart. It climbs steeply from the get go, so I ended having to take many "sit breaks" to catch my breath. A couple of the hikers from the group (Larry and Jon), came back looking for me and made sure I got down from the mountain without any trouble. I hated slowing them down, but this is why I joined this particular club. I had heard they were a great group of people, and they haven't let me down yet.

We Had a "Hail" of a Good Time at Mt. Graham!

I recently joined the Arizona Outdoor and Travel Club (AOTC) and participated in a camping trip to Mt. Graham the weekend of September 19-20. Mt. Graham is a really special place. Not only is it sacred to the local Apaches, but it is considered a "sky island". I did a little Googling and learned that it is a Hudsonian forest of old-growth trees that is very similar to the rain forests of Washington State.
We camped at the Shannon campsite at an elevation of 9100', which is Black Bear country!! And, yes, we saw a bear during the trip.

We encountered this large Black Bear while driving to pick up a group of trail workers.

My oldest daughter, Cheryl, accompanied me on the trip and took some photos of our excursion.

We're starting our climb up the mountain.

The signs aren't kidding when they tell you there are winding roads ahead.

We couldn't help but notice how cool the temperature was by the time we got to 7000 feet, as evidenced in the next photo.

By the time we got to 8000 feet, the temperature had dropped almost another 10 degrees. With the long hot summer we've had this year, 58 degrees felt awesome!

We spotted quite a few towers near the summit.

A few more folks joined us, but here's the core group of "Happy Campers."

Me doing my hungry squirrel imitation.

Cheryl sitting on one of the bear-proof storage containers, doing her best to stay out of the smoke from the campfire.

Happy Campers, Cheryl and Deb

Cheryl and I took a short discovery hike near our campsite and came across quite an array of flora and fungi. This sponge fungus was huge!

One of the highlights of the weekend was the hailstorm (click the link to see the video I uploaded to YouTube) we encountered on Saturday. While everyone else in our group was out helping to clear trail (Cheryl and I stayed behind to shuttle them back later in the day, and mainly because we both slept like crap due to the cold and the altitude), Cheryl and I took a drive to Riggs Lake.

We encountered a pretty waterfall on our way to the lake.

Deb + Subaru = Debaru

From this photo you can see exactly how high we really were.

There was a large fire on Mt. Graham back in 2004. Here's a shot showing some of the snags left as a result.

In all, a great trip and I definitely want to go back and do it again.

On our way home, we encountered a beautiful double rainbow while driving West through Safford.

Congratulations, Cristina!!

After what seemed like a very long year, my youngest daughter, Cristina graduated from the Toni & Guy Hairstyling Academy today. Several of us joined her to celebrate her accomplishment.

Part of the fun of graduating is decorating your station. I think Cristina is planning on making lots of money.

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Aww. I think she looks like Mario's daughter.

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Funny, so does her big sister, Cheryl.

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Cute, aren't they?

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Okay, I think I see where they get their looks from.

Here's Papa Mario (a.k.a. Joe) with his daughters. ;)

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No celebration is complete without Silly String!!

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Here's to your future, Cristina!

I'm so very proud of you.

Love, Mom