I like talking to Russians

I've had 3 conversations in the last two days with Russians. How lucky am I ? I was in Santa Monica for the day and I talked to an Armenian who talked about how awful it was in Armenia, which I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know used to be a Russian state, when the Soviet Union collapsed. He said for 2 years, Armenia was in the dark. No power, no lights. The banks went away, post office, any government office was just gone. It was chaos and it was COLD. He said everyone just left, just fled Armenia.

Then I spoke to someone who is from Ukraine. I don't know why I always want to say the Ukraine, but I think that is obviously incorrect. Anyway, she left right as the Soviet Union was collapsing too. She said as soon as Gorbachev came into power and people could get out, everyone did! She has never been back and has no desire to.

The sad thing is that the man I first talked to, had just finished his masters degree in Economics when the USSR collapsed. Then there was just nothing. He came here with his wife and two little children and is now a driver for a car service. He's been a jeweler, etc. He was pretty negative about the "American Dream." And by pretty negative, I mean extremely disillusioned.

The woman from Ukraine works as a nail technician. She seemed happy to be in Santa Monica and with her family who all came here.

Ali's friend Tyler has a grandmother who was telling me about leaving India in the 60s and the process of choosing California while her sister chose Florida and the process of being sponsored. Very interesting! I so admire anyone who can start completely over in a new country without knowing the language. As rough as it is in America currently, I believe it is still a chosen land of promise for people seeking safety and freedom.

(like the statue of liberty photo? I know, I know. It's good.)

I am listening to the Louvin Brothers tribute album. I love it so much. Love old country as it reminds me of my dad and riding in his truck in Montana and how different everything seemed there. Everything seemed slower, people friendlier, etc. From the moment I would go stay with him, it only seemed natural to listen to his old country music. Hank Williams, Merle Haggard and the likes. He would make me watch Lonesome Dove and any other western I would agree to. I'd pull out my dusty boots that hadn't seen the light of day since the last visit and it was great. We'd drive around the ranch and say hi to the people boarding horses and he'd point out the geese. We'd sit on the big back porch and he'd shoot BBguns with the kids. Shirlee would make great food and we'd go into quaint Red Lodge for an ice cream or trip to the old fashioned candy store. Dad would buy the kids a little toy or a cowboy hat. I'd walk from the house to the wooden gate at the main road and then back looking at the water running alongside me or up at the beautiful mountains. The air smelled good. I'd go into the old barns and see all of the saddles dad had. He was definitely more about the idea of having saddles in the barn then ever using them to ride. One time, he hired a friend from town to come up to the ranch in a covered wagon and we all went on a wagon ride around the ranch. It was so great. Great memories.

Here's a great one.. Must You Throw Dirt in My Face sung by Merle Haggard. Turn it way up and close your eyes.

We are going camping tomorrow on the beach in Santa Barbara for 3 days. I am going to get a wet suit for Brett and for Sydney so they can go surfing! I can't believe we will have 3 days of Brett all to ourselves with no distractions. I want to make the most of it. I am also nervous to sleep in a tent and hope it doesn't get too cold. Kate is so excited she can't stand it.

My two oldest girls are at a 5-day Youth in Government retreat in Sacramento. They are working with the senators and will be at the capitol the whole time. It is super confusing and I have no idea how to even explain it, but it is an awesome experience for them. Maddie is a lobbyist and Ali is a trial lawyer. I miss them already and it's only been half a day. They don't get to go camping with us. Brett and I are going with our 2nd family we say which consists of us and the two youngest.

Yes, Ali got flowers for Valentine's Day. So did Maddie. So did I. I'm glad Sydney didn't although she got a necklace! (Don't ask. There is a very cute but very, um forward boy who has decided that he really really likes Sydney. Yikes. 5th grade) Brett was saying the family prayer the morning after Valentines Day and he said that he was pause grateful big pause that all of his girls were pause remembered on Valentines Day and pause seemed to have a big pause Valentine. I open my eyes like, wait, is Brett actually making a joke in the prayer? My eyes were met by Maddie's, Ali's and Sydney's looking back. Then Brett said he was pause grateful that Spencer's Valentine was thousands of miles away while he was on his mission. ha ha that did it. Prayer was done for the day. 

And how good are Sugar Cookies? I mean, seriously, could you not eat 20 at a sitting? I used the Cutler Cookie's recipe off of Si's blog and it turned out great! I could have sold them! ok I am babbling. bye

You just don't hear this every day

I have some friends here who are smart. They both went to MIT where I know that he, at least got his doctorate. Then he decided to work for NASA and has been working on the Mars Rover for the last 7 years. I think I've written about them before.

So, yesterday she came by to pick up some dehydrated apple chips from me. Anyway, she comments that she was sorry she couldn't come to the RS activity last night because Dave has been working late this week. Then she mentions something about he has to trouble shoot the rover blah blah blah. "Oh yeah" I thought. He sent the Mars Rover out and now he's somehow working on it while it's in space. I commented that it is so weird that she says that like it is no big deal.

Then she said, well he's trying to decide if he wants to do surface phase or not. He wasn't going to because he's a little burned out and besides, he'd have to go on Mars time. Wait, whaaat? What is MARS TIME?

Apparently, if he commits to do Surface phase, it will be a 3-month commitment from the time the Rover lands, which is on August 5th. So leading up to the landing, he has to move his days by 40 minutes each day. This will mean that during this time there will be a chunk of time where he is up all night and asleep all day. But he just keeps moving 40 minutes each day until he's back in the real world. How cool is that?! I told her, how in the world could he NOT do the Mars phase? Just to be able to tell your grandkids that grandpa had to go on Mars time once when he directed the MARS ROVER!!! wow. wow. So cool.

I am majorly fighting being lonely for Utah right now. "Utah" means everything I love to do there and everyone I miss all wrapped up in one. I do ok for a while and then it just hits me hard sometimes.

Plans are moving ahead (in my mind anyway) for Maddie to volunteer in an orphanage this summer. She will need someone to go with her. Her friend Sam said he'd go just now like it was a great idea ha ha. I don't think he can go being that he's male even though he is pretty much her brother.

Why does this never get old??

Yesterday, I drove Ali to dance. Her dance place is about five minutes from our house. Well, as I got to the block of her studio, I noticed that they were filming a movie/tv show/commercial? on the sidewalk. Usually traffic is rerouted but not this time. I felt very very strange slowly driving by trying to see who it was. I dropped off Ali and then did a u-turn so I could drive by again. This time I lucked out and sat at the stoplight right in front of the action. I heard the director say GO and then saw the two guys in the scene pretend they were walking down the street, stop in front of a restaurant and talk. Extras went by on cell phones, sitting down at tables, etc. Then she said CUT and I noticed that the director was this woman...

Then the light turned green. Things like that are still REALLY WEIRD for me.

On another note, I LOVE playing for Broadway Brunch. It stretches my piano playing abilities like crazy. I get about 10 to 12 songs to sight read and then play a day later. This time, a woman wanted to sing Til There Was You from Music Man. We had no music. I thought, I really really like this song (mostly thanks to McCartney) and so I thought I'm just going to wing it. Nobody will know. So I just let go of my inhibitions and started playing the way I thought it would sound. It ended up really soft and matched her voice and it just felt like I was playing from my heart and didn't need the music anyway. We did a full keychange and I had to figure out a bridge etc.  I wish I could do that often. It is hard. It makes me feel like I'm broadening in some way. Then I came back home and watched Mary Poppins with my Kate. Man I love that girl. I love just snuggling with her under my covers, and watching Mary Poppins. Which, really, is that not the most brilliant movie? Such a great great film all around.

I also made Sydney watch the original Star Wars trilogy with me this past month. It struck me that she just needed to know why people wear those Yoda backpacks around at Disneyland. Now she knows. She gets Leia and Han. She gets why Luke always felt drawn to Leia but why he would never end up being her Han.  It just all makes sense now.

On a better, less wasteful note, I'm finally organizing my life! It feels good. Brett's office which was a wasteland of papers that were never used, is now my office with cute little cubbies and where everything has its place. It's clean and it's mine. It makes me really really happy. I now feel empowered and want to keep tackling projects. I'm going to paint the hallways next. Mostly because I have to paint something about once a year. I don't know why. Also they really need it and the smell of paint and seeing the marks disappear under the roller feels really really good.

Finally, I want some new pants. And one pair of navy toms or maybe converse to wear with my jeans that I wear every single day. I also want to make Maddie volunteer at an orphanage in Thailand. I hope she agrees with me and finds someone to do it with her.

I have had soooo many visitors this past month! It has been awesome. Here are a few of them...

 This activity never gets old for Kate.

This family is my family.

 The guy on the right is Kate's fav male cousin. Proud of the two on the left, both for different reasons. Katie, bright, beautiful, about to be an adult. Braden, self motivated, funny.

 Kate's favorite people. More than the people below. Ask anyone and they'll tell you in a whisper so I won't hear and wonder why she loves them more.

I like this picture because I'm wearing the sweater Si gave me because the color was wrong for her. And I like Brett.

Hollywood is kind of gross. But this little part is cool. Sydney liked this because I had just made her watch Star Wars as I said so she got it. 

Next on her watching list....Anne of Green Gables! A MUST if you are female!!

ok bye. erin