About us

About Leah

I’m a voracious reader, preferring to feast on non-fiction of every genre. I love the color green, the number 3, women's global issues, LGBTQ+ equality, hummingbirds and documentaries. Family, hiking, camping and food make my heart (and palate) sing. Dogs illuminate my soul and I'm a pit bull convert after working with Even Chance in San Diego. I’m definitely not a girly-girl; I don't care much for shoe obsessions, diamonds, or manicures--bring on nature and peeing in the woods instead!

I’m a fervent believer in the power of youth and women to shape the world and I advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness and stigma eradication, most recently as a board member with The ArcHIVe Project and a facilitator with Global Arms of Advocacy. My friends call me “mom” since my caretaker complex is a bit out of control. Anything related to eyeballs makes me curl up in a squeamish fetal ball and cockroaches render me incapacitated (not a helpful quality on this trip). I've called Connecticut, Colorado and California home over my lifetime.

Not a day goes by where I don’t think about and talk to my best friend and darling dog, both of whom are now my guardian angels from beyond. One of my life goals is to host a benign tapeworm that will consume most of my calories and still leave me completely healthy and energetic. I find solace in my Catholic faith but still wrestle with many of its doctrines. I think my husband is the most delicious when playing electric guitar while wearing his wedding ring; I smile in disbelief every day that I was blessed enough to marry him. It’s sometimes a struggle for me to find the silver lining but I try to see the joy and blessings in each day. I abhor beer but drool over a good gin and tonic and I’ve been in love 5 times. I have the greatest friends and family in the world.

About Steve

Hi, I'm Steve...Leah's husband. I'm a big, proud Southern California boy. I'm proud to be half-Mexican, proud to be half-white (too many ethnicities and nationalities to list here), proud to be Catholic (although I too have my issues), proud of my pretty little wife, and proud of my achievements in life. I lost my dad when I was only a year old and that moment has helped shape and define my life ever since. I was raised by a strong single mother and have no idea how someone could do what she did--I will forever be in awe. We were far from rich on America's spectrum but I can't truly say I had a want; between a loving mom, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles and good friends I learned that life is not fulfilled by earthly possessions.

I left my job working for a national giant in landscape construction (it begins with a V and rhymes with ValleyCrest). I liked my job and loved and respected the people I worked with however this wasn't enough to keep me from aspiring for a journey like this. In September 2012 I will be the same age as my father was when he passed and I intend to live life to the fullest leading up to that day and every day thereafter; at that point every sunrise is just icing on the cake.

I love music. I started playing guitar when I was about 15 years old. With no formal training, I did my best to emulate and learn from the rock gods who connected with a lost teenager on a level that no one else could. I continued playing through high school and college with the guitar and the noise from my amp being an ever-understanding, never-judging best friend. Almost immediately after leaving college I tried my hand at playing in a band and found myself with a new cadre of like-minded bandmates in Rev. After four years of amazing experiences and unforgettable shows, Rev went on a hiatus and soon after Lead Burns Red was formed. Both bands are of course on an indefinite hiatus as I travel, however, I will continue to post updates as well as share my musical findings.