2024 Holiday Letter

Full disclosure: This year’s letter was a little difficult to put together.  I was talking to a long-time friend who was telling me how much they were looking forward to the letter.  I said I really didn’t know what to write.  I mean, how do you follow the year after the most amazing, beautiful, fun, happiest, still-being-paid-for wedding?

I guess we follow it up by telling you about our somewhat boring year by comparison which was full of joy, happiness, and love – with some snark and a fun spin on it.

The year started off with the celebration of Jeff’s birthday. I’m always happy to celebrate my love, but I’m also always celebrating that he’s the same age as me again.  Until September, that is…

We didn’t take any big trips together this year, but we did take a number of day and weekend trips.

One of our first adventures of the year was out to Boyce Thomas Arboretum, where we soaked up the weather and the sights.  We brought our own little picnic, walked far far far more than either of us realized, and loved it.  This was our second trip out to BTA, and far better this time (temperature wise) than the first visit. Despite it being a drive, it was so worth it, and I look forward to us getting out there again.

For our 1st Wedding Anniversary, we returned to the best place in Arizona: Bearizona! I mean, Williams.  Williams, Arizona is one of my favorite towns in Arizona, and it has become a special place for Jeff and me.  Bearizona is my #1, top, favorite place in the state of Arizona.  I friggin love that place.  

As a treat for our anniversary, we did the VIP tour, and now I can never go back unless I always get the VIP tour.  IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!!  Going behind the scenes was great, but meeting their animal ambassadors was the highlight.  We got to feed a porcupine and meet their new addition, Forest the sloth.  I love sloths, and this is my second time meeting one in-person.  One day I will hug one.  

Speaking of hugging wild animals, which Jeff very much advises against regularly and often, my dream to hug a bear remains unfulfilled.  That adventure is not included on the VIP tour, even if you ask to pay under the table. Another lesson learned.  Also, by the looks of this lock, they were prepared for my question.

On the actual day of our anniversary, we had plans to go to a super fancy dinner. Unfortunately, they had some issues in their kitchen that specific day, so we had to wait a month to go to Kai, and, holy hell, that wait was worth it.  When I say this was the best meal I’ve ever eaten, I mean it.  The food was spectacular, the service was unreal, and the view was stunning.  It was so worth every cent.

In April, Jeff was able to mark a bucket list item as DONE!  Jeff made it to The Masters in Augusta. Jeff had a spectacular time and took epic pictures.  For those not in the know (and no judgment, because I didn’t know until I met Jeff): The Masters is a big golf thingy, which is ultra exclusive and it’s held in Augusta, GA the first full week in April.  There are remarkably affordable pimento cheese sandwiches and very very very rich people.  

Jeff said I’m not allowed to keep writing about The Masters, so he says, and I quote, “It’s a tradition unlike any other in golf.  It’s very hard to get a ticket, and I am very blessed that I was able to go.”

In all seriousness, I’m so happy my love made it to something he’d always dreamed of attending.  I’m also totally OK that I didn’t go.

Another trip that I didn’t go on was when Jeff went to the UK for work.  Jeff was able to spend some time in London (a few days), but otherwise was indisposed in a small town in northern England for a full week.  I said that sounds dreamy.  Jeff says that’s not how he would have described it, because of the whole working the whole time thing.  

This summer we made it up to Flagstaff, still the prettiest city in this entire state. The excuse to go up was to celebrate my 20-year NAU Grad School reunion.  First and foremost, with an MBA you’d think I’d understand the math of graduating in 2004 and it being 20 years later, but I don’t.  This math isn’t mathing in my head, mostly because time is a construct.

Regardless of the math not mathing, it was a great trip up to my college town.  Seeing my classmates – all three others who showed up – was lovely. I was particularly excited to see my dear friend who organized the event.  I’m so glad we made it up there to celebrate and catch up.

While in Flagstaff, Jeff and I went on a random side quest up to the top of Mt. Humphries.  Up there, we found a summer fest of sorts where there was live music and activities for families.  We decided to randomly take a ride on the gondola.  We have found our side quests have become the highlights of our trips more often than not.

In August, we headed right back up to northern Arizona, this time to Pine.  We had a relaxing weekend in a beautiful environment.  Driving the rim (heh) was the highlight of that trip.  The lowlight was the gift we brought home.  It was not chosen, appreciated, nor enviable.  We got COVID, which sucked big time.

Because my body is a shitbag (more on that in a second), I was current on my booster.  For the same shitbag reasons, I was able to make a call and get Paxlovid called into the pharmacy.  For those reasons, my bout with COVID was remarkably easier than Jeff’s (still sucked).  Silver lining: we were loving the 90-day immunity we had afterwards.  It felt like we were superhuman.  

Speaking of superhuman, I’m still not. But this was the year when some advancement was made in the attempt to slow my stupid RA’s progression.  That advancement in slowing the RA’s progress was great, until an old nemesis came back to become my main opponent: Bertha, the God-damned back.  Turns out 

Bertha wasn’t gone at all.  She’s been a sleeper cell this whole time!  She’s what is requiring my attention these days, and oh is she getting it.    

Other than or maybe because of Bertha, I have been working to slowly improve my overall health as much as I can.  Emphasis on slowly.  But the only way I’ve been able to see any improvements is because the progression of my stupid RA is slowed.  And the shitbag body cycle continues…

This year we both decided to upgrade our carriages.  One of us went for reliability.  The other went for bad-assery.

I have no shame whatsoever singing the praises of my Kia Sportage.  I friggin love it.  Her name is Sweet Mary Of the Garage, SMOG for short.  The seats aren’t just heated BUT THEY’RE COOLING TOO.  My desert-born ass has never felt such comfort on black pleather seats in July!!! The whole car is so comfortable, and the dogs love the backseat – but not the net I put up to keep them back there (ha ha, suckers!).  The entire dashboard is a touchscreen.  It’s great.  Mary is our road trip comfortable ride.

You’ve met Mary, now meet Rocky.  Rocky was made for backroads and adventures.   

We’ve been talking about adding a Bronco for a while, and Jeff made it happen.  Since adding Rocky to the family, we’ve started exploring backroads.  I’m the passenger princess (obvs.) and Jeff is the captain of our destiny.  But look at how good he looks as the said captain!

It was another year where we both were burnt out by our jobs that we love most days.  Jeff’s major project has made some great headways and go-live is so soon!  Maybe he’ll be able to cut his hours down to 50 instead of 60!!  My job had an administration change.  Now that the dust has pretty much settled (as much as it can), I can say that was an interesting experience.  Especially since I’m one of the last two remaining of the original administration members.

Our boys are doing well, for a bossy 13 year-old stubborn ass and a 9 year-old trash panda.  Buster continues his shenanigans of grr-ing to get his way, including waking us up with the sun.  That is SO fun in the summer when the sun comes up at 4:45 a.m.  Pilot is the happiest boy, and he continues his unending quest to eat all the trash.  They rule the neighborhood for the entirety of their daily 7-minute walk first thing in the morning by barking at any thing they consider a threat.  Dog, human, piece of paper, wind, cricket farting in Kansas, whatever the threat: they will bark at it.  They're lucky we love them.

And with that, our 2024 is wrapped.  It was a year, and next year will be a year too.  No matter what happens - and only God knows what 2025 has in store for us - Jeff and I will continue to have fun in the mundane, and continue to have the best love story in the history of time.  I can't wait to tell you all about it next year.

 

Blessings, congrats for reading this whole thing, and please disregard all grammatical errors because I sure did.  
Xoxoxxx,
Amanda

2023 Holiday Letter

Listen.  I could draw this whole thing out and build up to it, or I can just skip the fluff and jump right into OUR WEDDING! 

Sure, there were other things that happened in 2023, but for us, the most important thing happened on March 12, 2023.  In front of 70 of our friends and family, we married the crap out of each other.  

(Read this next paragraph like Stefon from SNL)

This wedding had everything.  There were tears. There were laughs. There were f-bombs thrown by both the bride and the groom.  There was an incredibly special fart joke.  There was a SPECTACULAR gown.  But most importantly there was love.  Not just the love that we had for each other, but the love we felt from those there celebrating with us.  It was a perfect day.  A perfect day that flew by.  

After the wedding, I said to Jeff that I woke up at 5 a.m. and next thing I knew, I was standing in the parking lot, getting into the car to go home a married woman.  

Because it went by in a flash, I am so happy that we have a beautiful wedding video to watch over and over again.  What was that? You want to see it too?  Well, if you insist…

 

When I shared this video with someone, they responded, “That was the most heartfelt f-word I’ve ever heard.”  They weren’t wrong.

Immediately after the wedding, we left for our honeymoon.  We spent six glorious days on the big island of Hawaii.  We did all the stuff you’re supposed to do in Hawaii: went to the beach, went whale watching, tried throwing things in a volcano to see what would happen but couldn't because that's frowned upon (lesson learned!), went snorkeling, ate way too much, got SUPER sunburnt, and overall had the best time. 

As heavenly as our honeymoon was, it was admittedly wonderful coming home, and starting our married life.

Prior to the wedding, we both had our wild and crazy bachelor/bachelorette parties.  

Since I’m wildly outrageous and super over the top, you know my party was too.  That’s why me and a group of the best girlfriends someone could ask for got a cabin up in Payson for a weekend and did crafts.  The theme was, “Crafting in a cabin before becoming a Kabler.” Only stretchy pants were allowed all weekend.  My group treated me to the best weekend.  Junk food, hikes (or walks 20 feet and turn around and go back in), laughs, and a massage! If that wasn’t enough, they also each made a scrapbook for me.  They included pictures of me with each of them throughout our friendships.  Big fat hot tears rolled down my face when I saw the final product.  I was so touched by the act and by the messages each of them wrote.  It was a wonderful weekend of sisterhood and impressive powerhouse women. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to shout out my GOAT MOH (Greatest of All Time Matron of Honor), Nanna.  We’ve been friends for a million years and the depths of our friendship are unfathomable.  We’ve truly grown up together, and getting to celebrate our big life milestones together is one of my biggest blessings.  Also? Her speech was amazing – as were the others!

Jeff’s trip was just as wild.  The details are vague, but from what I gathered, Jeff and his brother went to Las Vegas and volunteered at a soup kitchen, saved a kitten, read to orphans, and cut the grass for senior citizens.  They sure were busy!

Speaking of Vegas, Jeff made it out there FOUR (4) times this year.  I only made it out there three times.

In addition to his bachelor party, Jeff had a conference to attend in Vegas, and it just so happened that it coincided with our dating anniversary, so we had an excuse to have a weekend in Vegas.  Jeff surprised me with a lovely suite at a fantastic resort that I hope to return to in the future.  

The following month, we went to Vegas to go see Ed Sheeran.  We went with our friends Monica and Aaron and had a great time.  We pregamed (a lot), so when we were walking up the very long walkway to the stadium and a police officer announced on his PA that the concert was cancelled, we weren’t too upset.  Also, pregaming and then having nothing planned in Vegas can go one of two ways: having an amazing night or going to bed early because your old ass decided to do shots of straight vodka and you don’t drink so the alcohol hit hard.  I’ll let you guess how our evening ended.  

Our last and final trip was the following month (if you’re keeping track at home, that is three trips three months in a row) to see the make-up Ed Sheeran show.  I don’t care who judges me for it: that little ginger can make amazing music.

Neither of us changed jobs this year, thank God.  Both of our jobs burn us out keep us very busy.  Very busy.  But we’re both like what we do (most days).  

 

Our boys are doing well.  Unfortunately, they did not make it to the wedding because everybody we would have asked to take care of them after the ceremony was at the wedding. So, instead, we had tiny little idols made of them, and put them where they would have wanted to be: on the cake. Buster continues his dedication to waking us up at 5 a.m. Pilot continues to mark his territory and protect us.  We’re really living that double income little dog owners’ life.

It’s safe to say that 2023 was our best year yet!  We were blessed countless times by so many of our loved ones, and we are filled with gratitude for our blessings and the love sent our way.  Thank you for your support.  Even if all you did was read this silly holiday letter, that’s a blessing to us and we appreciate you!

We wish you all the happiest of holidays and blessed New Year!

Love,
THE KABLERS

2022 Letter

Well, hello, there!

I usually start the annual holiday letter in October. I go and look at my Instagram and see what I posted there. I check my photo roll to remind me of moments that have passed in the last year.  I will even check text messages to see what I’ve been chatting about.

I didn’t do any of that to prepare for this year’s letter.  Instead, I wore tie dye.

It was an average Sunday in June.  Jeff and I had a very exciting day planned: we were going to go to Costco!  As we got ready that morning, I asked Jeff if he wanted to go to get donuts on our way to Costco.  Jeff said, “Brunch instead?”  I asked where and he told me Luci’s at the Orchard.  Seeing as that’s an awesome place in general and it’s a place we had been to several times before – including our first date and first anniversary – I said, “Hell yes!”

Since it was regular Sunday – or so I thought – I took no pains or effort in getting dress.  I just put on some comfy pants, sandals, and a tie dye shirt.  What did I care?  After some yummy Luci’s, we were off to run errands.

Sighhhhhh…

We got to Luci’s and as we walked in, I said, “You know.  If we had a significant life event, this would be a nice place to hold it.”  Jeff agreed and we went to find a place to sit and order our food.

It was June and I had already been sweating for three months, so I suggested we sit inside.  There was a 6-top table with a couple at the end. I asked them if we could sit at the other end and they said sure.  So there we sat.

I ordered pulled pork chilaquiles (breakfast nachos!), and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that it was the best pulled pork I’ve eaten.  I could not stop talking about it.  How it tasted. Wondering how it was made.  Looking up pulled pork recipes.  Showing Jeff how complex pulled pork recipes were to me (as a reminder I am a horrible cook and anything beyond drive-thru is complex to me).  Making Jeff try my pulled pork.  Really, I could not say enough about this excellent food. 

Jeff, God bless that man, nodded along and made noises as if he were as invested in the pull pork as I was, but he was distracted.  He was quiet and, now that I think about it, nervous.

Jeff went to get our drinks refilled, and I started to clear our plates and the table.  As I was about to get up, Jeff told me to sit down and said we had to talk about something.  

Being the absolutely brat that I am, I threw my hands up in the air and said, “Oh, Great!!!  What now?!?!” Totally joking and being silly.  Jeff said, “No, it’s OK.  Give me your hands.”  I skeptically reached across the table and waited for what were about to talk about.

The second our hands touched, Jeff started to cry.  I immediately assumed he was sick, and he was trying to tell me. I panicked, stood up, and told him that we should go, we would figure it out, and it was going to be OK.  Jeff pulled me back down and said “No, it’s a good thing.  I swear.”  

He then proceeds to say the nicest things about me I had ever heard.  He talked about our life together.  But mostly he talked about love.  His love for me, and my love for him.  Because anxiety, I kept waiting for him to tell me the bad news as I listened to him talk about how much our relationship means to him.  

There was this tiny little voice in the back of my head that whispered, “I think he’s proposing.”

I immediately pushed that though aside because that couldn’t be happening.  I would know if he was proposing.  I would be able to detect when he was going to do it because I would be able to pick up on nerves.  …I wouldn’t be wearing tie dye.  

As Jeff concluded making me fall deeper in love with him with his words, he asked me to stand up.  It was then that the little voice became a full-fledged roar in my head, as I yelled in a very crowded restaurant, “ARE YOU DOING THIS?!?!?”

Jeff got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.

My tears that I had barely kept at bay until that point fell freely and I responded by asking him loudly if he was sure as in, “ARE YOU SURE??” and if he was serious by saying, “ARE YOU SERIOUS?” about three times each.

He, on one knee, responded, “Yes.  I am sure.  Yes.  I am serious.”  And then looked at me.

There was a slightly awkward pause because someone forgot her lines, and then I yelled, “YESYESYESYESYESYES!”

It was an extraordinary moment.  Despite being in a busy place full of strangers, it truly felt like we were the only people on earth.  The happiest tears I’d ever cried fell down my face as I felt every happy and positive emotion a human can feel at the same time.

When we came back to reality, the staff from Luci’s rushed to our table to congratulate us and looked at my ring and told us how happy they were for us.  As we walked out of the restaurant, a couple flagged us down by waving and yelled out, “Congratulations!”  We walked over and said thank you.  One of them said, “We watched your proposal.  We wanted to take video for you, but we don’t know you and we thought that would be weird. Want us to take your picture instead?”

And that is who took this picture.

It's hard to tell just how happy I was.

It’s safe to say, I was slightly deliriously happy.  And I was wearing tie dye.

We went back to the house, and we started making calls, and by calls, I mean FaceTime. 

You already know who the first call was, and, no, my mom didn’t know it was happening – but she still knew it was happening.  

For months, that woman kept telling me that Jeff was going to propose.  Before we went on a weekend trip, she told me to get my nails done.  I told her she was crazy.

When I told her that Jeff had tempted me with a mysterious road trip, she responded I should get my nails done and buy a new outfit.  I told her to calm down.

Turns out, she was right each time.  Every time that my mom thought Jeff was going to propose, he had plans to do exactly that and I literally ruined each effort with my big fat mouth.  

The first time was Good Friday, and I happened to mention what it means to Catholics (well, at least to this former Catholic), and I mentioned how it’s a day when there is no mass and no celebrations are held in the church.  Jeff has so much respect for my former religion that he decided he wanted to be respectful and not propose on that specific Friday.

The second time was when he wanted to go on a mysterious road trip weekend after weekend and I had reason after reason why we couldn’t get away.  

Eventually, Jeff knew it didn’t matter the setting, it mattered that the question be asked.  So instead of doing anything over the top, Jeff took a regular day and made it the most magical day of my life (so far).  

When I was reflecting on the day after I learned the efforts this man went to get me to say yes to marrying him, I realized that the actual proposal was better than anything he imagined because it was so unexpected, and it was so us: me being obliviously happy and Jeff making plans to make me even happier.  

After we FaceTimed “The Moms” (that’s what we call Jeff’s mom and my mom), we FaceTimed family and friends for several hours after that.  

Getting to share the news with our circle, and getting to see their reactions, was not just fun but touching.  Seeing how much happiness and love our friends and family had over our love brought tears to my eyes multiple times that day and since that day.  We were celebrated by each person we called, and all of their happiness was genuine and heart-felt.  

When we finished with the calls, we topped the day off with a trip to Costco.  It could not have been a better day that day.

So, now I’m a wedding planner. 

While I friggin’ LOVE planning crap, this has not been my favorite thing in the world to plan.  But I’m doing it because our love deserves celebration – not a destination elopement in a foreign country that no one knows about until after the fact, which was my first idea.  

Remember when I told you my mom had figured out that Jeff was going to propose?  She also figured out that my first idea was to elope and not invite anyone, so she got to acting.  

I was proposed to on a Sunday.  By the following Tuesday, my mother had used enough of her special brand of motherly encouragement to ensure I made an appointment with the only dress shop I would consider getting a dress at for the following Saturday.  She knew if I found a dress, I would want a wedding.

The sky is blue.  Grass is green.  And my mom was right.

That Saturday, my mom, my future mother-in-law, future sister-in-law, future niece-in-law, and my lifelong best friend and matron of honor, Nanna, who randomly was in town that Saturday, made it to this dress shop that is 1.5 miles away from where I grew up.  I had spoken to the staff prior to coming and told them what I was looking for.  I stalk their social media, and I had been saving posts of theirs that I liked, so I sent those along for inspiration.  

I tried on four dresses, and I said yes to one of them.  But not before sobbing in the dressing room as I looked at myself in my future wedding dress knowing I will wear
it when I marry Jeff.  Not crying.  Full on sobbing.  Sobbing to the point that the assistant who was helping me get in and out of the dresses had to pop her head out and whisper, “We need mom.”  So there my mom and I stayed hugging while we both sobbed with happiness together.  

Immediately after getting the dress, we needed a venue. 

We got a venue.  
And caterer.  
And DJ.  
And photographer.  
And videographer.  
And florist.  
And hair/makeup.  
And the list goes on.  

NOT OUR ACTUAL CAKE!

This spring, Jeff and I will make it legal and have a lovely day with our nearest and dearest.  Yes, day, not night.  Since our first date was a Sunday brunch, and since we got engaged at a Sunday brunch, it’s only natural that we’re having a Sunday brunch wedding & reception.  Also Sundays are cheaper.  

We had our engagement photoshoot last month and we got so many great photos.  We’re saving the bulk of them for a future project, but I will include a few at the end of this letter to show you how sexy my husband is.  Oh, and I’m in them too.

Obviously, more happened this past year than our engagement, but I love our engagement story so much, I forced you to read about it. You're welcome.

Other highlights – and low lights – of the year include:

• I got a new job, and my passion for my career has been reignited once again.  I feel like #professional me again!
• Jeff sold his house at the perfect time.  He is so smart!
• We went to Colorado.  We got to see Nanna and her family.  Had a wonderful time!
• We went to Bearizona.  I got the same answer as last time: No, I am not able to hug a real bear or take one home. Still had a great time!
• I got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.  It sucks.  Do not recommend!  
• We went to Lake Tahoe.  It was very cold, and we loved it and are trying to figure out a way to live there permanently because we had a fantastic time!
• In the course of one week, Jeff and I tested positive for covid (our first bout), my mom ended up in ICU for what would be a 12 day stay all told, and my cousin passed away.  It was quite honestly the worst week of my life.  

So, that’s life in our world.  I hope this letter finds you and yours happy, healthy, and safe.  Here’s to a wonderful year!

2021 Holiday Letter

Well, well, well.  Look who has found my holiday letter.  I hope you’re ready for snark and laughs, because I’m going to tell you about 2021.

January started off with a kiss at or near midnight on New Year Eve and it wasn’t to Buster.  

So you remember how last year I told you I was in a relationship, but didn’t give you details?  So, about that…

Love does indeed Rule

His name is Jeff.  We’ve been together for over a year now and it’s safe to say we like each other.  A lot.  A lot a lot.  I tell you this now, because you’re going to see and read about him a lot in this year’s letter.  This is because we are awesome and we do cool shit together, and now I shall tell you all about it!

In early January, I got to celebrate my favorite human’s 40th birthday at the fanciest restaurant I’ve ever been to (Maestro’s).  And just like usual, I spilled while we were there.  But so did Jeff.  And that’s just one of many reasons I love him.

At Maestro’s.  Post spillage.

Anyway, January also brought me the opportunity to get my first vaccine to help protect me from COVID19.  I quickly took that opportunity and got the shot.  I had minor side effects – a headache in the middle of the night – and a sore arm for less than 24 hours.  

In February, I had my long-awaited ankle surgery.  

In 2020, I found out I needed to have surgery on my left ankle (not the one I broke a few years ago).  Then the COVID numbers were still very high, and I was not comfortable having the surgery then.  We decided to wait in hopes the world got healthier.  

I was prepared to have arthroscopic surgery to clean out cartilage and for them to perform microfracturing on the surface of the bone to stimulate bone growth.  But on Christmas morning of last year, I stood outside my mom’s house (without the walking boot I had been prescribed to wear until I had my surgery) holding presents, and my ankle decided to tear a ligament.  The pain was not any worse since it all hurt anyway, but I simply could not stand on it.  At that point, surgery was just over a month away, so the surgeon just added that to the list of things to do while he was working on my ankle.

Despite being a ROTTEN patient, I had the best caretakers.  My mom and Jeff had their own schedule between them to make sure I was fed, medicated, and generally taken care of.  

I was positive I would bounce back after surgery, but my bounce-back was more like a splat.  The surgery recovery was very difficult for me because there was no getting comfortable.  I had to keep my ankle elevated above my heart 90% of the time – for six weeks.   

I assure you: I was that pale before surgery.

 For obvious reasons, I took medical leave for six consecutive weeks.  That was the first time I had been away from a job for an extended period of time.  Turns out, it would not be my last, but more on that later.  
While the recovery was difficult, I was hellbent on doing some living once I was up and running I mean walking.  Especially since I had gotten my second COVID vaccine while I was recovering from surgery.

Jeff and I spent our spring visiting local jewels and taking day trips around the state. 

Because the world was getting and staying healthy for a moment in time, Jeff and I took a long weekend in Portland.  The weather was glorious, the food was delicious, the sights were fantastic, but the highlight of the weekend was the company.

As spring turned into summer, I made a massive life decision.

Last year I started a new job. This job was my dream job, and exactly what I needed for the next step in career.  And then 2020 happened, and my entire life view shifted.  Unfortunately, it shifted towards the (even more) bitter, angry, and skepticism.  As 2020 marched on, I fell further and further out of love with the public in general.  The public I had spent my career serving.  I had hoped 2021 would relieve some of my anger and bitterness, but when I returned to my position after my surgery everything had changed – both with me and with the organization.  

For several months after my return, I had a number of crucial conversations with my chain of command, and with my loved ones.  It became clear to me that the organization and I were not as good a fit as I had hoped initially, and I was not thriving in my position.  The universe sent one last final sign that I needed to consciously uncouple myself from my job in the summer, and I became a member of the Great Resignation.  

I timed it so that I could help my dad when he was recovering from surgery, from which he recovered 100% yay!, and then I did some recovery of myself.

I kicked off my first summer without responsibilities for the first time in almost twenty years, by immediately hoping in the car with my love and headed to see Ryan and Kristina in Las Vegas.  We spent the weekend being spoiled by them, and I ended up winning a couple hundred of dollars, which was a nice welcome to temporary unemployment. 

Area 51? More like Area Fifty FUN!

When I got home, I did a lot of decompressing and crafting.  I felt very renewed after a month or so of getting enough sleep, eating meals at regular intervals, not tensing up each and every time I got a new text or email, and focusing my efforts into creative ventures (crocheting in the summer makes total sense.  But then again, I did leave a job without having something lined up…). 

 

I started my job search knowing that I wanted – NEEDED – something very different from what I had been doing.  I did not focus my search on the title, or even the level of the organization.  I instead did an inventory of my skills and focused my search on what nurtures me, versus what I can bring to an organization.  Because I’m brilliant, I only looked for jobs that are in the same retirement plan to which I have been contributing to for 14 years.  Only a short 16 years (But who is counting?  Me. I’m counting.) to go until I get my lifelong pension!!

A month after I started looking, I accepted a job with a school district in the southwest valley.  It’s an entirely different world.  It’s like learning a new language.  The best part about working for a school district so far has been that I’m working with educators; if I do not understand something or ask for clarification, they slip into their teacher role.  They break down the topic into pieces, and help me understand each piece, and then help me put the pieces together to get the whole picture.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am a peer of these super teachers, and I don’t have to ask to go to the bathroom (except I really do if it’s during a meeting).  

When I tell people I am commuting to the southwest valley from where I live (north central Phoenix), their minds are blown.  When I explain that I was making essentially the same commute just the other way when I was working in the east valley, it makes people stop their questioning.  Also worth noting is I am driving in the opposite direction of traffic which makes a world of difference! 

Because looking for and then starting a job can be so stressful, it was only natural that I took a week off one month into my new job.  In reality, I was very forthcoming in telling my new employer I had vacation plans to attend a postponed 2020 wedding the week of Halloween in Georgia.  And they announced the Moderna booster (scientifically the vaccine with the best protection) the week before, so I got to fly to the south being triple-vaxxed!

My friend Mina was finally going to make an honest man out of Troy, and I was going to be there to celebrate it!  About a month before the wedding, Mina found out her brother would not be able to make the wedding due to a bout of COVID that had been running through his house (everybody is ok now).  Her brother was going to perform the wedding, and him not being there left a key vacancy.  

I know.  I know. I said I was never going to perform a wedding again.  But then when my dear friend of over a decade tells me she’s officiant-less a month before her wedding, obviously I’m going to step in.  Which is what I did.  And, to toot my own horn, I kicked that ceremony’s ass!  

I got many complements, but what mattered the most was that Mina and Troy liked it.  Since it was Halloween weekend, it was obviously a costume wedding.  And since we know I can rock a royal role like no other, it was only natural that I once again became the Queen of Hearts to perform the wedding.  And my King of Hearts was the most handsome man there (no offense to the Groom).  

Let"s pretend my hair was frizzy like that on purpose.

It had been a couple of years since Jeff or I had taken a proper vacation, and we made the most out of the week we spent down south.  A highlight of our trip was the day we spent in Alabama visiting some and meeting some of my McKeever relatives.  We spent a day laughing and telling stories and loving our time together.  I’m so glad I got to spend some quality time with my family.

Of course we had to do the touristy stuff while we were down there which meant we spent time at World of Coke, Olympic Park, and the Georgia Aquarium.  The Georgia Aquarium was magical.  I wanted to see the whale shark because whenever am I going to see a whale shark ever in my life?  It was even better than I imagined.  I’m pretty sure it smiled at me.  

And that brings us to now-ish.  Well, the now when I wrote this.  Perhaps not the now you’re reading this?  I don’t know.  I"m not going to think too hard about it.  You shouldn"t either.  But I digress.

This winter I have huge plans of constantly complaining about how my body hurts all the time (this is middle age??), listening to raunchy romance novels during my commute, and telling Buster to stop yelling (barking) at Jeff for kissing me.

No, in all reality, Jeff and I will obviously be spending the holidays together with family and friends.   We’re doing a staycation over Christmas break, and I plan on crocheting more.  Buster will probably be barking at something.  And all will be right in the world.

Much love to most of you.

xoxoxxx,
A

2020 Holiday Letter

 YOU GUYS!  2020 IS ALMOST OVER!!!

Between catastrophic wildfires around the globe, the social unrest and revolution that is occurring here in the US, the worldwide pandemic, economic hits, and the most important presidential election in my lifetime, 2020 was one for the history books.  

As in, what we endured, how we responded, what happened afterwards... All of this will be in history books.  We’re surviving historic times…  Yay?  

Join me as I distract you from the world for a few minutes and tell you about my year.

In early 2020, I left the City of Glendale - my work home for 5 (!!!!) years - to join the City of Tempe.  I described this new role as "leveling up" in my career and in my professionalism.  As a result, I have far fewer hilarious work stories since I now have to be a real professional and model the behavior I expect of my coworkers.  I have to act like a grown up at work all the time now (not just most of the time like earlier in my career).  It’s exhausting!  Kidding.  Sort of.  

At this moment in time, I’m doing double duty (two jobs, one Amanda) because of a key vacancy in the Division I get to lead - which left me hamstrung very early in my time in the new job.  I have been doing double duty since this spring.  Frankly it’s exhausting, but I’m doing what I love, so it’s rewarding.  

I’m still living in Moon Valley, in North Phoenix and, to be honest, the desire to move does not live anywhere in my soul at this time. At all.  I’m commuting, which takes about as much time as my previous commute to the West Valley, and will continue to do so for the immediate future.  

As I leveled up, got hamstrung, and started doing double duty, the world got very scary – and sick.

COVID-19 is very scary.  Like, literally, the scariest thing we’ve ever lived through.  And we’re still living with it.  I’m not going to devote too much to the subject because it’s very upsetting for some – and I am not interested in debating with those who feel differently than me.  I will simply say: I’m safe, my loved ones are safe, and I continue to hold space in my heart for those we knew who lost their lives. I pray COVID-19 is eradicated soon and that no more lives are lost to this very scary, very real threat. 

And since I have your attention, allow me to get on my soapbox about the Essential Employees who I hold of the highest esteem: public works employees.  

Employees in public works support our critical infrastructure; they ensure health and safety of the community, and they show up everyday.  Rain or shine.  In sickness and in health.  

I have always been impressed beyond belief to witness the dedication public works employees devote to the communities they serve in everyday normal circumstances.  The fact that during an unprecedented global epidemic we all had safe and reliable drinking water, continuous energy, solid waste & sanitation services, streets that were lit by streetlights every evening, and countless other things that we all don't conscious think of shows the dedication public works employees have to those they serve.  

If any one of those things I listed above had failed, it would have compounded the stress people are already under.  And they didn't fail.  So, take a moment and think about the invisible heroes who make sure your community continues to be a source of reliability and comfort, and hold space in your heart for them and their continued health and safety.  

(Steps off Soapbox) 

Last year I wrote about a relationship.  Yeah, well, that didn’t work out.  (And yes I totally went back and deleted all references to that relationship from last year's letter!!!)

Forgive me if I don’t sound too broken up (heh) over it.  My mourning of that relationship has long ended.  I acknowledge we were mismatched from the start.  

I will also acknowledge to those who said it: you were right.

The yous I’m talking to know who they are and what they were right about.  Beyond that, that particular relationship is not worth talking about.  

What is worth talking about is what I walked away with as a result of that relationship!  I walked away with so much knowledge about myself and what I deserve in a relationship.  I learned to embrace my self-worth and demand nothing less than the best for me.  Insert cliché about having to learn to love yourself before you can receive the love you deserve being true.  More on that later.

I’ve always been a crafter.  I love making beautiful things with my hands.  I also love making not beautiful things with my hands.  If I’m using my hands to attempt to make something pretty, I am happy.  I may not be happy with the results, but the act is what makes me happy.  When I was newly single during the quarantine, I realized I needed to do something to occupy the excess time I had to myself.  As a crafter, this was my time to shine.  And by time to shine, I mean time to work off my excess anxiety.  

This spring I took up acrylic landscape painting.  Turns out I do not suck entirely at painting landscapes.  It also turns out I do most definitely suck at painting anything other than flora and fauna. I've even set up another Instagram account to show all my crafty stuff.  More pics are there.

In my welcome to middle-aged gift basket from mother nature, I found that my ankles hate me.  They BOTH require surgery (arthroscopic cleaning of scar tissue and resurfacing of the talus through micro fracturing).  Despite breaking the right one a couple of years ago, the left one is in worse shape.  Early next year I’ll be rolling with my trusty knee scooter once again for a couple months as I heal from my first of two surgeries.  I will heal from that surgery and then early the following year I am penciled in for the other ankle.  You can imagine what this is doing for my back.  Chronic pain can kiss my luscious booty.

Speaking of middle-aged!  Just like everybody else who is living, I had a birthday this year.  This was a milestone birthday year for me.  In my world, birthdays are always marked with something significant (a tattoo on my 18th birthday which Mom and Dad loved [spoiler alert: no they didn’t], a new car for my 28th birthday that was paid off on my 33rd, countless trips to Washington and California for birthdays, etc.).  This milestone birthday was going to be treated the same way.  

My original plan for my 40th birthday was to take myself to Australia.  I was going to do all the touristy stuff and make my way to as many places around that continent as possible (Sydney, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay, etc.). In January of this year, Australia suffered horrific fires over so much of their country.  Knowing their country would be healing and recovering from the fires, I decided to put Australia back on the bucket list and go to Ireland and the UK to go see where my ancestors are from.  

And then the world got sick.  

I stopped planning on leaving the country once the pandemic hit, and instead turned my attention to coming up with an absolutely epic way to mark my 40th birthday.  

And epic it was.

I decided to treat myself to a professional photo shoot to celebrate me.  I had seen Karianne Munstead’s work on Instagram several years ago and I started following her then.  Her photos were not just beautiful; everything that Karianne does is to make someone feel beautiful in the skin they’re in.  Her photos are authentic and really allow the subject’s personality shine through.  She was literally my only choice for the photo shoot.  I told Karianne if I walked away with one picture that showed parts of my personality (powerful, sexy, hilarious), then I would be happy.  Turns out there were about 100+ of those kinds of pictures! I walked away with 15+ pictures in total!

In regards to the picture, I had a very specific picture in mind, and Karianne was able to make that happen.  Feast your eyes on the perfect picture for my 40th birthday in 2020.

I know.  You’re impressed.  You’re speechless.  You’re laughing.  Even if you’ve already seen it.  Because you know that is sooooooooooooooooo… me.  

I thought I would post many of the other pictures from the shoot to show people on my personal Instagram, but I’ve been savoring them and sharing them with only a handful of people live in person.  Not for any reason other than they’re so special and I want to keep them to myself for now.  But!  I did promise someone I would post one a pictures here exclusively - only for my readers and random internet people!  So here you go.  

Seriously, though.  Could this picture be any better?  No. No it could not.  

You remember when I said there would be more later on the love yourself before you can receive the love you deserve being true cliché?  It’s now later.

Last year when I turned 39, I didn’t like where I was in my life.  I said then I had 365 days until I was 40, which meant I had 365 days to transform my life.  I can safely admit that my 39th year on Earth was the year I experienced the most amount of personal (and professional) growth.  From the general craziness of 2020 to the ending of an unhealthy, unequal relationship in the spring, and the very conscious effort I made to change my life through actually doing the work, my life is definitely transformed for the better.  I have leveled up in my career.  I know and feel every ounce of my self-worth.  I am mindful of what I can and cannot control.  I decide who and what gets my emotional energy.  And I’m in an actually healthy relationship.  Go back and re-read that last sentence, because it’s awesome.

Of course, it would take a worldwide pandemic where people are getting sick simply by being around other people for me to find my sweet spot in the world of online dating.  Having virtual first dates is exactly what I didn’t know was missing from my dating life!!  Granted I was only able to go on a couple of virtual first dates (like literally two) before I started having second, third, fourth, etc. dates with someone in particular.  

I’ve lost count of dates we’ve had so far, but our dates have gone from virtual, to sweat-soaked brunches outside in the August heat (in the middle of a desert) with masks on before the food came, to us being in a healthy committed relationship.  

Speaking of commitment, I’m committed to sharing less of my relationship with others (another handy tidbit I learned from my previous relationship), so I will just leave it at I am very happy in this relationship and I look forward to continuing to enjoy our time together.  

So.  About the elections. 

Y’all knew I was going to bring it up. And y'all knew who I was voting for before I even brought it up.  But with that said, I’m undeniably happy that my chosen candidate was elected.  I really truly honestly hope that the next 8 years of the Biden-Harris administration will bring peace and reunification of our country.  There is a lot of hatred and hurts that came to a boil over the last four years and it will take time to heal.  I think if we all remain level-headed, use critical thinking skills, and give respect to our fellow humans and to our Earth, our country and the world can be better than we’ve been.

So with that said, I wish you all a peaceful rest of 2020, and a wonderful 2021.  

Much love to most of you! 

 XOXOXXX,

Amanda