Why the change?

We have been in Zuni, New Mexico for only a week, but it is obvious that there is a lot to write about: culture, landscape, bugs, lifestyle and new resolutions. We are here to live simply. To strip away anything that distracts us from our goals physically, spiritually, financially  and intellectually. It is our hope that at the end of our projected four to five years here that we will be physically stronger, financially more stable, mentally more awake and spiritually more attuned. I think it is possible. This clear, dry desert air makes anything seem possible. It is big, clean and limitless.

From now on, this blog is intended to record daily sort of experiences that make this time and place what it is. Maybe on a day when the adventure has lost some of its luster, we can pick up the story, read it again and laugh at how peculiar it will be to tell it to someone who has never been here.

But for now, there is no lack for luster.

Ann Arbor Bird Stories

This morning I watched two doves glean seeds from our rock bed, then preen themselves for an hour. Their tail feathers fold up like Chinese paper fans when they are on the ground (except one has shorter tail feathers...). So I waited for the birds to take flight, wondering if their unfolded feathers really look like the "dovetail" shape used in woodworking and dentistry. They do.

A few weeks ago Telia and I witnessed a heart rending saga of two ducks. As many of you may know, ducks are faithful mates. Sadly, this story begins with a female duck just hit and killed by a car. Traffic dodges her body because her mallard companion will not leave her side. Finally, a good Ann Arbor citizen moves the body to a hedgerow just off the road. Still, the mallard sits by his companion's side. Weeks pass. Neighbors began to talk about "the duck." Walking home from the bus stop, I occasioned to see the mallard flying back to his companion. As the days went on we saw the mallard less frequently. He had flown on and I was glad.

Of all the feathered host, cardinals are our favorite. This is a little embarrassing to post publicly, but Cardinals are a symbol of our love. [Long story omitted] To us, they are beautiful and rare compared to other dime-a-dozen birds. It also warms our hearts to frequently see the bright red male cardinal with his female counterpart. We heart cardinals.

While making this post, I have listened to songs about birds and by bands named after birds.

• Department of Eagles, In Ear Park
• Kate Wolf, Unfinished Life
• The Dirty Projectors, Two Doves

We hope you are enjoying the new life of Spring where ever you are. Here are some pics from our recent life:

Updated pictures of the Kids

Hello all.  Wow, I can't believe that it is April!! Ben graduates in less than a month! Crazy. All is well.  No updates on where we will be moving, we are really hoping to go to Zuni, New Mexico.  We will keep you updated, until then, here are some fun pictures.

Unsalted Peanut Butter

Why is there unsalted peanut butter?  What is the point? Today I went to fridge to fix a little apple and peanut butter treat for me and the boy. However, instead of the salt and sugar duet, I got an apple and peanut mismatch. Ugh. Aeden liked it though.

He kept sucking the peanut butter off the apple slice and handing it back to me for more low sodium peanut paste.

Here's to a less hypertensive future.

HELP, I'm stuck at a baby shower!

At this very moment I am hiding out in the office while a pack of fifteen women sit just beyond the door. It is hard to be certain, but I believe they are guarding the cheesecake and chocolate fondue. They are also making gregarious, giggly and otherwise indiscernible, confusing noises. Relegated to my corner of the condo, I feel safe. At intervals I am commanded to put children to bed, re-park cars and then instructed to return to my corner.

Now, if you are reading this, the odds that you are female are very good. If you're not, please back me up here (if you are in a position to do so). Can you remember the first time you heard of a "baby shower"? I can. I was a bright kid and I knew two things for sure: there was going to be cake and I was not invited.

Some new-agey yippee types try to integrate the men and women into baby showers. However, this too is inherently flawed. The problem is instinctual. If you're a girl, think about the feeling you get inside when you see a brand new little baby. You probably want to hold it, but feel like maybe you should hold back so as to not freak out the mother with your strong feelings. I just see a baby that isn't mine. And, I will admit that guys who get overly excited about babies (not of their own making) sort of weird me out. So, if you find yourself at a yippee co-ed baby shower take a good look around to see if you can't find at least one guy squirming at the unnaturalness of it.

Not that I've had to withstand that misfortune. But, let's consider for a second, what might be the male equivalent of a baby shower? Superbowl? UFC? Playoffs? These are the easy answers, but they don't really stack up. These male dominated activities lack the exclusivity of a baby shower. I want an activity where no girls are allowed, and if they are, they feel like they shouldn't be there...

Something like Boyscouts, Freemasonry or the men's hair club. But my question is do they have cheesecake and chocolate fondue?

Zuni and the Muskrat

Telia and I recently returned from our much anticipated trip to Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico. Apologies for the platitude, but it really is a land of enchantment. On Tuesday morning we made a sunrise drive west from Albuquerque over the Continental Divide, through El Malpais and past El Morro to Zuni. There was a moment when the sun hit the Ponderosa Pines over the sagey divide that impressed itself so deeply into my memory that it has become my inescapable image of the New Mexican landscape. So living and haunting like an unknown former love.

The clinic itself is temporary while the new ten chair office is completed. Even so, all the trappings of dental technophilia are present including implants, digital radiography, Cerec, IV sedation cart, rotary endo, etc... The clinic is occupied by pleasant and industrious dentists who work well together with a staff of no contention.

Zuni Pueblo is home to the most ancient extant pueblo tribe, the A:shiwi, better known as the Zuni. Unlike many other tribe whose religious rites have become more ceremony than sacred devotion, the ancient traditions are still an integral part of their culture. Consequently, many aspects of their culture are kept private out of reverence and visitors are asked to refrain from taking photos of locals, town and ceremonies.

Will we get the job? I hope so. If it is offered to me upon graduation/licensure I will take it without a second thought.

About the Muskrat. Today, in the backyard there was a rodent-like mammal scurrying across our snowy lawn. At first I didn't even know what manner of creature I beheld. It looked like a beaver and rat had tied the knot and made babies. But after some google image research I have concluded we have a muskrat burrow in our backyard. Dry, it has a thick brown coat with long, leathery tail like a beaver, but less like a pancake and more like a rat. Good times. If it pops its pretty little head up tomorrow I will take a picture.

17 Again

I was just lounging on the couch tonight waiting for Telia to look at me. She was doing laundry. I had pulled my t-shirt up just above my belly button to expose a vulgar post-holiday abdomen.

She never looked.

Oh well, life is good. Today I finished part II of the National Dental Board Exam (NDBE II). That last sentence makes it sound easy, but the truth is I have spent the better part of the last month studying for it and am praying retro-active prayers that I pass. If you don't believe in retro-active prayers you can send up a few pro-active petitions for my North Eastern Regional Board on Tuesday.

We have been talking a lot about New Mexico lately. And Redbox. As fate would have it there are actually 2 RedBox locations in Gallup, New Mexico. We believe it is a sign.

Yesterday, my friend and missionary trainer Resh Jeffries sent me a message on Facebook saying we need to catch up. It has been years. I enjoyed looking at pictures of him and how his family has grown since last time I saw him. Which reminds me of how rich I have been to meet so many interesting and remarkable people over the years. Some exude cool, others unbelievably capable. Some totally loyal. I have been really blessed.

Lastly, I watched the movie "17 Again" last night. It might have changed my life. Not because Zack whatever his name is looks just like my friend Kyle Poulter in sunglasses, but because it reminds me to live in the present.

So, while I will be turning 30 shortly after graduation, I still feel young and am so grateful for my blessings right now. Especially my family. With that, I think I will get up off the couch and try to chase down my 17 year old phsique.