RandomThoughts

Today I am exceptionally relaxed.  All this hard climbing and hiking and sun and heat and cold feel like they are molding me, like I am bread dough under Hueco's hands.  I feel awesome.  Tired and sore, but awesome.

Being clean probably has something to do with this.  I've decided that there is nothing better in the world than a hot shower on a tired body, and clean hair.  It's amazing!  The campground has a bathroom with showers, and I feel privileged to be able to shower whenever I want.

Today is a rest day, so Jason and I are engaging in our usual activities.  We got up and made eggs and bacon.  Today was a two cup of coffee day, then shower, then head into town for propane, groceries, to find a new book to read, to get ice cream.  It seems like on rest days all I want to do is eat and lay.  My body LOVES calories.  I have an inner fat kid that wants to take over.  Not so different from what I wanted to do every weekend in Knoxville, I guess, but now I can pretend it's what I really ought to do.  :)

But sadly, this is our last week in Hueco.  We leave on the 31st for Albuquerque, and I'll be visiting my grandma for a week after that.  It's been a wonderful trip so far, a perfect first quarter. 

Favorite parts:  Morning routines.  Every morning we wake up before the sun is up, but don't get out of bed.  It's too cold outside when the sun is down!  So I lay there, sometimes go back to sleep, thinking of the day ahead, waiting for the tent wall to turn yellow, signaling that the day has begun.

One of the most amazing things so far, as it should be, is that we have met some really amazing people.  Sonnie Trotter and his wife Lydia ran into Kyle and Leslie at the crag and ended up staying at our campsite for a week (check out his blog, we're totally famous now: http://sonnietrotter.com/roadlife/).  They are amazing people!  Lydia owns her own yoga studio, and she blew my mind with some three dimensional acrobatics.  Girl is flexible.  Sonnie is super cool, very down to earth, and they both have a great sense of humor-- by 'great', I mean, close to mine, of course.  They get our jokes.  That's important.  :)  So that was awesome.  We will hopefully see them again, since they live in Squamish.


Kyle and Leslie also introduced us to two other friends of theirs, Dave and Leanna, also canadian, and they are AWESOME.  Every time I hang out with them, I find myself saying later, " I really like those guys!"  That kind of people.  They live in Ottowa and have taken a year long sabbatical as their honeymoon, climbing and traveling around the states and Europe.  Sweet.  Excellent company here in the desert, and they are also on our wavelength as far as sense of humor is concerned. 

Another thing that sticks out in my mind about this trip so far is finger pain!  Not in the injured sense (except that Leslie did indeed hurt her finger), but in terms of lack of skin.  I have small, irregular circular patches on the tips of my fingers where all the skin has been worn away and just can't grow back fast enough.  Crimping on tiny holds here also causes bruising, so all of our fingertips have small red splotches that peel off, like blood blisters healing up, as they days go on.  Except, we bruise them every day, so they never go away. 

Sometimes, after a day of climbing, the hot water for washing dishes hurts, scalding my thin skin.  It hurts to pick up the tubs we put our food in, to take the tops of the tubs off, and last night, it hurt to turn on my headlamp.  I know.  I am being faced with serious adversity here.  But it's different from being a weekend warrior, having more time to heal.  And one of my favorite parts of the day is after doing dishes, rinsing away the soap, when the cool night air combines with the chilly water to make a perfect ice bath for sore hands and skin.  Sometimes I just stay there, near the faucet, holding my hands under the water, because it feels amazing.  Also frigid.  But great.

Probably one of the best things about Hueco so far, after all the awesomeness of the amazing friends we have and friends we have made, is the stillness, the quiet, the peace.  The desert is calm, with these small noises that are wonderful-- birds chirping every morning as soon as the sun comes up, coyotes yipping to each other in the dusk (the most talkative canine, apparently), owls hooting in the trees near our tent.  I feel like in some ways, this was exactly what I needed.  Some parts of this last year have been so amazingly difficult, and sometimes I felt like the days and weeks would just pass by, with me hardly noticing.  It was like I'd wrapped myself up, keeping thing in and out at the same time, like padding some fragile object for fear it would break.  And slowly, Hueco is helping this peace find the little cracks it needs to slip inside. 

Eating breakfast, occasionally the birds will get bold enough to come up onto the picnic table with me, picking up scraps of food as I eat my oatmeal.  On rest days, Jason and I share our computer, and so when he is using it I can just sit, no agenda, lay in the sun on the concrete in front of the park headquarters, relaxing.  Basking.  Being still.

At the crag yesterday, Dave and Jason and I were left to our own devices at a climb, and we each found a small patch of sun to curl up in, resting in these little squares of sunlight, shirts over our eyes to block the brightness, cracking jokes without even looking at each other. 

Before I go to bed every night, I can see the changes in the moon as it passes through each phase.

You can watch the stars change position in the night sky as the evening progresses. 

Jason and I have seen the elusive Javelina, a small wild pig, twice already in the park.  Once after a day of climbing, when it felt like Jason literally called them into being, saying, "I want to see a javelina RIGHT NOW!" and there they were, on the path in front of us, making piggy noises.  And once on a tour, we saw a whole group of them trotting down the rock in search of more cactus to chomp. 

Hueco is crazy, with it's rules and regulations, famous climbers every time you turn around and the entourage the inevitably surrounds them, and climbers who have no clue every other time you turn around.  But this peaceful place is amazing, worth every penny, every rule, at least right now to me. 

Things were so crazy for our last two months before this trip started-- going home for Thanksgiving and the anniversary of Mike's death, packing, moving, driving, visiting, holidays, chaos.  This peace is exactly what I've been needing.

And sun.  We are spoiling on it here.  I wear sunscreen every day, and I almost have to wear it at night.  Just kidding.  But the desert is a tough place if you are not a day walker.  I am pink, and probably will be for the next six months.  :)  But it feels great.  We are getting our fill, preparing for darker days in the Pacific Northwest this winter. 

Anyway, those are some rambling thoughts from Texas, as we come close to summing up our last few days.  When next I write, I'll be visiting my grandma, the most wonderful lady on the planet, in Washington.  Hope everyone is well, and I can honestly say I wish you all were with us here in Hueco!

Jason, being burly

Trying hard

This is Dave, aka GUNS.  Or Biceps.  Geez.

Hueco sunset

Proof!  Me, Dave, Jason, Leslie, Lydia, Sonnie, and Kyle

Hueco Tanks Party Time!

A small slice of our new climbing heaven!

Yes indeedy, we have arrived!  Well, we've been here for over two weeks actually, but I'm finally taking the time to write about it.  We are in Hueco Tanks, TX, which is a state park about 10 miles east of El Paso.  As you can see from the photo above, I guess there's some rock climbing to do.  Who would ever guess we'd pick a rock climbing destination as our first stop?  :) 

So, on January 4th, we drove from Albuquerque to El Paso, and met up with the fantastic duo of Kyle and Leslie, the 'Can' in Can-Am.  We were PSYCHED to start climbing.  We headed in, set up our campsite, and caught up on what we'd been up to during the few months since we'd seen each other. 

Canada and America, in a beautiful peace treaty of rock climbing.

Our campsite, with the green 'Taj Mahal' in the background.

And we've been climbing, resting, and camping ever since!  No really though, that's about all we've been doing.  Hueco is incredible.  The first few days here were the most complicated, as Hueco is a little bit difficult to get access to if you don't plan far ahead.  We didn't have reservations for the first few days of climbing, so we were forced to compete for 10 walk-in spots the park keeps open.  People camping in the park get first dibs on these 10 walk in spots, but you have to be the first 10 people in line!  In order to make sure we could get in to climb, we had to wake up at 5:30am and go directly to the headquarters, to wait until 8am when it opened.  The first day we were a little on the slow side, and by the time we arrived, we were literally numbers 7, 8, 9, and 10.  We barely made it, and we were there at 6am on the dot!  5 minutes after we parked, another 2 climbers rolled up.  They were too late!  Clearly, climbing here is serious business. 

We were forced to do the early wake up for our first 3 climbing days, and then we had reservations, so we could be a little lazier.  Our days have quickly taken on an easy routine.  We are camping in a site with both water and electricity, so it's really not like camping at all!  We have a huge green tent we picked up at an outlet thanks to our good buddy Stephen Meinhold-- this tent is HUGE.  It's 7 feet tall.  It's 6 feet long.  We've dubbed it the Taj Mahal.  The Taj is genius for our nightly ritual of Settlers of Catan, but the Taj has been taking a beating in the high desert winds.  Luckily, it's made of some pretty stern stuff, so we haven't had any issues (besides noise-- the Taj is like a giant goose flapping it's wings on windy nights). 

Since we have electricity, we've purchased 100 ft of extension cord between all of us, and we each have an extension cord running to our respective tents-- the most important item I got for Christmas was a space heater.  Thanks Dad!  So, with the space heater in the tent, and a splitter for the extension cord, we can charge our phones, heat the tent, and play music on speakers all at the same time.  Livin' large, I tell ya.  Home away from home.

So our routine is established: wake up, make french press coffee.  Cook breakfast (sometimes two breakfasts-- I get HUNGRY!), pack a lunch, go climbing all day.  Literally all day.  10am to 5pm.  This place is like a playground.  Then, come back and start dinner.  Eat dinner, usually right after it gets fully dark (like 6pm or so?), then head to the Taj Mahal for a game of Settlers.  Talk lots of crap (Canada is convinced that since they have more natural resources than us, they are better at the game of Catan, since they've had more practice managing resources.  I call this total crap.).

A very serious game of Catan.  We've graduated to Cities and Knights of Catan.  We're adults.

Anyway, we keep a record of who wins each game.  This is a very serious tally.

The sad part is, we usually end up in bed at like 8 or 9pm.  We're like retirees over here.  It's dark!  How many games of Catan can you play in one night?  And we're tired!  Anyway, I can't justify it, but we do go to bed early.  We're usually up early, like around 7 or so, but for the first few nights after our reservations kicked in, we were easily sleeping 12 hours a stretch.  Being unemployed is just so HARD.  :)  There was lots of sarcasm in that last sentence.  I know that doesn't translate well via blog, but just know it was there.

And we're climbing!  So here are some required climbing shots:

Leslie Timms, killin' it on 'See Sharp'

Me, setting up for a big jump

Perusing the guidebook, trying to decide on our next destination

Cool rock and moon shot

So Yeah!  That's what we're up to.  Hueco is also really cool because it has all kinds of rock art, some that dates back 10,000 years.  We went on a tour and saw some really cool stuff:

Super cool snake rock art.  Points towards water, apparently.

Jason touching smooth rock-- smoothed by wooly mammoths rubbing their tusks on the rock!

Dam built in the 1800s

Our tour guide and a cool view of some rocks

Dancing rock art

Our guide also pointed out a crazy fact-- apparently Texas is 99% private.  WHAT?  Only 1% of the ENTIRE state is open for public use?  Crazy.  Just mind blowing. 

But we are indeed doing some Texas experiencing.  Since we are super close to Juarez, the Mexican food is delicious, so every time we go into town we get some amazing and amazingly cheap burritos and tacos.  Yum.  We do our grocery shopping at this little Mercado, and everything is ridiculously cheap.  15 fresh made corn tortillas for $1.50.  SO DELICIOUS. 

So yeah!  Hueco is amazing so far.  We're here until at least the end of the month, and then new adventures will occur!  We don't have the month of February really planned yet, so anything can happen.  And of course, you know I'll make sure to keep you abreast of all our wonderful escapades.  We miss you guys!  All of you!  Except for Kyle and Leslie of course, because you're right here.  Probably setting up the Catan board.  I'm ready.  I think I'm probably going to win this one. 

Where in the world ARE we?

Never fear, family and friends, Jason and I are alive and well!  I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to get an update to you.  The last three weeks have been all manner of chaos.  But I promise that this post will be long enough to make up for all the time we've been missing! 

So, back to where we left off.  Our last day of work was December 9th, and our plan was to leave Knoxville on the 14th.  Leading up to our last day of work and for several days after, we spent most of our evenings trying to say goodbye to amazing friends.  This was one of the hardest things to do! 

Goodbye Party from my Sunrise Family

Beautiful Goodbye cake

Jason and his lovely work ladies

On December 10th, we had a going away party at a bar practically next door to our house-- lots of amazing people showed up, thanks guys!  We had a total blast, as you'll be able to see from these photos:

John, Jason and Karrie

Ashlee and Jennie

Jessica, Cheryl and Will

The gang

Jason, Blake and I, having too much fun

I did do other things besides take shots.  I swear.

We clearly had a slow packing day on Sunday, but the next three days were intense.  10-12 hour days of packing, cleaning, and loading our moving truck (which in the old city, is no mean feat).  We had intended to leave Wednesday morning, but we weren't even close to done.  Finally, at 5pm on Wednesday, we had our landlord review the apartment, had one last dinner with amigos, and passed out before a huge drive to Kansas.

Check out our setup.  Whew.  It was like driving a semi.

We headed out Thursday morning, after loading the PASSAT! onto the hauler, we drove off into the sunset.  Not really.  Into the longest drive of the trip.  It was pretty intense-- with the car on the back and in a 22' van, the ride was BOUNCY.  For hours.  And the truck was pretty crazy to drive, so it was exhausting.  By the end of that day, after so many days of moving and packing, I was beginning to wonder if Jason and I were crazy.  You're probably thinking, 'You were just BEGINNING to wonder?!'  I know.  It's just a little harder to see crazy looking from the inside out.  :)

We arrived in Kansas at Jason's sister Kari's house just before midnight, and passed out.  Kari had a friend from Guatemala visiting for several weeks, so we had an amazing time taking Gaby and the kids out to do a ton of fun events.  We went ice skating, and rock climbing, and I got to practice my spanish!  It was awesome to see Kari and the kids, as well.  

Jaden, Andy, me and Jaxen

Jason's mom, Gaby, Jason, Jaden, and Josie

There was some falling.

Gaby, me and Jaden

After a few days in Kansas, we headed out to Boulder, CO.  We stopped by Jason's grandpa's house on the way out to visit his grandpa and his uncle Bob.  After a short visit, we got back on the road and headed west.  I caught  a cold somewhere along the way, and by the time we made it to Boulder, I was miserable.  Luckily, Kimberly Perez is awesome and wanted to help take care of me!  

Jason, Ted and Kim at dinner

It was a short one day stay in Boulder, and the next day was the trek to Salt Lake City.  After that, to Portland.  We arrived in Portland on the night of the 20th, and had to unload our truck and return it by 11am the next day.  Needless to say, we were pooped, but we were really excited to get rid of that dang truck!  So we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, and finally accomplished the feat!

Woohoo!  Finally DONE!

My brain sort of shut off for a bit after that, but the next few days were awesome-- shopping, hanging out with friends and babies, staying at my sister's house... it was great.  

Jason, Angela and Nicky

Allison and baby Willa

This child is adorable.  I may have been hogging the baby time.

Christmas Eve playing Apples to Apples.

Merry Christmas Bryan Caldwell!

I put Willa in Dad's stocking.  I don't think she liked it, but I thought it was cute.

So Christmas was amazing.  Adding Willa and Brad and Allison to the event made it so much more fun!  My family is now officially baby crazy.  :)  Bryan Caldwell came over, and all the family was at Nicky's house for both breakfast and dinner!  It was awesome.  I am so looking forward to actually living there.  Spending time with my family was amazing.

After that, I stopped taking pictures.  The next week was another blur.  After Christmas, we climbed at my friend Mike's gym: www.sourceclimbing.com.  It's freaking awesome.  We hung out with several AMAZING friends Monday night: Rayne Zaughsome, the legend that officiated at our wedding, as well as his little brother Tyson, and my wonderful friend Dusty Hoesly and his awesome girlfriend.  We hung out at my sister's house, and my abs hurt the next day from the laughing.  Tuesday we headed up to Washington to see my older brother, his wife Sarah, my nephews and my mom.  We played Apples to Apples (it was Sarah's first time!), ate at a Japanese steakhouse, cracked jokes and generally had an amazing time.  Wednesday we took those adorable nephews rock climbing at a gym in Tacoma.  Alex, 11, loved it, and Matthew, 5, had a good time, but wasn't as sure.  He wouldn't go to the top, saying, "I don't want to use up all my ninja powers."  Hilarious.  

After that, we went to Jason's middle sister Jami's house, to visit with her and her children.  Her kids are GREAT.  Jaycee is turning 14, Hunter is 11, and Landon is 5.  So we hung out at their house for a day and a half, and then visited my grandma in Tumwater.  So we basically drove the length of Washington heading up and back, as Jami lives up past Arlington, WA, about 120 miles from Vancouver.  Hanging out with my grandma was great-- she is adorable.  Then, back to Portland Friday afternoon.  More rock climbing with another friend Stephen Meinhold (AKA Mind-bomb, Mind-meld, Mine-field), and then back to my sister's house to hang out with more friends!  

New Year's Eve we had breakfast with Brad and Allison and Willa and my dad, went shopping with Allison, took Brad to dinner with Karen and Ian, two of my most amazing friends, and then went to two New Year's Eve parties.  We got up Sunday, packed our car, took more stuff to storage with my dad's help, and headed out for New Mexico.

Whew.  After all this, I'm almost looking forward to being in the middle of nowhere.  We did have an epic camping experience Sunday night-- we made it to Twin Falls, Idaho, and after all the chaos of Portland, wanted to save money, so we set up our tent at a KOA around midnight and passed out.  It was 28 degrees, with tons of cold wind, so it was probably in the teens!  The campground was open, but no one was around... and there were no envelopes for payment... so we had to guerrilla pay for our camping.  We put it in a mail slot that was blocked by a refrigerator, so they may discover our payment in a decade when our $10 isn't worth anything anymore.  :)

We made it to Albuquerque last night. Our first goal of the day today: Frontier!  Best breakfast burrito EVER.

Green chile breakfast burrito.  YUM.

Miranda and Larry, Jason's sister and dad.

In the last three weeks, we've probably driven over 4,300 miles.  I'm tired of driving!  We head to Hueco Tanks, TX, tomorrow, and meet up with the epic other half of Can-Am Flight 5.14 to begin the awesomeness.  I'm not leaving Hueco.  I swear it.  No more driving unless I absolutely have to.  Oh man.  

Anyway!  So that's what our last few weeks have been filled with!  I still don't really feel unemployed, but I think that's because I haven't even had a free second to think about what being unemployed is like!  I'm hoping our rest days in Hueco will be full of nothing but reading, board games, and awesome chilling. 

More to come!  This is barely the beginning.  Knoxville folks, we miss you.  Portland folks, I swear we're coming back.  But not before Spain!