How to drive in Arizona...

Ashley and I drove to L.A. last week to visit Darren and Lacey (more details of that to come) and I would just like to point out that we left in the early afternoon and got out of Phoenix just as it was getting dark. So, for those who might be visiting in the future, or to serve as a reminder for those who have and want to visit again, this is to let you know how awesome the driving is...

1. You must first learn to pronounce the city name, it is: 'FEE-NICKS'.

2. The morning rush hour is from 5:00am to noon. The evening rush hour is from noon to 7:00pm. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

3. The minimum acceptable speed on most freeways is 85 mph. On Loop 101, your speed is expected to match the highway number. Anything less is considered 'Wussy'.

4. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Phoenix has its own version of traffic rules. For example, cars/trucks with the loudest muffler go first at a four-way stop; the trucks with the biggest tires go second. However, East Valley, SUV-driving, cell phone-talking moms ALWAYS have the right of way.

5. If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear ended, cussed out, and possibly shot.

6. Never honk at anyone. Ever. Seriously. It's another offense that can get you shot.

7. Road construction is permanent and continuous in Phoenix. Detour barrels are moved around for your entertainment pleasure during the middle of the night to make the next day's driving a bit more exciting.

8. Watch carefully for road hazards such as drunks, skunks, dogs, barrels, cones, cows, horses, cats, mattresses, shredded tires, squirrels, rabbits, crows, vultures, roadrunners, and the coyotes feeding on any of these items.

9. Maricopa Freeway, Papago Freeway and the 'I-10' are the same road. SR202 is the same road as The Red Mountain FWY. Dunlap and Olive are the same street too. Jefferson becomes Washington, but they are not the same street. I-17 is also called The Black Canyon Freeway as well as The Veterans Memorial Highway. And if all that isn't enough to remember SR 51 has recently been renamed to Piestewa Freeway because Squaw Peak Parkway was too easy to pronounce. SR 101 is also the Pima FWY except west of I-17, which is also The Black Canyon FWY, and The Veterans Memorial HWY. Lastly, Thunderbird Rd. becomes Cactus Rd. but, Cactus Rd. doesn't become Thunderbird Rd. because it dead ends at a mountain.

10. If someone actually has their turn signal on, wave them to the shoulder immediately to let them know it has been 'accidentally activated.'

11. If you are in the left lane and only driving 70 in a 55-65 mph zone, you are considered a road hazard and will be 'flipped off' accordingly. If you return the flip, you'll be shot.

12. For summer driving, it is advisable to wear potholders on your hands.

Gaining a little perspective....

As the end of the year approaches, I have thought a lot about the last 11 months of my life. I have thought about how much I have changed and I am always hoping that it has been for the better. I feel like I have aged 10 years in 1, but I know that the experiences that I have had are helping me turn into the person I hope to someday be. I have become acutely aware of the world around me, and I think that I have slowed down a bit. I notice more about the people around me, trying to take something good from each day. I've learned that we can gain so much from our relationships with others, and whether good or bad, it helps shape our lives in so many ways. I haven't had a overly-sensitive, cheesy post in a while, so I thought with the holidays coming up, this would be appropriate.

As many of you know, I am working at a high school in the Special Education department in Arizona. Over the past couple of months, I have gotten to know some amazing kids. Some of the biggest hearts I have ever seen have been with this program. One in particular, Dillon, has taught me more than almost anyone I have ever known. Dillon has Cerebral Palsy, a neuromuscular disorder that affects his entire body - most specifically, his motor and speech skills. His handicap is one that is so debiltating that constant supervision is almost always needed and his muscle spasms will cause him noticable pain quite a few times during the day. He struggles to walk, talk, write, etc. Daily living is always a struggle. Still, his sweet spirit is constant and he has helped me see life from a different perspective. From the moment I started my position, Dillon has always been so attentive. He is always asking if I am liking my job and if I'm "finding my way around the school Ok," wondering if he can help. Dillon always greets everyone with a huge smile, and asks how they are doing - you can tell by the way he looks at you, that he is truly listening to your response. He remembers details about your life, because he listens and really cares about what you have to say. He never judges. Never discriminates. He has a great sense of humor. He is humble. He cares. He the epitome of a Christ-like individual. He is just happy to be where he is, and grateful for those around him. At the end of each day, he gives me a hug and thanks me for my help. It makes my job seem so meaningful, even on the toughest of days. To me, it seems like he has every right to be an unpleasant individual, and get away with it. He couldn't be further from that. He has helped me realize that no matter what I go through, I have so many things in my life to be grateful for.

So, even though Dillon won't read this, he should know that because of him, I am learning more patience. I am learning the importance of charity and service. I have learned that kindness to EVERYONE is something to be striving for on an everyday basis. I understand the importance of the relationships around me and to cherish them each day. I am so lucky to have the family that I do. They support me and love me unconditionally. And even though it seems impossible, I think I love them more each day. The same goes for my unwavering, loyal friends, who bring so much love and joy to my life. I am learning to be more humble, and to strive for a more simple life. I am learning that love and kindness really do rub off on other people, and can turn a bad mood into good. I am striving to be more Christ-like and more like my sweet Dillon, everyday. So Dillon, this post is a shout-out to you, and I hope that with Thanksgiving coming up, we can all take the time to realize everything we have to be grateful for, and gain a little perspective on what is truly important....

"As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done." ("O Remember, Remember," Ensign, Nov 2007, 66–69).

"Absentmindedness is a sign of intelligence"

My mom once told me that absentmindedness was a sign of intelligence, and it is something I find myself repeating over and over to myself on a daily basis. Somewhere over the last year or so, I have become THAT girl. If there is a banana peel within a 100 foot radius of where I am walking, not only will I find it, but while slipping on it, I will land on something that will either cause me to bleed profusely, or break something. Many of you may remember how I not only slammed my thumb in my car door a couple months ago, but also locked it in there. One hospital trip and unnecessarily large ER bill later, my thumb remains attached to my hand. A couple of weeks ago, Ashley and I were in Anthropologie and while rounding a corner to the perfume table, my "Mary Poppins-sized" bag and myself took out about 15 glass candles. Immediately after the shattering of glass subsided, Ashley gasped, then yelled, "Oh, nice one Laura!" while she backed up as if not to be seen with me. The kind woman working there tried to make me feel better by telling me that they get little kids knocking stuff over all the time. Yes, little kids...and me.

So far, I have been able to hide this clumsy, and absentminded curse from my students at school. After today, that is no longer the case. It had just been one of those days. I spilled a drink all over my shirt on the way to school. My hair acted as if there was bubble of static electricity surrounding my head all day. I forgot some papers and my teacher ID card at home, and so on. While in between class periods, I was walking outside carrying a large stack of papers, when my heel got caught in a crack on the sidewalk. As a rush of panic began flowing through my entire body, I could tell that I would not be going down softly. As about 100 papers flew into the air, my ankle twisted in agony and I came tumbling to the ground. The blood immediately rushed to my face, and I laid there for what felt like 10 minutes. Its been pretty hard to blend into Westwood High School, as I am definitely the minority in a 90% Hispanic school, but now there was no hiding me. One of my sweet students who refers to me as, Ms. Soupa (Ms. Soup in Spanish...as in Campbell Soup. Creative, I know.) came to my side and didn't hide his laughter as he helped me pick up the papers surrounding me. I quickly got up and ran to my classroom. I'm sure there are going to be a lot of new nicknames for me now.

I'm thinking that this clumsy streak I have going on cannot last forever, but I will keep you all updated....

Oh so tired...

I have been a very bad blogger. I have stories and tidbits of information to share, but I am going through a little bit of a blogging funk. I really do want to write, as it has become somewhat of a stress reliever for me, but I cannot muster up the energy at the end of the day. I made fun of Ashley when she first started teaching because she would only sleep in her free time. Now, I know exactly how it feels. As soon as I get back on track, I will pick up my blogging, add some pictures, try to pimp out my page and so on..... Hope you are all doing well. I'm headed off to bed now.

The fair is in town.

Few words can describe the experience and excitement of the Arizona State Fair, where Ashley and I spent all Friday night with our friends Ryan and Jeff. But knowing me, I'm going to try anyway. We didn't have any plans for the weekend, so Ash and I were pretty excited once we heard that the fair was in town. We didn't know what to expect, and since I've only been to the Utah State Fair once in my life, and all I can remember is eating cotton candy while standing around watching a country singer whose name I can't remember now, my expectations were not very high.

As we were driving on the freeway towards Phoenix, we could see the bright lights of the fair in the distance. Ashley immediately perked up, and I could see that the thought of fast rollercoasters and rides were on her mind. As we were waved into our parking spot, it became very obvious that we were in a "sketchy" part of town - which gave us even more insight to who might be attending this State Fair. I immediately started picturing all the "carni's" (politically incorrect, but true) we would be running into, and I must admit that the thought of a bearded woman made my stomach churn (I quickly learned that the state fair is quite different from a carnival. Good to know.) Still, the fair pulls in all kinds. Kids with their kids. White-trash cowboys. Grandma's with hair extensions and nose rings. Lesbians. The local gang. And us.

As we walked into the fair, the booths showcasing a display of animal cruelty were set up towards the front: "World's Largest Steed!" "World's Smallest Horse! As tiny as a baby!" "World's Largest Gator! Alive!" "Only $1!" After the freaky stuff comes the food. So. Much. Food. All kinds. And almost ALL of it is fried. Fried bread. Fried churros. Fried chicken. And the best....the fried Snickers bar (The fair obviously caters to a healthy crowd). We didn't have the guts to try it, but I'm sure we will next time. Once we got past all the people noshing on their baby-sized turkey legs, we walked into what I can only explain as Ashley's dream transformed into reality. Arizona does not skimp on rides for their State Fair. Ashley's eyes light up as she took in the red, purple and yellow strobe lights. She was in her element. I on the other hand, was immediately dizzy. We got our tickets and proceeded to hit all the rides. I can only explain them as the SCARIEST rides imaginable, and on the verge of being incredibly unsafe. Death traps, if you will. As I screamed as if I was plummeting to my death on almost every ride (which I am still convinced I was), Ashley only asked for more and more. Our last ride of the night which I'll refer to as, "the human washing machine" almost ended it for me. And I mean, my life. While I shut my eyes planning what my funeral might be like, and our friend Ryan screamed, "What is the point of this? What is the point of this?" over and over, Ashley channeled her inner Wicked Witch of the West as she cackled at my tears and screams the entire time (Poor Jeff had to sit this one out). After visiting all the freakishly-sized animals on the way out (we got in for free, as we would NEVER pay and support such a thing), we decided to call it a night. All and all, we really did have a great time. I think everyone should attend their local state fair....if only for the people watching and fried foods.

We were so pooped from all the excitement of the fair that we stayed home the rest of the weekend. We plan on going back next week.

15 days of Halloween.

This last week I have really gotten into the Halloween spirit. Last night I dragged Ashley out to the video store to rent a bunch of scary movies. I guess I really didn't have to "drag" her though, because she also loves Halloween and all things scary. She loves her Haunted Houses!!! So lately, all I want to do is dress up, watch scary movies and embrace everything that the fall season has to offer. It is my goal to do something Halloweenish every night until Halloween this year. Last night we watched, The Blair Witch Project....oh so creepy! I love everything about fall and Halloween, but since I love making lists so much, I thought I'd give you my top 10 reasons:

10. Halloween decorations....even the stupid ones.
9. Outdoor fall activities (hiking in the fall is the best!)
8. Cold weather (I'm writing this as if I live in Utah right now).
7. Scary movies
6. Carving pumpkins.
5. I can finally wear my fall clothes without being criticized for wearing them all year long.
4. Candy corn
3. Changing of the leaves....I love fall colors.
2. Pumpkin spice anything (cookies, lattes, candles, etc.)
And #1: Ashley and I can buy 8 bags of assorted candy on a Monday night for ourselves without being judged.

We're not as young as we used to be...but still soldiers.

Ok, Ok...I know what you are all thinking. No, we are not old. But this last weekend, Ashley and I learned that we are not quite as invincible as we used to be. Determined? Yes. Resilient? Double yes. In shape? Not really.

Ashley and I were invited to hike the infamous Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale on Saturday, and anxious to do it because it is finally cooling down enough at 7 a.m. to be outside without dying of heat exhaustion (anything past 9 a.m. is a different story though). Unfortunately, Friday night we promised one of our friends, Monica, that we would go out with her. We had a long leisurely dinner, and then were out on the town. Keep in mind, that when we are "out on the town" in Scottsdale, it mainly consists of us making fun of everyone that really is... "out on the town" (I've yet to get my jeans and t-shirt "look" to catch on here). Anyway, we stayed out WAY too late. I remember the days in high school where we didn't need any sleep - those are long over. Early morning rolled around, and even though we had only gotten approximately 4 hours of sleep, we didn't want to bail on the group.

The hike started off great - a few rocks to hop over, not very steep, a little bump here and there - something we could have done in our sleep. Any other day, this hike would have been relatively easy. I'm pretty sure I saw a couple of 6 year olds pass us somewhere along the line. As the climb kept getting higher and higher up though, our endurance seemed to fail us. Not wanting to look like wusses, we put on a brave face and always answered, "Great! This is awesome!" when asked how we were doing. Careful to stay behind the group so they couldn't see the strain in our faces, Ashley and I switched off hanging on to each others shirts so we wouldn't fall down the mountain. Since we drank half of the ONE water bottle we brought between the two of us on the drive over, we were in survival mode as we took the tiniest of sips as to conserve what was left. Ashley was in a particularly good mood as I heard her mumble under her breath on several occasions, "I want to kill everyone right now," and "I hate my life". Still we pushed through. We were not going to NOT finish.

It took a little longer than it should have, but eventually we reached the top. It was breathtaking and so worth the effort. We could see the entire Phoenix valley - which is huge! We hung out on the top for about a half hour taking in the desert scenery. For some reason, I never feel more spiritual and in-tune with myself than when I am hiking and in nature. We were in the best moods at the top and had our second wind on the way down - at least until I started sliding down backwards and the tripping forced me to slow down. Ashley practically ran though. I think she was thirsty. We plan on doing this a ton once "winter" rolls around, so if anyone ever feels like coming out and visiting us (nobody has felt like it so far), it is on the top of our list of things to do.