A week ago today my boyfriend and I moved back from our original move, back in April, down to the San Luis Valley with another couple.
It was
a huge change with quite a bit of risk involved but to us it was 100% worth the
chance.
Part of the plan was that we would help the other couple
start building on the 5 acres of mountain property they already had. We’d
bought a 10x10 military tent for the purpose so that we would have no bills to
pay, and the other couple already had a 12x12 tent. Ideally we’d be able to get
them something built that they could stay in through the winter but regardless
we knew that we’d have to move down to the valley floor or even in town
to make it through the winter.
When we got to the valley, which we drove down to in a 20ft U-Haul
trailer with our car (a mustang) on a tow dolly, we dropped almost all of our
things (the other couple’s as well) in a storage unit and made our way up the
mountain with the rest of our stuff. We didn’t make it to their property
because there was still a lot of snow on the road from the winter, and in fact
when we stopped to decide if we needed to turn around or not it started snowing
on us… so we unloaded our small tents and set up camp on the side of the road
for the night. I don’t think anyone actually slept… I know we didn’t since we
had our dog, Angel, with us and she is quite the snorer, plus I was in charge
of keeping her warm in my sleeping bag.
So the next day it’s snowed about a foot on us and there was
no other option than unloading what we could and making actual base camp with the
large tents (which we could put the camp stoves in). We ended up camping up
there for 7 ½ weeks. At one point we did move up to their property once the
snow cleared enough.
Cy found work at a large farm down there (each field was
about 120 acres and they had about 35 fields in operation with
alfalfa, barley, and potatoes) but he was having to use ¼ of a tank of gas each
day that he worked. And working 6 days a week….well that adds up quick. We weren't able to put anything away. Not to
mention the fact that we don’t have a truck so his car was getting a lot of
wear and tear and he was still having to hike up to our camp each day. Unless
he could figure out riding with the other guy when he was working. SO, come the
end of May we took up this other guy’s offer who we’d met at the community center
where we’d go to shower. He had a house down on the floor that was off the grid
but since he needed to get back to his family, out of state, he needed someone
to stay there and watch the place to keep vandals away. Especially since he had
a REALLY nice solar system and had a
wind turbine that had been stolen the last time he left. No rent but he did ask us to clean up the
place and do a couple of repairs to get things running better. Replace a valve
so that we could bring water into the house and patch the roof before winter.
There had been issues with this couple since just before we moved with
them but once we told them our plans things really went downhill. We ended up
going our separate ways and have not spoken to them since early June when we
got our stuff out of storage, thus severing any ties we had with them.
We
ended up staying in the tent another month on the property we moved to
while I cleaned up the outside and the inside and got the rodent
problem under control. We counted 91 days that we lived in that tent.
Freaking
crazy! I never thought I’d do that, haha.
Fast forward to the present and we’ve moved out of the SLV.
It’s a whole mess of reasons but I’ll just start blabbing
and fit it all together. Cy was making shit at the farm, and despite 4 months
of busting his ass he still hadn’t gotten a raise. Even though his supervisor said he'd put in a good word for him. :-\
They had him learning how to drive a semi even though he doesn’t have his CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) and working 13 hour days sometimes because harvest for the barley started ½ way through August. He also learned that there were illegal Mexicans working on the farm, and that part of the reason he was having to drive a semi is because they didn't have their papers (citizenship). He also experienced some sort of reverse racism in that his boss (I’ll refer to him as D) is a white guy who favored the Mexicans (illegal or not) and treated/paid them better than Cy who is white. *SMH*
Back at the house where we were living in we found out that the landlord (best term for him I guess) wanted to move his “business partner” over because the trailer he had him in was going to have the power cut off. I don’t really understand all of it because he was a liar, manipulator and eventually we realized psycho… The story on what was going on with is partner and whether he'd be living with us for a week, or all of winter kept changing.
But this guy moves over despite our protests. Cy goes to his boss and explains the situation and he says there may be a place on the farm we could move into. Other employees there, all Mexican, live on the farm and don’t pay any rent or bills. We figured this would be a good option, or at least a safer one since the house we were in was not going to be ready for the colder weather on the way. At least on the farm we’d have power, running water and propane. It would have meant that Cy’d have to work even harder, and probably forfeit any sort of raise he may have had coming but it was worth it.
Unfortunately his boss was a dick and decided he’d charge us rent and make us pay for propane.
After doing our budgeting we realized we’d be using up his entire paycheck if
we made that move and not be able to save anything. Maybe $20 a month if we were extremely frugal. But for how long? Until next summer? A few years down the road?
We’d been hoping that we could get internet hooked up soon so that I could start learning from this guy we’d met how to do code for Linux and I’d be able to bring in more income for us. Thus allowing us to get a truck sooner, and then property of our own. So while Cy was at work that day, and after he found that out, he made the comment to his boss that he’d have just enough to get by but not enough to get ahead and D said, “Yeah not with what you make” and then later D says to Cy in front of the new guy (who just so happens to be starting out at a higher wage than Cy did…) that it was funny that they both made more than Cy….
We’d been hoping that we could get internet hooked up soon so that I could start learning from this guy we’d met how to do code for Linux and I’d be able to bring in more income for us. Thus allowing us to get a truck sooner, and then property of our own. So while Cy was at work that day, and after he found that out, he made the comment to his boss that he’d have just enough to get by but not enough to get ahead and D said, “Yeah not with what you make” and then later D says to Cy in front of the new guy (who just so happens to be starting out at a higher wage than Cy did…) that it was funny that they both made more than Cy….
At that point there was no way we’d be moving on to the farm
just so that they could continue to take advantage of him. But because of
issues with the landlord and how he wanted to run his business arrangements we
couldn’t stay there either. Hence our leaving the valley.
Cy at least conquered his fear of semis and now wants to get
his CDL so that he can get paid a much better wage to drive them, and there are a lot of jobs
hauling goods in and out of the valley.
This is what our whole adventure is going to look like at
the end.
We’re looking at the last 5 months as our scouting mission.
We know that it rains a lot in July and that these ridiculously annoying swarms
of flying red ants move in for a few weeks. Whatever house we have will need to
be as sealed as possible because the f***ers are so gross when they get in. One
day I killed over 1000 in our bedroom. *shudder*
We also know that August is the hottest month, how to tell when the high winds are going to be dying down soon, and that there
are some parts of the Sangre de Cristos we prefer over others. Mt. Blanca is
THE most visible Fourteener where we were and property on it really isn’t that
outrageous so when we DO make it back down there we may even look at land ON Blanca. :)
I think one of the most important things we learned, as
well, is that there are a lot of people who live in the most rural parts of the
valley, on the floor, who think it’s ok to steal from “abandoned” properties.
Yes, a lot of shacks, buildings, and other structures may seem abandoned but a lot of the owners live out of state, and
sometimes even out of the country, and so they’re not actually forgotten. The only time I will consider taking
anything from someone else is if the zombie apocalypse (or any such similar
scenario) is going on. I don’t care if a shack has a broken windows and an
unlocked or missing door. If it’s not the apocalypse I don’t need anything they
have…
We also got to eat wild turkey, THE
best turkey I’ve ever had, as well as Antelope. I got to see lots of hawks and huge crows and be inspired by their
majesty. I got to get in touch with the “country” side of me and do a lot of
soul searching. I got to learn how to start a fire better when I had to rely on
it for food and heat those 91 days. Now, I want to learn how to better put out
a fire just enough that it’s not burning, but not so that it goes out and you
have to start from scratch when you need it built up again…. [Smooring a fire is what I think it's called...]
I honestly didn’t experience any sort of culture shock when
we moved down there. I thought I might since I’ve never lived in the mountains
or even “rurally” but I found the small towns and way of life fascinating.
Going to Alamosa (population 9k compared to 90k where we came from) was enough
city for me after a while and I enjoyed not having to go there at all most of
the week. But just 2 days out of the valley and I began experiencing quite a
bit of culture shock. I couldn’t stand how foreign and shiny Denver was, and
just hearing traffic in the distant or people talking at the next house over
has been enough to make me feel anxious.
Before this gets much longer I will say that while I don’t
feel like we “failed” I am kinda bummed. I know that we just need to fight
harder & get back down there with more fiat currency in hand, a truck, and possibly
even an RV or small trailer. Maybe even build a tiny home on a trailer
I know that A LOT of you have been following this adventure and I hope we have not let you down with this turn of events. I hope that you will realize, like we have, that everything happens for a reason and that we are not giving up. I turned 23 and he turned 25 this summer and we’re still freaking young, haha. I also hope that you won’t stop following things. I promise that whether it’s about us hitting the road in a semi for a while, or something boring like “we finally got a truck!” I’ll keep updating things.
I know that A LOT of you have been following this adventure and I hope we have not let you down with this turn of events. I hope that you will realize, like we have, that everything happens for a reason and that we are not giving up. I turned 23 and he turned 25 this summer and we’re still freaking young, haha. I also hope that you won’t stop following things. I promise that whether it’s about us hitting the road in a semi for a while, or something boring like “we finally got a truck!” I’ll keep updating things.
For the most part anyone reading this can agree with me that our government is corrupt and the primary problem when it comes to wars and ordering our military to do "bad" things.
But in order for those things to get done someone has to do them. The politicians certainly aren't going to.
In come the soldiers. They voluntarily sign up to give away their rights as a person to do the biding of the gov't.
Many have honorable intentions. They feel that they can do more good than harm. They truly believe they are fighting for our freedoms. Or whatever their reason.
Some join for the wrong reasons and truly hope to kill people. People who they believe, because they listen to what the media tells them, deserve to die.
Just about all of them recognize that "innocent" people may be killed as well but accept that as a risk they're willing to take.
To be blunt, the caption in the photo of the soldier sums up my feelings almost precisely. I do not feel that simply signing up because you want a better education is bad. I believe that the men and women who do that truly feel they have NO other choice. They think that a "college education" is something they have to have but that's not true (and something worth a blog post of its own). So I'm not as cynical as the person who put together that image. I recognize that every situation is different. My heart goes out to any solider who thinks they have no other option....
This is where my conflict comes in. I want to support our troops, our military, and the individuals who fight. But I can't. At least not all of them. I've seen too many pictures and stories about terrible people taking advantage of the citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq, wherever and it makes me sick.
But I also personally know a number of veterans who did not do those things, who didn't kill anyone or if they did they have deep regret for it. I know their stories and therefore I feel that I can thank them, if they'll even have it for that matter. And at that point I'm more so thanking them for waking up to what truly goes on...
But reasoning such as, "Those of us who served in Vietnam did so because we were told to. We served with dignity and pride, regardless of what the perception of the country. The same is true of Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Please do not confuse the service of the veteran with the role of the politician. We did what we were asked, and we did it without asking for recognition or glory," seems like a cop out to me. Oh I was just doing my job! Well the Nazis were just doing their jobs too right? >.<
I understand that being a soldier is not easy. And it's even harder sometimes when they get out and come back to society. I'm sorry for the things that they go through but in a way I feel like a lot of them chose that fate for themselves. They voluntarily signed up. They know what I know when it comes to veterans, if not more depending on their family and they made a choice. I hope that those who have honorable intentions truly are able to make a difference, but the pessimistic side of me sees that s doubtful.
I saw a meme today that pointed out that 1 in 5 veterans are homeless, something like that anyway, and I truly wish that no person was homeless.
So, to conclude this jibberish rant that I mostly wrote for myself.... the libertarian side of me does not see this country ridding itself of a gov't in my lifetime, and even if we could I do feel that some sort of military structure (whether they were militias, or private contractors idk) would need to remain, especially if other countries still felt it necessary to peopl... BUT I truly wish that people would stop enlisting and those already in would stop taking orders. They still have the ability to make choices. I respect the Oathtakers 100%
I do not believe that my freedoms are protected by the military right now. I believe that if anything the politicians still having control over the soldiers is evidence for the fact that we are all losing our freedoms more and more everyday. Some person fighting overseas, or stationed at a base in Germany or another country we are not involved with is doing nothing to protect my freedoms, and that doesn't change when they become a "veteran."
I am conflicted for a number of other reasons I cannot even begin to articulate...
What I do know is that I'm not free right now. So those fighting "for my freedom" aren't doing a very good job are they? :-\
But in order for those things to get done someone has to do them. The politicians certainly aren't going to.
In come the soldiers. They voluntarily sign up to give away their rights as a person to do the biding of the gov't.
Many have honorable intentions. They feel that they can do more good than harm. They truly believe they are fighting for our freedoms. Or whatever their reason.
Some join for the wrong reasons and truly hope to kill people. People who they believe, because they listen to what the media tells them, deserve to die.
Just about all of them recognize that "innocent" people may be killed as well but accept that as a risk they're willing to take.
This is where my conflict comes in. I want to support our troops, our military, and the individuals who fight. But I can't. At least not all of them. I've seen too many pictures and stories about terrible people taking advantage of the citizens of Afghanistan, Iraq, wherever and it makes me sick.
But I also personally know a number of veterans who did not do those things, who didn't kill anyone or if they did they have deep regret for it. I know their stories and therefore I feel that I can thank them, if they'll even have it for that matter. And at that point I'm more so thanking them for waking up to what truly goes on...
But reasoning such as, "Those of us who served in Vietnam did so because we were told to. We served with dignity and pride, regardless of what the perception of the country. The same is true of Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Please do not confuse the service of the veteran with the role of the politician. We did what we were asked, and we did it without asking for recognition or glory," seems like a cop out to me. Oh I was just doing my job! Well the Nazis were just doing their jobs too right? >.<
I understand that being a soldier is not easy. And it's even harder sometimes when they get out and come back to society. I'm sorry for the things that they go through but in a way I feel like a lot of them chose that fate for themselves. They voluntarily signed up. They know what I know when it comes to veterans, if not more depending on their family and they made a choice. I hope that those who have honorable intentions truly are able to make a difference, but the pessimistic side of me sees that s doubtful.
I saw a meme today that pointed out that 1 in 5 veterans are homeless, something like that anyway, and I truly wish that no person was homeless.
So, to conclude this jibberish rant that I mostly wrote for myself.... the libertarian side of me does not see this country ridding itself of a gov't in my lifetime, and even if we could I do feel that some sort of military structure (whether they were militias, or private contractors idk) would need to remain, especially if other countries still felt it necessary to peopl... BUT I truly wish that people would stop enlisting and those already in would stop taking orders. They still have the ability to make choices. I respect the Oathtakers 100%
I do not believe that my freedoms are protected by the military right now. I believe that if anything the politicians still having control over the soldiers is evidence for the fact that we are all losing our freedoms more and more everyday. Some person fighting overseas, or stationed at a base in Germany or another country we are not involved with is doing nothing to protect my freedoms, and that doesn't change when they become a "veteran."
I am conflicted for a number of other reasons I cannot even begin to articulate... What I do know is that I'm not free right now. So those fighting "for my freedom" aren't doing a very good job are they? :-\
I was born with Microtia which is a congenital ear deformity. I have it on my left side and it is Grade 3 (http://www.microtia.net/overview.htm) I am also deaf on that side.
I remember being teased about it in elementary school a lot. I always wore my hair so that it covered my left ear. It became my trademark to an extent. One girl in particular used it against me so that I'd be her friend, and I didn't want the rest of my classmates to know about my 'little ear.'
When I was 10 I underwent 4 surgeries to reconstruct a new ear, at least on the outside.
But even afterward it was not until my Junior year in Highschool that I would wear my hair up in anyway that exposed that side. To me it still didn't look "normal" enough, but when I was 16 something changed and I stopped caring as much. I started putting it in a messy bun and noticed that hardly anyone stared.
Since then I've been getting my hair cut shorter and shorter but still could not bear to have it so short that I had no option to cover that ear. Until now.
I'm in love with this hair cut and I'm so glad I finally have the confidence to pull it off. :D
I first saw V for Vendetta when I was 14, almost 15 and I was mesmerized. It brought tears to my eyes and a part of my heart went out to the character V, even though the viewer I never saw his face, and only heard his voice. If you've never seen the movie you absolutely must. To be brief, it is about a masked vigilante who wears a mask that is modeled after the historical Guy Fawkes (who I will get to shortly). It is set in the future and in the UK where a totalitarian government has taken over and he is seeking vengeance along with the dismantlement of Parliament as it is known. The site IMDb.com says, "A shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl from the secret police, he also finds his best chance at having an ally." It fast became one of my favorite movies, ever. 
I didn't find out until about 2 years ago however, that the mask was a tribute to Guy Fawkes. I encourage everyone to do their own research on him since what there is isn't a whole lot and is easy to go through. "The short answer is this: Guy (alias Guido) Fawkes was one of the members of The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 in which a group of Catholics attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill James I, the King of England, to protest Protestant rule. As the man chosen to light the fuse and the first captured, Guy has received the lion's share of attention among the conspirators" (http://www.shadowgalaxy.net/Vendetta/fawkes.html). In Britain on November the 5th (Remember, remember, the 5th of November / The Gunpowder Treason and plot / I see of no reason why Gunpowder Treason / Should ever be forgot.) he is burned in effigy b/c over there he is viwed as a terrorist. But over here in America he's become quite the hero. Anonymous and Occupy have both adopted the masks because Fawkes was trying to take down a totalitarian government much like we are beginning to experience with our own...
SO. What does the mask mean to me? A lot of things. It represents freedom, strength, action, and desire for change; resistance. More recently it's begun to symbolize anarchy or voluntaryism to me. I wear his face proudly :)I see our country headed down a similar path toward something that Fawkes would have fought against, and what V is fighting in this movie (and original comic book). Wearing that masks gives me a sense of strength toward over coming the obstacles that the system in which I live has created.
I do not personally associate myself with Occupy or Anonymous I support them both at times, and other times I just SMH...but I have seen many wonderful "activist" pictures of people wearing this mask and gives me a sense of hope as well. Sure my generation is fully capable of being hooligans and just causing some ruckus, but I think we also share a lot of common ground and sometimes putting that mask on helps to breach that gap...
It is not for everyone, I realize that, but from the very first time I saw one of these masks I've been drawn to them...I hightly doubt that is going to change any time soon <3
Memorial Day…a holiday that I have a hard
time understanding and one that has become incredibly corrupt in this country.
It is supposed to be a day that we remember the soldiers who gave up their lives for us. Instead many of us throw a party for the purpose of BBQing and drinking and virtually forgetting to remember. We go shopping to get the best sales deals, which exist for no other reason than perpetuating our corporate greed.
At the grocery store yesterday it felt like a “mini 4th of July” was coming up and it felt awkward to me. I understand that we do not need to be moppy and sullen on this day but what is buying a cake that says “God Bless America” and some red-white-and-blue cupcakes really going to do? Nothing.
It is supposed to be a day that we remember the soldiers who gave up their lives for us. Instead many of us throw a party for the purpose of BBQing and drinking and virtually forgetting to remember. We go shopping to get the best sales deals, which exist for no other reason than perpetuating our corporate greed.
At the grocery store yesterday it felt like a “mini 4th of July” was coming up and it felt awkward to me. I understand that we do not need to be moppy and sullen on this day but what is buying a cake that says “God Bless America” and some red-white-and-blue cupcakes really going to do? Nothing.
I should probably clarify that I am NOT a
soldier hater by any means. I know many people who are either involved with the
military right now (husbands, fathers, sisters, etc) or have been in the past
(veteran, or military family). ALL of those people are great people who have
gained at least something from the military whether it was more respect, honor,
or even compassion. To them and all of the others like them who have passed on,
I say THANK YOU.
But where I am torn is the heroism that is
granted to ALL American soldiers, and the wars that they have fought and died
in. Our government sent them there to die, essentially, and those soldiers did
go willing but did they go with the full knowledge of what they were doing? We
complain here about terrorism and terrorists in other countries…but to some
extent aren’t we the same? Aren’t the soldiers that go in and end up killing
innocent people (women, children and men) terrorists to some extent? At
least in those people’s eyes? And how can we say that that feeling is wrong?
To all of the soldiers out there who are truly trying to liberate the oppressed, and
who died in the process, I am forever grateful. There are a lot of amazing men
out there doing the same still.
I also find it interesting that we always claim that soldiers die for our freedoms. Maybe at one point they did but nowadays I’m not so sure. Ron Paul said in 2011, “We're under great threat, because we occupy so many countries. We're in 130 countries. We have 900 bases around the world. We're going broke.” I think this is a HUGE point that we Americans need to think about. At what point is our force in other countries too much? Aren’t we affecting those other people’s freedoms? And how does that help keep me more free? I do not think it does. The problems that we are going to face here in our own country, I’d say in the next 5-10 years or so, are going to require many of us to fight for ourselves. Perhaps there will be military on our side but I am not going to count on that…
I also find it interesting that we always claim that soldiers die for our freedoms. Maybe at one point they did but nowadays I’m not so sure. Ron Paul said in 2011, “We're under great threat, because we occupy so many countries. We're in 130 countries. We have 900 bases around the world. We're going broke.” I think this is a HUGE point that we Americans need to think about. At what point is our force in other countries too much? Aren’t we affecting those other people’s freedoms? And how does that help keep me more free? I do not think it does. The problems that we are going to face here in our own country, I’d say in the next 5-10 years or so, are going to require many of us to fight for ourselves. Perhaps there will be military on our side but I am not going to count on that…
I honestly want to say
that every American soldier has died a hero, but I cannot.
I saw this photo on Facebook with the caption, "The boy had, as a matter of routine, lifted up his shirt to reveal that he was not hiding a suicide bomb vest. That was the moment Morlock, according to a pre-arranged plan, threw a grenade at the boy that exploded while other members of the group who called themselves the "kill team" opened fire."
My feeling is that even if the story that it was paired with it is not true, there is NEVER an OK situation for a soldier to take a photo like that...NEVER. Him and his friends are despicable people in my eyes. I also realize that they are likely the minority…but we still grant soldiers a universal respect and I can’t participate in that..
For the rest of today I will try and focus my energy on those particular men and women who did die for just reasons and who died honorably…but I hope that the men and women currently fighting start thinking about why they are.
I know that many of them had no choice…they were down on their luck and the only option left for them was to sign themselves away to our government and that makes me sad…to the men and women in that position who have died, I give them thanks for at least trying.
If I offended anyone with this… I really am sorry. It is just so conflicting for me to support the troops. I cannot in good conscience support ALL of them, or automatically grant someone in uniform a greater respect than I would a good friend of mine…they are not all good people, and do not all die good people…but at the same time, it does take a lot of courage to join, and so I’m left with this dilemma…
For further reading on a different perspective --->
I saw this photo on Facebook with the caption, "The boy had, as a matter of routine, lifted up his shirt to reveal that he was not hiding a suicide bomb vest. That was the moment Morlock, according to a pre-arranged plan, threw a grenade at the boy that exploded while other members of the group who called themselves the "kill team" opened fire."
My feeling is that even if the story that it was paired with it is not true, there is NEVER an OK situation for a soldier to take a photo like that...NEVER. Him and his friends are despicable people in my eyes. I also realize that they are likely the minority…but we still grant soldiers a universal respect and I can’t participate in that..
For the rest of today I will try and focus my energy on those particular men and women who did die for just reasons and who died honorably…but I hope that the men and women currently fighting start thinking about why they are.
I know that many of them had no choice…they were down on their luck and the only option left for them was to sign themselves away to our government and that makes me sad…to the men and women in that position who have died, I give them thanks for at least trying.
If I offended anyone with this… I really am sorry. It is just so conflicting for me to support the troops. I cannot in good conscience support ALL of them, or automatically grant someone in uniform a greater respect than I would a good friend of mine…they are not all good people, and do not all die good people…but at the same time, it does take a lot of courage to join, and so I’m left with this dilemma…
For further reading on a different perspective --->