4-11-08 Just a Wee Bit Warm

Finally! I got a decent nights sleep! I was really happy that I actually fell asleep at 11pm! Woo, go me! However I could barely breath this morning, which was a total bummer. I felt worse than I had the night before! Ugh! Sickness should die and go away. Anyway, while Tim, Deanna, Sydney, and Jennifer all headed out for their bike ride, the rest of us stayed behind and corrected journals. It was a long and slow process, but we made some progress! While I corrected Tyrone’s, Jacob corrected Justin’s, and Arielle finished typing her journals. It would have been much easier if we had just gotten them done, on time, like we were supposed to, but we spent too much time goofing off and not enough time on the things we're supposed to do. After about an hour, we all decided we wanted to head out!  I tell you, It was so cold out! I felt really bad for the riders ahead of us, but at the same time I was relieved that I didn’t have to ride. In fact because of my sickness I couldn’t ride the whole day today. Anyway, when we caught up with the riders, we loaded them up in truck! It was really funny because all of them were frozen solid! Hahaha! Okay so I shouldn’t be laughing but everyone looked hilarious. When everyone was all loaded in we headed for Mesilla. When we got there, the sun had finally come out! It was gorgeous! I couldn’t believe how quickly the temperature changed! One minute it was below thirty and the next It’s almost seventy! Not that I’m complaining or anything. As we rode into the town, we started to hear cheers and screams. When we turned the corner, groups of people were there to greet us! It turned out to be a bunch of elementary students! Again I was a little bit embarrassed! But nerves were not about to get the best of me. Arielle and I had been chosen to talk about our project again! I couldn’t seem to make my knees stop shaking. After we gave our speech, some of the grade-schoolers got to ask us questions. They were all so cute and shy! When all of the questions were asked, we got to plant flowers! All the kids were very excited and eager to help. Oh my gosh they were so adorable! After all the flowers were planted, our group got a little time to look around the local shops. I absolutely loved the jewelry! I couldn’t believe how much time was spent making the beautiful pieces of artwork. Also, I couldn’t believe the prices! They were so darn expensive. I guess it made sense since each piece was handmade. Oh well. Since we had a scheduled lunch, we all regrouped and headed for the restaurant! It was absolutely fabulous! I was so mad I left my camera in the Penske, so I couldn’t take picks. Well since I didn’t take pictures I guess I’ll paint a mental picture for you. When you walk in, you see multiple colors, all of which make you feel warm and happy inside. Next you hear, birds. Not fake bird recordings, but actual birds in cages! As I learned later, the toucan was named Tiki, the parrot was named Picaso, and the white bird was named Sugar. There were several other birds that could talk to you! But anyway, when you walked through the halls, it made you feel like you were walking through a Mayan jungle. The food was delicious, and the service was great! I will never forget that place. Since I was done eating, I asked if I could go look around a bit more. The chaperones agreed and together we walked around looking at all the neat little shops. When we all regrouped we each had bought something. I wished we could have stayed longer, but sadly we had to leave. Our next stop was Las Cruces. When we rode into town, the mayor and two council members greeted us. I think I’m going to give up on people trying to pronounce my last name correctly. We all talked about our trip and they asked us how we were all doing. I think that their ideas were great, especially the one about using more solar energy to power buildings. Before we left, we visited an eco friendly building, which was very cool! The big problem in this part of New Mexico is rain, or lack of.  Consequently, they have a very strict water use program and are tapping into the NASA people for alternative forms of energy, solar being the most promising since they have 360 days of sunshine per year. The sun felt so good, but I think I got burnt again! Even though I didn’t even ride today, I still managed to get burnt. Ugh! Having fair skin is so not cool! Well the rest of the day was spent trying to get to Tucson, AZ. The sunset was gorgeous and I got some great pictures! Now we’re at Justin’s grandma’s place for the night. She had a wonderful home, at the night sky is so clear and beautiful. Now I'm wishing it were a little cooler!