Time to Build a Box Fort!

Started Nov. 15, 2015 completed Feb. 9, 2017

Penguin kept appearing around the apartment as I unpacked and D worked.

          The big brown boxes have all been emptied!  A mattress has been ordered.  The Internet is connected and fast.  I think we are moved in!  I am very happy that none of the smell of our old place traveled with our belongings.  The only thing that didn't make it unpacked in one piece is my crystal juggler which has been glued back together more times than it can remember.  Here is a list of things I've learned if I ever start a moving company:

-I would not wrap paper in paper and expect the paper to maintain its shape. (origami flower sadness)
-I would use different colored papers to indicate there is something wrapped in here/this is just filler.
-I would make sure my crew gets a lunch break so by the end of packing we're not hurrying and not caring because we just want to finish.
-I would put computers in boxes, not just wrap them in paper and tape.
-I would copy this crew by asking about items that the customer is concerned about and wants extra care involved.
-I would invite the customer to pack on their own anything they are concerned about us not being able to appropriately pack. (instead of recommending "don't pack anything")

          All in all having someone else do all the moving was a big help and worth it since JPL was kind enough to pay for a good chunk of it.  We experienced some stress upon unpacking as we discovered items packed in ways that don't make sense to us, but some squished origami flowers and one broken decoration (broken by us upon unpacking) is pretty good.  I still have some boxes of things that I packed left to open up and inspect but I'm staying optimistic.

The Grand Tour!

The kitchen from dining room before fully unpacked.

Dining room from kitchen.

Living room from dining room.

Front door and the rest of our nice sized room.

Hall from living room.

Guest room.

Hall bathroom.

Master bedroom.

Our study which is supposed to be the master room.

Master bathroom.  I love the mirrors and 2 sinks!

Holiday closet.

Walk-in closet for storage.

          The two fortunes from our fist meal here read: The world will soon be ready to receive your talents -and- Your life will be happy and peaceful.  I'll take them!  The irony of moving in is that the apartment has to get messier before you can reach order.  When everything was in boxes stacked neatly along the walls the rooms looked so nice.  Now as we begin unpacking our belongings, the paper that protected them, and the boxes are becoming strewn and stacked across all surfaces.  On the plus side, we have enough really large boxes to make a pretty epic box fort!  Our management discourages filling the dumpster with moving boxes, so until we make it to a recycling center the fort will be possible.

So much paper!

Kitchen finally done and used for cookies.

          One of our first surprises, aside from the really dirty floors, is a really large, aggressive, daddy long legs type spider that quickly made its home behind our computer desks.  We trapped it in a butter container and were very surprised that instead of running, it held its ground and looked very ready to attack.  I am not used to spiders being brave!  What happened to: they are more afraid of you than you are of them?!  In the coming months we will find two more of these guys also trying to live behind our desks and thankfully my dad was visiting and helped take care of the problem.  I didn't care for the one that tried to take over the end table and built a web all over the cubby and in the drawer.  Now that spring is nearing again I wonder if we will see them again.

Seriously, what is this monster?

          A second and very welcome surprise came in the form of a fitting and thoughtful gift from a dear friend.  That explains why she asked for our new address.  Thank you very much for this connection to home.

          We enjoyed another new adventure this month when D's work had a special event at Six Flags Magic Mountain that allowed event pass holders to continue riding the roller coasters until 1 am!  Discounted entry plus extra hours made this RDO a perfect opportunity to get to know another local amusement park.  We enjoyed their fake snow as they begin decorating for the holidays, and rode their coasters 21 times!  That feels like a record.  They have 14 coasters open and are refurbishing another, so we definitely did a few repeats.

This view on our way to Valencia is as close to fall colors as we'll get here.

Coca Cola bear for my sis!  The fake snow is cotton batting.

          My favorites are Tatsu (don't eat before, you're stuck on your tummy for a while), Superman (WOOSH!), X-2 (but you have to be SQUEEZED into your harness or it will hurt), Full Throttle, Twisted Collosus (you go upside down and only your legs are harnessed in a really smart design, you WILL lose your hat), and Apocalypse (4 times in a row will give you a headache).  The Riddler is a fun stand up that is smoother than Iron Wolf was.  Green Lantern will make sure males never have kids, and girls won't feel so good either.  Goliath is fun and simple, and my eyes try to black out towards the end.  Scream is super boring, the big drop is at the perfect angle where you don't feel a thing; going over a bump in a car is more thrilling.  Viper is nothing special, and a bit bumpy from what I remember.  Batman is the mirror image of the one in Illinois.  Gold Rush is fun and simple.  Ninja is fun but not worth a long wait.

This ride shoots you straight backwards into a 90 degree lift and then gravity pulls you back in.  What a RUSH!

The line for Apocalypse.  You feel like you're on a jet, and it sounds like it, too.

An even bigger version of Penguin!

Super successful trip!

          To finish up our month before we get into the holidays D's colleague who was his first connection for JPL was kind enough to invite us out to eat at the member's only Athenaeum.  He wanted us to see the place so that if we want to join we can, and welcome us to California.  The food was very good (I had soup) the deserts were super yummy (but the rum thing was too much for me), and it was very nice getting to spend time away from boxes talking with familiar faces.  They generously treated us and we need to return the favor someday.  I just don't know where we would take them. To me the Olive Garden is fancy enough, but it is nothing compared with this place.

I woke up one morning to Penguin using my computer.

Oops!  Sorry, buddy.

           Despite our already very busy first month in state, we had one more big adventure ahead.  The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights was celebrating its 20th and final year at Disney World.  When I think of Disney magic this event is the first thing to pop into my head.  We've been going to Disney World as a family since before this event started.  I remember the pure magic of my first time seeing the backstage area of MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) lit up with every house decorated and a huge canopy of lights covering the road.  I met Minnie at one of the houses while wearing a Minnie sweat shirt and necklace and despite being in 4th grade still couldn't contain my excitement.  Over the years the lights went from static or blinking, to dancing to music with snoap (soap snow) falling from the rooftops and magic glasses that turned each bulb into bugling angels, snowflakes, or snowmen.  This is a type of magic I had to share with D because words cannot fully describe the feeling.  So we booked the trip, left our recently delivered mattress to fluff up while we're gone, and flew to Florida over Thanksgiving for a perfect three day magical escape.

Yay, our mattress arrived and will have time to air out before we sleep on it.

I think D now understands the magic.

In June 2016 we finally built that box fort.

This Is Not Ok: Muslim Ban

Made by A

          A week ago 3.5-5.6 million people were marching in solidarity around the world.  I don't think any of us thought that we'd be forced to unite again for such an urgently vital cause so soon.  The events of today are so shameful for our country that my emotions and thoughts are far from calm.  That is my disclaimer for why this post might have a much different tone and level of eloquence than others.  These are not normal times.

          It is very hard to wrap my head around the fact that I am witnessing a fresh bruise spread across the United States of America, severely blackening Lady Liberty's face.  The words at her feet are being spat upon by our leaders as some of the best among our citizens are trying our damnedest to clean it up, fetch her an ice pack, and get between her and the next blow.  During the campaign I'd heard that Trump had a book of Hitler's speeches near his bedside.  I struggled to imagine that he would seriously look at Hitler as someone to emulate, or view his way of ruling as a guidebook.  After the events of this first week, however, I am having a hard time thinking otherwise.

          Slavery.  The Holocaust.  The Japanese Internment.  Weren't we supposed to learn from these historic failures?  How are we detaining and deporting legal visitors and residents in 2017 especially without any real warning?  How are we shutting our doors to people in need, and to those in need from Syria indefinitely?

          Let's look at some facts as I have seen them throughout the week.  I will even try to cite them if I can locate the specific sources again.  On Tuesday, we heard the warning that Trump would be signing an executive order relating to immigration (1).  On Wednesday we got a few details, but with the dozen (2) executive orders being signed and discussed this week its importance wasn't yet being fully felt.  Thursday alarmed us when we heard of Trump's order that a "weekly list of crimes committed by immigrants" (Kentish, 3) was to be published.

          Was this real?  I actually had to explain the significance of this to someone who claimed that since they were illegally here, this was ok.  He even went so far as to compare illegal immigrants with rapists.  I agree that the legal channels should be used when possible, but I will not judge all the illegal immigrants as a whole.  I am sure they each have their own reason for coming here the way they did, and since I don't know their reasons I refuse to condemn them for it.  The order doesn't even specify that they have to be illegal immigrants to end up in this publication.  I see this order as a way for Trump's administration to try to turn the nation against a vulnerable group of people, immigrants, much the way Nazis worked to turn Germans against their own neighbors.  My sister says you should never compare things to Nazis unless it is completely relevant.  I hope she will consider this relevant.  Let's also remember that most of us wouldn't be here if not for immigrants.

          On Friday I tried to focus on ways we can resist whichever specific changes we feel need resisting by adding to my growing list of actions, and eagerly awaited details on the March for Science.  D and I were privileged* enough to enjoy our date night with In-N-Out, Doctor Strange, and a Bleach half-marathon.  We drifted asleep having no idea what was about to happen (or indeed already happening).  Early Saturday afternoon I got up first, fed the lizards, got them out for some sun and fun, and eventually got around to checking online.

          I wasn't surprised to see that he had banned people from seven countries from entering ours (4).  The previous days had certainly said this was coming.  What I didn't immediately realize was that it already took effect.  For another blissful hour I remained a believer that we would stop this before it went into action.

          Not even two full sentences into Dan Rather's Facebook post (5) did I realized that taxis around JFK (6) were trending for a very important reason.  I still haven't finished reading his post because the first line was enough for me to know that America has committed an unforgivable sin, yet again, but this time it happened on my watch.  Talk about history coming to life before your very eyes.

          I am having increasing feelings of connection with the citizens of 1919-39 Germany.  As I have oddly calm discussions with those around me about how we will react if our country directly threatens the safety of the vulnerable around us, I wonder if this is exactly how those people in the age of black and white felt and talked.  When I think of the people in the past I know they were living in the same color world we are and that they were ordinary people like us, but the extraordinary circumstances they faced elevated their stature in my mind.  Now that history might be starting to repeat itself their pedestals are lowering and I can imagine them sitting at the table with us sharing our same feelings.

          How dramatic, right?  Yet, the dramatic events of today make it feel appropriate.

          When I sat at my desktop, and therefore my Twitter account, the extent of this bullshit executive order (7) overwhelmed me.  What the fuck has our president done?  There are innocent people being detained at airports across the country.  It doesn't matter that they have legal visas or green cards; the fact that they are citizens of one of those arbitrary seven countries means they can't come into the US.  There are reports that those being detained include a baby who is in fact a citizen (8)(9), children, men and women, young and old, and even some with special health needs.  So, you know, typical human beings.  Some of these humans have been prevented from getting back here, home, because of this ban, leaving pets, jobs, cars, and homes unattended (10).  Some have even already been deported.

          If that by itself doesn't make you sick or furious or some equally strong and negative emotion let's discuss my use of the word arbitrary.  Why are these countries arbitrary?(11)  For starters, citizens of those countries haven't been among the successful terrorists on U.S. soil for more than 20 years (12).  I have to say successful because I don't know the data on suspected or prevented terrorists, but it is also possible that they wouldn't even be on those lists.  Not that it even matters.  We should never judge an entire population based on the actions of the few.  Think of the jerk(s) in your group of friends; should your entire group of friends be considered jerks if only a few are?  Or look at your family and think of your least favorite person and whether or not you'd want to be lumped in with them.  If you are lucky enough to have no jerks in your friends circle or family then you are lucky, but you should also get the point. The first paragraph of Section 1 of the EO states that this ban is to "stop attacks by foreign nationals who were admitted to the United States."(7)  Citizens of these seven nations do not fall into that category.

          Now that we've established that there is no credible safety concern with the group of humans we've banned from our country (13), let's address why their countries got picked.  NPR and Vox (14) are strongly suggesting that our president has business or business plans with the countries of origin of actual recent terrorists, and as long as they remain friendly, they might remain off the list. Even if this reason didn't play a role in choosing these countries, isn't it bad that it is so believable?  Next, the argument that this isn't a Muslim ban is technically, officially correct.  Why?  Because an official Muslim ban is unconstitutional and those who wrote this EO know it (15).  If they want this law to stand a chance in court it has to at least appear to be related to something other than religion.  To anyone who heard Giuliani's description for the origin of this EO they are obviously putting lipstick on a pig.  It is still an attempt at a Muslim ban.  If you don't believe me, read Section 5b and tell me that the religious minority given priority is Islam.  I'll give you a hint: it's not.  This is their way to cherry pick which religious followers can come to the US.  For trying to leave religion out of it, they certainly messed up.

          Allow me another aside.  What religion or lack of religion are you?  Do you believe that you should have the right to worship or not as you please as long as you aren't harming another illegally?  Do you believe you should be able to go throughout your life without someone else telling you that you are doing it wrong?  If so, then you understand why a Muslim ban is wrong, why any religious ban is wrong.  The separation of church and state is not meant to take away any of your religious rights.  It is meant to prevent you from having to follow someone else's religious traditions.

          Final note on Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Syria (break my heart), Libya, Iraq, and Iran.  It is being said that these countries were picked by Obama's administration (16).  That is sort of true, but being picked for further restrictions is not the same as being banned completely, temporarily or longer.  The way I see it, the current administration picked these same seven countries because their approval for restrictions by the previous administration allowed them to feel comfortable to pick on them again.  This list is open to change which furthers my belief that they were looking for a quick way to get the ban started and then probably change it if they aren't happy with the choices.

          Do you see why I'm upset?  We are randomly refusing entrance to legal visitors and residents because our president doesn't feel worried about ticking off their home country's leaders, nor does he care how it affects everyone.  If he cared about the individuals affected there would have at the very least been a block of time provided for those affected to figure out their plans.  I can hear him argue that we shouldn't give them warning or it will let them plan something evil!  Bullshit.  The people affected have already been vetted (a term originally used in horse racing, by the way) meaning that they have been determined to pose no risk.  This ban affects individuals, their families, the jobs they work at, their neighbors, and there is likely a ripple effect that reaches us all.  Consider your boss returns home to visit a relative and then isn't allowed back simply because our president said so.  Now there's a gap to be filled.  You'd better hope there wasn't a special skill set she possessed to make her a great boss.  That could seriously affect your company.  Or imagine you are sick and need a relative to come care for you, but once they do they can't return home again.  People are having their lives turned unexpectedly upside down over this presidential whim.

          We get a lot of great people from those banned countries because they come here on student visas.  They get a great education in our colleges and universities, and if we're very lucky they stick around and let us benefit from the knowledge and skills our country helped them achieve.  Making this ban is either trapping them here so they can't visit home regardless of whatever plans they had for the next 90 days, or it is telling them that we don't want them here, so if they do leave they shouldn't come back.  I don't know any of these individuals personally, but my husband does.  He's worked with them and is currently trying to help one of these hard working humans get hired at his lab.  This ban is not just inconvenient, but it is hurting the world.  How are these citizens supposed to feel when our president is telling them we don't want them?  Does he not realize that if he wants to make us safer, he needs to stop alienating others?  People who commit violent acts tend to be the outcasts, the ones who were bullied, ignored, or made to feel powerless.  What is the rest of the world left to think as America, the land of the free, rejects those in need or simply rejects whoever on a whim?   On the steps of the Supreme Court on Monday, Chuck Schumer pointed out that this ban even hurts our soldiers by shunning the allies they have overseas such as Darweesh and Alshawi (17).

          I'm sure you can come up with a dozen and a half arguments against the case I've made, because that seems to be the world we live in right now.  Instead of hearing another's words and trying to take them to heart we want to tell that person why they are wrong.  Go ahead and try, but my heart remains open to refugees, immigrants, and even the illegal immigrants.  They need to know that they are loved and that Americans care about them.  They need to know that we will continue to gather and protest injustices as they arise.  We aren't always good at this (I am deeply sorry black Americans), but maybe this is the time for us to start trying to be better.  Maybe we can keep this marching momentum for everyone who is being held down until we can all stand free and equal.

          Finally, to all those standing up for these friends, neighbors, and especially the strangers, I see you and my heart is so full of love for you and this magical movement we have started.  If you have yet to join this movement consider this my outreached hand inviting you to join.  If things get really bad would you rather know you did everything you could to stop it, or potentially feel guilty for letting the anxiety silence you?  There is a March for Science in the works and a Tax Day March coming up.  All you need to do is show up, support those around you with a smile or two, and maybe even join in on the chants you like.  While you're waiting for those check out my ever-growing list of actions you can take to make a difference.  America truly is the greatest country in the world.  Let's fight for her.


*I use that word very purposely. We are white, have a nice apartment, health insurance, a solid career, a car, both have multiple college degrees, enough clothes that some items go a year or more without being worn, loving parents who are still married, food filling our fridge and pantry, and a dishwasher.


Update April 12, 2017

          Thankfully this first attempted ban and a second both got halted; the second one got halted before it even got started.  Now I read that the list of crimes committed by immigrants is running into troubles (18), no surprise there.  We're not even three months in, yet.



Additional Info:

          A list of quotes from several people directly affected by this ban.

          Meet some of the Iranian faces we are denying.  Thank you Rick Steves for doing stellar work and sharing it with us all.

Section 5c,d of "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States:"  The only two sections to use "I."

(c) Pursuant to section 212(f) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f), I hereby proclaim that the entry of nationals of Syria as refugees is detrimental to the interests of the United States and thus suspend any such entry until such time as I have determined that sufficient changes have been made to the USRAP to ensure that admission of Syrian refugees is consistent with the national interest.
(d) Pursuant to section 212(f) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f), I hereby proclaim that the entry of more than 50,000 refugees in fiscal year 2017 would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and thus suspend any such entry until such time as I determine that additional admissions would be in the national interest.

No this is not MLA or APA style citation.  I'll do that again when I get paid for it.  You can also click on each number above and it will take you directly to each link.

1 http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1582XQ (originally posted Jan. 24)

2 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/10-executive-actions-trump-signed-far/

3 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-publish-weekly-list-crimes-immigrants-commit-refugees-aliens-executive-order-us-a7546826.html?cmpid=facebook-post

4 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/politics/trump-syrian-refugees.html?mtrref=www.facebook.com&gwh=860691CF51DF57C24316764200A60F02&gwt=pay

5 https://www.facebook.com/theDanRather/posts/10158124886660716

6 http://usuncut.com/news/nyc-taxi-drivers-refusing-pick-ups-jfk-airport-solidarity-refugees/

7 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/politics/refugee-muslim-executive-order-trump.html

8 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-several-reportedly-detained-at-o-hare-international-airport-20170128-story.html

9 https://twitter.com/tparsi/status/825426106543198210

10 https://www.facebook.com/nazanin.zinouri/posts/10202859584807567

11 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/01/30/the-arbitrary-nature-of-trumps-seven-country-ban-is-clear-from-a-look-at-the-numbers/?utm_term=.bc1afe406ebc

12 http://www.npr.org/2017/01/28/511996783/how-does-trumps-immigration-freeze-square-with-his-business-interests

13 http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/25/14383316/trump-muslim-ban-immigration-visas-terrorism-executive-order

14 http://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim

15 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/29/trump-asked-for-a-muslim-ban-giuliani-says-and-ordered-a-commission-to-do-it-legally/?utm_term=.2720472e5774

16 https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/02/18/dhs-announces-further-travel-restrictions-visa-waiver-program

17 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/iraqi-refugee-helped-us-military-detained-jfk-airport-donald-trump-immigration-ban-a7551016.html
18 https://fusion.net/ice-puts-their-list-of-crimes-committed-by-immigrants-o-1794224083