Gazelle Intense Dave Ramsey Live

Dave Ramsey put on a great live show at the Dodge Theater last night. I blogged about reading his book The Total Money Makeover a few months ago and caught his sold out live performance that entertained thousands for four and a half hours.

The charismatic personal finance sage outlined his seven steps of money management and responsibility from The Total Money Makeover book. He didn't hold back his personal opinion's concerning the banking industry and the individual's need for fiscal responsibility. The evening was peppered with one-liners such as "act your wage" and "too much month left at the end of the money."

Regardless of your financial situation (unless your house is paid off and you have a couple million in investments) Dave Ramsey can help getting you where you want to be financially. Check out his website at www.daveramsey.com.

Tombstone and Bisbee

Hitting the road today (work took me back to Texas and New Mexico for the week)  I took the southern route to experience some of Arizona's back-roads.  Planned stops were in Tombstone and Bisbee on the way to El Paso.  Not exactly sure of what to expect in Tombstone, as it is a tourist attraction afterall, and I've heard of the mock gunfights in the streets, so I went in a little guarded.  I was, however, happily surprised .  Steeped in western history and very well preserved, gunfights aside, Tombstone is well worth a few hours of exploration.  The former mining town was made famous by it's lawlessness and infamous by the likes of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday.  There is no admission fee to the western town but there are a few attractions that charge admission such as the Bird Cage Theater and the OK Corral shootout.  For $5 there is a trolley led sightseeing tour that is a great half hour history lesson.  On the edge of town lies the Boothill Grave Yard.

Buried at Boothill are more than 250 people of various western backgrounds including Billy Clanton with Tom and Frank McLaury who were all gunned down by Doc Holiday and the Earp brothers during Tombstones most famous gun fight.

Twenty five miles further south is the artsy enclave of Bisbee.  This Southern Arizona hill town is filled with art studios and galleries along with eateries and eclectic storefronts.  I would like to have had more time to explore Bisbee and Tombstone so I am definitely going to plan a weekend trip to soak it all in at a slower pace.  The houses in Bisbee are worth a weekend trip just to stroll past and appreciate their character.

L'Arte del Cappuccino

Christine has had her eye on a new "old style" cappuccino machine for a while and made the purchase today.  You've surly seen the silver stove-top espresso makers from Italy and may even have one.  This is the improved version that actually makes a perfect cappuccino or latte on the stove.  It too is made in Italy by Bialetti.  You can't go wrong with four minutes to the perfect cup of coffee.

Happy Birthday Corey!

Hope you have a wonderful day and eats lots of cake!

Goo Goo Dolls & Switchfoot

We thoroughly enjoyed a great concert downtown at the Dodge Theater last night.  Normally bands that are unknown and hauled along as opening acts leave me yawning but with Green River Ordinance (GRO) that was not to be the case.  They are an energetic young band from Texas that fit right in with the sounds of Switchfoot and the Goo Goo Dolls.  Definitely a band worth checking out.

When Switchfoot hit the stage the fans were ecstatic.  Singer Jon Foreman fed the frenzy by going out into the middle of the floor seating area to sing a song on two separate occasions.  Their positive message and great vibe make them a fantastic band to watch live.  This was about the fourth time we had seen Switchfoot and each time they have gotten better and better and their music has been delivered with a little harder edge each time.

The Goo Goo Dolls came out to play the favorites and several tunes from their new cd that goes on sale this Tuesday.  The hits sounded great and the new material was played like they had been playing every song as long as their anthem, Iris.  That encore brought down the house and ended a fantastic show featuring three upbeat bands that put a smile on everyone's face.

Evolve Through Scars

After trying out a few projects since he walked away from Saliva, the band he co-founded with Josey Scott, Chris D is in the final stages of signing a record deal with a band he joined called Evolve Through Scars.  They just launched their first single On The Outside on their myspace page.  Go to
http://www.myspace.com/540988079/music/playlists/2612945?songid=73037777&ap=1&sms_ss=facebook 
to give it a listen.  Chris, Christine's brother, is based out of Memphis, TN and is looking forward to getting back out on the road with a touring metal band and we wish him all the best and look forward to catching a show whenever ETS makes their way out west.

Waterfall Trail, White Tank Mountains

It was just another hot day in the desert but perfect for a hike without too many people crowding the trail.  The Waterfall Trail is a two mile out and back hike with the first and last half mile being very smooth and wheelchair accessible.  Where the barrier free section comes to an end is an area heavily populated with ancient graffiti, otherwise known as petroglyphs.

After viewing the rock etchings we continued on up the trail and made our way to the waterfall.  Even though it was just a trickle you can imagine what it is like during a rainstorm.  With boulders the size of cars resting in the dry wash the monsoons have wrecked havoc for countless centuries.  There is a small pool at the base of the waterfall that always contains water even in the driest months.  I can only assume that every animal within miles knows of this watering hole.

Just up and to the right of the pool is the waterfall and a second pool.  These "white tanks" etched out of the rock by water is the reason for the name of this mountain range.

There is some give and take with hiking in the Southwest during the summer months.  It is, obviously, very hot but the heat keeps most people indoors and those that can stand the heat enjoy a little more freedom on the trail.