Trip of Destiny

Dean and I recently headed to Las Vegas to see if we could strike it rich, quit our jobs, buy a dream house on a private beach and travel the world for the rest of our lives. As it turns out, the gambling was a lot less glamorous than some of us had envisioned. (I was thinking more Guys and Dolls, and less sweaty fat people in flip flops and shorts sitting alone, pressing buttons on an I Dream of Genie slot machine.) In fact it was so un-enticing that we decided against blowing our millions in the casinos altogether. Luckily, there just happened to be a U2 concert in Vegas the weekend we were there, so the trip wasn't a total waste. :) Below are some pictures of our exploits for you to enjoy. Yes, we went to an aquarium, yes I'm pretty sure that is the real Elvis, and yes we saw my boyfriend there, but unfortunately we didn't get a picture of him. (He was about 65, wearing HUGE sunglasses, several gold necklaces and a pair of purple velour shorts with a matching velour top. Come on people, how could I resist?)

PS- Those are Joshua Trees Dean is pointing at, for those of you who are U2 fans...

And another comic worth reading...

Hahahahaha!

The great TV debate...

Sigh...Television is trying its hardest to reenter our lives. I haven't lived in a house with a tv, in over two years, and I rather enjoy it.* Furthermore, I take a sort of elitist pride in not only telling people that, "I don't watch that show" , but in fact, "I don't even own a television." Still, despite the joy I receive from delivering such lines, I'd like to believe that there are deeper motives for my crusade against tv. I shall list some of these reasons below, in an attempt to convince myself and others of the wasted time, money and energy that the box we call TV really is.

1. Children who have televisions in their bedroom score seven to nine points lower on standardized language and math tests than children who do not. (This statistic was used by Rafe Esquith in his most recent book, Lighting Their Fires) In other words, TV has the potential to make us stupider. And yes, I just used that word.

2. Many shows (not neccessarily most) on TV are extremely graphic. Violence, offensive language, and sexually explicit material are rampant on TV, even if they can be carefully avoided by discerning viewers. The point is though, I would be buying into something that I fundamentally disagree with on many levels.

3. Aside from simply being offensive, many other shows are mind numbingly inane. I haven't watched MTV for years, but if it has "progressed" at all since 2002, I can only assume that the entire channel, and many others like it, have become so ridiculous that I'm actually concerned that human beings exist out there who are willing to subject themselves to watching such idiocy.

4. It will suck up my time. I haven't checked my personal email in weeks. My laundry pile is overflowing, I have stacks of papers to grade and the bishop has called my house twice in the last week...(I feel a calling coming on.) Why would I invest in anything that would potentially suck away any of my time? Between facebook and blog stalking (which I do more frequently than actual blog writing) I already spend a frightening amount of time getting very little accomplished. It seems that TV would only add to this problem.

5. We have this thing called the internet. The internet is so great. Not only can you waste hours on it doing nothing at all, but occasionally you can waste 1/2 hour increments on it too, by watching your favorite television shows on hulu. Look, I'm not proud of this point, but I'm just saying, I can watch The Office online, and Dean has discovered a questionably legal way to watch numerous Hockey games online, so what real advantage does a television set offer?

6. Televisions are unsightly. I find the idea of flat screen tvs extremely appealing. They are small, out of the way, and do not have to be the centerpiece of the room. And yet, my fundamental opposition to TV will prevent me from ever shelling out the kind of money required to purchase one of these babies. As a result, I'm left to choose between the other TV options which in my humble opinion are bulky, ugly, dust collectors.

7. TV is expensive. Even if you do not buy a TV (and have a free, functional one offered to you as we have had recently) cable is expensive. In my mind, as a non-tvite, I see no point in buying a tv but not having cable. But, a cable package that has any worthwhile channels is expensive. Even if that expense is only say...$50 a month, that is still a lot of money! I keep trying to figure it out in my mind. If we theoretically had $50 a month to blow on a cable bill, does that mean that right now, without TV we have enough for me to spend $50 on new clothes each month? The possibilities are staggering... Plus, cable is not the only expense! If you get a TV, you have to have something to put it on. If you get something to put it on, you have to buy something to plug it into, etc. It reminds me a little of that delightful childhood favorite, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, only that was a book and therefore worthwhile.

Well I guess that about does it for my TV con list. There are a few small pros to getting a TV. I have yet to decide if they measure up to the rather impressive list given above.

1. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Best part of Thanksgiving minus the food. Haven't seen it in 3-4 years now. Sounding really tempting...Plus, it's part of the Basic cable package.

2. Larger, legal access to televised hockey games. The legal part might be overrated.

3. Food Network. I admit, they too have succumbed to a lot of ridiculous inanity, but still, there has to be something that is still good and holy in the land of tv.

Well, that's all for now. I'll let you know which side wins out.

*Okay, that's not entirely true. In Sandy, we had a huge hulking TV in our living room for quite some time, but it never worked and we didn't have cable so I'm not counting that.

So, we're in Phoenix...

Ok, it's been a long time coming, but here we go. We are officially in Phoenix and providing the photographic evidence right here. After a long and arduous journey south, we arrived on a late July night and camped out on our floor with Henry. The next day Dean's parents and a local known only as Jack helped us unload all of our worldly possessions. We love our new apartment; there is ample room for Henry to romp and it even has a handy breakfast bar. We are located just north of downtown Phoenix which puts us right between Taylor's school and the Phoenix Zoo. Flashforward almost 3 months and we are finally feeling like Phoenix is our home. We now know where most of the major sub-cities are located and we've even found a few delicious spots to dine. Dean has also found stupendous mountain biking 10 minutes from our home and a hockey rink where he can not only play but also watch NHL teams practice. Taylor is loving being constantly warm (even in October!) and thoroughly enjoying Arizona sunsets. Not too shabby.