Playing with Fire

It's become an Independence Day tradition.  This year, Drew and I celebrated the 4th of July with a cookout and lots of swimming at his sister's house, and continued a holiday tradition that is most likely the result of putting too many photography nerds in one place.  For a few years now, we've been painting with fire.

My 4-year-old nephew joins in the fun as we set up a camera with a manually-controlled shutter and light the sparklers.  Every year, we try to come up with new designs or creative ways to play with light.  Writing is especially difficult, because it has to be a mirror image and in cursive.  It's always fun to see how the photos turn out after a first attempt.  Here is an example of an end result:

Because of the risk of wildfires, consumer fireworks are only legal in Gilbert about 4 days out of year, (New Year's Eve and 4th of July weekend) so we have to take advantage while we can. It was another 4th of July spent drawing with sparklers and catching a glimpse of the big fireworks show over the rooftops of the neighborhood, filled with good food and surrounded by family. 

Sled Vs. Blocks of Ice: An AZ Childhood Experience

Every now and then when I speak to an Arizona native, I find myself in foreign territory when it comes to childhood experiences.  I spent my winters sledding in the backyard, my summers catching fireflies or going to the beach.  For a child growing up in the desert, life can be a little different.  There aren't many fireflies around here, and the closest beaches are across the Mexican border.  It's a far contrast from the Jersey Shore and the boardwalk I came to know so well.  During a recent conversation, the Arizonans referenced something I'd never heard of before as if it were a universal childhood activity: Ice-Blocking.

What is ice-blocking?

To me, it appears to be a sad excuse for a sledding experience, only it's done in the summer.  Take a block of ice, find a hill, and commence.  Here's a pretty accurate example:

Prior to this conversation, I didn't even know one could actually purchase a big block of ice aside from maybe an ice sculptor who I just assumed bought their supply online or something.  I'd honestly never thought to look into it before, but apparently they're available at any regular convenience store.  I guess I missed that section?  I know they sold bags of ice, but I swear I've never seen it come in large blocks.

Just as I was contemplating giving this experience a try, I found out the activity is now banned.  I guess the authorities didn't think careening downhill on a slippery, rapidly-melting mode of transportation was the safest idea for kids.  Either way, I think I'd rather go sledding.

The Good, the Bad, and the Weird

Arizona is home to some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen, some of the most controversial problems in the country, and some of the... well just plain weirdest stuff I've encountered.  And I lived in the Florida Panhandle for three years. 

Just a couple hours North of Phoenix, Sedona Arizona is a hub for both the beautiful and weird.  People flock from all over the world to gaze at the spectacular red rock formations, gain spiritual clarity, and if they're like me, indulge in a little curiosity.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Sedona with my dad and stepmom.  We enjoyed the crystal shops, psychic signs and vortex tour brochures just as much as the famous rocks themselves.   I see myself as a very scientific person, but I think it's fun to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while, read up on vortexes, and take a slight detour to a "UFO Center" that actually turned out to be a creepy purple trailer next to a creek that I swear must have been featured in the beginning of an episode of Bones.

It's the off-beat characters, stories and places that are my favorite things about living in the desert.  Where else can you find this many UFO sightings, or chupacabra believers?  Even the plants look like they're out of a Dr. Suess book. 

The highlight of our trip was a Pink Jeep Tour that took us up close and personal to the rocks.  We even got to see an old sinkhole that's now home to hundreds of bats.  It was a bumpy ride (extremely bumpy!) but worth it.  Definitely a trip to remember.

Conquering the Kitchen

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love food.  Drew and I love trying new restaurants, recipes, and have even gotten hooked on a few cooking competition shows (cupcake wars, top chef, chopped, the taste,) just a few....
The Phoenix area is actually a great city for foodies, with more than a handful of restaurants that have been featured on The Food Network, and even more undiscovered gems we've had the pleasure of dining in recently.
One place I feel I've never reached my full food-appreciating potential has been my own kitchen.  It's something I've been trying to change.  That road, however, is long and winding.  There have been ups and downs, and some epic fails.
Those of you who know me well may remember the forgotten-water-in-the-brownies blunder of '05, or the sea-salt-attempted-brownie bungle of '11.  You also may have seen the cupcake massacre of 2012:

This little doozy contributed to the subsequent oven fire of 2012.
While I haven't had many proud moments in the past, I can at least say I'm not completely alone.  Drew has proven himself to be a spectacular cook on a regular basis, but every once in a while he throws me a bone and comes up with a mess to rival even my most embarrassing culinary disasters.  There was the Chipotle-rice-replication attempt that was.... let's just say lime-tastic.  More recently, there was our first attempt at utilizing a slow cooker for beef stroganoff:

Luckily we live so close to family that we knew just who to call, just in time for dinner.  It's hard to believe I actually tried ...whatever this is... and managed to keep a straight face until Drew spit his out, giving me the okay to do the same.  To his credit, we discovered it was actually the appliance at fault, and after purchasing a new crock pot he redeemed his recipe and his reputation.  I can vouch, it was delicious.
My adventures may be doomed to continue on a roller coaster, but I am proud to say I came up with a healthy and successful meal just this week after a recent decision to maintain a healthier lifestyle (a.k.a trying to reduce my sugar intake to something below 75% of my diet.)
This is a broiled salmon-steak in a honey sauce with a side of mashed cauliflower.  Yes, that's right!  And, it's a great substitute for mashed potatoes.  I made a pretty big mess, but it was worth it.

From Spring to Summer in a Day

It seems like Arizona really only has two seasons:  Cold, and hot.  One of those seasons is much longer than the other.  This week, our high temperatures graced the 70's and 80's, and then settled into the 90's.  The flowers are blooming and the plants are turning a temporary shade of green so I guess we could call this Spring, but I think the rest of the country has a different word for it. 
Nonetheless, this time of year is when the weather just begs you to get outside.  It inspired Drew to buy a remote-control boat for the pond near our house, and last weekend we all met at the park to play with that boat and with Max of course.  He is adjusting very well to his new home, and he is feeling 100% after getting over an ear infection and kennel cough.  While he doesn't show very much interest in toys and he's a wallflower at the dog park, we're working on some new tricks:

Max is also great at running. He (and I) have been running about 2 miles every other day around the canal and pond near our house.  It's a great way to get him out and about to exercise, and to take advantage of this great weather.  While it lasts.

Meet Max

After about six months living in our new place, Drew and I decided it was time for an addition.  This Valentine's Day, I received a bouquet of flowers and box of chocolate, along with a stuffed Snoopy and a Snoopy valentine's card in which Drew wrote, "ready to get your own Snoopy?" Last weekend we went to the animal shelter to pick out the scruffiest, cutest homeless doggie we could find.                                                                                      His name was A3264205.  We thought "Max" would be easier to remember.  He's a 4-year-old schnauzer terrier mix who weighs about 25 lbs.  Max's history is unknown, so we're still learning about his personality, but one thing is for sure:  he loves to cuddle!  He snuggles up on the couch to watch TV, and he was great around the niece and nephew.  Max isn't a big fan of dog food or dog treats or even dog toys, but we recently found out he loves all kinds of cheese.  We'll have to use that sparingly as it's not the healthiest treat for training.  I'm sure with a little guidance and love he'll learn how to be a dog.

He's already proven himself to be a little Houdini.  On his first day home, I put up his dog fence to partition him into a section of the house, and I left classical music on the TV to keep him calm while I ran to the store to get groceries.  When I got home, he greeted me at the door.  His dog gate was still locked and the TV channel had been changed to a PBS documentary.  In addition to disliking classical music, we also discovered on his walk this evening that he strongly dislikes skateboards.

 Max seems to be adjusting just fine to his new home, his new family, and his new name.

Road Trip

One thing I love about living in Arizona is the opportunity for a great road trip.  Phoenix may sit in the middle of the desert surrounded by a whole lot of nothing, but that nothing can look  beautiful in the passenger-side window, driving to one of the many destinations within a day's reach.
Last weekend, our friends flew into Phoenix from Jackson, Mississippi and we hopped in the Prius and headed to Vegas!  I love driving a route I've never traveled, seeing all of the beauty this country has to offer, and indulging in any spontaneous side-trip.  We drove through Joshua Trees, enormous red rocks and plateaus, and stopped at the Hoover Dam to take a full tour.  Our tour came complete with an eccentric guide who didn't fall short when it came to inserting some dam jokes into every opportunity.  Neither did I.

Then, we arrived at our destination... Las Vegas!  And, well, I guess that's all the detail I'll divulge, because you know what they say.
I will note that Drew and I did not lose as much as we had last September during our first trip, mostly because I did far less gambling.  Just call me the cooler.

Our road back was just as eventful, as we stopped on the side of the road for an overlook and saw a river at the bottom.  We decided to drive down to the water, and on the way we encountered a herd of big-horn sheep by the side of the winding road.  When everyone in the car started gasping, I was the last to notice.  They stood and stared at us as we parked and stared at them.  I'd never seen anything like it outside of a zoo.  Then, they went on their way up a hill and we continued down to the water to catch the sunset.  That's why I love road trips.  It's those unexpected moments when you follow a trail or climb a rock or chase a river, only to see something you may have never seen before in your life.  I'll end with one final photo we took after getting back to Phoenix, taken at Papago Park overlooking the city.