San Francisco: Day 2, First Day of Fun

OK, I will put in my two cents about the morning, and then I will turn the reigns over to Cami. I went to a conference... that's about all I have to say. So, here's Cami.

While Ty was in his conference, I braved the city by myself to go to the Academy of Science. I clutched my purse tightly and tried to "blend in" so as not to be a target for pick pockets. Ty says I am too distrustful of others. I say I am careful. It turns out that the only people I was a target for is street beggars. They certainly were at work. There are all kinds of street performers and beggars in the area of our hotel. Some just plain can't sing. There was a man that would be playing the "drums" outside our hotel every night at the same time. He was actually kind of good seeing how he was using old buckets and pots and pans.

I am distracting myself from my trip details. After walking around for a few minutes, I finally found the bus stop. San Francisco is an interesting city: It smells of cigarette smoke and flowers: an odd opposition. It seemed to this pink lunged girl that everyone smokes there. There are also a lot of flower stands on the corner of almost every block. It smells divine until a smoker messes it up. I thought smoking was going out of style.

I got on the bus and showed my 7 day pass which the bus driver hardly looked at. Another odd thing about San Francisco is that almost all of the bus drivers never look to see if you pay or not. They don't care. In fact one bus driver took off before I even got in the door. I had to move fast to get in before it shut on me. We then had to overcome the motion of the bus to get to our seats. I say we because I made friends with an older lady who had a very difficult time getting to her seat with this driver. He honked his horn and drove like a taxi driver. A very interesting experience. This same bus trip I met an older lady that was visiting here from Ireland. She was very nice. This was on the way back from the Academy of Science so I am getting out of sequence here.

The Academy of Science was a cool place. They had three spheres inside the academy itself. One sphere was a rain forest sphere. This was so cool. It was warmer and misty in here with different green plants and butterflies flitting around. Each level had something different to see. The bottom was an aquarium with lots of fish. You could go to the basement and actually go under the aquarium. They also had a lot of exhibits that had different rain forest animals from different countries. I was fascinated by the Monkey Tree Frogs that actually use their front legs and swing through trees instead of hopping. They also had these really cool snakes that were the same brown color as branches and had a pointed head. They were very still and it was difficult to tell them apart from the branches they were wrapped around.
They also had a planetarium sphere. It was really cool. The ceiling was the screen and it was 75 feet tall. I actually felt like I was moving in outer space. I definitely felt after watching this that I was grateful that God was in charge and had a plan for our universe.

I made it back to our hotel and Ty and I went on our trip to Alcatraz. We did a special night tour that was less crowded and more spooky.

We took a boat out to the island. Alcatraz was discontinued as a prison in the 60's. It was used only for those that were considered "incorrigible" . People like the famous Al Capone etc. There were never any woman imprisoned on Alcatraz. I couldn't help but feel a chill as we walked through the prison cells and heard the stories on our audio tour. It was also dark outside and so it was even creepier as there wasn't much light outside. The park ranger also did a slammer demonstration where he opened and closed all the cells in that one block and it was very cool. See pictures below. The picture of the knives was in the kitchen. They outlined each knife so they knew if any were missing. Below that is a picture of Ty in front of the morgue.

Two jail birds.

San Francisco: Day 1, Wednesday

We drove.

And Drove.

And Drove.

For 12 Hours, we drove.

We did see some interesting road signs, however. As we were driving through Nevada we saw a sign which read "Independance Valley: Prison Area." That was cool. We also passed through Beverly Hills... Nevada. Apparently they aren't too creative with their names. That, or they have a keen sense of irony considering Beverly Hills, NV is smack dab in the middle of a desert and has probably never been frequented by a movie star ever in its entire history (not even by a TV show extra).

After what seemed like forever, and a pair of aching backs, we arrived in San Francisco, CA. We proceeded to negotiate a few one ways streets on our way to our hotel, but eventually we made it to the Handelry Hotel right in downtown SF... just off of Union Square. Here are a few skyline picture that we took just for fun.

Under Construction

As some of you may know, Cami and I spent the past 5 days in San Francisco-- well, it was actually 3 days, two days were spent driving. We had two reasons for the trip: 1) so that I could attend the American Anthropological Association Annual Conference; and 2) to have fun. Both those aims were accomplished. I did, in fact, attend the conference (at least a couple of times) and we did have a lot of fun.

Here's the problem, we had so much fun that it will take several installments of posts to adequately cover the fun we had. So, this post is mostly meant to say: Hold yer horses, more is on the way. We promise to have pictures up, stories, and general commentary on the trip.

There is one comment I would like to make about San Francisco before we dive into the really fun stuff about the trip. Many people expressed concern for our safety and well being before we embarked on this trip, and many warned of the Anti-Mormon sentiment that apparently gripped the residents of San Francisco. Although we appreciate the concern, we discovered that there was little need to be worried.

I am sure that there are parts of the city, and places in the Bay area where one should be wary to tread-- LDS or otherwise. Like good little tourists, we never visited those areas and stayed to the main areas of interest (Pier 39, Chinatown, Alcatraz, and Union Square). We didn't make the pilgrimage to Haight/Ashbury, nor did we try to find the red-light district. In fact, from our vantage point, we were pleasantly surprised with the charm and beauty of this historical coastal city. The people we met-- visitors and locals-- were generally quite nice. Aside from a few angry beggars, we never felt uncomfortable or in danger from any of the throngs of people who littered the streets and cable cars of San Francisco. But the question still looms heavy: what about them?

The them which some have asked about refers to the large population of homosexuals in the Bay area who have recently made of the LDS people their enemies. The fact of the matter is that they were there. You had to look for them, they weren't typically auspicious, nor were they in great abundance in the areas we visited. But, I did have an encounter with a gay man, who was from New York state, attending the AAA conference. This story may be instructive.

We met at a mentoring workshop on the Saturday session of the conference. His name was Michael. He was an undergraduate student from Syracuse University in NY. I'm not sure what tipped me off to the fact that he was gay: it could have been the fact that he was holding hands with another man as they walked in front of me down the hallway to the meeting room, or it could have been the fig leaf pendant, GP ring, or the way he crossed his legs. I'm not sure what it was, but I was a little nervous about the pending introduction.

He flung his arm out towards me and cocked his head slightly to the right "Hi! I'm Michael."

I offered my hand in return "Howdy. I'm Ty."

"So, where are you from, Ty?"

Although I was wearing a name tag, my home college was not readily discerned since it only read "BYU." I responded, "I'm from Utah." The word Utah fell like a lead balloon into the meeting room. It felt as though the room was still ringing from a bullhorn announcement that I was a Mormon. Michael didn't respond. He nodded, and turned away looking desperately for another soul with whom he could interact... the only problem was that we were both very early, and no one else had yet arrived.

To say that the following silence was uncomfortable would be a gross understatement. He picked at his fingernails, and I shifted in my seat-- a couple times. I began to prepare to defend the Church and myself from the pending accusations that were building in the silence between us. Finally he spoke.

"What is your field of interest?"

"Cultural Anthropology" I gulped. "And yours?"

"I'm interested in physical anthropology and body politics." He went on to explain his broad interests in queer studies, body control, sexuality studies, and other similar interests. He was all but waving the rainbow flag in my face. I sat quietly listening, a look of interest on my face (and panic in my eyes). He asked me a question.

"Pardon me?" I said, realizing that I had not been listening to him so much as I was pretending to listen as I held back the dread feelings of insecurity, and plead desperately for guidance.

"Have you done any fieldwork, yet?" He repeated.

"Oh, yes. I have. I was in a mortuary prep room for three months." I continued to give my rehearsed little blurb on my research. The recitation was comforting.

He was either a better actor than myself or he was beginning to show a genuine interest in what I was saying. From that point on there was little silence, and we continued to engage in a dialogue about our academic pursuits, goals, and plans. It became clear that, although with some lingering hesitation, we might actually get along.

I never mentioned the church. I'm not sure I even mentioned what school I was from. Not that I was afraid or ashamed, I just didn't feel that I needed to... my being from Utah said all of that for me, apparently. I did not, however, act in anyway that would suggest anything but that I was a Christian. Michael and I continued to have a good interaction throughout the workshop, and I felt a strong impression that some of his preconceived notions about Mormons changed.

I guess I relate this story because I feel that as members of the LDS church, we have been blessed with a knowledge of the Fullness of the Gospel, and how we use that knowledge will greatly influence the way we make a difference in this world. We can use it to change our fallen nature that we might become more Christlike, thus letting the light of Christ fill our whole selves being able to be felt by those we meet. Or we can carry it like a sword: detached from our hearts and wielded as a weapon of condemnation. I believe that we must let our lights so shine. If we are filled with the love of God towards all men, we can and will be beacons of Christianity to the world, even in the face of persecution, enmity, distrust, and sin.

Sorry to get preachy, but I felt it necessary to answer to the fear-mongering press that attempts to make us Mormons afraid to leave the confines of our homes because we stood behind a noble and important issue. Let us go forward with faith, relying on the word of the Spirit rather than the faithless reports of persecution and massive sinfulness.



This is all that I will say on this issue, from here on out we will only post the fun stuff (and pictures, too!)

Dedicated to My Loving Wife!

It is 10 minutes to 12 o'clock midnight and I can't sleep. I have a lot of thoughts running through my head, and I felt that in order to get any sort of rest, I need to get them out.

The thoughts running through my head are about the past 18 months. A year and a half ago to this day (the 12th) Cami and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Boise, ID temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I still have fond memories and feelings about that occasion, as well as the time that we have spent together since. As I attempted to end my day in slumber I couldn't help but lay there and remember many of the experiences that we have shared as a couple-- especially since we had spent the evening recollecting stories of days past. Upon pondering these experiences, and the feelings associated with them, I feel a need to write some thoughts, primarily for Cami's sake. (Since there are a few of you who actually read my posts from time to time, I appologize for this post in advance if it may seem a bit personal and not quite as exciting as posts past.)

A little over two years ago I went to the temple prior to beginning a new semester at BYU. I had experienced a significant relationship upheaval not too long before this, and I was a little worried about my psycho-spiritual state as I prepared to finally get serious about my education and get going on my degree. As I sat in the temple pondering the past and future events in my life, I pled with my Father in Heaven for guidance and peace. To my plea I recieved a very strong impression, almost as a voice speaking to my ears, that I would meet the woman I would marry at school this semester. This was not exactly the answer I expected, nor did I feel more guided or at peace because of it. Nonetheless, I briefly pondered the prompting and then let it slip into memory as I filled my mind with preparations for school.

A week after that experience in the temple, I sat in my Theoretical Foundations class on the first day of classes. The desks were arranged in a circle, and sitting directly across from me was a beautiful woman who radiated with happiness and energy. I think it was her infectious smile that caught my attention. She was positively stunning as she sat there chatting with students next to her... all the while I just sat there trying not to be obvious in my gaping attraction to her. As I attempted to direct my attention to anything other than her, I recieved an impression of equal intensity and spirit as I did just a week prior in the temple: "That is the woman you will marry!" I felt a wash of peace as I considered the prompting I had just recieved, but that feeling was quickly pushed out by my own thoughts: "But I don't even know her name! I bet she's married already... the pretty ones always are." Thanks to the great blessings of the Lord, I quickly forgot that I had recieved that impression until just a month before Cami and I were married because I think I would have managed to become a total basket-case and/or completely ruin things with Cami if that bit of revelation hung over my head throughout our courtship.

As things go in these sorts of cases, I finally did learn her name and, to my great delight, discovered that she was indeed single. We became friends through our association in class, better friends as we talked together outside of class, and even better friends once we started dating. The rest is history... obviously the dating thing turned out to be a success since after only three months of association (with only half that time spent formally dating) we determined that we didn't like the thought of not being around each other all the time and thus got engaged.

As mentioned prior, we were sealed on May 12th, 2007 in Boise. Since that time my love and admiration of Cami has exponetially increased. Not only is she my wife, but she is my best friend, my most trusted confidant, and my favorite person to be around. I miss her when we are seperated for even the extent of a workday. My heart is knit as one with hers. I feel her pains as my own, I experience her joys as my own, and I find that she feels the same for me. I know that in marriage we should be equals, but I feel that she is so much my superior. I relate to the words of the song that say "You could do better than me, but I can't do better than you."

A little over two years ago the Lord answered my plea for guidance and peace with the revelation of my pending marriage to Cami. He could not have answered that plea any more appropriately! Aside from the Holy Ghost I have no greater guide in this life than I do in Cami. She has been constant and disciplined in our walk together. And outside of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I have no greater source of peace than I have when I am with Cami. She fills my soul with happiness and light. I will be forever grateful to my loving Father in Heaven who brought Cami and I together that we might be husband and wife. I will also always be grateful for the principles of the Gospel which enable the two of us to build a marriage that is founded on charity, faith, hope, and love. We aren't perfect now, but if we continue to strive together towards Christ, I know that one day we will be.

So, here's to 18 months of marriage, Cami. I look forward to an eternity yet to come as your husband and friend.

With all my love,

Ty

Hilarious Halloween: Ty's turn

I am not sure whether I should be flattered, complimented, or disturbed, but two men from our ward (both of which being friends of mine) did not recognize me as myself in drag!
In the case of my first friend, he kept his thoughts to himself until I took off my wig and he realized it was me. Then he confessed to thinking, after he saw me, that I was possibly the ugliest woman he had ever seen, and felt that there may not possibly be a man in the world for me. We got a good laugh about his misconception, as well as some other consequences of my costume (this guy was the same guy who was the father of the poor child that I frightened).

Tonight Cami and I went over to another couple's house who are good friends of ours, and Dave informed me that another guy from our ward- a member of my Scout Committee no less- also thought me to be the ugliest woman he had ever seen. When Dave informed him that it was me, he was completely astonished.

So, my costume may not have made me to be one of God's more attractive creatures, but it did fool more than one person! All I can say to those who were fooled: you must have a pretty liberal idea of just how ugly a woman could possibly be... shame on you!

Hilarious Halloween

I am posting some pictures of our Halloween. Ty is upset that I will be putting his picture on the blog, however, I told him that he was asking for it the way he dressed last night.

I dressed up like a Hawaiian. Kendra you will recognize the dress while Jenay will recognize the necklace and earrings. It may not have won an award like Kendra's costume of Tinker Bell's cousin, Rocker Bell, but it was fun anyway.

There is a certain professor in the School of Accountancy who dresses every day in a Hawaiian shirt and blue jeans. He must have at least 20 different Hawaiian shirts, however, that is all he ever wears. Our director thought it would be funny to get everyone to dress up in a Hawaiian shirt and jeans on Halloween as a joke. It was fun to see that out of 30 professors, about 25 had Hawaiian shirts on. It was a lot of fun. Halloween is also a fun time in the Marriott School because they always have a lunch for the staff and we often have professors bringing in their children to trick or treat.

Ty and I also went to the ward Halloween party last night. During the day Ty decided to make his own costume by cutting out a piece of cardboard and tying it around his neck. The cardboard said "I am a NUDIST dressed like a regular, clothes wearing person." I like a man that can come up with a cheap costume.

He wanted to wear a different costume to the Halloween party. I was just playing around and put my costume wig on him. He decided that was a good idea and proceeded to put on my skirt and shirt. I thought for sure he was joking, but he then added lipstick and blush and we departed for a fun party.

At the party, he got many looks and a lot of laughs. I introduced him as my sister "Bertha" and refused to kiss him when he tried to kiss me. (He is still mad at me for this.) We ate some chili and then since we had volunteered to help with the fish pond, we went to do that. I went in the back to attach prizes to the line and Ty was in front helping the kids out. Things were going great until a little girl who was about 2 years old saw him and started to cry and cry. Ty felt bad that he had scared her. I was laughing so hard and I was trying to help the little girl. I had to pick her up and carry her to her mom because she had her face pressed against the wall and refused to move. Afterwards, we apologized to her parents, who laughed it off. Overall it was an interesting Halloween.