"Advanced" Technology

If you are under 30, you will probably not understand this blog, but you should read it as it will give you insight into how the rest of the world views your generation.

I think it is possible we are raising a generation that will be totally incapable of communicating verbally. Megan would rather Facebook or text her friends than be with them. She has a boy that she "likes" that will absolutely not speak to her face to face. If he sees her in the hall at school, or at church, he runs the other way. Yet, she is convinced he "likes" her as well. I am baffled. We went out after a school sporting event with a family, Megan, and three other teens her age. One of the boys actually turned his back away from our side of the table just in case someone got the lame idea that he was available for conversation. I did tell one of the other adults it was almost like they were afraid to speak to each other out loud, and Megan was LIVID. How could I embarrass her in front of her friends? Really, her friends? The ones who wouldn't speak to her, who moved their bodies physically so as not to have to even look at her? Her friends? What am I missing?

I refuse to give into this phenomenon. Don't get me wrong, I like Facebook, and I'm ok with texting, but I would much rather be WITH a person, talking face to face. I have decided my children will have the ability to speak, even if it kills them and they hate me in the process. That means verbal words coming from their mouths. Facebook is gone, the cell phone is gone until I have some sort of confirmation that my children understand the importance of human contact. And until I am convinced they can spot RUDE when it is (here is where I was going to say, staring them in the face, but...) turning it's back on them (seems more appropriate.)

These new tools of communication are meant to bring us closer, but not to the point where we cannot or will not see the value in human contact and verbal expression. I think I am finally understanding Ken B.'s feelings regarding the printed newspaper versus the Internet. I just signed up for the Arizona Daily Star! "We must not be assimilated!"

Wildlife

Arizona is a whole new world for us. Mainly we have lived in the northwest, and this is nothing like the northwest. It's not even anything like the dry side of the northwest. So I will share some of our wildlife encounters, I'm sure you'll love them. We'll start out with the nicer things...

We have a yard full of birds. I'm not sure we've ever lived where there appear to be so many species of birds, and no sea gulls to be seen. We've got quail, turtle doves, and my personal favorite are the humming birds. We have one particular humming bird that has found his favorite perch on a branch of a Palo Verde tree right outside our yard. He is there every afternoon. I don't remember ever seeing a hummingbird sit still. I've seen them at feeders and flowers with their wings flapping so fast you can't see them. This one, he likes to rest in the afternoons. The neighbors told us he is the only species of hummingbird that makes a sound. Only the males sing. It is a really high pitched tweet of sorts. Very pretty bird.

A couple of times, we have been sitting on the back patio and spotted a small lizard sunning itself on our back wall. Michael insists that he has seen a "really big lizard" but we have only seen the gecko type. Megan actually saw one, a little too late, and ran over it. Her first road kill. Good memories. I think she actually named it. And she is calling herself the lizard slayer.

But not everything here is fun to see and hear. We have had a scratching sound in the computer room since we moved in. Yep, pack rats. GREAT! So the exterminator came and set traps, so far, 6 pack rats killed. Again, I talked to a neighbor who said, they had killed 12 in the last few months. We have started the monthly extermination service that will hopefully keep the rats, and anything else yucky out of our yard and out of our house!

In the process of dealing with the exterminators told us we should clear some of the brush away from the back fence. Behind us is a "wash" that is basically a association owned slope that can fill with water during the monsoons. There was a lot of dead stuff right along our fence. Ken went out there and moved it all away from the fence about two feet. The neighbor behind, said he didn't really like what we did, could we clean it up. So, yesterday, Ken heads out to clean up some of the brush. He is walking along and hears a weird noise, looks down and he is inches away from stepping on a RATTLESNAKE. He turned and ran back to the safety of our side of the fence. We called the neighbors (I'm sure they are sick of us asking for nature assistance, but what can you do). He came over and said, Yep, that's a rattlesnake (about 3 feet long). He said the fire department would come get it. I called, but in the meantime, Ken lost track of it, so it's still back there. I'm pretty sure we are hiring someone to come clear that brush away. No one from our family is going back there. And, next time Michael wants to go play in the "wash" with his friends, the answer is a definite "NO."

A Moment to Ponder

I am sitting in the airport in Santa Ana (aka, hell) after a busy week training my replacement at....well that place I used to work. Kind of makes one sit and think about things. The first year living here was pretty good. We made a few good friends and life seemed to be ok. Then ALL of those friends moved away, the church we found didn't really seem like home anymore, and I felt terribly alone. I spent the next two years pretty much bitching about everything. I decided we lived in hell and I'd never like it. But slowly it got better. And I didn't even notice because I was so busy telling myself I hated everything. I made new friends, we found a new church, and still, blah, blah, blah...the negativity.

Now, we're gone. This is my last hoorah at...that place I used to work. I realize that despite all the crap, I really did enjoy working there. I feel like I made a big contribution to the company, I met some fantastic people (and a few clunkers) but all in all, it was good. AND I DIDN'T NOTICE.

So for all of you out there in "hell", I apologize for not recognizing how wonderful you are, how much fun I had working and playing with you. I know it now, because I miss it. So the old adage about not knowing what you have until it's gone is Totally True.

New resolution, look for the good things and deal with the bad. I am now anxiously awaiting the Great things that are in store for us in this next chapter. And I'll try to recognize them as great in the moment, instead of in hindsight.

Good vs. Evil

We took the wagon train (aka the car) to Tombstone yesterday. It was a beautiful drive. The kids were arguing over whether the land was burnt, just dead, or in the shadows from clouds. It's still a mystery, but I'm thinking all of the above. Weird sticks growing out of small palm trees, other trees with bark as dark as soot, yet a hint of green on top, dead grass, beautiful "mountains" surrounding us. Fun times.

So, you tell me, Wyatt Earp, good guy or bad. After a day in Tombstone, I'm not really sure. I think it is the quintessential example of the line between good and evil being very narrow. All the western movies and folk lore show him as a lawman bringing peace to a wild town. But, some of the stories in Tombstone say there might have been more to the story. A lust for power, a grudge that needed settled. Were the Claytons ambused at the OK coral, or did the Earps defend themselves. Don't think I've got that one sorted out in my mind yet. But, it was a fun day of gun fights, saloons, and graveyards with stones that read like this "Lester Moore, 4 slugs from a 44, no less, no more." When we got home we rented the movie "Tombstone" to get the Hollywood perspective on the story (always correct I know.) Megan said, that hearing the story 4 or 5 different ways, kind of bored her. But they were all good sports.

I think today, the line is still pretty blurred. We've found that you can find some "evil" people at your local church, and some "good" people at the local bar. It's weird to me, how narrow minded and closed off we can become (myself included.) Our recent experiences have helped me realize, we need to be on the lookout for both (good and evil) no matter where we are. We need to actively search for the good in the world, and all the while, be vigilent to protect ourselves and our families from the evil. Deep, I know.

Enough of all that, and on to VISITORS. My daddy is coming! I'm looking forward to visiting with him and sharing some of the local attractions (mostly cactus) with him. I love having visitors. It is weird that we've had more visitors here, than we did when we lived in CA (minutes from Disneyland with free passes.) But, I'm loving it. We had a party for Ken's staff on Friday. It was so fun getting to know all the people who work with him. They are all on the "good" side from what I could tell. I love when people can just relax and laugh and have fun. Hopefully we were able to accomplish that. You would think that someone who hates to cook and clean as much as I do, would dread having visitors, but I love it! I guess it's because I don't care if I serve Costco food in a less than spotless environment. (Though I'm nothing like the people on "Clean House." Have you seen that show? Gross!)

That's all I have time for today. If I write too much you won't read it anyway. Take care, and start planning your trip now. We're so popular, you might need a reservation. I've got some of you booked already. Dad, Melissa, Bekah, Keyli....who's next?

Two's Company, Three's Loud

Jake has been visiting for about a week, and the noise level in our home increased exponentially. I love hearing him play the piano, singing, and joking with the other kids, but man, he's loud. His visit has made a bid difference with Megan. She is back to her old self, no more pouting and moping. The two of them are laughing at each other all the time. It's good for a mother's soul.

We have decided to try another church. We really wanted to find a fit at the Nazarene church since it has been our home for so long. Unfortunately, it's not really working. We've been attending pretty regularly for about a month, and still no one seems to care that we're there. The kids in the youth group are not very friendly at all (typical of teens). Ken and I walked around the church grounds after service looking for a Sunday School class. We were pretty obviously lost and not sure what to do or where to go. Not one person asked if they could help. If someone you don't know sticks their head into your room, you'd think at least the teacher would ask if they could help us find a place. We ended up tracking down the pastor's wife, who gave us wrong information. Not a great experience. We'll try another church this weekend. I really want to find that place where we can feel at home. I want the kids to find friends. I want Ken and I to find friends.

It sounds like we'll be getting SoCal visitors. Some of Ken's former co-workers, and my karaoke friends are coming first part of May. Some friends from "that place I work" are coming the end of May. My dad is coming for Easter. Kind of weird. We lived next door to Disney for 4 years, with free passes, and got a handful of visitors. Now we are in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by cactus, and we're like a hotel. Go figure. We're glad for the company though. We want to share our lovely new home with everyone. So, call ahead and make a reservation!

Plays, Soccer and Sunburns

We had a great weekend of kid activities. Megan was in her first play at school. I love how they gave her a part so quickly. She did amazing (duh). It was fun to see her interact with her drama peeps. I am hopeful she will establish some friendships quickly. No one wants to spend their weekends with mom and dad.

After a nightmare of paperwork, we got approval from CA and AZ for Michael to play soccer. You'd think he was defecting, not moving to a new state. But, that being said, we appreciate all the work people did to make sure all the I's were crossed etc. His team did really well. They won 3 out of 4 games, coming in 3rd in the tournament. Michael scored one goal and got 3 assists. I think he brought a little life into a team that had gotten comfortable and a little lazy. After they won their second game and made it into the consolation (3rd-4th) game, one of the boys said "Just think what would have happened if Michael didn't show up." Another boy said "We would've lost!" That really made him feel good. We did learn the lesson of sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. Even though it wasn't hot, both Ken and I have dry, tender, red faces today.

Saturday night I took Mike and a couple neighbor boys to a movie to quasi celebrate his birthday. I accidentally found the $2 movie theater! I was just trying to find a PG movie (since one of the boys is only 10). We ended up watching Bedtime Stories. 5 people for $9.75! We will definitely go back there. The movies aren't that old and the price is definitely right.

Sunday we missed church in the AM because of soccer, but went to a concert they had Sunday night. It was a group that was started by the music minister at Portland First Church when I was a secretary there. How weird is that? Honestly, it was so long ago, I don't think he remembered me, but he was polite (18 years, man I'm old!) We like the church, but are not finding a lot of connections. Not sure why. We'll give it some time. It took me about a year to connect at our church in CA so I guess I can't complain too much after a few weeks. Wish the youth pastor would put some effort into getting my kids connected though.

Well, I'd better get back to work. I am enjoying the work from home thing. While I don't work 4 hours straight, I do put in my time throughout the day. I think that works for them as well as for me. They get responses to e-mails and requests promptly because I am checking every couple of hours. So, while I might not have work to do first thing in the morning, it will probably come in throughout the day. So, I take the morning and run some errands, or watch TV, or blog. Then I come back and work a little more in the afternoons.

We are lonely, so visitors are welcome! It's not too hot yet, so now is the time. Actually I don't even think it will get into the 70's today.

Paper, Cardboard and LIZARDS!

Michael got his first official "welcome to Arizona" this weekend. He was helping Ken load the cars with packing paper and boxes to take to the recycling center. He wasn't watching too closely, just picking up a bag of paper and throwing it over the fence to Ken. He picked up the last bag and there was a "HUGE" lizard underneath. He screamed like a little girl. No one else saw it, but he says it was as long as Ginger. I guess we'll have to do some research on AZ pest & varmint control.