"Be Bop a Do Bop, Back it up! Be Bop a Do Bop, Forward! Follow the trail of scat!"*

Travel Log: 19 March 2012

For my own remembering, I have to go back and fill in holes, like... Where did we stay in Moab?

When we went to SF we used VRBO to find our flat and house. For Moab we searched VRBO but came up empty handed. Josh then suggested checking Home Away and Flip Key. All three are similar in that they charge home owners a monthly fee to be listed on their site and, I'd guess, 70% of the rental homes are listed on all three sites. The winner for us this time was found on Flip Key.

We stayed in a new development area south of Moab, called Spanish Valley, that had pods of 4 condos together. Since we wanted all the parties in our group to be near each other, we were able to rent 2 condo units in one pod. Living 5 miles south of the city is not ideal but for this trip it worked out wonderfully. The condo area had tennis courts, basketball courts, pool, hot tub, playground, and a large garage to hold all our gear. It also had amazing views...

Top: View to the east. Bottom: View to the west. Tall: View of one condo.

Another thing I forgot to mention was... How did you pack it all?

For this trip we bought a new piece of travel gear: a Yakima Rocket Box. One week of this trip was Spring Break, i.e. VACATION!, and because of that we packed differently and needed to include two kinds of bikes, hiking gear, camping gear, rock climbing gear, skiing clothes, skateboarding gear, hot & cold weather clothes, as well as, schooling gear, working gear, and life gear. For our trip to SF we fit everything perfectly into our Volvo for one bike, schooling gear, working gear, and life gear (i.e. Oscar, our espresso maker). In order to bring all the additional gear AND keep comfortable space for the kids,!, the Yak Box was a perfect solution. In the two and a half years we've been using it, it has proven to be an amazing investment for us and our travel lifestyle. 

*"Be Bop a Do Bop, Back it up! Be Bop a Do Bop, Forward! Follow the trail of scat!"

Why fill in these details and why the above quote?

Back in college, my friends were obsessed with Mystery Science Theater 3000 and I humored them by watching one episode. The episode I watched was Season 6, Episode 1, for a movie called Girls Town starring Mel Torme. The quote that stuck out the most to me during the entire episode was, "Be Bop a Do Bop, Back it up! Be Bop a Do Bop, Forward! Follow the trail of scat!" I say this line so often in my day to day life, that my kids have even started saying it. 

But you know what? That's not the real quote. For the last 20 years I have been saying that quote WRONG. (Skip ahead to 1:50 for the actual quote.)

This reminds me that my memories are flawed. Even though I said we rented this condo from Flip Key, I'm still not convinced it wasn't Home Away, though, I am confident it wasn't VRBO. And as I start to piece together stories based on photos we took from a mere two years ago, I am shocked I don't remember details where photos are missing. Those physical gaps have mental gaps, and for the life of me I simply cannot fill in the holes like I once could.

It stirs in me a strong desire to write faster and get caught up to today, so I don't forget today's life-filled, joy or pain inducing, precious memories... I don't want to forget surviving the 25th time someone has barfed in our Volvo or that I recreated the animal bark/howl sound that woke me up in the middle of the night for Josh at lunch. If I didn't just write that out, I'm confident those memories, too, would be lost to the holes in my mind.

"I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in, and stops my mind from wandering, where it will go..." The Beatles

And, yes, I know FB wants that info from me, but I don't want to share my favorite memories with them. :)!

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Travel Log: 20 March 2012

To fully enjoy the next several stories, here's my version of rock climbing definitions for you. I am not an expert on climbing by any stretch, but here's my take on the terms from my limited experience:

Bouldering - Climbing on rocks without harnesses or ropes, though the climber usually uses climbing shoes and chalk. Usually up only short distances and has a bouldering mat below the climber for the climber to fall on.

Top Roping - A rope that has been placed through an anchor at the top (either through a lead climber or because you're at a climbing gym) and has a belayer on one end and a climber on the other. (Some people call this bottom roping, since the belayer is on the bottom, but tomato - tomato.)

Belayer - The person whose job it is to keep the climber safe by using an ATC or Grigri. When belaying a lead climber, they are tied directly to the lead climber. When top roping, their rope goes up to the top anchor and then back down to the climber.

Lead Climber - The person who goes up a route first. They take the most risk by being exposed between placing protective gear, whether quickdraws or cams/nuts. If they fall, it is the distance from them to their last place of gear and whatever force pulls up on their belayer. Once to the top of the route, they tie into the top anchor and create a top rope for others to climb up the same route but without having to place gear.

Sport Climbing - Climbing on rocks with a harness, rope, climbing shoes, and chalk. Sport climbing means that there are strong bolts pre-set into the rock that the lead climber can clip into with quickdraws. 

Trad(itional) Climbing - Climbing on rocks with a harness, rope, climbing shoes, and chalk. Trad climbing means that the lead climber places their own gears, cams or nuts, into the rock that will hold/protect the them should they fall. It requires more knowledge of what type of rock you are climbing on as well as knowing how to set the cams securely into the cracks. There is sometimes an actual bolt for the top anchor on trad routes, but not always.

Crack Climbing - Trad or sport climbing that ascends cracks and uses specialized techniques, such as jamming, laybacking, or stemming. 

Slab Climbing - Trad or sport climbing where the rock face is less than vertical and climber uses friction and balance with very small holds.

Climbing Scales - Class 1 is walking/hiking, Class 2 is climbing using little hands, Class 3 is scrambling using hands and increased exposure, Class 4 is climbing with definite exposure, maybe a rope and falls may be fatal, Class 5 is technical free climbing involving a rope & belayer and falls may be fatal. Within Class 5, there are ratings of 5.1, 5.2, up to 5.15, that help potential lead climbers and top ropers to gauge the technical ability required. (For reference, 5.14 and 5.15 are very rare. I believe there are only 2 - 5.15 routes in the world currently.)

Phew! Clear as mud! :)!

Would you belive today was going to be our boys' first day climbing outdoors ever?! What an introduction! Crack climbing at Indian Creek Canyon just south of Moab! Indian Creek is world reknown for its crack climbing but is also amazingly beautiful with its red and taupe canyons and serving as a gateway into the Canyonlands Needles District. Our destination within Indian Creek would be Donnelly Canyon. (The below photo was taken at the end of our day, but on it you can see the vertical cracks that were our picture perfect playground.)  

Whenever we are hiking and I am glancing upon a rock formation in the distance, it is difficult for me to judge the height. As I sit here typing, I am staring at the sun setting on majestic Lumpy Ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park. The base looks within reach but I know it is 2 miles from where I sit. The rock faces look like a few hundred feet tall but I know in reality it is well over a thousand feet higher than where I sit. (Maybe I'll have to try to fill out this math worksheet for future practice, :)!) 

The same experience can be true when in the canyons of Utah. Some, like the actual Canyonlands National Park, the canyon walls are 2000 feet in height, but here in Donnelly Canyon, those beautiful wingate sandstone canyon walls are around only 250' above you and from the parking lot the routes are within sight making the car to base a nice distance for all ages. Add in a morning chill, and it was a perfect morning hike.

Our friends who came to Moab with us are all amazing climbers. Molly lead up a 5.8+ trad route, about 50' high, and called Binou's Crack and set up a top rope for everyone else. (Every route has some sort of name to help distinguish it from others. Sometimes the climbers who name them are creative and other times they are just lazy, as you'll see later.) It was on this crack that both our boys got to climb outdoors and learn how to use technical hand and foot jams for crack climbing. Unlike the jugs they could grab onto in the climbing gym, here they had to make shapes with their hands, jam them into the cracks, then widen their hands, and trust that to hold them. Or they had to jam their fingers into the crack and lay back on their outstretched arms, while walking along up the wall with both hands and feet. Crack climbing is something else, but OH, so much fun! 

Zeke getting the hang of the new techniques.

Max to the top!

Amos lead up a 5.10+ trad route, about 110' high, called Unknown Pod Climb. (See, where was their creativity on this one?!) This was a long, hard lead climb, and Amos was amazing at tackling it. He was kind enough to top rope it and let another family friend, Isaac, and me climb it, before he had to climb it again to clean the route. Sometimes when climbing where it is incredibly difficult, I feel guilty about taking f o r e v e r. This was one of those situations. It felt like it took a minute to simply move an inch though the crux, a crazy pea pod shape into the crack. (In the photo below, it's near the dark area toward the bottom of the crack, which is actually about 30' up from the base.) But the joy I felt upon completing this route was unmatched and I wore my bloody, mangled hands with pride.

We spent an entire day on this beautiful wall, with the most perfect views, playing in its boulder field, bloody-ing our hands, and chasing lizards. It ended up being a great place for kids to come with not only for the short hike to the base and the manageable routes for kids, but also for the "safe" play area around us. We ended our day feasting on Triscuits and Kipper Snacks before making the hour long drive back to our Moab home. 

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When we arrived home in November 2011 and life settled around us, we knew the "new normal" of traveling, experiencing new communities, schooling and working on the road, was only a reservation away, and by now our "travel every 4 months" time limit was up. To make things more fun, thanks to a glorious night of giggles and drinks, we (easily) convinced with a family and a couple to travel to Moab for Spring Break with us. New normal here we come!

Everyone had their own ways of getting there, but our specific travel plans worked into a work / play / work adventure that lasted 2 & 1/2 weeks. Specifically, we would spend 3 nights in Denver (while Josh had client meetings), 2 nights in Dillon (to (attempt to) go skiing), a week and a half in Moab (some spring break, some work), and then 3 nights in Denver (for more client meetings) before returning home. 

Travel Log: 14 March 2012 - 17 March 2012

Don't get me wrong, I love my Nebraska friends, but I-80 through Nebraska, in our books, is over. It was over the first time we drove the kids across it. It was over when we drove home from CA. It was over now. We have since driven to Colorado all the way through South Dakota (beautiful Black Hills!) and all the way through Kansas (beautiful Flint Hills!) and we can justifiably say I-80 through Nebraska is over. (Sorry, Nebraska! :)!)

We stayed in a great hotel, right in downtown Denver, close enough for Josh's meetings but also possible for the kids and I to travel the city by foot or bus. My plan was to do our normal schoolwork in the mornings and then learn about Colorado history in our afternoons. One place we visited was the state capitol. We actually got to sit in on a meeting of congress where they were debating abortion legislation. Sitting in on a house discussion was a first for the kids and myself. Another observer whispered to me that the topic was not suitable for children, but seeing how this was a discussion we had at length ages before (yes, in their young lives), they found the forum intriguing and could follow along. 

However, of our adventures around the city, our favorite was finding the most amazing Thai lunch place. Our kids LOVE Thai food with a passion. Thanks to Yelp, we had read of a tiny, and I mean tiny, Thai food cart, run by a one woman show, who serves food only at lunch (though, I read now she has moved to a storefront, :(!), who makes each order right on the spot, is as authentic as it comes in the US, and knows the definition of spicy. She was only open from 11am - 1pm and you were told to expect a huge line, but the reward was worth it.

The kids and I took on the wait challenge and when it was our turn ordered the baby spice versions for us and a nice spice version for Josh. She absolutely LOVED that the kids were excited about eating her food and was quick to give them free spring rolls and banana wrappers. Truth be told, her baby spice was almost too much for the kids, but there was no denying that the flavor was what dreams are made of and they happily ate every bite. Truth be told, we ate there for lunch two days in a row.

Travel Log: 17 March 2012 - 19 March 2012

Now that it was oficially the weekend, and technically the start of Spring Break, we had planned to take our kids to a day of skiing / snowboarding for the very first time. I had researched the cheapest nearest ski resort that we could take the kids to and figured out all the hoops we'd have to jump through to make it possible: renting skis, renting some clothing, renting goggles, etc. We planned Sunday to be our big day. The kids were pumped. We were pumped. It was going to be AWESOME!

We arrived at the ski resort a half hour before it oficially opened so we could get the kids enrolled in lessons, get gear, and what-have-you. When we got there we were informed that their power was out, their computer systems were (obviously) not working, their lifts were not working, and they had no idea when anything would be up and running again. 

Not knowing what to do, we sat there, in the dark of their unheated lobby, for hours, waiting, hoping, something would turn on. Nothing. Finally, we decided to go to another resort but found out that it was going to be more expensive and they did not offer the amazing deals on rentals or lessons. Determined, we left there but tried to go to all the area rental places looking for better deals on the rentals so that the bite of the lift ticket would be easier to swallow. Nothing. 

Brokenhearted, especially the kids, OH! especially the kids, we called time of death at 3pm, when we made our way to a local brewery and sadly ate a late lunch in near tears. This wasn't the way we hoped our spring break to start but as parents, having to play the responsible ones, we didn't want to blow our whole trip budget on the first day because of a random power outage. Skiing wasn't meant to be for us that day, for whatever known or unknown reason, and it was going to be ok.

The next day, OH! the next day, was our drive to Moab day. That made everyone giddy with excitement and all had long forgotten the previous day's fiasco. My husband, for the first time in a year and a half / since we went to Czech, turned on his auto-response for his email.

It was official - Spring Break had begun! :)!

These photos are from the Fisher Towers area, along the back road to Moab.

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Travel Log: 27 February 2012 - 3 March 2012

When we bought our home in IC, it was in the exact same condition since its 1950's construction. Thanks to the then current fad of DIY home remodel shows, we were given an idea. We ripped up the long-hair, green shag carpet and tore / scraped off the kitchen vinyl to reveal nice, tightly laid, 4' x 8' sheets of plywood subflooring. We sanded it, washed it, stained it, poly'd it, and called it done. There was a small section in the foyer, covered in some nasty tealish tile so glued in place nothing was going to move it, that we left and I simply covered in rugs. For 9 years we lived like that. It wasn't ideal, but it worked. 

While we are thankful for our IC home, it's not us. We have always dreamed of having a home like our first home in Ames: turn of the century, screened in front porch, cute character, built-ins, wood floors, dormers, etc. That winter, we made an offer on an adorable house in IC meeting all those requirements.. but we didn't get it. However, thinking about moving we realized we HAD to do something about our floors in order to sell our existing home. Exposed subflooring would not show well.  

Thanks to the kids having ITBS during the days for a week, I used my empty school time to install this beautiful bamboo flooring over our living, dining, and kitchen. I had a little help muscling out a tricky section by a closet (from Josh and Joe) and brainstorming a stair threshold (with my dad), but otherwise it was my solo project. On purpose. Because I loved every minute of it. And I didn't want to share the fun if I didn't have to.

What you may not know about me is I love wood working. I love it. I love using wood working tools (I worked in a wood shop for 3 years). I love the beauty of power tools (I sold them for 4 years). I love the smell of saw dust. I love working with my hands. I love using muscles. I love working with precision. I love problem solving. I love hard work. I love a completed project. I love the time to think. This is a happy place for me. 

At the time, I was still unable to write, but working on home projects, even though not necessarily creative-creative, were definitely a perfect outlet for me. The crucial thing was finding time to think in quiet. Some people knit, some paint, some play instruments, I cut wood. 

It has always been a constant battle for me, finding time to spend refreshing my soul and making certain I am being faithful with my husband and children. The voices on either side of the coin are very loud. When I had little ones they were loud near me, and over the years they've become louder online. Why can't we all just love one another where we're at?

The truth for my life is taking time to exercise, going for runs, being "creative," these are all important to my mental health, because I truly do multi-task and think deeply while doing them. This, in turn, helps me to be better and more focused on my work as mom. It doesn't mean anything negative against me being mom, or that I'm trying to escape from it or them, or that I don't switch gears when needed. I know Jesus took time away to pray by himself with His Father, and He also had to stop His time short with the Father to take care of His children. There have been many-a-time my "plans" have been put on the back burner. But trying to find time for it is valuable because I know my family is getting a more focused me, who's heart and soul have been refreshed.

The last 5 months had been far from perfect, oh, why!, wouldn't life simply calm down!, but I truly felt that our family was able to take on the highs and lows with greater faith and hope. Excitedly, in the midst of it all, we had planned our next big adventure. Moab was calling us back. We happily were going to oblidge.

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Travel Log: 31 December 2011

It was New Year's Eve. I was driving home from running errands and thinking about how much I loved our Volvo and how thankful I was for it. It was fancier than any car I had ever owned and I was still in shock that it was my car. I was amazed by how well it worked, what a great price we had gotten on it, and was excited to drive it forever. My heart overflowed with thankfulness for this car, silly as that seems. In rare form, I had parked it in the street when I got home because we were helping a family by giving them our old washer and dryer. I kept thinking, "I need to move the car back to the driveway," but never did.

Josh and I had plans at 8:30pm to go to a Mad Men New Year's Eve Party then drive up to our friend's house to ring in the New Year. At 8:30pm, Josh was still getting his Mad Men self on and I was impatiently sitting in a dark living room. I was twidling my thumbs since I was all dolled up and had nothing else to do but listen to the quiet of our house, when a single car alarm blare broke the silence. I thought it curious, but I continued to sit and wait.

At 9pm, we could finally leave. Josh went out to the street to warm the car and bring it back to the driveway. He immediately came back to the house and said, "Our car has been hit, we need to call the cops."

What the?! I went out to the dark street and sure enough, the driver side of the car was all bashed in, the car was pushed up onto the curb, and the passsenger side front wheel was all bent and whacked up. As we walked along the sidewalk, Josh talking with the police on the phone, we noticed other odd things by the curb: random car parts, a huge coil, and an entire wheel with part of its axel.

We also saw that another car had been side-swiped. I started going door-to-door trying to find out who owned the car that got hit and possibly if anyone saw anything. Everyone recounted hearing a loud noise and a single car alarm, but that was it. It was an out of town guest at our next door neighbor's party who had the other damaged car.

When the policeman arrived, we made mention of the random additional car parts on the road, curb, and sidewalk. He thought it must have been a pickup truck hauling old car parts and they fell out of a truck when it hit us. Josh was convinced it was related.

Proving Josh's hunch correct, over the walkie-talkie our policeman got word of a curious situation. 4 miles down our road, another policeman found a man standing on the side of the road with his car on fire. The man was so drunk he didn't know why his car was on fire. His car was on fire because he was missing a wheel. The man didn't know what happened to his wheel. His wheel was back 4 miles in front of our house. He drove 4 miles in his car with only 3 wheels. 

4 miles!

All I could think was, I'm so glad that man did not kill anyone! He was so drunk he wouldn't have known. He didn't know he was driving on 3 wheels, he didn't know he hit our cars, he had completely blacked out. And then all I could think was, I'm so glad we didn't leave on time! He could have hit one of us or the kids. The car alarm I heard at 8:30 was our car alarm. We were scheduled to leave at 8:30. Whoa.

The next day, I got a call. A man was weeping uncontrollably on the phone. He was apologizing profusely. It was the man who hit our car. Josh spoke with him at length and took the opportunity to speak truth to him. 

While upset about my car getting trashed, the truth the whole ordeal spoke to me was the reminder that our car, like our house, like our stuff, are just things. It's only a stupid car. I could have lost considerably more that night - my husband, my children, my life. 

2012 was off to a rough start but I was thankful beyond measure for the things people that are truly important. 

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