Out With the Old and In with the New!

Well, it certainly has been a long time since I last posted.  I know, get with the program here Jordan!  A lot has happened since our last chapter.  Let’s see, I guess we’ll start with the flu!  Yes, I was the lucky recipient of a most delightful little Flu Bug as an early Christmas present.  Just imagine my surprise when I awoke to find it hopping around under my miniature tree!  It was so cute with its big red bow I just had to keep it!  I guess it didn’t like living in my tearbaby with me out here in the desert, since it only stuck around for about 2 days before it moved on to what I can only guess was a more obliging host with a warmer home and a lot more friends to play with.  Not much to entertain it here or for it to eat, so I can understand it wanting to find a better deal.  I am however grateful that it came to visit while we were having one of our rare, short “warm” spells and during the full moon - made visiting the bucket at all hours of the night much more pleasant.

My Christmas Decorations - took me and entire morning to put them up!  The Tree and Santa are from my dear friend, and the festive little Teardrop Trailer is from my wonderful sister and brother-in-law!

Christmas Day I was feeling much better so treated myself to my traditional “On-my-own-for-the-holidays” trip to the movies.  I rarely get to go see movies anymore and hate crowds, so I always love to go to the earliest show on the big holidays.  Usually I have the whole theater to myself or nearly so, but not this year – the theater was almost full - but it was a fun group of people in good spirits that were enjoying the movie as much as I was.  And it was SO worth it!  As a diehard original Star Wars fan I of course was biting at the bit to see the new Star Wars movie, and I loved it.  What a fun treat. 

Oh, and Santa was kind enough to bring me more cold weather.  Geez, Thanks Santa!  You’re a real sweetie.  And I have to say the 36 hour windstorm was extra special, especially followed by a week’s worth of lows in the low to mid 30’s.  Boy, you really know how to pick great presents Santa - I would have been ecstatically happy with a nice misfit toy or even some coal in my stocking (I KNOW I was bad this year – that had to have counted for at least some coal!).

Unfortunately with the biting cold temps, my fingers have been a bit on the frozen side, so typing hasn’t been very doable (tonight is no exception), and I haven’t yet perfected typing with my mittens on.  Though you might have had fun trying to decipher what I did type.  Maybe we’ll try that sometime.  

    

So then Jordan, why didn’t you get your butt to the library to recharge your computer and type us up a new post?  Well, I did go during the windstorm, but got there late and didn’t have time to do much besides warm up.  Since then I have been busy with a new big development!  My friend I met here has been helping me set up the “solar array of power”– should be up and running by early next week if all goes well.  No more 4 hours at the library waiting for my computer to recharge!  I will get to hang out in the sun all day while those glorious little solar cells work their photovoltaic magic.  “Hello sun, it’s me, Jordan’s computer, please feed me!”  I am swooning already.  And I’ll even have lights in Zelda too!  No more hanging out in the dimness from my little lantern each evening wondering if I really DID get my contact lens into the little case or not.  Good-bye Dark Ages!  It’s been fun but I must go towards the light.

On Wednesday, I received a very special gift.  A very dear and wonderful friend of mine who is originally from Arizona came to visit me.  Her amazing mother drove them 4 hours each way so I could see my friend and finally meet her mom!  How many mom's do you know who would do half as much?  We got to visit for several hours over a huge lunch and they even drove out to my campsite to see it.  They also brought me goodies!  Cookies, oranges picked fresh from an actual TREE! (I've only had ones from a bag or bin!), and homemade tamales!  I've never had a tamale before and the first ones I get to taste are made by Experts!  I can't wait till dinner tomorrow.  YUM!!!  As always, it seems with those that are most dear to you, the visits are never long enough.  But it was such an incredible thing to have my friend BE a part of this life of mine.  To her and her mom - a most heartfelt THANK YOU!!

To start the new year, I am hoping to head south to Quartzite next week to join up with a group of vandwellers and check out what the Big Q is all about.  This may be somewhat problematic since I am crowdaphobic.  But sometimes you just have to pull yourself up by your socks and face those big Fear Monsters . . . and beg them not to eat you.  I think it will be quite an experience and I see it as kind of a Right of Passage into full-timing.  Hey, maybe I’ll even get a gold star for going.  One can hope!

Well, that about covers the past week and a half.  I’m looking forward to what 2016 has waiting for me (PLEASE let it include some extended periods of warm weather soon!).  2015 has been another challenging year, but also one full of wonderful memories of time spent with family and friends, great learning experiences, and best of all, the beginning of this amazing life I have chosen for myself.  Chose the life that is right for you - make it one of your New Year's Resolutions.  

My New Year’s Wish for you . . .

Here's to an EXTRAORDINARY 2016!!