i'll leave you with just a story

We made it to El Paso. Bunking here for the night, to Juarez in the morning to meet Sev. Holler!

SOOOOOOOOOOOO. I apparently bring bad travel juu juu. We are rushed through the check-in line they're telling us we've got to hurry. We have 5 bags (2 backpacks, 1 carry-on, diaper bag, 1 purse.) 3 people who can walk. Okay. Shoes off, laptops out, bags on the line, walk-thru, no problems, diaper bag out-*Ma'am, is this your bag? come with me. Awesome. Bag 2, my backpack, *Ma'am is this your bag? Is there a laptop in here? (Oh my word, I got out Monica's and totally forgot mine. I'm so sorry.) We have to re-run it. Not a problem, I understand. Bag 3, the carry-on. *Ma'am is this your bag? Are there speakers in here? (Yes, there is a portable DVD player. There's toys, trains, snacks...)Okay, we have to re-run it. SURE, no problem. (PS, CAN I HAVE MY SHOES YET?) ****Meanwhile: Monica's having every speck of baby food tested with the wand and scientific scanner while managing Simon in the baby backpack as well as Kalen who can't get his shoes on. ****Meanwhile, Cara is holding Monica's laptop, Monica's purse, my backpack, finally get the carry-on and grab my shoes. *BREATHE* Diaper bag is cleared, off to our gate. What's that you say? Gate 4? Oh the one at the VERY END OF THE TERMINAL? Sure. No problem.

In time for boarding, awesome. Oh wait. What's that? Oh, American Airlines doesn't do pre-boarding for parents with kids? Oh. Great. What group are we? 5? Oh. Okay. (***PS, our seats are all on different rows. That leaves a 4 year old to fend for himself. Not happenin'.) We get up to the gate attendant: "Um yes, we are all traveling together and have different seats. We'd like to see if we could somehow trade with someone so at least 2 of us could be together." AAlady: "You'll have to ask the flight attendant." Sure. Me: "Um yes, we are all traveling....sit together?" AAFA#1: "You'll have to speak to the attendant in the back." *What's that? You want me to walk all the way to the back of the plane with 2 children, 5 bags...? Sure. Monica gets in her seat with Simon and Kalen. I haul 3 bags to the rear of the plane. Me: Ma'am, I need some help. AAFA#2: Calm down ma'am. Me: (Thinking: I'm not worked up) Yes, I am traveling with a mother and her 2 kids. We all have different seats, I need one of them to be changed so that myself and the 4 year old can sit together. AAFA#2: Calm down. You'll need to find someone to switch with you. Me: *confused, okay? AAFA#2: You should find a place for your luggage before it gets filled up. And please move out of the way so others can pass you. (*I'M NOT EXAGGERATING!) Me: (very frustrated, carrying 3 bags, finds someone who will switch. I slam/cram my bag into the overhead compartment above Monica's row, grab Kalen and gets to our seat while graciously and sweetly saying "Thank You" to the dear man who switched me. We get our bags under the seats, get buckled, *BREATHE* *SWEATING BUCKETS* Here's the kicker..... AAFA#2: "You're Welcome" as she passes me on her way back from the "exits and air masks" routine. *Insert imaginative idea of what I was saying to myself and saying to her in my head.

Pilot: "Ladies and gentleman, due to some pretty strong thunderstorms we won't be able to depart from the gate. Air traffic control has grounded all planes to and from Dallas." Awesome! Great! We'd LOVE to sit here after being rushed! ...30minutes... "Ladies and Gentleman it's probably going to be about a 45 minute delay. Don't worry, all flights out of DFW have been delayed as well." Sure, I won't worry. Luckily, 15 minutes later he came on and we left. Only delayed an hour so we were only an hour late to El Paso. Our ride was here and we made it! Got to the grocery store and have been relaxing at the Border Initiative where my friend Gavin works. Some good 'ole mac and cheese and craft time before we winded it down and now we're going to bed.



Juarez tomorrow morning/early afternoon!!! It's really happening.

Mexico

Hello friends!

If you read 2 posts ago, you know that I'm headed to Mexico with my cousin and her boys to spend a week with her husband. It's going to be so great for them to be together and re-connect as a family. He'll finally get to meet his sweet baby Simon! It's going be an awesome trip to be a part of, but it's also going to be long and difficult. 11 days in Juarez with very few entertainment options will get old fast. Keeping a 4 year old and 6 month old entertained in a confined, strange place for those 11 days will be a challenge all its own.

All the money came in that we need! HUGE relief! Now we just have to pack and get across the border and come home safe and hopefully have a husband and daddy that will be coming home with us!

Pray for us. It's going to be a long journey! (Specifically, August 26th is the interview for Sev's immigrant visa. It's at 8:15am. That's what this whole trip is for! We're not expecting, but are hoping for a miracle!)

I'll update as technology and wireless internet allows. Juarez is no Cancun people!

Chicago

Cubs lose. What else is new.

break time!

I've been running hard since the middle/end of July trying to help get things organized for the upcoming Mexico trip. I think we've almost locking in our lodging and car. Why are you going to Mexico you say? I will tell you.

My cousin Monica's husband is stuck in Mexico due to an unjust immigration 3-year saga. If I had time to tell you and you had time to listen to all the horrible details and cracks involved in the system you would be a puddle of tears. He was here legally on a work visa and 6 months after he and Monica got married they tried to obtain his permanent citizenship. They were led astray by a woman who they thought was a lawyer. She wasn't and because she gave them wrong information, what was supposed to be a 3-6 month wait to get the problem corrected has turned into 3 years. That's the short version. ANYWAY, his Immigrant Visa interview is August 26th in Juarez. Monica and her 2 amazing boys haven't seen Severiano in 15 months. We are hoping to travel to Juarez to spend a week with him while he goes through the interview process. We're in the middle of trying to raise money and make the arrangements as if we're going. If we don't get the money, then we'll wait and see what happens. (So...if you want to give me some money, you just let me know. :) ) *PS, if you wanted to pray for us, that'd be much appreciated. Especially for Severiano and his interview.

So, where is this break coming from? We made arrangements back in the spring to visit our awesome friends, the Pickles, in Chicago where they've been living for the last 2 years. We leave Monday, our first long road trip alone together. I'm actually very excited. Carl most likely won't be getting much of a break. Poor guy is still catching up from this insane summer of weddings. BUT, here's some sun through the clouds... I get to go to my first Chicago CUBS game!!! It's a night game too, which are my favorite. I've been a fan since my freshman year of college. There's something about rooting for a team that's often the underdog in the league. Don't worry, they'll see their day. After all, the Red Sox broke their curse right? (Yes, in 2004.) Anyway, I'm very excited. The game's Wednesday. I have to live 3.5 days. I think I can do it. :) I think there's about 293819238 Quik Trip stops between here and Chicago so it that will be awesome too.


Don't forget! If you want to slip some $ in my pocket for the trip to Mexico, let me know. (CaraZoch@gmail.com) Please pray for us over the next 2-3 weeks as we make arrangements and then hopefully make the trip to Juarez! And...may the Cubs win.

oh yea, school

Carl and I were at Office Depot yesterday for duh, office supplies. I thought of that part in You've Got Mail where Joe Fox says:

"Don't you love New York in the fall?
It makes me want to buy school supplies.
I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened
pencils if I knew your name and address."

I'll gladly send you readers my address. While looking at the supplies I reflected on how every Fall of college I looked forward to my new planner. Ahhhh...color coding my classes so I knew what was due in what class, SGA events, birthdays and whatever exciting break was coming up for school. Then I looked forward to #2 pencils and a fresh new college ruled 5 subject notebook. (5-star of course.) I miss it. I may just buy a notebook and carry it around with me for all those notes I need to take now that I'm graduated. Dang it. That would be stupid. I'll guess I'll just to go back to school then.

travelicious

Yes, let's.


Oh wait, we are! Chicago in a few weeks; I'm headed to Mexico the next week with my cousin Monica and her boys to visit her husband (and hopefully bring him home!) and then Portland/Seattle after that for Carl to shoot 2 weddings on the Oregon coast, visit family and meet Carl's "Zoch" grandma. It's going to be insane. Good thing I love to travel. It also helps that my husband is awesome and let's me go with him. :)

PS: I am about 5 months behind in reading RealSimple. How did that happen? Maybe it was my subconscious so I have some reading material for these upcoming trips. Yowzers.

read it

My friends Dave and Janae started talking about this book they were reading about food. The more they talked, the more I got interested. I figured I'd give it a whirl. I've been trying to be more healthy this year. I'm trying to cut down my caffeine and increase colorful foods (aka fruits and veggies.) It's hard. This books has been so enlightening. It talks about the evolution of the food we eat and how it's gotten to where it is now. It's obviously depressing to read about all the horrible things that are in seemingly everything. Before this book, Janae had told me she had cut out all high fructose corn syrup. Do you know how long it takes to read labels at the grocery store? Even more, do you know how many things have high fructose corn syrup? It's also depressing. My beloved Miracle Whip, Crisco and even salsa have it! So, it's been hard to give up some things. He talks about cutting out all canned foods and as much frozen food as possible. That's hard! I still have a shelf full of cans. I will be eating them. I do have a freezer with frozen foods. I will be eating them. But once they're gone, the challenge will be how to replace them. This is most obviously going to mean more trips to the grocery store than the once a month I've been getting by with. It's kind of fun though to get creative with the new rules that Pollen has introduced thanks to reading his book.

You should read it. You don't have to make changes, but it is terribly interesting to learn where our food came from and where it does now. PS-You should make it a point to find your local Farmer's Market and buy from them. Better still, become a member of a food co-op. Carl and I got a membership for our wedding. I guess we should start using it now. :)

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. -Michael Pollan

yes please

I need this:


And this:


K, bye.

weddings

Last night was Emily's wedding. She's an amazing, beautiful and faithful friend of mine from college. She's from Michigan. We lived in a townhouse together senior year and it was fate. Only knowing her barely 2 school years, I asked her to be a bridesmaid in my wedding. I knew that we would be friends for a very long time. She's one of those pause/unpause friends. Not a lot of maintenance required, you just pick up right where you left off. I love that.

Emily married Tyler. Tyler is so great. I met him just over a year ago when Emily was in town for a wedding. From our first handshake, I knew that he was the perfect fit for her. He is so gracious, caring and just an all-around great guy. I met Tyler's mom in March of '08. I spent time with she and her husband Lee during Nic and Jen's wedding in Michigan in November of '08. They are amazing parents. They have 2 great boys that have been raised by patient, guiding and steadfast people. Between Nic and Jen's wedding and our stay in DC back in January for the inauguration, I've been able to watch the way Tyler is with others but especially Emily. I've never seen someone love someone so obviously. Ugh, he's great.

So yesterday they got married. It was just a moving experience to be a participant in their day. I can't get over it and I can't adequately explain it. I got teary eyed seeing the anticipation on both of their faces and the happiness that both of their parents were exuding watching the ceremony. AH! It was great.

So that's all. I just had to get that out. I love it when people know how to love each other. I also love to be a part of it.

maybe I need this?

I think this is a must have for my backyard.


I think Carl will have to have this in our backyard. Really just because it has a firepit, but it's still a very cute and cozy place to be outside.

basically anything that is awesome hosts great ideas like the ones above.

I sat in our driveway tonight while Carl put his new kayak rack on the Element. It is way too hot and way too humid for June. The heat index at 5pm for Bethany was 108. Are you kidding me? I showered this morning people, must I really twice in one day?! All this to say, go outside!!! 8pm-10pm is ideal. You still get the last of the sun, but the lovely transition into night too. Also it's impossible to not find shade so that is always a plus.

I'm going to Michigan in just 2 days for Emily's wedding! I can't sleep at night I'm so excited.

who says you can't when you're old?

I want a fort in my grown-up house!

oh dear me...

Etsy sellers. Just because you call it something different, doesn't mean it won't still be a fanny pack.

check it: hipster
















check it: the hip pouch









check it: the hipshack (what kind of a name is that?)















check it: the hippie sac











check it: the hipster (again)














AND check it: the hip pocket.









This is just funny: For Sale: Rhinestone Cowgirl Black Denim Evening Bag. (There are so many contradictions and yet so many stereotypical words when in front of "evening bag" when talking about the cowgirls. Yikes.

teeth of wisdom

Well. They're gone as of 8am this morning. I'm waiting for the bleeding to stop so I can eat so I can take some much needed medicine. Eeeeeek! Not too bad yet. Much better than I expected. Good news: I get to catch up on some DVR shows and perhaps a movie or 2. I purchased lots of yummy soft things like jell-o (PS, they make OREO jell-o!) Holler. Perhaps I'll lose a few pounds.

i will be, but i'm not yet

I'm re-posting this that I found on a blog I stalk. I'm not 25 yet, but I can definitely identify with the points being made. You can read the full deal here and the parts I like down here....

I don't necessarily agree with all of the points, but I still like it.

"And now, for those of you who might have misplaced them, marching orders for everyone born before 1980.

1. Remember to write thank-you notes. If you do not know when a thank-you note is appropriate, consult an etiquette book — the older and more hidebound the book, the better. When in doubt, write one anyway; better to err on the side of formality. An email is not sufficient thanks for a physical gift. Purchase stationery and stamps, set aside five minutes, and express your gratitude in writing. Failure to do so implies that you don't care. This implication is a memorable one. Enough said.

2. Do not invite yourself to stay with friends when you travel anymore. Presumably you have a job, and the means to procure yourself a hotel. If so, do so. If not, stay home. Mentioning that you plan a visit to another city may lead to an invitation to stay with a friend or family member, which you may of course accept; assuming that "it's cool if you crash" is not. Wait for the invitation; if it is not forthcoming, this is what we call "a hint," and you should take it and make other arrangements.

3. Do not expect friends to help you move anymore. You may ask for help; you may not expect it, particularly if your move date is on a weekday. Your friends have jobs to go to, and you have accumulated a lot of heavy books by this point in your life. Hire a mover. If you cannot afford a mover, sell your books or put them in storage — or don't move, but one way or another, you will have to cope.

4. Develop a physical awareness of your surroundings. As children, we live in our own heads, bonking into things, gnawing on twigs, emitting random squawks because we don't know how to talk yet. Then, we enter nursery school. You, having graduated college or reached a similar age to that of the college graduate, need to learn to sense others and get out of their way. Walk single file. Don't blather loudly in public spaces. Give up your seat to those with disabilities or who are struggling with small children. Take your headphones off while interacting with clerks and passersby. Do not walk along and then stop suddenly. It is not just you on the street; account for that fact.

5. Be on time. The occasional public-transit snafu is forgivable, but consistent lateness is rude, annoying, and self-centered. If we didn't care when you showed up, we'd have said "any old time"; if we said seven, get there at seven or within fifteen minutes. Do not ditz that you "lost track of time" as though time somehow slipped its leash and ran into traffic. It shows a basic lack of respect for others; flakiness is not cute anymore, primarily because it never was. Buy a watch, wind it up, and wear it everywhere you go.

6. Have enough money. I do not mean "give up your scholarly dreams and join the world of corporate finance in order to keep up with the Joneses." I mean that you should not become that girl or boy who is always a few dollars short, can only cover exactly his or her meal but no tip, or "forgot" to go to the ATM. Go to the ATM first, don't order things you can't afford, and…

7. Know how to calculate the tip. Ten percent of the total; double it; done. You did not have to major in math to know how this works. You are not dumb, but your Barbie-math-is-hard flailing is agonizing and has outstayed its welcome. Ten percent times two. Learn it.

8. Do not share the crazy dream you had last night with anyone but your mental wellness professional. Nobody cares. People who starred in the dream may care, but confine your synopsis to ten words or fewer.

9. Learn to walk in heels. Gentlemen, you are at your leisure. Ladies: If you wear heels, know how to operate them. Clomping along and placing your foot down flat with each step gives the appearance of a ten-year-old playing dress-up, but a pair of heels is like a bicycle — you need momentum to stay up. Come down on the heel and carry forward through the toe, using your regular stride. If you feel wobbly, keep practicing, or get a pair that's better suited to your style of walking. It isn't a once-a-year prom thing anymore for a lot of you, so please learn to walk in them.

10. Have at least one good dress-up outfit. A dress code, or suggested attire on an invitation, is not an instrument of The Man. Own one nice dress, or one reasonable suit, or one sharp pair of pants and chic sweater — something you can clean up nice in for a wedding or a semi-formal dinner. You don't have to like it, but if the invitation requests it, put it on. Every night can't be poker night. Which reminds me…

11. Do as invitations ask you. Don't bring a guest when no such courtesy is extended. Don't blow off an RSVP; it means "please respond," and you should. "Regrets only" means you only answer if you can't come. If the party starts at eight, show up at eight — not at seven-thirty so you can go a "better" party later, not at eleven when dinner is cold. Eight. Cocktail parties allow for leeway, of course, but pay attention and read instructions; your host furnished the details for a reason.

12. Know how. Know how to drive. Know how to read a map. Know how to get around. Know how to change a tire, or whom to call if you can't manage it, or how to get to a phone if you don't have a cell phone. We will happily bail you out, until it becomes apparent that it's what you always need. The possibility of a fingernail breaking or a hairstyle becoming compromised is not grounds for purposeful helplessness.

13. Don't use your friends. It's soulless. It's also obvious. If the only reason you continue to associate with a person is to borrow his or her car, might I remind you that you have now turned 25 and may rent your own.

14. Have something to talk about besides college or your job. College is over. The war stories have their amusements, but not over and over and not at every gathering. Get a library card, go to the movies, participate in the world. Working is not living. Be interested so that you can be interesting.

15. Give and receive favors graciously. If you have agreed to do a favor, you may not 1) remind the favoree ceaselessly about how great a pain it is for you, or 2) half-ass it because the favoree "owes you." It is a favor; it is not required, and if you cannot do it, say so. If you can do it, pretend that nobody is watching, do it as best you can, and let that be the end of it. Conversely, if you ask for a favor and the askee cannot do it, do not get snappish. You can manage.

16. Drinking until you throw up is no longer properly a point of pride. It happens to the best of us, but be properly ashamed the next day; work on your tolerance, or eat something first, but amateur hour ended several years hence.

17. Have a real trash receptacle, real Kleenex, and, if you smoke, a real ashtray. No loose bags on the floor; no using a roll of toilet paper; no plates or empty soda cans. You are not a fierce warrior nomad of the Fratty Bubelatty tribe. Buy a wastebasket and grown-up paper products.

18. Universal quiet hours do in fact apply to you. They are, generally, as follows — midnight to six AM on weekdays, 2 AM to 8 AM on weekends. Mine is a fairly generous interpretation, by the by, so bass practice should conclude, not start, at ten PM. Understand also that just because nobody has complained directly to you does not mean that a complaint is not justified, or pending. Further, get your speakers off the floor. Yes, "now." Yes, a rug is still "the floor."

19. Take care of yourself. If you are sick, visit a doctor. If you are sad, visit a shrink or talk to a friend. If you are unhappy in love, break up. If you are fed up with how you look, buy a new shirt or stop eating cheese. If you have a problem, try to fix it. Many problems are knotty and need a lot of talking through, or time to resolve, but after a few months of all complaining and no fixing, those around you will begin to wonder if you don't enjoy the problems for the attention they bring you. Venting is fine; inertia coupled with pouting is not. Bored? Read a magazine. Mad at someone? Say so — to them. Change is hard; that's too bad. Effort counts. Make one. Your mommy's shift is over.

20. Rudeness is not a signifier of your importance. Rudeness is a signifier of itself, nothing more. We all have bad days; yours is not weightier than anyone else's, comparatively, and does not excuse displays of poor breeding. Be civil or be elsewhere. "

I think I'll round up from 24 to 25 and go ahead and embrace these suggestions now. You're welcome to as well.

:)

please see how sweet my husband is. i love him.

frigid

What a cute idea! Write your meals out for the week and keep track of what you're eating. Plus, who doesn't like doodling.

Someday I will have my own house and my own fridge that I can do whatever I want with. That will be an exciting day.

eeek!

I do not have near enough steady a hand to do latte art. But I wish I did, and I wish I liked coffee because I would get this giraffe latte every day. I absolutely love giraffes.

underrated

I had pancakes for dinner the other night.

I had french toast this morning.

Breakfast foods are really underrated. I wanted muffins or biscuits this morning. Sadly I forgot both in my grocery shopping escapade Monday.

Go eat some breakfast. I guarantee you'll be happy you did.

i don't want to lose my wisdom...

...but you can take my teeth. They hurt.

It's time. Now that I know the jaw pain and now ear pain is caused by these troublesome pests. They must leave.



P.S. Sleepless in Seattle is on TV. I love that movie so much.


P.S.S. Listen to The Rescues. Better yet, buy their album Crazy Ever After. It's totally worth it. (watch this)

going on 4 years

In October it will be 4 years since I started boycotting Wal-Mart. You can read my previous post for the reasons why I've chosen to do so.

I'm not going to ask you to join me in my boycott. That's your decision. But I am asking you to watch the video below and consider this other viewpoint from actual Wal-Mart employees. The second video is Obama standing with union workers challenging Wal-Mart to make changes in their company that benefit their employees.

Walmart’s War on Workers | Walmart Workers for Change

Watch President Obama stand up for Walmart Workers | Walmart Workers for Change


http://www.walmartworkersforchange.org
www.wakeupwalmart.com

Soapbox: over.