Claire's Eighth New Friend: Love is in the air!

If we were going to get technical (and we are), I didn't actually meet one of my new friends for the very first time this past week. We actually went to college together and she was one of those people who knew everybody I knew, and then they would always try to act like I knew her.
Mutual Friend: "You know Courtney Conners!"
Me: "No, I actually have no idea what she looks like."
Mutual Friend again: "Yes you do. She is the pageant girl!"
Me: "No, still don't know."
All my lifelong I never knew a single pageant girl, then I went to Gonzaga and met like 5 of them. Crazy. (They should change their motto from Educating People the World Needs Most to Educating Pageant Girls the World Needs Most. You're welcome marketing department.) Anyways, I am getting sidetracked. I finally, officially met Courtney at a mutual friend's birthday party in Boise, Idaho a few years ago. She was awesome! And hello, Miss Idaho, so how could you not like her!? I found out on Saturday night that she was in town (that is the lovely thing about living in Vegas...somebody is always in town!). So I met Courtney and her fiance, Jayson, just minutes after Jayson proposed! So happy I got to be there for their celebration and meet Jayson! Congratulations!! I love planning weddings in my free time, so don't hesitate to call me. Seriously.

Claire's Seventh New Friend: Failing

Please see the first week of 2013 for this friend. They went time traveling so I will not meet them until then. I am pretty sure his name is McFly.

Kevin's Seventh New Friend: Arizona Centennial

What better way to celebrate Arizona's 100th birthday than with an assortment of Arizona beers, wines and chimichangas?! My friend this week, Rose Mofford (drag), couldn't think of a better way.  Rose was our 18th Governor here in Arizona and the first female Secretary of State.  She grew up in Globe, raising the count of people that I know from Globe to two (thanks, Dan Massey).  She played basketball and was recruited to go pro with the All American Red Heads.  She truly loves this state and that is why I knew I had to have her as my friend for the week! Plus, she gave me a flask with the official Arizona Centennial emblem on it...the same one that is on all the signs along the freeways.

Kevin's Sixth New Friend: Thanks Toby Keith

Friday night, yet again...I had plans with 5 different people but ended up hanging out with none of them.  Instead, I drive out to the suburbs (Mesa, Arizona) to meet Britany and Amira and discover a little gem, alright, downright enormous gem of a bar: Toby Keith's I Love This Bar.  There's nothing but country western music and white folks in cowboy hats!! But, it is not the place for me to find my new friend so I mosey on down to Rula Bula and meet a man who has a mallard on the background of his credit card.

"Excuse me sir, is that a mallard?"

"Yes! My name is Travis Miner.  Want to take a picture of me so I can be on your blog?"

OK, admittedly, that's not exactly how things went down but the credit card part is true.  Travis is studying art at ASU and is working on his acting.  He had a big show/audition the following morning (11:00am) that was causing him some concern but not enough since he was at the bar past midnight.  He's from Arizona and works for a contracting company with an awesome website.  Hopefully next time I see him, I'm not DD...

Claire's Sixth New Friend: Celebrating Moms!

In college, one of my best friends, Katie Goodsell, introduced me to one of her friends, Adam Miller. I just referred to him as Katie's friend and then didn't think much about him (Sorry Adam!). Well, turns out, Adam and Katie started dating a year after graduating from college, then, before long they were engaged and now married. I have now spent an insane amount of time with Adam (enjoying every second of course!); celebrating birthdays, weddings, engagements and holidays together and most recently celebrating the life of his amazing mother-in-law, Jill Goodsell, after her long and hard battle with cancer. This weekend as we celebrated Jill's life and passions, I had the opportunity to get to know Adam's mom, Julie Brinson. Julie is a 6, 7 and 8 grade science teacher from Walla Walla, WA and a mother of three great children, two of which are getting married about 12 months apart (this lady can handle stress!). Julie and her husband and their 10 year old daughter drove across the state of Washington to be with Katie and Adam this weekend and support them as they mourned the loss of Jill and celebrated the beautiful things she did with her life. I am really looking forward to seeing Julie and the gang again soon at the next family function (Is it awkward that I go to every Miller/Goodsell family function? Maybe a little.) Julie, thanks for raising such a great man to take care of my best friend! Cheers to mothers!

Julie and I sitting in Jill's beautiful garden in Woodinville, WA this weekend.

Katie and her mom Jill at the Crosby, Stills and Nash concert at Chateau St. Michelle in 2010.

Kevin's Fifth New Friend: Football brings America together

Giants win the super bowl.
I find a new friend.
Sunday was busy.
The Rogers (my sister, Paige and her husband, Brett) had a super bowl party this past Sunday.  Brett's kinda into the Giants.  I love them but was concerned about the junk food that would be involved.  Paige is notorious for serving hummus.  The hummus was there, of course, but hiding behind a bag of pita chips was a stack of chocolate chip cookies...and they appeared to have extra sugar on top.  SOLD! But that was not sugar, some genius had sprinkled (sea) salt on top of the cookies.  Mmmm.  Kristin Powell is the name of this baked good magician (only a step below my true love, the petite four from Barb's Bakery).  Kristin is a Phoenix native and just recently moved into the house that she grew up in - awesome! She went to Horizon and now works at what used to be my grade school hang out, the Esplanade.  She does such glamorous things as fly around in a private jet recruiting doctors (but she claims that all "private" means is you have to go to three different cities for business in one day.  No thanks.)  She enjoys her work but it's not her passion...I'm going to try and talk her into opening a bakery.

Claire's Fifth New Friend: Tyson. Like the chicken.

I met some pretty awesome people this week: the security guards at The Fitz (everyday heroes!), the Las Vegas chapter of the Gonzaga Alumni Association, the nicest cab driver in all of Las Vegas, some cool Texans turning 30, a Guatemalan (who was definitely a stalker), a crap-load of Super Bowl fanatics, and a number of employees from BNBuilders....which brings me to my new friend. Meet Tyson Watson. He is in construction management at BNBuilders in Missoula, Montana (Yes, this is my second new friend from Montana. By the end of the year I might be friends with the whole state...or maybe that is my blog for 2013!). Tyson loves Irish pubs and jitterbugging. He went to Montana Tech in none other than Butte, Montana, or as the natives call it, Butte, America. A few of my besties are from Butte and one of my favorite restaurants is located there, Pork Chop John's. Tyson knows and loves Pork Chop John's. What Tyson doesn't know is my real name. Probably a real bad idea to start out our friendship based on a lie, but when you meet a guy at a bar in Vegas, you really never can tell if he is going to be a creepy stalker (cue Guatemalan I referred to at the beginning of this entry) or your new best friend. I always play it safe and just tell everyone my name is Sarah (I like to think no creepy stalkers ever read this blog). The good news is Tyson passed and now knows my name. Sorry Tyson!

Kevin's Fourth New Friend: Men sometimes wear gowns

So, I admit, this week's friend was very intentional.  I needed to take a picture in my graduation gown with someone who was sharing this honor.  I am sorry Quincy, the editor that I met at the bar on Wednesday, but your awesome name can't sway me.  Please meet Samantha Hakes.  We are both Temple University Graduates! Go Owls!!  Before the ceremony this past Friday, I was in a basement on campus surrounded by fellow Ed majors.  Samantha spent her student teaching experience in a 6th grade classroom full of stinky kids (thank goodness 1st graders are pre-puberty!) Unlike me, she already has a job lined up and will soon be working as a TSS for a male adolescent who claims to hate women.  Wonder how that will turn out...  Congratulations, Samantha on a job well done! I look forward to hearing about your classroom experiences.

Samantha Hakes, Cum Laude