Goodbye 2012 - Thanks for the Memories and an Adventurous Year!!!

2012
What a year!

January I went to Los Angeles for 10 days, living in a men's shelter on Skid Row and volunteering to help with the homeless, battered women, and AIDs project. What an unbelievable opportunity. I am forever humbled and changed by the people I went with, met, and my experiences there.

February gave me amazingly warm temps, and then right at the end, when I thought we'd made it through with the best winter ever, dumped a ton of snow on us on Leap Day!

March warmed up and melted the snow, temps reaching in the 70s. I was no where around to enjoy the unseasonable temps as I was basking in even warmer 80 degree days in Latin America! Another amazing volunteer trip for 10 days to Guatemala, to work in the mission at San Lucas Tolíman, on Lake Atitlan. I loved the country, the people, the food, the weather and all my experiences there - yes, even the Roosters waking me up so very early every morning. I long to go back and hopefully will one day soon. I also went on a road trip to Fargo, ND to tour the Microsoft Campus for school. What an interesting place to work that would be, if someone could stand living and working in Fargo.. Fun get away though and interesting to see 'behind the scenes'.

April was pretty uneventful except for the fact that I was offered a job in LAS VEGAS! I spent the bulk of the month interviewing and preparing to leave Minnesota for a new adventure all set up by my friend Amy! I also found a great new dentist - Dr Tim Erickson - wish I'd had found him years ago - great office ladies, a very accommodating guy and awesome prices!

May - Vegas here I come! Left for Las Vegas on May 7th and started a new job (which also fulfilled my school internship) on May 8th, working for MGM/Xerox as a technical writer!  Lots of new adventures this month, including working and driving in a new city, finding a new place to live, flying back and forth, driving my car down with my son and his friend over Memorial Day weekend  - including lots of car dramas. I wouldn't trade one day of it or the fun and memories made - especially with Sam and Rondeau - what great guys and what a wild ride! Tons of 100 degree days in air conditioning (except not in my car!) and sultry nights spent by the pool or in the hot tub. Crazy dates with Everardo!

June moving to a new house - Thanks Naomi! and making new friends Kim, Ariana and Morgan - so grateful for my friends Art and Evette as well. Checking out new places and freaking out the day my friend Linda sent me a text about the MASSIVE FLOOD IN DULUTH! So hard to be so far from home and not be able to do anything about it. Luckily my daughter was staying in my house and friends were also watching it and kept me abreast of all the news and issues. Unreal pics online!

July traveled back and forth to MN a couple of times, cut off my hair, and learned more fun things in Vegas and had one life changing moment of sadness and then a reunion with Renan of sorts.

August I traveled home for a week to celebrate my half-century birthday with many friends and family members! Ironically, I was also relieved of my job in Las Vegas the day before my birthday - funny that. I had a blast at home none-the-less, then traveled back to pack up, and then to say goodbye to all my Vegas friends, especially Art and his generosity, then make the journey home with my son. What a long strange trip it's been - but we arrived with no dramas and had some great time together - just us. A huge thanks to Tomas for overseeing my ponderosa whilst I was away! He was the bestestest!

September meant back to school! Ugh! One last semester, and only two courses to worry about. Thank Fuck it's almost done! Just get me through stats!

October in Baltimore is FREAKIN AWESOME! OMG The Grace Hopper Convention Rocked, literally. I loved the city, I loved the people I met and connected with, especially your guys, *wink* ...Mmmm Eric. AND OMG The festival! BEST MEX-HIS-Latino FOOD EVAR! AND AND AND BEEEEEERZ!!! OMG and Eye Candy, and OMG... yeah, and that guy, and that guy and warm weather and sunshine! Hot As(s)!

November I went on an all expenses paid visit to Thompson Reuters in Eagan MN - toured and interviewd. A very fun 2 days in Mpls. Good to see the guys (Sam, Will and Matt) and Mom & Dad too. Anniversaries, Birthdays and Thanksgiving - GOT TO SEE/HAVE my kids home! Was Awesome! And the Food Was Excellent. Stats sucks. Banged around a lot. Yea-ha.

December saw the end of my Academic days with graduation and my earning a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Information Systems - Networking Administration and Technical Writing.  GO ME!
YES FUCKING YES!
I DID IT ALL!
Bitchez!
Kiss it!
Here:
(_!_)