bearizona + canyon = fun!

the second day of our sedona/grand canyon getaway had us detouring around flagstaff and through williams, where we stopped at bearizona. we had noticed the sign for bearizona from the freeway and the name alone intrigued us to check it out. and (dramatic pause) it was FANTASTIC! the majority of bearizona is a drive-thru wild animal park, where the animals roam in their sections and even walk right up to the car! we got to see white and brown bison, wolves, donkeys, big horn sheep, bears, and more! the donkeys were the friendliest, coming right up and licking the windows! the other animals were less friendly, but it was great to see them wandering around, enjoying themselves. the highlight was definitely the bears. they weren't doing anything interesting, but it was so awesome to be so close to them (and be safe!).

the second part of bearizona is a more traditional zoo, where the babies grow and play. there were baby bears, raccoons, pigs and goats... the bear cubs were super adorable - they kept fighting and playing. and there was a tiny baby fox, who was sitting on a perch, sunbathing, and he was super cute! it was so fun and a great precursor to our grand canyon day!

after our bearizona sidetrek, we headed back to the grand canyon for a second day of fun. our Plan A was quickly squashed when there were no bicycles for us to rent, but we shifted to Plan B and took the shuttle out to the eastern end of the rim. we walked the rim trail at this end, spotting a few wild sheep, and the colorado river way down below.

say hello to the big horn sheep!

then we hopped the shuttle back to the opposite end of the canyon. at the westernmost point (that the shuttle goes, at least), hermit's rest, i was surprised by how different the canyon looked from just a few miles further west. we walked the trail for a few miles, stopping to take photos of the canyon and the river. there was one viewpoint that we could hear the river below. i can only imagine how loud it must be at the base of the canyon!

the grand canyon and colorado river

we hopped on the shuttle to be at hopi point for sunset. our bus driver was VERY PARTICULAR. two young parents got on the shuttle with their twin babies. the infants were in their travel carriers, and after some shuffling, the parents sat down in the front of the bus, in seats with their back to the windows, facing inside the bus. the parents put their babies (in car seats) on the floor, just in front of them. the bus driver proceeded to tell the parents that she would not drive the bus until the picked up the babies and held the car seats in the their lap, because (and i'm not making this up) she was concerned that someone would come through and kick the babies. really? when is that someone is walking by and doesn't see the two infant car seats in the middle of the bus? and why wouldn't the parents be watching? and why would the people be walking through the bus while it was moving? i don't know. but one of the other riders did say that the bus driver spoiled her fun for the day, as she was really looking forward to kicking some babies.

the crazy bus driver let us out at hopi point, just in time for sunset. it was a gorgeous place to watch the sun go down, and just like the day before, the colors in the canyon were gorgeous.

after sunset, we stopped for dinner and resting at maswik lodge. and after dinner (and a bit of shopping) we bundled up and headed back to our stargazing spot. it was another clear night, and although it was colder than the night before, it was a great night for viewing the heavens. and a great way to end our trip to the grandest of canyons.

all bundled up for stargazing (complete with hand socks!)

before we turned into little popsicles, we gathered up our stuff and headed back to sedona.

the grandest of canyons, part 1

for a little getaway, my best friend and i booked a long weekend in sedona, with plans to drive up from there to the grand canyon. i picked her up on the way up to sedona, and we enjoyed the short road trip to sedona. it was too bad we couldn't see the surroundings while we were driving that night, because the next morning as we headed out to the grand canyon, the views were incredible.

our trek took us along one of the most scenic roads in the country (rated by AAA!), past gorgeous red rock formations, deep gorges, through flagstaff (with a stop at bookmans!), and over flat grasslands, until we arrived at the grand canyon. we parked at the visitor's center and took time to orient ourselves with the information available there. after a quick snack, we boarded the shuttle to one of the most popular viewpoints near el tovar. we walked up the rim and got our first glimpse of this natural wonder. it was exactly what it looks like on tv, but SO MUCH MORE INCREDIBLE!

we decided to hike (at least a little ways) into the canyon on the bright angel trail. it was a nice hike, and at a number of points you could see the trail following deeper and deeper into the canyon. as we walked down, there were many hikers passing us as they came in from the 2-day hike to the bottom of the canyon and back. we also had to pause while a pack of mules headed up the hill - which of course only made me think of the brady bunch episode when they went to the grand canyon :)  (we also randomly ran into someone i had met at a conference in tucson the week before!) after a while, it was time for us to turn around, and (not surprisingly) the hike back up was a bit more difficult than the hike down had been :) but we made it, and even enjoyed ourselves on the journey.

we strolled the rim trail (a paved walkway that goes across the south end of canyon), and took a shuttle to the spot a guide at the visitor's center recommended for sunset. we got to the viewing point just moments before sunset, but it was still enough time to enjoy the beauty of the sun setting over the canyon, and the colors of the rocks changing as the light dimmed. beautiful!

we stayed at the viewpoint a while, and then packed up to head to a ranger talk on climate and seasons in the canyon. the talk started off well, with the ranger asking some of the 30 or so attendees where they were from, and what they had done that day. but - much like our hike on the bright angel train - everything went downhill from there. the ranger shared some stories that were off topic (like the furnishings in his apartment when he first moved here) and made a few comments that bordered on inappropriate (something about all the european tourists running fast everywhere they went... i didn't quite understand). oh! and he literally stopped his talk at one point, stood in front of a woman, paused, and then said, "am i boring you? i saw you were yawning." AWKWARD... anyways, after the terrible (but still entertaining) ranger talk, we grabbed some food at the ultra slow restaurant at bright angel lodge. then, we layered up the clothes and walked down the rim trail to find a stargazing spot that was far enough off the main trail to be dark (but not too far...). as you could imagine, the sky was lit up with stars in almost every corner. we were so lucky to have a clear evening. even though it was freezing, we could see so many constellations, stars, satellites, and even a few shooting stars. it was wonderful!

i'm going to skip over our 2+ hour drive back to sedona... i'll summarize by saying that i was a little tense (i'm being generous to myself), we saw a few deer, and even 4 or 5 elk! i don't think i had seen a wild elk before - they are so huge!!! we didn't get any pictures (just shots of eyeshine), but it was pretty cool to see them!

as long as we both shall live

october was a busy month... two good friends of mine got married, just a few weeks apart.

the first wedding was at a country club in las vegas, so we had both the fun of a wedding, and the fun of a trip to viva las vegas! the boyfriend and i flew in to vegas saturday morning, had lunch with a dear friend, had a little time to get ready, and headed out to the wedding. the ceremony was next to a gorgeous pond, and near a few palm trees... it was an incredibly beautiful site. and the bride was equally beautiful! you could see the joy on her face - and on the face of her husband-to-be. the ceremony was short and sweet, and the party afterwards was fantastic. cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, all the great wedding traditions! the dj was fantastic and everyone enjoyed themselves. finally the evening was drawing to an end, and the newlyweds walked out under the cover of sparklers held by their friends and family. it was a gorgeous end to a gorgeous wedding! BUT that wasn't quite the end... the bride's brother hosted an after-party at his suite at NYNY. we had a great time, and finally called it a night at a respectable time (by las vegas standards, anyways!). we grabbed a bite to eat from a NY pizza place and headed back to our hotel to crash.

the second wedding was equally beautiful, although in a very different location. my closest friend in tucson was marrying her love, and i was delighted to celebrate with them! the celebration started with the rehearsal dinner - where i was able to meet my friend's family and dearest friends. the next night the bride and groom hosted a "meet and greet" happy hour so that their guests (many of whom were from out of town) could all get to know each other. it was great to meet people that love my friend and that i was going to celebrate with the next night. the wedding ceremony (the next day) was at a church near my house - actually the church i've been attending the past few months. the chapel was simply and beautifully decorated, as was the blushing bride. her groom was dashing, and they were both glowing as her father walked her down the aisle. the ceremony was romantic, heartfelt, and funny. perfect for them! the reception was at a golf course in the foothills north of tucson, and it was one of the most beautiful locations i have ever seen. and the setting sun made for an incredible view during the cocktail hour. the reception was perfectly themed around the happy couple: from the photos to the favors, it was all uniquely them. we danced and laughed and enjoyed a night celebrating the newlyweds.

two weddings so close together have put weddings on the brain. well, that, two recent friend engagements (and one i'm expecting any day now!), and celebrating nine years with my boyfriend... there has been a lot of talk about weddings between me and my boyfriend over the years. but really, i have mixed feelings about getting married.

part of me honestly believes that no one should get married. ever. what sense does it make to commit yourself to one person for the rest of your life? people change! people grow! there is no other relationship, no person, no thing, no responsibility to which you promise you will stick to for the rest of your life! (even children get taken away if you do not treat them properly!)  but there is another part of me that loves my boyfriend and wants to spend my life with him. and for us, spending our lives together means getting married. and i want to marry him. i want to come home to him each day. but how do i reconcile that desire with the cynical reality that "for better or worse" can become worse than you ever imagined?

and - because i always overthink everying - i have to wonder: do i really NOT want to get married? or am i just clinging to that "cynical reality" because year after year goes by and my boyfriend has made no move towards bended knee? sure, he says (often!) that he wants to marry me. but he's had plenty of time to make it a priority and make it happen. and yet, nothing. even when i've asked him to fast-forward the process, still nothing. and even though i have doubts about marriage, watching my boyfriend sit in a holding pattern sends my brain down the path of self- (and relationship) doubt.

so am i just bitter and sad, or do i genuinely have doubts about marriage? maybe it doesn't matter. in the mean time, i am just trying to be content with my relationship where it's at, and happy for my friends celebrating their new lives. which is great until the tenth person asks, so when is it going to be your turn?

goodbye summer

is mid-october too late to write about the rest of my summer? no? okay, good.

after spending two weeks in san jose supporting my friend and spending time with my neice and nephew, i returned to reality - for a little while at least. after just a few short weeks, i was able to return to san jose for another visit (yay!) this time, my sister was in town, too, so it was lots of fun family time! we went to the monterey bay aquarium, played games, and just had a great time. my dad made a special request that the four kids take a picture in the park, where we had taken one a few years ago. we all agreed, but didn't realize until we got to the park that my dad didn't just want another picture in the park, but he wanted to recreate the photo exactly. we spent at least thirty minutes trying to triangulate the location, based on the original photo. one of the inadvertent highlights of my visit! honestly, i am so blessed to have a great set of siblings. :)

a few weeks after my mini family vacation, it was time for my birthday. this year, i actually felt older - strange that 31 felt old, when 30 didn't! i had a great birthday - dinner at my favorite place (mi nidito), presents from the boyfriend, and drinks and dancing downtown. it was a ton of fun! just two days later, my friend took a break from her life to come and visit me for my birthday. we spent the first day driving up nearby mount lemmon, which has fun scenic sidetreks. then, we had a spa day, which was heaven on earth. we spent most of the day lounging by the pool, which is one of my favorite favorite things to do. the third day of her visit brought us to the desert museum. we had a good time, but it was H.O.T.

just a few weeks later, it was labor day weekend, and time for my first 5k run! i was really nervous, but it was fantastic! i drove in to SoCal on friday, got to spend time with friends (and my brother!), and tried to hit the sack early. saturday morning - bright and early - i headed down to disneyland for their 5k fun run. it was star wars themed (thanks to the re-opening of star tours), with darth vadar at the starting line, themed mile markers, and the classic disney characters dressed up as star wars characters at the finish line. i had a great time running through (and around) the park, and i took a TON of pictures (surprisingly, the mid-jog photos turned out okay!). i celebrated my run with breakfast and a nap, and then headed off to see more friends. saturday night chris flew in to town and we spent all day sunday in the parks. i LOVE disneyland, and we had a wonderful time. i think it will be our new annual tradition!

reality check. 6.

after the day of both burial and birth, things wrapped up pretty quickly. i was so thankful for the opportunity to split my days between the joy of spending time with my two favorite kids and the challenge of helping my friend sort through some of her mother's belongings. i loved being able to spend time on the beach, visiting the california academy of sciences, and just playing around the house with my niece and nephew. i also enjoyed being able to help my friend go through shoes, jewelry, clothes, random bags of crap... so glad that i could be there to help and support my friend. the reality is that when someone is not prepared for death, there is a LOT OF STUFF to deal with. we all have stuff. stuff in drawers, stuff in piles, stuff in closets. and i can say that for myself, i have a lot of stuff that is not exactly in its proper place. and if something happened to me, someone would have to come in and go through my piles of stuff. it's definitely a reality check to keep my things in order and organized. (not that it has translated into actually doing this)

as i wrap up this series of reality checks, i think the biggest reality check that i have gotten is that life is precious and short. we don't know what will happen in the next moment. we're not guaranteed tomorrow. it is so important to enjoy life - live life - and value the time that we are given here.

reality check. 5.

there were so many questions and so many unfulfilled dreams and desires. but reality doesn't care about questions, worries, dreams, or desires. life happens whether we are ready for it or not. death, too.


it was a beautiful, and slightly warm wednesday morning when we gathered at the funeral home and walked together to the burial site. it was a just a small collection of family and a few friends. my friend said a few words, read a passage from the Bible... 


There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heave: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)


this was the passage that my friend had read that second day as we held hands and looked out over the creek in lake tahoe. these are well-known and often-cited scriptures, especially at those moments when reality makes itself so present. and they turned out to have even more significant meaning that day of the burial.

after the reading, everyone had an opportunity to lay a rose on the casket and say their final goodbyes before the burial. it was difficult and moving, and while everyone experienced the burial in their own way (some people watching, some people consoling each other, others taking a short walk to collect their thoughts) one of the attendees quietly sang a beautiful chorus of amazing grace. 


only a few hours after we laid my friend's mother to rest, Ecclesiastes came to reality in a very significant way: another friend of ours welcomed her new son into the world. a miracle and blessing on a day of grief and sadness. a time to mourn and a time to dance.

reality check. 4.

the reality just keeps on coming. life (and death) doesn't care what else is going on, what day of the week it is, or how you are feeling.

somehow, my friend had the energy to make it through the memorial and an open house time afterwards. it was very beautiful, but also so difficult and draining. we intentionally planned to do nothing the following day. it was hard for me to do nothing. but it was much-needed rest, even if it was the 4th of july. we did get together that night for smores and relaxation at a friend's - whose pool, hot tub, cabana, and fire pit make for a perfect evening! she even had a little pack of celebration "fireworks" (like poppers and other silly things). it was a nice break from harsh reality to enjoy a little silly reality.

the next day i got to spend the morning in one of my favorite places - the beach. i took my niece and nephew (and my dad), and hit the sand. it was overcast and cold, but wonderful to see the ocean (and an otter!). i was reminded again that life is beautiful and wonderful, and there are so many blessings here. but as i came back to san jose and headed to my friend's to help her go through some of her mom's things, i could not escape the fact that we only have a short time to enjoy the blessings of this life and this world. reality.

reality check. 3.

i decided years ago that funerals suck. they are one of the worst parts of life - and death. i decided that a funeral is the negatively-valenced equivalent of a wedding. all of your family and friends gathered for you, a ceremony and reception, so many details to plan, organize, and pay for... only without the happy celebration of a wedding, or the months and months to plan.

i knew that the memorial day was going to be one of the worst days and experiences in my life, not to mention my best friend's. i woke up, took a deep breath, and gathered myself for the difficult day ahead. i am so thankful for my other friends who rallied to help take care of the reception and other details that needed nailing down. THANK YOU!

my friend did such an amazing and incredible job leading a heartfelt (and at times heartbreaking) memorial to honor her mother. it was perfect. or as close to perfect as the situation allows.

reality check. 2.

it is absolutely a blessing to say that i have never had to make arrangements for someone who has died. it is a reality check to have experienced that - albeit secondhand. i sat with my friend as she (and her brother and grandmother) tried to sort through the catalogues, options, and requirements related to death, burial, and memorials. thankfully, my friend's uncle works in the industry, and was able not only to walk my friend and her family through the difficult choices, but also to help offset the costs with some family discounts. definitely a gift from God during this incredibly difficult time.

later that day we returned to the memorial park so that my friend and her family could see and say goodbye to her mother. my friend was reminded that our bodies are just containers. in reality, our spirit, our breath, our life - these are the things that make us who we are.

my boyfriend arrived in town that night, and it was wonderful to have his support and encouragement. i definitely needed it!

reality check. 1.

the past 2 weeks have been a serious reality check.

it started with a mid-day phone call from my best friend to tell me that her mother had died. this was completely unexpected. there was no serious illness, no warning signs. just here one minute, gone the next. in a whirlwind, i packed up work from my desk, made a couple of phone calls, drove home, packed a suitcase, and was dropped off at the airport. a couple of hours later, i was hugging my friend, not sure what to say in the wake of this unbelievable and unbearable tragedy.

we spent the evening in mourning. and the next day we had to make a 4 hour drive to where my friend's mother had been vacationing so that my friend could sign some paperwork and take care of some things. after the business was taken care of, we made a stop at taylor creek, a gorgeous creek-side trail where my friend had gone many times with her mother and family. it was a beautiful afternoon and the creek was overflowing. we even stripped off our shoes and socks to wade through parts of the paved trail. i held my friend's hand as we walked the last section of the trail back to the lookout and as she read from Ecclesiastes. yes, there is a time and a season for everything, but it certainly doesn't feel like this is the right time or season for this loss. a reality check.

the reality is that we don't know what happened. and we won't for another few weeks. there's a chance we'll never know what happened. but the reality is our days here are numbered. there is a time to be born and a time to die. and that time can be really sucky.

relaxing weekend after a brain-draining week

after my stats camp adventure, i spent the weekend in the bay area, and what a great time i had! i hopped on a plane right after my last stats class, and landed in san jose just in time to have dessert with my favorite girlfriends. it is so wonderful to be able to get together with these women after months of being apart - and the time just melts away! we always laugh, share, and enjoy our company. i am so blessed to have such wonderful ladies as my great friends.

the next morning brought a celebration for one of these great friends - my oldest (that is, the friend i have had the longest) friend, with whom i have been friends since we were 5 years old. she is having her first child, a son, next month, and her mother-in-law hosted a lovely shower. my friend recieved many great gifts and we all had a good time enjoying breakfast, playing games, and celebrating.

after the shower, i ran some errands with my mom, and relaxed at home a bit. i had a little bit of time to catch up with another friend, who was getting ready to hop on a red-eye to new england for a business trip. soon after, i was gearing up for a performance of mama mia! my mom invited me to join her for this show, and although the movie did not bode well for the play, i was delighted to find that the play was more energetic than the movie by leaps and bounds! it was a great show, and we both enjoyed it! a great mom-daughter date night!

sunday morning i wanted to go for a bike ride with my dad, but i also really wanted to see the ocean while in california. so, we packed up the bikes and headed to the coast for the best of both worlds. we biked up and down the oceanside for 2 hours, enjoying the beautiful weather and equally beautiful view. we reluctantly loaded the bikes back up and headed home for a family lunch. a delicious bbq with the whole family was a great ending to my fantastic weekend. i didn't want to come back to the desert!

a new (and nerdy) adventure

i've spent the past 3 days in lawrence, kansas. a long way from home!

i'm at what is fondly called "stats camp" - a series of week-long statistics workshops. the "adventurous" part of it is trying to learn a complex and sophisticated statistical technique in 7 days. so far, i'm doing okay, but it is definitely a challenge.

lawrence is a small college town, just between topeka and kansas city. the first day we had a group dinner and social time, so i got to meet and socialize with some of the other attendees. (there's about 50 people in my class and 100 in the other class this week) yesterday, i got to go to downtown lawrence ("downtown" might be a stretch), to wander and have dinner. i ate at a cute bistro with an incredible vanilla lavendar cream soda (YUMO!), and then stumbled onto a build-your-own-cupcake shop. my dream come true! i got to pick a cupcake (vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, strawberry), a frosting (or mix!), and two toppings. the verdict? i walked out with a vanilla cupcake with oreo frosting, chocolate drizzle, and an oreo cookie AND a vanilla cupcake with a bit of strawberry frosting and a layer of peanut butter frosting, raspberry drizzle, and toasted pecans. the oreo cupcake was good, but the peanut butter / strawberry / raspberry combination was like the most delicious PBJ i have ever eaten. delicious!

it's hard to believe it's wednesday night and the week is more than half over! tonight i stayed in, reviewing my notes (still not through the first day!) and catching up on work and email (and blogging. and finishing off my cupcakes.)

four-week musings

so, i wasn't totally successful at my 4 week challenge. but i know that i could do it if i really wanted to. lately, i've just been too tired or too discouraged by the end of my work day to make the extra effort to workout. usually i end my workouts feeling better than when i went in, but it is also discouraging sometimes because i'm not able to do everything i want to do. but by not working out, i get further away from being able to do those things. the vicious discouragement cycle! some days i have enough energy to break the cycle. other days, not. i think maybe i need to find something positive to draw on or reward myself with on those darker days. hmmmmm...

should i stay or should i go?

so today i sat in my car in the parking lot of LA fitness for three full minutes while i decided whether i was going to go in or not. is that normal?

on the positive side, i went in. and (as usual) i am glad a i did. but, it can be so hard to convince myself to go through with it. this is definitely a learning process.

week two: semi-success

this week i accomplished my goal, but i don't feel great about it. first, i feel like yoga has very quickly become my "fall back" workout, since i can do it at home and at any time. sometimes i have really great yoga workouts, but other times, its pretty lame. i'm also learning that i do NOT like going to gym on sundays. last week i had a really great workout, despite my reluctance to go. this week i had a fine workout, and i'm glad i went, but i definitely did NOT want to go. i guess i should remember that during the week when i want a night off.

this week i have a big challenge - four day weekend in SoCal...

first week: success!

i definitely did not want to do my 5th workout this week. but i did and it was good. bring on the next week!

5 times, 4 weeks, challenge

i have been hitting the gym fairly regularly these days, but in reality that has meant only 3 or 4 times a week (okay, usually 3). and i've been wondering lately what it's like to actually hit that "ideal goal" of 5 workouts a week. and i think in order to really know whether such a gym rat lifestyle would really work for me, i have to immerse myself in it 100%. i was telling a friend that it's kind of like when i was considering becoming a vegetarian. i had to live it completely to see if i liked it, if i hated, or if i just didn't care.

SO. i have decided that for 4 weeks (may 9th through june 5th, to be exact), i am going to commit to 5 workouts each week. now, i don't necessarily mean 5 trips to the gym... fortunately it is still cool enough here in tucson to enjoy some great outdoor activities (hopefully it will stay that way for four more weeks!)

this will definitely mean i have to be intentional and strategic about planning my days and workouts. especially because i have a trip to socal squeezed in the middle of my four weeks. but i'm already thinking about how to combine exercise and visiting friends, so i'm excited to see how it shapes up! i will keep you posted...

struggle has a purpose...

i have been struggling. struggling with relationships, struggling at work, struggling with making healthy choices.

i had a great weekend just four days ago, touring chicago with my favorite kidlets. but since i've come back, each day is challenge. work has been completely overwhelming this week. there is a light at the end of the tunnel (i.e., MONDAY), but this week has been a marathon of meetings, visiting scholars, guest presentations, and social dinners (not the fun kind, the kind where you have to be happy and sociable with your colleagues). it doesn't help that the hectic schedule leaves little time for talking to (or even facebook following) my friends and loved ones. or trips to the gym - which is only made worse by the frequent lunches and dinners out. ugh!

i just need to keep struggling until saturday. then i can have some time to regroup and start fresh.

cue the deep breathing.

2010. epic.

i stole this 2010 recap from a friend. and yes, it is 6 weeks late. but you will just have to live with that!

My accomplishments, wins, and breakthroughs this year were:
     • Lots of time spent with friends and family in Indiana and San Jose
     • Interview with the dream job
     • GRADUATING (and celebrating!)
     • Getting a job
     • Picking up and moving myself to a new state
     • Spending a month in Australia
     • Having a boyfriend who sacrificed his life and moved to be with me

My unmet expectations, failures, and breakdowns this year were:
     • Didn’t get the dream job
     • Picking up and moving myself to a new state
     • Not getting as much work accomplished as I’d like
     • Relationship challenges

I learned this year: that life is about balancing work and celebrating life

a little bright spot in my day

the red box has changed life as we know it. how fantastic is it that i can search online for a movie before i leave work, figure out where the most convenient box is on the way home, and have it checked out before i hit the road. five minutes and one dollar later, i'm headed home with a little entertainment.

convenience + entertainment + cheap = fantastic

together we thrive

tonight was the memorial at ua for the tragic loss of 6 and injury of dozens more last saturday. i opted not to try and attend (not that i would have made it into line in time to get into the arena), because i felt like this was a time to honor those who were killed and injured, not a time to go to see the president speak. honestly, if the president wasn't speaking, i wouldn't have attended, so it doesn't seem appropriate to attend just to see him. so instead, i am at home, watching the speeches that have each been meaningful and moving.

there has been so much dialogue since saturday about what factors have led up to or contributed to this tragedy. it is a little overwhelming, and at times, ludicrous, to see how many politicos take a stance, blaming their opposition for spreading words, symbols, hate... and while i loved that the pima county sherrif called arizona a mecca for prejudice, what i loved even more was john stewart's response on monday night's the daily show. it was honest, it was real, and it was a call to rise from the ashes of our tragedies and fly higher than before.

it has been surreal to be a part of this experience. the shooting occurred just a mile or two from my apartment, on what my coworker calls, the magic corner, because it has had particular spiritual significance to her. saturday morning i didn't even know anything had happened - after sleeping in (surprise!), i was heading into work, when the major expressway i take to campus was closed. it was shut down at my little street, so all of the traffic from this six-lane thoroughfare was shuttled onto my little two-lane road. i thought it was odd, but didn't realize that something serious was going on until i realized that it was not just the intersection that was blocked, but the entire street. it wasn't for another 30 minutes that i finally learned what had happened. when the radio finally announced what had happened, i was in shock. and as the details continued to pour in, i just became more and more surprised. in the time since saturday, i have felt the city of tucson, which is by numbers a big city, but truly a small town at heart, reach out and support its community members.