Today we marched with PFLAG to honor those slain in the Orlando shootings. We each wore t-shirts representing one of the fallen and I was Geraldo Ortiz-Jimenez. I actually got pretty teary when I got my shirt.
Lots of people came out to support the "rolling parade" (parade on one side of the street, traffic on the other), and most everyone was excited and supportive. In fact, the only ones who didn't smile and wave and cheer were a few of the drivers on the other side of the road who were probably less homophobic than they were annoyed at the fact they couldn't get where they needed to go...
( Work Safe Pics Under Cut Collapse )Each year, dozens of Visiting Work Groups come to Taos to build homes, bond with one another, and bask in the beauty that is northern New Mexico. This video was made by the fantastic University of Connecticut who came last week. Watch and see what the experience meant to them. Enjoy!
Oh, and you can meet my awesome coworkers!
Oh, and you can meet my awesome coworkers!
So, Cody and I both got international packages containing late Christmas presents. How was from Japan and contained bath salts from a different onsens (as well as some super adorable, Santa-shaped mystery snacks) and mine contained...
This handmade awesomeness from
cackling_madly! I love th cowl (very me), but that donkey is like the coolest thing EVER!
In other news it has been snowing like hell. Much to the displeasure of my boss, I had to call out on Friday because, despite a good twenty-minutes of pushing, we couldn't get the Saab out of the driveway and Andrew's car was buried in snow. It took us over an hour just to dig our way to the truck and clear a path and the driveway a bit. Scully, of course, fussed about being left inside, so we let her out. She made it all of five minutes before demanding to go back in. Silly pussy. (By which, I mean, she is, quite literally, a cat. Here she is all warn out after her adventure - never mind that Cody and I were still fighting the snow mounds to help Andrew get to work.
The icicles! They're attacking! Seriously, these look like the fingers if some Dr. Who alien villian...
On snowy days we all stay inside
This handmade awesomeness from
cackling_madly! I love th cowl (very me), but that donkey is like the coolest thing EVER!In other news it has been snowing like hell. Much to the displeasure of my boss, I had to call out on Friday because, despite a good twenty-minutes of pushing, we couldn't get the Saab out of the driveway and Andrew's car was buried in snow. It took us over an hour just to dig our way to the truck and clear a path and the driveway a bit. Scully, of course, fussed about being left inside, so we let her out. She made it all of five minutes before demanding to go back in. Silly pussy. (By which, I mean, she is, quite literally, a cat. Here she is all warn out after her adventure - never mind that Cody and I were still fighting the snow mounds to help Andrew get to work.
The icicles! They're attacking! Seriously, these look like the fingers if some Dr. Who alien villian...
On snowy days we all stay inside
How do you feel about being interrupted and what bothers you most?
In general, how much do you hate being interrupted when you are speaking? (1 = it doesn't bother you at all and 10 = it really pisses you off.)
Imagine you are telling a story to family/friends. For the sake of example, let's say the story is about the travails of travel, of getting from Point A to Point B. Which of these types of interruptions would bother you? (Check as many as may apply.)
An exclamation that indicates people are listening. ("Wow!" or "Oh no!")
0(0.0%)
An exclamation of someone experiencing immediate pain. (Saying "Ouch" when they stub their toe.)
0(0.0%)
An exclamation from someone for whom the story reminded them of something they forgot/needed to do. ("Shit! I forgot to pick-up my cousin at the airport!")
2(4.5%)
An exclamation for someone who just remembered something that has nothing to do with the story. ("Oh! I need to buy coffee!")
8(18.2%)
A question directly relating to the story. ("Wait, how far is it from Los Alamos to Santa Fe?")
0(0.0%)
A question that has nothing to so with the story. ("Where did you get that shirt?")
10(22.7%)
A question that seems like a challenge but is related to the story. ("So why didn't you just get a cab?")
7(15.9%)
A statement that might have to do with some aspect of the story, but not too directly. ("I've been to El Paso." or "I hate the smell of trains.")
2(4.5%)
A correction/challenging comment. ("But it doesn't get dark that early April!" or "You mean the 405 not the 101.")
8(18.2%)
Physical interruption. (Someone getting up or beginning a task)
5(11.4%)
Other: Explain what kind of interruption really bothers you.
2(4.5%)
In the comments or box, explain which of these bother you most and why?
In the comments or box, explain if some of these would bother you more/less if you were giving instructions/explanations rather than telling a story.
Yes, that would be Princess Agent Dana Scully, the cutest little serial killer we know!
We'd just finished dinner on Saturday night when Scully came scampering in from outside. We didn't really see that there was anything unusual about her, but then we're quite accustomed to her brining in myriad grasshoppers and crickets, etc. We were about to go outside to see the full moon (in Piscese) rise, when Cody mentioned that he thought he could hear bats. I heard them, too, but they seemed to be coming from inside the house. We looked under the dining room table, and there was Scully, playing with a quasi-dead mouse.
We thought we'd spare you a shot of the actual mouse, but here she is afterwords, feeling extremely proud of her little grey self!
She is quite the little hunter. In a 24 hour period over the weekend she ended the lives of at least 13 grasshoppers, several crickets, and a mouse.
This is probably more for my own edification - or at least is a reminder of my goals - than anything else.
Long ago I committed myself to shaping my language and communication style to be more kind, compassionate, inclusive, and open-minded. This included things such as using "I" statements ("I think, I feel, I believe") rather than stating my own perceptions as truth ("That's stupid" or "It's too cold to do that"), not making assumptive statements about other people ("You don't, you never, you always, you are"), not making assumptions in general, especially about cultural things ("That's not really Mexican" or "Everybody knows that"), not interrupting, not talking about myself (at least excessively), being less sarcastic, not correcting people/interjecting opinions/stopping the conversation to point out small isses ("Yeah, but that's not really the point" or "Yes, but that's just an urban legend" or "That would never happen"), avoiding use of binary gender pronouns whenever possible, asking questions about other people's interests, remebering little things about others and bringing that up in conversation, and other such things. However, this weekend, it has come to my attention, that I have some very bad language habits that extend beyond these good intentions. So, going forward, here are some things I need to work on:
1) Using "I" and "me" more while avoiding "you" and "one." Unfortunately, I am one of those people who grew-up under the impression that it was polite and inclusive to speak using vague, second-person pronouns when describing situations. You know, like when you are trying to explain what it is like be stuck on hold forever and you have to listen to an endless loop of really bad smooth jazz? Exactly that. Although I believed I was being inclusive, I have learned that this is actually hypocritical of me to use alienating language under the assumption that it is somehow a shared experience.
2) Using "always" and "never" when it applies to myself. While I consciously try to avoid saying that about others ("You never wipe down the counter" or "You always have a smart-ass answer"), I have not been that careful about removing these words from my own vocabulary altogether. I have a tendency to things like, "I never knew that it was alienating to use words like that" or "I always try to be kind." If I am really trying to speak the truth, I am clearly lying here because I, obviously, no one, including me, always or never does anything.
3) When people call me out on my language, don't say that that is how I was taught/that is what people expected of me. While this might be true, it is not the most effective way to engage the matter. Personally, I have a need to get to the root of a matter. If I am going to solve a problem I feel I need to know the reasons why that problem occurred in the first place. But that is not always helpful to the others involved; it sounds like an excuse. So, instead of saying that that is what I was taught, I should say, "That is what I was given. For a long time I chose to accept it, but now I don't." And then I just need to do something about it.
4) Not apologizing for things that do not, necessarily, warrant an apology. I'll admit it, I have a habit of saying "I'm sorry" for simple mistakes, misunderstandings, etc. I've done this all my life. For example, last night I thought that Andrew had grabbed forks for dinner, so I just sat down without getting silverware and I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought Andrew had done it." Or, I'll apologize for not hearing someone/misunderstanding someone/forgetting things. It was what I was given and for a long time I chose to accept it, but I no longer do. It was pointed out to me, that apologizing robs me of power.
5) Avoiding stating statements as questions. If I am even slightly unsure about something - or if I feel as if I might be correcting someone - I tend to phrase it as a question. For example, the other day, Andrew mentioned never having been to a winery in Utah, and I said, "Didn't we go to a winery in Moab?" Or, at work I might say, "Wait, didn't you tell me on Tuesday that you decided not send out an email about it?" In the first case, not only did I not want to correct him, but I thought that maybe I was mis-remembering a restaurant/bar as a winery. In the second case, I am trying to reconcile my own memory with what I was just told and I want to make sure that I am doing the right thing without being rude to my boss. That said, this is apparently not a helpful construction and I need to no longer accept it as an option. It, too, is a disempowering thing.
6) Not trailing off. I have no excuse for this habit, I just tend to not finish sentences. It's like I start fine with a concrete statement. "It's probably going to rain," and then I leave to to those around me to finish the sentence, "so we might not want to..." I have no excuse for this.
( Read more...Collapse )
So, from this point on, these above things will become part of my language habits. I will not let other people rob me of power. I will not make excuses. I will not be hypocritical. I will speak my truth confidently and compassionately, I will still speak with kindness and love, but I will include myself in that kindness and love.
Long ago I committed myself to shaping my language and communication style to be more kind, compassionate, inclusive, and open-minded. This included things such as using "I" statements ("I think, I feel, I believe") rather than stating my own perceptions as truth ("That's stupid" or "It's too cold to do that"), not making assumptive statements about other people ("You don't, you never, you always, you are"), not making assumptions in general, especially about cultural things ("That's not really Mexican" or "Everybody knows that"), not interrupting, not talking about myself (at least excessively), being less sarcastic, not correcting people/interjecting opinions/stopping the conversation to point out small isses ("Yeah, but that's not really the point" or "Yes, but that's just an urban legend" or "That would never happen"), avoiding use of binary gender pronouns whenever possible, asking questions about other people's interests, remebering little things about others and bringing that up in conversation, and other such things. However, this weekend, it has come to my attention, that I have some very bad language habits that extend beyond these good intentions. So, going forward, here are some things I need to work on:
1) Using "I" and "me" more while avoiding "you" and "one." Unfortunately, I am one of those people who grew-up under the impression that it was polite and inclusive to speak using vague, second-person pronouns when describing situations. You know, like when you are trying to explain what it is like be stuck on hold forever and you have to listen to an endless loop of really bad smooth jazz? Exactly that. Although I believed I was being inclusive, I have learned that this is actually hypocritical of me to use alienating language under the assumption that it is somehow a shared experience.
2) Using "always" and "never" when it applies to myself. While I consciously try to avoid saying that about others ("You never wipe down the counter" or "You always have a smart-ass answer"), I have not been that careful about removing these words from my own vocabulary altogether. I have a tendency to things like, "I never knew that it was alienating to use words like that" or "I always try to be kind." If I am really trying to speak the truth, I am clearly lying here because I, obviously, no one, including me, always or never does anything.
3) When people call me out on my language, don't say that that is how I was taught/that is what people expected of me. While this might be true, it is not the most effective way to engage the matter. Personally, I have a need to get to the root of a matter. If I am going to solve a problem I feel I need to know the reasons why that problem occurred in the first place. But that is not always helpful to the others involved; it sounds like an excuse. So, instead of saying that that is what I was taught, I should say, "That is what I was given. For a long time I chose to accept it, but now I don't." And then I just need to do something about it.
4) Not apologizing for things that do not, necessarily, warrant an apology. I'll admit it, I have a habit of saying "I'm sorry" for simple mistakes, misunderstandings, etc. I've done this all my life. For example, last night I thought that Andrew had grabbed forks for dinner, so I just sat down without getting silverware and I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought Andrew had done it." Or, I'll apologize for not hearing someone/misunderstanding someone/forgetting things. It was what I was given and for a long time I chose to accept it, but I no longer do. It was pointed out to me, that apologizing robs me of power.
5) Avoiding stating statements as questions. If I am even slightly unsure about something - or if I feel as if I might be correcting someone - I tend to phrase it as a question. For example, the other day, Andrew mentioned never having been to a winery in Utah, and I said, "Didn't we go to a winery in Moab?" Or, at work I might say, "Wait, didn't you tell me on Tuesday that you decided not send out an email about it?" In the first case, not only did I not want to correct him, but I thought that maybe I was mis-remembering a restaurant/bar as a winery. In the second case, I am trying to reconcile my own memory with what I was just told and I want to make sure that I am doing the right thing without being rude to my boss. That said, this is apparently not a helpful construction and I need to no longer accept it as an option. It, too, is a disempowering thing.
6) Not trailing off. I have no excuse for this habit, I just tend to not finish sentences. It's like I start fine with a concrete statement. "It's probably going to rain," and then I leave to to those around me to finish the sentence, "so we might not want to..." I have no excuse for this.
( Read more...Collapse )
So, from this point on, these above things will become part of my language habits. I will not let other people rob me of power. I will not make excuses. I will not be hypocritical. I will speak my truth confidently and compassionately, I will still speak with kindness and love, but I will include myself in that kindness and love.
Andrew, Cody, Aaron, and I just got back from hiking to Williams Lake. The trailhead begins just above the Taos Ski Valley (just over 10,200 feet) and goes straight up for about two miles, ending at Williams Lake (an elevation of over 11,000). It's a little challenging, but fun. I generally don't do well with downhills, but I had poles, so that helped.
We had a picnic at the top and watched a huge, black dog play in the water while two marmots on opposite sides of the shore shrieked out their warnings of him.
The only bad part was that I got a kinda huge blister and, for once, nobody was prepared with a Band-aid. However, the trail was super crowded and we noticed a group of Boy Scouts (who at least claim to always "Be Prepared"), so I asked one of their mom's and she gave me something for my blister. #noshame
( Work safe pics...Collapse )
We had a picnic at the top and watched a huge, black dog play in the water while two marmots on opposite sides of the shore shrieked out their warnings of him.
The only bad part was that I got a kinda huge blister and, for once, nobody was prepared with a Band-aid. However, the trail was super crowded and we noticed a group of Boy Scouts (who at least claim to always "Be Prepared"), so I asked one of their mom's and she gave me something for my blister. #noshame
( Work safe pics...Collapse )
I will post about last weekend's trip to Chaco next, but this is what we did this morning...
( Pic Heavy Post! Work Safe in Every Way (Unless You're Anti-Balloon)Collapse )
( Pic Heavy Post! Work Safe in Every Way (Unless You're Anti-Balloon)Collapse )
Have I mentioned that Andrew is interning at KTAOS, our solar radio station? Well, he is! One of his jobs is to assist this guy, Alphonso, who does a reggae show. Alphonso is from Kingston, but now lives in Pecos, NM, a little village outside of Santa Fe. So, yesterday, the three of us went down there so that Andrew could work with Alphonse and Cody and I could just dink around.
( Pics under cut...Collapse )
( Pics under cut...Collapse )
It's really fun and relaxing to be on the other side of a Farmers Market. Just shopping is so much less stressful.
Really amazing soaps from Bison Star Soap Co. (The bottom one is cinnamon and the top cedar.) Cody did a story on the girl who started the business, and she was so thrilled we got some free soap!
( More totally work safe (unless you have problems with produce) pics under cutCollapse )
Really amazing soaps from Bison Star Soap Co. (The bottom one is cinnamon and the top cedar.) Cody did a story on the girl who started the business, and she was so thrilled we got some free soap!
( More totally work safe (unless you have problems with produce) pics under cutCollapse )
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"So why didn't you just get a cab?
That type of thing has happened to me before. I was getting to that point, but the point…