Family Time in Palm Springs

A few months ago my dad mentioned on the phone that they were heading to a timeshare in Palm Springs the last week of October. Since my parents live in Louisiana, anytime they come this close I try to see them. So down to Palm Springs we went last Friday. My aunt and uncle were also there and we had a wonderful time with everyone.

The weather was in the low 90s (gorgeous!) and we loved getting to wear sandals and enjoyed the sun! Saturday we went to a WWII air museum. The volunteers that work there are so passionate about the aircraft and so very knowledgeable... and a few of the volunteers even flew them back in WWII!! Amazing! Justin enjoyed talking pilot talk with them, especially Mr. O.B. who flew 29 different aircraft!

Saturday evening we celebrated my uncle's 35th birthday (looking good Uncle Stephen!) before enjoying the extra hour of sleep. Unfortunately, everyone else had to leave early on Sunday morning... so Justin and I went driving and found a Vista Drive that takes you up a mountain so you can see the valley. Talk about a strange site! This little patch of green in the middle of a desert. Apparently Palm Springs is on top of an aquifur but they've used so much of the water already, that the city is literally sinking! Ah well... that's California for you... they only have 50 years of water left but they're watering the grass daily. Makes no sense to me.

So before I forget, while we were visiting the museum, there was this 14 year old boy who kept going on and on about all the things he's learned about WWII. His mom was trying to silence him and drag him off but we were all just impressed that someone his age knew history! The volunteer told us two stories (worth recounting) about the lesser informed people who have visited the museum.

Story #1: A volunteer was talking about the plane that was used in the Dolittle raids on Japan when a couple (in their 40s) starts in that the US bombed Japan and that's how the war started. The volunteer was shocked and tried to correct them... that's how the war ended but this couple was adament that the US was the agressor. So then I had to ask "where were they from". The answer says it all... Berkeley.

Story #2: A teacher brought her 8th grade history class to the museum. When they got there the teacher stood up in front of her students and said "We're here today to learn about the airplanes used in World War 11." The volunteers nearly fell over they were so shocked! When one of them corrected her and said "it's World war 2... not World War 11" she insisted. "The sign out front says World War 11." Those are Roman Numerals, not 1s. Anyone else scared?!? I wonder if she ever wondered where World Wars 3-10 occurred. Somehow this teacher got an undergrad degree and is teaching our children... about World War 11. Sigh.