Adventures at Walmart

As a rule, I try never to shop here. I have read one too many articles on their mistreatment of their employees, abuse of power, and their questionable ethics practices.  I also despise how they promote mediocrity in every area...customer service, quality, cleanliness - just to name a few. However, when Gavin and I were in Fargo, I was able to set aside my personal convictions for the greater good of helping him furnish his apartment in the most cost effective manner possible. I was willing to momentarily relinquish my distaste for this company in order to help my son. It's the give and take of life. That's what love does.

I ended up taking this to an extreme. By that I mean, we went to Walmart 3 times in 1 day! Now you can understand how deep my love for my son is! We compared prices of futons at different stores in the area and Walmart won. We even measured the trunk of Gavin's car to make sure the box would fit in his car.

We bought said futon, rolled it out on a special furniture cart, and commenced the shoving it in the car routine. Imagine a square peg. Now imagine a round hole. That's what it was like. Apparently, 1/4 of an inch makes a huge difference in the box fitting into the trunk. The width of the box was 34 1/4 inches. The width of the trunk was 34 inches. All of our will power and cajoling was not going to move that heavy box one iota. We couldn't shove it in the back seat either...the doors wouldn't open wide enough.

That's when the angels in the Walmart parking lot came to our rescue. See...Walmart isn't all bad. It just so happens that the people who parked next to us came back out to their car in time to witness Gavin's and my futile effort at getting a too big box into our too small car. They had pity on us. The Nice Lady said, "We don't have anywhere to be, we could try to put it in our car and follow you home." Gavin and I looked at each other. What choice did we have? She continues with, "You can trust us. I promise we'll follow you." So Gavin and Nice Man heaved and pushed and grunted until we finally got that massive box shoved into their car. We wrote their license plate number down and kept them directly behind us the whole 10 minute drive back to his apartment. True to their word, they just wanted to help. They unloaded it for us and would not even accept any money as a thank you. Instead Nice Lady said, "We've been in this exact situation before and someone helped us out. We're happy to help." I guess Minnesota Nice bleeds into North Dakota too.

The second adventure we had at Walmart the following day did not have a happy ending, I'm sad to say. We went back the following day to pick up a tv stand.  I think this happened on our 2nd trip to Walmart that day. I had only taken my wallet with me to ND because of the airline restrictions for no carry-ons. I planned on only taking a backpack with me as my personal item. So I spent the whole weekend carrying my wallet under my arm or in a shopping bag. On this fateful evening, I was carrying it under my arm. I set it down on the shelf to help Gavin lift a heavy box into the cart. We walked down another aisle. I think we were gone 5 minutes when it dawned on me: OH MY GOSH! WHERE'S MY WALLET?!? I sprinted down the aisle back to the furniture section. It was gone. I walked around in circles looking everywhere, under everything, behind stuff. No where. I went over to some employees working in the aisle next to where I was and asked if they had seen my wallet. Bless their hearts, they were from a foreign country and genuinely believed it when they told me, "Don't worry, mam, someone will find it and turn it into Customer Service."

I started panicking and hyperventilating and then quickly had to turn those feelings off realizing that that was not going to solve this problem. I had to ignore that dread creeping up my throat from my stomach. I didn't want to leave that area. I thought if I just stayed it would show up, I just might not have looked close enough or hard enough. Leaving would admit defeat.

Gavin eventually found me. I asked him to run out to the car to look and make sure I didn't leave my wallet there. He did. It wasn't. I spent a long time with the Customer Service Managers. They were very kind to even check the video camera for that section during that timeframe. Turns out I was just out of the camera angle/view in that area. They could see nothing. They took all my information and told me they would mail it to me if it ever turned up.

That was the big snag in the whole thing. I had to fly back home the next day with no proof of ID. Everything I had was gone. No money, no cards, no ID. I was sick to my stomach. I immediately called Chuck. Between the two of us we cancelled all our cards right away. But what to do about the ID and the plane? He quickly googled TSA rules and found out that I could still get on the plane, but there would be a time consuming vetting process I would have to endure. They had to confirm I was who I said I was.

That process didn't turn out to be so bad. If you're ever going to get stuck with out proof of identification, the North Dakota airport is the place for it to happen. There was not a soul in the security line. They only have 5 gates at the airport. I had to sit with the senior TSA officer while he waited on hold with some government people he was supposed to contact in just such a situation. They asked some questions that only I would know the answer to. I passed. Whew. Then I had to have a full body pat down and all my luggage was searched. The whole process only took 45 minutes. Sometimes I have to wait in the security line at the Denver airport for 45 minutes. So I thought that was no big deal.

Good and bad things happen everywhere - even at Walmart.

On His Own

When Gavin came home from UCI this summer, we spent many a day deep in conversation about school. We could tell he wasn't happy where he was. He was very stressed and didn't seem to be enjoying learning. He also mentioned in passing a few times that he was lonely. After a lot of heart to hearts, he decided to leave UCI for NDSU. Not only was cost a major factor, he missed his friends who were all going there. He missed the midwest - the weather, the landscape, the vibe. He knows himself well and knew this is where he needed to be. We supported his decision 100%.

"Move to Fargo" day finally arrived this past Thursday. He asked me to come with him to help him set up his first apartment. I was honored and more than happy to help. Even though he doesn't start classes until January, he is getting established, learning his way around and already working. His job at Target in Fort Collins transferred him to another Target in Minnesota (10 minutes away from Fargo). The time was right for him to set out on his own.

We divided the drive up into two days. This day was our long one...7.5 hours. It's apparent I didn't sleep very well the night before. We stayed in a horrible motel in Spearfish, South Dakota. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so cheap. This was one of those times.

I drove the first leg of the second day. Two hours in and it started snowing. I was not mentally or physically prepared for snow. I didn't even bring a jacket. My souvenir from ND was a stocking cap and gloves. Those beautiful items made my time there much more bearable and enjoyable.

Here is the "before" of Gavin's new studio apartment. It's in an old building in downtown Fargo. The building was built in 1894. It is beautiful and has an amazing vibe.

This picture was taken from the window looking toward the front of the apartment. We had just been given a tour by the building manager. Gavin chose this apartment online having never visited it before. He certainly lucked out. It's in a quiet part of downtown, across the street from a gorgeous park. The whole area is very peaceful and beautiful.

This is his front door. We both appreciated all the little details, like the ceiling, the nice woodwork, and the garbage chute

This is the inside of the building. The lower two levels are businesses. The upper 4 levels are apartments. It's very safe. Only the tenants are able to get up to the 3rd floor and above. This is not your typical college kid's apartment. But Gavin is not your typical college kid. He appreciates beauty and history and calmness - everything this apartment gives him.

All of his friends showed up to help him "move in" (unload the car). We didn't have any furniture yet. But they were there. And they helped. Some of them even cleared their schedules to be there when he arrived. They were just as excited to have him here as he is to be there. Gavin calls them "my boys", another friend refers to them as "d'crew". Whatever they are, they're friends and that is priceless.

We took time out of our furniture shopping to explore the downtown area. Right across from his apartment is the old Union Station. Now it is just a museum with old rail cars sitting out front. It sure is pretty though.

A block away is the Broadway where Fargo's very vibrant downtown area is. It reminds me alot of Old Town Fort Collins. I loved it there.

Next, we got a tour of NDSU from two of Gavin's friends. One of them is very into landscape architecture and was thrilled to have a captive audience to show every tree on campus to and tell us their scientific names. I don't think anyone else has ever had a tour like that of the campus. It was sweet to see his excitement. But after 2 hours in the cold weather, I was ready to go back to the apartment and build some furniture.

This will be his home for the next however many years. He has no expectations about what he wants to do with his degree, he just wants to enjoy learning and see what interests him and what comes his way. I like how he thinks.

Here is his friend Colin showing him the bus route he can take from his apartment to campus. The bus is free for students. That's a nice perk.

Ahhh....the furniture building. This wasn't Gavin's favorite part, but he sure is happy to have it.

The "after" picture of an almost finished apartment. He still doesn't have a bed, but it's on it's way. 

The tiny kitchen. This is the first and last time it will be this clean.

Good bye, Gavin. We'll miss you! But you are so ready to be on your own. You've got this!

The Road Trip

This awesome kid and I got to spend 4 whole days traveling together. Grandma and Grandpa in Minnesota let us buy their old car for Bennett. This car holds alot of nostalgic value for Bennett since Grandma and Grandpa have had this car since he was 3. 

We flew into Minneapolis and went straight to Grandpa's house. He immediately started teaching him all the important things to know about his new car. I think I took like 10 videos of Grandpa teaching Bennett how to operate everything. Those videos are going to be gold to him as he grows older.

Since this was my first time back to Minnesota in 14 months, I also got the chance to visit several of my previous students. I had the joy of teaching Sokharoth, the gentleman I'm sitting next to, for 2 years. After I left, Judy (the lady on the far right) became his teacher. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch visiting and reminiscing together.

I also got to visit another student at her home. She made this most amazing Afghani lunch for me - it was incredibly delicious! 

This trip did not disappoint in the food department. We got to go to all our favorite old restaurants - Punch Pizza being highest on the list!

Also, Las Tortillas. I just can't seem to duplicate this meal at home no matter how hard I try. 

Grandma and Grandpa took us to their gym and taught us how to play squash. We played for 2 hours. It was exhausting and super fun. I'm totally hooked now! I just love how active and playful my parents still are. They've always been that way and I'm so thankful to see that age is just a number for them. They are truly enjoying their retirement years.

I'm not so sure Grandpa was enjoying getting whooped by Bennett on the basketball court though. 

The final evening before leaving, we got to enjoy a delicious dinner with my brother and his family. These are my sweet nieces, age 11 and 9.

I also managed to find time to drive past the old neighborhood and say hi to my wonderful neighbors as well as visit my friend and her husband. I love the friendships where you might not see each other all the time, but when you do, you pick up right where you left off like no time at all has passed. Those are the best of friends!

Bennett and I spent the next two days driving home. We're not big fans of Iowa and Nebraska right now. They seem to go on forever and ever (13 hours to be exact). This was the first time Bennett drove such a long distance and for hours at a time. He passed the test with flying colors. 

However, I did get a little tired of playing "20 Questions" and "I'm going on a trip and I'm taking...". Apparently, I suck at 20 questions. Bennett kept telling me I wasn't asking good enough questions. I felt that guessing everything and anything in the whole world is too impossible given the parameters of only 20 questions. I can't even. My brain doesn't have the capacity to narrow things down very well - so I'm told. But I rock at "going on a trip."

Home is a wonderful place.

The New Normal

This is the new normal. Bennett drives Chloe and himself to school. It seems like it was only last week that I posted a picture of Gavin driving Bennett to school his freshman year.  Man! Where does the time go?

They are both starting a new high school this year - never an easy transition. So far, so good. Because of moving and district boundaries this will be Bennett's third high school in 3 years. We're hoping he graduates from this school.

Chloe found a friend in the neighborhood who also recently moved to Colorado and is new freshman at the school this year. It sure helps going to a new school already having a friend!

BeaUTAHful Anniversary

To celebrate our 22nd anniversary, Chuck and I decided to head back to one of our favorite places - Utah. Can I just say how much I LOVE this state?! It has some of the most amazing geological features, mountains, rivers, and scenery. We kept hearing about Moab and thought that would be an awesome place to spend a weekend together.

This is the view we were greeted with while driving into town! 

After the gorgeous 6 hour drive, we found our rental property and walked around the downtown area. Then we drove 30 miles outside of town to a place called Dead Horse State Park. We heard it had spectacular sunsets. It did not disappoint. We spent two sunsets out here overlooking this massive canyon.

First thing the next day we went straight to Arches National Park. We had no idea what to expect but were super excited to see and try it all. We figured we would do the Big One first - the Delicate Arch. After finally finding the right trail, we began our trek. We never checked to see if it was an easy, moderate, or difficult trail until we finished it 2 hours later. Of course we jumped right into the hardest of hard. The picture above is actually a trail, it goes all the way to the top of that rock ledge and then some. It's very difficult to tell the steady incline, but our legs sure felt it!

This is the rock ledge that was in the top right hand corner of the above picture. It went on and on and on. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky. We had to keep reminding ourselves we were in the desert and that shade was a luxury.

This is the final part of the trail. Around the corner and to the right, the Delicate Arch awaits. That is, if you ever make it past this tiny, life-threatening path that plunges hundreds of feet straight down on the left. Walking up was fine because I could hug the cliff face. Walking back down on the other side was almost the end of me. My legs were so shaky I don't know how I was able to physically keep walking. Chuck kept telling me,"Just look at the wall. I'll guide you down." I did and he did. But that was just the beginning of doing all kinds of things I didn't know I was able to do. This was the weekend of doing hard things. But the reward and payoff was soooo worth it! 

TADA!! The Arch is MASSIVE! And BEAUTIFUL! It was definitely worth the hike! 

Another, closer angle. 

We drove to a picnic spot and enjoyed a nice, shady lunch. 

Right behind our picnic table was this little cave. Chuck couldn't resist climbing up it. It was the climb back down that was tricky though. It wasn't super tall, but it was very slick with no place to hold on to but too high to jump down from. This time it was my turn to help him. I verbally guided him down by telling him where to place his feet (as I recorded it on video). 

Our next hike was in a place called The Fiery Furnace. We had to watch a special video at the Visitor Center and answer a few questions before paying for a permit to walk through this amazing place. They have to keep track of all the hikers here because there are no trails. It's just a maze of rocks that seems to go on forever. And it was the highlight of our whole trip. 

The Fiery Furnace was as hot as it's name. There is no direct way in, you just start walking. We came to a huge grouping of boulders and just started climbing. Remember that phrase our family coined years ago, "It's not an adventure unless mom is scared." Well....it was a true adventure! 

This place just blew our minds! There were crevices so narrow we had to squeeze sideways to get through them.

Or shimmy our way through Ninja Warrior style.

This was the day I became brave. 

It was so serene and quiet. We felt like the only people there. There was a sense of awe all around us. I think we passed only 4 other people the whole 2+ hours we were out there. It was a little dicey water-wise. We each only had one bottle of water left for this hike. We could have used like 3 more. It was HOT. And we had no idea how long this hike would take us or if we would ever find our way out of this maze of boulders and cliffs. It was the ultimate off-road adventure for us. We felt a huge sense of accomplishment walking out of there 2.5 hours later.

That evening we went out for a special dinner and back to the Sunset Place.

It was every bit as romantic as you think it would be.

A nice fellow sunset watcher offered to take our photo. 

I thought it ironic that at the same time, a photographer was there taking wedding photos of this sweet new couple as we were there taking pictures on our 22nd wedding anniversary.

The next day we spent the first 4 hours paddle boarding down the Colorado River. We had THE BEST TIME EVER! There were only 3 of us and our guide. We even did paddle board yoga! We went through some level 1 rapids, through which we mostly paddled through on our knees. Chuck tried the last set standing up and fell. He fell off twice and I fell off once. I was shocked that was all. I was expecting alot more falling. Unfortunately, I don't have my pictures of that developed yet. We had to do an old school waterproof disposable camera in order to capture this incredible occasion. When I get them back, I'll be sure to do another blog with those pictures. 

After lunch, we headed back out to Arches National Park and thought we would do a few easy hikes. We managed to walk the path to Balanced Rock and the North and South Windows (below) before calling it a day. 

Just to walk up a simple path took every ounce of our energy. Now we know why. Come to find out, it hit 104 degrees that afternoon and we felt like we were dragging. We were exhausted! We didn't even eat dinner. I think we were in bed by 6:30. 

We stopped for a little walk on the bridge over the Colorado River the morning we left for one more moment in the shadow of those beautiful mountains and rock formations.

And as per tradition, our song for this year was: Perfect, by Ed Sheeran. I think it sums up our love for each other and appreciation for our time together in this Perfect place!