In Defense of Emojis

Okay, maybe this is a really dumb post and one I'll completely roll my eyes at in ten years, but this is something I've been mulling over for a while and I feel like it's something I need to express.

The other day (a few weeks ago, really) a friend posted the results of his "ISideWith" quiz. Several older members of his family wrote scoffing comments along the lines of "bah, millenials" (which is another thing entirely that I won't even get into today). One of the comments following a comment about how 'millenials are going to destroy this country' was saying, "At least they have their [sic] emogies!"

At the time I was too irritated by their attitudes about millenials and politics that I mostly ignored that comment, but the more I thought about it later, the more it bothered me. What's wrong with emojis? Why have they been met with such seeming vitriol by older generations that they use it as fodder for mockery?

While I will certainly admit that many members of Generations Y and Z may not be the best at communication, especially of the face to face variety, I do not think emojis are inherently bad. In fact, I think they can be a great boon to us in the age of digital communication, where tone of voice and facial expressions are stripped away. They are the younger generations' way of injecting emotion into an emotionless situation.

Take, for example, the following sentence. "Haha, that's hilarious." If I include a :) or even a 😂, my meaning of sincerity is more clear- I do in fact find this hilarious. But let's say I want to be sarcastic (a common occurrence for me, which should be shocking to no one). I could say, "Haha, that's hilarious. 😐" That simple little 'face' completely changes the tone of my sentence! In some cases, an emoji on its own even expresses my feelings more accurately than words really can- like the heart emoji, or the 😍 emoji, or even 😢.

So yeah, go ahead and mock my generation for using emojis/emoticons/whatever you want to call them. But at least we know when we're serious. ;)

Lamentation for Spring

First of all, I have a confession. I'm tired of winter. Yes, I know. Your mind just exploded.

Maybe it's just because my ski pants went missing/were stolen pretty close to the beginning of the season (I have no idea what else could have happened to them, I am distinctly certain they were in my locker), but I just don't feel that jazzed about skiing this season. I have other ski pants that I can wear when I have to ski for work, but they're too small which makes them really uncomfortable. It's just been a major bummer for me, because I REALLY loved those pants, and finding ski pants that are long enough for me is next to impossible, especially once the season has already started. And I had finally built the perfect ski outfit (yes, extreme vanity) and I got to wear it skiing all of 5 times before the pants disappeared. I dunno, it just kind of got things going on a bad note. I know I shouldn't let something as silly as a pair of ski pants affect me that deeply, but I'm really bummed, and skiing with an atomic wedgie is just not that fun.

I think I also kind of burned myself out working so much over the holidays. At one point I worked 13 out of 14 days (and my only day off was Christmas, which I'm sorry was not very emotionally relaxing), which was great for my bank account but rough for my emotional health. Generally around this time every year I get REALLY sick of waking up early. I'm sure there's some sort of correlation between the sun rise time and whatever, but the last two seasons it's happened at roughly the same time. It's like I only have so much "early waking willpower" and it has run out. In the summer I get to sleep on a schedule that works a lot better for me, and the fact that we're only two months away from that is killing me.

Plus, second confession, I can't ski powder. I don't know if I've just never been taught properly or what, but I just don't think it's that fun. People at Alta are generally shocked to learn this, and look at me as if I'm some sort of alien for working at Alta when I don't even like to ski powder. Whatever. More for the rest of you.

I'm also tired of wearing a lot of clothing. It shouldn't be particularly surprising to anyone that I actually like shorts and t shirts better than just about anything.

I'm sure that once the end of April rolls around I'll be sad to see the ski season go, as usual, and come September I'll be champing at the bit again (I know, LIVE IN THE NOW), but right now I need some more free time, and some warm sunshine. I need to be able to open my windows and clean my freakin' house. (It's really bad right now. I don't want to talk about it.)

So, to forget that it's winter (and definitely to forget the giant storm headed our way, which I have very mixed feelings about), I've been focusing a lot more on trailer renovation. We bought our flooring (I'm pretty sure it was the very last flooring of that kind in the entire state, hahaha) and picked out our laminate. We'll order it once I figure out how much we need, which will come later. I'm getting pretty bummed about this storm, because it means more snow to melt that I have to wait for, and I've been really chomping at the bit to get moving on this renovation. But I suppose another hurdle we have to deal with is waiting until "bulk pickup day" when my neighbors can finally get rid of this gazebo thing that they bought last summer and then didn't properly care for (so now it's been completely destroyed and is just trash). Oh well, I guess it just gives me more time to start collecting all of the things I need for renovation, like actually purchasing the laminate, getting the fabric for the seating (and also possibly the custom camp chairs I'm considering making to match the trailer? I dunno. Perhaps that's just too ambitious), and a SEWING MACHINE. (Any recommendations?)

In the meantime, please enjoy the laminate we picked! Hahaha.

It's really light and subtle, which I dig, but it still has enough aqua to look really nice with the curtains. It's a surprisingly "chameleon" color- with blue things it looks more blue, and with green things it looks more green.

National Park Mini-Soapbox

The other day, I read a kind of nasty post a guy had written about people who have a goal to visit all of the 59 National Parks in the United States. He claimed that it was a very "elitist" goal, and that everyone wanting to do it was a hypocrite for doing all of this traveling and having a massive carbon footprint. I could link his post so you could read it yourself, but I don't even think he deserves the views. Overall he had a pretty bad attitude, and when I first read it my reaction was pretty much this-

I was kind of mad. Those are some serious balls, dude. You're honestly going to tell me that wanting to experience what our government has decided are the showcases of the natural world in America is "elitist?" Really?

Then I was sad for him. The point of those parks is for the "enjoyment and betterment of the American people." But, you know, I don't want to enjoy or better myself beyond the, oh, 24 national parks I can drive to in a [12 hour] day. (Including 9 I can drive to in 6 hours or less and 6 I can drive to in 4.) I mean, seriously, that's ridiculous. I'm incredibly lucky to live in such a central location for national parks, but it would be silly for me to say that I should only enjoy the west. That's just narrow-minded, and the kind of thinking that gets people nowhere.

I have a lot of feelings about the national parks. I want to win the lottery and give the park service like half a billion dollars. I want to bring back the CCC and put people to work improving our parks and monuments. I want to see AMERICA, unspoiled. All of it, from Denali to Death Valley to Hawaii Volcanoes and everything in between. And when I read on the internet about people like that dude, or the idiotic humans who want to sell off places like Yellowstone to the "highest bidder," I just want to Hulk-smash people. But I realize that won't accomplish anything, so in the meantime I'll just content myself with watching (and sharing) the incredible videos they put out at More Than Just Parks, and introducing people to the wonders that are our greatest national treasures.

Regardless of when or how you plan to visit our national parks, or even if you don't plan to visit all of them, I think visiting them is one of the most essential parts of being an American. Visiting all 59 is absolutely an admirable goal, whether you do it all in one go (like my rad new friends at Our Vie Adventures) or over time like Brady and I are.

Basically, the moral of this "brain vomit" today is that you should never let random d-bags on the internet tell you how to live your life. The end.

Gearing Up for Renovation

I know last year we said we were going to renovate the camper a little bit, and nothing happened... but that's mostly because we realized that spending any money on that thing was going to be pretty wasteful. We DID get new wheels (and tires), and I sort of made new curtains? I really, really, super need a sewing machine. But that's not the point. The point is that this year we're genuinely serious about renovating. I'm freaking TERRIFIED, but I'm also super stoked and ready to get this going. So I've decided to share a few "naked" interior photos to start getting everyone else on the stoke train with me. (Seriously, I spend the majority of my free time watching trailer renovation videos... I can actually tell you more than you've probably ever wanted to know about RV electrical.)

Standing in the front looking back. That cabinet still won't stay shut- the latch is just too old and tired. I don't blame it. You can also see the super lovely broken window that we're still unsure how we're going to be able to replace, since part of the window frame has gone missing. UGH. We're getting rid of the bunk entirely and trying to decide if we want to do cabinets or some sort of shelving... or nothing at all. We might do some SMALL cabinets, but frankly with the plans we have I don't know how much more storage we'll need. I guess you can never have TOO MUCH storage.

I honestly have no idea how that big ugly spot in the middle of the kitchen cabinetry happened... or why so many things are set up the way they are. Though this trailer is one of the more space-efficient ones I've seen (unlike some Shastas I've seen that just completely waste a ton of space and it boggles my mind), there were some really interesting decisions made in the design process of the "kitchen" in particular. But hey, it was the mid 60s. Who knows what was going on.

At the top of this photo you can see the 12v light a previous owner installed (and not particularly well - not poorly, just... not well) that has been the only semblance of light we've been able to have in the trailer. I don't know what I'm going to do about the dings and knicks in the ice chest. I don't want to paint it because I really like the appliances and would love to keep them in as close to original condition as possible.

In the bottom left of this photo you get a lovely view of some of our water damage... it's no bueno.

Terrible flooring aside, natural light really helps this girl out.

Please appreciate my panoramic mad skilllllz. Ha. There are a lot of elements in this trailer I really like that I hope to keep, but there are a lot of things I'd like to change. Almost everything, actually, but I love all of the light wood (which is more of a veneer than an actual stain which is disappointing) and I obviously love all of the wood grain. That's one element in particular that I really hope to keep. That, the appliances, and the Formica (though it's getting replaced with NEW Formica) are the three things I really want to stay close to. The vinyl flooring though, that is definitely peacing out. Yuck.

Anyway, I'm pretty stoked to bring my vision (which I hope to share in another post soon... maybe...) to life, and I know by the middle of it I'll want to light the damn thing on fire, but I know the end result will be WORTH IT.

Pup Adventures

Oh look, it's Friday, which means it's time for me to blog instead of being a responsible adult and doing laundry like I should. Whoops.

Anyway, on Monday of this week the Foofs and I went on a little jaunt up Millcreek Canyon. She has been going completely insane being cooped up inside all the time while mom and dad are at work, so I figured when I got called off at Peak Photo (oh yeah, btw, I got a third job working for the on-mountain photography company at Alta. Yes I'm insane) I needed to take her outside. (We would've gone again today, but I'm not feeling super well and the weather is super thumbs down.)

It was great. She was a little disobedient, but didn't cause any trouble, and I have to cut her some slack- she hasn't been around other dogs in MONTHS. Oops. She's such a great dog though, and she obviously loves to be outside. Walking on groomed snow without snowshoes is kind of like walking on sand, but more difficult. We (well, I) went about 2 miles round trip (I guarantee she went farther with all of her zigging and zagging), and hiked for about an hour. I just have to say that having a gps watch is pretty much the greatest thing ever, and I don't know how I managed life without it. Thank you again, Suunto.

Look at this adorable creature. I just can't even handle it.

I wish I could tell you that I've trained her to do this.

Worst brand ever.

Warm and dry feet in my GTX Speedcross. Seriously. I'm obsessed.

We had a blast, and I should definitely try to be more consistent about taking her up there... it's just been snowing SO MUCH (a serious problem, let me tell you)! I will say though that I'm getting more and more excited for spring. I love Alta a whole lot, and I love the income it brings, but working 6 days a week is really hard. I spend so much time running around, being active, and skiing, that most of the time on my days off I'd rather just relax (and do laundry while I relax, come on). I'm probably just a lame person but I can't subscribe to the "sleep when I'm dead" notion, so instead I just relax and plan adventures for myself while I do laundry and run the dishwasher - productivity at its finest.

Trip Plans 2016... and Beyond!

If you've ever met my mother, you'll know she's a planner. Like, I cannot even tell you how many times in my life I've heard someone tell me "your mom should be a wedding planner!" or "your mom should be a travel agent!" or something along those lines. She's really good at it, and growing up watching her plan trips all those years inevitably led to me being a serious trip planner as well (as exhibited by #ERT_2015, if nothing else). But as a kid following her plan, and even as an adult following my own plan, I have to say it's really nice. Sure, spontaneity is wonderful and I love that as well, but I feel like when it comes to trips it's really nice to know what you're doing and when you're doing it.
Anyway, my point in all of this is that I've planned out a rough itinerary of our trips for the next, well, okay, fine, 5 years. Hahahaha. Granted we'll probably take more trips than I have planned, but I wanted to allot time for big road trips especially. Thankfully Brady gets a lot of PTO at his new job, and the Salomon store is the most chill about time off. Yay. So, without further ado, enjoy our little trip plans...

MAY 7 - 15 - Jen's Birthday Trip! Channel Islands National Park, Disneyland (you're welcome, Brady), and visiting Brady's grandpa and grandma Eagar in Santa Ynez

SEPTEMBER 17 - 25 - "4 Corners" Road Trip - Mighty 5, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Four Corners, and Mesa Verde

8 parks, 9 days. You know, the usual.

2017

JANUARY 9-13 - Mountain Collective Trip - Ski Banff/Sunshine Village/Lake Louise

JUNE 2-11 - CORT (Colorado National Park Road Trip) - was supposed to be this summer but we opted for Channel Islands and time with grandparents instead! Easily postponed. And yes, I suppose I could have just done this one in the fall of 2016, but I want to go in June primarily due to Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes actually running during that time. So 2017 it is.

AUGUST 18-21 - SOLAR ECLIPSE VIEWING EXTRAVAGANZA! I'm alternating between summiting the Grand Teton, backpacking the Teton Crest Trail, or just being lame and going to Tetonia or something. I refuse to go into the park unless I'm in the high alpine or backcountry because it's just going to be way too insane. Seeing a total solar eclipse is a major bucket list item for me.

OCTOBER ish - Dry Tortugas National Park, probably. It's difficult to get to. We'd probably throw Biscayne and the Everglades in there too.

2018

JUNE 1-10 - CANP (California National Parks) - no, we're not doing all of them, but as is my style, we're doing a whole bunch in a loop, plus Great Basin.

OCTOBER 15-19 - Texas + New Mexico National Parks 

2019

JULY OR AUGUST (probably August) - AK Mega Trip - might as well get those suckers out of the way before we have to start hauling babies around on bush planes

2020

EUROPE! At some point in the summer. Brady is gunning for Scandinavia, I'm pushing for Mediterranean cruise but would be happy with Scandinavia too.

2021 (yes I was serious about 5 years)

MAY 3-13 - HAWAII 3-0 oh my crap

Obviously this is nowhere near a definitive list, but these are kind of the biggies. Oh and New Zealand 2024 for the year of our 10th anniversary, for like a month.

And, yeah... I wasn't kidding about being a planner. Thanks, mom!

2015 Wrap-Up

Yeah, yeah, I know it's the 4th, and these things are supposed to be done on the 1st, but when have I ever gone with the flow, really? Anyway, without further ado, here's 2015 in review- the good, the bad, and the ugly. Really just the good and the bad.

THE GOOD!
-managed to successfully pull off the Epic Road Trip. It was amazing. I cried. I want to go back.
-got our passport cards finally! Fat load of good they'll do us at the moment but hey, we can go to Canada and Mexico without stressing out now.
-bought our cute li'l Jackie bean!

-Brady got his great new job at the end of the year, wahoo! Goodbye extreme poverty! (No, but seriously.)
-I started my great new job at Alta in November. It's really turned out to be such a perfect place for me to be.
-I started my job at Salomon in July. AmerSports is an awesome parent company, and Salomon and Suunto have been very generous this holiday season. I got the gps watch I've been lusting after since September as a reward for selling 3 Suunto watches during the holidays.

-we both made a lot of great friends!
-celebrated our first anniversary, go us!

THE BAD!
-we were really poor for a significant portion of 2015. Not sad to see that go the way of the dinosaurs (I hope at least).
-I rolled my car driving up LCC to work in February. It sucked. A lot. We had to borrow my friend's van and then my parents' car for a total of 6 weeks, and poor Dora still has a few dents. BUT, thankfully, she is in great condition and drives like a champ, and she saved my life.

Just looking at this makes me ILL.

-we did zero renovation on Jackie. Whoops.
-I accomplished less than half of my New Year's Resolutions (and there were only 10, gah).
-Brady never went skiing (even when he worked at Alta Sports with me!)

Overall, it was a pretty alright year. 2016 is looking bright and we're excited to see what it brings!