February 2012 – New beginnings

February 20th Post on Facebook:

Today was the day Chip and I were hoping to be launched into space to celebrate the 50th anniversary of John Glenn’s first American orbital flight…

Well, the private space mission known as “Americans-in-orbit 50 years” is no longer, as usual, because of funding issues. The original premise was great, and as time went by, the non-profit mission was upgraded with a better capsule, higher payload, and a much-needed educational purpose to carry scientific experiments into space. All these valuable goals were unfortunately not met with the necessary financial backing.

Nevertheless, we will continue moving forward in the direction of outer space activities, first with our training center, AURORA AEROSPACE, which was recently awarded the FAA endorsement for high-performance flight training; and in the very near future, by offering our own tickets into space. We’re both building our hours in jet training, so stay tuned!

The date came and went and we did not launch into orbit. We’ll have to take it from there and keep working hard toward our ultimate goal. Door closed, another opens. And at least this month there was a new development in the fact that the boys were allowed some free time in California, which we made the best of!!

Here is an outline:

For the first time since I divorced my ex-husband in 2006, everything worked out so that I could manage to negotiate some time in CA with the boys and spend a long week-end in La Quinta, where they go to school.

I flew in the night before I was to pick them up at their respective International Baccalaureate schools (John Glenn Middle School for Nicholas and La Quinta High School for Alexander); rented a Lincoln MKS (who knows, maybe because the holiday was Lincoln’s Day); and settled in a comfortable suite at the Hilton just five minutes away from the schools.

The desert scenery was just as I remembered it: High, pure skies with occasional gusts of wind picking up sand to feed an ever-increasing beige tone; a dramatic range of barren mountains surrounding a fake fertile valley where every palm tree and golf course was planted purposely for entertainment; and amidst it all, a somewhat wealthy retirement community enjoying the planned environment that would suit them well until the end of their days. Clean, orderly, unsurprising stuff, just not for everyone.

On Friday morning, I had scheduled in advance a tour of each school, as well as meetings with their principals, counselors, and teachers, before picking up the boys and their luggage. I was welcomed so warmly at both schools as the real mom, and had many of my questions well answered. When I picked up Nicholas first, he had brought with him at least three bags, a very large one containing his radio-controlled car and accessories; Alexander, being an all-honor-courses student, carried a very heavy backpack full of books and homework.

We dropped off all their gear then headed toward The River, a gorgeous outdoors mall where we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and watched the 3D Star Wars released in Extreme Digital. I wonder what will come next, this technology is out of this world already…

The next day, we attended an Arts Festival at the charming La Quinta Old Town, then ate big burgers at one of Nicholas’ friend’s restaurant, Bobby’s Detroit Coney Island. After that, we drove on the main highway (111) to a R/C racing field where Nicholas wanted to try out his car, but we soon realized the competition was a bit too fierce for a young newbie. This was a serious business, with teams of adults setting up individual stations with various car/truck models and their accompanying repair crews.

No problem, we opted for plan B which involved hiking a mountain trail right above the racing field, with Nicholas’ R/C car leading the way. We had a lot of fun!

We went shopping afterward for Nerf swords for Alexander to duel with a friend of his, and browsed through Uncle Don’s Hobby Shop where Nicholas is a regular. It was great to be able to share in their local preferences, including dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen at El Paseo, another posh shopping area.

We started out the day later the next morning, so we opted for a large brunch at a very popular and delicious restaurant, Elmer’s. By the time we drove all the way to the outskirts of Palm Springs where windmills filled the landscape, we were ready to jump onto ATVs and brave sand dunes and pits. It was the first time for us, but with our previous experience in dirt-bike riding, we mastered all the gears and sped through the entire course, covering ourselves with sand and dirt as time went by. Not the best of looks to attend a magic show at the Mc Callum Theatre, but we had no time to spare since we entered the theatre just as the show was beginning! Outstanding performances, it was well worth the rush.

After well-needed showers at the hotel, we stepped out again for dinner, this time at the “infamous”–just joking–Taco Gonzalez Taqueria, a hole in the wall where the food is excellent and plentiful, but only cash payments are accepted. I had decided to go along with whatever the boys preferred, so there we were!

And up the next morning at dawn to fly in a scheduled balloon ride over the Coachella Valley, covering the multiple cities we had been driving past such as La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Indio, and a few more. I’d mentioned Highway 111 as the main thread, but there were also Highway 10 and 74, combining to cut through the valley in different directions. Again, all meticulously well organized…

Just like our balloon ride, except for the unpredictable factor, weather. Upon arrival at the meeting point, we were told by the pilot that it would be a no-go–too much wind. Oh well, there will always be another time.

Instead, then, I suggested we drive around looking for an impressive church I had spotted, built in the California Mission style at the side of a mountain. It turned out to be the Saint Francis of Assisi church, after the patron of animals and birds. We walked through the pristine patios and found a modern statue of the saint with his famous prayer, which we read together:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

It was a special moment, with a spiritual connection I always try to inspire in the boys when we go to church in Florida despite their lack of regular religious practices. Since it was still so early and everything else was closed, we returned to the hotel for a bit so the boys could focus on their homework. After a while, we went out once more, and drove up to the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains where the boys volunteered as Junior Rangers at this National Monument trails. We pretended I was a tourist so they could demonstrate to me how they perform their duties as guides on the Randall Henderson Trail, and it was interesting to witness how they could both describe the different types of cacti and the remote landscape, or show me around the visitor center like young pros.

After the exercise, we were ready for a hearty lunch at a Korean Barbecue restaurant where Alexander ran into an old friend. The rest of the afternoon was spent purchasing a late Christmas gift for Nicholas, the PSP Vita which was just going to be released. As usual, he ended up negotiating a great deal at Gamestop, and fulfilled his latest gaming wishes. In return, I have his solemn promise that he will lend this newest console to his brother…

For our last evening, we opted for a French meal at a bistro called Cafe des Beaux-Arts. As so often occurs, there was no French staff that evening whom we could notice or speak to, but the food at least followed French recipes like roasted stuffed quails and broiled filet mignon. Fouquet’s it was not, but we made do!

Valentine’s was the next day, and so was back-to-school for the boys and flying back to Florida for me. Since the schools were so close to the hotel I’d picked, we spent as long as we could together before saying our goodbyes. We’d had a wonderful time ( photos are on Flickr), and hope there will more opportunities like this one…

Spring break will be next, when the boys come home to Florida again.

In the meantime, I have finally been introduced to their local and school environments, to some of their mentors and friends, and left my two sons to resume their demanding studies, knowing that no matter their challenges, they’ll reach the end of the tunnel, and I’ll be there to welcome them with all the love they so deserve.