Weekend trip to Munds Park

We headed up to Munds Park to hang out with the Kruses this weekend. It's always great to get out of the heat in August! We only went up for one night, and Dave helped Craig with a project. He was putting cement on the pillars that hold up their deck. They had to mix concrete and stick it on the brick, and may or may not have done it right. I guess they'll find out!

We went for a walk around the neighborhood when we first arrived, and of course Tyler's preferred mode of transportation when we go for a walk is to use his One Wheel. It's so nice to be outside and not feel hot! 

They had put up this Ninja course between the trees next to the cabin, so the kids were trying it out. We all gave it a try, but it's harder than it looks. 

Tyler found the easiest way to make it across--by just walking. 

We did go into Flagstaff for dinner, but mostly just hung out at the cabin. I think Heather was grateful to have us there because it meant that she didn't have to help with the project. Tyler brought his VR, which he let Olivia and Lila try out. They had a blast with it, and now it's what Lila wants for Christmas. I love the mornings at their cabin. They have a perfect deck for a morning cup of coffee, or hot chocolate like Lila has here. We put out peanuts for the Stellar Jays that live in the trees around them, while their dog, Mona relaxed in the sun.

We went for one more walk around the area and found this empty lot filled with these blooming yellow flowers. It was such a pretty day! I love that our friends have this nice cabin only a couple hours from home, and that they invite us up to visit. It's such a great retreat from the summer heat! Thanks Kruses!

 

Fall 2021 semester begins

The start of the fall semester is always an exciting time of year at MCC, even after all these years. If I'm counting correctly, this is my 15th fall semester, and they have all started out with a Welcome Week table like we have in the photos below--with one exception. Fall 2020 was a semester unlike any other, and we didn't do any events on campus (except for our monthly food distributions). I missed seeing the faces of all the new and returning students coming to campus, some looking excited, some nervous, and some lost. It's also great to see all of my co-worker friends back again, especially after the long break we've had from seeing each other in person. Not everyone is back yet, so this semester won't be quite like normal, but it's definitely better than the last 3 semesters. We only have about 30% of our classes back in person, and many faculty are only teaching online sections. Some staff are still working from home as well, so it's still a bit quiet on campus. I'm back to working on campus full time again, which I am very happy about. Working from home was nice for awhile, but the novelty wore off really quickly, and the work I do for students just isn't effective in a remote environment. I'm looking forward to getting back to some version of "normal," despite our ongoing challenges. We are still wearing masks indoors while on campus, so hopefully that will help to keep everyone safe. It's so good to be back!

In the couple of days leading up to the start of the semester, we had some work to do to get campus cleaned up. It was so strange coming back after leaving so abruptly in March 2020, with old material on bulletin boards, expired food in our student food pantry and supply cabinets, and just an overall look of abandonment. It was really bizarre! We got some updated marketing material to welcome students back to campus, which we put up in the days before they came back. In the photo below, you'll see our college president and the Dean of the RM campus hanging up a welcome banner. This isn't the kind of work you'd typically see college leadership doing, but it really is a representation of how everyone at Red Mountain chips in to do the work. 

These new flags are so fun! Cara and I had a good time figuring out how to put them up and where to place them. It's just so great to be back on campus again! What a crazy 18 months this has been. 

Welcome back Thunderbirds! 

Wordless Wednesday

 

A night out for Dave's birthday

When I was out at Century Grand with my trapeze friends the other night, I thought it would make a great place for a date night for Dave's birthday. It's not far from Heather and Craig's house, so we asked them if they'd like to celebrate with us. My friend Ali helped us get reservations at both the Gray Hen and Platform 18 (the train), so we had 90 minutes in each bar. Since there were 4 of us, which is better suited for a table than a bar, we sat on the "patio" outside of the apothecary. Our server was fantastic, as they all are there. With drinks as unique as this, it is really helpful to have someone who can make recommendations. We had a little more time with this trip, so were able to try a few different drinks. Heather didn't like her second drink much (not a whiskey fan), and he brought her something else, which was better. Ali's hubby came out and visited with us as well. The atmosphere was so much fun, and the drinks were great. 

This drink was called an Elixir of Aphrodite, and you can read about this and other items on the menu here. It was delicious, and so beautiful!

We had about 30 minutes to kill in between our two reservations. They don't serve food, but it just so happened that there was a taco food truck in the parking lot tonight, which worked out perfectly! We went outside and had a few tacos while we waited. We got to the train and it was so much fun! It really felt like we were on a train--the simulation of movement because of the video playing on the windows, the subtle vibration of the seats, the staff dressed like train conductors--it was all so realistic! 

When we first sat down, they brought out complementary glasses of champagne to start our "trip." I had one drink here, and one liquor infused dessert, which was delicious! 

It was hard to get a good photo in here because of the bright scene on the window. I have a couple videos below that might give you a better idea. 

We grabbed a couple more tacos before heading home after a great evening out with our friends. We don't see these two often enough, and it's always great to have a chance to catch up. Another year has come and gone for Dave, and he's looking good at 43! Life really is so great with this guy. Happy birthday Dave!

If you're looking for a fun cocktail "experience," I definitely recommend the bars within Century Grand. Make a reservation for one or two of the bars, eat first, and have fun! I'd love to go back!

A rainy drive

We had quite the storm here this morning! When the kids and I left for school, it was cloudy but hadn't started raining. By the time we got a couple miles from home, I had my windshield wipers running full blast and the roads were starting to flood. I've never seen anything like it! Here are some photos and video from around the kids' schools. This was no more than 15 minutes from when we left home. The outside lanes were flooded, the water was roaring over the sidewalk and creating rivers and kids were crossing the street with their shoes in their hands. 

It took so long to get to Tyler's school that I had to drop him off in a different location and he had to run to class--just a minute or two before the bell rang. We usually get there at least 20 minutes before the bell. 

It ended up taking me an hour to get to my office, when it usually takes about 30 minutes to drop both kids off and get to work When I got to there, the cienega was under water and you couldn't see the sidewalk! It was quite the exciting morning. I love it when it rains in the desert, and this was definitely a wild storm! The desert really needs this rain--keep it coming! 

Irrigation night

George gets flood irrigation in his backyard, which used to make more of a difference to us when we are flying, but not anymore. We used to have to cancel or modify practice if he was getting irrigation because it would get the sidewalk and the python (the lines pulling rope) wet. George has since modified the yard so there's a berm around the sidewalk to keep it dry. I thought the yard looked so cool tonight while the sun as setting--the water, the pool with its color changing lights....it was just a small group tonight, which sometimes make for the best nights!

Flashback to June 2014 when we had another irrigation night that interfered with practice. Back then, the entire yard got flooded, and I didn't yet have any tricks out of safety lines. It was a night just like this that I first did a split out of lines (not to the net, just the position). It was a big day! One of my favorite pictures of myself at trapeze was taken that night while I was climbing the ladder. The smile on my face is the look of someone who is extremely happy. When I think about how long I've been doing trapeze, it's quite amazing. What a ride it's been!

A night out

We had a fun night out tonight, first with some trapeze friend, and then Dave and I had a date night. Ali's husband is a bartender at a really cool bar in Phoenix, which is an "immersive experience." There are three different bars inside this building, and each has its own theme. One of the bars feels like you're on a train, with moving images in the windows and a slight vibration in the seats to create the feeling of motion. It was really cool. This isn't the one we went to this time, but I'd love to go back and try this experience. 

The one that Brad (below) works in is supposed to be like a New Orleans apothecary. There are shelves full of various liquors and miscellaneous artifacts, plus a foggy atmosphere and unique decorations. The drinks are super unique--works of art, really. 

This is a very small place--maybe room for 20 people at the most, so we went as a small group. It was just George, Jan, Ashley. Ali and me. 

This was the area between the train bar and the apothecary. There was also a third bar that was a nautical inspired establishment, where you felt like you were riding in the hull of a ship. 

This place has set durations for their reservations. You book a 90 minute reservation (although ours was only 60 minutes). They don't serve food, so it's just a cocktail hour, but the drinks are fantastic. You definitely want to get some advice from the bartenders, because they're not your typical drink selections. Our reservation was for 4 pm, and only an hour, so it was a pretty early night. It was fun to see the place, and I plan to make plans to do this again for Dave's birthday. I had never heard of this place before, so it was fun to be introduced to something new. Also, it's always fun to see my trapeze friends out of our element! We clean up pretty nicely, don't you think?

It was only about 5:30 pm when I got home, and I wasn't quite ready for the night to be over. We ordered pizza for the kids and then Dave and I headed out for our own date night. I had heard about a Speakeasy in downtown Gilbert, so we decided to check that out. It's in the basement of a nondescript building, with only a red light above some stairs to guide the way. You have to know the password to get in, which changes each month. The bouncer asks you for the password before calling downstairs to the hosts to let them know we were on our way. I was expecting a quiet place, but it was pretty loud and busy. The drinks were pretty unique as well (nothing like Century Grand), and it was an interesting place. I don't know that I'd need to go again though--too crowded and noisy for my liking. After that, we walked around to see what else was happening in downtown Gilbert. It's been quite a while since we've had a date night, but one of our favorite things to do is get a Bellini at Oreganos, sit outside on their patio (which is really just their waiting area) and listen to the live music across the street at Whiskey Row. It's great, and I feel like it's our own little secret. 

 

Meeting a new coach

A few days ago, I wrote about how we got to meet a new coach thanks to Ali's addition to our group. Her main coach that she's worked with throughout her flying career is this man here, Darrel. He has been coaching in Oakland for many years, and she credits him to teaching her pretty much everything she knows. One of the hard things for her about moving to AZ was that she was leaving behind a community she's been flying with for all these years, and didn't know what she would be getting out here. Leaving her coaches was the hard part, but luckily she found someone willing to bring the coaches to her (and us). George is amazing in so many ways, and this is just another example. Ali has been flying with us for less than 6 weeks, and he's brought out two of her coaches, plus Brian. Safe to say, she's happy with the new community she's found...and the feeling is mutual. 

Darrel is a great coach, and we will be lucky to have him helping us out once in awhile. He is very supportive of me as a catcher too, and is very encouraging. He was very impressed by my uprise shoot, and is encouraging me to get that trick out of lines to catch soon. He also really wants to see me catch Ali's double, so that's something we'll be working on. I'll post a video below of one of our close ones. 

I'm super excited to be working on catching this beautiful trick!

 

First day of school!

The summer break always goes so fast, as these two would definitely agree. The start to this school year looks quite a bit different than last year, when they did the first 6 weeks online, and when they went back, masks were mandatory. I wish they were again this year, but at least my kids are vaccinated now.

I don't think either of them is terribly excited to be going back to school already, but what are you going to do?! Such is life, my friends. I'm glad they still humor me by taking this photo every year. Only two left for Tyler! 

Tyler is headed back to Red Mountain High School for his sophomore year. I think he's a little more excited for some of his classes this year, especially video production. He tried to get into that last year, but there was a mix up with his schedule and he ended up in graphic design instead. He enjoyed that class, and is taking it again this semester as one of his electives. I'm hoping that Tyler will find a community of friends with similar interests though his video production class. He'll have the opportunity to be involved in special video projects, daily school video announcements, filming sporting events and performances and more. It'll be great! This is also the year he'll be eligible for his drivers permit, so that will be an exciting development towards the end of 2021. 

Ava is off to Mesa Academy for her seventh grade year. She had a few good friends leave the school, so she's a little bummed about that. She said that tends to happen as some kids decide to go to a more mainstream junior high, with one of the reasons being the bigger variety of electives available at other schools. Ava seems to think she would have liked to go somewhere else too, but we're going to stick with the Academy. It has provided a great learning experience for both of our kids. She is in advanced band playing the flute and has digital tech fall semester and PE in the spring. She does have a couple of the most difficult teachers at the school (Mr. Spencer for Social Studies and Ms. Merlene for Science), so she's a bit concerned about that. Tyler survived both of those teachers and Ava will too. They are both excellent teachers, but they do expect a great deal from these kids. I hope Ava can make some new friends this year and continue to excel in her studies. She's a very hard working, persistent student, and I know she's going to rock 7th grade. 

Have a great school year, kids! We are so proud of all of your hard work in school and your dedication to your education. You are both going to do amazing things!