Drunk Shopping - Internet vs. The Mall Day 1

      First, let's have a look at what may be the causes of drunk shopping. Then we will take a further and more in depth look at the Pros and Cons of drunk shopping via both the Internet and the Mall. Follow me please :>)
NOTE: THERE WAS NO ACTUAL DRUNK DRIVING INVOLVED IN THIS EXPERIMENT. NO ANIMALS WERE TESTED AND NO ONE GOT HURT. ALL STUNTS WERE PERFORMED BY THE ACTUAL CHARACTERS, WHOSE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THEIR DIGNITY

Day 1: The Internet

    As the summer in Phoenix heats up, and more and more people that are here for the winter months (snowbirds) return to their respective homes and climates else where....many of us will be sitting poolside with Mojitos and Margaritas, enjoying the heat and refreshing cool... uh warm...okay, even the pool water gets hot here after 10 a.m. in the summer.

    Statistically, not everyone does the pool thing, some people go to work early in the morning, sit in rush hour traffic and wish the morning snack girl that pops in the office around ten, had tequila shots on her cart instead of cookies and bagels. 

    I think there's some sort of law against portable liquor distribution in that sense, not to mention, employers probably don't want you drinking on the job...unless you're a "tequila taste tester" for Jose Cuervo. (Hey, it could happen.)

     If you have a typical office job; after lunch, you make your way back to your desk, sleepy and lethargic from the toxins of your so not healthy burger, fries, and chocolate milk shake lunch, and 'accidentally' doze for ten or twenty minutes, before the boss comes around asking for the report he gave you to do two days ago. You know you have it somewhere and quickly make up an excuse to bring it to his office by the end of the day. Thankfully, you know he'll forget about it, while he's thinking of 'beer thirty,' football and chicken wings at the local pub. 

    In your mind, you're picturing it lying on the kitchen counter next to the blow dryer, that you used to dry the document, while hoping the type wouldn't smear after your hubby spilled his orange juice on your file. 

    It's Friday, and you know, at this point, the boss is not getting his hands on that report anytime before Monday morning. You're thinking, you may even have to re-type it. 

    You're mind wanders to the Bloody Mary mix sitting in the fridge next to that jar of dill pickles fresh celery, and Absolut vodka that you bought the night before. 

     It's getting close to quitting time. Okay, quitting time isn't for another hour. But in anticipation of that, you send your phone line to voice mail, clear your desk and hop on Facebook for the last hour of your shift, briefly stopping to check the online balance of your checking account, because you have a pretty good idea what you'll be doing after the party.

    You drive home in rush hour traffic wishing that your car was equipped with a fridge and those cute little mini bar mini bottles, because a Captain Morgan's and Coke would go down just right, as your watching the Mercedes in the next lane cut off  a young driver in a Cavalier, to end up an extra car length ahead on the 101 Free Parking lot. 

     The thermometer and the tensions are climbing and you're starting to feel like you're in a Snickers candy bar commercial, as the narrator says " gonna be a while." 

      And since you know that you are going to be a while, you light up a cigarette and channel surf on the radio, passing by all the stations with commercials, looking for something resembling some kind of music.

      Finally, the traffic starts moving again. And from the point where you are now, you know that it will only take you another forty five minutes to get home.

       You pull in the driveway of your Phoenix suburbia home near six thirty and wonder the same thing you always do 'Why it takes an hour and a half to get home from your job that is twenty minutes away.' 
       Now the food alarm in your tummy is going off and you know you better get something to eat before the Frequent Friday Nighters start showing up.
      
      Fast forward the night and your guests have left,you're snacking on things that you think may absorb some of the alcohol that is now making your vision a slight bit blurry.
       After you've made a complete mess of the kitchen and found your handbag and credit card, you make your way to the computer.
       You are a sharp shooter when it comes to the art of shopping. The bumper sticker "Born to Shop" was coined after you. You know a good deal, find it, and conquer it.
       Earlier, you made a list of things you really needed; just after you checked your bank account balance.
        You are supposed to find a part for your hubby's car, but neither of you know what it's called. You realize you won't have any shopping fun if you try looking for that part tonight, so you move it to the 'look for tomorrow' list.
         First order of business is find some 'shoppable' music on You Tube.     
      Onward and upward, first stop is American Eagle Outfitters. 

The sale is 'Buy one, get one 50% off ' fifteen minutes, six blouses, two jeans and a pair of shoes later, you're off to the next store.
         Next stop, the new arrivals at Old Navy, and OhMyGaw, you can't believe the deals on sundresses. You take four, and you're out the door.
          You visit Buckle, 

Dillards, Robinsons May and Macys. 


You even grabbed a few things at Amazon.com 

and found a replacement pair of your most favorite shoes on Ebay. Oh the boxes that will be at your door this week!
          You shuffle off to bed, because now you are truly worn out. Note to Self: If you shop til you drop from home on the Internet.... at least the bedroom is close by.

           Pros - Drunk Internet Shopping

• You're not driving, so you won't kill, maim, or slightly injure yourself or anyone else.
• There are some SMOKING deals, that you're pretty darn sure you just can't get anywhere else.
• You saved money in gasoline (petrol) by not driving.
• You helped NOT add anymore pollution to the world by NOT driving.
• They always have your size.
• All your new stuff will be conveniently delivered right to your door.
• You can return anything that doesn't fit, and get your money back.
• You had a great time!

          Cons - Drunk Internet Shopping

• You'll find out later that The SMOKING deals you got are the same ones at the local mall.
• You spent too much money (even with the gasoline (petrol) savings)
• You don't get to try on anything to see if it fits
•  The postal carrier is slowly figuring out that someone has an uncontrollable Friday night shopping disorder.
• You generally never return anything that doesn't fit. It simply sits in the closet until you're tired of looking it and it eventually gets shuffled off as a thrift store donation.
• The reality of how much money you blew hits home when you wake up to your credit card next to the laptop. 

To Be Continued......

and this year's "Distraction Award" goes to.......

I've been tending to a load of distractions in my life lately. So once again, I thank you all for your continued patience...

For those who already know ( and those who don't ), I recently moved home to Phoenix, AZ. 

Okay, so it's not where I was "born" but it is the place I've called home for a very long time. 

Besides I always knew the place I was meant to be had more Sunshine than Prozac. 

Some of the distractions have been nice, while others a bit more challenging. 

On the challenging side of things :

We have been spending a lot of time working on videos that will appear both on You Tube and the NoelleSangster.com home page

The challenge in that is, ME learning film editing. My hat's off to my former band mates and friends Dax & Josh, and anyone in that profession for having the patience to deal with that task on a daily basis! I have a new admiration for the people in the "film credits" at the end of the film.

My dear friend, Natashia has been a wonderful support, as she always is. And even though the "audio" isn't so challenging for me, because of my training in that field; she makes it easier to deal with. :>)

 On the nice side of things:

I get to spend time with my sons & my friend, Emily, who I have missed terribly since I been away. 

The Sunshine is better here than in any other state!!! I know it definitely causes "Lizard on a Rock Syndrome." ( For anyone into acronyms, that's "LRS" ) For those, who have never heard that term.... It's basically, you came from a state that had lack of sunshine and now you can't seem to drag yourself away from the pool, even when it's 102. Yeah, I still have that :>)

I have met some lovely, interesting & inspirational people since I've been back, who know how to laugh and have fun. Thank you :>)

Well, and then there's the "Marlboro Man." Some days, I KNOW why I put up with him. 'Cause, he's always been a part of my life...kinda like Mark, George & Wayne :>) 

More adventures here soon....once we get out of the 'Editing Cave'

              And this year's Distraction Award

                                 goes to.... 

                                     THE COWBOY
                          (Click the link for Music...go ahead...it's Kid Rock)


 As always stay tuned here for the fun Adventures of the Writing Junkie. Cheers!! Until the next adventure...

Over Hair, Over There

Another super fun Thursday Adventure with my dear friend Emily Wrenn (they always are).

    Our adventure today begins with a mid afternoon appointment to get her hair done.
It's time to turn those gorgeous locks back to bombshell blonde. Hey I promised I wouldn't show pictures. I didn't say I wouldn't blog about it, Love :>)

      Our destination is the upscale Arcadia District of Phoenix (44th Street). Specifically a salon called Leidan Mitchell Salon & Spa. 
The appointment is with Ashley and we are a slight bit late (about ten minutes).
       East Mesa to the Arcadia District via the 202 is about twenty minutes. Emily is driving, so that means the co-pilot (me) has to text, that we are on our way. she texts back immediately
 "No worries." 
       Phew!  You never wanna burn into someone else's appointment time. It's bad karma. I still remember, years earlier, the couple behind us at the Wedding Chapel of Mesa, being pretty ticked off that my wedding ceremony was burning into their appointment time.....Hair, nail, wax and massage appointments, generally speaking, are no different.
      We roll into the parking lot and within minutes are nearly crushed by some idiot, I mean "careless driver," in an SUV who is not paying attention while they are backing up. Emily hurries past and I escape the near death of having a tow package rammed through my throat and glass shards driven into my eye lids. Thank you Emily. I'm thinking that probably would have hurt.
We find a parking spot directly in front of the salon and go in. I absolutely love the doors on this place.  

In my other life, I was a Real Estate Entrepreneur. And my serious love, Architecture, still gets a yearly Valentine's Day card from yours truly.
       

Ashley greets us, as soon as we open the doors and she whisks Emily over to her station. 
       During the "hair" process we find out that a tasty place to have a late lunch is a Modern style restaurant called called the The Vig (40th Street and Indian School). We also discuss other fun places to visit like My Sister's Closet (an upscale resale shop) and Last Chance close outs at Town & Country (20th Street & Camelback).
       The hair is done and Ashley bids us a good day. We head for The Vig on the South East corner of 40th Street and Indian School road.
        We are first time visitors to this restaurant. The door is a bit of an odd thing; first placement - it's at the very end of the building. Second, it doesn't appear to have a door handle or even resemble what you would think a door might actually look like. But we're hungry, so we figure it out pretty fast. FYI -It's on the southwest corner of the building.   
          It's 4 p.m., which is happy hour, and appetizers are part of the happy hour special. We ask to be seated on the patio. It is a spectacularly sunny day in Phoenix and sitting inside would just be a waste of it.

         The ambiance at the Vig is Jazz Fusion 
and as such incorporates the same type of music. Not too loud and quite tasteful. The decor inside is 

Modern Dungeon. Not sure if that's an actual style, but it's what I'm calling this one.
        We order coffee for me, ice tea for Emily and also get the flat bread pizza with Tandori Chicken.. "Hello taste buds." This is a tantalizing and gratifying taste, that mixes pear cardamon and cashew chutney. It lends itself to a unique type of southwest sweet n sour. 
         We also order the 16th Street Tacos. The Vig apparently changes the taco recipe daily.Today they were served open face on a corn tortilla, with chunks of carne (beef), with pico de geyo and guacamole under a mild and tasty salsa verde. Completely delicious!
          By the time we finish our appetizers and beverages, it's rush hour in Phoenix. Rather than sit in the I-10 parking lot with loads of other Phoenicians, Mesanites, and Tempe Dwellers, we decide to kill some time at a favorite of mine, Last Chance - the close out store for Nordstorm,in the Camelback Corridor, 20th street and Camelback. This is Emily's first time to Last Chance and all I can say is
       "Be glad it's not a Saturday." I have been there on a Saturday, once, and I vowed never to return on a Saturday again. It was like Raw or WWF Smack Down. A Free Saturday spectator sport, the likes of which you've not seen, except for maybe when the gloves are off at a hockey game.
        Rows and rows of shoes, bins of handbags, dresses, blouses, dress slacks, jeans, winter coats, suits, and a line to the fitting room beyond imagination. 

 

       The deal with Last Chance is 'you buy it, it's yours.' Discounts like you can't imagine on items that some people wouldn't even want to buy retail directly from Nordstrom's.  Example: We saw the ugliest handbag discounted to six hundred bucks from twenty five hundred. Then again, there were some pretty  awesome deals on shoes. I bought two summer tops for $11 out the door and I think Emily got out for about the same.
       Last Chance is a great place to buy dresses, suits, and nice dress shoes. I bought a Halston dress there once for $20. 
       If you don't know how to shop, don't go here. You could get run over. Don't go if you are less than an intermediate shopper on a Saturday or you could spend the rest of your afternoon in the E.R. (just kidding).
       
      If you've been to Leidan Mitchell Salon & Spa, I'm just betting you looked fabulous when you left! If you haven't been, you should go and have fun getting yourself looking more fabulous..Make an appointment and bring some friends. Ask for Ashley and tell her Emily and Noelle sent you.
     Leave time in your schedule for The Vig, because it's awesome! I'd stop again just for the fab coffee and great service!
     All jokes aside, Last Chance is some really great shopping, and if I remember correctly, My Sister's Closet is in the plaza across the street. "On your mark, get set.....SHOP!" and have fun.
    After the rush hour traffic died down and the sun was going down on our beautiful city, 

 we headed back to Mesa and made one last stop to visit Emily's brother at his work and this lovely chap walked in. 

 It made me miss the Country Kitchen and Thursdays "Kid's Night." The one night of the week where I got to dress up and be silly.  

                                     

Cheers! Until the next Adventure.....

Just Ducky

 My friend Don runs a rescue for ducks, called      
  Arizona Duck Rescue 
I go out a once or twice a week on a "duck walk" with them. Some days that leads us to other adventures and venues besides the park. 
    Don has eight ducklings that are about eight weeks old (that's two months guys). I say that respectfully because, women almost always speak of their babies in weeks, then months until they're like three years old. At which point they become "three years old" instead of "thirty six months."  I think the 'weeks' thing is something we (moms) must learn initially from the doctor during pregnancy - the fetus is always referred to in weeks. (I never talked like that before I had kids)
     Don, on the other hand is quite literal and factual, so when asked, he says "Two months."
   This adventure starts off quite similar to the way it does each time we go to the park. They show up, I open the door and am floored and awed at the size of these 'accidental' (I'll explain that term shortly) ducks,' because they simply are growing way too fast..... 
      This is a "Park and Lunch" Adventure. Which means that we go the park and march these little guys around, tucker them out, and then find a fun place to have lunch, with either an outdoor patio or a something 'pet friendly.'

    Ducklings are definitely people magnets. Let's face it they're pretty darn cute! When  a group begins to congregate, we stop, so people can pet them and of course take pictures.

    On a previous outing to the park, of which I did not accompany; Don discovered some new faces in the water. These beautiful creatures are called Chinese Brown Geese. This time we stop to say "hello." 
They are extremely noisy birds. Don says he's pretty sure that someone abandoned them here, since they are also very friendly (an unusual trait for a wild duck, goose or other fowl). They seem to be getting on quite well in this park with the other birds. 
     This park is also a high profile park in Mesa that gets loads of visitors each week. I've never been here when the birds weren't being fed, but have since learned from Don, that not all domestic birds will do well in this kind of situation. So, if you have a bird that you simply can no longer keep, please call a rescue or a wildlife group in your area to help you relocate your pet.
After the park, we load up the babies and find some place for lunch. Today we end up at Schlotsky's Deli  

in Mesa, AZ (Brown & Higley). They have an outdoor patio. I've actually been to the original Austin, Tx location too - and it's just as awesome!
      While Don is waiting outside with the duckies, I go to the window to pick up lunch (gotta have the Scholtsky's original..Mmmm) 

and a woman asks the guy behind the counter
   "Do you always have those ducks out front?" He looks at her questioningly and I answer 
    "No. They're with me and my friend."
"I love ducks!" he says " I gotta see this." This is how we got to meet Warren. 

 It turns out that Warren (whom I believe to be the Manager at this store) is a duck lover from New York. 
    If you know Schlotsky's, you've seen this sign 

It apparently doesn't apply to ducks on the patio. And they got to enjoy some fresh baked sourdough. Thanks Warren.

   When people ask "What kind of ducks are they?" I can't help but reply 
  "They're accidental ducks." Here's how they came to be. Don has other ducks that he rescues and many of them are female and lay eggs. On any given day, there could be one or more clutches (a clutch is two or more eggs in a nest) of eggs in the yard. Once a male fertilizes the eggs, if they are not removed from the nest, they can be sat on and eventually hatched. 
    I'd like to think that everyday at the rescue would be like an Easter egg hunt, but I'm sure my friend would say "Really, Noelle?" and give me a dirty look. 
    So, during the daily 'clutch' hunt, a certain nest was missed (the mother hid it quite well) and Don found himself with a mixed breed of domestic ducks that I have consequently named the 'accidental ducks.' The following is a photo album of the growth of the 'accidental ducks' from two weeks to eight weeks

Two Weeks

          Four Weeks

     

 Six weeks

 Eight Weeks




Until these little "Baby Hueys" (the growth rate of these ducklings is not the 'norm') incur all of their adult feathers and traits, it will be hard to tell what kind of mix they actually are. However, the guess at this point is Indian Runner 

and Muscovy

     At this point in time, only two of the duckies have been named, as they are definitely female.


Cheers, until the next adventure!

Rider's on the Bus

 An account from a Thursday bus ride. 

I wonder what Jim Morrison would write about riding on the city bus? Would he write an eccentric, colorful, descriptive of the ride itself, or an eclectic account of the people who ride the bus? I think anything that he would put into words would certainly be from an account like no other, than Jim Morrison could describe. This is not that, but I'll do my best.
   
     I wait at the little sign marked 'bus', near my place in Mesa, Arizona. It's a fabulously sunny day with a slight wind. I'm dressed in my business attire for a meeting in North Scottsdale that will take about two hours to get to. My meeting is at 1:30 p.m., it's 9:00 a.m. The same ride via the freeway is about twenty minutes, and I'm giving myself extra time in case of anything that can possibly go wrong. And it usually does. lol
   My day isn't gonna get any better, cause I've just had the pleasure of speaking to my favorite Cowboy.
    I get on the bus, transfer once in Mesa, and transfer again in Tempe. I wonder where they get some of these bus drivers. Are they rejects from the race car circuit or so in tune with the job that they can drive across town, and stop at every single stop on time, while wearing a blind fold? 
     On a stop in Tempe, a woman boards the bus and pays her fare. She turns to find a seat, and the bus driver quickly accelerates, sending this woman into a near face plant. The sound of her smacking the floor is second to the gasps of myself and three others who rush to help this woman up, gather her belongings and get her to a seat. 
    The bus driver quickly stopped and apologized saying he thought she was seated. But the look in his eye says that he was in a car at P.I.R. (Phoenix International Raceway) and the pace car had just left the track. I immediately felt under dressed. Maybe I should have worn my motorcycle helmet. Hmm....
 After catching the north bound McClintock Rd bus, I ride north for quite a while to get into Scottsdale, where there is loads of road construction and traffic detours.
     I would already be on the street I need to get out on, but the route is detoured from Hayden to 94th Street. I signal the driver to stop at Cactus Rd and 94th Street. She lets me off and I walk west on Cactus Rd to Hayden Rd for forty five minutes (about two miles). 
    Just past the Loop 101 Freeway at Cactus Rd, I see this

      I smile, and know that I soooooooo love  Phoenix and the Free Enterprise System that we so often take for granted .
      After my appointment, I walk from Cactus and Hayden Rds to Shea Blvd (another mile). I very much enjoy the scenery and the walk in the sun 

       My friend calls and asks me to meet him for coffee on the west side, near 19th Ave and Bethany Home Rd. So I grab the west bound Shea Blvd bus, which detours all over the place. That ride was like roller coaster at a theme park. It went every where except in a straight line. Even the automated street announcement system couldn't keep up with this guys driving. It was announcing every stop two to three minutes after we passed the stops. I couldn't wait to get off that bus. At this point I'm thinking 'maybe Valley Metro's bus drivers really do train at Bondurant Racing School.'
       My connection is the 19th Ave southbound, in a neighborhood that I lived in when I first moved to Phoenix, several years ago. I don't remember it looking so scary. But I do remember the guys in my band didn't like coming there. Tony (the drummer) always used to peek through the blinds; When I asked what he was looking for, his reply was "I'm waiting for someone to get shot. You live in a bad neighborhood, Dude." 
        Fortunately I wasn't a witness to any shootings, just the typical 'bus' entertainment, which today, happened to be the best on the 19th Ave route.
       The 19 rolls up around four thirty. I get in and take a seat in the front between two lovely gentlemen whom I will call Pinot and Bud (more than likely their sur names could be Noir & Weiser), directly across from two women, I'll call Gina and Rosa (they're playing the 'passing judgement' game - in Spanish). It goes like this:  
Everyone who gets on the bus, gets the up and down eyeball once over, and the girls give their opinion  or 'pass judgment' on people's shoes, their hair, their gender, and gender preference. 
      The Urban game these gal's are playing reminds me of a Spanish version of Hee Haw's Gossip Girls.
       Now I'm nearly downtown at rush hour, my friend has been detoured some place else and I need to get back to Mesa. I'm pretty darn sure I don't wanna go back the same way I came, especially during rush hour.
        Valley Metro does have a superb automated, texting, and customer service center. You can get bus and light rail info at your finger tips rather quickly. I ring straight through and a helpful girl tells me that I can catch the Metro Light Rail less than a block from where I was at Montebello and 19th Ave. 
         No soldiers on this trip. But there were Metro security ( fare checkers) and a couple of City Cops, which I thought was a bit odd (I mean where was their car?). 
        The Metro light rail then does take you straight through downtown, and you're cruising in the middle of the street, so you're passing all the vehicles that are stopping at the traffic lights. It's kind of strange on the first ride, but I'm sure you get used to it. 
        I started out at rush hour in midtown Phoenix, and within an hour was back in Mesa. The only thing I thought was missing from the ride was some jamming tunes should have been pumped in along with that lovely oxygenated air conditioning.

Cheers!  Until my next adventure

Copyright 2012 -2015 - Noelle Sangster/Sangster Entertainment LLC - All rights reserved

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February 5 - on this day - Part 1

For Alan, who has always been an inspiration ....(Part 1) of a story of chivalrous kindness. 

    As we are all quite aware, not all great love stories start out great and end fantastically...There's quite a lot more involved than just.."Once upon on time" and "They lived happily ever after."
   Granted, we all will hope and pray that things start and end that way, however, actually being in it's (loves) existence, is quite trying, often to the point of exhaustion. But sometimes knowing the outcome...or making what we want the out come to be, at least known, is what keeps us going, now isn't it?
   When you find that love, the one that gives you butterflies in your tummy, doesn't let you sleep, eat or think straight, it sometimes seems like an up hill climb to get to it. The GREAT part is that once you've climbed the hill, you can look out and see for miles, hopefully with the one you're climbing to get......

Part 1  

One year ago on this day, a chivalrous and valiant British Knight in shining armor came to the rescue of the Phoenix Princess and asked her father for her hand as his bride. His name was Sir Alan the Great. Sir Alan was the best swordsman, fastest horseman, and most incredible archer in all of the King of Idleburg's court.

    Sir Alan had been searching for years for a Princess. Not just any Princess, but one that made him complete, one that held him in the highest regard, had a mind of her own, loved him because of who he was, and most importantly, she would bear the "mark" of the heart that went together with his. If he could only find the Princess bearing the mark, he was destined to be happy for eternity.

    Several months before, he had heard of this beautiful Princess of Phoenix, whom her father had named Noelani, which means 'sent from heaven.' 

   Although, he had only seen her face in a sketch, he felt confident that she bore the "mark"...of the matching heart that went with his. His challenge was finding her and getting himself to her. Sir Alan knew that the journey to her would be treacherous and long. But he was willing to go the distance, for the promise of her hand, and her heart.

     Sir Alan's family did not understand, his passion for a woman he had never met, but they wished his happiness in all things and so supported his decision to leave Idleburg and pursue his dreams.

    Unfortunately, the King in his own country, would not allow the Knight to leave the boundaries of that kingdom, for fear of losing this valiant knight, whose skills and intellect were quite astounding, to another ruler's country, especially the courts of Phoenix, who controlled and distributed all the sunshine throughout the lands.

    

   Meanwhile, far away, in the Northlands, the Ice King and his evil minion, The Bog Witch, had been plotting to abduct the Phoenix Princess, from her wonderful home in Phoenix. They had been studying the power of the Phoenix sun and where it came from. They found that only the people who carried a certain "mark," had a very specific sort of heart that could create sun shine where ever they went. 

    They spent years searching to ends of the lands and found only five people in the world possessed the marked heart of sunshine: A toddler in Whatchadun, A teenager in Listentome, A knight from Idleburg, The King of Phoenix and the King's lovely daughter, the Princess, Noelani.

    What they didn't know was that it took two people with the marked heart, together within fifty miles of one another to create the sun shine. 

   Their plan was to destroy the last five people in the world who had that special heart. They wanted everyone in the world to be as unhappy as they.

    

    Every day in the Northlands was a miserable existence for most of the people who lived there, including its rulers, the Ice King and the Bog Witch, and that was exactly how they liked it miserable, cold and full of company.

   The Bog Witch's evil sister, Thorin, was as evil and cunning as the Bog Witch was stinky (and evil). Thorin was technically a boy's name, but her mother claimed she emerged into the world like "thunder" and continued to create chaos and havoc in anyone's life that would let her. She was a storm waiting to happen. So, it was appropriate that the Bog Witch and The Ice King would have Thorin abduct Noelani from Phoenix and take her to a hiding place in the secluded Northlands to lure her father into their targeted trap, where they would eventually kill them both.

    What the Ice King and the Bog Witch did not count on or even know, was that Sir Alan was on his way to Phoenix in search of his Princess. He had already decided that nothing would stand in his way. He did not know that Noelani's father would eventually send for him, because of his "mark."

    

   Thorin, who was exceptional in casting evil spells, did know that the Knight was on his way. She had been watching him from her crystal ball every day. 

   She cast a spell on the King of Idleburg, who promptly threw Sir Alan in prison for treason. The only people who knew or believed of his innocence was his family. They went to the King's court every day and begged for his pardon.

    After a couple of weeks, Thorin had set her sights on how she would abduct the Princess and get her to the Northlands, without being noticed. During that time, the spell had worn thin and Sir Alan's family managed to convince the King of the knight's innocence and he was promptly released. 

I'll Always Find You.........(click here)

 Stay tuned for....PART 2......tomorrow
Copyright 2012 - Noelle Sangster/Sangster Entertainment LLC - All rights reserved

Thursday

Wednesday night I escaped the burbs of East Mesa for the ‘meatier’ and  in my opinion, more colorful parts of  East Central Phoenix, where I’m spending a couple of quiet (except for the police choppers at night) secluded days to finish some half way started, and some half way finished projects.

Thursday –

      I got up this morning and had coffee with my friend, who then went to their work day, while I, lounged a little too much before heading out into the sunshine.

      I was off to the discount store at 12^th Street and Indian School. I hopped on the North bound 24^th Street bus and took it to Indian School Rd, from there I got on an East bound bus.

       Two bus stops and a few drastic scenery change later, I realized I was going the wrong way. Whoops, so I crossed the street and grabbed a West bound bus.

       For those not experienced in riding the Phoenix transit system; It’s a cheap way to travel around the city, it’s  a good way to see things you wouldn’t if you were the driver, and the entertainment’s always FREE!

       I got off the West bound bus just past 12^th Street and had to walk a slight bit back to the discount store. On the way, I nearly walked past a small treasure trove called Shanan – Agains.

        This quaint little shop has Vintage and unique EVERYTHING: clothes, dishes, small appliances, footwear, handbags, accessories, artwork, and even furniture. I was completely drawn to it’s magic, and had to stop and peruse the wares.

        If I was rating second hand treasure stores in the greater Phoenix area, I would definitely be giving this one five stars, for two reasons; the first being the quality of items for sale in this store, the second and most important (imo) is the shop owner is just as amazing as his store!

       If you’re out and about, shopping in Phoenix, looking for a perfect unusual gift, or just have an appetite for second hand and thrift stores, don’t leave this shop off your list! And when you stop in this fantastic little place (the North side of Indian School Rd, just before the 12^th Street traffic light), ask for Mike, and tell him, Noelle, the writer, sent you.

       On the way home, it looked a little gray, as if….it somehow were going to change my fantastic sunshiny day from that to…RAIN (this word should be read in an unbelievable hushed whisper).

       I was blessed to make it back to my friend’s with just a few drops that couldn’t even be considered a “sprinkle.” The storm clouds blew over and found their way somewhere further North.

       Later, after dinner I drove to the super market and got ice cream. For other Spumoni ice cream lover’s, Fry’s Food & Drug carries it.

       Have a fantastic day, a great evening, or any other, at which point you are reading this…Cheers, until the next adventure!