Building the Beast

Yesterday my husband and I made a big purchase - a gas grill. Since we've moved to a place where it seldom rains and remains above freezing the vast majority of the year (you should try it, Minnesota), I think we'll get a ton of use out of it. Our charcoal grill makes flavorful meat, but it is a pain to maintain, and I'm not sure I could work it on my own. The gas grill seems a lot more wife-friendly. Putting it together yesterday was a major operation, but my husband did a fabulous job. I took some before and after pictures. We made some delicious brats, and are looking forward to chicken kabobs tomorrow for Memorial Day dinner.

I recently found out about a organization called Abundant Organics. They operate here in CA as a co-op of organic farmers. For around $20, you can get a box full of organic locally grown produce weekly. There are tons of pickup locations, ours is only a few miles from our house. The contents vary by week. We recently signed up and will get our first box next weekend. I think it is going to be great for us, we don't always eat enough fruits and vegetables. This is fresh, healthy produce, and we're going to be trying some things we've never tried before. I'm trying to learn to be a better cook, and expanding my expertise to such items as kale, bok choy, and radishes (foreign words to me), is going to be a fun experience. I can't wait to experiment with some new marinades and grill those veggies up on the Weber.

Speaking of food, there is a show on TLC called Extreme Couponing. It's on right now as I write this entry. I try to be a smart shopper, cut coupons, and plan the best I can. It's been difficult with the move, I have to be more efficient now that it is further to travel to the grocery store. I alternately feel envious and sad for the women on the show who spend most of their days planning grocery trips. Groceries are so expensive, and the fact that these women end up paying nothing for their loads is amazing. However, there is a cost on your personal time too, and I just can't see that it would be worth the savings to put so much of your life into the weekly Walmart ads.

In other news, we attempted to take our first hiking trip into the Angeles National Forest today. Though their website says the trails are now open after an extended closure for restoration following a devastating fire in 2009, sadly the trailhead roads were still blocked to automobiles today. Even though we didn't get to hike today, it was great to explore the area a bit, it is a truly beautiful forest. I've always had a weakness for mountainous landscapes (see 8th grade science project on Mount Everest). Even with the effects of the fire still visible (and smell of smoke lingering in the air), we glimpsed Mother Nature trying to make a comeback, with wildflowers and new trees popping up amidst the charred remains of the blaze. I can't wait to get back out once they open up the trails, and explore some of the other areas in Angeles as well.

Thwarted by DSL & Dominos

I had high aspirations for my evening. I was going to watch the next movie on my list of AFI's most inspiring movies for my other blog (http://mnmword.blogspot.com), but was sidelined by DSL internet. My husband is on the computer gaming, and apparently our internet couldn't handle World of Warcraft + Netflix online streaming. So, Searching For Bobby Fischer will have to wait another day. I was also going to work out on the exercise bike while I watched, but ate a few too many pieces of Domino's pizza for dinner, and am feeling like my tummy needs a siesta at this point.

I had a little bit of an emotional day, so I stared at my beloved DVD collection and tried to discern which film could lift my spirits and help me relax. I selected the classic musical West Side Story. It isn't exactly happy all the way through, but it is one of my favorite all time movies. The music, the dancing...I'm trying to think of what else, but I think those two things are so great, that who cares what else goes on in the movie. The plot is well done too, an interesting take on Romeo and Juliet. But really, it's the music and the dancing. And the men! They dance amazingly well, in a time when it was actually cool and masculine for a man to dance well.

When I was little I always empathized with Anybodys (yes, that is a character name), a tomboy who chases the Jets gang around throughout the film, and wants to become one of them. I was busy chasing around my older brother and the neighbor boys at the time, wanting to be included, so I suppose it was a natural correlation for me to make. If I were to act in the play I still think I'd want to play Anybodys, I think I lack the melodrama it would take to play the female lead, Maria (Natalie Wood). Anyway, if you've never seen West Side Story, you should check it out...it's one of those movies that anybodys have to see at least once (did you catch that? haha, what a witty pun).

Since we've made our move to California, my health has been a little variable. I get migraine headaches, and they've been hitting me hard since we got here. That, and my stress/anxiety level have been higher than normal, natural enough with a major life change. I am starting to realize that I need to take it easier on myself and my body, and acknowledge that not everything is in my control. It's something I'm still working at, us Type A personalities don't relax without a fight.

But, I'm taking a step towards zen tonight with a classic musical, a cuddly Labrador retriever, and a comfy couch.

Arrival in the Desert

I'm about a month and a half into my desert adventure in the great state of California. It has been a crazy, terrifying, and fun few weeks. I survived driving my beloved Escape and two giant dogs from Dayton, Ohio to southeastern California by myself. For someone who does not like to drive, even to the mall, this was a major feat for my nerves. My husband and I spent 10 days in a temporary house on the base, where we had our first encounter with a bobcat. I had no idea what a bobcat looked like, but they resemble obese house cats with over-sized limbs. Where we are now living, bobcats are less of a threat, but there are black widow spiders, a few other thousand varieties of spiders, snakes (haven't seen one yet, but I look suspiciously at every bush I pass), and ants to keep us feeling warm and cuddly at night.

Our house is beautiful. The owners, also an military couple, have obviously taken great care of the place. Our large backyard is entirely dirt, which is both a blessing and a curse. The plus side is that our dogs can't do any major damage to landscaping, because there is none. Tess, our golden and resident archaelogist, can dig up as many ancient tennis balls and tin cans as her canine heart desires.

The curse is that when those notorious Mojave winds kick up, the dust blows. Everywhere. I feel like I sweep the patio daily, and I don't even want to think about the dirt accumulating in the windows. I learned what a swamp cooler is, and helped my husband install it, by that I mean, I dropped my end of it and almost busted it in half before he could hook it up. Thankfully it is working, and survived the unfortunate incident yesterday where I overflowed the tank.

Our town is small and there are many signs of economic suffering here. The job market here is non-existent, and housing foreclosures are numerous. Despite that, there is something strangely comforting about this little hamlet. The landscape while stark is so beautiful, and I am certainly going to enjoy the warm dry weather. There is a McDonald's, Taco Bell, Subway, and Domino's, so we have the heart attack portion of our nutritional intakes covered. It's 20 minutes to the Walmart/movie theater, and about 40 minutes to the mall. This has been a challenge for me when it comes to planning meals, I'm used to having a Meijer within two miles that I can run out to whenever I forget something. I'm a city girl, so the isolating nature of a rural town is a challenge, but one I'm ready for.

The amount of friends we've made so far has easily outweighed the loneliness. Everyone has been so welcoming, and there have been no shortage of social events. People drive over an hour sometimes in order to gather with other Air Force couples. The bond here at the squadron level is something we did not experience in Ohio, and it is a welcome change. There are several other wives in my age group, and it is nice to be able to do some girly things, and escape the hoorah-ing military men now and then :)

We're looking forward to a long Memorial day weekend coming up. I just found out there is a Six Flags about an hour away, and am now determined to make that happen soon. There's also possible hiking, minor league baseball, and a showing of The Hangover 2 on the agenda.

Well, that's about it for now - it was a lengthy intro, I apologize. Anyway, I hope you will join me on this blog for all the new and riveting happenings in the "High Desert."

Happy early Memorial Day - thank you to all who have served.