Only in Arizona...

The other day I was driving north on the 101 freeway. I looked to my left, and I was being passed by a GIANT saguaro cactus (pronounce "sah-wah-ro" for you non-Arizonians). Not just a run of the mill cactus people--we are talking a 35 foot, magnificent, plump saguaro cactus, riding on the back of a huge flatbed truck. It was a beautiful sight, and one that you probably only see in Arizona. Since the cactus was headed to Scottsdale, I’m guessing she was on her way to the mall for a new handbag or pair of shoes.

I’ve long had an obsession with the mighty saguaro. As a child, my parents encouraged me to count the saguaro cacti along the road on our trips down to Phoenix—an effort to distract me, I’m sure. I once counted 4,123 cacti from Winslow to Phoenix. I’ve been in love with the saguaro ever since.

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the beauty that is the saguaro cactus…through facts and pictures.

The average saguaro cactus is 30 feet tall and has 5 arms.

It takes approximately 100 years for a saguaro to reach maximum height. (It only took me 12 years to reach my maximum height of 5'1")

A saguaro cactus can hold over one ton of water. Can you do that?

The saguaro flowers every May and June. The saguaro cactus blossom is the state flower of Arizona.

We love you saguaro, oh yes we do!

A Pizza My Heart

Each weekday morning I arrive at my desk around 7am. That is way too early in the morning to actually start working, so before I begin my day I always like to take a quick peek at my favorite sites on the internet. I first visit my good friend, msnbc.com, for any late breaking, earth shattering news. Next, I catch up on all my celebrity gossip on People.com. After I read about the latest “Bachelor” couple that just split up, I spend the next few moments catching up with friends and family…which in this day and age can also be called reading people’s blogs.

I LOVE reading blogs. It’s so fun to see what everyone is up to and hear about their latest adventures. It makes me feel connected and up-to-date. I enjoy reading everyone else’s blogs so much that I thought I would throw my hat in the ring and add my name to the list of bloggers.

Reading someone’s blog is like taking a glimpse at their diary. I like to think that people put a little piece of their heart into their blogs. Since we are what we eat, I figure my heart is approximately 36% pizza, so I thought the title, “Pizza My Heart,” would be more than appropriate. Here we go!