Here I sit, waiting for my wandering teens to come home for the night. Again. Weekend curfew is midnight and Helena is off at Cafe Rio (or some such place) with her boyfriend and two other couples. Will is at his girlfriend's house watching a movie with her family.
Yes. You read that right. Helena and her boyfriend. Will and his girlfriend.
Gah! How did that happen?!?
I can't help but hear that old tune from the musical Grease. You know the one? "Summer Lovin'". This seems to be the summer for romance. The thing is, I can't remember getting older, so when did they? There is another song from a musical for you. "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof.
Oi. I am old. I have musicals stuck in my head!
Helena is 18 now and has been on lots of casual dates, so the transition to actually having a boyfriend is not that weird to me. But Will! That is weirding me out! He just recently turned 16 and this girl was his first date, and now his first girlfriend. I know my son is a handsome guy, it is just bizarre to me to know that there is a girl out there who is attracted to him. And that he's got the self esteem and, I don't know, hutzpah, to make the romantic move of making her his girlfriend! ... That might have come out wrong. Of course girls should be attracted to him; he is good looking, after all! But to me he will always be my little boy, and in my head, I still see him as a boy. Phooey.
Helena's boyfriend is named Dagen. He is 19 years old and lives one town over. He works at a car dealership and is committed to leaving for a church mission in just two months. He will be gone for two years. I'm all for that! I don't want to sound obnoxious, but they are both very young and dating should be casual at this point so that they can both explore the world and figure out who they are going to be. There will be time later in their lives to explore serious relationship commitments.
Will's girlfriend's name is Ashley. She is cute and friendly. She turns 17 in July and is actually going to be a senior this coming school year. Will is going to be a junior. Other than that, they seem to have a lot in common and it is obvious they like each other. Will now has added motivation to finish driver's ed and find a job this summer. Helena was surprised to find out about Ashley, because she and Ashley had some classes together this past year and she didn't know Will and Ashley were developing a friendship. But Helena thinks she is a wonderful girl and gave her stamp of approval to Will's girlfriend choice.
You better believe I've had "the talk" with both of the kids. Several times, in fact. Most of the time they seem to listen patiently and with an open mind. Only occasionally do they give me the look. You know, the 'argh, not this again' look. I also gave Will several suggestions on date ideas that don't cost anything, since he doesn't have a job, yet.
So, I have a feeling that this will be my summer. Sitting up every night, waiting for the wandering romantics to come home, looking forward to hearing about their summertime adventures. Isn't it a great time to be alive?
Father's Day 2012
Father's Day morning I awoke to Bill coming home from the grocery store. He had spent the day before on a 50 mile bike ride with a couple of other guys, so he had missed the weekly shopping trip. I had done the shopping without a list, and as a result, I had forgotten several items for his lunches for the week. When I got up, I found him getting ready to build a big family breakfast. While fixing it, he said he wanted to take the family up into the mountains for the day.
So, after a fabulous breakfast, we went!
It was quite a drive up into the mountains, but we spent it in high spirits, laughing and rocking out to music with the windows down and sunroof open. It is funny, I live right next to the mountains and tend to forget that there are even more mountains to explore than the ones I can see from my house. And lots of different canyons and side valleys on every side. We don't have to settle for the closest canyon if we are willing to adventure a bit farther up and farther in!
Bill took us to the Provo River Falls, in the high Uintahs. I had no idea they existed! It is a shame I have lived so close to this beautiful place for the past 20 years and never knew it! There is no rough hike to get to them; there is a parking lot right off the road that is literally right next to one of the falls. You just have to know they exist and how far up into the mountain roads to go to get there.
I will confess something right here. There is a reason I am usually not in any of the photos. I have always hated how I looked in photos because I have always (and by always, I mean for the past 17 years or so) hated my body. I live in a family of super skinny people. My husband is a muscular and no-fat athlete. My kids both have extremely low body fat, too. I think they inherited their dad's body type... thank goodness! But I have been on the plump side for a long while, now. I was overweight, pushing the envelope of obesity.
Until now. For the first time in a lot of years, I am starting to like what I see when a photo is taken of me!
I have been working hard at creating a more active lifestyle for myself. I am still working on trying to reduce the sugars in my diet. I can now tell you that as hard as it was (and is) to get my muscles back in shape and lose inches (and hopefully pounds), correcting a faulty diet is MUCH harder.
Anyways, back to our adventure!
While the kids and I messed around with the first waterfall, Bill wandered off across the river and found a great sunning rock. These great slabs of rock were everywhere and made exploring barefoot possible, though in the end we all ended up tromping through the water with our shoes on, because the rocks in the riverbed could be sharp and unpredictable under the surface.
Family photos in the sun!
One particular waterfall cascaded down two sides of a rock formation that looked like stairs, leaving an opening in the middle. Will was the first to climb up it, but before long we all climbed up and played on it. I think the picture below is pretty fantastic! I know we ended up in several other people's photos, too, because this one was in sight of the parking lot view area.
I really enjoyed the deep and rich colors created by the rocks and water.
Helena was trying to figure out how deep this pool was. It was deepest right below Will, between them there. He was offering to help pull her up onto the rock, but she suspected his motive and was certain he was going to let go at the opportune moment and let her fall backward into the pool.
This was a quadruple fall. There was a little sitting spot between each fall, so we spend a bit of time here getting photo after photo.
Notice Will making fun of posing for the camera? He did this for several shots, and yes, it was an intentional gag pose.
We explored up the river for about a quarter mile until we all admitted we were getting hungry. I was all for trekking back down the waterfalls to our starting point, but Bill wanted a different adventure. He suggested we just strike out into the woods to find the road and walk back down it to our car. That turned out to be the right move. The woods were open and shady and it didn't take long at all to find the road. We got slightly bug eaten, but it was worth it to get back to the car so easily.
Bill drove us to another parking lot, where he wanted us to go on a short hike to the top of one of the peaks called Mt. Baldy (there are several of them in the state), but we were all too hungry and disinclined to get more bug eaten, so Bill drove us, instead, to Mirror Lake.
This beautiful little lake resides at about the 10,000 foot elevation! We were wishing we had canoes, kayaks, and swim suits with us.
After Mirror Lake, Bill drove us to the summit at 10,700 feet, and mentioned that we were only about 30 miles from the Wyoming border. The kids were keen on crossing the state line for the additional adventure. They had never been in Wyoming... at least not in their memory.
So, we did!
We came out of the mountains into the high, grassy plains of Wyoming. A while after crossing the state line, Helena wanted to know why we were still headed east. I pointed out to her that Evanston, WY was only about 20 miles away and was certainly the closest food opportunity around.
So, we went to Evanston, Wyoming.
First stop? A fireworks stand! Utah has the most restrictive fireworks regulations in the mountain west. Most towns right across the border have fireworks stands to take advantage of the Utah residents who make a dash across the border for their pyro needs. Fireworks at these stands are a GREAT price! You can get 3 times the fun for the same amount of dough.
After picking up a little something, something (I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of pyrotechnics on our return trip), we started our hunt for lunch/dinner.
Evanston is a small town and very spread out. We found the obligatory McD's, Wendy's, and Arby's... but none of those seemed worthy of our adventure or of Father's Day. So I googled eateries in town and we decided to find a little spot known as Don Pedro's.
To say it was a dive is putting it mildly. The place looked sketchy at best. Helena later admitted she was not thrilled to be going in. Run down with old everything inside and out. However, there were a fair amount of cars outside, so we wanted to check it out.
I am so glad we did! It was delicious! I wasn't sure of what to order, and when I asked the waiter's opinion on two entrees, I could tell he wasn't that enthusiastic about either one. He said something along the lines of "look at me, I have brown skin! Most Americans like both of those entrees, this one is most popular with Americans."
Oh ho!
So, I asked him HIS favorite items on the menu and ordered his first choice. It was bacon wrapped grilled shrimp smothered in cheese on a bed of grilled onions and peppers and served fajita style.
It was sinfully delicious! Ahhhhh!
After dinner, we decided to linger in Evanston for about 30 minutes before starting our journey back home again. We went to the Bear River Walk, a long paved trail next to the river that was designed for runners and cyclists to enjoy. We had fun just walking and talking for a little bit on the trail before finally heading home.
It was one of those sunshiny, happy days full of laughter and love.
I hope we can do it again, soon!
Holy Floatation, Batman!
... aka, I LOVE MY WETSUIT!!!!!
I went running this morning. 4.4 miles. Not rockstar. Meaning, I didn't go very fast. I am so glad I deferred the marathon, because I am in no way ready for it and it happens in just 3 days.
I slept in, though, and missed my morning window for hitting the pool. There are limited lanes in the a.m. due to swim team congestion, and then when swim lessons get going at 10 am, there are no more lanes at all until evening. However, if you can hold out and go swim after 9 pm, you nearly have the pool to yourself. Nearly. I ended up sharing a lane for about 15 minutes, but that's really no big deal.
A cold front moved in yesterday and today remained on the cooler side. Much cooler than we experienced over the past couple of weeks. Cool enough that I knew the pool wouldn't be toasty. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to take my wetsuit on its maiden voyage.
HOLY COW!!!
First of all, I have to say that it was much easier to slink myself into that thing today than it was on the day I bought it. I can only hope that is because I have a more trim figure? Even so, I felt like an overstuffed sausage since it is meant to have a tight compression fit. I was pretty proud of myself for managing to wedge my shoulders in enough to zip up the back without help and still feel enough rotation in my shoulders to swim. That is hard to explain, so I hope you understand what I mean.
When I jumped into the water, there was no cold shock at all. SO NICE! Then I swam my first lap.
I am in love.
With a wetsuit.
The buoyancy on that thing is incredible! Every bit of my stroke went into forward momentum. I had no idea that I had been expending so much energy in keeping my legs up. I forgot my lap watch... boy I wish I had it, because I flew through the lane! It was like wearing fins. I have no idea how fast I was going, but I was practically crashing into the walls I had so much thrust from my legs.
Don't get me wrong. I am still not rockstar fast at swimming, either. But I'll tell you one thing. I was the fastest in the lanes tonight... and I was the only woman.
That felt REALLY good!
It sure got a lot of attention, too. Some guy came up to me and asked how I liked it and what the thickness was on it (I'm not 100% sure of the answer on that. I just know it is rated for triathlons). The other lap swimmers had friendly conversation about it, too. I even noticed the hot tub crowd staring. Not at me, I am sure. At the suit. You just don't see too many wetsuits at the pool (although the scuba group were in wetsuits, so what gives?).
Anyways, I can't wait to swim in it again! That will depend on the weather, though. Our summers don't hold that many cool days. Besides, if I only ever swim in the suit, it might become a crutch, like only swimming in fins. And pool water is not good for the suit. So, I'll keep plugging away at form and endurance... without the suit for the most part.
Still...
IT WAS AWESOME!
I went running this morning. 4.4 miles. Not rockstar. Meaning, I didn't go very fast. I am so glad I deferred the marathon, because I am in no way ready for it and it happens in just 3 days.
I slept in, though, and missed my morning window for hitting the pool. There are limited lanes in the a.m. due to swim team congestion, and then when swim lessons get going at 10 am, there are no more lanes at all until evening. However, if you can hold out and go swim after 9 pm, you nearly have the pool to yourself. Nearly. I ended up sharing a lane for about 15 minutes, but that's really no big deal.
A cold front moved in yesterday and today remained on the cooler side. Much cooler than we experienced over the past couple of weeks. Cool enough that I knew the pool wouldn't be toasty. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to take my wetsuit on its maiden voyage.
HOLY COW!!!
First of all, I have to say that it was much easier to slink myself into that thing today than it was on the day I bought it. I can only hope that is because I have a more trim figure? Even so, I felt like an overstuffed sausage since it is meant to have a tight compression fit. I was pretty proud of myself for managing to wedge my shoulders in enough to zip up the back without help and still feel enough rotation in my shoulders to swim. That is hard to explain, so I hope you understand what I mean.
When I jumped into the water, there was no cold shock at all. SO NICE! Then I swam my first lap.
I am in love.
With a wetsuit.
The buoyancy on that thing is incredible! Every bit of my stroke went into forward momentum. I had no idea that I had been expending so much energy in keeping my legs up. I forgot my lap watch... boy I wish I had it, because I flew through the lane! It was like wearing fins. I have no idea how fast I was going, but I was practically crashing into the walls I had so much thrust from my legs.
Don't get me wrong. I am still not rockstar fast at swimming, either. But I'll tell you one thing. I was the fastest in the lanes tonight... and I was the only woman.
That felt REALLY good!
It sure got a lot of attention, too. Some guy came up to me and asked how I liked it and what the thickness was on it (I'm not 100% sure of the answer on that. I just know it is rated for triathlons). The other lap swimmers had friendly conversation about it, too. I even noticed the hot tub crowd staring. Not at me, I am sure. At the suit. You just don't see too many wetsuits at the pool (although the scuba group were in wetsuits, so what gives?).
Anyways, I can't wait to swim in it again! That will depend on the weather, though. Our summers don't hold that many cool days. Besides, if I only ever swim in the suit, it might become a crutch, like only swimming in fins. And pool water is not good for the suit. So, I'll keep plugging away at form and endurance... without the suit for the most part.
Still...
IT WAS AWESOME!
Getting Back Up To Speed...
Okay. I can breathe, now.
It has been a crazy few weeks here in the Watson house. I have wanted to write, but have had too many pent up emotions to be able to write the right thing, if that makes any sense. It is NEVER a good idea to write in the heat of anger, or frustration, or anxiety, or depression... because once thoughts are out there, they are impossible to retract. And there were thoughts swirling around in my head that would have been damaging to expose to the light of day. Now that the crisis has past, and life has slowed down to its blissful summertime crawl, I can start to articulate where I have been these past weeks that I have been absent from you.
Simply put, I was agonizing over my high school senior; now high school graduate. She impersonated an anchor and nearly sunk all her chances of graduating high school with mere days between herself and the deadline. In only 10 days, she went from 4 NC's (No Credits) in 3rd quarter and SIX 'F's' in 4th quarter, to passing all classes and receiving all credits for graduation... with only one day to spare on the deadline!
This was more than just a nail biter for the whole family. There were a lot of fights, frustration, and tears involved, as you can imagine. Those who were in the know kept asking "why is she doing this to herself?! She is such a smart girl!", over and over. Which, by the way, was the least helpful thing on the planet. I was in so much stress and pain over it, that I didn't really want to discuss how a child o'mine could so completely sabotage herself.
Anyone who is a parent can tell you that they feel responsible for everything their children do or do not accomplish. That is a load of twaddle, of course. At some point, your children become autonomous and are fully responsible for their own actions and outcomes. Still, I don't think that feeling every truly leaves a parent. It is wondrous and amazing when your child soars and achieves. It truly sucks if your child struggles and fails.
While trying to deal with the graduation crisis, I was also inundated with phone calls and paper work from insurance companies about the car accident, going to physical therapy for my neck and shoulders, trying to train for a marathon (which has now been deferred to next year), and shopping for and buying a car. Life never throws challenges at you in the singular. It always seems to be a hailstorm of challenges hitting all at once.
It got to the point that I just had to drop everything and focus only on my daughter and her needs. Everything else just had to wait. I skipped out on Art Council meetings, even though I am supposed to be helping with the art show next month. I put off dealing with the insurance stuff. Just everything I could shove out of my head went by the wayside, because this one thing and the agony it was causing was too much overload for me to be able to handle anything else.
But, even the darkest night has to end, and this one ended with a beautiful sunrise (metaphorically speaking)! She did pass all of her classes, she did graduate with her class, we did celebrate! School ended for another year. We now have only one child still in high school. Will is going to be a Junior in the fall, which means we only have two years left of public school! I have flipped that mental switch from being a highly scheduled employed person and parent of high school students, to the free spirited there-are-no-clocks-or-schedules kind of unemployed person I become in the summer months. I have a loose summer schedule, but it gets rearranged more often than not. The daily schedule always includes a trip to the pool. "Trip" meaning a leisurely stroll over to it.
Have I ever told you that I LOVE SUMMER!
The only firm item on the schedule right now is Will's driver's ed class. We signed him up for the afternoon session, because who wants to start summer vacation with an early morning class? Pffft! Not Will, and certainly not his taxi driver!
There are still lots of things to blog about, and lots of pictures waiting to be shared, too. But I have babbled on long enough for one post, so I'll let you get back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Until next time... a very relieved me.
It has been a crazy few weeks here in the Watson house. I have wanted to write, but have had too many pent up emotions to be able to write the right thing, if that makes any sense. It is NEVER a good idea to write in the heat of anger, or frustration, or anxiety, or depression... because once thoughts are out there, they are impossible to retract. And there were thoughts swirling around in my head that would have been damaging to expose to the light of day. Now that the crisis has past, and life has slowed down to its blissful summertime crawl, I can start to articulate where I have been these past weeks that I have been absent from you.
Simply put, I was agonizing over my high school senior; now high school graduate. She impersonated an anchor and nearly sunk all her chances of graduating high school with mere days between herself and the deadline. In only 10 days, she went from 4 NC's (No Credits) in 3rd quarter and SIX 'F's' in 4th quarter, to passing all classes and receiving all credits for graduation... with only one day to spare on the deadline!
This was more than just a nail biter for the whole family. There were a lot of fights, frustration, and tears involved, as you can imagine. Those who were in the know kept asking "why is she doing this to herself?! She is such a smart girl!", over and over. Which, by the way, was the least helpful thing on the planet. I was in so much stress and pain over it, that I didn't really want to discuss how a child o'mine could so completely sabotage herself.
Anyone who is a parent can tell you that they feel responsible for everything their children do or do not accomplish. That is a load of twaddle, of course. At some point, your children become autonomous and are fully responsible for their own actions and outcomes. Still, I don't think that feeling every truly leaves a parent. It is wondrous and amazing when your child soars and achieves. It truly sucks if your child struggles and fails.
While trying to deal with the graduation crisis, I was also inundated with phone calls and paper work from insurance companies about the car accident, going to physical therapy for my neck and shoulders, trying to train for a marathon (which has now been deferred to next year), and shopping for and buying a car. Life never throws challenges at you in the singular. It always seems to be a hailstorm of challenges hitting all at once.
It got to the point that I just had to drop everything and focus only on my daughter and her needs. Everything else just had to wait. I skipped out on Art Council meetings, even though I am supposed to be helping with the art show next month. I put off dealing with the insurance stuff. Just everything I could shove out of my head went by the wayside, because this one thing and the agony it was causing was too much overload for me to be able to handle anything else.
But, even the darkest night has to end, and this one ended with a beautiful sunrise (metaphorically speaking)! She did pass all of her classes, she did graduate with her class, we did celebrate! School ended for another year. We now have only one child still in high school. Will is going to be a Junior in the fall, which means we only have two years left of public school! I have flipped that mental switch from being a highly scheduled employed person and parent of high school students, to the free spirited there-are-no-clocks-or-schedules kind of unemployed person I become in the summer months. I have a loose summer schedule, but it gets rearranged more often than not. The daily schedule always includes a trip to the pool. "Trip" meaning a leisurely stroll over to it.
Have I ever told you that I LOVE SUMMER!
The only firm item on the schedule right now is Will's driver's ed class. We signed him up for the afternoon session, because who wants to start summer vacation with an early morning class? Pffft! Not Will, and certainly not his taxi driver!
There are still lots of things to blog about, and lots of pictures waiting to be shared, too. But I have babbled on long enough for one post, so I'll let you get back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Until next time... a very relieved me.
And the Winner is...
A Ford Explorer!
We spent last Saturday driving all over creation and test driving just about everything under the sun. I can't give you a blow by blow of everything we looked at, because at some point, it all started to blur together in my mind. I remember liking an orange Subaru Forester, and a Hyundai Sonata. There was a Mustang that nearly won out, too. By evening-time, I was so burned out and frustrated that I was ready to give up and head home in defeat.
The problem was too many choices. And the fact that I want a car that does not exist (at least, not to my knowledge and not in my price range). I want a sporty, sexy vehicle that is convertible for the Spring and Fall, and converts in the push of a button to a rugged winter ride and cool-comfy summer ride. I want to be able to haul my bikes and kayaks around, have lots of room for the family on road trips, and .... get awesome gas mileage.
Lots of vehicles fit most of those parameters, except for the last one. Bottom line, I can either have an economical commuter car, or an SUV. I know there are lots of "crossovers" out there (crossover is the new term for pumped up station wagons), but none of them seemed to fit my personality. I am still in love with Jeep Wranglers. I acknowledge, however, that they are supremely impractical. It takes two people to re-install the hard or soft top, and storms roll through here so quickly that it would likely sustain water damage before I managed to get it covered up. Still love Mustangs, too. But a bike rack would look ridiculous on a 'Stang. And can you imagine tying a kayak to the roof of a Mustang? Um, no.
The Explorer comes closest of all the cars I drove on Saturday to meeting all of those parameters. The gas mileage is the notable exception. Excellent gas mileage and SUV don't seem to belong in the same sentence. However, it does have a sunroof, which was my compromise on the convertible issue. It is rigged up for towing, so we can put our bike rack on the back of it AND throw kayaks onto the roof rack all at the same time! This particular Explorer looks sporty and sexy (so say all the guys I talk to... something about the rims? They look like tires to me, but all the guys think they're cool, even the guy I returned the rental car to noticed them and told me they were cool).
So, there you have it. A new (to us) car. I really hope I don't have to go through that again for a long, LONG time!
We spent last Saturday driving all over creation and test driving just about everything under the sun. I can't give you a blow by blow of everything we looked at, because at some point, it all started to blur together in my mind. I remember liking an orange Subaru Forester, and a Hyundai Sonata. There was a Mustang that nearly won out, too. By evening-time, I was so burned out and frustrated that I was ready to give up and head home in defeat.
The problem was too many choices. And the fact that I want a car that does not exist (at least, not to my knowledge and not in my price range). I want a sporty, sexy vehicle that is convertible for the Spring and Fall, and converts in the push of a button to a rugged winter ride and cool-comfy summer ride. I want to be able to haul my bikes and kayaks around, have lots of room for the family on road trips, and .... get awesome gas mileage.
Lots of vehicles fit most of those parameters, except for the last one. Bottom line, I can either have an economical commuter car, or an SUV. I know there are lots of "crossovers" out there (crossover is the new term for pumped up station wagons), but none of them seemed to fit my personality. I am still in love with Jeep Wranglers. I acknowledge, however, that they are supremely impractical. It takes two people to re-install the hard or soft top, and storms roll through here so quickly that it would likely sustain water damage before I managed to get it covered up. Still love Mustangs, too. But a bike rack would look ridiculous on a 'Stang. And can you imagine tying a kayak to the roof of a Mustang? Um, no.
The Explorer comes closest of all the cars I drove on Saturday to meeting all of those parameters. The gas mileage is the notable exception. Excellent gas mileage and SUV don't seem to belong in the same sentence. However, it does have a sunroof, which was my compromise on the convertible issue. It is rigged up for towing, so we can put our bike rack on the back of it AND throw kayaks onto the roof rack all at the same time! This particular Explorer looks sporty and sexy (so say all the guys I talk to... something about the rims? They look like tires to me, but all the guys think they're cool, even the guy I returned the rental car to noticed them and told me they were cool).
So, there you have it. A new (to us) car. I really hope I don't have to go through that again for a long, LONG time!
Car Shopping
I really hate car shopping. There are too many that I like. And, since it is such a big, expensive purchase, I can only get one. It is not like picking a movie or where to go for dinner... where you can try something different next week. This is a REALLY permanent decision. More so because we aren't the type of people who upgrade our cars every two years. We keep them for life (or until the Universe decides differently). We've had the Expedition for 12 years, now. It has gone from a sleek, upscale luxury-feeling car to a dented up, rattle bang, knock about... but I still love it!
So whatever we buy, I have to LOVE it. I feel like the proverbial kid in a candy store, because there are several that I love. However, today I found one that might be a LOVE.
I have had a secret love affair with Jeep Wrangler ever since I was a teen. We test drove Jeeps when we were in the market for a car 12 years ago, and I was disappointed at how rattle-bang they felt. I test drove this 2009 and LOVED it! There was nothing vibrating and the stick shift handled beautifully! I had a LOT of fun with it and spent the entire test drive with perma-grin, fantasizing about all the fun sportiness of it. I just felt young and HEALTHY driving it. Crazy, huh?
On the more practical side, however, is the fact that Wranglers come with NO bells and whistles. Not even the ones that we have come to take for granted. No power windows or seat adjusters. No power 'roof', either. To put on/take off the soft top takes two people and a lot of effort, so it isn't something you'd do lightly. Also, the 'trunk' space is small. Too small for hauling a lot groceries, perhaps? Non-existant when you take off the top and shove it in the trunk. So groceries would end up in the back seat, which doesn't have a door for easy access. Another down side to this vehicle is, where would I put the bike &/or kayak? Okay, so I don't currently have a kayak... but I want to plan for it, since I sense one in my future. The car is sporty, but can I carry my sports around in/on it?
Still, it is a sexy and sporty car that holds its value better than almost any other car out there. So, after a year of driving it, I could easily trade it in if I decide I'm tired of ruggedness and want some luxury.
Another car we test drove today was a GMC Terrain. I think it was a 2010. It was a bit more expensive than the Wrangler, but MAN! it has a lot of bells and whistles!
It has a front panel just full of buttons! I'm not sure how much I'd use the navigation system, but it looks like fun to play with.
It is an automatic. I am okay with that. I think sticks are only fun in sexy, sporty cars. If it's luxury you're after, automatic is the way to go. Although, this car had a funky automatic/manual transmission that might be fun to mess around with. Extra buttons!
I do like it when the car makes it so easy for me to see how fast I'm going with a digital display.
Not as fun looking, but sleek and modern and grown up feeling. And, of course, places to attach my bike/kayak to the car. So, not as sporty, but I could take my sports with me. Oh, and lots of room for groceries.
Did I mention it has a sunroof? I have decided that a sunroof is the minimum I'm going for this time around. If I can't have a convertible, I'm at least going to have a sunroof!
Earlier today, I went and looked at several cars at the Ford dealership. Once again, I was looking at Mustangs. I have to stop looking at those, however, because I simply live in the wrong climate for them. If I was buying an 'extra' car, one that could spend the snowy months dreaming of balmy summer sun while sheltering in the garage, it would be a different story. But I am looking for my primary mode of transportation. It has to be good in all weather, and all terrain. That means 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive. You can see why I keep gravitating to SUV types.
So, do I go for a sporty-and-sexy-wind-in-my-hair Wrangler? Or do I go for luxury bells and whistles? Not necessarily the GMC Terrain, of course. I can find those bells and whistles in lots of different cars.
I'll be making a decision fairly soon. I'll let you know.
So whatever we buy, I have to LOVE it. I feel like the proverbial kid in a candy store, because there are several that I love. However, today I found one that might be a LOVE.
I have had a secret love affair with Jeep Wrangler ever since I was a teen. We test drove Jeeps when we were in the market for a car 12 years ago, and I was disappointed at how rattle-bang they felt. I test drove this 2009 and LOVED it! There was nothing vibrating and the stick shift handled beautifully! I had a LOT of fun with it and spent the entire test drive with perma-grin, fantasizing about all the fun sportiness of it. I just felt young and HEALTHY driving it. Crazy, huh?
On the more practical side, however, is the fact that Wranglers come with NO bells and whistles. Not even the ones that we have come to take for granted. No power windows or seat adjusters. No power 'roof', either. To put on/take off the soft top takes two people and a lot of effort, so it isn't something you'd do lightly. Also, the 'trunk' space is small. Too small for hauling a lot groceries, perhaps? Non-existant when you take off the top and shove it in the trunk. So groceries would end up in the back seat, which doesn't have a door for easy access. Another down side to this vehicle is, where would I put the bike &/or kayak? Okay, so I don't currently have a kayak... but I want to plan for it, since I sense one in my future. The car is sporty, but can I carry my sports around in/on it?
Still, it is a sexy and sporty car that holds its value better than almost any other car out there. So, after a year of driving it, I could easily trade it in if I decide I'm tired of ruggedness and want some luxury.
Another car we test drove today was a GMC Terrain. I think it was a 2010. It was a bit more expensive than the Wrangler, but MAN! it has a lot of bells and whistles!
It has a front panel just full of buttons! I'm not sure how much I'd use the navigation system, but it looks like fun to play with.
It is an automatic. I am okay with that. I think sticks are only fun in sexy, sporty cars. If it's luxury you're after, automatic is the way to go. Although, this car had a funky automatic/manual transmission that might be fun to mess around with. Extra buttons!
I do like it when the car makes it so easy for me to see how fast I'm going with a digital display.
Not as fun looking, but sleek and modern and grown up feeling. And, of course, places to attach my bike/kayak to the car. So, not as sporty, but I could take my sports with me. Oh, and lots of room for groceries.
Did I mention it has a sunroof? I have decided that a sunroof is the minimum I'm going for this time around. If I can't have a convertible, I'm at least going to have a sunroof!
Earlier today, I went and looked at several cars at the Ford dealership. Once again, I was looking at Mustangs. I have to stop looking at those, however, because I simply live in the wrong climate for them. If I was buying an 'extra' car, one that could spend the snowy months dreaming of balmy summer sun while sheltering in the garage, it would be a different story. But I am looking for my primary mode of transportation. It has to be good in all weather, and all terrain. That means 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive. You can see why I keep gravitating to SUV types.
So, do I go for a sporty-and-sexy-wind-in-my-hair Wrangler? Or do I go for luxury bells and whistles? Not necessarily the GMC Terrain, of course. I can find those bells and whistles in lots of different cars.
I'll be making a decision fairly soon. I'll let you know.
The Universe Speaks
It was a beautiful day, today.
No. Really.
Gorgeous late-spring-feels-like-early-summer low 80's kind of sunshiny, happy day.
I planned to go on a bike ride with my son when I got everybody home.
In fact, I was on my way home from work to do just that.
I drive Pioneer Crossing to get to and from work. It is a high traffic main artery connecting the more urban East side of the valley (where I live) to the more rural/suburban West side of the valley (where I work). It is a 50 mph road.
And I was driving 50 mph.
There are light controlled intersections slicing through Pioneer Crossing every 4 blocks or so, keeping Lehi city residents from being cut off by the flow of massive traffic along the corridor. As I approached the intersection at 500 W, I started to coast because there was a red light ahead... but I was glad that there were no cars at it because I am one of those people. You know, the ones that like to be first off the light when it turns green. However, the light changed to green before I could even apply the brakes, so I was still going 50 mph when the first minivan shot the gap and turned left in front of me onto the side street.
Then the second minivan tried to turn left...
RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!
"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?" I shouted as I stomped on the brakes. (Yes, I really did self censor in the moment. Aren't you proud of me?)
You know that noise they use in the movies? That hellish screeching sound? My brakes made that sound for what seemed like an eternity... and I KNEW this crash was inevitable.
So many thoughts raced through my head in that moment. 'I'm going too fast!', 'Oh, why can't I stop?!', 'This is really, really bad!', 'What if she (all minivan driver's are "she", sorry guys) gets hurt or killed?!?', 'What if there are children in there?!?', 'Oh please let there be no children!', 'I'll be late to pick up the kids, now', 'This car is already totalled, what's gonna happen with insurance?' (yup, even the more mundane and slightly selfish thoughts push through)', 'Oh my gosh, there is another car careening through that field!'
That last thought registered moments after impact, as my peripheral vision saw a white Trailblazer plow down a wooden barbed wire fence post (the thick, nice, new kind that can do a lot of damage to a car) and go careening off into a fallow field.
You see, I had been in the left lane. The Trailblazer was on my flank in the right lane and had been side swiped by the momentum of my collision and pushed off the road!
Not a single thought had been about my own mortality or that I might get hurt. Okay, a little 'Why me?!?' thought might have snuck in.
Oooh! I just realized! I AM SO GRATEFUL THERE WAS NO ONE RIGHT BEHIND ME! That would have been super bad. Beyond what was already going on.
Six months ago, I was rear ended by someone in that same car.
Six months ago, I could tell you exactly what my body did in that collision. I really don't know what my body did this time. I was so focused on what was going on outside of my car (metal car parts flying everywhere, other cars dodging to avoid a pile up, that unfortunate Trailblazer off in the field) that I really had no sense of what was happening inside my own car. Only after the fact did I fish my phone off the floor to call 911, and much later discovered my computer on the floor of the passenger side (no damage, phew!). And that poor plant the PTA gave me today for Teacher Appreciation? I'm not sure it will survive the trauma of being dumped upside down in the back seat.
Thankfully, everyone walked away. I am so grateful for that! The Trailblazer in the field was being driven by a young mother who had her two little girls in the car with her. The minivan was an Odyssey Touring and the driver (truly a 'she') didn't have any passengers. Good thing, because I hit her passenger side hard enough for her air bags to deploy. Mine didn't. Hmmm. Two accidents in 6 months w/out air bags. I'm thinkin' they are defective?
After calling 911 and verifying that everyone was 'OK' (not dying), I text-ed Helena to warn her and Will that I would be late picking them up from school. They ended up finding a ride home (shout out and a great big THANK YOU to Alec Taylor for driving them home!). While on the phone, I thought I heard someone shout out my name! It turns out that my sis-in-law, Deanna, drove by at that moment and saw me! She started texting me right away to see if I was okay.
It took forever to talk to the police, fill out the paperwork, and wait for the tow truck to come. All three vehicles got towed away, mine last of all, because at first I thought I'd just drive it home...
...Because it was STILL DRIVABLE! Man! That car should have been in a crash up derby! It's like the Energizer bunny, it just keeps going, and going, and going...
But the policeman recommended against it, saying the air bag could deploy at any moment (unlikely), or there may be damage to the radiator or hood latch (more likely). The tow truck driver was kind enough to drive me home and on the way we discovered that he grew up with and knew my husband's nephews. I swear! I can always find some connection with everyone I meet!
Anyways, there you have it. The universe is speaking to me. It has spoken twice, now. I am not supposed to be the owner of a white Oldsmobile Alero. I need to let it go and go find the car I'm supposed to be driving.
Wish me luck.
P.S. My head, neck, and shoulders are starting to bother me. I'd best go see the doctor tomorrow. Boo.
P.P.S. My car doesn't look all that bad for such a traumatic incident. You wouldn't know from looking at this that it ripped a side panel clean off a minivan, would you?
No. Really.
Gorgeous late-spring-feels-like-early-summer low 80's kind of sunshiny, happy day.
I planned to go on a bike ride with my son when I got everybody home.
In fact, I was on my way home from work to do just that.
I drive Pioneer Crossing to get to and from work. It is a high traffic main artery connecting the more urban East side of the valley (where I live) to the more rural/suburban West side of the valley (where I work). It is a 50 mph road.
And I was driving 50 mph.
There are light controlled intersections slicing through Pioneer Crossing every 4 blocks or so, keeping Lehi city residents from being cut off by the flow of massive traffic along the corridor. As I approached the intersection at 500 W, I started to coast because there was a red light ahead... but I was glad that there were no cars at it because I am one of those people. You know, the ones that like to be first off the light when it turns green. However, the light changed to green before I could even apply the brakes, so I was still going 50 mph when the first minivan shot the gap and turned left in front of me onto the side street.
Then the second minivan tried to turn left...
RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!
"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?" I shouted as I stomped on the brakes. (Yes, I really did self censor in the moment. Aren't you proud of me?)
You know that noise they use in the movies? That hellish screeching sound? My brakes made that sound for what seemed like an eternity... and I KNEW this crash was inevitable.
So many thoughts raced through my head in that moment. 'I'm going too fast!', 'Oh, why can't I stop?!', 'This is really, really bad!', 'What if she (all minivan driver's are "she", sorry guys) gets hurt or killed?!?', 'What if there are children in there?!?', 'Oh please let there be no children!', 'I'll be late to pick up the kids, now', 'This car is already totalled, what's gonna happen with insurance?' (yup, even the more mundane and slightly selfish thoughts push through)', 'Oh my gosh, there is another car careening through that field!'
That last thought registered moments after impact, as my peripheral vision saw a white Trailblazer plow down a wooden barbed wire fence post (the thick, nice, new kind that can do a lot of damage to a car) and go careening off into a fallow field.
You see, I had been in the left lane. The Trailblazer was on my flank in the right lane and had been side swiped by the momentum of my collision and pushed off the road!
Not a single thought had been about my own mortality or that I might get hurt. Okay, a little 'Why me?!?' thought might have snuck in.
Oooh! I just realized! I AM SO GRATEFUL THERE WAS NO ONE RIGHT BEHIND ME! That would have been super bad. Beyond what was already going on.
Six months ago, I was rear ended by someone in that same car.
Six months ago, I could tell you exactly what my body did in that collision. I really don't know what my body did this time. I was so focused on what was going on outside of my car (metal car parts flying everywhere, other cars dodging to avoid a pile up, that unfortunate Trailblazer off in the field) that I really had no sense of what was happening inside my own car. Only after the fact did I fish my phone off the floor to call 911, and much later discovered my computer on the floor of the passenger side (no damage, phew!). And that poor plant the PTA gave me today for Teacher Appreciation? I'm not sure it will survive the trauma of being dumped upside down in the back seat.
Thankfully, everyone walked away. I am so grateful for that! The Trailblazer in the field was being driven by a young mother who had her two little girls in the car with her. The minivan was an Odyssey Touring and the driver (truly a 'she') didn't have any passengers. Good thing, because I hit her passenger side hard enough for her air bags to deploy. Mine didn't. Hmmm. Two accidents in 6 months w/out air bags. I'm thinkin' they are defective?
After calling 911 and verifying that everyone was 'OK' (not dying), I text-ed Helena to warn her and Will that I would be late picking them up from school. They ended up finding a ride home (shout out and a great big THANK YOU to Alec Taylor for driving them home!). While on the phone, I thought I heard someone shout out my name! It turns out that my sis-in-law, Deanna, drove by at that moment and saw me! She started texting me right away to see if I was okay.
It took forever to talk to the police, fill out the paperwork, and wait for the tow truck to come. All three vehicles got towed away, mine last of all, because at first I thought I'd just drive it home...
...Because it was STILL DRIVABLE! Man! That car should have been in a crash up derby! It's like the Energizer bunny, it just keeps going, and going, and going...
But the policeman recommended against it, saying the air bag could deploy at any moment (unlikely), or there may be damage to the radiator or hood latch (more likely). The tow truck driver was kind enough to drive me home and on the way we discovered that he grew up with and knew my husband's nephews. I swear! I can always find some connection with everyone I meet!
Anyways, there you have it. The universe is speaking to me. It has spoken twice, now. I am not supposed to be the owner of a white Oldsmobile Alero. I need to let it go and go find the car I'm supposed to be driving.
Wish me luck.
P.S. My head, neck, and shoulders are starting to bother me. I'd best go see the doctor tomorrow. Boo.
P.P.S. My car doesn't look all that bad for such a traumatic incident. You wouldn't know from looking at this that it ripped a side panel clean off a minivan, would you?
Helena's New Bed
Here is a picture of Helena's new bed. Someday, this will be a guest room. I'm still on the look out for the perfect nightstands, dresser, and bench/chaise to complete the room. For now, though, she is definitely the most spoiled girl out there!
Spring Break 2012
Sorry it has been so long since I posted on here. I have had several ideas about what to write about, but the moment has always passed me by and I miss my opportunity to record my thoughts.
There is lots to talk about, but I'm not sure how much of it I want to share. Parenting is never easy, and there are times when it is downright painfully difficult. We have had some difficult days around here, dealing with teens and school. I'd like to vent, but I don't think it is very productive and may, in fact, do more harm than good. We are in the home stretch now, with only 4 weeks remaining in the school year, so I think it will be best if I just hunker down and battle through to the end with a stiff upper lip and minimal commentary. Someday, when it is all safely in the past and can be laughed about, I'll share the ups and downs of getting teens through their high school years.
In the meantime, let's talk about Spring Break!
Originally, I had planned to take the family on a Mexican cruise for spring break this year. Unfortunately, finances weren't in line for that, so we didn't go. It turned out to probably be a good thing, because this year the cruise lines closed some of the Mexican ports for safety reasons and tried to compensate by adding a US port to the itinerary. Pfft. Who wants a US port? No thanks. Maybe we can do a cruise next year and, who knows? Maybe the ports will be back up by then.
So, we had a staycation. Most of the vacation was pretty lame, really. I spent half of it on getting the taxes done. Yippee. At least we are getting a refund this year. Last year we owed taxes. I was so stressed that we might owe again that I kept putting off the taxes, afraid of what I might discover. So it was a huge relief to discover that we didn't owe after all.
Matt was on leave and spent it up in Idaho trying to find a job and a place to live when he gets out of the Marines in a few months. We had hoped he could stop by here for at least a weekend. We didn't have a spare bed, though, and that bothered me. So, we upgraded Helena's bed to a queen size (her room will become my guest room someday when she moves out), and put her twin bed in the spare room for Matt. You'd think the spare room would be the guest room, but it will become part of the master suite in the remodel, part 2.
So, we were all set up for Matt to arrive, when he sent word that he wasn't able to come, after all. We invited him to Helena's graduation in May, so I hope he can come then.
Our one day of fun spring vacation happened on Thursday. Megan came over and joined us for a family fun day up in Salt Lake City. We went to the new City Creek Center. It is a big, fancy mall. Most of the stores were outrageously expensive. Still, the building itself was pretty impressive, and we all had a good time doing a whole lot of nothing.
The rest of Spring Break was spent at home, just relaxing, sleeping in, and enjoying the time off. To be honest, I don't even remember anymore what we did, because I didn't write it down right away. That is what happens when you let the stresses of life take over. Things fall through the cracks, including memories. :(
There is lots to talk about, but I'm not sure how much of it I want to share. Parenting is never easy, and there are times when it is downright painfully difficult. We have had some difficult days around here, dealing with teens and school. I'd like to vent, but I don't think it is very productive and may, in fact, do more harm than good. We are in the home stretch now, with only 4 weeks remaining in the school year, so I think it will be best if I just hunker down and battle through to the end with a stiff upper lip and minimal commentary. Someday, when it is all safely in the past and can be laughed about, I'll share the ups and downs of getting teens through their high school years.
In the meantime, let's talk about Spring Break!
Originally, I had planned to take the family on a Mexican cruise for spring break this year. Unfortunately, finances weren't in line for that, so we didn't go. It turned out to probably be a good thing, because this year the cruise lines closed some of the Mexican ports for safety reasons and tried to compensate by adding a US port to the itinerary. Pfft. Who wants a US port? No thanks. Maybe we can do a cruise next year and, who knows? Maybe the ports will be back up by then.
So, we had a staycation. Most of the vacation was pretty lame, really. I spent half of it on getting the taxes done. Yippee. At least we are getting a refund this year. Last year we owed taxes. I was so stressed that we might owe again that I kept putting off the taxes, afraid of what I might discover. So it was a huge relief to discover that we didn't owe after all.
Matt was on leave and spent it up in Idaho trying to find a job and a place to live when he gets out of the Marines in a few months. We had hoped he could stop by here for at least a weekend. We didn't have a spare bed, though, and that bothered me. So, we upgraded Helena's bed to a queen size (her room will become my guest room someday when she moves out), and put her twin bed in the spare room for Matt. You'd think the spare room would be the guest room, but it will become part of the master suite in the remodel, part 2.
So, we were all set up for Matt to arrive, when he sent word that he wasn't able to come, after all. We invited him to Helena's graduation in May, so I hope he can come then.
Our one day of fun spring vacation happened on Thursday. Megan came over and joined us for a family fun day up in Salt Lake City. We went to the new City Creek Center. It is a big, fancy mall. Most of the stores were outrageously expensive. Still, the building itself was pretty impressive, and we all had a good time doing a whole lot of nothing.
The rest of Spring Break was spent at home, just relaxing, sleeping in, and enjoying the time off. To be honest, I don't even remember anymore what we did, because I didn't write it down right away. That is what happens when you let the stresses of life take over. Things fall through the cracks, including memories. :(
On April 22nd, we went on a family hike up a trail called Big Springs. It was NOT a big spring. Still, it was a fun time for the whole family, and a beautiful, warm day. It was approximately 6 miles round trip. After we were done, we were all starving, so we enjoyed a lunch out, too! At Rubio's, of course!
Right before getting in the car, Helena decided to try the only deep spot in the stream. She said it was COLD!
IT Band Troubles
I've gone my whole life without knowing what an IT band is, or that I even have one (two, in fact). That is, until my knee started hurting at the end of my 11 mile run today. I started limping pretty badly.
An IT band (iliotibial band) is a tendon on the outside of your thighs connecting the hip bone to the shin bone. It is one long, stretchy ligament. When running or walking, it slides across and over the knee. Overuse (through long distance running, for instance) can cause the IT band to get inflamed from too much rubbing across the knee. So, even though the tendon is all along the side of the thigh, it is the part just next to the knee cap that is giving me pain.
I've read up on everything I can about this condition. I immediately started RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) and Bill is going to go get me a foam roller used for massaging the IT band to help stretch it out. From my reading, it also sounds like I could be doing some hip abductor weights to strengthen the laterally moving muscles of my legs (a preventative measure). I'll have to spend the next week doing cross training (swim mostly) to give it a rest and time to heal. And, I'm going to have to search out new running routes that don't keep me on the sloped sides of roads. It is the slope of the road that is killing my knee. The leg on the downward side of the road bows inward slightly to compensate, and that is what is causing the aggravation to my knee.
So phooey and double phooey!
But it sure was a nice day for a run.
An IT band (iliotibial band) is a tendon on the outside of your thighs connecting the hip bone to the shin bone. It is one long, stretchy ligament. When running or walking, it slides across and over the knee. Overuse (through long distance running, for instance) can cause the IT band to get inflamed from too much rubbing across the knee. So, even though the tendon is all along the side of the thigh, it is the part just next to the knee cap that is giving me pain.
I've read up on everything I can about this condition. I immediately started RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) and Bill is going to go get me a foam roller used for massaging the IT band to help stretch it out. From my reading, it also sounds like I could be doing some hip abductor weights to strengthen the laterally moving muscles of my legs (a preventative measure). I'll have to spend the next week doing cross training (swim mostly) to give it a rest and time to heal. And, I'm going to have to search out new running routes that don't keep me on the sloped sides of roads. It is the slope of the road that is killing my knee. The leg on the downward side of the road bows inward slightly to compensate, and that is what is causing the aggravation to my knee.
So phooey and double phooey!
But it sure was a nice day for a run.
The Republican Caucus
There is a place on facebook where you can list your interests. One of the areas to fill out is "Politics". My answer?
I avoid it.
I know. Bad, bad. This is a country that is supposed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people. And if the people don't participate in the system, it stops being by the people and bad stuff happens. I get it.
But let me tell you, I live in such a homogeneous neighborhood that I could shout myself blue in the face and it wouldn't amount to a thing. Not that I feel like shouting. I am more liberal than most of my neighbors, but still on the conservative end of the spectrum. I am actually a registered Republican, if you can believe that. I can't remember why that is.
The truth is, my voice doesn't count for anything here. And I'm mostly okay with that.
So, you might be wondering what in the world would entice me to attend my neighborhood caucus meeting tonight.
Two of Helena's teachers are offering extra credit to seniors over 18 who attend the caucus and report about it...
...and Helena had to work tonight.
So, while I might avoid politics, I am willing to take a bullet for one of my kids and show up to video portions of it for her so she can write up the extra credit report.
Hopefully I can make up for my apathy as a citizen by being an excellent mom?
Anyways, the caucus for all the districts in town were held at the high school. I arrived a tad late, and discovered that I would have to park a couple of blocks away from the school and hike in. It took me a bit of research to figure out which district I'm currently in (due to redistricting, we've been in 3 different districts in the 12 years we've lived in this house). I'm in AF09, now, which was being held in the south side of the cafeteria... while AF06 was being held simultaneously in the north side of the same room! Oi! It was hot, crowded, and noisy in there! I figured I'd missed the prayer and the pledge, but they hadn't even gotten started yet. Since I'm a registered republican, I was given a slip of paper that stated I was an accredited something-something that gave me a right to nominate people, run for office (thanks, but NO!!!), and vote.
I won't bore you with a blow by blow of the hour and a half that I actually stuck around and participated. They were nowhere near done when I bailed. But, while I was there, I got to participate in putting a friend and neighbor in as our committee chair (or head honcho, or whatever the heck you call the person who represents the rest of us at the next level). It felt good to personally know the person who is going to speak for me as a delegate. And the whole thing felt very grass roots. The epitome of grass roots, in fact. The three people nominated each took a turn speaking for 2 minutes and fielding questions from us about political stuff. Only one of the three seemed out of touch and unprepared. Our votes were hand written on slips of paper, collected in a shoe box, and tallied the old fashioned way off in the corner. My friend and neighbor, Reese Day, won the majority in a single round of voting. (Well done, Reese! Congratulations!) The other nominee who seemed intelligently prepared ended up being voted in as the vice chair.
I got some video for Helena to use in writing up her report tonight, but even better, I can now say that I have officially done my civic duty as an American! It was more interesting than I thought it would be, and I'm glad I went. Huzzah.
I avoid it.
I know. Bad, bad. This is a country that is supposed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people. And if the people don't participate in the system, it stops being by the people and bad stuff happens. I get it.
But let me tell you, I live in such a homogeneous neighborhood that I could shout myself blue in the face and it wouldn't amount to a thing. Not that I feel like shouting. I am more liberal than most of my neighbors, but still on the conservative end of the spectrum. I am actually a registered Republican, if you can believe that. I can't remember why that is.
The truth is, my voice doesn't count for anything here. And I'm mostly okay with that.
So, you might be wondering what in the world would entice me to attend my neighborhood caucus meeting tonight.
Two of Helena's teachers are offering extra credit to seniors over 18 who attend the caucus and report about it...
...and Helena had to work tonight.
So, while I might avoid politics, I am willing to take a bullet for one of my kids and show up to video portions of it for her so she can write up the extra credit report.
Hopefully I can make up for my apathy as a citizen by being an excellent mom?
Anyways, the caucus for all the districts in town were held at the high school. I arrived a tad late, and discovered that I would have to park a couple of blocks away from the school and hike in. It took me a bit of research to figure out which district I'm currently in (due to redistricting, we've been in 3 different districts in the 12 years we've lived in this house). I'm in AF09, now, which was being held in the south side of the cafeteria... while AF06 was being held simultaneously in the north side of the same room! Oi! It was hot, crowded, and noisy in there! I figured I'd missed the prayer and the pledge, but they hadn't even gotten started yet. Since I'm a registered republican, I was given a slip of paper that stated I was an accredited something-something that gave me a right to nominate people, run for office (thanks, but NO!!!), and vote.
I won't bore you with a blow by blow of the hour and a half that I actually stuck around and participated. They were nowhere near done when I bailed. But, while I was there, I got to participate in putting a friend and neighbor in as our committee chair (or head honcho, or whatever the heck you call the person who represents the rest of us at the next level). It felt good to personally know the person who is going to speak for me as a delegate. And the whole thing felt very grass roots. The epitome of grass roots, in fact. The three people nominated each took a turn speaking for 2 minutes and fielding questions from us about political stuff. Only one of the three seemed out of touch and unprepared. Our votes were hand written on slips of paper, collected in a shoe box, and tallied the old fashioned way off in the corner. My friend and neighbor, Reese Day, won the majority in a single round of voting. (Well done, Reese! Congratulations!) The other nominee who seemed intelligently prepared ended up being voted in as the vice chair.
I got some video for Helena to use in writing up her report tonight, but even better, I can now say that I have officially done my civic duty as an American! It was more interesting than I thought it would be, and I'm glad I went. Huzzah.
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