Mini Meltdowns

Wednesday, I spent some time with my best friend Solange, and her daughter (my goddaughter) Caity. Caity is three and mostly hilarious. She is also currently hooked on the TV show "Go Diego Go". When told that tv time was over and she needed to have some play time, I witnessed Caity totally melt down over a Cartoon. She is generally an even tempered three year old, and I was surprised to see her totally melt down over something so minuscule. She worked herself into such a fit that she was crawling along the hallway with her forehead pushed to the floor, sobbing with her face upside down. Solange and I tried our best but we couldn't stop laughing. And then, as suddenly as the fit came about, she was done. She realized that mom wasn't going to give in, and flipped the switch off, obviously feeling much better for expending the emotional energy. I remember thinking that I still have moments where I'm metaphorically crawling, pushing my forehead on the floor and sobbing great upside down tears. In fact, I think that every female I know has experienced that - where it's not the TV show itself that is the cause of the emotional stress, but just the trigger. That last thing that pushes us off the emotional cliff. And once you've irrationally sobbed it all out, you feel recharged and present, free of whatever it was that was sitting so heavily on your chest.

So, of course, I had a similar moment of my own the very next day. Jason, Indy and I went to hike in Griffith Park here in LA. After climbing straight up for an hour, I just didn't want to go any further. I could not make myself take any more steps up. And then the tears came. And the wallowing. And the metaphorical forehead on the floor. It wasn't the climb that I was upset about. The physical exhaustion just opened the door for my pent up emotional junk to pour out. And when the tears were finished, and people were no longer giving me strange looks, and we had started back down the trail, I felt refreshed and ready to go. I'm still not sure what the tears were really about, but my subconscious mind isn't nagging at me anymore. Everything feels like I've worked it all out, whatever "it" was.

And it turns out that the moments of insensible tears are really as cathartic as I believed them to be, although my husband is still baffled.

Don't Be an A-Hole

On Thursday, Jason and I flew back to LA from Orlando. For most people, flying into LA means a trip through the nightmare that is LAX. We were no exception. I've been flying in and out of LAX my entire life, and it has just gotten crazier and crazier.

If you've been through LAX, you know what I mean. There's something about that airport, and the "go, go, go" pace of the city that combine to make it the most likely place to encounter (excuse my language) an asshole. More often than not, you'll encounter several of them.

We woke up at 5:45am East Coast time, which means it was 2:45am Pacific Coast time. I ate a quick breakfast before we left for the airport, and Jason got a little something to eat at the airport. Since you now have to purchase any food (overpriced, yucky, and most likely containing hidden gluten) on board flights these days, I had thrown a bag of nuts and a bag of dried fruit in my purse for the flight.

Still, we arrived in LA at 11am (2pm Eastern time) having not eaten more than some nuts and dried fruit for 8 hours. If you know me well, you know that I deteriorate into devil mode very quickly when I get hungry, and courtesy of my speedy metabolism, I get hungry every three hours. :( Recipe for disaster if you ask me.

Knowing this about myself, I was trying - VALIANTLY - to avoid being an asshole. I didn't succeed. Which sent Jason into asshole mode. And we encountered several other assholes on our way out of the airport to be picked up by my sister, Kelli, resulting in all kinds of interesting encounters.

By the time Kelli picked us up, we were both deep in the mode, and trying desperately NOT to be assholes. It was kind of like some bad joke. You know, "Two assholes walk into a bar..." Our brave attempt at avoiding jerk-dom didn't quite work.

Poor Kelli. She braves LAX only to pick up two total jerks, trying not to be jerks and making things worse every second.

We decided to pass on taking Kelli to a thank-you lunch (she is forever picking us up at the airport), and reschedule it for another day instead. When we aren't being a-holes.

Instead we had lunch just the two of us, neither talking because we're desperately afraid of starting a massive fight. And then we went to our own corners for several hours until we were feeling sane, and rested and happy and ready to apologize for our behavior.

Moral of the story? Don't be an a-hole. Especially when you're flying through LAX.

Carlsbad Caverns

Last Tuesday we took a few hours out of our cross-country drive to FINALLY (we've been meaning to stop there, every trip) stop at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.

It's such a different National Park experience because, well, the whole park is underground! We arrived too late to go on one of the very cool ranger-led tours deep into the caverns. They wear spelunking gear, and helmets with flashlights... the whole nine yards. BUT we were able to take the elevator down 800 feet into the Earth and explore the Great Room.

It was so freaking spectacular. You must go there in your lifetime. GO. Jason was so inspired, taking a million photos - he's been working on editing them, so hopefully you'll see a post from him soon.

The photos below are OBVIOUSLY mine and slightly blurry. Sorry. I'm not a photographer. But I married a real one - one with a master's degree and everything! I always learn so much from watching him shoot, and am fascinated by the way his eyes see light, framing... all the technical elements he learned with his very expensive education.

Still, blurry photos and all, here's Carlsbad Caverns from my perspective, blurry because I was shooting without a flash. Which, by the way, you should do if you ever go in there. Don't be one of those obnoxious idiots who's constantly using your flash in the caverns. Not only does it absolutely annoy everyone around you, it blows out your images and disrupts the color. Stupid flashers. :)

So what are you waiting for? Get there!

Okay, you caught me... I was a flasher ONE TIME, for this photo only, and to piss off the flasher who was following us through the caverns and making me angry.

Mom's Treasure Box

Last week, in the pouring rain, we schlepped the rest of our earthly possessions out of their storage unit prison and into a moving van for a trip across the United States.

In addition to everything in our storage unit, we were taking all of the things we'd been storing at my parents house as well. These were the last things into the truck. The very last was an obnoxious orange tub, which my mom told me was, "Full of your crap." The "you" in this instance was, in fact, me. I lifted the lid off the tub, saw a jacket that was indeed mine, and shuffled the orange beast off to the truck.

Fast forward one week. We're unpacking into the Orlando home of Jason's parents and Grandma, the home that in the fall will be ours and Grandma's for three and a half years.

As it was when we had loaded the truck, the orange tub was the very last box that needed to be attacked. I put it off because I had labeled it "scary", seeing as to how I had no idea what could possibly be in it.

Imagine my surprise when the box of "crap" I had been dreading yielded a treasure trove.

Below the jacket that was indeed mine, I first found newspaper clippings from the many times my sister Kelli's basketball prowess earned mention in the local paper.

This, of course, led me at first to believe the heinous orange box belonged to my sister.

Upon further examination, the box yielded the "crap" of my mother. And it turns out that the crap was not that at all, but treasure. Treasures that tell the story of a girl, a daughter, a sister, a woman, a wife and a mother. Keepsakes, cards, photos... The story of a half century of life.

There are baby photos of my mom, of my sister, of me. A decade's worth of Valentine's cards from my dad to my mom- still in love after 35 years of marriage. A photo of them from the 70's - so young and so in love. Newspaper clippings - not just featuring my sister, but my mom and her birth father, and others - things that have inspired her throughout the years. A typed eulogy from her brother's funeral. Photos from my Grandma's funeral in 2006. A ceramic handprint dated 1990. Judging from the size of the hand and the year, it must be my sister's.

There are photos of my dad's last lab, Shadow Bear, swimming with her sister Cheyenne. Photos of the family cabin, site of so many happy memories, since burned in a wildfire and swept away in a mudslide. And a small circular patch, labeled West High Physical Fitness, something my mother excelled at and would make her life's work.

I am, of course, returning this treasure box to my mom. But I had such a blast going through it, seeing what was there and finding insight into mom and all her many layers.

Isn't it amazing how every once in a while, junk turns out to be a diamond?

One Year Later

Jason and I were (fittingly) driving across the United States (for the FIFTH time together since October 1) on March 27th, when we realized that one year ago were just getting ready to head off on our big adventure. We had finished packing up our little house in Redondo Beach and moving it all into a storage unit. Then we had one more big to-do with family and friends, before spending the night at my parents house and heading out the next morning.

We knew that we were headed out on a crazy adventure, but had no idea what was truly ahead of us. As I think back on that time of packing and moving - the emotional rollercoaster - all I can think is that had I known how truly incredible the coming year would be, I would not have shed a single tear. For all the emotional difficulty and logistical planning that making a change THAT HUGE brought us, we were paid back 100 times in incredible moments of sheer beauty and fun. It really was the best year of my life.

So, of course, I asked Jason that truly unfair question - "What has been your favorite moment this year?". Jason looked at me like I was insane. Then we began to list off the incredible things we've done this year, and I came to realize that there was no way to choose a specific moment that was the best. Jason and I stepped off the beaten path onto a very unconventional life and have been blessed beyond our greatest imaginings. There are no words to really describe (without sounding boastful) all of the amazing things we've seen and done this year. So, I'll skip trying to be modest and just go for it.

Here's a list of some of the INCREDIBLE things we've done and seen in the last year, with links to the original blog post if you'd like to go back and check it out.

Thanks for following us on the adventure this past year. Here's to the next one, which has already been extraordinary! More on that to follow!

March, 2011 - We arrive at the Hawkeye Ranch to begin seven months of work and fun in one of the most spectacular places on Earth.

April, 2011 - The entire month of April was a month spent recovering from years of workaholism, and finally slowing down and catching up. There's no specific post that covers all of this, but the whole month of April was a time of discovery, both of the ranch and of myself.

May, 2011 - We spent a lot of time in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, but this day in particular was the best day that I can remember having during our summer. One of those shimmering moments where you are so joyful it practically leaks from your nose and ears!

June, 2011 - Jason reads a book on Mountaineering in the Tetons and decides that he is a mountaineer, too.

July, 2011 - Mom and Dad came to the Ranch for a few days to visit, AND I discovered my love for Yoga! PLUS, Jason decided to become Mr. Rodeo!

August, 2011 - Jason went on the Pack Trip that Almost Wasn't, and I got some desperately needed quiet time for rest and relaxation. You should go see some of Jason's photos from that trip. They're awesome! That week was definitely a highlight of both of our times on the ranch.

October, 2011 - We took our first cross-country drive from Wyoming to New Hampshire, and made it to Ann Arbor, Michigan for a MICHIGAN football game (my alma mater!), and then on to see Niagara Falls (a first for both of us!) Then, Jason got to shoot the fall color in New England, and spent two and a half weeks working his way South from Maine and then across the Country to San Francisco. We then packed up everything and headed for Florida!

November, 2011 - We went a-cruising with Jason's familia! First two stops were Nassau and St. Thomas (where I dove on my first shipwreck!), and then on to Puerto Rico and Great Stirrup Cay. What a fun way to unwind from a summer of crazy hard work! We then flew across the country to LA to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

December, 2011 - I got to carol. A LOT. Which was such a blessing since I love caroling SOOOOO much! I also got to spend a ton of time with friends and family, catching up. We spent Christmas in LA with my family and then drove BACK across the US to Florida!

January, 2012 - January was truly OUTRAGEOUS. We arrived back in Florida in time to get on another cruise ship, this time for Aunt Irene's 80th birthday extravaganza! We had a BLAST - this time visiting Honduras, Belize and Mexico. Later in the month, we drove up to Atlanta to spend a few days with Tommy, Deborah, Lara and Daniel before flying to South Africa. It was so much fun! Then, we flew across the world to South Africa, spending two incredible weeks visiting with my friend Steph, exploring Cape Town and South Africa's wine country, and volunteering at Bridges Academy.

February, 2012 - We arrived back in Florida by way of South Africa and Atlanta, and mustered our courage to go on YET ANOTHER incredible vacation. What did we do? Spend a week DIVING in the Bahamas! Tough life, I know, but someone's got to do it!

Which brings us to February, and since it's the last day of the month, let me just tell you that March has been another doozy, too. I have a lot to catch you up on - our adventure continues to crank along, but that's for another blog post.

So for now, let me just say how grateful I am for the year we've had, and how excited I am for the year to come!

March Madness

OH MAN! Do I have some work to do to get you up to speed!

We came back from the Bahamas on February 22 and have been in a whirlwind for the month since then. For those of you who blog, you know how life gets crazy and then the recaps just seem so overwhelming? That's what's happened here. Seriously. It's been nuts!

So, here's the quick and dirty recap of what our version of "March Madness" has looked like:

Disney days with Lara and Deborah!
Jason's Aunt Deborah and cuz Lara flew into Orlando for some much needed fun. What's the best fun to be had in Orlando? DISNEYWORLD, of COURSE! And what's the best way to end a day at Disneyworld? Drinking Margaritas in Mexico at Epcot!

Catherine and G'ma Joyce prepare to flex their Toy Story Muscles!

Ready for the new Star Tours in our rainbow 3D glasses! Deborah, Lara, G'ma Joyce and I.

Driving BACK across the United States
Yes. We drove across the United States for the fourth time in as many months. We planned to take our time - do it in four days, stop along the way - but the weather was so terrible, we were forced to push through it. Pouring rain for the ENTIRE first day. Rain for the first half of Day 2, and then gale force winds and tornado warnings for the rest of day 2. Wake up to snow on Day 3 and freezing temperatures across New Mexico and Arizona. It was a long drive, with Indy unhappily sighing his discontent the whole way. At least until we pulled into my parents neighborhood, when he realized he was going to his girlfriend Sierra's house!

Stormy weather in Louisiana.

Arizona's Painted Desert.

Weekend in the Sierra Nevadas
We spent a day in LA and then headed up to the Sierras (confusing, I know, since it's also the name of my parents dog) for a weekend with my parents, and their friends Jerry and Lisa. Lots of campfires and stars. :)

Jason heads back to the Ranch
We got back to LA in time for Jason to drive the photo truck back to Wyoming for ten days of work. That left me footloose and fancy free to have fun (lots of f's there!) in LA with friends and family (seriously! That's 6 f's in a sentence!). And have fun, I did. Although I missed Jason like crazy! (He's back now! YAY!)

Brandon and Ariel's wedding
My longtime student (now adult) Brandon, married his love Ariel (also a former student of mine) in a SURPRISE ceremony in Pacific Palisades. She knew she was getting married, just thought it was a different venue. Ariel was a VERY good sport about it! AND they have a precious baby girl on the way! HOORAY! It is strange, though. I started teaching Brandon when he was 10. Now he's 21 and married with a child on the way. Makes me feel my age a little. The wedding was a blast, though, and I had a great time visiting with lots of good friends!

Pastor Chris marries Ariel and Brandon in a wonderful ceremony.

L to R: Travis, Jen, Tom, Tiff, Debbie, Nancy (Mother of the Groom!), Hedy, Colt, Me

Colt dips his brother Travis. Such sweet brotherly love.

TIFF! I hadn't seen this girl since my own wedding and have missed her like CRAZY. SO GOOD to reconnect with her!

Excited Faces! Jen and I snap a photo with the groom!

Disney Day with the Bride to Be!
Helped Jen finish her save the dates for her wedding this summer and then spent Saturday with Jen, Marissa, Becca and Nessie at Disney having a blast!!!!! Can't believe I didn't snap a single photo. LAME.

It's a BOY!
My best friend Solange and her awesome husband Nik are pregnant with Baby #2, and it's a BOY! Could not be more excited for them! Go see their blog post for photos and video of their awesome baby reveal party!

The kidnapping of Nancy
My dear friend Nancy has had a crazy couple of months. So crazy that she found out on the SAME DAY that her husband has cancer, and that her youngest child had a baby on the way and was getting married. On the SAME DAY. So Cindy and I decided that she needed a night of fun, friends, food (there go the f's again!) and wine. Lots and lots of wine. We successfully kidnapped her and had a great night with friends at Tiff's amazing apartment in Manhattan Beach. So much fun!!!!!

Successful kidnap! L to R: Me, Jen, Nancy, Cindy, Hedy

The view from Tiff's balcony with lovely ladies to match. L to R: Cindy, Hedy, Tiff, Me, Jen

Getting my gardening fix!
I've been blessed to get to spend some of my days playing with Spring flowers. I've been working on redoing all of moms flower displays, and helped my sis Kelli redo hers as well!

All of which has just worn Indy right out.
Good thing he has his snuggle bunnies for comfort.

Bahama Mama

So, this post is a little overdue. As one of our last vacation adventures, Jason and I were blessed to spend 8 days on New Providence Island (where Nassau is) in the Bahamas, diving and relaxing (not at the same time.)

Diving was definitely the highlight, and while we were there I dove eleven times and Jason dove fifteen (!) times. We both upgraded our PADI certifications so we now have Advanced Open Water certs, and we just had an amazing time diving with Stuart's Cove.

Sunken Cessna from JAWS Revenge.

The best things about diving around New Providence Island are the wrecks and the reefs. There are SO MANY wrecks - most of them placed deliberately - many of them made famous by appearances in James Bond movies, JAWS, Into the Blue and MythBusters. So cool.

Sea Turtle!!!!!

Stuart's Cove is also one of a handful of places in the entire world where you can do a "Shark Dive". And when I say Shark Dive, I'm not talking about being in a cage.

Diving with Sharks!

Here's how the Shark Dive works. On the first of two dives, they take you to the shark site, and you do a normal dive on a nearby shipwreck so you have an opportunity to get used to the presence of the sharks. That way, they know before the main event if you're going to panic or freak out. So... On the second dive, you add extra weight so that you can sit on the ocean floor without moving or bobbing. They set all the divers up around the "shark arena" and once everyone is set, the shark feeder (in oceanic chain mail) gets in the water with the bait box. Before the bait box hits the water the sharks are already there. They know the time of day that is "feeding" time, but when the bait is in the water? It's on. We're talking 30 FULL SIZE reef and nurse sharks. Occasionally they'll have a hammerhead show up, but on our day it was just reef and nurse sharks. The feeding begins, and they are swimming over and around you, pushing past you, focused on the feeding happening in the arena. I never felt threatened or in danger, and let me tell you... it was SO COOL. The sharks are INCREDIBLE animals. So beautiful, so powerful. It was one of the most incredible moments I have ever experienced, and I am so grateful that we had the experience.

Check out the shark coming over my head!

If you are a certified diver and are going to be in the Bahamas, you HAVE to go on the Shark Dive with Stuart's Cove. It is truly incredible!