Fran's World…and Welcome to It!

As some of you may know I was at this year’s Women’s Expo in Arizona to do my motivational talk called, "Dare to do it." It was a whirl wind three days with a hectic schedule… the plane was late landing, my driver couldn't find me in the airport because we keep walking past each other. I get to my hotel, threw down my stuff, changed and headed off to the studio to shoot a promo for the Sweet Connection website. (Yup, this website right here that you are reading…have you seen the promos yet?)

Anyway, I get to the studio, start doing some fast-talking, talk about the website and the experts on it. I'm against a blue screen, so I know they are going to put some whirling things around me.

Then I'm asked to take some still pictures. Not wanting to just stand there like a dork… I start leaping across the floor, like a very ungraceful ballet dancer. Yeah, I'm sure that's much better J
Anyway, they had me take off my shoes, so I wouldn't mess up the backdrop and then I notice my stockings had a run... such is life!

After that I go back to the hotel, hooked up with a high school girlfriend, Dorothy (who talks fast like I do... so imagine the headache the waiter got when we ordered dinner). We had dinner; felt we ate too much, so we did the guilt walk around Phoenix trying to burn off the tacos. At one AM I decide it's time to go to bed since I have to be up by 6 a.m. for my big adventure.

Saturday:
Little Backstory: Now here's the deal. When I first found out I was flying out to Arizona, I was thrilled. I love the climate there, and the people are so nice… plus there are a lot of transplanted New Yorkers, so it can feel like home.

Anyway, since I knew I was flying in to do my "Dare to Do it" talk. I figured that I should do an adventure while I was out there… to make sure I was walking my talk. So I went to Google and typed, "Arizona - adventures." The adventure below popped up. I made plans with the owner and here's what happened.

Back to Saturday Morning:
So the limo driver, Jose (who is my driver for the weekend - pretty cool) takes me out to Fountain Hills to a place called, Desert Dog HUMMER ADVENTURES". I hook up with this guy, Ken Bergan. Ken tells me he's going to be my guide and also the guy driving the ATV that I'm to follow while I'm out there in the desert. My adventure? No, I didn't decide to go in the Hummer, although that was a whole other extreme adventure… Instead I decided to go in the sand dune buggy, one that I can drive myself.

When I was first told about the sand dune buggy's I was picturing them like a love bug type car. Instead, it was an open vehicle, called a C2 that they build in their shop. It's a two-seater with a 40 horsepower engine, very rugged, low to the ground. Ken loads it up on the trailer and we drive 20 minutes to this desert trail.

Ken's an out west boy- lived in the mountains all his life. I'm a definite New Yorker... I see a reservoir and someone swimming in it. So, I comment, "Wow back in NY we can't do that."
He says, "We do things different here than in New York" and grinned.

I started having flash backs of the movie City Slickers. I looked around for any cows lying on their stomachs on their side about to give birth. Don't know if I was ready to deliver a Norman.

We start to joke about our differences and the next thing I know we are there. The starting point of the adventure.

The ATV and buggy are unloaded from the trailer.
Once they are on the ground I get in from the side. I'm told a front entrance is better.

Ken straps me in. Gives me a helmet and some instructions, like don't reck the buggy, and we are off. At first we went slow. I think he wanted to make sure I knew how to handle the thing.

It was awesome. (As a side note…I have a ripped muscle in my left shoulder. My doctor said not to do the sand dune buggy thing. I said "Doc, I promise if I fall, I'll fall on the other shoulder!")

Anyway, I'm driving along and my shoulder is feeling fine. We are riding along the dusty road in the hot dessert sun and I am loving it. I mentioned to Ken that I'd want to stop and take pictures along the way of any cool thing.

Within minutes I see a rabbit dart across the road... too fast. Damn!
Then I see an owl perched high upon a rock... I stop, snap a picture.
Then Ken stops. He holds up his hand.
I don't see anything. He points and yells, "Give me your camera."

I sit up in my seat and look.
There in the middle of the road is a snake. How cool!

I take off my helmet and climb out.
Ken says, "What are you doing?"
I said, "Well what fun is it just taking a picture of the snake? I want a picture of me and the snake together."
He nods his head as if to say…"Great a crazy New Yorker."

As I start to walk around the snake I hesitate.
"Wait! What kind of snake is this anyway?"
"A diamond back."
"Diamond back. Are they poisonous?" I ask.
"Very."
"Okay, wide birth around the snake."
He laughs.

I kneel down about four feet from the snake. Ken snaps the picture.
"Did you make sure you got both me and the snake?"
"Yup."
"The whole thing?"
"Yup."

(Side note: As you can see from the picture… I found out we are in the picture together… all but the tail… the tail that shows he's a diamond back. Oh well, the guy's a guide, not a National Geographic Photographer... it was nice enough of him to point out the thing.)

Anyway, so after my wild life encounter photo shoot, we continue on.
We are zooming over rocks, splashing through water (which wasn't the smartest thing since the muddy water splashes all over you), drive up winding roads… and then on the straight always we let loose and go zooming along, leaving a dust trail behind us… just like the roadrunner.

All the wild I'm yelling like a fool in my helmet. "YEE HA... I LOVE THIS... IF ONLY SPENCER WAS HERE. THIS IS FANTASTIC!"

After about an hour and a half, we stop at some huge saguaro trees and snap some pictures.

Ken tells me that a saguaro tree doesn’t develop arms until it's at least 50 years old. He tells me other facts and really cool stories of the land and the surrounding shrubbery.

He points out this very sticky cactus and to make a point… He puts it on the back of his hand. The thing sucks onto his hand like a leech.

Soon it's time to head back. I'm hoping to see a road runner or hila monster on the way, not because they're scary, just because seeing a monster of any kind is cool.

Three hours have passed and we are now back at the Desert Dog Shop.
I met the owner, John Juliano. I thank him and promise to tell all my friends about this great adventure.

So I'm telling ya. If you ever go out there, or even if you live there now, you gotta try it! It's just awesome. To make it easier here is their website: www.azadventures.com …and you can tell them Fran the fast talker sent ya.

But Wait there's More!
That afternoon, after I shower and get all the dust off me, I have a half hour to spare before I head over to the Women's Expo. You see I wanted to watch Suzie Orman speak to a sold out crowd. She was awesome and the audience loved her.

Later I met her in the green room. We had a fun fast talk off. She asked me to do my fast rendition of the three little pigs for crew. I do. They laugh. She snaps a picture of us and last I heard its' on her website.

Sunday
On Sunday, I get up at dawn, to do the Good Morning Arizona TV show - and mention my talk in the afternoon and that I just did a cool Arizona sand dune adventure.

After the TV show, I walk for an hour.
At noon I go back to my room, change and then head over to the Women's Expo and give my talk in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Afterwards I have fun joking with everyone.

I spend the last night with a friend and her husband. At 2 AM I pack. And the next morning I head home.

Just the way I like it... a great... three days!

Till next time... live everyday as if it's your last, and one day you'll be right!

My Arizona Adventure

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