The Grand Canyon...

Let me first start by saying that I am afraid of heights.
Not the “I can’t wear 6 inch heels, climb stairs or ride an escalator” type of scared…just the “don’t make me climb that ladder and don’t even think about asking me to climb on top of a roof” type.

I think there are more of us out there than we’d care to admit.

Now let me digress into a different subject that I promise will relate to the overall story: I am an Arizona native. I am proud to have always lived in the state of excessive heat, cactus, fake tans/blondes and fantastic Mexican food.

BUT…I always had one embarrassing Native flaw…I had never been to the Grand Canyon.

To remedy this blemish on my Native status, I tagged along with my family to one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World and found that while beautiful…this place is not height-a-phobic friendly (I believe acrophobia is the correct term but it sounds awkward…so I’m not using it).

God bless my family for putting up with me because I spent 50% of the day admiring the views and the other 50% worrying that one of my family members would trip over a rock and go plummeting into the giant death trap we had come to visit.

The weather was perfect and I had a great time (pictures below) but I realize now that I was just a tad ridiculous when it came to my fear of falling.

So now that I’m safely in my home far far away from jagged rocks and cliffs that lead to a surely dismal end…I can review the both silly and deep life lessons learned from my visit to the Grand Canyon:

1) Do not feed the squirrels. While these little guys appear to be adorable and fluffy creatures that seem sweet enough to sing and help little birds dress Cinderella each morning…they are in reality…vicious. Feeding these squirrels is like putting water on a gremlin…it causes them to multiply and act crazy. Allegedly I tried to take a picture of our cute fur friends which caused the leader of the pack (picture the Godfather of squirrels) to lunge for my phone thinking it was food…or maybe he hates paparazzi…regardless…don’t feed the squirrels.

2) Do not be scared of breath taking opportunities or moments. Fear of possibility is just a waste of time.

3) All you need for the best souvenir…almost anywhere you visit…is 51 cents. Penny smashing machines are by far the best memorabilia. Geeky smashed penny enthusiasts go to www.pennycollector.com to see locations of these fabulous machines. :-)

4) Do not be blind to God’s blessings and miracles: Something as awe inspiring as the ocean and the Grand Canyon or as simple as a friend/family member who was brought into your life at the moment when you needed them the most. While very different…each of these things are remarkable and we often forget to acknowledge or fully appreciate them.

And last…but certainly not least…

5) Tuck and roll. If you do trip and find yourself falling into the beautiful Grand Canyon…tuck and roll.

Love,

Elyse

Not sure which is more alarming: Adorable/Evil Squirrel or Handlebar Mustache Man with Canada socks...beware of both.

Elyse Navidad...

You know what’s kind of silly?


It occurred to me that it’s a little odd that the tradition is to give gifts to the person who was born on the birthday instead of to the parents.

Okay, I know that sounds ridiculous but hear me out on this one.
On the eve on my 27th birthday I think it’s time we consider how backwards this all is.

Let’s break it down and see who really earned these gifts…

For 9 months Mom had to lug me around 24/7 while I napped and ate at my leisure.

Mom: 1 Elyse: 0

I’m told by a reliable source that I had to be “induced” because I was so content with my life of leisure. Seriously...I'm pretty sure I had no intention of budging.

I don’t know if Mom and Dad really get points for that one…maybe more like
Doctor: 1 Elyse: 0

Then for many hours Mom proceeded to go through a painful birthing process that did not involve any “let’s pretend this isn’t actually happening” drugs.

Mom: 2 Elyse: 0

Kudos by the way.
Dad earns 2 points as well  - Not only for supporting and taking care of a very hungry wife for 9 months but also for not running away scared when he saw that his new baby resembled E.T. phoning home.

Now don’t get me wrong…I love getting gifts and surprises on my birthday…it is one of my FAVORITE days and clearly I have an enthusiasm for the holiday that I now call “Elyse Navidad”.
But if we were all being honest about it …our parents really are the ones who should get the gifts on our birthdays.

So this year I am making sure to say “Happy Birthday Mom and Dad”.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day that you would both think (but not say out loud)
“Hmmm are you sure you gave us the right baby?”

Love,

Elyse

Simon...

Today I deleted all the pictures and as much information as I could from my FaceBook account. Then I proceeded to delete my FaceBook account.


Is there anything wrong with this website? Nope.

Did anything happen to make me want to delete my account? Not really.

I should start from the beginning of this story… every night we lay down to go to sleep and it goes a little something like this: AJ turns on the tv and finds a show he thinks is entertaining. He then manages to fall asleep with the remote in his hand in such a position that if I want to take it… it’s similar to Indiana Jones trying to move the relic without setting off the booby traps.

So I tend to lay there listening to whatever nonsense is on at midnight and trying to get my brain to slow down. I have never been able to understand why I’m not like most people when it comes to energy levels.

A normal person is a lot like a snow globe:

Snow globe before someone shakes it = Normal person sleeping

Shake up the snow globe = Normal person waking up with movement and energy throughout the day.

Snow globe particles eventually rest again = Normal person sleeping

And this all makes sense…that’s how someone’s energy level should be right?

I liken my energy level to the game Simon:

Simon game not started = Elyse Sleeping

Start Simon game (boring because it’s so easy in the beginning) = Elyse attempting to wake up and still dragging for quite some time throughout the day.

Simon game decides to get all Kill Bill on you and gets super fast and crazy = Elyse’s energy at night…when normal people are sleeping.

I digress…

So I’m lying in bed last night thinking about how I really should be using my time more wisely. Let’s not get crazy…I’m not going to stop watching television or surfing the internet but I do waste time that could be spent reading, spending time with the husband/family/friends, cleaning (much needed) , volunteering or exercising (also much needed).

Then it hit me…FaceBook.

FaceBook is my crack…my cigarette…my nightcap. I had the FaceBook application on my phone, on my ipod and of course access to it on my computer. I checked it periodically throughout the day, after work, while trying to do homework, while watching a movie, before bed…it was ridiculous. What a waste of time.

Do I really need to know that BlahBlah went to the movies today and had a super fabulous time? Nope. Do I really need to know that YaddaYadda updated their status to “In a Relationship” and now likes “Aerosmith” and “Kittens”. Nope.

Ultimately, I stay in touch with my close friends and family and it has nothing to do with this website so it was time to say goodbye to good ol’ FB.

So that’s it folks…I am no longer a FB junky…quit cold turkey and feeling good.

I will now focus more of my time on other things…perhaps this blog...it’s been neglected and it’s definitely a good outlet for my randomness.

Love,

Elyse