A "Frequent Flyer"

A walking path in my backyard

I began writing this blog post 7 weeks ago, starting with: “I have written each post this year saying that I had just gotten out of the hospital, although I’m happy to report I’ve managed to stay out of there and at home relaxing with Everett. I did have a UTI the week before Labor Day, but thanks to some quick actions of getting on antibiotics, I was able to avoid it.” In my last blog entry, I stated “… I don’t like every entry to be about me being sick or in the hospital.”

Since October of last year, I've been in the hospital 6 times. That's a lot for me and takes a toll on my body physically and mentally. I also need to miss appointments and ABLE because it takes so long for me to recover after a big stay like that. Despite what I wrote, September 23 I went by nonemergency ambulance. After some testing, they found I had case of double pneumonia. I guess I knew the first day that I went in, but soon my oxygen went down to the low 70s even on 5 L of oxygen and I couldn’t maintain it. After that, they had to slowly sedate me to keep me comfortable because I was having high anxiety, trouble sleeping and difficulty maintaining breathing. I was sedated for approximately 4 days.

In the beginning, they gave me 3 Bronchoscopy’s, a CT scan, x-ray and tried 9 separate IV antibiotics until they found a combination of 3 that finally worked. Also, my lungs needed to relax and heal. They also had to monitor me better, so they put me on one of their ventilators. I was even trying to fight their vent (meaning it was giving me 20 breaths per minute, and I was bringing it to 25.)

From the start, it was just baby steps, 1 foot in front of the other (or should I say, one wheel?) Also, since coming home, I’ve been sleeping a lot; something I don’t do enough of. I know now when my body says “sleep,” it usually means that I need to rest and sleep whenever I can. By resting, accepting help from friends and family, and gradual actions to recover, I have the best plan in place to a speedy recovery. There were signs and symptoms that went on right before, that I now realize to be something to watch out for before things get too extreme.

If you’re reading this and live outside of Minnesota, throughout the summer, Canadian wildfire smoke significantly affected the state. The worst air quality was recorded in late July and early August. Some of them were issued for multiple days at a time. I couldn’t go outside when the air was bad because of my asthma and the fact that I’m on a ventilator. I have trouble enough as it is. Not being able to get out of the house is hard enough but when it is more than a week it becomes depressing.

This past spring I started the process of applying for a new wheelchair. I’m eligible for a new one every 5 years and I’ve had mine for 7 years. It’s a long and daunting process, sometimes taking over a year for insurance to cover everything I need. First, I had to have my Dr. write a prescription. Then, I underwent a wheelchair evaluation with a physical therapist aside my medical equipment supplier. Finally, I selected which chair I wanted along with what I needed it to do.

I ordered it to recline, tilt, legs to raise, change drives (making it speed up or slow down, elevate, and other things my wheelchair now can do and more.) Insurance approved everything so far, except for the seat elevation portion. That’s what allows me to raise my chair up and down. It’s easier for people working to reach my height. I appealed it, but I’m just waiting for their decision.

Labor Day weekend my boyfriend Jay visited me from Jacksonville, Florida. We met through my blog. After his T1/T2 spinal cord injury happened in 2019, he was searching for everything related to SCI’s, and that’s when he came across my blog. He made a comment on one of my posts, I responded, then less than a year later, we fell in love and have been together since 2020. We met in person for the first time, Labor Day weekend. He’s coming on Thanksgiving and Christmas too!

Jay and I in my backyard

According to Wikipedia “The Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) is an art museum located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Home to more than 100,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history, Mia is one of the largest art museums in the United States. Its permanent collection spans about 5,000 years and represents the world's diverse culture across six continents. The museum has five curatorial areas: Arts of Global Africa, Global Contemporary Art, Asian Art, European Art, and Arts of the Americas.”

I had so much fun! The last time I was at a museum was for a grade school field trip, and I don’t remember any of it. My nurse and I went, just to do something fun besides going outside, out to eat, to the mall etc. There are 3 floors, and we barely made it through one floor, the 2^nd. My favorite painting was (1 of 4) in Vincent van Gogh’s series Olive Trees. This is a photo of me between Claude Monet’s Grainstack (looking at the photo, on the left) and my favorite painting.

Jenni

Here are 2 of my poems:

Expansive Roots

My limbs are rough, full of brown bark

despite not moving by themselves

they may falter in times of trouble

as my presence in the world matters

 

While my cracks show in harsh winds

delving deep into their structure and use

in my trunk’s importance in this world

proving I matter in the ecosystem

 

My roots are an expansive link

embedded in the dirt of Mother Earth

where I feed my self-worth within times

when I’m strongly supported by my presence

 

I am connected to neighboring life forces

stemming out reaching for provision up top

engaging with my family of surrounding trees

to construct a forest of my ancestries

 

With every breath I stretch into the clouds

as my experiences in life are deeply felt

although I have a few tangles to work out

with each year adorned with a new ring

 

My protection is my bark and layers

covering me so you can’t see

any of my tragedy or loss I’ve endured

that comes with being a dead tree

Canadian Wildfires

The city groans as it chokes on dust

exhaling gray, drifting smoke

hazy skies and air-quality alerts

obscuring the sun, covering towns

Like a curtain dropping from the sky

Canadian wildfires pollute Minnesota air,

strangling every tree in sight

spreading freely through dense conifers

A silent hold upon the once crisp atmosphere,

outdoors is forbidden for weeks

difficult to contain, as health is strained

harder for asthmatics to breathe

Embers sweep into drought-stricken fields

delicate lungs copiously cough,

hushing children’s play through the disorder,

as orange flames leave farmers at a loss

Update on Me

The past few weeks have gone by fast. Back in July, I talked about how I joined a Bible study group that meets once a week. Since starting, I have really enjoyed reading the Bible. Every story has a meaning, and it can be applied to life in different ways. I decided to join another group that also meets once a week but on another day.

This one is different in which instead of reading the Bible in a year, we are just studying the book of Genesis and it only goes until December. It is also more involved. There are lectures to watch, notes to read, and questions to answer along with the reading. I like both group studies, as they keep me busy. Probably the reason why I haven’t written a blog post for a while.

I have still been trying to get out every day, walking Brody. It’s been really nice outside, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. It even got to 80° the other day. I’ve been enjoying the fresh air and change of scenery from my house. All the trees are starting to turn orange and red now that it’s fall. Pretty soon winter will be here and with all the snow it’s hard to go out. Not to mention when the temperatures drop below freezing.

Fall Colors in Minnesota

Brody and I on a Walk and Roll

Since quarantine started in March, I have only left my house a hand full of times. Because I am on a ventilator, I’m at such a high risk if I get the coronavirus. That’s why I’m so cautious about being around other people and going to places that may be overcrowded. I suppose I could go to a park or movie where I could social distance myself from others. I do have a couple of doctor’s appointments coming up in October and November so I will be going out, but it’s nothing like doing something for fun.

I have still been in a lot of neck pain. When visiting my neurosurgeon last month, I got an x-ray of my neck to see if everything looks okay. He also wanted to see if there was anything bone related that could be causing my pain. But when he looked at it, he didn’t find anything. In fact, he stated that the plate that he put in when I had surgery to remove a bone spur in my neck was holding stronger than he initially thought it would. I would’ve had to have another surgery to do a bigger fusion if it wasn’t. He said that my pain was probably just due to strain leading to tight muscles, especially because I can only move from my neck up.

Also, I’ve still been having trouble sleeping and with edema. My sleep doctor doesn’t want to give me anymore medications for sleep because I’m already taking a lot. I did get a prescription from my primary doctor for anxiety, which has helped a little bit with sleep. That’s one thing that keeps me up at night. He also referred me to a specialist within the University of Minnesota Fairview offices that can take another look at why I might be retaining fluids. I had a phone call with a doctor and he’s going to look over every test I’ve done and every medication that I am on to see if he can figure it out.

Other things that have been keeping me busy are playing games, watching movies, and painting. Yesterday I painted an abstract picture with lots of colors on it in which I posted below. I also shared a few pictures of Brody. He is quite the favorite around the house!

Avery and Brody

Brody on My Bed

Brody Sleeping on his Toy

Abstract Rainbow Painting

Jenni

Weather and Temperature

Having a SCI and being on a ventilator is no match for extreme weather changes, although that’s what Minnesota is known for. Because of my injury, I’m not able to feel if I’m cold or hot. The only way I know is if I take my temperature or my body starts spasming. Also, the cold air can be very hard on my lungs. When the vent pulls the air in, it goes through the tubing, then my trach and into my lungs. There is nothing to warm the air up so it feels the same in my lungs as it is outside. When someone breathes through their nose, the hairs warm the air up so it’s not such a shock.
 
Many people with spinal cord injuries, as a result, have trouble regulating their body temperature. Here's what it says about it on Apparelyzed.com

"A normal, healthy human is able to maintain a constant body temperature of approximately 98.6F despite the temperature of the environment. In a hot environment, the body sends a signal to the brain via the spinal cord to say the body is overheating. The brain then sends a signal back down the spinal cord and tells the body to cool itself by perspiration which evaporates and cools the skin. In cold weather, the body senses the lower temperature and our brain tells us to put more clothes on to warm ourselves up.

Most people with complete spinal cord injuries do not sweat below the level of the injury and many quadriplegics cannot even sweat above the injury (even though they may sweat due to autonomic dysreflexia). With loss of the ability to sweat or vasoconstrict within affected dermatomes the patient becomes poikilothermic and needs careful control of their environmental conditions. Therefore, if a high paraplegic or quadriplegic is in an outside temperature over 90 F, especially when the humidity is high, the body temperature will begin to rise (Poikilothermia). Likewise in a cold environment, the body may not be able to get the messages through to the brain that the body is cooling down, and if left untreated, the person will soon become hypothermic."

When I’m inside even if the temperature is left at a normal 72°F my body still gets cold, especially because I’m not moving around. I usually have a blanket on and am usually by my electric fire place which I can flip on and off when needed. Despite getting cold easily, the low temperatures don’t stop me from going outside. I just bundle up with a hat, scarf, jacket, and warm blanket in order to keep the heat in.

I love taking my dog Brody for a walk and getting out in the community. This is one reason why the hot or cold weather doesn’t stop me from getting out. As long as the temperature stays above 0°F and below 100°F I’m willing to venture out. It’s definitely not the same to just look out the window as it is actually going somewhere.

Jenni

Another Memorable Event

 

"Recognized over the world, Cirque du Soleil has constantly sought to evoke imagination, invoke senses and provoke emotions."



 Avery in front of the stage

The other day my dad took me, my sister and 4-year-old niece Avery to Cirque du Soleil. I’ve been to 4 different ones before, but never like this one. Sometimes they’re hosted inside a tent, and are focused around a bunch of performers doing acrobatics. There is no ring and no animals involved which makes it a modern circus.

This one was called Crystal: a breakthrough ice experience, although it wasn’t just an ice show. It’s the very first experience on ice from Cirque du Soleil. World-class ice skaters and acrobatics came together to perform. The lead character, Crystal, was on a tale for self-discovery as she goes into a world of imagination.

It was so cool to watch them on ice this time! My favorite part was all of the special effects, along with the storyline. We had a great time and I hope to do it again next time they come around to the cities!




This is our view of the stage and what it looked like.

Jenni

The Minnesota State Fair

A week ago Monday I went to the Minnesota State fair. I met my sister, Kristen and my boyfriend, Blake there. I haven't gone for a few years. When I am there, I have to be careful where I go. There is a place called "the midway" that has a bunch of electronic games you can play with tickets to win prizes. Two years in a row when I've been at the fair in that area my ventilator has reacted funny. It starts beeping and malfunctioning; we think it's because it reacts with of all the electronics. Both times we had to have a respiratory therapist come out and switch my vent. Since then I haven't gone to "the midway" because I'm afraid something like that will happen again.

Two years ago was the last time I was at the fair and it was extremely hot and very crowded. Nothing changed this year. I had a lot of fun but I think I got heat exhaustion. It was at least 90°F outside and very humid. Even though I was drinking a lot of water, my body couldn't cool itself down. I don't sweat below the level of my spinal cord injury at C-1 C-2. This is common in most people with SCI's. Sweating is very important in order for someone to regulate their temperature when they are really warm. Because I don't, it's hard for my body to control its temperature. If it's hot I'm hot and if it's cold I'm cold. It took my body a while to cool down, but after I did I felt much better. (Click here to read another post about SCI's and body temperature.)

The biggest craze for people when they go to the state fair is the food. A lot of times that's why people go. They have everything you can imagine deep-fried including bacon, candy bars, pickles etc. They also have just about every type of food you can imagine on a stick such as what's mentioned above along with alligator, cheese, ostrich, chicken, cheese cake, etc. I've been told though that I'm no fun to go to the fair with because I'd rather eat a salad over something fried or junk food. When going there, the thing is to get a plate of something and share with everybody in the group so people get a taste of a bunch of things and not full on just one thing. When I was there I ate some of my sisters Australian fried potatoes, a bite of a Pronto pup (deep-fried hotdog), a couple of cheese curds and the grilled corn on the cob. I had never had the latter before, but I love corn and it was so good. That's probably the only thing I would definitely have to get next time I go.

What's your favorite thing at a fair, Carnival, or amusement park either in Minnesota or where you live?

Jenni

Cirque Dreams Holidaze

Yesterday my boyfriend Blake took me to see Cirque Dreams Holidaze at Mystic Lake Casino. It was so much fun to see all the acts and people dressed up in costume. I have seen Cirque Dreams before but never the holiday one. I've also gone to a few Cirque du Soleil performances over the years. Those are amazing to see as well. If you haven't seen any video of either of these you should definitely check them out on YouTube. Here's the trailer for the one we went to. It's very similar to this only they had different people and a few different acts.



Jenni

Lunch Date with Sis

The other day my sister, Kristen, drove my van and took me out to lunch at Benihana. It's a restaurant where they cook in front of you and do all sorts of tricks with knives and food. Last time I went there was my birthday last October. She took the day off of work so we could go somewhere. I really enjoyed it and hope we can do it again! It's nice to get out and spend some alone time with my sis (sort of alone, my nurse was there too). Thanks Kris!

Jenni

Motorcycle Ride Video

For those of you who may remember, last summer I took a ride in a motorcycle sidecar. I had someone take a video of it but wasn't able to put it on my blog. Well, I finally put it on YouTube. If you want to read the post that I did on it before click here. You can make the video full-screen by clicking on the button with four arrows at the bottom right hand corner of the video. If you want to view it from YouTube click here and it will take you directly there.



Jenni

Gambling Anyone?

Yesterday I went to Mystic Lake Casino with my dad, sister and nurse to play the slots. I'm not much of a gambler; it was only my second time actually being on the floor with the machines. I used to go all the time as a kid with my grandparents just to eat and browse the shops. I didn't remember how many people smoked while they gambled. I guess it's stressful losing money or something like that. Well, it's not the best idea for me to be around all that smoke with my vent and all so we made our way back to the "non-smoking" section of the casino. When we got there, we realized that the "non-smoking" section and the "smoking" section were separated by a single aisle with machines on both sides. It wasn't exactly isolated; so much for that idea.

We ended up staying there anyways and played some different machines. I put a dollar in a couple of them, but didn't win anything. Then I found this one that I played the first time I went to the casino called Reel 'em in. I stuck $10 in that one and played till it was gone. I don't understand how people can sit there for hours just pushing a button. Especially if all you do is lose. The one thing that was funny to me was the fact that my nurse got to gamble with my money. Since I can't exactly push the button, she had to do it for me. I kept getting distracted because I wasn't actually focusing on betting.

When we were on our way out, I stopped at the poker machine and put my last $10 in. I wish I had been there the whole time because that section wasn't very smoky because it was really close to the hotel. Plus I kept winning which made it my favorite game. I quit playing when I was up to $15. That means I only lost seven dollars the whole day; not too bad. My dad and sister both left with less money as well. It was fun though, and great people watching.

Jenni

Pictures from My Birthday

Above are some pictures from my birthday yesterday when my mom, sister and I went to Benihana restaurant for lunch. I had so much fun! I hadn't been there for about five years or so. I had chicken and it comes with rice, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms. The chef cooked everything in front of us.

The first picture is of me when we first got there. The second one is our chef Aaron. The third picture is a chicken he made out of egg and the fourth is a heart he made out of rice. The last picture is of some of the waitresses singing happy birthday to me in Japanese.

Jenni

How Great Thou Art Show

Yesterday I went to an art show at my church. I had one of my paintings displayed in it. The pictures above are of me next to my painting and my painting alone. You can click on them to enlarge. The theme for the art show was Wonder. It was based on Psalm 139:14 in the NIV Bible, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Whether or not someone's art was accepted depended on how well the artist interpreted the theme.

It was great to look at all of the other art as well. There were many different medias such as photography, poetry, painting, woodwork, and mixed media. I even got to meet some of the artists. They also had an artist directory that shared each artist, a description/
inspiration for their piece, and a brief bio about them. I went through and looked at every piece of art. For every one I looked up the artist and read the info about them. It was very interesting to read how they described an interpreted their work and shared their life. I hope to do it again next year.

Below is my info that I put in the directory:

Description/Inspiration: For this piece I used a technique involving leaves. I painted watercolor onto the leaves and placed them on a wet piece of paper. I then painted the background. This is the effect it makes after the paper dries and the leaves are pulled off. My inspiration for this piece was the beautiful work God has created and the power that he has to shine through it all.

Bio: My name is Jenni and I am 22 years old. On November 1, 2002 I was in a car accident. I broke my neck at C-1 C-2 and injured my spinal cord. I am a quadriplegic paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator to breathe. Despite my disability, I live each day to the fullest. I use art as a form of expression. My unique way of painting involves putting the paintbrush in my mouth while my nurse holds the paper. Another form of expression I use is writing. I maintain a blog online at people from all over the world read.

Jenni

Ride of a Lifetime

A couple of weeks ago I went for a ride in the sidecar. I put a picture above but the video still needs a little bit of editing. That's why it's taken me so long to put a post up about my ride. I thought I would just put a picture up so you can at least believe me. I'd been talking about going in the sidecar for at least two years now. It took a while to plan, but I finally did it! I had so much fun! They lifted me out of my wheelchair and into the sidecar using a Hoyer lift. My nurse took my ventilator off of my wheelchair and put it in the trunk. I know that sounds dangerous, but it was actually really secure in there. We only went down the street and back. I would definitely do it again. I will hopefully get the video on my blog soon, but if for some reason I don't, I will upload it onto YouTube and give you a link to it.

Jenni

A Trip to Wisconsin

Yesterday, I visited a camp that I went to during the summer for seven years before my accident. It is in Wisconsin (almost 2 hours away from where I live in Minnesota). This summer marks their 100th anniversary. They were having a get-together with past and present campers and counselors. There were lots of people there; some I hadn't seen in years. It was great to talk to them and catch up on life. I still love that camp even though I can't go to it anymore because it is not accessible for people in wheelchairs. There are some camps out there for people with disabilities, however, I require 24/7 nursing care because of my ventilator, which those camps don't provide.

The summer before my accident I went to the camp for three weeks. It was kind of like a training experience to be a counselor. That was my plan for the next summer; to be a camp counselor there. My favorite thing to do at camp was go canoeing. I loved just being out on the water relaxing in the quietness of nature. I did a post a while back about canoeing at the camp and also shared a poem I wrote before my accident. You can click here to read it.

Jenni

Science Museum of Minnesota

Today I went to the science Museum of Minnesota. I met a friend of mine, Karly, and we went to the IMAX film at the Omni theater called "Titanica". It was about the Titanic and had scenes from them actually exploring it. It was very informative; I liked it a lot. They also have a Titanic exhibit at the science Museum. I didn't go to that this time, but I would like to go to it at some point before it's gone.

Jenni

Cirque Du Soleil

The other day I went to Cirque du Soleil. It is a dramatic mixture of Circus arts and street entertainment. There is no ring and are no animals which helps make it a modern circus. They have 18 separate shows with almost 4000 employees performing over five continents. The show that I saw on Sunday was called Kooza. I have also been to a few of their other shows in the past. They are in Minnesota with this particular show for the month of July.

The picture above is of my dad, sister, nurse and I in front of the Cirque du Soleil tent that they have set up for the show. I have also posted a video below that shows some behind-the-scenes of the show that we saw, Kooza.



I want to know if any of you seen any of the Cirque du Soleil shows. Did you like it? I had a great time and hope to do it again next time they come in town.

Jenni

Getting out

Yesterday I went to Northwestern bookstore down the street from my house. I love looking at all of the trinkets and knickknack stuff that they have. I bought a couple of CDs, a glass vase with birds on it, and a little statue that's heart-shaped with a cross in the middle of the heart. It has a bird on top of it and inscribed on the heart is a message that says "miracles happen every day". I also bought a license plate holder for my van that says "don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly".

Today I'm going out to lunch at Gold Nugget. It's the restaurant that my sister works at as a waitress. She's going to be working today and I'm hoping she will get to serve us. I'm going with my mom, my grandma, my aunts Sandy and Julie, and my cousin Meagan.

Later today I'm going to reliable medical to finally fix my wheelchair. The parts came in from California the other day. I'm imagining my fingers crossed in hopes that it will work this time. I will let you know what happens.

Jenni

My Big Day

Yesterday I went to the Minnesota Twins baseball game. As I stated in the last post, one of my nurses knows someone high up and was able to get us 12 free tickets to a suite. It was only the second time I have been in a suite at the Metrodome.

The game went by very fast and in the end the Twins won 3-1. Nothing too exciting happened in the game although it was very fun. I have attached some photos below that were taken at the game.

This was our view from the suite. We were right along the third-base line.

The Twins mascot, TC, stopped in to say hello. He tried to bite my head off but it didn't work.

A picture of my mom, my sister Kristen and I in the suite after the Twins won. We were waiting for the crowd to clear.

Overall, I had a great time and hopefully I'll get the chance to go again sometime. It is definitely more fun to be at a game than to watch it on TV.

Jenni

Money and Accessibility

Today I went to Ridgedale mall for a little shopping trip. I ended up buying a bunch of clothes that I probably don't need but decided to buy anyways. Since I don't go out to many places besides school and appointments, I don't spend my money on very many things. I don't go to the gas station and buy gas, I don't go grocery shopping and buy groceries, I don't go to Target and buy toiletries; so when I go out somewhere all I really want to do is just spend money no matter when it's on. I know that may sound odd to those of you who would rather not be spending money at a time like this, but when I don't I feel the need to.

I don't see how stores can get away with not being accessible these days. I only go to my select few stores when I go to the mall so most of the employees know me by now. When I go into the store they say hi and then also tell me to let them know if I need anything moved. Most stores that I go into I end up rearranging the racks. They pack those things so close together I don't even see how other people can walk through the store let alone a wheelchair. Also, I don't shop at Hollister but I couldn't even if I wanted to. When they put the store into the mall they put stairs in the front entrance. How ridiculous! People with strollers can't even shop there. They have shutters on the sides but there is no way that I could fit through them plus they have tables and racks of clothes on the inside. I hope someday everything will be accessible. I can't even imagine what it's like for people in wheelchairs in other countries.

Jenni

Mall of America

Today we went to the Mall of America. It is the biggest mall in the United States. It doesn't seem that big to me because I've been there so many times, but to first-timers it's huge. When we go we usually make a day out of it because it takes a while to get to the stores we want. When we went today, we ate lunch first which only gave us a little time to shop. I ended up only going to three stores, all of which I could've gone to at the mall down the street from me. Oh well, it's the whole atmosphere and experience of it all that matters.

Sometimes I get claustrophobic in places with a lot of people. It was quite crowded at the mall today. It is hard because I can't just walk away from the situation. The accessibility in stores also bothers me. I end up rearranging the store when I go into it. They tend to put clothing racks so close together that we have to move them to get through. It doesn't bother me to move them; what bothers me is that I should even have to move them. I even know one store at the mall down the street from me that has stairs to enter the store. I wouldn't shop there anyways but that's not the point. They have shutters on each side of the door that I could possibly fit through, but they have tables and racks of clothing in the way. Don't get me wrong, I love shopping, but some things need to change. At least I don't avoid going out to places because of poor accessibility. I like to stay active and get out of the house; even if that means becoming an interior decorator for clothing stores.

I had a little challenge because I am still in my manual wheelchair. When I go places it is difficult not being able to be independent in moving. When I wanted to look at something I had to ask someone to turn me towards it. I am hoping my electric wheelchair will be ready by the end of next week.

Jenni

Science Museum

Today we went to the Science Museum of Minnesota again. This time we went to the Omnitheater. The movie that we saw was Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk. It was amazing. It was about the Colorado River and the difference between now and 30 years ago. It also talked about ways we can help protect water resources for generations to come. The Omnitheater is huge and at times can give you the sensation that you're moving. I have to admit it was a little scary flying through the Grand Canyon and going down the Colorado River on a raft. That's the idea behind it; to make you feel like you're actually there. I hope to go see the next one called Titanica coming in June.

Jenni

"The greatest revolution in our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."
-William James