Sara Goes to the Capitol

I guess after today you can officially call me an activist. With Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, I went to the Arizona State Capitol for Lobby Day as a gun violence prevention advocate. There were nearly one hundred of us in attendance and it was--hopefully--a productive event as we met with our representatives and senators to encourage them to vote no to four dangerously ridiculous gun bills.

As part of the organizational team, I was a greeter. I stood outside the old Capitol building as people arrived and pointed them in the right direction to our registration table. I also smiled at everyone else who passed by, even the two men proudly openly carrying their weapons in their holsters who so clearly wanted to rattle me. They went inside and walked around the museum next to fourth graders on a field trip. And according to Arizona law, that is acceptable and perfectly fine. I guess they were "good guys with guns," but you know that one never can tell. They weren't wearing white hats or anything, just smug faces.

me at my greeter post outside the Capitol

Once everyone arrived, we were trained on how to speak effectively with our legislators and given packets to share with the representatives and senators from our respective legislative districts. My district was represented by me, my friend Susanne, and a former Methodist reverend. Unfortunately, our senator never responded to Moms Demand Action's request to meet, and one of our representatives had cancelled our noon meeting. We did, however, have a meeting scheduled with our other representative at 1:00. So we prepared our discussion, who was going to say or ask what, had lunch, and then headed to the House.

When we announced our arrival to the attendant, Rep. Mesnard (who has a 93% NRA approval rating) was not able to meet with us after all as he had been called into a budget meeting. How convenient for him; how inconvenient for me. I'd taken the day off from work and driven to Phoenix fully expecting to be able to share my concerns with the people who make important decisions regarding the safety of my family and me.

Oh, Sara. How naive. How naive! I could say it was a wasted day, but it was honestly a reality check.

You only get to meet with your representatives and senators if you're lucky or if they're in a good mood or if they want to meet with you or if you come from an organization that pays them a lot of money or if the stars are aligned just perfectly...or maybe there is no rhyme or reason. Appointments mean nothing at the Capitol. Who knew? More important--who is voting for these inconsiderate people? Not me. However, one owns our favorite Italian restaurant. Correction: our former favorite Italian restaurant. Not only does no one ever answer his office phone (callers always must leave a message), but he consistently votes yes on nonsensical bills like allowing concealed weapons in public buildings (such as libraries) unless they have metal detectors (like his comfy office at the Capitol). You protect yourself, Jeff Weninger, but care not at all about your constituents' safety. That's hypocrisy at its worst.

Though I didn't get to speak today, I left strongly worded letters for all three of those men for whom I've never voted.

Despite my disappointment at not getting to talk to them in person, I am still glad I went. If anything, maybe by sharing my experience with other average people just like me who believe politicians really do listen to the people they are paid to represent, I'll be able to wake up more voters. It doesn't have to feel like such a lost cause. If more people understand how corrupt and irresponsible these people in office are--and I think people are starting to wake up to this lately--we can fix so many issues. At the very least, we could collectively start steering our state in the right direction. It starts with voting-in the correct people, and so many of these people are so wrong.

Dream Beneath a Desert Sky

A few weeks ago, in anticipation of our trip to Joshua Tree, I pulled out this album from our CD collection. I tried to play it while I cleaned the house, but we recently got rid of our DVD player because the XBox plays discs and Brian was trying to clean up the cabinet. Shockingly, I don't know how to use the XBox, couldn't figure it out after five minutes, and I gave up. But we did listen to this U2 album on our trip there, while we were there, and on the way home. As a matter of fact, the CD has moved to my car now, and I'm still enjoying it.

This music is from 1987. 1987! The tracks don't scream of 80's music, and they're as good today as they were back then. This thirty-year-old music is timeless, and this album is a classic. Everyone knows the first three songs, but other than "The Streets Have No Name," those aren't really my favorites. "Trip through Your Wires" is one I repeat often, but "In God's Country" made driving past those weird Joshua trees in the desert just a little more magical. Take three minutes from your day to throw it back to 1987. You'll be glad you did.

Burning Questions

I've been struggling lately with wanting to be fit versus wanting to be happy. It's kind of like asking myself this:

You mean I can't get half and half? Bummer. Soft then.

After our run at the park yesterday, Aimee and I did about ten minutes worth of arm work with weights while Jessica literally ran the extra mile. Today I'm really feeling those ten minutes, however I'm feeling it in my lower back, not my arms. This evening I'm asking myself this:

Do I want toned arms or do I want a back that doesn't ache? 

Again, I'm wondering why I can't have both.

Life. It really isn't fair, huh?

Road Trip!

Road travel is my preferred method of getting somewhere. Oh sure, air travel is quick and efficient, but I sincerely dislike crowded airports and their constantly increasing, yet fruitless, attempts to be more secure. Then flying through the air six miles above the ground in a metal tube with 200 strangers and their germs is never my idea of a good time. Don't even get me started on the airlines. If I had an arch-enemy, it would be them. I hate depending on them and having to pay their exorbitant fares just to see my loved ones across the country.

Those are all hassles, but the worst thing about air travel is the feeling that you haven't really traveled at all. Maybe it's my upbringing. We'd go on family vacations to Florida or North Carolina in our VW camper, and it would take two days to get there.

This isn't ours, but it looks a lot like it, right down to the color. My father is convinced our family excursions in our camper when I was younger are what draws me to Airstreaming now. He may be on to something.

When your parents are teachers, summer vacations don't need to be rushed. We didn't mind the long trips. My brother slept the whole way, and I looked out the window and at our road atlas. We all listened to Dad's music on cassette tapes and ate snacks. Mom's turn to drive would come, and the thunderstorms or construction traffic would appear out of nowhere. Okay, maybe that last part wasn't so great. The point is, it really felt like we went somewhere because it took us so long to get there. 

I hadn't flown in an airplane until I was sixteen and went to Disney World with my high school marching band. We arrived in Orlando from Pittsburgh after about three hours, and as I walked around the theme park I remember repeatedly thinking I couldn't possibly be in Florida after a three-hour ride. It was surreal. Worse, I saw nothing but clouds on the way there, so it felt like I had missed everything in between. Because I had.

I enjoy being on the road. I still like looking out the window, reading the signs, and following our movement from city to city on a map. I think it's just one more example of how I was born in the wrong time period. 

A Woman Obsessed

I admit that I have an obsessive personality. It's really a wonder that I haven't ever become a victim of addiction. Thank goodness my parents were very good at parenting by telling me when I was eleven that if I did any drug just once I "could be allergic to it and die." Guess that's a good way to play it; I'll have to try it. Anyway, I am that college roommate that drives you crazy by playing the same CD repeatedly. I'm that lady who got tennis elbow from playing her new guitar for three hours a day. And I ran 26.2 miles because I loved running so much. The good news is, once I get sick of the music, get hurt from strumming, or am exhausted from running, I refocus my efforts on something new. I find something else to obsess over.

Right now, I'm focusing on family vacations in the Airstream. Although all my research is done online, I recently picked up this book at the library.

The first page I turned to was about Joshua Tree National Park. I was validated. My work leading up to our trip allowed us to see all the highlights the park had to offer for the season in which we visited. We didn't miss anything. We accomplished it all!

So I'm continuing my work for our Grand Canyon trip in June. Brian has a mountain bike race in Flagstaff on the first Saturday of that month, so I suggested we leave a few days early and spend them at the Grand Canyon. It's only about and hour and a half north of Flagstaff, so this would be the perfect opportunity for the kids to finally see the canyon and add another patch to our collection. Not to mention, it would be a nice two days in another one of our nation's greatest parks. So I have it all planned out, and we're looking forward to that getaway.

The only thing is that isn't until June. June! It's a bit depressing to think we might not get out there before then, but these next two months are pretty loaded. Which leads to an unexpected result of Airstream ownership--the At-Home Blues. It's not like I feel trapped, but I'm loving our house a little less. I mean, I can clean the Airstream from top to bottom in about an hour. I even washed the outside of it in under two hours last week. Cleaning my house takes significantly longer, and it's deflating when the kids undo my efforts in five minutes after returning home from school. I really do want to chuck everything and live in the Airstream. But homeschooling is enough of a deterrent right now, and Brian doesn't really have the kind of career that can be done on the road. So those two things are keeping us grounded, and sometimes we kind of do feel like we're grounded.

It's just that it's so nice to be "out there." So I'll continue my work to figure out how best to maximize our time at the five parks we plan to visit the rest of the year with my usual gusto and zeal. It's my latest obsession.

Speaking Up, Speaking Out

I've gotten better at this later in life. Actually, I haven't decided for sure whether that's a good thing. I don't complain just to complain but, lately, when I find something is upsetting or wrong or unethical in some way, I feel a strong desire to say something. And when a situation arises that is so clearly not right and there's nothing but silence among us, I feel like it's a duty. I don't really want to do this but if no one else is saying anything, then I guess it's up to me.

Take last night, for example. I went to the PTO meeting at Matthew's school. They're organizing a fun run to raise money. The students gather pledges for laps they run at the event next week, while in the meantime there are school-wide character-building lessons related to sports and physical activity. I'm all for fitness and fostering good character in our children, so you might ask what I find so upsetting.

When they first brought up this idea in a meeting in November, I was fine with it. Our school had done something similar a few years back, and it was extremely well-received and highly successful. It was one of the best fundraisers we'd ever had, and I was all for doing it again. My enthusiasm was kicked down a notch, however, when one of the PTO co-presidents said they were going to try to get the Arizona Cardinals cheerleaders to come to the fun run. My first thought was that is not appropriate. I said nothing though because my second thought, at the time, was that the Cardinals were going to be Super Bowl Champions so the last place those cheerleaders would be in March is at our elementary school. Well, the Super Bowl thing didn't work out, so I guess the cheerleaders are free next week. And they're coming.

Last night, when they asked if we had any questions about the fun run, I paused, waited for someone else to ask it, and then finally raised my hand and said, "I know what I sound like when I ask this but I can't be the only one wondering, so I'll sacrifice myself. It's very exciting that someone from the Cardinals organization will be here, but will the cheerleaders be wearing their game-day outfits or something appropriate for an elementary school?" Then one of the co-presidents said, "They will be wearing what they always wear."

I held my tongue instead of exclaiming, "Really?! And everyone is perfectly fine with that?!" Instead, I let everyone sit on that for a moment and soon realized many were clearly searching images on their phones for what they might be wearing. There were murmurs like, "I hadn't thought of that" and "Can you imagine the sixth grade boys?" and "What about the dads?" Ew. Ew. Ew.

Here's the thing. If I take my kids to a football game (or basketball game, etc.) and they see it there, it's expected. So I can't say a word and have only myself to blame for exposing them to it. However, to purposefully have young women dressed like that visit a K-6 school in which most students are twelve and under is not acceptable. It should not be acceptable.

My son is in third grade, and this is not on his radar. He will not care at all. I'm certain. He's smack-dab in the middle of the median age of students, so who exactly is this for? Parents? Probably. Well I'm a parent, and I'm unimpressed. Is it for the older kids? Well it shouldn't be. Here's why. Yes, some of the sixth grade boys will react, but that matters not so much to me. What I care about is how those reactions affect their female classmates. We were all twelve once and remember what it was like. Throwing this in their faces isn't kind and supportive and could lead to strong feelings of inadequacy and maybe even unhealthy behaviors if they believe That's what I'm supposed to look like or That's what I must strive for. Granted, influences of this nature that lower girls' self-esteem are nearly everywhere in our culture, but the one place they should not be is at their school. And it definitely should not be put there by a group of parents and teachers. I'm 100% positive the students would much rather see Big Red at their fun run. I know I would rather see him at their school.

I wish I had said all that. Instead, I asked the question and now they're pondering it. Hopefully they are also calling the Cardinals to find out more information on the women's attire. I plan to ask again on Monday or Tuesday to see if they know for sure. I might not get what I want, but I'm not forgetting about it or backing down.

Reincarnated

Thank you to Jimmy Fallon for verifying that I must have been a sea lion in a former life. Unlike me, no one I know has an irrational fear of "air dancers," however a town in Oregon successfully removed sea lions from their docks with those crazy things.

See:  These Sea Lions are Not Fans of Wacky Waving Air Dancers

Sea lions are intelligent animals, the article says. And in a few days I suppose we'll find out if I'm less intelligent than a sea lion. Any bets on that?

Poor Guy

Matthew had a rough evening. He's dreading going to school tomorrow.

I suppose I'd feel the same way after such a fun and exciting spring break. 

Sara Takes the Wheel

Overheard on a recent family vacation:

You see, kids, this is why Mommy and Daddy work. Mommy has high anxiety, and Daddy just doesn't give a care about things. If you put the two of us together, there's a balance.

Coming home from Joshua Tree, we stopped to fuel up the truck outside of Quartzsite, Arizona, and Brian asked if I wanted to drive for a bit. He said I-10 would be an easy drive and would be good practice. He assured me we could pull off and switch again before we made it to Phoenix during rush hour. 

Seeing as I had just finished my sandwich and he hadn't eaten his yet, I agreed. So I got behind the wheel and asked him what I needed to know. He told me to hit the TOW button, take the corners wider than normal, and, "You probably won't even need to turn the steering wheel once you get on the highway." Sounded easy enough, yet with white knuckles I put my hands on the wheel and eased my foot down on the gas pedal.

Yeah, I wasn't relaxed at all. But I did okay. When I wasn't staring straight ahead, I was glancing in my side mirrors to make sure I was centered between the solid white line on my right and the broken white line on my left. Occasionally I'd check my rearview mirror only to be terrifyingly reminded that all I could see is the black front windows of the Airstream. I followed a slow truck for quite a while before I could tell Brian thought I should pass it. So I did. Then he said I should pass the next two trucks "while you're over here." So I passed the second one. By then I was about ready to pass out from holding my breath, but I approached the third truck. He must have been going a bit faster or he was bigger or we were closer, I don't know, but I could feel the trailer starting to sway a little. When I instinctively eased off the gas, Brian exclaimed, "No, no. Hold steady on the gas!" I continued with my speed, passed the truck, and then we almost got divorced.

Okay not really, but come on. Isn't that something you would tell a new trailer-towing driver when she got in the truck and asked, "What do I need to know?"

So for the next ten minutes, we went over the rest of the information I needed to know fifteen minutes ago. And somewhere in there was the quote about anxiety levels canceling each other out. Then I carried on and waited for the moment when we could switch drivers.

Only that moment never came because before I knew it, we were in the middle of this.

It was 4:30 pm in Phoenix, and I was towing the Airstream. It was rough around The Stack. It got pretty hairy at the Broadway Curve. I clutched the wheel, checked my mirrors, and continued at the excruciatingly slow stop-and-go pace for more than an hour. Did you know that the last thing most commuters want to be behind is a Sequoia towing an Airstream? It's true, as evidenced by the amount of cars that cut in front of us. I might have grunted "I hate you" several times to either those drivers or my husband (one can't really tell), but the fact of the matter is that I drove the truck towing the Airstream for almost three hours.

There are things in life that scare us, and if we wait around for the perfect time to try them we might never get around to it. So a few days afterwards, knowing that we made it safe and sound, I am grateful that my husband threw me into that stressful situation. I still think he should have given me more helpful directions at the start, but I'm thankful he had enough confidence in me to talk me into literally taking the wheel.

Race Day!

Though Brian worked longer than he had hoped to yesterday, we still managed to get all the way out to White Tank Regional Park before the sun had completely set. We found a good spot that was very close to the start line. It was an exciting location for sure. That's the view out our back window.

Brian had another successful race. He finished 12th out of 33 in his category. He was really hoping for a top-ten finish, but he feels vacation and the lack of gym time this week held him back. I, however, feel it was the 90-degree heat. Holy moly. These things need to start earlier in the day.

Anyway, we thought he did great and were happy to cheer him on.

After his strong start, we met up with him out in the desert between his two loops. We happily found some shade with LeAnn and Mike, even if it was just a sliver.

I could tell he was tired in the middle, but he was really feeling it at the end. He still pushed hard to the finish, though!

It was a tough race on a really hot day, and he still did well. We're proud of him. 

Can't Stay Put

A few nights ago around the campfire, I realized we were already on our seventh Airstream trip.


Me: Wow, guys. This is the seventh time we've camped in the Airstream. Remember when we used to go camping only once a year?

Matthew: Yeah. Now we go twice a week.


What sounds like a nine-year-old's exaggeration is actually truth. This week, anyway. As soon as Brian is able to get away from work this afternoon, we are rolling out on another trip. It's just a one-nighter in the White Tank Mountains on the other side of Phoenix for his mountain bike race, but we are, technically, camping twice this week.

The trailer is packed and ready to go. We're just waiting for our captain.

Living the Dream

We bought the Airstream with the intention to take advantage of "America's Best Idea" and visit as many national parks as we can. Six months into ownership, after a few upgrades, repairs, and trips to allow us to learn our way around this lifestyle, we headed out for our first national park voyage.

We did our research and made as many plans as we could. The most desired campgrounds in Joshua Tree are first-come/first-served, and because the park is very popular in the springtime and it's spring break, we were worried about finding a good spot. For that reason, we woke up at four o'clock on Sunday morning, were on the road by five, and arrived at the Cottonwood Visitor Center shortly after nine o'clock. There we filled up our water tank at Cottonwood Springs Campground, paid our $20 park fee (good for seven days), and headed up the hill towards the Joshua trees.

The park is split into two deserts--the lower Colorado (which is bleak and bland) and the higher Mohave (which is where the Joshua trees and big rocks are). Unless you have never seen a desert before, you may not be impressed when you first enter the park from the south. To us, it was just like home. There were plenty of spots in Cottonwood Springs Campground, but we decided to take our chances and drive 35 miles to the center of the park and try for a spot at Belle, Jumbo Rocks, or Ryan. We were glad we did.

We arrived at Belle (our first choice) about forty-five minutes later, and the sign said it was full. It was just after 10 am, so we were not shy about asking folks if they were leaving that day. Most said no, but one said he was. He added that his friends were also leaving that day and their site would be better for our rig. So we pulled over out of the way and waited for two hours until they gathered their things and left. In the meantime, I filled out our ticket, posted it under theirs, and made sure that everyone else who drove by and asked if they were leaving just kept moving. Once we got set up, we were very happy with our good fortune. Early bird gets the worm, they say, and we had a sprawling site with nearly complete privacy. Score.

We lunched and relaxed while the sun was high, and then we headed out to explore. We went to Hidden Valley and hiked the Barker Dam trail. I thought there would be more water, but maybe this is the dry season. It was still very pretty. It was our first look at the Joshua trees up close and the massive boulders all around this area. The hike was very enjoyable.

The weather has to be just right for Joshua trees to bloom. The last bloom was in 2013.

On the way back to camp, we stopped at the roadside attraction called Skull Rock. It's aptly named, no?

This place was a hit with the kids. And Brian and I loved it, too. We'd never seen anything like it. Boulders and boulders and boulders you could climb on forever. This white tank granite is very rough, so it's easy to get traction and walk or climb. The kids would play there forever if they could!

These sediment lines were incredible. They go on and on, maybe for miles.

We got back to camp in the late afternoon. We relaxed a bit before getting dinner ready, and the kids made friends with this camper from Alaska named Zolton. I think that was his name. Is that the genie in Big? It was something like that.

After dinner, we played cornhole, watched the sun set, and then enjoyed a campfire under a sky abundant with stars. The skies are so dark; the moon was only half full but it lit up the campground so much that you didn't need a flashlight to walk around.

We woke up on Monday and had breakfast outside before heading out on a four-mile hike.

We hiked to the Lost Horse Mine which is down towards Keys View. The geology of this park changes so drastically, and those rocks were much darker in color down there. I suppose I could have read up on why, but it was fine with us to just make a note of it. Anyway, the legend is that Johnny Lang went off into the desert to find his lost horse. We don't know if he found him, but he did find gold and they set up a gold mine in the 1890s. So we went to find it.

When we started seeing rusty equipment, we knew we were close.

It was a long and winding trail over rolling hills with a snow-capped mountain in the distance.

"I'm hungry!"

After our hike, we drove up to Keys View for sweeping views of the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs, and the San Andreas Fault. What?! No one said we were this close to that!

The San Andreas Fault line runs into Brian's right elbow, if you're curious.

When we got back to camp, we had quite a surprise. Joshua Tree is a rock climber's paradise, and a group of three climbers were there to entertain us that afternoon. They were very fun and friendly. They were visiting from the Bay Area and practicing for a trip to Yosemite later in the season. The rock at our campsite is the perfect place to practice slab climbing so that they "don't kill ourselves at Yosemite." Practice all you want, we said!

The climbers inspire.

After the heat of the day was over, we ventured over to the neighboring campground where the trailhead to Arch Rock is located. It isn't exactly Arches National Park, but it was still a cool area for the kids to climb. They really loved doing that.

After sunset yet before our campfire that night, they tried their hand at the climbers' passes. They didn't get as far.

Tuesday morning, we drove north to Twentynine Palms to do the 49 Palms Oasis hike. We stopped at the Oasis Visitors Center on the north end of the park and picked up those Junior Ranger books for the kids to work on. Those things are neat! We all learned a lot more about the park, the plants, and the animals. Plus, the kids had something to work on when it was really sunny in the middle of the day. As you've probably figured out, we did things in the morning and late afternoon. Though the temperatures were in the 70s and the heat wasn't brutal at all, the sun is relentless and there is pretty much no shade out there.

But, back to our hike at 49 Palms Oasis. As we began our hike, a rescue crew was bringing back a hiker who had spent the night out there. I assured the crew that we had plenty of water when they asked. I don't know what that guy did. The trail was well-marked and only three miles round-trip. He must have gone too late and it got dark or he wandered off the trail. Well, I'm glad he was found safe and sound.

I had it in my head that the hike would be downhill at first, but we climbed pretty high and then descended pretty low. So both ways had a hike up and a hike down.

Our first views of the oasis were exciting. So strange to see that big patch of green in the middle of the desolate desert.

We were celebrating the shade!

These beautiful fan palms need a trim badly.

We think that's 29 Palms Marine Base out in the distance. My dad spent two miserable weeks there. "It was the hottest place I'd ever been. I don't have fond memories of that place." We saw the sign but decided to skip it. :)

Our next stop was Coyote Corner to get some showers. We were covered in two full days of desert grime so we happily paid $12 for showers. And they were glorious. Here's me with the keys. No line!

Clean and comfortable, we went to the Joshua Tree Visitors Center on the west side of the park. There we made our souvenir purchases. We hadn't come up with a collection idea yet, but the patch was very cool so we bought one. Perhaps we can hang a national parks tapestry in the Airstream. Or cover a pillow with the patches. I have some research to do on that. In the meantime, we will lovingly look at the Joshua Tree magnet on our home refrigerator. Elizabeth got a stargazing wheel that really came in handy at night, and Matthew got a coyote whom he named Josh. I bet every stuffed animal that comes out of that park is named Josh or Joshua.

We came back into the park through the west entrance. This is the most popular way in because it's the closest to LA. It was also the most scenic ride back to our camp. It's amazing how beautiful Joshua Tree makes the desert look. See for yourself.

It really is no wonder this is such a popular place for rock climbers.

Meanwhile back at our camp, this is how the middle of the day goes....

When it was time for our second excursion of the day, we visited Ryan Ranch. It's some ruins from an old cattle ranch. The trailhead was at the Ryan Campground.

Our next stop was the Hall of Horrors. I hadn't heard of it, but there was a sign along the road in the park and after passing it quite a few times we wanted to check it out. The ranger at the visitors center said it was a cluster of rocks that has "hallways" you can walk through. It's obviously a great place for rock climbers, and the trail signs mark different passes. As we arrived, some climbers had just finished The Exorcist. Hmmm. Sounds like a nightmare; I bet that one's hard. Anyway, we just kept walking until Elizabeth said she wanted to climb some rocks. So she did.

And then she found this.

Pretty sure that was the Hall of Horrors. It wasn't even marked! Elizabeth gets an A for orienteering. The rest of the hike was just beautiful because it was early evening and the sun was beginning to get low.

We saw lots of these. Love them.

On our last morning in the park, Matthew stole the camera and got some nice candid shots as we were packing up.

One of the most fun things to do on these trips is to meet new people and hear their stories. We saw this Heffalump the day before, and right before we were getting ready to leave I saw it around the corner from our site. Matthew was ecstatic! Joe and Stacey wander around in that awesome thing. They are the coolest and we found their blog when we got home last night. We are their newest fans.

Our last stop on our way out was the visitors center so the kids could officially earn their Junior Ranger badges. One more cool thing to collect at the national parks.

If you've made it this far, you are dedicated! This was one awesome trip, and it was the perfect way to begin our national parks adventure.We're already looking forward to the Grand Canyon in May, Sequoia/Kings Canyon in June, and Zion and Bryce Canyon in October.

We can't wait to get on the road again.