Happy Easter!

It's been almost a decade since I dyed eggs.  It was even more fun than I remember! 

Ash displaying a few with which we're particularly happy.

Mr. Wonderful had a great time, no matter what his face indicates. That's right; he made a  "5th brother" ninja turtle egg.

Two more. Not the best eggs, but proof I was part of this experience.

A suggestion

I really enjoy visiting the National Archives in Denver.  I also really enjoy the random, funny things I find while looking through very straightforward administrative National Park Service files.

For your reading pleasure, a visitor suggestion for an enhanced experience at Zion National Park:

I read this and immediately laughed out loud in the midst of the quiet reading room full of researchers.  Do you blame me? Can you imagine Rocky Mountain National Park piping "The Solid Rock" (On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand....) all along Trail Ridge Road?  Bwahahaha!  Also, "Rock of Ages"?  Really?  Except for the first three words, I'm not sure the song's lyrics really lend themselves to Zion's canyon walls.  And while I DO like it, it's not exactly a song for which I would call up the phrase "GRANDEUR" of nature in my mind's eye.  So, 1) Who thinks of piping music through a MASSIVE canyon for motorists to enjoy over the noise of their motors?  2) Why that song?  3)  The electric cables required to run loudspeakers would make for some ugly scenery. 4) How annoying would it be to listen to conflicting echoes of any one song reverberating through a canyon?!  Zion Canyon is HUGE - as in long and wide. Multiple speakers and multiple locations haven't got a chance against the canyon's size and resulting delays caused by the speed at which sound travels.  It's as irritating as live noise against the delay of a slow PA system, I'm sure.

I don't think Mr. Broom gave adequate consideration to the logistics of his divinely-inspired idea.  You?

I would probably have written to Mr. Broom to tell him that it was a really bad idea.

Here is the much more politely worded response from Zion to Mr. Broom.

You can always go read this for yourself in Records Group 79 at the National Archives branch in Denver.  8NS-079-95-040, NPS: Southwest Regional Office , Administrative Files, 1962-1964, Box 45, Zion folder
They are open M-F 7:30-3:45 and are helpful and nice.

Feel free to disagree, politely.

I just read an op-ed in the NY Times about Gen Y and their "complacency." You're going to have to go read it to understand this rant.

They based their findings on, get this, the number of teens applying for drivers' licenses.  Yep.

Buchholz and Buchholz postulate, 
"Perhaps young people are too happy at home checking Facebook. In a study of 15 countries, Michael Sivak, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute (who also contributed to the D.M.V. research), found that when young people spent more time on the Internet, they delayed getting their driver’s licenses. “More time on Facebook probably means less time on the road,” he said. That may mean safer roads, but it also means a bumpier, less vibrant economy."


I willingly admit that computer/tech addiction isn't a great thing and DOES lead to general worthlessness and deadbeat-ness for many.  However, DRIVERS' LICENSES?  They actually bash kids who stay in their hometowns and ride bikes.  No joke.  Because that means they're willing to "settle."  And settling is un-American.  (Even though we mourn the drain of youth out of rural areas, small towns, and northern cities, and champion the good old days of family values and local cohesion.)  Because we must all be heroes a la the Joads of Steinbeck fame - who are not real, I'd like to note, and who were lucky to not starve to death like many of their fellow Okies.  And if we really cared about being Americans, we would pack our bags and go to North Dakota to work in the oil fields.  (Does anyone else see a move from Oklahoma to Cali by the Joads to find work as rather different from moving from, say, Georgia to North Dakota to find work?)  Because struggle is what makes us Americans, and if we're not struggling for something better, we'll rot as a nation.


I'm pretty sure this is a reworking of Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis - a hero-creating, imperialism-affirming, we-must-struggle-against-nature-by-finding-new-frontiers-or-we-will-become-lame-Europeans piece of work written in 1893 to reaffirm a belief in Manifest Destiny.  And IMHO, FJT's ideas were politically convenient proofs of founding myths swirling around in the late 19th century - and wrong.


And while we're at it, the Buchholzes have more to impart.
"But Generation Y has become Generation Why Bother. The Great Recession and the still weak economy make the trend toward risk aversion worse. Children raised during recessions ultimately take fewer risks with their investments and their jobs. Even when the recession passes, they don’t strive as hard to find new jobs, and they hang on to lousy jobs longer. Research by the economist Lisa B. Kahn of the Yale School of Management shows that those who graduated from college during a poor economy experienced a relative wage loss even 15 years after entering the work force."

Friends and twenty-somethings, is anyone else tired of hearing that we play it too safe?  Because I am.  I'm really tired of being told I don't try hard enough and am un-American because I don't care if I'm part of the next mythical Greatest Generation.  As someone who is currently playing it "safe" working two part-time jobs for low wages and no health insurance while my husband does the same at his one job, I'm a bit resentful.  I DID decide to stay in school so I would be eligible for these two jobs.  I AM playing it safe.  I'm not sure what the hurry to go out and struggle really is because, friends, my friends out there struggling right now are not doing well.  They have college degrees.  They are hard workers.  They are TRYING.  But many of them have had to move back to their parents' homes at some point.  Several have had to apply for food stamps because they can't find full-time work.  Many are chronically un- or underemployed despite constant job searching all over this country for ANY job.  Even fast food places aren't really hiring much.  So, I do feel really, really lucky to have my "crappy" job.  And after a year of unemployment for Mr. Wonderful, we are thankful he has one at all.  And I will be milking these jobs for a while longer.  As far as I can see, there's not much "out there" for me to do.  I've already moved across the country and am willing to do it again for the right job.  I know I wouldn't be a good entrepreneur, and I DON'T HAVE ANY START-UP CAPITAL with which to do it.  I barely have enough money for rent every month.

So I'm tired of old people telling me that my generation is a bad egg.  And really, blaming the youth is an old and dirty move.  Sometimes I look at younger kids and wonder what will become of me in my old age, but really, they'll grow up.  And my friends ARE grown up, and we are all struggling to support ourselves despite a pretty grim economic climate ANY WAY we can short of the black market and prostitution.

So who the heck cares whether there are fewer kids getting their drivers' licenses?!  They can't afford cars without jobs, no matter how much pep and American spirit they have.  And if they tried, the Buchholzes of the world would decry their irresponsible spending on credit.

2012 favorites, spring edition

So this week on the Front Range is just about perfect as far as weather goes.  With average day-time temps in the mid 60s and an abundance of sunshine thanks to losing an hour last Sunday I have miraculously emerged from my winter SAD funk.  I think it helped that I was feeling so much better after last week's bout of flu, but I'm going to say it's pretty much mostly a weather thing.

What did I do with this gift of sunshine and warmth?  My two favorite warm weather activities.


1. Nine loads of laundry - all of them hung on the  line!  (Clotheslines are the only thing that can make me excited about doing laundry.)

2.  Grilled some delicious chicken and veggies with Ash.  Also, thanks to Ash for helping me to restring the clothesline that was taken out by half of a tree during last October's apocalyptic ice storm.

It's amazing how much a weather change can change my attitude.  I was so motivated!  I cleaned and organized and smiled happily.  Normally I would much rather spend Saturday morning sleeping in as late as possible.  I am thankful this day was different!

Finally, please note the area directly in front of the clothesline in the above picture.  In about two months there will be little plants growing there as part of my first veggie garden in 3 years!  I can hardly contain my excitement.  I have spent way too much time already plotting and planning and browsing seed catalogs.  It's not going to be super-big, though, so I'm in the process of paring down my 200'x200' ideas into a 20'x10' space.

International Women's Day

So I missed posting this on March 8 by 10 minutes, but I'm still celebrating my favorite non-American holiday!

I'm guessing this won't be as fun for you if you haven't seen Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" music video first.

Fail.

Mr. Wonderful gave me these for Valentines Day.  I love them.

I love him.

His present came late.  I finally got to give it to him.

I gave him a graphic novel he already had.

Yep.

I missed it because he runs an extensive lending library.  It was in circulation.

Wife fail.

A Friendful Weekend

Sarah & Jesse came to visit last weekend.

It was super-fun.

When they arrived, we headed for a refreshing bit of fro yo.  Yum!

Then Sarah and I ditched the guys and headed to book club.  Yes, my friend was totally okay with book club with a group of strange women during her vacation.  (Thanks dear!)

The Ladies of Book Club (and Turbo)

We had a bunch of fun and ate yummy food.  And I got my Gooner and Sooner fix.  And Sarah got to meet them and re-meet La!  And meet two other amazing ladies, of course.

We ate at several yummy restaurants.  We visited some breweries.  We visited La Creperie and ate French lunch and too many buttery pastries.  (Worth it!)  Monday we even went to eat at my (and Mr. Wonderful's) favorite Indian restaurant.  And we took three more friends along to introduce them to this place.  And Sarah and I were both sure we gained lots of weight as a result.

On both Sunday and Monday night, Sarah, A, and I made earrings.  Sarah likes to be crafty.  Me, too, when I'm with her and A.  I also love earrings!  While we did this, the guys watched movies and refused to participate except to politely and lovingly ooh and ahh over our creations.

A sampling of our handiwork.

All-in-all, the visit was too short.  I'm sure Sarah and Jesse were happy to get home, but I already miss their faces.  Love you two!