Comments (3) We made it to Mesa Verde this morning after sleeping off the side of the road somewhere in Colorado. We had a lovely and short visit to Mesa Verde and are now working our way to Taos. The place will be closed by the time we arrive. We will try and go as early as possible in the morning so we can get to the Land Institute.
If you’re ever driving from Las Vegas to LA or San Diego and need to eat something at Baker, CA. What ever you do, DON’T EAT AT THE MAD GREEK. We got suckered in on our way down to San Diego because of the 4,000 billboards between Las Vegas and Baker advertising the place. It was very expensive and the grossest Greek food I’ve ever eaten.
So, Jim found a red Ford F150 pickup in a small junkyard off I-15 in Willard, Utah. Apparently he memorized the mile marker and on a return trip exited the freeway, found the owner of the truck, and convinced him to trade it straight-up for a working, but probably not for long, BMW. About a week later I drove the deathtrap Beamer up to Willard to make the trade and to help Jim load the truck onto a trailer to haul the truck home. Here is my recounting of the adventure that ensued:
I was ready at 8:15 to drive the BMW up to Willard, however problems at the trailer rental company made Jim two hours late. We arrived at the junkyard in Willard at 10 AM. We parked the cars outside the junkyard squished between I-15 and an active railroad track
Our first bit of excitement happened after we parked the cars and went up to talk to the father of man whose truck Jim was getting. The father had torn down the fence between the junk yard and I-5 and had proceeded to try and pull the truck through the fence. When it turned out we couldn’t find the key to unlock the steering wheel the old man went into his son’s trailer to see if he could find one. After 20 minutes or so he came out saying he couldn’t find the key and that we would have to do things differently. This meant we would have to pull the truck onto the shoulder of the freeway and load it there. While we were discussing the possibility the son came running out of his trailer (see blue tarp-covered structure in photo below) and started to threaten to kill his father. The guy ran up to the father, who was sitting on the tractor, and started swearing, swinging, and then reached for his boot knife on his belt. This, of course, was more then enough for Jim and I and we fled down the hill to our cars, got inside, and started to move.
When the kid went back inside his trailer Jim ventured up to see if everything was alright (by this I mean if he was still going to get the truck). Things were ok so I was invited back to the help load the truck from my lookout spot in the car. We got the car ready and then moved our cars onto the freeway shoulder so we could begin loading the truck. After about 10 minutes the man whose truck we were loading came up to help us. His father had gone and he seemed calm and helpful. He had gone back to look for the key and could not find it but told us that if we took him to his storage shed we would be able to get it. On the way to the storage shed, Jim made me ride in the back of the car, right behind the guy. When we had a free moment Jim told me the plan, if the guy tried to do anything funny I was to choke him from behind while Jim punched him in the face. Luckily nothing happened and the guy was nice enough to put all his knifes (2 or 3 of them) away for the ride home.
On the ride back to the trucks, the man proceeded to tell us all his family problems about how his father used to beat him and today was the day he took it no more. He showed his dad that he wasn’t a kid any more and that he would fight back. The story goes as follows. Father walked into the guy’s dilapidated trailer and asked him for the key. Something happened and the father slapped the kid across the face. The kid got angry at his father and started yelling at him and telling him things he remembered from his childhood. That is when the father walked out of the trailer and moved the truck to the side of the freeway. After this story the guys mother called and they proceeded to talk about all the crazy things that had happened to this kid during his childhood…I won’t mention them as to keep this post lighthearted.
We loaded the truck onto a trailer just wide enough to fit it. Since we couldn’t find a key and the wheels were locked slightly turned to the left, it had a hell of a time getting the truck onto the trailer. Once it was on we tied it down and got ready to go. In case you forgot Jim was trading the guy an old working BMW that was too junkie and old to put any more money into- for the non functioning pickup. Jim went down to the guy and tried to get him to sign the lease, during which the kid’s father showed up and they both started dancing around Jim and the papers like a pair of wrestlers waiting for the referee to say go. Jim finally told them he just wanted the papers signed and then he would leave them to their bloodbath. The son signed the papers and while walking up the hill to the cars told Jim he didn’t want the BMW. He didn’t deserve it. Jim, of course, just wanted to get rid of the thing and told him he had to take it. We jumped into the truck and headed for the hills…going 50 mph because we were hauling more than the truck could handle. What was supposed to be a nice hour or two turned out to take the whole day, nearly included a knife fight, and I was giving instructions to choke a man if he acted up, in other words…. just your average adventure with Jim Kelly.
There are times a trip will provide you a fresh perspective & gratitude for your home. There are also times where a trip will make you wonder, “Why the H do I still live in Utah when places like San Francisco exist??” This weekend was one of those times. We headed to the city by the bay to celebrate civil rights in style (note: in Utah ML King day is officially called “Civil Rights day”). It was as fun as eating dippin’ dots at a summer rodeo and felt as fancy-free.
We stopped first in Berkeley which, after seeing a few stop signs grafitied with “driving” underneath STOP, Neil was in love with. After eating at Alice Water’s restaurant Chez Panisse, it was all I could do to convince Neil to come home with me back to Utah at all. It lightened our pockebook a little, but made our minds soar with delicious possibilities.
We stayed right downtown San Francisco in the Nob Hill area of the city with Neil’s college roomate Heber. He has a beautiful apartment, and was a gracious host. We toured around downtown, Fishermans warf, SFMOMA, Golden Gate park/bridge all without hats or gloves or snowboots. In fact, the weather was delightful. I would brace myself for the bitter cold when exiting a building as I normally do in Utah, only to be confronted with a mild breeze. Ahhhhhhhh.
We did a little shopping at gloriously cheap H&M and Zara, ate at a great vegetarian Indian place, found a Trader Joes and had a generally good time.
What also enhanced the enjoyment of this superb weekend was likely the fact that we took a “vegan break” for pretty much the entire trip and ended up eating stuff found in the picture below. 
When I finally persuaded Neil to get in the car & come home on Monday we headed back. We had to lie to the checkpoint guard at the Tahoe pass and say “All wheel drive, yep. Uh-huh no problem.” These white lies were the only way we avoided buying chains and were able to keep going on I-80. Our little Scion handled the snow like a true champion and passed several “SUVs” on the way.
She brought us safely home to Utah. Where it had snowed during our absence. The temperature was in the teens. Our house was freezing. Why do we live in Utah, again?
It’s true what Rudyard Kipling said, “San Francisco has only one drawback. ‘Tis hard to leave.”
Hello all friends, family and internet wanderers. Feliz Navidad to all.
2007 has been filled with happiness & wonderful adventures for the Kelly/Ransom family. We started off 2007 being married, which was a first for both of us. So far, so good. We worked and lived in Provo, Utah until April. We then headed off to Guatemala & Southern Mexico for a belated honeymoon tour. We lived on an archeology compound, which looks pretty much exactly what you imagine in your mind when you hear the two words “archeology” and “compound” together. It was AMAZINGLY, INDESCRIBABLY, INCREDIBLY FUN. The foundation was located in San Cristobal de Las Casas in the Central highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Neil got to organize artifacts, help digitize them and practice his Spanish. Kate got to work very intensively with the young Mormon girls in the area as a youth leader & volunteer with different agencies, including Habitat for Humanity. We made it to several surrounding indigenous villages, and up to Mexico City. We tasted delicious food, met wonderful people & bought a lot of tacky Mexican handicrafts.
Upon returning to the U.S. we crossed the border in Tijuana by foot & met up with Kate’s family in San Diego. It was a fun trip that involved Sea World.
Since September we have been living in Salt Lake City, smack-dab in the middle of downtown. We are a few blocks from the Temple & from the City library. Neil is working for the International Rescue Committee as a refugee caseworker. Last year 950 refugees were relocated to Salt Lake from nations like Burma, Somalia, Iraq, Burundi, Eritrea etc. He helps them transition to life in America from the airport to getting a new job to enrolling their children in school. While it has been interesting & rewarding, case work has made him realize that he wants to continue his schooling. He plans on going to grad school in the Fall, possibly in sustainable development & conservation biology.
Kate works with refugees & also immigrants at the English Skills Learning Center, a non-profit that trains volunteer tutors to help people learn English. She is in a 10 month Americorps position developing a program where elementary schools provide English classes to the parents at the schools. So far she has got 5 Salt Lake schools up and running and the program is very popular with the parents, who so desperately need English skills. She is applying to law schools to enter in September of 2008 (please cross your fingers).
We love living in Salt Lake & are learning all of the interesting & unique places to shop, eat and visit in the valley. We find that most of them are on the west side where all of the refugees live.
We are so grateful to all who have supported us in our endeavors. We have learned much & have much yet to learn. We hope 2008 brings challenges, blessings & new adventures.
May the best times you’ve ever had be the worst you’ll every see!
Love,
Kate and Neil
Neil was born today, in 1980. I, for one, sure am glad.
This is his first passport picture, the beginning of his many adventures.
Here’s to many more. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEIL!
This is the first time Kate and I have hosted a blog carnival on our site and we are very excited for the opportunity. My favorite part of the process was weeding out the unrelated, the advertising, or the completely insane (nothing like a lesson about breast cancer or a computer component add-icle to really help you appreciate cities!). OK, the jokes are out so let’s being.
We’ve been hearing a lot about “buying local” these days so we decided to start are Carnival of Cities with a little trip to our own Salt Lake City, Utah to join a “Shop Outside the Box” parade in an article called “Shop Outside the Box Salt Lake City!” hosted by www.kateandneil.com.
Well wasn’t that a treat. Kate doesn’t mind a good costume opportunity! While we are still in the parading mood why don’t we jump cross continent to the eastern seaboard and try and catch the 81st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The Explorer Pass Blog has some interesting history and facts about the parade in their article titled “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” as well as sound advice for those planning to attend.
And we thought we would never get tired of parades, but man we are pooped. All this celebratory fanfare has really taken it out of us and we are sure you all are just as exhausted. We better head strait to Washington DC and get a room in the Willard Hotel. Before you go, you’d better read this very informative article by the DC Traveler titled “The Willard Hotel – Power Central” which has a very interesting description and history of the hotel including a blip on where the term lobbyist came from.
Now we are all rested, our minds fresh and bodies invigorated why not pack our bags, get a ticket, and start tackling a controversial topic or two. First lets move straight to Cleavland, Ohio where The Bag Lady is going to teach us what happens to a community when its citizenry try to buy more than we can afford in her eyeopening article, “Cleveland is Getting Owned by Germans.”
If you’re still in a feisty mood, as of course we are, than let’s mosey on over to dreamy California to hear about two issues affecting the cities of Emeryville and Santa Cruz. Lets start with Emeryville where The Bay Radical uncovers buried secrets about the local shopping mall in “The Shellmound.” I probably shouldn’t say but…it’s built on an archaeological site! As if California didn’t have enough problems there’s also Teresa Miller’s article, “UCSC Students Act Out,” about the endless battle between environmentalists, city planners, and UCSC against the far reaching tentacles of urban sprawl and sub-par-burbia.
Wow there are a lot of issues in the world. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed we head to a quite place to get away from it all…some place like a museum. Well great news the Seattle Traveler knows the perfect place. How about the “Audubon Birds of Display at MOHAI.” In this post you will find an interesting description of the art show as well as helpful information about planning your trip.
You know, the US is great and all and we hate to leave it, but there is a wide world out there and if we don’t get a move on we’ll never see it all. So we propose heading south to Mexico City (one of Kate and Neil’s favorite cities in the world) and meeting our good friend The Aussie Mom, I mean Mum, for a fun filled day in “The Big Smoke.”
Mexico City was so interesting and beautiful Kate and I can’t help but be drawn somewhere else in the world…and that somewhere happens to be Cambodia and we are going to need a guide. Art Thailand was kind enough to agree to show us around Cambodia’s mysterious “Tonle Sap Lake” and boy are we in for a treat. Rarely visited by tourists, Tonle Sap Lake is a treasure trove of sights, smells, and even a little bit of danger.
Now that we’re over the thrill of riverboats, crocodiles, and mangrove let’s head to Europe for a little taste of history, fashion, and chaos. Out first destination will be none other than Barcelona, Spain for the one of kind “Fiesta de la Mercé.” If we and Joanna España survive through the insanity that apparently takes over Barcelona during this holiday, then it will only be because Lady Luck was by our side.
Good thing we survived because we’ve two more places to go and our time is running short. Our final stop is Paris but we couldn’t get a direct flight and will have to stop in Lithuania (airlines these days!) for a connecting flight. Do be chagrined, according to the American in Oslo Lithuania is an interesting and beautiful place with more history in its pinkie finger than can be found in the entire US. In the article, “Lithuania – Vilnius” we learn about the magnificent history of this ancient capital city including a highlight of Vilnius’s ancient churches.
As promised, finally we head to Paris, but before we get there we want to make sure we’ll fit in, because Paris is high fashion and by the looks of it we all need some tips. Well, good news- Busy Bee Lifestyle has a few tips about what’s “in” in France with “Fashion in Paris.”
What a trip we have taken! Kate and I have had a great time reading all the submissions and learning about such interesting places like Tonle Sap Lake, Vilnius, and Cleveland. And don’t forget next Monday, the journey continues at The Go Chicago Card Blog; don’t forget to submit your blog posts to their edition of the Carnival of Cities! And finally the Carnival of Cities is always looking for new participates to host a blog carnival. Just go to Canival of Cities and contact them if you are interested.
Thanks again,
Kate and Neil
Today at a gas station in Provo a sign read:
“We no longer accept checks. We apologize for any incontinence.”
I was so flabbergasted I could not even take a picture, although I was sorely tempted. What a blissfuly humorous blooper.
Nothing like a current large-scale tradgedy as good costume material. We decided to go as Southern California, ie Fire & a Forest Ranger. This costume laregly came out of Neil’s attempt to continue wearing a normal outfit and make it into a costume. Does that mean that on your average day Neil is dressed like a Forest Ranger? Yes, yes it does.
My family has started referring to my birthday as Kate’s birthday season. The festivities spanned a 4 day period, including today my actual birthday. In total I would estimate that over $18,000 dollars was spent on my 27th birthday celebration including murder mystery party with costume rental, family dinner party/ presents & the car Neil bought me today (2006 Scion Xa).As opposed to popular societal trends, my birthday increases in extravagance each year exponentially. By the time I am 50 it will be a 3 week festival in Tahiti for me & my closest 50 friends.
Happy birthday season to me!
Panorama theme by Themocracy
