Police Officers Don't Work on Easter

Sunday, March 23, 2008, 10 am (Easter Sunday)
After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we started what was possibly my most untraditional Easter ever. I convinced both Jessica and Adrian to attend church with me at St. Christopher’s Catholic Church. Finding a church in the middle a heavily Mormon area proved to be interesting. A Google Business search of Kanab, UT found about one Christian church for every ten Mormon ones. Mass was uneventful, and finished in just over an hour.

On our drive out of town, I passed a police car and noticed something funny about the passenger seat. A dummy occupied the driver’s seat. I cracked up and told Jessica and Adrian, who did not believe me. We turned around just to be sure, and of course took a few pictures. Due to his amazing mustache, I think I laughed so hard I cried. Shortly after I saw a police car drive by, and I was thankful he wasn’t a few minutes earlier. I think he may have frowned at our blatant disrespect of the Kanab officer of the law. We saw another dummy cop as we entered Arizona. I guess no one wanted to work on Easter Sunday.

We arrived at the Grand Canyon mid-afternoon. We stopped at the first overlook, saw the gigantic canyon and almost collectively went “ehhn, it’s grand, it’s a canyon, I get it, when do we leave?” Maybe that was just me… I was a bit cranky. We stopped at the visitor center to try to plan the next day. Eventually we settled on a hike we could agree on, the South Kaibob Trail. We walked around the rim of the canyon and checked out more of the view points. Eventually, we were all a bit more impressed. It was a little hard to grasp the whole thing. It was almost as if it was so big and overwhelming, that it almost became underwhelming. (Again, I find myself pondering if something can be simply whelming. I’ve never head the word, but spell check says it is spelled correctly.) We enjoyed some great views. Some of the points you can get to have huge drop-offs (the canyon is, after all, a mile deep). While I am not afraid of heights, I have become more and more afraid of Adrian and heights. Apparently I’m not afraid of me plummeting to my death, but watching Adrian get close to the edge makes my stomach churn. I’m learning to just try not to watch and walk ahead.

When we were done, we drove the 80 odd miles to Tuba City, Arizona where we were staying for two nights. Since the hotel messed up our reservation for a single room with two beds, which they had run out of, Adrian managed to get us two separate rooms for a reduced rate. I like having someone around to take care of things like that.

Riding the Short Bus

Saturday, March 22, 2008 7:15 am
Having went to bed so early, we decided to wake up early to make the most of our day. Our hotel gave us a discount on breakfast next door so we headed over. We walked in, and the staff looked at us funny and told us they were closed, although the door clearly stated they opened at 7:00 am, 15 minutes before. Apparently, EVERYONE was late for work and they would not be ready until 8 am. Slightly irritated, we hit the road. Everything turned out great, because we stopped at a restaurant just outside Zion National Park. They had the greatest hostess ever (telling us about her bird feeder and giving us candy when we left). They also had the second best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had (after my mother’s, of course!).

We arrived at the Visitor Center and Jessica and I picked out the sites we wanted to see for the day. We went to drive to the first one, but then we realized we were required to use the bus shuttle system inside that part of the park (oops). We parked the car back at the Visitor Center and hopped on the shuttle. We were entertained by the shuttle’s tour guide sound track. You felt like the bus driver was talking, because it was timed so well. The most entertaining part of the shuttles were the male or a female soundtrack that was matched with the gender of your driver.

Our first stop was the Court of the Patriarchs, where we admired Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob Peaks. Next we stopped at the Emerald Pools Trails, where we hiked to the Lower, Middle, and Upper pools. The pools were filled by tall waterfalls. The Upper Pool was the nicest, so with the help of Adrian, we boosted ourselves onto a big boulder so Jessica could sketch the falls. (Jessica was diligent about sketching along the whole trip, Frank Ching would be proud).

After the hike, we got lunch at the Zion Lodge. We ate our lunch and later our ice cream on the lawn under a really great tree. I felt like we were the only people there not tugging around at least two children.

The next stop on our journey was the Weeping Rock. It was a short hike up to the rock. I don’t really remember the exact geology of it, but I think it was caused by water seeping through one layer of fairly porous rock and reaching a layer of less porous rock. The less porous rock forces the water out to the edge. We were told by the bus tour soundtrack that the water was over 1000 years old by the time it makes its way out.

At the end of the main path we did a hike by the Temple of Sinawawa. The last part of the hike is through the river, so since the water was like 40 degrees we did not venture up that part of the river (though Adrian and Jessica were considering it). My attention span had peaked by this point and without the water part of the hike, it was a pretty anticlimactic end to our Zion Visit.

We headed to our hotel in Kanab, Utah. We walked part of the town in search of dinner and a grocery store. We eventually found both. At the restaurant, true to the western experience, our waitress had a belt that housed both straws and a replica revolver. Nice.

The Power of Hoodoo. Who do? You do?

Friday, March 21, 2008, approximately 8:00 am
As I drove east towards our first park, Bryce Canyon, I suddenly noticed large red rock formations along the road. These were worthy of waking up my passengers. We pulled the car over at “Red Canyon” and suddenly the long drive was starting to feel worth it. These rocks were impressive, and they weren’t even inside the National Park boundary.

A few minutes later, we arrived at Bryce Canyon and got the first use of our National Parks Pass. We drove into the Visitor Center (a required first stop at any National Park, particularly when you do little to no planning ahead). Adrian and I talked to one of the rangers, who suggested we do “the best three-mile hike in the world.” He was convincing enough, so we decided we would hike the Queens Garden Trail.

Before heading out on the hike, we drove to a few of the lookouts to get an overview of the park. Several points in the park look out over Bryce Amphitheater, the main feature of the park. The Amphitheater probably did not meet the architecturally correct definition of the word, but then again, most architects misuse the word on a regular basis. (Sorry, random Ana pet-peeve via architecture history professor Ousterhout at the University of Illinois). Regardless of its name, the Amphitheater was incredible. Although I was slightly disappointed to see snow on my first real Spring Break, the snow contrasting with the red rock was incredible. The canyon was filled with “hoodoos” A hoodoo (according the guide given at the entrance to the park) is “a pinnacle or odd-shaped rock left standing by the forces of erosion.”

After a few viewpoints from the road, it was time to start our hike. I definitely was impressed by the “best three-mile hike in the world.” We started walking along the rim of the canyon, looking down in as we had from the roadside viewpoints. Soon, we began our descent. The descent took us through lots of sticky red mud, but it also got us really close to the hoodoos. One of my favorite spots was what I determined must be Queens Garden. Perhaps it was just the power of suggestion, but I really thought the needle-like hoodoos appeared to be topped by the heads of kings and queens. They looked like an oddly proportioned chess set.

Farther along the trail, the lack of sleep started to kick in and I about had it with the three-mile hike. Soon after the feeling had kicked in, we passed by a family who told us how amazing “Wall Street” was. They said it was just ahead, so my spirits were up. Wall Street was a narrow slot between red rock walls. A steep slope covered in snow brought us though the narrow passageway. The spot was filled with people, most of whom seemed to be descending into the canyon as we ascended up it. We must have hit Wall Street at just the right time of day, because despite the high walls and narrow opening at the top, it was filled with light.

By the time we reached the top, we were exhausted, muddy, and really hungry. We decided to leave the park in search of a good meal. We found our meal at Ruby’s Inn, just outside the park. The food was good and the waitress was nice enough to let Jessica order a grilled cheese off the kids menu (she’s a vegetarian). It reminded me of when I was little and would only eat grilled cheese at restaurants. I’ve always been a bit emotional about food. Just ask my family about Applebee’s, my first time at Chipotle, or ask Adrian about the time he decided to hide the bag of Starbursts and pretended he’d eaten them.

After our meal, we almost fell into a heavy food coma, but we determined we should see some of the viewpoints further into the park. Most of the views were distant panoramas of the mountains in the distance. According to the map, on a clear day you can see over 90 miles away into Arizona and on a clearer day into New Mexico. We could see pretty far, but I’m not sure if our view crossed the state line.

We left the park mid-afternoon and drove to our first hotel. I realized by studying the address and our map that our Google directions appeared to be seriously flawed. We decided to follow our instinct and travel according to the map. When we’d arrived, Jessica woke up and said “we’ve been here before.” We assured her that she had not, and it quickly became one of our many running jokes on the trip.

After a much needed shower and nap, we went to try to see the sunset at Red Canyon, but the sky was clear as could be, so the sunset left much to be desired. We returned to the hotel and crashed out early that night.

This Isn't Fun Yet

Thursday, March 20, 2008, 3:15 pm
After jamming a weeks worth of clothes, camping gear we would never use, blankets and pillows into the car, we were ready to leave Seattle. Within a mile of leaving the Seattle city limits, Jessica had passed out in the backseat. Apparently, she was pretty tired from waking up early to make coffee and sell donuts at Top Pot. I was willing to forgive her, because she had supplied us with two delicious donuts each for the first leg of our trip. If she had brought a raspberry old-fashioned donut for us, I might be able to forgive her for falling asleep EVERY time we were in the car for more than five minutes.

Our first leg was over 1,100 miles, giving us the need for some entertainment. We started a book on tape that apparently had the slowest plot EVER. About halfway into the book, I realized I had listened to a book with the same characters on my move to Seattle in 2006.

For more exciting entertainment, Jessica and I started making a list of states we saw on license plates. We also included a list of Canadian provinces, of which “Durango” is not one. For some reason, Adrian was convinced the Dodge Durango was named after something in Canada. We believe he was thinking of the Yukon. Oddly enough, we would get fairly near to Durango, Colorado, which is more likely the origin of the name.

The drive was uneventful (and by that I mean not really fun). At some point, we entered Idaho, giving Jessica a new state on her list and fulfilling goal number one of the trip. The drive was long and mind numbing and I got very little sleep. Eventually, we arrived in Utah, gaining both Jessica and I one more state.

North Dakota to New Mexico

Spring Break 2008
I can’t remember how the idea got hatched, but it stemmed from the fact that my friend Jessica and I had never taken a real Spring Break trip and we both had the goal of visiting all 50 states. Upon comparison of states visited, it seemed a trip from North Dakota to Texas or the Southwest was the best choice to get the optimal amounts of new states for each of us. We started ambitiously, a drive to the Grand Canyon followed by an insane drive up to North Dakota. Eventually, our planning became more realistic.

I convinced Jessica to allow Adrian to come, not because we’d enjoy his company, but because his presence provided (a) a car we didn’t have to rent (b) an extra driver (c) a third person to split the cost of gas and lodging and (d) the added safety factor of traveling with a male escort. We tried to find a fourth, to reduce the negative consequence of Adrian becoming our third-wheel, but we had no luck. I’m not sure we could have fit their stuff in the car anyway!

After some limited planning, we had devised an itinerary to take us to four national parks, and more importantly the Four Corners. We had seven days to accomplish the feat. Fueled by plenty of gasoline and carbohydrates in the form of Jolly Ranchers and Gummy Bears, we were ready for our insane journey.

Quarter Century

Yesterday I turned 25. Twenty-five. I'm not going to lament about how old I feel, because I think it's sort of a ridiculous thing our culture does. What exactly is wrong with getting older? There is a song called "Older" by They Might be Giants. It points out the ridiculousness of it all. The lyrics go like this:

You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.

You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're older still.



Every second we get older is really a blessing isn't it? I can't stay alive if I don't get older.

I had an amazing birthday, spending most of my time with Adrian by my side and a lot of the time with my friend Jessica. So I'm twenty-five and happy to get this far with out a quarter life crisis. Thanks for all the birthday wishes from you all, but thanks more for all the happy memories you've given me. I look forward to my next 75+/- years.

Cactus vs. Caucus

I officially don’t ever have to move to Iowa. I was always jealous that they got to caucus (which sounded so fun and mysterious), while the rest of the country just got to fill in a bubble and leave. I figured the only way to join the fun would be to move to Iowa. Apparently, I was not right; 14 states and Washington DC hold caucuses.

The state of Washington has both a primary and a caucus. Our caucus was today, February 9. Our primary is on February 19. Although they hold a Democratic primary, it doesn’t count. Why do they even hold it? It seems that an initiative passed to hold a primary, but the democratic party has never used it to select delegates. The Republicans in the state count both, with a percentage of the final delegates selected from both processes. I am sending in my ballot, but it’s probably a waste of a stamp. That’s right, a stamp. Most of Washington votes by mail. All my ballots come to my doorstep. Actually, I don’t have a doorstep.

So, what is a caucus? I can tell you what it’s not. The little girl next to me at the caucus told her dad, “I don’t like caucuses.” I figured she was just bored, but I think her next words were “they’re prickly” because her dad proceeded to explain to her that she was thinking of a “cactus.” That had to be the cutest thing ever.

A caucus is pretty simple. Everyone has to look up their caucus location (which can be confusing because it’s different than where we “vote” in a regular election). Jamie and I had the same caucus location. Not shocking, since she lives with me. However, most of the other people I know in the neighborhood had a different location. Ours was in a school.

The caucus was scheduled to begin at 1 pm. We arrived and found out that our precinct was caucusing in the West gymnasium. We were one of three precincts in that gym. Our precinct covers about 13 blocks. On average, a precinct has 511 voters.

Once in the gym, we signed in (no voter registration card needed) and indicated our preference for candidate. You could also indicate that you were undecided or uncommitted. Then we waited around. At 1:30 pm a leader told us how the rest of the caucus would work.

Step One: Divide into groups by who you support. Obama on one side, Clinton on the other. Undecided people and the one guy voting for Gravel were in the middle.

Step Two: Initial Tally. 99 for Obama, 15 for Clinton, 20 or so undecideds. With eight delegates for our precinct to give, that gives 6 to Obama, 1 to Clinton, and 1 undecided delegate.

Step Three: Make speeches. Each side gets one minute to defend their candidate. One person from each group is selected to make the speech.

Step Four: Try to get the undecided people to choose your candidate. Mostly here you just sit on the floor and talk to your neighbors (and they really are your neighbors).

Step Five: Re-tally. Enough voters switched to Obama to gain one extra candidate. Final count: 7 to 1.

Step Six: Select delegates to represent the candidate. Each delegate has an alternate. This was done by people raising their hands if they were willing. There were 15 willing people for Obama and only 14 were needed. I didn’t stay to watch, but I assume one of them just said, I won’t do it. If it was contested, there would be a paper and pen ballot process.

Then what? Jamie and I went home (we did not volunteer to be a delegate). We were done by 2:15 or so. However, the process is far from over.

Our eight selected delegates go to a legislative district caucus on April 5. After that there are county conventions. Finally, there is a congressional district caucus on May 15th. Only then will the state of Washington’s delegates be officially selected.

Get it?

So that’s a caucus, but it’s not a cactus. It’s strange compared to the voting in a little booth with a curtain. No, actually, that’s weird too. It felt good to be involved. I am fascinated by this year’s primary. I spend way too much time analyzing the data on CNN after each primary. I’m getting antsy. Is it November yet?

I’m hoping Obama wins the nomination. We shall see.