Right now at 6:25am it's 72F with 62% humidity yet no rain is in sight until Sunday, when the elusive monsoon will return for another week. Meanwhile I'm watering parts of the vegetable garden every day. Even the Bermuda grass and weeds are dying in this oppressive heat.
Even I don't like this hot-dry weather, not in July when we should be dancing in the rain and cool monsoonal breeze. Tomatoes and green peppers thrive in warm humidity, not in hot aridity.
I had thought about taking the dogs up Sage peak today, a two-hour drive into the Chiricahuas, but opted not to when Kevin suggested going out tonight in town. Instead, I will do more gardening in the morning before it gets too hot.
Yesterday I did the same thing, except I stopped gardening by noon and then got Reina ready for her vet visit in Bisbee. That took two hours as she panted in stress over her blood tests. The medication to control her thyroid is working, but her blood count is still high. She will be on thyroid medication for the rest of her life, at $1 a day. She's worth it.
"That girl has spunk!" said the vet when she took Reina's blood. I could hear Reina scream in pain in the labratory behind the curtain. As small as she is she takes on the 75-pound dogs with a vengeance; the dogs respectfully give her a wide berth. Ah yes, the power of claws and wet hisses!
I will always enjoy the drive into Bisbee, skirting the international border and wondering "what's on the other side" but it was a hot drive across parched desert landscape. The Sonoran mountains lingered in a sandy haze this time.
The USBP has been active in this area, and I am getting used to the increased surveillance here. I no longer squirm at the sight of a convoy of USBP vans and trucks racing past me, or hidden USBP SUVs in the mesquite trees tracking human movement travel from the border north.
This heat, though has killed a few illegals in the week I have been home. It's sad to see the end of life end so traumatically for many of these people, dumped along the side of little-used roads for the USBP to pick them up. A refrigerated truck filled with 97 illegals from Guatemala and Mexico was picked up yesterday outside of Nogales. Those people, albeit freezing in 34F, were lucky they were found alive. The few times I've driven into town I've come across USBP vans in the middle of apprehending groups of illegals in dark clothing, huddling at the side of the road and obediently asking questions of the agents.
Yesteday, though, Kevin and I did not talk about the illegals coming in increased droves through our region. Yesterday, over beer and appetizers in town, we chatted over trivial stuff, like the over-hyped "beer summit" Obama had yesterday with a black Harvard professor and the white Cambridge cop who falsely arrested him for breaking into his own front door after returning from a trip to China and finding his door jammed.
A neighbor who was walking by at the moment called in a suspect burglar, not knowing what was going on. (Better safe than sorry!). What ensued between the prof and the cop appears to be a cop who followed district procedure and a resident who lost his cool when he was arrested for trying to enter his own home. I can't blame the prof for losing his cool; who would want to be arrested for trying to get into their own home?! The cop should have apologized to the prof, ignored the "disorderly conduct" of the prof as he was placed into hand cuffs. (Don't cops get sensitivity training these days?) The media grabbed this story ad nauseum to the point of Obama refering to the Cambridge police department as "Acting stupidly" which of course then was broadcasted 24/7. And naturally the right-wing media is making this headlines news. According to the alcoholic-ranting political pundit Glenn Beck, Obama is now a racist.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32197648/ns/politics-more_politics/
Both the professor and the Cambridge cop are decent people who were thrusted into this media limelight. Both men had reasons for their actions, actions that should have ended in an apology from both men at the time of the incident. The cop should have apologized for arresting the prof, the prof should have apologized for losing his cool. End of discussion. Instead, this has turned into a racially-charged Ueberincident.
Having had enough media attention on all three over an issue that really should not have been an issue, the president invited both prof and cop to the White House to discuss this topic over beer: Sam Adams Light for the prof, Blue Moon for the cop (good choice!) and Bud Light for Obama.
Bud Light for Obama?! I would have expected the President of the United States to have better taste than that, like perhaps Chicago's own Goose Island Ale.
"Guess what kind of beer Obama drinks?" I asked Kevin as I took a sip of my Blue Moon Belgian White.
"Bud Light!" How did Kevin know this? Had he spent time at work reading this news on-line? "Good choice!" he added.
"Obama lost points from me when I learned he drinks Bud Light." But seriously, a cop who drinks Blue Moon can't be a racist, as some rednecks want to blame him for being.
I held Kevin's pint glass againt the light. "Do you know what this looks like? Diluted urine!"
"And you know what your beer looks like?" Kevin retorted. "Your beer looks like urine that has been sitting in the toilet for a few days." OK, granted, it does, but damn, does it taste good!
Whatever. I really wish the White House and the beer-swiveling right wing commentators would focus more on the increased violence in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. The situations there can only get worse before this year is over. Or, better yet, come up with a workable solution for these illegal immigrants and the immigration policy that does not include amnesty.
___
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/31/news/doc4a72951dcff1e337960863.txt
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/31/news/doc4a728f5ebcb9b888368347.txt
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/30/news/doc4a6ff98355ebc970267361.txt
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/29/news/doc4a6fe6c0a60d1587330050.txt
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/25/news/doc4a6ab0bfaab56691216954.txt
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/24/news/doc4a69610965046035442791.txt
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/26/news/state/doc4a6c0ca0e5b75841598073.txt
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/22/news/doc4a66aec47c5d1991812808.txt
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Miss Sierra Vista 2009
The new winner is my classmate Kim Swift! I saw that this morning at 2am when I couldn't sleep and got up to read the news. I knew she was competing this year as she was featured last week in the paper as a contestant. Everything I've seen her do in class has been A+ work and she deserved the $3000 educational scholarship. I know she worked hard to win this award and will continue to work hard this coming year for the Miss Arizona contest.
I cried a few tears of joy for her, as I know she's had to work hard all her young life for her accomplishments.
Although I find beauty pageants degrading, with women having to parade on stage in high heels and skimpy bathing suits and gowns when such physical exposure and judgement is not expected of men, I know Kim won based on her overall talents, intelligence and charm.
I'm glad to know her as a classmate. She's going to be one cool teacher some day and any school district hiring her will be proud of her. Her big thing is literacy for children.
As for me, I could only get two classes for this coming semester: History of the US 1607-1877 and History of Women in the US although that second class to now only has one signed up, me, and five are needed to hold a class. English 102, Network Systems, Developmental Psychology, Spanish 102 and American Literature would be my other choices. I really don't want three heavy-writing courses, though.
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/26/news/doc4a6b6174454b5649599591.txt
I cried a few tears of joy for her, as I know she's had to work hard all her young life for her accomplishments.
Although I find beauty pageants degrading, with women having to parade on stage in high heels and skimpy bathing suits and gowns when such physical exposure and judgement is not expected of men, I know Kim won based on her overall talents, intelligence and charm.
I'm glad to know her as a classmate. She's going to be one cool teacher some day and any school district hiring her will be proud of her. Her big thing is literacy for children.
As for me, I could only get two classes for this coming semester: History of the US 1607-1877 and History of Women in the US although that second class to now only has one signed up, me, and five are needed to hold a class. English 102, Network Systems, Developmental Psychology, Spanish 102 and American Literature would be my other choices. I really don't want three heavy-writing courses, though.
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/07/26/news/doc4a6b6174454b5649599591.txt
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Public Enemies
Yesterday Kevin and I saw our first theatre movie since my return from Iraq in late 2007. There hadn't been a movie that sparked our interest to pay $9 each to see; we had been renting them so far. I've gotten tired of the usual chick flicks and brainless action dick flicks that Hollywood loves to produce en masse.
But a movie starring John Depp was hard to resist. He's my favorite character actor. And besides, he spent three days with his crew filming in Crown Point, IN last year where, according to my stepmom, he "endeared himself to the locals." John Dillinger had escaped from the old Lake County Jail there in 1933 using a wooden gun. The building still stands a block from the historic Courthouse Square as a musuem.
The movie wasn't an Oscar winner as there were too many inaudible portions of the movie, and many night shots that were hard to follow. But Depp, as usual, played Dillinger well.
I recognized the outside shots of the old jail, as US troops stood outside wearing WWI-style helmets. Sandbags were placed around the jail to protect them from small-arms fire. This scene showed up an hour into the 143-minute movie.
After the movie we had our usual post-review commentary. It revolved around Dillinger's penis. Throughout this movie I never pondered Dillinger's penis. I was more impressed with his charm and charisma on people, even the baffled FBI. (Traits that still work to fool FBI agents)
"His penis is on display at the Smithsonian!" said Kevin.
"His penis?!"
"He had a huge dick!" he said.
"I don't remember seeing his penis there" I replied, knowing that this sort of stuff, if real, would be at the Museum of American History, my favorite museum in DC.
Turns out the Dillinger Dick is, as suspected, an urban legend.
http://www.snopes.com/risque/penile/dillinger.asp
But a movie starring John Depp was hard to resist. He's my favorite character actor. And besides, he spent three days with his crew filming in Crown Point, IN last year where, according to my stepmom, he "endeared himself to the locals." John Dillinger had escaped from the old Lake County Jail there in 1933 using a wooden gun. The building still stands a block from the historic Courthouse Square as a musuem.
The movie wasn't an Oscar winner as there were too many inaudible portions of the movie, and many night shots that were hard to follow. But Depp, as usual, played Dillinger well.
I recognized the outside shots of the old jail, as US troops stood outside wearing WWI-style helmets. Sandbags were placed around the jail to protect them from small-arms fire. This scene showed up an hour into the 143-minute movie.
After the movie we had our usual post-review commentary. It revolved around Dillinger's penis. Throughout this movie I never pondered Dillinger's penis. I was more impressed with his charm and charisma on people, even the baffled FBI. (Traits that still work to fool FBI agents)
"His penis is on display at the Smithsonian!" said Kevin.
"His penis?!"
"He had a huge dick!" he said.
"I don't remember seeing his penis there" I replied, knowing that this sort of stuff, if real, would be at the Museum of American History, my favorite museum in DC.
Turns out the Dillinger Dick is, as suspected, an urban legend.
http://www.snopes.com/risque/penile/dillinger.asp
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The roadtrip of a life
I have now been back for two days and am still living the road. What a great trip it turned out to be! I did it at a great time when gasoline prices were low. I left in mid-May when gas here cost $1.99 and the highest price I paid in the two months was $2.99 in the Chicagoland area and averaged around $2.60 across the states. Gasoline here is only $2.41 in town now. If I had done this trip last year I would have easily spent $2K more just for gasoline.
The best part of this trip, besides seeing Montana, was living the history. To drive along the Missouri River in Iowa and South Dakota, to see the Three Forks of the Missouri in Montana and to stop at marked sites where Lewis and Clark camped out, gave me a better view and feel of what the Corps of Discovery endured back in 1804-1806. Taking with Lakota people, walking Native American trails and seeing Ancient American dwellings and petroglyphs was another goal of mine. I did that, too. And to experience the "Wild" of the northern Rockies was of course the highlight of this entire trip. America truly is a beautiful country.
Roadtripping, I've discovered, is fun and easy in the Western States because of the many public lands. I spent less than $200 on lodging in the two months, prefering free "primitive" campsites in the National Forests. The National Forests have great campsites for those who already have water with them and who don't need hook-ups. The National Parks Service's campgrounds, in comparison, are crowded, loud, overpriced and often disappointing. Sadie loved the cascading waters from creeks we'd camp near. Having water available is quite an asset in the West.
I want to do this trip again, with Kevin, and experience Montana, Idaho, Wyoming again. He would love to see the Big Horn National Forest, the Gallatin National Forest, and the Bitterroots along the MT-ID border. Like me, he's no fan of the crowded resort parks managed by the National Park Service, where overweight Americans, rude foreign tourists (who I've seen purposely ignore "Do Not Cross" signs the park would post in areas of landslides or restoration projects) and overpriced goods are sold to masses of people in every corner.
It feels good just to stay home and work on the garden now. I certainly have my work cut out for me before school starts! The monsoonal rains were late this year, but we got a good rainfall yesterday which will make weed-pulling easier this morning. Kevin took great efforts in the garden while I was gone and we are getting a pumper crop of large green peppers, potatoes and turnips and beets. Last night he made a savory stew with our home-grown turnips.
Even my strawberries and blueberries are ripe. Those Quinalt strawberries are ideal for Arizona as they are huge and do well in the morning sun/afternoon shade.
Sadie and I bonded over the trip and she never leaves my sight, but she does fear Sara who pushes her out of the way. Yesterday Sadie hid in Kevin's closet until I called her out for a "Ride
into town to register for classes; the other two dogs insisted on going along so I ended up taking all three dogs into town for an hour. The van's still not completely cleaned out so it was a mess in the end...but they had fun.
And then an early-evening walk proved disastrous. My three-mile walk was aborted at the second mile because the dogs were pulling too hard. I was being led "for a drag" rather than
going on a walk. I had no fun. The dogs' body weight is too much for me. Nonetheless it was nice to see the neighborhood, wave at the familiar faces and see new ones. Some of the homes that were on sale in May have sold, others are now on the market.
Would I do this road trip again? Ideally, I would NOT have driven to Indiana and then up to South Dakota, but I needed to see Baby Ethan and the kids. I spent most of my reserve money there in Indiana taking care of the kids' needs; had I stayed out West I would have saved $2K but then not have seen the new baby, or seen all my friends there who truly made the trip enjoyable. I want to do big road trips every summer but stay in one region (like the Pacific Northwest) and stay in one town for several days before moving on...avoiding driving long distances on hot days; 120 miles is the most I prefer driving in one day.
The van did fine, too. But I think next time I will want to get a roof-top luggage carrier to prevent the clutter in the van that gets worse with dogs in the back sifting things around. I will shop around for a good one.
The shower bags I brought along worked GREAT for those private camp showers. I was able to stay clean and refreshed throughout the heat of summer, after dirty hikes, etc. And I brought enough clothes to last two weeks between washings. Maybe I brought along TOO much clothes as the bags were taking up space.
I ate a lot of Swiss cheese/flour tortillas along the way, mostly eating just one big meal a day. Toward the end, though I craved high protein foods like burgers and fries, the higher and longer I'd hike up the peaks. If I never see cheese and tortillas for the rest of the year, I'd be happy!
I did enjoy the many great breweries in Montana and the people I'd meet in the "taprooms." Drinking beer there, where hops, barley and wheat are grown locally, is an experience. The beers there are made with all-natural ingredients and make the cheap national brands like Budweiser, Coors, Miller or Michelob taste like rice or corn extract. I probably spent more money on beer than on food!
I never had to use my pistol or stun gun, although the lose dogs that would chase after Sadie gave me fleeting regrets that I didn't carry my stun gun with me, just to pull the trigger to scare off the hounds. Dogs do not like the sound of that zapper, and it's the sound alone that would scare them off. (Would that work on a hungry mountain lion or black bear as well?)
But life has its surprises. Deaths do happen and plans could change. I worry about Kevin's health every day because of his high blood pressure compounded with his smoking and drinking. If only I could get him working out again, or helping me walk the dogs in the evening!
I enjoy teaching for the summers off. I am still taking courses at the college here to prep for my Master's in Ed; this fall I am taking two history courses although I had hoped to take an English and Spanish course as well. (Scheduling conflicts prevented that). The high school I work at is a great school with wonderful staff and administrators. Teaching part-time and going to school in the evenings is a great schedule for me and I am happy with this arrangement.
And for the sake of my sanity I will not be returning to Bisbee. I will miss the after-school visits of Old Bisbee and hanging out with the weird people there, but the students in Bisbee are lacking the discipline and desire to be educated like they do in town; there is clearly a cultural divide between the two towns.
My teaching certificate now complete, all the courses now are just prep courses. I want to know more about American history and Literature (and that includes Native American history). The one major change down the road, however, would be the possibility of moving to Tucson to work as a German or Russian teacher at the upscale schools there. But does Kevin want to move there? He's happy here working with his co-workers; this winter he's earned another week of vacation which means next summer we could take a three-week roadtrip together if all works out! He would drive up to Montana himself if he could. And he'd be happy staying in camp drinking beer and cooking dinner while I explore the high peaks with one of the dogs. What a life!
The best part of this trip, besides seeing Montana, was living the history. To drive along the Missouri River in Iowa and South Dakota, to see the Three Forks of the Missouri in Montana and to stop at marked sites where Lewis and Clark camped out, gave me a better view and feel of what the Corps of Discovery endured back in 1804-1806. Taking with Lakota people, walking Native American trails and seeing Ancient American dwellings and petroglyphs was another goal of mine. I did that, too. And to experience the "Wild" of the northern Rockies was of course the highlight of this entire trip. America truly is a beautiful country.
Roadtripping, I've discovered, is fun and easy in the Western States because of the many public lands. I spent less than $200 on lodging in the two months, prefering free "primitive" campsites in the National Forests. The National Forests have great campsites for those who already have water with them and who don't need hook-ups. The National Parks Service's campgrounds, in comparison, are crowded, loud, overpriced and often disappointing. Sadie loved the cascading waters from creeks we'd camp near. Having water available is quite an asset in the West.
I want to do this trip again, with Kevin, and experience Montana, Idaho, Wyoming again. He would love to see the Big Horn National Forest, the Gallatin National Forest, and the Bitterroots along the MT-ID border. Like me, he's no fan of the crowded resort parks managed by the National Park Service, where overweight Americans, rude foreign tourists (who I've seen purposely ignore "Do Not Cross" signs the park would post in areas of landslides or restoration projects) and overpriced goods are sold to masses of people in every corner.
It feels good just to stay home and work on the garden now. I certainly have my work cut out for me before school starts! The monsoonal rains were late this year, but we got a good rainfall yesterday which will make weed-pulling easier this morning. Kevin took great efforts in the garden while I was gone and we are getting a pumper crop of large green peppers, potatoes and turnips and beets. Last night he made a savory stew with our home-grown turnips.
Even my strawberries and blueberries are ripe. Those Quinalt strawberries are ideal for Arizona as they are huge and do well in the morning sun/afternoon shade.
Sadie and I bonded over the trip and she never leaves my sight, but she does fear Sara who pushes her out of the way. Yesterday Sadie hid in Kevin's closet until I called her out for a "Ride
into town to register for classes; the other two dogs insisted on going along so I ended up taking all three dogs into town for an hour. The van's still not completely cleaned out so it was a mess in the end...but they had fun.
And then an early-evening walk proved disastrous. My three-mile walk was aborted at the second mile because the dogs were pulling too hard. I was being led "for a drag" rather than
going on a walk. I had no fun. The dogs' body weight is too much for me. Nonetheless it was nice to see the neighborhood, wave at the familiar faces and see new ones. Some of the homes that were on sale in May have sold, others are now on the market.
Would I do this road trip again? Ideally, I would NOT have driven to Indiana and then up to South Dakota, but I needed to see Baby Ethan and the kids. I spent most of my reserve money there in Indiana taking care of the kids' needs; had I stayed out West I would have saved $2K but then not have seen the new baby, or seen all my friends there who truly made the trip enjoyable. I want to do big road trips every summer but stay in one region (like the Pacific Northwest) and stay in one town for several days before moving on...avoiding driving long distances on hot days; 120 miles is the most I prefer driving in one day.
The van did fine, too. But I think next time I will want to get a roof-top luggage carrier to prevent the clutter in the van that gets worse with dogs in the back sifting things around. I will shop around for a good one.
The shower bags I brought along worked GREAT for those private camp showers. I was able to stay clean and refreshed throughout the heat of summer, after dirty hikes, etc. And I brought enough clothes to last two weeks between washings. Maybe I brought along TOO much clothes as the bags were taking up space.
I ate a lot of Swiss cheese/flour tortillas along the way, mostly eating just one big meal a day. Toward the end, though I craved high protein foods like burgers and fries, the higher and longer I'd hike up the peaks. If I never see cheese and tortillas for the rest of the year, I'd be happy!
I did enjoy the many great breweries in Montana and the people I'd meet in the "taprooms." Drinking beer there, where hops, barley and wheat are grown locally, is an experience. The beers there are made with all-natural ingredients and make the cheap national brands like Budweiser, Coors, Miller or Michelob taste like rice or corn extract. I probably spent more money on beer than on food!
I never had to use my pistol or stun gun, although the lose dogs that would chase after Sadie gave me fleeting regrets that I didn't carry my stun gun with me, just to pull the trigger to scare off the hounds. Dogs do not like the sound of that zapper, and it's the sound alone that would scare them off. (Would that work on a hungry mountain lion or black bear as well?)
But life has its surprises. Deaths do happen and plans could change. I worry about Kevin's health every day because of his high blood pressure compounded with his smoking and drinking. If only I could get him working out again, or helping me walk the dogs in the evening!
I enjoy teaching for the summers off. I am still taking courses at the college here to prep for my Master's in Ed; this fall I am taking two history courses although I had hoped to take an English and Spanish course as well. (Scheduling conflicts prevented that). The high school I work at is a great school with wonderful staff and administrators. Teaching part-time and going to school in the evenings is a great schedule for me and I am happy with this arrangement.
And for the sake of my sanity I will not be returning to Bisbee. I will miss the after-school visits of Old Bisbee and hanging out with the weird people there, but the students in Bisbee are lacking the discipline and desire to be educated like they do in town; there is clearly a cultural divide between the two towns.
My teaching certificate now complete, all the courses now are just prep courses. I want to know more about American history and Literature (and that includes Native American history). The one major change down the road, however, would be the possibility of moving to Tucson to work as a German or Russian teacher at the upscale schools there. But does Kevin want to move there? He's happy here working with his co-workers; this winter he's earned another week of vacation which means next summer we could take a three-week roadtrip together if all works out! He would drive up to Montana himself if he could. And he'd be happy staying in camp drinking beer and cooking dinner while I explore the high peaks with one of the dogs. What a life!
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