And the season hits high gear.

3T and I were looking at our mental calendar of the next month and thinking: the next few weeks are like the first big hill you go down on an elaborate roller coaster: Once we get through the rush of “high season” in Arizona, we’ll be approaching another few hills brought on by the holidays.

Indeed, we have an almost dizzying schedule of cool events for worth causes that we’ll be attending, while at the same time we prepare for our daughter’s emergence into full teenagedom as she hits the big 13.

First off, a week from Saturday, we’ll be attending Banner Hospital’s big formal at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch. We’ve written before about this resort because it is also home to an event for the Child Crisis Center of the East Valley every April (an event that signals an end to the season in our part of Arizona.) For those readers who aren’t from the Valley, Banner is a huge health care operation, and runs a lot of hospitals around here, including the one where I had my prostate surgery. (Side note: I continue to recover and while I still have a couple of issues, none are either life threatening or affecting my day-to-day activities.)

The Gainey Ranch Hyatt is one of the most beautiful resorts in Arizona, with a courtyard that is almost magical. And with the cool weather, it will have lots of fireplaces you can sit near to enjoy the clear desert air.

About a week after this soiree, we’ll be off to a salute to the Child Crisis Center’s 25th anniversary at a cocktail party at the Mesa Arts Center, a really beautiful venue that is among the nation’s most unique facilities of its kind. 3T and I both are big supporters of the center because it does so much to help society’s most vulnerable population.

Then, a few days later, we’ll be going to a formal dinner-fundraiser for the arts center itself. We attended last year’s Art On The Move dinner and had a good time, so we’re looking forward to this event. It’s being held on the same day of our daughter’s birthday, so we’re balancing everything by having her big celebration the next day.

Whew.

Then we can rest--for about a day. Cause Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we’re hosting a pretty big dinner involving some friends and 3T’s ex and his mom. How’s that for an extended family?

Of course, all this commotion occurs when the weather in Arizona is beautiful. There’s so much we want to do and see, but we know that our responsibilities and the sheer lack of time will keep us from many of them.

But it doesn’t matter to me. As long as 3T is with me, ANYTHING I do is fun.

I hope you all are enjoying autumn.

Kevin