Tucson Teresa

2009-02-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

February 14th will mark 6 months since Chuck was killed. It doesn't seem possible that half a year has passed already. While I have made progress with business, I am still all over the scope with emotions.

First of all, I still can't believe all of this happened. From the evening of the crash, I have wanted to say goodbye. I sort of expected Chuck to come home so we could say goodbye. We didn't get to see the body until after the funeral home had a go with painting him that strange color. I feel disconnected from the accident. We didn't know he'd died until hours later. However, all kinds of people who didn't know him were on the scene. I wish that Zoe and I had seen his bicycle when we were at the scene. Maybe, just maybe, we would have been able to go to UMC if we had known about the crash before we got home.

I had a feeling that Chuck's death would hit me later. Partly because of all the decisions that had to be made, putting all the affairs in order. But, also because he was gone a lot and I adjusted to living on my own. Chuck was never away 6 months, so now I am really missing him. I am also coming to grips with being alone. I find I am needing to cry a lot more, and that the tears do come.

The bicycle memorial has helped. We buried Chuck, according to his wishes, at the Air Force Academy. However, that left us with a 14 hour drive to his memorial. I wanted and needed a place to go to. I can see it most days that I go out. I makes me feel that Chuck isn't forgotten.

The Crash Scene

2009-01-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Here are photos I took of the crash scene when we went to check it out yesterday. The photo on top shows the west exit from Udahl Park. Notice the signs with the arrows that curve to the right. It would be difficult to get up speed and dart out into the eastbound lanes of Tanque Verde. The lower photo shows that this is clearly a pedestrian crossing. Although there are no lines, there is a path in the median making it an unmarked crossing.

This is another view of the median with a crossing cut into it for pedestrians. It would be on the same level with the street to accommodate wheel chairs, etc. Just a few yards beyond you can see the police markings on the pavement indicating where the left front tire stopped. Other markings start at the crossing.

So, it appears from evidence at the scene that Chuck was not merging into traffic, but moving through the crosswalk with his bicycle. Perhaps pushing it indicating that he was on foot.

Buying a new car

2008-10-06T23:41:00.000-07:00

Buying a new car is not all that much fun. In fact, I think a colonoscopy is more fun. At least you have the satisfaction of doing something positive for your health when you're done. And, you can eat solid food again. Car buying...no. You have the distinct feeling that people have lied to you. I just want to buy a car. Why do we have to engage in all the drama of bargaining?

Japanese toilets

2008-10-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

I just googled Japanese toilets, Tucson, and all I got was blogs. I was sort of hoping I could do a little online shopping, just to find out how much one would cost. Why??? you ask. Well, they're rather, uh, nice. They provide a nice place to sleep, take care of business, and you leave the experience fresh as a daisy after a summer rain shower. There is also the option of "white noise" to mask any embarrassing other noises.

August 14th

2008-09-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Several blogs ago, I talked about how my husband fainted. Exactly one week later, he was killed while crossing Tanque Verde Road with his bicycle.

Chucko used to fly in the AF. Once in a while, those planes would fall out of the air. As the wife of a flyer, I imagined the blue uniforms (euphemism for the squadron commander, etc) to with bad news. Blue uniforms did indeed come to the door, but they were from Tucson Police. A lot of stuff has been going through my mind the past 4 weeks so I am going use my blogs to record some of it.

You know when 2 police officers and some volunteers from Witness Protection come to the door that the news is bad. Albert Martinez, one of the volunteers was the one who told me. I still feel the shock in my upper arms. I walked around wanting Chuck to come back just to say goodbye. The house began to fill up with people. There were, besides Zoe and I, 19 friends who came to see us.

For the next several days I could hardly eat. I was hungry and I tried to eat, but I kept getting interrupted and then I lost interest. Cups of tea were poured for me, but they got cold before I could drink them. The phone rang, people came to the house, there were decisions and arrangements to be made. A couple of the family members were not as much supportive as they were high maintenance.

The visitation was a chance for people to come and pay their respects. A lot of them did. I had expected that it would be comforting to see people. And it was, but it was also hard work. I had to be on my feet and acting as a hostess. Sometimes I greeted people and wondered how I would carry on a conversation. Thankfully, about the time the casual talk started, others would arrive and I would start all over again. The time should have gone by quickly. It didn't.

Here's a thought about bodies. Chucko suffered some road rash on his face, so the guys at the funeral home used their makeup as putty to smooth things out. But the color was awful. It makes you wonder what sort of names are given to the shades of skin color. What was used on Chuck could be described as "cadaver taupe".

Personal space becomes a luxury. Hugs are great, but after so many, they become, well, cheap. The lenses in my glasses had so many cheek and nose prints I couldn't get them clean. I wasn't sure whether some people wanted a hug or a handshake. There was one couple who did a sort of double hug and talked to me for several minutes.

OK, that's enough for this post.

Family Values II

2008-09-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

Back to Sarah Pallin....

It seems that the people that she represents [moral majority, evangelical, right wing, right to life, do-gooders] pride themselves on their stance on abortion. Yet, they continue to vote against, by voting for Republican candidates, who do not advocate health care, public schools, keeping jobs in the US, etc. We applaud the fact that Bristol didn't have an abortion. But, I do not applaud the mother who used her infant son to cover up his sister's baby bump. Nor do I think much of a mother who thinks her own political career is more important than her daughter at this time. Will Bristol really get the support she needs as her mother campaigns and maybe becomes VP [gag!] Maybe Bristol wasn't getting the attention she needed as her mom juggled a pregnancy and her career.

So, have your baby and marry that boyfriend. Hope he has a job with health care.

Family Values

2008-09-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

The party that prides itself on family values has chosen Sarah Palin as its Vice Presidential candidate. I have just one teeny weeny little question.

WHAT KIND OF MOTHER WOULD DO THAT HER DAUGHTER!!!!

She has a high profile job as a governor, yet subjects her pregnant child to this kind of public scrutiny. How did this girl feel when she had to hold her baby brother to cover up her own baby bump? Is the "baby daddy" going to stay with the daughter while the rest of us are subjected to truth and lies in the tabloids and the likes of the "Insider"? Let's just jinx a teenage marriage before it gets off to a rocky start.

Cause for Concern

2008-08-08T04:59:00.000-07:00

Last night Chuck got up to go to bed and had a leg cramp. He suddenly felt really thirsty and the need for something sweet. He limped off to the shower making moaning noises. I'm not sure exactly what I heard, but I do know that he made a different noise and it didn't sound good. I rushed to the bathroom and found him on the floor. Apparently he fainted and fell out of the shower. Thankfully, he didn't get hurt. Also, he has an appointment with the cardiologist today.

Left out a few things

2008-08-08T04:55:00.000-07:00

My reader called me on leaving out my love of making stuff. Only a slight oversight. I'm not faking. Love finding puzzle pieces and CM photo splits covers on the floor.

2008-08-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

I should probably write something so that my reader doesn't start complaining again. Here's a short list of stuff I like:

1. Books that come in a series, like Harry Potter and LOTR.
2. Friends. OK> Most of us have friends, but I have had times when I didn't and it was lonely.
3. Photos of Ronan and Max.
4. The smell of the desert after it rains.
5. Catching a glimpse of one of our local critters. Even the ones that make a mess. Except for the ones with fangs.
6. The color of the sky in fall. It's a special shade of blue.
7. La dolce vita. Not Fellini, but the concept. Making sure there is always time to appreciate the blessings you have, like sitting down to a home cooked meal with family and friends.

More later. I know you can't wait.

Javelina Update

2008-07-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning on our way to church, we stopped to let a family cross near the 6th hole. There were six adults and 2 babies.

Hooligan Javelinas

2008-07-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

We moved to Tucson about 8 years ago and live on the far northeast side of town. We get to see lots of wildlife here. There are quail, roadrunners, snakes, gila monsters, coyotes and even deer.

For the benefit of readers who aren't familiar with javelinas, here's the run down. Javelina is pronounced (pay attention, Martha Stewart) HA-velina, not JA-velina. While these animals look like wild boar, they are peccaries and not swine. Apparently they are good eating, but I can't say from personal experience. They are wild animals and like coyotes, you don't really want to tangle with them, raise them as pets, etc. But, when people live in their habitat, there are going to be clashes. Our friends, the Knapps, live on the West side of town. They have had trouble with javelinas trying to get into their trash cans. The javelinas run into them trying to tip them over for a snack. What the animals can't figure out is that the humans have fixed a place to put their trash cans so that they are tip proof. Still, the determined javelinas boldly bash in the wee hours of the night trying to get that elusive trash nosh. One night, Dave armed himself with a pistol, a sword and a flashlight (do optical engineers have more than 2 arms?), then went outside to do battle with the hooligans. He hollared and that scared them off. However, I can't help but think what would've happened if he had discharged his firearm. The police would have been called and if it was a slow news day, the incident could have made the paper. "Raytheon engineer, Dr. David Knapp, was arrested following an incident involving a small herd of unarmed javelinas......."

We lived here for 4 years before I saw any javelinas outside the Desert Museum. Recently, I went out to get the morning paper and found the contents of our big bin strewn across the driveway. About a week later there was a ring of the doorbell one evening. It was the night before trash day and I had put out our stuff. One of our neighbors had been pursuing a gang of javelina up the street and wanted to let me know that they had knocked over the trash bin. Thankfully, the neighbor had discouraged them from making an inventory of the contents, so I didn't have a mess to clean up. However, just up the street, was a big javelina running off to catch up with the others. Right on my street! A few days later Zoe reported having to walk past a javelina relaxing by our garage door. We can always tell when they've been there because the gravel has been strewn across the cement where they've wallored.

I think I can live with the javelinas. Snakes are another story.

Raza Studies Summer Institute

2008-07-20T09:58:00.001-07:00

I kept out of trouble this past week by attending the Raza Studies Institute. Tucson Unified Schools is the only school district in the US that has Raza Studies for K-12. This is the 10th year. While concentrating in schools with a high Mexican American enrollment, all students are welcome to participate in the classes. One of the best aspects of the class is the emphasis on critical thinking. Instead of just learning names and dates, students explore the why. They are encouraged to use their learning skils to make changes in their community.

This change scares a lot of people. Notably, the Arizona Superintendent of Education, Tom Horne. He is so frightened by it that he won't visit the classes to talk to the students, despite repeated invitations. On his last visit to Tucson to attack, he held a press conference on the sidewalk OUTSIDE the building where the ethnic studies are headquartered. Need I say more?

Equal to the sum of the parts

2008-07-10T01:58:00.000-07:00

I just finished taking ED P 541, which here at the University of Arizona is Qualitative Research (or Statistics for Educators). I was warned not to try to do this in a 5 week summer session, but I thought it would be best to take when I didn't have other classes. What I didn't figure on was how difficult it would be for me to mentally process the information. I thought if I worked on it in the morning before class, then for an hour or so after class, I could do it.

The truth of statistics is that the math is easy. Especially with a calculator. Of course, I think it's unfair that they didn't have them when I was a kid. (BTW, does anyone know how that memory thing works?) The difficulty lies in knowing what to do, how to do and when to do it. There are letters. There are letters from not one, but two different alphabets. There are little letters below and to the right side of bigger letters. There are fractions and decimals in the same equations. I encountered curves with one and two tails. The one tailed curves look like whales. I had to determine if I wanted to reject the null or retain it. Isn't null....like.... nothing? How can you reject a nothing? There were tables to fill out and tables in the back of the book labeled by single letters like z, t and q. It wasn't just a whole new world. It was a different planet. Maybe a different reality.

So, after a day spent learning about ANOVA (What year? How much mileage? Hard top or convertable?) and whether they had one or two tails, I found I just couldn't spend my evenings with my face in the textbook. I'd had enough of the Ho: and the Hi: for one day. As the days grew into weeks and I was more and more confused, my back began to ache and my stomach was upset. I dreamed I was trapped in a square root bracket and had to explain a phi correlation in order to get out. The next night I dreamed I was swallowed by a one tailed ANOVA.

The class is over. I've handed in my last attempt at an exam. I gave it my best shot. I'll be taking it again in the fall semester, but hopefully I'll learn enough to pass. If not, maybe I can transfer to Hogwarts.

Monsoon Season

2008-07-02T02:11:00.000-07:00

My reader gave up on me with this blog and hasn't mentioned it in some time. She's almost talked me into joining the Desert Tones. I think this is a group of old ladies who sing together. Maybe it will be good for me.

I am taking statistics this summer and looking for a fat F when all is said and done. I'm working on it. I even have help. But, it's too much for me to process in 4 weeks.

I'm enjoying the rain. There was a nice double rainbow this evening as it began to clear.

2008-04-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

I have had a complaint from my reader that I have not been writing on my blog. Maybe it's because I have been sick. Maybe it's been all the writing I have to do for my courses. I don't know. Just haven't had a lot of time.

Zoe, my baby, came home from 9 months living in Firenze [Florence], Italy. She had a very good time and is currently trying to figure out how to get back. We're just enjoying having her home. Although, I wish she would not try to drive my car like it's a Ferrari.

I had friends over Friday night to crop. We cropped indeed. I got quite a few pages done. I am hopeful that I will finish volume 3 of our trip to SE Asia this summer. Also, it was just fun to hang out with my friends. Zoe made an Italian meal for us. It was very good. Carrie came over Saturday for dinner and more cropping.

Now for the final push for the end of the semester.

Flu

2008-03-12T17:20:00.001-07:00

I've been home with the flu for about a week now. I told myself I wasn't going to have the flu, but here I am with a glass of water and a box of tissues.

Water. It's really tasty stuff. It's been my beverage of choice, especially when everything was tasting funky. But, water. It just has a wonderful, lovely taste. The more you drink, the more you want.

My glass is empty. Gotta go.

2008-02-07T22:03:00.000-08:00

I commemorated Super Tuesday by voting the primary. I had decided to cast my ballot for Obama after reading about his view on immigration and listening to Michelle give a speech on CSPAN. I like Hillary very much. I think she's been badly treated by the press and anyone who doesn't approve of a First Lady who speaks her mind.

On Tuesday I felt I was making a considered decision based on facts. I bellied up to the booth to fill in the circle with the felt tipped pen. Then let it ride into the ballot box. Then, for some reason, I got choked up. I had not anticipated this vote would cause me to tear up, but it did. I was born the year that Rosa Parks took her seat on the bus. I grew up with civil rights and my life has been very different as a result. Yet, who knew when the day would come when I would get to vote for an African American candidate?

Tearing up was probably the most appropriate thing to do.

T.

3:10 to Yuma's Cinematographer

2008-01-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

Phedon Papamichael.

Academy Awards

2008-01-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

All I have to say is that Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and the "Yuma" cinematographer were robbed. Let's put Denzel Washington on that list, too. Different film, great performance.

I'm Going to Ghana!

2008-01-21T23:35:00.000-08:00

I'm going to Ghana! Late last year, Jessica and Alayna asked me if I would like to be part of their 5 year project to bring the curriculum at the Academy of Hope up to National Standards. They sited several reasons why I would be useful ending with "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're older."

The Academy of Hope is the school for the children who live at the Village of Hope, an orphanage, in Fetteh, Ghana. The elders at the church of Christ in Tema oversee the work of the orphanage. Different groups in the US send doctors, dentists, builders, et al, to support the work with their skills. Jessica and Alayna went last summer for a couple of weeks to work on mathematics and found that the other content areas are also in need of some work. Notably science. Children in Ghana do not study science until the fourth grade. At that time they learn how to tend their gardens and chickens. Jessica and Alayna were able to obtain a telescope and held beginning astronomy lessons outside, under the moon and stars.

Another area of need is English language instruction. Ghana is a country with many languages. Many, many, many languages! Since it is a former British colony, English has become the unifying language of the land. Children come to the Village of Hope speaking one of the Ghanaian languages, but have to learn English so they can do their lessons in school. I have long been a proponent of teaching children to read in their mother tongue, then English. However, at Hope Academy, that is a luxury that cannot be accommodated. The teachers do not speak all the languages of their students and can only teach them in English.

There is a lot to learn before I go, where I know I will learn even more. I just pray that I can leave them with some new methods to use with the children that will help. I have seen photos of the children and look forward to meeting them. Especially Winnie. More on her later.

I have a lot of planning to do with Jessica. We will "meet" with Alayna via Skype as she has already arrived to spend several months at the Village of Hope. Pray for her work, our preparation and our fund raising efforts.

New Year

2008-01-06T02:32:00.000-08:00

The Feast of the Epiphany is here and time to take down the boughs of holly and other assorted stuff that has been fun to look at the past few weeks. I will remove all the bits and bobs, but will keep the big tree up in the corner because it is heavy and we have a hard time finding the connection plugs. I purchased some bird ornaments to put on it that look like they will do for the rest of the year.
La Bufana arrives on her Testa Rosa broom. She brings giocchi e dulce to all the good bimbi in Italia. After her arrival, everyone goes back to work. I get a few more days until I start slogging away at the University. This is my last semester of coursework. I will have to take one last class in the summer session, but it will be the last. In the fall I look forward to writing my proposal and taking comps.
Outside of school, I've been asked to help with an education mission to Ghana. Because of the last class, I may not get to go with the team, but I will help them out with the work they plan to do in May. It's also been assumed that I will help get a scrapbooking group started at church as an outreach/encouragement project. Those who have assumed know me and I look forward to being part of the fun.
It will be a busy year.

News in the USA

2007-12-28T14:13:00.000-08:00

Benazir Bhutto was assassinated yesterday. While CNN is giving it a lot of coverage, I feel I have to complain about the coverage of other stories. I have been watching CNN, not Headline News, because it usually has the hard news. While watching reports about Ms Bhutto's funeral and the tiger attack, I was disgusted by breaking news that Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn are divorcing. Americans are woefully ignorant of a lot of what happens in the rest of the world. One could argue that we live in a large country and we have a lot of our own news. But, when entertainment news goes shoulder to shoulder with reports of world events that argument falls flat. Sean Penn has won an Oscar or two and Robin is best known as Princess Buttercup, but all of that is pretty insignificant when compared to the assassination of a world leader. Shame on you CNN. We need to pay less attention to the painful, personal moments in the lives of celebrities and more on the important issues. When we ask why someone isn't doing something about global warming or world hunger, I think we need to ask ourselves why we spend so much time and money on celebrity gossip.

Christmas Eve

2007-12-24T03:46:00.000-08:00

It is Christmas Eve here in the Old Pueblo. It's been a bit nippy here after the sun goes down and things cool off. There's snow on the mountains around town. I saw ice in the street left over from the hard frost we had.

The bad thing about Christmas this year is that Bonnie and Ryan are in Hawaii with the boys and Zoe decided to stay in Europe to travel during the winter break. I tried to find other lost souls to invite over for Christmas, but there just aren't any this year. It's sad. We used to make sure everyone had a place to go when we were in Europe. Here, everyone has a place to go and if you don't have family in town, or coming in....you're on your own.

End of Semester

2007-12-04T00:41:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am at the end of the semester. I still have one paper to write. I don't think I can write another word.....for a class, that is. Hope to be finished at the end of the week. Light dim, need water.....(cough!).....looks hopeless.....................................................................................

Where were you?

2007-11-21T17:48:00.000-08:00

It was on this day in 1963 that John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. I remember the day very well. It was a Friday afternoon in Mr. Hobart's third grade class. Closing up a social studies unit on clothing, he had allowed the girls to bring their Barbie dolls to school for a fashion show. About 40 minutes before school was dismissed, one of the teachers called Mr. Hobart into the hallway. He came back in and leaned over to pick up something off the floor. I remember that his face turned very red. The principal came on the intercom to make the announcement. Kids were upset. Teachers were trying to keep it together. I remember Arthur Reno coming to the bus wiping tears from his eyes.

Television was nothing but news for the entire weekend. We watched the plane land in Washington with the President's body. We watched the flag draped casket in the Rotunda. We missed seeing the moment when Oswald was shot because it happened while we were at church. Monday was declared a national day of mourning. In a surprising move, considering how isolated the church of Christ can be when it comes to other than congregational issues, the church announced there would be a memorial service. In a really surprising move, considering how much my parents did not like Kennedy, our family attended.

TV went back to normal the on Tuesday. Thursday was Thanksgiving. We soon learned about a country in Southeast Asia called Viet Nam. Or, at least the kids in Mr. Hobart's class. As we grew up through those years, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were killed. Some of my classmates lost brothers in Viet Nam. We would battle hair and dress codes. Some would battle drug addiction. There was the Summer of Love, Woodstock, and, well......watching the Monkees on Monday night. The pill, going off to New York for an abortion, hitching around the country. Things were different for Mr. Hobart's class and the rest of our generation.

Empress of Tucson

2007-11-19T17:50:00.000-08:00

Tucson sits firmly in the heart of Baja Arizona and the Border Region. I’ve noticed a few things about living here. First, although business is conducted in both Spanish and English, our children are not required to be fluent in any language but the latter. I’ve often said, to anyone who will listen, that when I become Empress of Tucson that I will mandate that every child become fluent in both languages. No exceptions. Second, because this is the Border Region, our teacher education programs from San Diego to Houston need to reflect that. The University of Arizona doesn’t really do that, but it’s not alone. We need to belly up to the border with hands outstretched to our fellow educators across the border. One final thing. I have never heard of a field trip or a student exchange program from Tucson to anywhere in Mexico. Granted, there are all kinds of church youth groups dashing across the border to do some sort of project on summer mission trips. These are well meant, but the kids usually don’t mix it up much with the locals.

Since we live in the Border Region, why not make it work for us? It would be a whole lot cheaper than building that horrible wall.

Gabby Marries Mark

2007-11-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

Our Congressional Representative, the Honorable Gabrielle Giffords wed her long time love, spaceman/Commander Mark Kelly yesterday at the pumpkin patch in Amado. The chupa was “vibed” in by a Mariachi band. The bride was resplendent in a borrowed Vera Wang gown. They wanted a light eco-footprint of a wedding. I just wanted to know whose Wang? There was a four man honor guard with crossed sabers. Chuck was disappointed that she didn’t ask him. His saber is in the garage. Just needs a bit of a polish. Of course, I’m not sure how he would look in his uniform since he let his hair grow out.

They had a quite courtship. First of all, they met in China. She as an AZ State Legislator and he as an astronaut. Their first date was to the Arizona State Prison in Florence. Yeah, that’s what I said, too! First kiss was at the Club Congress (in the Congress Hotel) downtown. That’s where John Dillinger stayed when he was hiding out in Tucson. Maybe they had dinner there after touring the prison? Commander Kelly proposed to Gabby at the Naval Academy during Homecoming. He lives in Houston and she lives in DC and Tucson.

So, Mark and Gabby, best wishes, long life and love.

Driving in Tucson

2007-11-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

I recently read Brian Nicklaus’ blog entry about driving in New Jersey. It’s all true. I know that for a fact because I learned to drive across the river in Bucks County, PA. We all thought that New Jersey drivers were the worst. I will say this about driving in New Jersey, I’d cross the river again just to have someone pump gas in my car at the Wawa.

Driving in Tucson has its ups and downs.

1. According to John Ensey, progeny of my friend Rose, if you maintain a constant speed of 37 MPH on Speedway [great name for a main cross town street BTW] you won’t get stopped by a red light. You might get stopped by the SUV in front of you that’s waiting for the light to change [for the 3rd time], though. John figured this out when he was about 13 years old.

2. Tucson drivers will not let you merge. The reason for this is that they assume that any car they let get in front of them is going to slow them down so they get to their destination approximately 15 seconds later.

3. Rain is to Tucson what ice and snow are to drivers from other states. We live in the desert here, so when we get rain, we tend to get a lot of it in a very short period of time. This causes flooding. It’s best to hold up where you and wait for a while. There are those people who will insist on entering a flooded wash and have to be rescued. The local news crews film these drivers and their cars so your friends and co-workers get to see your adventure on the evening news. If that isn’t bad enough, you get a bill for the rescue.

4. Parking. Park in the shade if you can find it. However, if parking at Target where the trees are at the far end of the lot, you could pass out from heat exposure before you have time to sprint to the front door and the AC.

5. The Cross Town Freeways. The WHAT!!!!! Don’t have them. The idea behind this is that the old timers [hippies who relocated from the north during the ‘60’s] think that if they continue to vote against building freeways or light rail systems that it will keep people from moving here and turning the place into Phoenix. That was about 850,000 residents ago.

6. Driving to Phoenix. Those of us who live on the east side of town have to drive a good 40 minutes just to get to I10. Once we’re on this strip of asphalt it’s one dangerous drive to the Kingdom of Maricopa [aka, Phoenix]. There are 18 wheelers, drug runners, vans full of border crossers sans documents, granma and granpa with their RVs and one or two idiots in a hurry. Once you get to Phoenix you will think you some how went too far and are in LA.

7. Crossing the border to Mexico. Piece of cake. Just a quick trip down I19 [the only highway in the US that gives distances in kilometers] and cross on into downtown Nogales. Don’t forget your Mexican insurance. Crossing back into the US...... 3 hours of stop and go through downtown Nogales. [see previous blog entry]

Borders and People Who Cross Them

2007-11-19T17:45:00.000-08:00

I read recently that Canadians have started crossing the border into the US to shop since the Loonie has gained against the dollar. I see Mexican cars from Sonora and Chihuahua in Tucson every day. The economy in Tucson depends on Mexican shoppers.

But what about shopping in Nogales? The only shopping I ever hear of is for medications that people can’t afford in the US. Recently Chuck and I spent a weekend in San Carlos. It was Labor Day when we came home. All went well until we tried to cross at the International crossing [where the trucks cross]. The toll taker said the wait time was 2 hours. So, we backed out of line and headed for the border crossing in downtown Nogales. It ended up taking over 3 hours and 1/4 tank of gas to cross back into the US. We’d already paid $10 a day for Mexican insurance. Apparently the long wait in Nogales is more common than not.

I can’t help but think that US citizens would go to Mexico to shop if it weren’t so difficult to do so. The English make shopping forays on day trips to France and vice versa. The Danish drive for items they can get cheaper in Germany. In fact, all over Europe, where there is a border, people cross it to shop. We lived near the theater in Stuttgart where the German production of “Miss Saigon” is performed. Every evening there is a long parade of coaches from the other German speaking countries full of people eager to see the show in the new, state of the art, theater. And, it’s sold out for years to come.

We worry too much about what is wrong with the border. It can be a scary, frightening place. Yet, there is much that we can gain from living an hour away from another sovereign nation. We can shop for bargains. Attend festivals, art shows, religious observances. We might just happen to make friends along the way. But, we need to have more efficient crossing points. It shouldn’t take 3 hours to cross the between two nations who are friendly neighbors. I suggest keeping the downtown Nogales crossing, especially for those who want to walk across the border. However, how about another crossing for POVs?

Election Time

2007-11-19T17:42:00.000-08:00

The polls will not be open for me [what about the poles, though?] next month because I live in the county and not in the City of Tucson. So, I am turning my thoughts toward 2008. I have the Bush Count Down Meter on my FaceBook, ticking away the nano-seconds. I have been listening to candidates. All of them. I’m leaning toward Hillary. She has some interesting thoughts about our lack of health care that is nearly as scandalous to other developed nations as our use of capitol punishment. Obama lacks experience and has been too busy bad mouthing his own party’s other candidates. John-Boy has a sick wife. Bill Richardwho? Why is Biden wasting money? Did Kucinich ever stop running in 2004? [long enough to get married, apparently. Still doesn’t make him any taller] Now, in the worst case scenario [if a Republican does get elected, who would I mind the least?] that AZ senator is out, Mitt is too Morman perfect familywifewiththeblondhair and why are none of his kids serving in the Armed Forces? [Oh! that’s right. They’re rich. They don’t have to risk their lives to pay for college, or even pay the rent] Ron Paul wants to bring the troops home, but then what? Mike Huckabee is a Baptist minister, so presumably if he is elected the Nation will be in the hands of the Southern Baptist Convention. Fred Thompson is a closet church of Christ member, so should I be campaigning for him? Send my yellow dog to the pound? Naw. Don’t think so.

An Exclusive Club

2007-11-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

Working for a Ph.D. is like joining a club. Not like joining the art club or the chess club, but one of those exclusive clubs. One must go through a series of initiation activities and present the club with a gift. This gift must be something they've never seen or heard before and they have to like it.

The first step is setting up a committee. I was advised to chose professors who will help me get where I want to go. Namely a dais at the UofA with a bunch of people wearing academic regalia. While selecting my committee I had the feeling that I’d done this before. Indeed I had! This is like choosing bridesmaids. This becomes more evident when one of them turns on you during your qualifying exam.

At this point, I have 3 more courses to take, comprehensive exams, write a thesis for my minor, an internship, then my research followed by a dissertation. It seems like my classmates know what they are doing, but I don’t. I have some ideas, though.

One possible research question is “Can the writings of Tupac Shakur change perceptions that female, pre-service white teachers have of Mexican American urban culture?” No one expects white middle aged women to do this sort of research......it’s like the Spanish Inquisition. However, I find 2Pac intriguing. While I used to blow him off as a ghetto punk Elvis, I find that he had a lot to say and said it. Could his writings have a beneficial influence on sorority girls who can’t get a sentence across without using the word “like”? Perhaps.