Technology in Utah

Posted on October 14, 2012 by TheJessicaness

Up before sunrise and gone before the sun can come up over the hill. We slept in spot 21. Sparky skipped breakfast and I had powdered donuts. The thermometer in Baker is called Big Boy next to the restaurant of the same name. We will drive through Nevada, hike to the Virgin muddy river in Arizona, and up into Utah where we will visit the Cove Fort – a place meant for war, but the only gun ever fired was a boy who shot his brother in the knee.

It now has a strong connection with the Church of Ladder Day Saints as the founder was the one that built the fort. I learned that the girls used their hair in pin cushions to keep their steel pins from rusting. We got to see a gun that gets loaded in the butt, a beautiful antique loom, a large cooking stove with lots of dishes, and plenty of warm beds. Outside was an ice-house, barn, a bunk house, and a few others with a view of the garden and the mountains.

horse-powered hay stacker – Cove Fort

Subway for dinner and sunset on the road. We covered over 400 miles today and ended up at the Timpanogos Cave National Monument where we will take a tour of the cave after a lovely morning hike. We are set up near a bridge that goes over a creek. Falling asleep to running water – that I don’t have to pay for will be great. We left home at 70 degrees and I’m writing this in 45 degrees. Caleb is still in shorts and we shall see if the snow further north changes that.

Posted in Camping, Forts, Hiking, History, Places, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Here We Go Again

Posted on October 13, 2012 by TheJessicaness

driving north on Hwy 15

I woke up this morning and started packing – something I was supposed to do yesterday. Caleb got home after 11:00 am and I was still rolling up sleeping bags. The cooler was packed and his bag ready. We just had to wait to pick up the car from the shop at 1:00 pm when it would be good as new. We get to Enterprise, they gave us a ride, and the inside of our car looked great. The shop, Caliber Collision, did an amazing job detailing the inside for us.

Then it was off to Econo Lube N Tune for an oil change. Back to the house to load the car full of clothes, food, gear, and dogs – Sparky thought the whole day that I was going to leave him behind – not this time. Get gas at $4.55/gal and hit the road. We are taking the 15N towards Montana – currently LA. Traffic is terrible and we are doing 25mph for a while. Maybe three miles on the 215 and a marine in a Ford Fiesta is in more of a hurry than we are. He hits our car, not once, but twice.

The first time I was willing to just keep driving, but the second time he cut in front of us allowing my car to receive rug burn-looking damage on the passenger side (opposite side that just got out of the shop) while remaking the shape of his rear driver door. Of course he tried to blame it on us, but the officer saw the evidence – and we had right of way. No ticket was written, but information was exchanged and an hour later we were back on the road.

I really don’t look forward to this type of activity, but it seems to be happening a lot. I would like to extend a thank you to Mazda for first introducing me to the Protege – I had a 2001 that I loved until it got murdered in a ditch. Then I set out to find a Mazda replacement, years later, and ended up in the Tribute 2011. It’s great in keeping me safe against all the crazy drivers on the road – where my Hyundai constantly needed new bumpers, I enjoy the minimal damage to my vehicle.

surprise light painting of a train

We are stopped for the night at Afton Canyon, 20 miles from Baker, CA where we will see the world’s largest thermometer tomorrow before going through Vegas in the daylight. Caleb has set up the tent and it’s time to let the dogs out. No wi-fi here, but I will post in the morning when we hit town. I had coffee and a chocolate bar for dinner and made sure the dogs ate. We are off to a great start – as usual. At least I’m blogging on the road this time – it feels great and seems easier than trying to write in a notebook and then make out the scribbled writing when I get home. By then I have forgotten some of the juicy details – or I just decide not to share them with my readers for respect and privacy of others involved – even if they did hit my car!

Posted in Camping, Light Painting, Military, People, Places, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Pome

Posted on October 11, 2012 by TheJessicaness

I woke up this morning with a chill upon my face,
And with my tired husband headed to the cafe.

The sun was slowly rising as we chose what to eat,
As others settled with their coffee, we sipped our tea.

I spent all morning with my hair in a brush,
Only to trip on the sidewalk into a shrub.

We go to a farm stand and don’t want to seem cheap,
But all they have to offer is a little, yellow peach.

I bought loaves of bread on a crate,
And ate them all without leaving a trace.

We come home in the afternoon to walk the dogs,
And they won’t let us forget to treat them like gods.

Getting leashes on my dogs seems like a race,
But once they are ready they haven’t a care.

A knock at our door by suited salesmen,
Selling products that shall remain nameless.

My mom calls to talk, so I listen,
Sometimes she thinks I’m too silent.

I once spent my time looking for a mate,
I look no longer because we’re a team.

We’ve been together awhile, we’ve been an item,
After we wed we have nothing but time.

I went to the cupboard for clean cooking pots,
But it seems each one was left with a spot.

I rushed to the car and adjusted my seat,
The sun is setting and we’re heading east.

I got a water and added a lemon,
He got a beer and added a melon.

If you piss off the waiters in your food they will spit,
But not a smile will be had if you forget their tips.

I study the arts,
To feel like a star.

I got this book from the library as a dare,
And some of the quotes are funny to read.

Some heroes are good and some evil,
I find the best are the ones that live.

The ship may soon call taps,
But bedtime has been long past.

I may not have a magic wand,
But I can watch every dawn.

You may not know who,
But I know how.

Posted in Animals, Art, Books, Family, Food, Marriage, Poetry, Things | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

My October, So Far

Posted on October 10, 2012 by TheJessicaness

Fall is here, but that hasn’t stopped me from spending more time at the beach… and even more time in the water. Florida, my old place I called home, might be the Sunshine State but these western waters stay warmer longer or my wetsuit helps keep the water at a swim-able temperature. Caleb is enjoying the cool weather while he can. Yet another reason we will head north this Friday in search of snow before he heads to the 130 degree desert for his temporary duty command for as long as his boss deems necessary.

I’ve been busy making new friends. One such friend, Christine, took me to a Further (Grateful Dead-ish) concert at SD State University. We went without tickets hoping to get in for a discount, but ended up at the box office. While in the parking lot we got offered beer, pizza, free music, brownies, acid, jewelry, and posters. We paid for seats 153-54 in Row N and were able to sit in seats 37-38 in Row B. Definitely a different experience for me, even sans drugs. We left just ahead of the crowd to get home “early” because she had to work in the morning.

Between the beach and concerts I’ve been busy trying to get ready for our trip north and get Caleb ready for his trip across the sea. Caleb is in school this week learning why submarines train their sailors – so that they don’t sink to the bottom of the ocean. We have been busy immersing ourselves in San Diego. The city is bigger than we realized and we are enjoying all the different neighborhoods. We have been to Border Field State Park; IB, PB, MB, but not OB – the local beaches; Chula Vista; Eastlake; National City; North and South Park; Coronado; Point Loma; Balboa Park; Hillcrest; La Jolla; and the Gaslamp District – just to name a few places that are filled with possibilities.

We have also had Caleb’s Uncle Ed in town. He currently works on NAS on Coronado and will be headed to El Centro soon to finish a job before heading home to Washington. We took a day to drive to Julian for apple pie. There were backroads, hats, signs, boots, bees, and trees. We were able to eat, talk, laugh, shop, eat some more, and enjoy the outdoors. Ed is a favorite with the dogs – playing ball with Sparky and getting chewed on by Piggy while wrestling with her. We wouldn’t mind him staying the night with us, but he has a wife to talk to, a book to read, and a small room on base with two flat screen TV’s – because one is never enough.

U.S. and Mexico – newer fence on left, older fence on right

In other news: new pizza lately – Bronx NY style is too far from NY and Extreme Pizza is like Mellow Mushroom with a thin crust. I’ve got the materials and some language skills to learn how to weave fiber. My first project will be a belt or something belt-looking. We attempted to go snorkeling with the harbor seals. Signs ask that people not approach them so that they can rest properly and feel safe with their offspring. Some people coming out of the water said you might get lucky that they touch you, but they are too fast to touch. I simply enjoyed being that close to wildlife.

I wish we could always live life at this pace in memory making lane. Instead there are always going to be instances that throw you off the path. Two weeks ago, a lady merged into our Mazda and broke her tail light. The officer present said there wasn’t enough damage to our vehicle to write her a ticket and sent us on our way. I get a call from her insurance company saying I can bring my car in for an estimate inspection. I leave Enterprise Rent-a-Car with a Fiat 500 – mine for the week. If that wasn’t enough…

I was driving down the road when a Prius cut us off and stopped at a green light. I reacted quickly and changed lanes. That car too slammed on his brakes for a light that turned yellow. Luckily the Prius was not yet at the stop line and afforded me the room to maneuver between the both of them. What really stuck out was the round of applause I received at the next light from the other car. I’m guessing they were hoping that there would’ve been a car behind me when I hit them so they could get insurance claims for a pile up that they caused. Karma was looking out for me.

Life throws obstacles out there. You have to be willing to catch them and run with it or get the hell out-of-the-way before it deters you more than you can afford physically, mentally, economically, etc. We should have our car back by Friday. My netbook is blog ready. I will, when wi-fi allows, keep you posted on my karma levels. Until then chores will be done, packing lists will be made, my mom will call, lessons will be learned, and dogs will be fed. Life goes on and though I may not be able to keep up I will continue to be an active part of the show and remember that when I am the audience – If I’m not learning, I’m losing.

Posted in Animals, Art, Education, Entertainment, Events, Family, Food, Friends, Music, People, Photography, Places, Travel, Water | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Birthday Mom!

Posted on October 2, 2012 by TheJessicaness

Besides a late night phone call the day before to make sure I’m the first to sing you happy birthday in another language I just wanted to give you a little something – a mini road trip!

at the San Diego Zoo

shooting a 20mm anti-aircraft gun onboard the USS Alabama

visiting the south rim of the Grand Canyon

hanging out with Oprah at Madame Tussauds in NYC

taking in the view at Monument Valley

Posted in Birthday, Family, Photography, Places, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments