Where in the world . . . ?

Technical Details (and a few more photos)

2011-05-26T10:02:00.002-06:00

Oops, I didn't make it clear that if you click on each photo in the previous post, it will take you to our Picasa albums.

And now a few of the photos I took with my phone's camera (with the Retro Camera app). Our camera died our second-to-last day of our trip, though it put up a valiant fight for its life to the end. I pulled out my camera phone every now and then, tho it didn't have a flash, so sometimes the photos are even more retro looking than usual.

Drop Box

(I have no idea how to change the title of the album, and I'm too lazy to move the last two photos of the album to their "proper" place.)

Travel Photos

2011-05-24T14:16:00.000-06:00

Well, I have procrastinated all morning, adding captions to the photos we've uploaded so far, which means that I now have four hours to finish up my work for the day, which means I don't have time to write up a recap of our travels. For now, suffice it to say we had a fabulous time. The reasons we didn't post regular blog updates while we were on the road include the following: (1) For the first time in years, I did not lug my computer with me, so I didn't have easy access to a computer. (2) Many of the places we stayed didn't have Internet connections anyway. (3) Even though Mark had his laptop, the screen was only attached to the keyboard by a few wires, so we tried to give it a break for the last few weeks of his travels. and finally (4) For the first time in I don't know how long, we were on an actual vacation together, with no work. Just us. And we hadn't seen each other for 3.5 months, so we just enjoyed our time together.

So, for now, I am letting the pictures and captions tell the story. I hope this link works. If not, let me know and I'll try another way of getting the photos out to the blog world.

First ... Morocco, which we loved just as much as the first time. Such a wonderfully friendly country, with so much history and so much to see and experience.

Morocco May 2011

And then Madrid and Portugal: We were only in Madrid for a couple days, and we didn't get too many great shots, even though we walked just about everywhere there was to go. Portugal was our favorite. We would happily go back there again to see more of what it has to offer:

Portugal and Madrid, Spain

I did keep a mini journal and will go through it when I get a chance to write about the highlights here.

I am back in Boise, while Mark jetsetted off to Costa Rica for 10 days. He'll be back on the 2nd, and I think maybe he'll stick around for the summer. But we shall see!

Oh, and check out this site: Expedition Impossible. This is what Mark was working on while in Morocco for the past 3 months. He even shows up in one of the episodes. He'll be signing autographs at the premiere party :-)

Measuring the hours in dishes and the minutes in socks

2011-04-21T10:18:00.004-06:00

As usual, I have been a little quiet here in BlogLand. As some of you know, that will probably change starting this weekend.

For the past two months, it's been all quiet on the various fronts, as Mark and I have been working, working, working away --- him in Morocco, having fun putting together races and such; me in Boise, in front of this computer for hours on end. But now, I'm struggling to get the last bits of work done in between cleaning house, mowing the lawn, and trying to keep my hands off the Rough Guide to Portugal--so tempting!!

As I finish up each chore, I find myself thinking, "That is the last load of laundry before I go." or "I won't have to wash this pan again until I get back." The biggest milestone will be when I can say, "This is the last time I have to open Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat for an entire month!" And let me tell you, that milestone almost thrills me as much as the fact that I finally get to see my long-lost Mark on SUNDAY!!

Kai, on the other hand, isn't thrilled about any of this

Catching Up

2011-02-06T20:50:00.004-07:00

There is so much to post here, but it's late and I am tired. So I will just send out a little note letting those who are interested know that Mark made it to Manchester, England, just fine. Last I heard, he was "packing gear right now--2 duckies [2-person inflatable kayaks], 2 life jackets, 2 helmets, 2 paddles and my gear--all in 2 bags. Then i get to lug it all on the train tonight, switch stations, and get to Gatwick at 2pm and fly out [to Marrakech] at 8. Will be an adventure."

In the meantime, I am here in Hamden, CT, with my folks. We had a great weekend with my sister and brother-in-law, their three beautiful girls, Nana, Karen, my cousin Debra, her folks, Rab, Julie, and a bunch of neighbors and friends I had never met before. All to celebrate Ground Hog's Day. Today the girls and I trudged through three feet of snow on an adventure of our own along the trails behind my parents' home. Who needs a gym when you are "postholing" up to your thighs with every step?

Pictures to come soon, along with a photo update of our past two months of good times and construction projects. In the meantime, here are two of the three gorgeous nieces and a whole pile of snow:

I'll also post the news from Mark (along with any photos he sends) as it comes in to me.

G'nite from snowy, sunny Connecticut!

[p.s. I don't have my camera here and am relying on my Android phone for camera shots. Never did get one of spunky Sabrina.]

Questions from the Peanut Gallery

2010-11-30T10:10:00.005-07:00

This weekend I got a few questions from my cousin (second cousin? first cousin once removed? I don't know ... cousin is just easier) Rebecca in Brooklyn, newish mommy to gorgeous little Stoshua. I was writing a long-winded reply via email and decided instead of boring just her, I would turn it into a blog post, because I really don't have much else to write about these days. Plus, I've been told that some folks out there like to hear about our lives even when we aren't on some far-flung adventure.

Some questions I am more qualified to answer than others, so we may need some expert opinions/advice/lessons from other readers.

"Maple Bacon donut? Tell me more! Not a meat eater, but never heard of such a combo!"

[Disclaimer: This discussion may be a little too much for anyone who doesn't like/eat pork. Sorry! I just can't help myself, but I love bacon!]

Well, my quest for said donut started on a flight from Dallas to somewhere, traveling on an airline that actually shows movies and television shows free of charge (what a concept). Anthony Bourdain was doing a tour of the Pacific Northwest, and one of his stops was Portland's (what I now know is legendary) Voodoo Donuts. This place has every kind of donut never imagined. A browse through their menu is actually kind of hilarious. Anyway, Anthony finished up his trip with a taste of the maple bacon donut, which he admitted sounded kind of gross. But then his face lit up, and you could tell he was in love. And when you think about it, it makes sense. On the rare occasion that I eat pancakes, I always make sure to have leftover bacon to sop up the remaining maple syrup. That combination of sweet and savory is so tasty! And the cake texture of the donut, the sugary crusty texture of the maple glaze, and the crunch, crispy texture of the bacon is so much fun on the tongue. I know all this now, because on our last trip to Portland, we finally made it to the shop, and the maple bacon donut was all I had hoped for. But definitely not something I would want to eat everyday. (I don't have a death wish for diabetes!)

On a side note, if you ever end up in Portland and need to bring some kind of food for a group of people, you can go to Voodoo Donuts and buy a bucket of "day-old" donuts (which are actually from that day) for $5. And the bucket is really a bucket, like the kind found at Home Depot or something.

"Have you tried sweet potatoes/yams with a bit of rosemary salt & butter!?"

[Disclaimer #2: If you hate fried food, you might want to skip this discussion too. What can I say? I love food!]

Heck, yes! In fact, there is a place here called the Boise Fry Company that serves all different kinds of potatoes in all different (fried) forms. On a chalkboard they indicate the types of fries they have that day (russet, yukon gold, yam, sweet potato, purple, fingerling, etc., etc.) and how they have them prepared (shoestring, curly, home style, steak cut, etc., etc.). Then they offer a condiment bar not only with the usual ketchup, mustard, and Idaho's own weird fry sauce (essentially French dressing ... yuck), but also with all sorts of flavored salts and sauces. My favorite? Home style sweet potato fries with the rosemary salt and either the garlic aioli or the chipotle dipping sauce. Yum!my!

"And curious ...how is Ilan pronounced? Stosh was almost Elan...pronounced E-Lahn...but it didn't make the cut!" [p.s. I'm so glad I am not the only one with a love for ellipses.]

And now I must pass the answering baton to the experts. I pronounce it E-lahn with almost equal accents on both syllables. But I am most likely getting it wrong. When it comes to names and Mark's family, I realize that I won't ever get the accent quite right. Not only am I missing the ability to make the throaty "ch" sound in Hanukkah and hummus, I am pretty sure that I never quite pronounce Ariel or Ilan exactly right. But then again, Mark says "Mahk" (which, I guess, is technically correct, since that is they way it is pronounced in "Australian") and "Tah-ra," so I think we can call it even. :-)

Keep those questions coming. Otherwise it will be quiet around these parts until something else comes along.

Oh ... p.s. we had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend with friends old and new (including a surprise visit from a friend who Mark worked with on the Kern River 20 years ago). Here's a shot from the post-Thanksgiving dinner charades game (just about everyone is wiping tears of laughter from their eyes ... good times!).

It's That Time of Year Again

2010-11-25T10:14:00.003-07:00

Time for me to sit and reflect on all the good. To ignore the sad, bad news from around the world. To tune out the sensationalists and the rhetoric and the fanatics. (Though granted, it is getting harder and harder to do.) And instead to remember what I love about this crazy mixed-up world we live in.

So here goes, my list of what I am thankful for, in no particular order ...

a roof over my head, my green puffy (newly cleaned) jacket, fresh eggs from our neighbor's chickens, the fact that our neighbors have chickens in their backyard, my health, the YMCA, walks with the dog(s), the fact that the foothills are one block away, white-snow-blue-sky days like today, that fresh roasted coffee in that little market in San Jose, Costa Rica, our travels, our friends, our friends, our friends, Kai and all his many dogsitting buddies, even the naughty ones, our veggie garden all prepped and ready to go for next year, our beehive (I hope they survive this cold snap!), my new desk setup (thanks Mark and Sid!), the fact that we finally framed almost all of our pictures (now we just need to hang them), a good book, rainbows, double rainbows, Green Pond, airplanes that take us to see family and friends and on our farflung adventures (even with all the annoyances of present-day travel), Bloody Marys, filling the house with the smells of good food, the Capri's greasy spoon breakfast, mmm bacon, my memories, creating new memories, all the trees we have planted, our neighbors, Wordfirm for keeping me busy, changing seasons, Nana and Grandpa and Gram and Nana 2 for everything they have taught me about the importance of love and laughter, knitting (even if the current blanket project will NEVER flippin' end), the fact that I actually (eventually) finish certain craft projects now (I am sure Mom is happy about that!), laughing until my face hurts, all of our beautiful nieces and nephews--Ilan, Lara, Ariel, Megan, Lily, Sabrina, and Ella--we miss you all so much and are so proud of all of you!!, my cruiser bike and the fact that I rarely ever get in a car these days, did I mention coffee?? (I think maybe the fact that it keeps coming up is a sign that I should brew a cup), river trips, cell phones (texting and email and facebook)--all of which help keep me in touch with family and friends all over the world, sweet potatoes and yams (what is the difference, anyway?), music, music, music, the ocean, maple bacon donuts from VooDoo Donuts, the odd lady who feeds the birds in the vacant lot next door (I wonder if she knows that the hawks have learned this and now prey on the birds? Hmmm), the sounds of Kai's claws clickety-clacking across the hardwood floor, cuddling, walks to the post office with Mark, Cafe de Paris's cafe au lait (that's three!), camping, our house with its white picket fence, our family, our family, our family, our family! And, of course, Mark --- I don't always show it well, but I love you more now than ever and cannot imagine my life without you. You make all the crazy stuff more bearable!

There is more, I am sure, but for some reason I am suddenly very hungry and craving coffee!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Or, if you don't celebrate this particular U.S. holiday, enjoy a day of love, laughter, and thanks just because! It's certainly better than the alternative.

Technical Difficulties

2010-10-21T21:36:00.001-06:00

Hmmm, for some reason Picasa is not linking the slide shows into the blog. It shows up on my screen, so I'm sitting here thinking all is OK. But apparently the slide show is not showing up anywhere else.

So, we'll do this the "old school" way (meaning the way of 6 months ago). Click on this link to see any of our public albums, including all the photos from Costa Rica: http://picasaweb.google.com/tsj1119.

Ahhhh, La Pura Vida

2010-10-14T19:03:00.005-06:00

How to capture what a great time we had our last week in Costa Rica without boring you to tears? That is my afternoon dilemma. I'll do my best! (or you can just check out the slide show, skip the long novel below, and make up your own story)

We left Turrialba after eating lunch with Jose at a soda (essentially a Costa Rican diner/cafe) that used to be the town's old train station. As always the comida tipica (typical local food) was delicious. It was sad to say goodbye to Jose, but we were also impatient to get on our way to rest and relaxation.

Gertrude the GPS was put back to work, as she guided us out of town and up, up, up into the mountains. Along the way, her "partner" Bill would interrupt with little tidbits of information about whatever little town we were passing. Gertrude is spot-on accurate, letting us know about upcoming speed bumps, "dangerous" bridges (which had me nervous at first, but it just means a one-way bridge), and sinking roadways (that one still has me nervous, as I have since seen several sinking roadways, and I don't like them!). She even knew about the obscure little turnoff that took us down, down, down to El Trogon Lodge, which turned out to be our own little piece of paradise.

There wasn't much to do down there in the valley, but it was perfect. Our two nights' stay consisted of eating (a ton of) fantastic food, drinking, sleeping (and more sleeping), reading (and more reading), going on a hike, watching the hummingbirds, enjoying the lush landscape, and playing pool, all while listening to the occasional torrential rainstorms. The weather was cool, the room had a nice warm heater (not to mention an even warmer hot shower ... heaven after a week of cold showers at Jose's!), and the staff were extremely friendly. And after the first night, we had the entire lodge all to ourselves.

Wednesday morning, we reluctantly packed up our stuff and drove up over el Cerro de la Muerte ("Mountain of Death," which "Bill" assured us did not get its name from the crazy drivers) down to the Pacific coast to the surfer's town of Domincal. And it was definitely a surfer's town. If you weren't out on a board, there wasn't much to do but sit in the bar, watch the 24/7 coverage of the Chilean miner's being rescued, sip Pilsens, eat seafood, and chat with the locals. But seeing as we were in complete relaxation mode, it was all good. (Though an air conditioner in the room would have been nice. It was swelteringly hot there!) We didn't have the best nights' sleep, thanks to the heat and humidity (not to mention my fear of geckos pooping on my head) and to the huge thunder and lightning storm that roared off the coast in the middle of the night (which was actually very cool). But the people were nice, the food was good, and the beer was icy cold. What more do you need?

The next day, we stopped in the town of Quepos to meet up with Kika and Natalia, two former Slovakian women's team rafters who helped out a ton with the race. Quepos is a town that leaves much to be desired, and I'm so glad we didn't spend much time there. After breakfast, Kika and Natalia headed south to Domincal, while we programmed Gertrude to lead us north, to Playa Bejuco (after a slight detour to check out Manuel Antonio ... a ridiculously tourist town, with a fantastic beach, that serves as an entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park, which we did not enter).

To get to Bejuco, we drove past miles and miles of palm trees. We weren't sure what they were for, as they didn't look like coconut or banana or pineapple trees. As we kept guessing, "Bill" finally interrupted us to say, "You may be wondering what those acres of palm trees are ..." I swear sometimes he eavesdropped on us. Anyway, according to "Bill," they harvest the fruit of the palm trees to make oils for margarine, cooking oil, cosmetics, even machinery oil. That explains why there was such a vast expanse of trees! The crazy thing was, according to "Bill," it's not even a native plant. This species of tree was brought over from Africa. Hooray for another mystery (to us) solved by "Bill."

The only mystery that "Bill" was not able to solve is why we passed no fewer than three airplane fusilages in the mountains and possibly a jet engine on one particularly hairy mountain pass. Every now and then, out of nowhere, a huge old jet would be sitting on the side of the road, slowly being devoured the landscape, once again reminding me of Romancing the Stone. The only one that made even a remote bit of sense, but not really, was the massive jet inside a bar in Manuel Antonio (I wanted to stop in for a drink, but Mark nixed that idea. Next time!).

Anyway, Gertrude wasn't much help in finding Bejuco, but if it were on her map, that might mean other people would have been able to find it too. As it was, we had the entire beach almost all to ourselves. I "swam" (I was actually too wimpy to swim, what with all the signs warning of rip currents and my own ridiculous fear of sharks, jellyfish, electric eels, etc., but I did float in the shallows.) while Mark rested on the shore (keeping an eye on our car just in case). But it was just too miserably hot to stay on the beach, so we ventured back up the road to the Delfin Hotel, where they were kind enough to let us relax by their pool. We sipped gin and tonics, ate just-made ceviche and homemade tortilla chips, and chatted with a couple ex pats. A wonderful way to spend a lazy afternoon. If we hadn't had to make the drive to San Jose that night, we most likely would have stayed the night.

But, alas, San Jose was next on our agenda, so off we went again, with Gertie by our side (actually, in my lap) to guide us through all the various detours and mountain passes. There is a brand new highway that leads from the beach to the capital city, allegedly cutting travel time nearly in half. We had heard that it may or may not be open, but since the toll booth operators took our money, we assumed it was open. Silly us. Thank God it wasn't foggy or dark, as we very easily could have plowed right into the two concrete barriers blocking the road. No flashing lights, no warning signs (well, none that we could interpret anyway), no reflectors on the barriers. Yikes! The unmarked detour was one of the windier, steeper roads that we had experienced, but it offered stunning views from the top, and it was a beautiful way to drop down into the sparkling lights of the city of San Jose.

On Friday, after Mark's meeting with Rafa, the three of us went out for a massive lunch at a Brazilian steakhouse. So good, but so filling! Later in the afternoon, Mark and I wandered around the city in search of gifts for the folks who watched Kai for us. The rain was pouring down, and it was Friday evening, which is payday. The streets were packed with people, all carrying umbrellas that hit us right at eye level. I was glad I had my glasses on, otherwise I might have lost an eyeball or two. But the entire adventure ended up well, as we stumbled upon a market where we found probably the most delicious coffee I have ever tasted. No sugar or milk required. Just straight up goodness. I'm still raving about how wonderful it was a week later.

And that, my friends, is the end of our two weeks in Costa Rica.

Next up? Halloween!

FYI

2010-10-11T10:00:00.003-06:00

For those who get these blog posts sent directly to your email: Mark informs me that the little slide shows don't come through to email. So, if you want to see the photos from the past couple posts, be sure to go directly to taminaus.blogspot.com (Nana, you'll have to go next door to Gary and Jane's) to see some photos.

Success

2010-10-11T09:25:00.003-06:00

As always, the IRF team pulled off a great race. And as always, it wasn't without it's many difficulties and face-offs. But, in the end, it was all worth it. There were a few flips and boat wraps (which is when a boat winds up on a rock and the force of the river essentially wraps the boat to the rock), but no one was seriously injured, and all the teams seemed to have a great time.

The final ceremony was yesterday afternoon, with a delicious barbecue and lots of beer. The party then continued here at Jose's, with many of the safety crew and judges, as well as the US men's and women's team and one guy (Andrej) from one of the many Czech Republic teams. Amazingly enough, we are all feeling pretty good this morning, considering the great time we all had last night.

Now we are starting our vacation. After we finish up posting the results, etc., we will load up the car and head off for Trogon Lodge. After two days there, we will head to the Pacific coast for seafood and surf. And then it's back to San Jose for dinner with Rafa and his wife, Alejandra, before heading out early Saturday morning. Yay! A vacation for just the two of us!!

In the meantime, here are some more photos, including a shot of our second flat tire!

Rockin' and Rollin'

2010-10-09T06:14:00.002-06:00

I don't have a ton of time to write. It's 6:!5 and we are leaving in 15 minutes for the second day of the races. Mark is still updating the InternationalRafting.com site every night, so hop over there if you are interested. I think he is posting pictures and videos as well.

Just in case any of you heard about our little quake down here, I wanted you to know we are fine, and everything is still standing (even us ... barely). We were sitting at dinner, eating amazing food!!, when the chairs and tables started shaking. It was just a little shaker, and definitely not the worst I've felt. In fact, at first I thought it was just a really huge truck going by. My only concern was that it wasn't a precursor to one of the many volcanoes down here about to erupt.

I was assured that it wasn't.

Well, time to brush my hair, chow down a burrito (made to order by Eric Boudreau ... an ex-Canadian men's team and now the chief judge of the race ... and also one of the 14 Canadians who stayed in our home in Denver a few short months after we moved in), and head on down to the river.

Pictures Are Worth Thousands of Words

2010-10-05T21:17:00.002-06:00

Which is good, because I'm ready for bed. Everything is going well. You can read Mark's take on everything over here: www.internationalrafting.com

For your viewing pleasure, here is a quickie slideshow of our first few days. No captions, just pictures. Sweet dreams!

Living La Pura Vida

2010-10-04T07:35:00.003-06:00

Well, I should actually have some fodder for the blog for the next two weeks.

On the Road Again
Saturday, Mark and I flew down to Costa Rica, where Mark will be the race director for the Pre-World Rafting Championships. Long-time readers of our various adventures may recall that we went to Ecuador for a similar race ages ago. The deal is this: Every two years, the IRF puts on a 6-person world rafting championships. In the year before the actual event, they require that a "pre"-race be put on to ensure that all logistics, etc., are in place and problems are smoothed out before the big event. It's kind of a pain in the butt for the organizers, but until they get big sponsors, it's a necessary evil (big sponsors would provide big money, and with big money, most of the little problems that come up during a pre-worlds would never be a problem). This year there will be 21 teams from about 7 countries.

Anyway, after a long day of travel from Boise to San Jose, Costa Rica, with no delays, no luggage problems, and no problems (albeit also with no legroom and no amenities whatsover), we got in, made it through immigration and customs without a hitch, and headed over to Budget Rental Car. Even with a hand-drawn map and a GPS system in the car, we had a heck of a time finding our hotel in the rain at 10 p.m. at night. But, at last, we turned off Miss Gertrude the GPS and trusted the hand-drawn map. After a few more wrong turns and missed exits, we finally made it to the Country Suites and Inn by Carlson (if we had known that full name, Miss Gertrude would have had no trouble whatsoever ... as always, technology issues come down to user knowledge and user error). The hotel was lovely, and our room had a massive, comfy bed. Our first dinner in Costa Rica was rice and beans and fruit from the local grocery store enjoyed while flipping through the TV channels. Not exactly what I imagined, but still just perfect for the state we were in.

The next morning, the hotel provided a delicious breakfast buffet, including Costa Rican coffee, fresh fruit juices of just about any flavor you would like, and eggs made to order (not to mention a plethora of pastries and breads).

Driving Miss Gertrude
After filling our bellies, we loaded up the car, programmed in our route to Turrialba into the GPS (which was much easier to work when I could actually see what I was doing in the light of day), and headed east. We soon learned that Gertrude is worth her weight in rice and beans. Not only did she take us around the city instead of through it, but she also has a partner, Bill, who speaks up every now and then with tidbits of history and sight-seeing info. What a fantastic invention!!

We drove right past the largest volcano in Costa Rica, which last exploded in 1963, the same year JFK made a state visit to the country, and which flattened the since-rebuilt town at its base. Of course, the clouds were all pretty low, so we didn't actually see it, but it sounded impressive. Apparently, on a rare, clear day, you would be able to see both the Atlantic and the Pacific from its peak.

Then we passed through Cartago, the ancient capital of Costa Rica, in which there is an old church to which pilgrims from miles away come once a year, many of them making the entire trek on their knees. We didn't stop to see it, but apparently it has beautifully painted wooden pillars and lots of stained glass. As we approached another turn in the road, Gertrude beeped and displayed a little message letting us know that we were passing the ruins of an even-more ancient church. I love that little GPS!

Romancing el Rio
After fixing a flat, we arrived at Jose's place in Turrialba. Jose is a friend of Mark's and an employee of Rafa's (Rafael Gallo is our host, the organizer of the race, another old friend of Mark's, and the owner of Rios Tropicales). We had just enough time to say hi and switch out of our travel shoes before heading off to the river. As always, the drive to the river was an adventure in itself, but Rafa is a fantastic driver, and his truck is apparently pretty indestructible.

The race will take place along a stretch of river that is bordered by two little farms with lots of land for people to camp and park and enjoy the race. There is so much to be done before the race starts on Friday, but they have a great crew of workers. One of the big jobs is to create trails down through the jungle for spectators to follow. Since said trails were not yet created, we made our way through the jungle just like Joan Wilder and Jack T. Colton in Romancing the Stone, though without the high heels or heavy luggage (or the police shooting as us). Rafa and Walter hacked away with their machetes, while the rest of us tried to keep from sinking to our knees in the mud. I know my family will find this hard to believe, but it was a blast. And I certainly don't need to worry about anything I ate for the rest of the day. I think I sweat out about half my body weight thanks to the humidity and the strenuous activity. I even walked across the creepy, creaky, swaying bridges without flinching ... too much (I really do hate those things).

Of course, Mark has the camera with him today, so photos will (once again) have to wait until another day.

I just love watching the entire race coming together. Impromptu meetings occur in the strangest places ... atop a mossy, riverside rock; on a creaky, metal bridge over a rushing rapid; beneath the farmer's carport, while sipping his much-appreciated Imperial beer; in a delightful soda (cafe/restaurant), while eating yummmmy casados (meat, rice, beans, eggs, salad, and fried plantains). Mark is back in his element and thriving on pulling it all together. Unlike some other past race locales (ahem ... South Korea!), he has a terrific crew of guys to help out, so I know it will all come together pretty smoothly.

That's It, for Now!
Today (Monday), I'm sitting here in Jose's lovely home, with a view out his iron-adorned French doors into the valley and the distant mountains, catching up on work and getting started on re-creating the timing sheets for the race. Mark is off checking out the downriver course (by boat) and then starting the arduous task of setting up the sprint and slalom (always the hardest part of the entire race). Teams start arriving today and will be on the river starting tomorrow. The race itself starts on Friday. And now my story is all told ... for now.

As Time Goes By

2010-09-09T09:59:00.005-06:00

I am happy to report that the lack of blogging here has been due to an extremely busy, fun-packed summer. We are actually all packed and ready to go on our next adventure right now. We are just waiting for our friends Sid and Davida to sort out the stuck egg in their chicken (no joke).

So while we wait, here's a very quick recap:

After our Middle Fork of the Salmon trip (see the previous post), Mark headed off for the Netherlands to help organize and run, as well as do the media for, the four-person raft championships. You can read all about it at internationalrafting.com. This site is also what has been keeping Mark busy this summer, as it is his job to keep it (and the IRF Facebook page) up to date and full of interesting info for boaters and nonboaters alike.

While Mark was off in the Netherlands, I hopped on a plane for a fantastic two-week trip to Connecticut, New Jersey, and North Carolina. After being pampered with mom at a local spa, we stopped off with Dad to see the Darling clan on Green Pond. Relaxing cruises on the lake, a fun night at the Seven Sisters, and always love and laughter made up for the fact that it was a much-too-short visit. Then Mom, Dad, and I headed south for the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where we met up with the Tuthills, our family friends from my earliest days of life, and the Studebaker gang. The house was right on the beach, but also had a pool. Our days were filled with more laughter, lots of swimming, and a whole bunch of relaxing (not to mention a heck of a lot of eating and drinking). Thanks so much to the Tuthills for making it all possible.

I returned to Mark here in Boise, where we have filled up our days with garden projects, more boating, lots of barbecues, the Tour de Fat, the Western Idaho Fair, a hot air balloon festival, pool parties, a bunch of mountain biking, and even a little Willie Nelson at the Botanical Gardens. In between all that, Mark took a job as a polysomnographic technologist at a sleep lab. An entirely new venture for him that he is finding incredibly interesting, even if it isn't his dream job (no pun intended).

And once the chicken and egg issue is sorted, we will be going full circle this summer, returning to Portland to pick up a bench that Mark's folks bought for us last time we were there. In addition to visiting the city again, we will also be camping on the coast for a couple nights to get in some more ocean time!

And now for your viewing pleasure, photos from our summer, in no particular order and without any labels, as the chicken problem has been solved (unfortunately without a very happy ending for either the chicken or the egg) and we are about to head out the door.

Miscellaneous Photos (more to come ... someday)

2010-07-13T10:48:00.004-06:00

So technically today is a tomorrow, it just isn't the tomorrow I referred to in my previous post. I still don't have all the pictures from our various adventures. Most are on Mark's computer, which is the Netherlands with Mark (check out www.internationalrafting.com to see what he is up to).

But I did promise pictures (when am I not promising pictures?), so here are the few I have related to the previous post. Actually, only the first few are related to the previous post. The rest are from our wonderful, wonderful, wonderful Middle Fork of the Salmon 6-day river trip (which we just got back from on Thursday night). The river was gorgeous (it runs through the Frank Church/River of No Return Wilderness, which apparently is on the list of 1,000 places to see before you die ... so check that one off the list. Only 999 more to go.), the weather was fantastic, the food was to die for (and then to come back to life just so you could eat more and die all over again), and our group was excellent. Not a bad egg among us (or maybe I was the bad egg and no one told me).

Anyway, without further ado, a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Trip the First -- The No Lochsa Weekend, during which we did not raft on the Lochsa and instead enjoyed a wonderful weekend in McCall (which included rafting, skiing, rafting, which a bunch of food and laughter in between).

Trip the Most Recent -- Middle Fork of the Salmon River

So Far Behind

2010-06-14T21:37:00.004-06:00

We are so very far behind in keeping this blog up to date. It has been a fun, hectic, busy, adventure-filled spring. But you certainly wouldn't know that, would you.

So here's the quick recap:

Trip 1: Rather than the freezing Lochsa River, we ended up in McCall, Idaho, at a friend's family's 5-bedroom "cabin." We floated down a mellow section of the Salmon, skied the last day at Brundage Mountain, eased our muscles in the hot tub overlooking the Payette River, ate a ridiculous amount of wonderful home-cooked food, and then wound up the whole weekend with a trip down the south fork of the Payette River, upon which Mark expertly guided us through some rocking and rolling class 3 rapids.

For the next two weekends we installed a sprinkler system, with the great, generous help of Heather, her Dad, and Simo.

Trip 2: We got together with a group of friends and headed to the Snake River, on the border of Idaho and Oregon. It was a wonderful trip, like no other, down Hells Canyon (mainly class 3 of a huge, huge river through North America's deepest river gorge). The days were spent on the river, and the nights were spent relaxing in a river hot tub that could easily seat 15. Not exactly the definition of roughing it!

Trip 3: For Memorial Day, we trekked back up through McCall and beyond, to the wondrous Burgdorf Hot Springs. I can't even begin to describe how relaxing this weekend was. More fantastic food and friends, all interspersed between trips to the natural hot springs that overlooked the surrounding mountains. Peace.Ful.

Trip 4: Mark's folks arrived a few days after the Burgdorf trip. We spent a few days showing them around Boise before heading off on a 10-day roadtrip through the northwest. We stopped in Sun River and Portland, Oregon; Seattle and Ritzville, Washington; and McCall. There was much eating of good food, shopping in all sorts of different shops, exploring of city nooks and crannies, and even the occasional hike into the wilderness. It was a fantastic time!

And now we are back home. My computer is just about out of juice tonight, and most of the photos from the various adventures are on Mark's computer. So, tomorrow, when the computer is all recharged, I will add photos for your viewing pleasure. Stay tuned!!

The Birds and the Bees (and the Trees)

2010-05-04T19:20:00.004-06:00

We have had several reader questions since our last post, and we are here to oblige!

From our inquisitive nephew Ilan, down in Sydney:
How do you get the bees out of the tree and into the hive?
A picture speaks 1,000 words, or so they say, so let me see if this photo montage helps explain (because even though I watched it happen, I'm still not entirely sure how it all came together).

Mark and Drew in their oh-so-fashionable beekeeping gear. Drew is holding the top of the tree and sawing just below the swarm, while Mark holds the base to keep it all steady.

A close-up of the above.

An even closer-up of the above above.

Carefully detaching the branch from the tree.

I wish I had video of this one. Drew essentially banged the branch against the beehive just once, and all the bees just "ploomped" (technical term) into the box. That group of bees right in front didn't quite make it in, but they eventually settled down and moved in. From what I understand, the queen was in the center of all that craziness. And where the queen goes, her bees follow. So when she fell in, all the others moved in with her. After about 24 hours, Drew came back and moved the hive against the side of the house, so it gets morning sun and then afternoon shade. I don't know how he moved it all, as he took care of that at some ungodly hour of the morning (oh, say, about 8 a.m. or something on a Saturday!).

So as you can see, I don't really know how it all happened. But it did. And the bees have been happily buzzing along ever since.

Which leads us to our next question.

From Mom (as opposed to Mum) in Connecticut
How do you get the honey out of their new home now?
Good question. I don't know ... yet. All I've been told is that Drew takes out the slats (here they all are in the box. Out of the box they essentially look like manmade honeycomb).

The slats are on wooden frames and the "comb" is angled slightly (this is important, but I don't know why, exactly). He places these in what sounds like a heated centrifuge, which spins it all around and flings the honey out of the comb and down into the jars. Apparently last year he got about 5 gallons a hive (and he had 4 hives!). That's a lot of honey! And, depending on the time of year, the honey has a different flavor. Last year his early-season honey had a more citrusy flavor (YUM!), while his later-season honey tasted more like "regular" honey. Apparently it all depends on the flowers that are in bloom at different times of year.

From Auntie Karen, in beautiful, tree-laden North Caldwell:
Why did you have to take down the trees?
Well, it all started because the easiest way to get the bees out of the little 7-foot pine tree was to chop off the part where they had settled. We didn't like this tree anyway, as it was way too close to the fence (and I'm not a huge fan of pine trees unless they are "out in the wild", i.e., they look great in the Rockies).
The other tree was this big, massive, ugly juniper tree. We never liked it, as it was in a really odd spot. We weren't planning on taking it down just yet, as we were hoping some of the others we planted would grow over the next few years to provide us with a little extra shade before we cut it down. But men and chainsaws cannot be stopped, not even for little mourning doves.
Then there was the humongous mulberry tree that was growing right out of our foundation. I have no idea why the previous owners let it go for so long. It has scraped up the siding on our house and was perilously close to the electrical wiring leading into our house (oh, how I miss the buried wires of our past several homes). All quite scary when the wind starts blowing hard!
And the final pine tree was an accident. While Mark fought with the mulberry tree, he told Drew to "take out that juniper" (though he might have said "pine tree," I wasn't there). Drew thought he meant the little pine tree against the north fence, which, for the record, was also way too close to the fence. So bye-bye other pine tree.

Whew! That's the long answer. The short answer is that we didn't really like any of them, and we don't feel all that guilty, because although we have taken out a total of 6 trees, we have planted 12 (so far), plus an additional two lilac bushes and plans for at least 2 or 3 more (don't worry, Mom, we are making sure they are spaced out well enough ... we have a ridiculously large backyard). So someday we will have shade again (though that someday may be 20 years down the line).

I believe those are all the answers of late. If I missed someone, just post a comment, and I will reply, sooner or later.

Not-Quite-the-Weekend Update

2010-04-28T22:33:00.002-06:00

We have been MIA again from this little blog of ours. We are still busy with the house, as well as the beginning of barbecue season, bike rides, work, ... and the list goes on.

Last weekend we were swarmed by bees and now have our own honeybee hive. That excitement led to us cutting down all of the old trees in our backyard, which, in turn, led to the pseudo-orphaning of two little baby mourning doves and then the cruel agony of watching Mama Bird return later to no nest, no babies, and a torrential downpour that lasted all night. It was a very somber ending to an otherwise productive and interesting weekend. After about a week, Mama Bird has finally flown off and no longer sits on our clothesline, staring in our window all day and night, so I no longer have to hear her telltale call. And yet I will never be able to listen to a mourning dove again without getting a big ol' lump in my throat.

The swarm, settling down in one of our former trees

The swarm's new home

This horrendous juniper is now long gone,
as are the birds who had made it their home. Sorry birds!!

After all that excitement, we settled down to a busy week of work so that we could get ready for our first real adventure in Idaho. Originally the plan was to head up into the mountains for our first Idaho rafting trip on the raging Lochsa River up near Lolo Pass. Apparently this is the spot along Lewis and Clark's adventures where they had to kill a colt to feed the crew, where they faced near starvation, and where they were caught in an unseasonable snowstorm. As we watched the weather reports throughout the day today, we were starting to think that we would be in for a similar encounter. But at the last minute, our crew decided to scrap the original plan of camping in the rain and snow. Instead we are heading up to McCall for a weekend of rafting, skiing, and hot tubbing, all based in the comforts of a warm and cozy cabin. Hooray!

So if you haven't heard from us in a while, it's because we've been wrangling bees, birds, work, and play. It's a rough life here in the wilds of Idaho!

M.I.A.

2010-04-13T09:12:00.002-06:00

We've been MIA again, but this time not due to sickness or sheer laziness or lack of anything to say.

A week ago Friday, I bought two bookcases from a shop that is moving to a new location. I got a steal of deal -- $10 each. What a bargain!

The two bookcases, stashed in the corner

The next day, at about noon, Mark and I sat in my office, trying to figure out how to organize the room, where to place the bookcases, etc., etc., which led to the discussion of, "Well, we do want to pull up the carpet and paint the walls." "Yes, but I thought we were going to work in the garden this weekend." "Yeah, well, maybe we should do this first." And off to Home Depot we went to get all the materials to rip up the carpet, paint the plywood (for our temporary ghetto-hardwood-floor substitute until we can afford the real stuff), paint the walls, clean up the trim, etc. etc. All so that we could then move in the $20 bookcases. So much for my bargain.

For a week, our living area looked like this:

Ack!

as we did this to my office:

And now it looks like this:

Yay!

All that's left to do is hang pictures, shorten the curtains, and find some new bookcases. Because, alas, after all that, we decided that the bookcases really didn't go with my office. So now they are being used as clothing shelves in our bedroom (in place of the cardboard boxes that we had been using as dressers for the past 7 months ... really, we are not still in college. We are grown adults ... sort of. Really.)

After a brief respite of having the house all in one piece again, we started in on Mark's office, and once again our living room looks like this:

If you know anything about home "improvement" projects, I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that in the process of ripping up Mark's carpets, etc., we discovered that the wood around his window was rotten and icky and mucky from a leak that the previous owners decided to just ignore:

Oooh, pretty!

So yet another quick-and-easy project turns into a major chore. But already, it looks like this, so we are making terrific headway ... all things considered:

In between painting and moving and taping and priming, we also had time to plant a huge donation of clippings and cuttings from our neighbor's garden, buy all the materials necessary to build a fence around our future veggie garden, and attend a fantastic wedding reception up at Bogus Basin for some good friends of ours.

The happy couple

So, that's where we've been. Phew ...

La Pura Vida

2010-03-23T13:47:00.007-06:00

Today's Guest Post is courtesy of Mark, who is living the sweet life this week down in Costa Rica.

*******************

I am sitting at El Tigre (Rafa's farm house on the Pacuare), and it is raining like you wouldn't believe. The place is a rustic hut with solar electricity (we had to use a generator tonight, as the batteries are not working well). Except for the LED light above me, it is 100% dark. The rain is so loud, you can't even hear the jungle noises, and all I can think of is that you need to be here with me. [Ed Note: Awwww.]

This place is incredible, and I love it. Today's adventure was fantastic. We started out early, at 7 am, and cooked a breakfast of bacon, eggs, rice, and plantains. Then we got on ATVs and rode all around the area. (When we reached the road, that's when I called you from Rafa's phone.) Next we met the Rios Tropicales clients and went with them to the river. Had a fantastic day on the river and figured out how to do the time trial on the Pacuare. We plan to make it a community event, where we are going to plant trees and showcase how this river was saved from a dam. Once off the river, we had a late lunch at Cairo and then got a ride with the guides back to the ATVs and rode back here to the hut. We sat out on the open deck, listening to the rains come in as we figured out how to organize the World Rafting Champs. Beautiful.

Rafa is now asleep (8:22pm), and I am working on the event and putting all my notes down so we can remember everything. Anyway I just want you to know that as great a time as I am having, the most important thing is that it is not 100% complete as I am not sharing it with you. I promise you will see these places by October 2011 at the latest.

Hooray for Nana!

2010-01-28T18:04:00.007-07:00

Today's post is brought to us by my first guest blogger: Auntie Karen, aka The Queen. Thanks, Auntie K.!!

For those of who are on Auntie Karen's lengthy e-mail list, I apologize for the duplicate news. But this news is just too happy not to spread around. (And it has pictures ... though not necessarily recent ones.)

(Because this is a guest blog, here's a little clarification "Mom" = "Nana." Just in case you all think this is about my mom.)

Mom's preparation for a cochlear implant started October 2009, surgery was January 6 and "hook-up" -- the day we have been working toward (when the outside processor is connected to the implanted device) happened January 26.

Gary, Jane, Mom and I drove and Donna took the train from CT to NYC. We were all there when the audiologist made the "connection." She programmed the unit and began to ask Mom questions in a normal conversational voice with her lips covered so Mom could not lip-read. Amazingly, Mom began to answer with a completely relaxed and normal affect. There was no leaning forward in total concentration to grasp what was being said.

She heard our voices, and it was an emotional moment for all of us (one of many to come). Jane, Donna, and I were choked up and reaching for the tissue box. Mom said we sounded like we were speaking in slow-motion, but she was hearing sounds.

For the first time in a LONG time, Mom heard Gary's voice. Driving home, Mom and Gary were able to carry on a conversation in the car -- the road noise did not override all other noises and Mom did not have to look at Gary's face to try to read his lips. She even noticed that she could hear the clicking of the directional signal.

Prior to the surgery, Mom could not hear anything, or little of what someone said, if they spoke quickly, if she couldn't see their lips, if they spoke without moving their lips or covered their mouth with their hand, if they spoke while looking away, if they spoke from behind her, if their voice was pitched high, or if they spoke quietly. If there was any background noise, such as music, other people speaking, or even a plane flying overhead, they would compete with or cancel out the sound of the person speaking to her.

With my voice pitched at an alto and having spent a lot of time with Mom (which meant she was used to my voice) and adhering to all the rules that help in hearing, I could communicate pretty well with Mom. But even with all that, in the past few months, I had to touch Mom's arm for her to know I was speaking. It was exhausting for Mom, discouraging for all of us, and had gotten to the point where Mom decided something had to be done and was willing to even undergo surgery to regain her ability to communicate. The isolation caused by her profound hearing loss had become too great.

Well, when we got back to my house after the hook-up, Mom said she heard the fireplace crackling, heard my wall clock ticking, heard the telephone ring. When we had dinner, she suddenly realized that she could be chewing food when someone spoke to her and yet she could hear what they were saying. Previously, if we spoke to her at dinner, she would have to stop chewing because she couldn't hear when she was eating.

The next day we went back into NYC for more adjustments, where she was programmed for an Auto-Telephone feature that is activated when the caller begins to speak. She does not have to make any adjustments; she just holds the phone near the "speakers" (which are the size of 2 pin heads). I spoke with her this morning and was able to change subjects, and she could follow the conversation. Previously, if we were talking about something and then tried to change to a different subject, Mom would not catch the words in the transition, and we would end up saying, "I will email you."
　
Gary just called to say that he was sitting with Mom talking and had a Nat King Cole CD playing, and Mom could hear both. Mom hasn't been able to enjoy music in years!! Gary was so pleased that he called Donna, Jane, Susan and me -- a call from Gary is infrequent -- and again, we were all choked up with emotion for this, new "miracle." Gary stayed for over an hour, and Mom got to spend precious time, enjoying music with her son.
　
Of course, there are still lots of appointments for more adjustments and speech therapy (teaching listening exercises) scheduled all the way into May. And each new voice takes time to get accustomed to. There are also many more features that Mom will have to experiment with, get used to, and decide whether they are helpful to her or not. But for only 2 days post- "hook-up" we are amazed at the difference. Mom's hearing is coming back so smoothly that it is a pleasant surprise each time one of us realizes a new improvement. This will certainly give Mom the ability to fully participate in life. In fact, Sunday will tell us if she can hear Father Marc's sermon (he says she may regret the operation, but I doubt it). I am also anxious to have her speak with her great-grandchildren and hear their voices for the first time [Ed Note: Me too!!!].

This is truly a happy time for us, and I know Dad and George are so proud of Mom and of all of us for supporting her in this life-changing decision.
　
I know this is not a recent photo, but I love it!

Mom thanks you all for the cards and emails wishing her well. She gets the best mail of anyone I know. All the messages are in a neat pile for each of us to read and enjoy; it is like Christmas everyday.

Update: I just got another call from Mom, and we were able to discuss her insurance bill and the fact that her “sonic boom alarm clock” was delivered. When the implant and hearing aid are out at night, Mom is totally deaf, so she has no way of being awakened for a morning appointment. Eric connected the sonic boom; it makes the telephone ring and the lamp light flash, and it has a huge alarm sound and rocks her bed. She said it almost throws her out, and she thinks it will wake Gary next door, so if she does sleep through it, he can come wake her up. Aren't we having fun?　

Eight Years

2010-01-18T18:39:00.001-07:00

I love this picture. I think that it expresses everything wonderful about our marriage, and everything about Mark that is so great. I mean, look at that smile of his. Doesn't it just make you want to go out and have fun and love life? Carpe diem, and all that good stuff?

Life is never perfect every second of every day, and there are so many little bumps along the way. But I am so thankful for those little moments of perfectness and so glad that I am sharing the ride, bumps and all, with this man that I love.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-14T21:53:00.003-07:00

Well, all in all, the new year is still fairly new, so we aren't too behind in our holiday well-wishing! We wish you all the best in the year to come. And as we do for every year, we hope to catch up with you somewhere along the road in the months to come.

Happy New Year!

Rather than recap what we've been up to, you can just reread all our old posts. Stimulating reading, I am sure. Or just hop on over to our Picasa slideshow, because as you know a picture speaks 1,000 words! (So wit our little album, I'm saving you from reading about 85,000 words!)

Sad Day

2010-01-06T09:31:00.002-07:00

As I sit here writing on this appropriately gray, dreary day, I'm listening to murder and mayhem outside my front window. I have my red curtains closed, but they are kind of sheer, so it gives the whole event an even more macabre feel.

The tree guys are here. Our one big tree, which in the summer shades our upstairs as well as our entire backyard (once the sun starts its descent), is being taken down. Yes, I know it is (allegedly) more than two-thirds rotten inside. Yes, I know it is leaning precariously over our upstairs bedroom. Yes, I know that silver maples are not really a pretty tree, at least in terms of fall color. Yes, I know we are getting three (very small) trees in its place ... someday. But, it's still a living (barely) tree that has been here probably more than 50 years (how long does it take a silver maple to grow to be over 50 feet tall?). Not to mention the fact that all fall I've been watching a family of squirrels scurry around and stock their home with all sorts of goodies. And that home just happens to be in the big silver maple (OK, so those squirrels probably contributed to its downfall, as their home is in the huge knot on the side of the tree. But still.)

And on top of all that, I know I will eventually be reprimanded by the batty woman who scolded me a month ago when she heard that the tree was slated to come down. Even though I told her that we are planting three trees in its place. Even though I know that since we moved in this past August, we have planted seven trees. She still scolded me. Like it was my fault the tree was dead. She is probably also one of those people who want to protect all the prairie dogs, even though they breed so fast and have so few natural predators, that in two years' time they were able to turn a field of tall grasses into a barren dust bowl.

Oops, how'd I get off on that tangent?

So I'm giving a little offering of thanks to our silver maple. We've only enjoyed its shade for 4 months, but we will miss it. (Though, admittedly, we won't be missing all the dead branches it dropped in our yard.) So long, tree! I hope you come back in your next life as a long-lived (male) ginkgo!

Let the Projects Begin (again)

2009-12-09T09:22:00.003-07:00

We have been in our new home for going on four months now. In that time, we've completed a couple hefty outdoor projects (moving the fence; building the shed; planting more irises than I care to count; planting new trees and plotting the death of old trees). But once fall came, we pretty much shut down on the projects. Now that winter is here (it is definitely here!! Brrrrr.), we have begun our first big indoor project (other than replacing the front door, installing a new bathroom fan, fixing the dishwasher, etc., etc.).

Our dear friend (and inspiration) Heather Z. decided to tear up the carpet in her bedroom and just paint the subfloor until she had time, etc., to install a new hardwood floor. Duh!? Why didn't we think of that?! So, we have followed her lead and started the de-construction.

Heather, the instigator
(I mean inspiration) for our latest project

We are starting small, just the downstairs hallway and stinky, icky laundry room. After a couple knuckle-busting days of ripping up carpet, tearing out ninety-seven million staples, and then scraping up linoleum, we are now down to the best we could do in terms of subfloor. The heat is cranked up to get that caulk and mud dry, so that later today we can paint the floor with the cat-pee-odor-killing primer. Then maybe tomorrow we can put on the "wood" colored paint that we picked out.

Before and After:
The Before may look better, but trust us,
the photo does not convey the level of stink
that existed in those layers of carpet and
linoleum and moldy wood.

Aw, Thanks!

2009-11-26T10:43:00.001-07:00

To all of you who celebrate, and even those of you who don't, we wish you a very healthy, happy, tasty Thanksgiving. We hope you are spending it (or spent it, in Debi's case) with loved ones, whether they be family or friends or family AND friends.

Thanksgiving, 2007

I just remembered that I did a whole list of what I was thankful for last year, and that was a pretty good list. But I can't just copy and paste it here--that would be cheating. So bear with me as I list this year's "What I'm Thankful for Right Now" post.

I'm thankful for the heater vent right under my desk that keeps my footsies warm in winter (note that those footsies are also in the blue fuzzy socks from Michelle A., which are inside the blue fuzzy slippers from Susan F. So I am triply toasty. Thank you all!).
I'm thankful to Michelle (twice in one post) for sending along that onion confit recipe. As I type, our house is filling with the smells of caramelizing onions. Mmmmm. Can't wait to see how it tastes in place of the cranberry sauce on the turkey. (Michelle, I will send you the yam scone recipe this week. Promise!)
I'm thankful for our wonderful new home.
I'm thankful to Heather Z. for encouraging us to make the great migration north.
I'm thankful to our parents for supporting us in so many ways. We cannot thank you enough for everything you all have done--Mum and Dad and Mom and Dad!
I'm thankful that our friend Shane is home with his loving wife and daughter and on the road to recovery.
I'm thankful to be out of Dallas. But saying that, I'm also so thankful to our circle of friends in Dallas (and Austin) who made our year there so much more bearable than it would have been without them. It wasn't the people we didn't like; it was just the place that did not suit us.
I'm thankful to be here in Boise. We have found a city that fits exactly what we have been looking for, and we have fallen into another fabulous network of friends who have made us feel so welcome . . . from our very first day here.
As always, I am thankful to all our family and friends for everything. You help make us who we are!
And this I am going to steal from last year, because it is all still true: I'm thankful for my incredible, supportive, fun, loving, makes me giggle and smile, shows me so much of the world husband. I love you!

So whether you are celebrating the American Thanksgiving or just sitting around enjoying your day, take a couple seconds to realize all the good things in life. It's way better than dwelling on the negative.

Hello Forties!

2009-11-20T09:45:00.003-07:00

Thank you to all my family and friends for making the transition to 40 so wonderful. All the emails, cards, phone messages, phone calls, Facebook notices, generous gifts ... everything! It was all great, fantastic, more than I could have asked for. And I loved hearing the stories some of you had about my early days on this planet :-)

Yesterday was just about a perfect birthday. After sleeping in a bit, Mark and I hopped on our bikes and headed to Moon's Kitchen Cafe for breakfast. I veered (only slightly) from my usual breakfast of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast to try the special scramble of eggs, bacon, mushrooms, cheddar, and jalapenos, all eaten to the tunes of 50s and 60s music, that of course I sang along to while I ate, even though my dad always taught me there is "no singing at the table" ;-). Yum! We then walked around downtown and window-shopped/talked on our cell phones (me to Mom and Mark to a friend), checked our PO Box, and rode back home.

After a few quick fun emails, we dashed off to the gym (really), as this is just the beginning of a major food-frenzied week/month/rest of the year. I had enough time afterward for a quick shower before heading off to The Bungalow, where I met up with Heather, our dear, dear friend who helped convince us to move here (thank you, Heather!!). Lunch was delicious: tomato basil soup, butternut squash ravioli in a sage brown-butter sauce, accompanied by my new favorite cocktail: gin (or vodka; I'm not picky) tonic with muddled cucumber, mint, and lime. More yum! (Thanks for that too, Heather!)

Then I dashed across the street for a haircut and eyebrow grooming, helped Heather move a table into her dining room for Friday night's feast (more on that to come), and stopped by Sarah G's to return her cruiser bike (sad to see it go). I picked up a couple of dollar tacos for Mark from Parrilla Grill, as he had stayed home to clean up while I was out celebrating (what a guy). I then had enough time to squeeze in a teeny bit of work and take a few more birthday calls before heading off to the final festivity of the day.

This time we walked downtown (no more cruiser bike) to the Basque Market for one of their cooking classes. While we nibbled on tapas and sipped various Spanish wines, we watched as the owners of the market (Tony and Tara) taught us how to make braised lamb and then how to use the leftovers (HA! who ever has leftovers from lamb?!?) to make empanadas. Then we got to eat everything that was prepared. All so very yummy!

So glad we walked, as it felt great to walk off all the wonderful food as we recapped the day. The stars were out (the rain/snow storm that had been predicted decided to delay itself, just for me), the air was crisp and cold, we crunched through leaves. Just what a fall birthday night should be.

Of course, the camera did not make it out of the house even once, so no photographic proof of my wonderful birthday. But lots of memories that will not be soon forgotten, even if the mind is the first to go now that I'm "old."

Pictures ... Really!

2009-10-31T13:08:00.002-06:00

See that ... when I don't make promises to post pictures, I actually get around to posting pictures. But only because Mom and Dad (mostly Mom) took a bajillion photos on their visit and were kind enough to get those photos up onto Snapfish in a much more timely (timelier??) fashion than I ever could. So here's the link to photos of our house. I think Snapfish is accessible to anyone. Enjoy!

And Happy Halloween!!

Vintage Halloween, 2003

Riddle Me This, Batman!

2009-10-20T15:10:00.003-06:00

So, today Mark is off to Amsterdam to help with an international raft race (involving 53 countries, by the way, which I believe is the biggest attendance at any IRF event to date ... but I could be wrong).

Ah, Amsterdam. The land of windmills, tulips, and Gouda (or perhaps those are not the stereotypes that first pop into your mind? But this is a child-friendly blog, so we'll just leave it at that). What Amsterdam is not known for is its raging whitewater. Hmm? My question is, how is it possible to put on a whitewater rafting event in a country that is called The Netherlands because much of its land is well below sea level? Curiouser and curiouser.

In addition to solving this riddle, Mark will be serving as a race judge, IRF representative, and media go-to guy. And people say men can't multitask! Go, Mark (and please bring home some yummy cheese)!! To find the answer to the riddle and to see Mark in action, check out InternationalRafting.com, which he should be updating on a regular basis ... live from Amsterdam!

It's been a long, long time.

2009-09-28T10:36:00.006-06:00

Once again I am apologizing for not posting sooner. It's been a little hectic, fun, busy, crazy, whirlwindish this first month or two in Boise. I don't even know where to begin, so I'll give a sort of quick paragraph to each category.

We're settling into our home and loving ALL the projects (though I can't say the shed building or the fence moving were super fun; but so satisfying once they were completed). The house itself is in pretty good shape. Mark, my hero, fixed the garbage disposal, the washing machine, the leaky tub and toilet, the bathroom fan, and the dish washer. I cleaned the floors and did my best to get the stains, crayon marks, and leftover glitter out of the off-white carpets (white carpets with two little kids ... why would they do that?!). Then it was on to the yard, where we've already planted six trees, inherited a multitude of plants from our neighbor, and done our best to kill off the weeds and grubs. The big projects were moving our 75-foot-long back fence to the edge of our property, rather than 16 feet into the backyard, and then building a shed. A humongous thanks to Mom and Dad for devoting almost all of their visit to the shed. I honestly do not know how it could have been completed by just two people, especially when one of those two (that would be me) threw up her hands in frustration and had to escape into the house for part of the afternoon. Such a diva!

Mark, the Fence Mover

When we aren't working on the yard, hunting for bargains on tools and furniture, catching up on real work/looking for real work, and trying to squeeze in some zzzz's, we've been having fun. In the first month in our home, we've already had three sets of visitors: Joe from Dallas was the first, over Labor Day. We wore him out (and vice versa) with hikes, bikes, floats down the Boise River, dinner out, drinks with friends, pirate golf . . . you name it. And all this while we had a house full of dogs (our Kai, plus Judi's Dobie and Heather's Kayla). Just like old times. Then Tony and Terry from Santa Barbara, who attended raft guide school with Mark 20 years ago, stopped in for a wonderful two days. Again there was hiking and walking and dining and laughing, as well as a failed attempt to see the raptors out at the Snake River Birds of Prey National Park. And, finally, most recently, were my folks, who drove out with their Ford Explorer (now our Ford Explorer) loaded to the gills with all of our stuff, which had been stored in their attic for the past year. It was like Christmas morning opening up all the boxes and getting reacquainted with all our stuff. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mom and Dad, for everything!

Joe showing off our fine Thermarest furniture

Kai's girlfriend, Kayla

Mom, Dad, and LJ the really big dog

Now the walls are hung with photos and artwork and the knickknacks are on the shelves. We even threw our first big dinner party/barbecue, using the china and crystal and flatware that we hadn't seen since Denver. Thanks again to Mom and Dad for entertaining the guests and preparing the delicious margaritas and yummy yummy gravy while I gallivanted around the neighborhood.

Our first BBQ with Heather and Simo

Throughout all of this, we've been exploring Boise, meeting our neighbors, and making many new friends. I cannot begin to express how great it is and how incredibly nice everyone has been. While working on our fence, we met our neighbors, who have a garden and chickens in their backyard. We'd barely introduced ourselves before they had loaded us up with fresh onions, tomatoes, basil, kale, and cukes and zukes from their garden. And in exchange for our veggie cuttings (tops of carrots, potato peels, fruit that's just gone off) as well as a couple bucks, we get fresh eggs, practically from our own backyard. We've been to barbecues and get-togethers and backyard gatherings. Mark's been on bike rides up in the hills, and I've taken Kai for walks through the foothills. And just the other day we went with some friends to pick pears from an orchard so they could make cider (the pressing of the pears will be next week).

Veggies from our neighbor's garden

Putting the Explorer to use: Pears from the orchard

So, although Mark is unemployed right now, we are so much more at peace with our lives. I am trying to find a good spin to put on our time in Dallas. We met nice people, made some good friends, had incredibly nice neighbors, and even saw a few places we liked (namely, Oklahoma and Austin). But Dallas just didn't speak to us. It didn't bring us any joy, and try as we might, we couldn't find the joy. We know that many people like it there. And that's fine. It just wasn't for us. And the fact that many people in Dallas thought Mark was an angry, bitter person made us realize that it was taking a serious toll on ourselves and even our relationship. So in answer to the question many people are still asking, "Why Boise?" I can just say that it spoke to us as soon as we arrived that first day in July, and to us, the risk of moving somewhere new without any real prospects for work in this crazy economy were worth it to our peace of mind, our sanity, and our relationship. 'Nuff said.

Home, SWEET Home!

2009-08-22T14:15:00.005-06:00

Once again, it's been so long, I forgot where we left off. I think I was holding off on officially telling the blog world that we put an offer on a house. After what seemed like ages of "will we get it or won't we get it?" (it was actually all within a month of checking out Boise for the very first time), we finally got the key (there was only one key) to the house:

The original part of the house (not the two-story part) was built in the 1890s! We think it has its original flooring. If not, it's pretty darn close. The rest was added on some time in the 70s or 80s, we think. It needs a little bit of work (what house of ours doesn't?), but it is perfectly livable, and we love it, especially dinner every night on our little front porch.

We've been in the house just over a week, and we have been nonstop busy with super-duper bargain shopping, including these beautiful pieces that we got for a STEAL (my photographic "skills" do not do them justice):

More jobs to do today, including hanging curtains and installing screens to keep the bugs out (something at which we are ridiculously proficient, no thanks to Kai). More to come when we have a little more breathing room.

No More Driving

2009-08-02T13:09:00.003-06:00

What a summer this has been.

Last I wrote (before the comment response post), we mentioned that we were moving to Boise. Well, that is now in the past tense, for we are here. After our whirlwind weekend in July, we returned to Dallas, gave notice on our home, called up ABF, packed up all our stuff (I should say Mark did all of that, while I sat in the office and worked), and sent it off to Boise. Then we loaded the rest, including me and Mark and Kai, into my little old Honda, and said adios to Dallas. As much as we didn't like Flower Mound, we did make some very good friends there. And as always, that was the hardest part of leaving. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my a very good girlfriend of mine, as she was off in Ecuador during our whole Boise adventure (from the initial visit until now). :-(

We drove west to Albuquerque and spent three blissfully relaxing days with Jon and Val. I think mostly we ate and laughed and caught up on the past year. And in between all that we slept and napped and just a had a few days of breathing space, our first chance to step back in more than a month. On Thursday, we bid a sad farewell to the Ashes, knowing that we will see them again soon in our new digs, and continued west to Chaco Canyon, a site I'd been wanting to see for, oh, about 15 years. The road to what could be one of the smallest national parks in the U.S. was a bit rough, to say the least, but well worth it for me. (Mark and Kai may disagree, as they had to hang out near the car due to the hot sand.)

After I had my fill of Chacoan ruins, we traveled back out the deeply rutted dirt road and finally veered north toward the Colorado border. It was so fantastic to see the Rockies off in the distance again. How we missed them!! We camped out near Navajo Lake along the San Juan River, and reminisced about good times we'd had in the past floating along that same river further downstream. But our memories were cut short as the mosquitoes came out in full force, sending us for cover inside the tent.

Those same mossies chased us out of camp the next morning, and we were on our way to Mesa Verde bright and early. Good thing, too, as we spent a good chunk of the day exploring the park. (OK, I spent a good chunk of the day exploring, while Mark and Kai hung out in the shade trying to stay cool.) Thank you, Mark, for being the awesomest husband and not complaining while I went off to get my archaeological fix!!

We then continued north, up through Moab and beyond, finally finding a great little campsite (near midnight) just east of Provo. No mosquitoes, cool night air, and lots of frogs (or toads?) for Kai to hunt. Nice.

Then yesterday, the final haul into Idaho, through miles and miles of potato fields, until we landed in Boise, at last, where we showered off all the dust, said hello to Heather (our fabulous host), and promptly fell asleep in a big comfy bed.

Now here we are, ready to start our next adventure. Where will we live? What will Mark do? These are questions we'll be answering in the coming weeks. For now, we are thrilled to be in a place where we can walk down the street and sip coffee with the neighbors while eating fresh blackberries just picked from their incredibly lush garden. This afternoon, we are heading down to a swimming hole along the Boise River. And tonight, who knows, maybe a barbecue.

. . .

Well, we found the swimming hole and it was PERFECT. Then a nap and drinks and food at the wrap place around the corner. Life is good. Now, everyone keep your fingers crossed on the rest of our plans for this week. If all goes well, we will fill you in. Oh, the anticipation!

Comment Responses

2009-07-21T09:48:00.004-06:00

I never know who goes back to read the comments after they post, so I never really respond in there. When I do, I feel like I'm talking to myself, which is a common occurrence with me anyway (though I like to think I'm just talking to Kai).

So, here are answers to some of the more recent comments from our valuable readers:

Rebecca, that was actually either a delicious Buck Snort Porter or a delicious Happy Highway Oatmeal Stout. I can't remember which. That was Mark's preferred beverage, while I tried out the Lone Peak IPA and then the Headplant Pale Ale. If you are ever in Big Sky, MT, I would check it all out! Hope you are having (had) a fantastic time in California!

A. Karen, (comment 1) I thought you might like that photo. That was actually from Halloween. I was dressed as my interpretation of a go-go dancer, and I was taking a puff from my Russian mob boss husband's stogie. :-) (comment 2) Keep in mind that Boise isn't too far from some great skiing either!! Winter holiday?!?!

Val, we are so looking forward to hearing the story of your "Summertime" duet with the street musician, as well as all your other great stories. See you soon!!

Sossity, yes, I agree, "y'all" is so convenient, and I think I'll continue to use it. "Youse guys" just doesn't seem to get the job down out west!

Susan, the more the merrier! Let's get all the "old gang" up there. We'd love it! By the way, I think we are already set to host this year's Halloween party. Come on up; I know how you love that holiday! ;-)

Tracy, what, you mean something like this:

Don't worry, that would never happen!

To all the rest, thanks for your supportive notes in this crazy time! Anxiously awaiting what our next adventure has in store for us.

News

2009-07-16T10:04:00.005-06:00

No, we are not lost somewhere in the Great White North, trying to find our way back to Dallas. I got a little sidetracked with life and plans and heat waves. Excuses, excuses. So I have not yet updated all our wonderful readers (all three of you) on our trip. Then I realized that I have promised to post photos from our past three trips (including the trip to Australia ... not only the most recent one, but also the one almost two years ago now). I really will get them online for your viewing pleasure. Really, I will (said with Miss O'Hara's Southern drawl ... we do live in Texas after all). But wait, that brings me to the news (and the main reason for our busy-ness lately):

We will not be living in Dallas much longer.

If I knew how to make that flash and jiggle and move all around the page, I would, just to show you how excited we are (no offense to any Dallas-ites out there, but it just AIN'T our scene, y'all).

Our new home will not be in Samoens, France (boo-hoo ... that one still smarts, though I know it worked out for the best) or in Launceston, Tasmania, or in Timbuktu. Nope, we are heading north past our old playground of Denver on up into Boise, Idaho.

Why Idaho? Some might say it's because it's half the punchline to one of my favorite stupid jokes. (I will spare you all.) Others might say it's because we like our spuds, especially fried. Before we ever went there, I would have said it was because of the proximity to rivers, foothills, mountains, great expanses of wilderness, and a fantastic downtown within walking distance. But after having spent one crazy-busy-fun weekend in the city with our pal Heather Z., I think I can tell you that it's because on a Saturday night, I can go out dancing until 2 a.m. dressed as the queen of hearts while Mark sits on the back porch, sipping single malt scotch and shooting a tin can with a BB gun. (Now some of you might ask why we don't just move to West Virginia.)

There is more news, but we are waiting for it all to be finalized (no, I'm not pregnant). Stay tuned. And if I get a break from working and packing and forwarding mail and all that, I WILL post those photos--maybe even some from our whirlwind tour of Boise.

Still on the Road

2009-06-15T21:03:00.002-06:00

This is not a "real" post. Just a quickie to let all interested readers know that we didn't drive off the road and into a geyser/geezer.

Since we last wrote, we have seen the Grand Tetons (well, the lower half; the upper half was shrouded in stubborn clouds all day), nearly all of Yellowstone Park (including three viewings of Old Faithful ... spectacular), Butte and Missoula, Montana, Flathead Lake (gorgeous, gorgeous), Whitefish Lake (a smaller gorgeous), and a smidgen of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park (a cumbersome park name if ever I heard one, but an absolutely stunning park --- I am quickly running out of adjectives for all the beauty we have seen).

Photos are to come. Must finish uploading some work before falling asleep here in our comfy condo in Whitefish, Montana (a place where I could easily retire ... tomorrow). Speaking of tomorrow, we are back on the road again, skirting around the bottom of WGIPP and up the east side into Canada. Banff, here we come!

On the Road Again

2009-06-11T14:09:00.001-06:00

[Note: This may be a duplicate post. It seems to have put the wrong date on my first post. Sorry for any duplicate emails those of you on the "subscription list" might get.]

We are out of Texas!!!! .....

For now.

Being back in the mountains and breathing that fresh, crisp air is glorious, wondrous, magnificent, invigorating, all around great for the soul. Just wish it could be for more than 10 days.

Mark and I flew into Bozeman, Montana, two days ago. Cute college town, with real coffee shops (we didn't see a single Starbucks) and a great vibe. We relaxed for a bit in town, dining on sandwiches from the Pita Pit and excellent coffee and tea, while reading our maps and guidebooks. Then it was on the road, down through Gallatin Canyon, past Big Sky Resort (where we stopped in at the Lone Peak Brewery for happy hour), and on into West Yellowstone (a pit of a hotel town on the edge of our nation's first national park).

The next morning, we headed west and south, down through Idaho and into Targhee National Forest. I can't tell you how great it is to once again see towering lodge pole pines, wide clear rivers, people in fleeces and Chacos. This is definitely our kind of country.

We stopped in a couple places to take in the views and get ourselves acclimated to being at an elevation higher than 600 feet above sea level. Just past Lower Mesa Falls on Henry's Fork of the Snake River, we loaded up our pack with lunch and set off in search of a nice little picnic spot. We had every intention of following the trail to the Bear Gulch Overlook, but soon turned off and followed a gully down the cliff to the river. I'm not sure anyone but the most intrepid fisherman/woman would have followed this trail. I'm not even sure any animals would have followed the steep trail; I certainly didn't see any tracks, though that could be because it had recently rained, and I was pretty sure we were following a waterfall's track. But it was well worth it. A private rock on the river's edge was the perfect spot to enjoy our lunch of tomato, avocado, salami, and cheese on crackers. Yummy!

We finished up lunch just in time for the rain, which started as a splitter spatter, but soon turned into a pretty serious downpour, thunder and all. My guess that it had been a waterfall's course was confirmed as we slowly made our way back up the cliffside. The only thing that kept flashing through my mind was the mudslide scene from Romancing the Stone. I'm just glad I didn't have to make the hike in high heels and a skirt. My Pear Izumi GoreTex shoes treated me just right, keeping my toes warm and dry as we plodded through the increasing flow of the cascade.

But we made it in one piece, with big grins on our faces, so happy to be drenched with cool rainwater rather than sticky sweat after a big hike.

After drying off, we headed into Jackson, where we were supposed to pick up Mark's parents from the airport. We settled into our rented condo, only to hear that they were stranded in Denver, thanks to mechanical difficulties.

But they are here now, unpacked and somewhat refreshed after an early afternoon nap. Now we're off to explore the town of Jackson and see what there is to see.

Life as a Musical

2009-05-12T11:29:00.004-06:00

So, I am sitting here working very hard (read: taking a break and surfing the Blogosphere for fun tidbits of procrastination), when I stumbled upon this page:

If Only Life Were a Musical

You can read her whole post (which is kinda funny), or just scroll down to the video. If I knew how to put a YouTube video in my own post, I would. But if I took the time to learn how to do that right now, I'd really be procrastinating, and that would be trouble, as I'm leaving tomorrow for a two-night trip in Austin (yay!!) and I have a s*&#load of work to get done between now and then.

But, I had to take a quick break (in addition to the long Web surfing break I was already taking) to share the video at the end of Crazy Aunt Purl's blog. It had me laughing until tears of joy (not quite pee of glee) were pouring down my cheeks (pee of glee pouring down my cheeks would be just gross ... unless I meant the other cheeks ... but still, gross). Nothing like a little Tuesday pick me up. And yes, life would be great if it was more like a musical.

More Catching Up

2009-05-06T11:13:00.003-06:00

So, Mark is off in China (Hong Kong, Shanghai, and then Taipei) with his business partner, Dave. They're checking out all the factories, eating all sorts of interesting and yummy food (floating chicken head soup anyone?), and getting nightly foot massages while sipping drinks and watching soccer/football. Rough life! He was going to update the blog personally (I know ... shocker! It would have been nice to have a guest blogger.), but he's getting in to his hotel after midnight each night and leaving around 6 or 7 a.m. (I know this, because we are 13 hours apart, and I chat with him on Skype every night and every morning/noonish when he's getting ready to go or coming home to sleep. In fact, he's "on" my other screen right now. We aren't really chatting, but he's catching up on emails, and I'm writing about him--are your ears burning, Mark?--This Skype thing really eases the loneliness factor on his long trips!).

But it's not all world traveling these days. We've also been doing stuff here on the "not-home" front. Cooking lots of yummy food (I have attempted to photograph some of the better ones, but they all come out looking gray and unappetizing . . . a proper food blogger I am not), trying to keep the weeds in the backyard from taking over (without actually really doing anything about it except mowing, and even that I'm failing at miserably, as the pull cord thingie decided to get stuck when I was not even 1/100th done with the backyard), catching up with friends and family here in the Dallas area (dinner with cousin Aaron, drinks with Lorena, visits with Dave and family), watching the grass grow thanks to all the rain, and, as always, going to the gym.

A couple weekends ago, I went on my first-ever road bike rally (as in road bicycle, not road motorcycle, though with the wind we had, a motorcycle would have been very nice!). It was at the Muenster Germanfest. And no, in answer to Lynn and Nanci, no cheese (though there used to be a cheese factory that is now painted to look like shops in an old German town--which you can see if you click on the link above). Just a lot of sausage and sauerkraut and Shiner Bock. And after my 22-mile bike ride, I felt that I had earned every bite and gulp--though I should mention that everyone else we were with did the 42- or 60-mile ride, so really I was pretty wimpy, especially since they had a headwind the entire way, and we had a tailwind for the second half (hallelujah). Mark was super nice and stayed with me and even let me draft behind him for some of the windier sections. He easily could have done the 40- or even 60-mile ride, what with his pistons-for-legs and incredible stamina. I thanked him profusely for not leaving me in the dust too much and for encouraging me all along the way (except for the occasional times when he picked up the speed and blasted away from me, making me realize how incredibly slow I am).

While Mark's been awayin the Far East, I've just been working, "gym-ing" (we have another challenge at the gym where you earn points for each class you attend; I think it's the only thing that gets me up off the couch most days), knitting (yes, I took up this hobby over the winter to give me something to do; I'm on my second scarf now. Too bad a scarf is not really needed here in Texas.), and trying to keep the bugs at bay. (Have I mentioned how much I HATE junebugs, slugs, moths, mosquitoes, and all the other bugs that think my house is their house? I've filled up the vacuum with live bugs that I capture with the longest hose attachment I can find, and now I'm wondering how I'm going to get them out. I'm sure they are dead by now, but if they are not, I know they'll all swarm out and attack me. I think I might just leave the canister full until Mark gets home. Yes, ew, but I am SUCH a wimp.).

So that's our life these days. I'm heading down to Austin next week, and then Mark returns. We have a couple week break, and then it's off to the Northern Rockies for a road trip with his folks. And, once again, any relevant photos that I have associated with this blog are not on my computer. In fact, I think they are all on Mark's computer in Shanghai. So, you'll just have to visualize all this until I get the Picasa site updated ... someday.

Tara and Mark in Oz, Chapter 2

2009-04-28T18:47:00.005-06:00

We are so incredibly behind on the blog. But I need to start somewhere, so why not where we left off.

[Note: Once again, I don't have all the photos on one computer, so I'm making do with what we have.]

We continued our three weeks in Australia with more good times with family and friends.

In addition to the all the eating and visiting and catching up, we got a chance to head south to Royal National Park for a day's walk through the Australian bush. The weather cooperated perfectly. Believe it or not, an overcast, off-and-on drizzly day was just what we needed. Otherwise, the extremely rough surf at the end of the trail would have been much more enticing. We saw waterfalls pouring into the ocean, all sorts of eucalyptus and various other plants that I don't know the name of, and dead blue bottle jellyfish on the beach (which also discouraged any swimming in the rough surf). Luckily, Mark and I missed out on the opportunity to see leeches and snakes up close (others were not quite so lucky). And to top it all off, we got to meet Alan's walking buddies, a great group to spend a day with. Other than the fact that Mark and I forgot to pack the complete lunch, it was a wonderful day! (The only other bummer is that we found out after the fact that we missed seeing The Killers in concert at Centennial Park that night.)

Enjoying the cloudy view
from the Sydney Harbour Bridge

On another rainy afternoon, we went to the Sydney Jewish Museum to see Molly's African dolls in a special exhibit on South African Jews in Australia, titled "It's Not All Black and White." She is incredibly talented, and it was great to see her art so prominently displayed.

Molly's art on display (in her home)

As I mentioned, we ate at some fantastic restaurants, including Ravesi's, Sabbaba's, Blue Wave Bistro at Bondi's RSL, and Sean's Panorama, all in Bondi Beach; as well as a yummy dim sum (they call it yum cha) restaurant in Sydney, many quick beers and plates of chips at Doyle's on the way back from Watson's Bay or the ferry ride back from the City, and a delicious meal at Molly and Alan's local Thai place. All that plus the tasty meals at home ... it's amazing we didn't come back bigger than we left! (OK, maybe we came back a little larger, but we are working on that.)

Sea spray in the face
on the ferry ride to Watson's Bay

After three weeks, we loaded ourselves onto the new A-380 with QANTAS (damn! that's a big plane) and flew "home" to our dog in Dallas. Thanks to all the Joffes (and Bergers and Spielmans and ...) for a fantastic time!

The (slightly overexposed) Joffe/Berger/Spielman clan

Kai, the lone Joffe dog, anxiously awaiting our return
(... or sniffing the flowers
... or, more realistically, hunting wabbits).

Rest in Peace

2009-04-10T16:25:00.003-06:00

Chester the Molester

May 1990-April 10, 2009

I miss you, m'boy.

T&M in Oz

2009-03-25T20:11:00.003-06:00

Well, here we are, finally somewhere about 1,000 times more interesting than Dallas, and not even a whisper of a post from us on the blog. Sorry about that! It's just that we have actually been busy with fun stuff, without a minute to spare for such indoor activities as blogging. I know, you all feel so sorry for us. I don't have a lot of time, as my battery is down to 30% and the charger doesn't seem to be working right now. But just wanted to let you all know (if you didn't already) that we are in Sydney, spending time with the family and then some! Aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, Mum, Dad, brothers (in law) and sisters (in law), to name just a few.

As for what's been keeping us so busy ... walks to the beach, swims at the beach, trips to the dentist (good times!), shopping excursions, dining out, dining in, dining in but out on the patio, playing in the pool, visiting with Mark's family from South Africa, catching up with Aussie friends we haven't seen in more than 7 years, taking the occasional nap and squeezing in a bit of work here and there, and even playing a round of golf on a course overlooking the ocean. Gorgeous. Pictures to come! But for now, it's time to clean up so we can head off to the beach again. Yes, it's a rough life ... Wish you were here!

To Nana on Her 90th

2009-03-11T10:13:00.005-06:00

I spent last Saturday with family and friends to celebrate Nana's 90th birthday party. It was a fabulous party for a wonderful woman. I wouldn't have missed it for the world (though the airline gods--and my own ditzy-ness--certainly had it in for me).

Nana, you are a beautiful, incredibly talented, classy, and gracious woman. You prove all those Hollywood types wrong--woman can and do age gracefully and beautifully, without one stitch of plastic surgery (or do you have a little something going on the side that we don't know about?!).

But more than that, it is what is inside. Mom gave me a book for Christmas, and in it, she mentions that your name, Lottie, means "petite/feminine/strong." How did your parents know that this name would suit you to a T?! You are generous and kind, but you are also honest and will tell us what you think if you think it is good for us (and though we sometimes hate to admit it, you are usually right). You have been able to do just about anything you put your mind to--from refinishing and restoring what looked to be useless furniture to designing and sewing an entire line of teddy bear clothes, from hosting incredibly fantastic parties to beating us all at basketball.

I'd like to think that because you and Grandpa helped raise me that first year (and many years in between) that I might have inherited many of these qualities. I'm still working on a lot of it, but it is definitely something to aspire to. However, I am the first to admit that no matter how hard I try, I will never inherit your sense of style! You have never, ever looked bad, even when you would be the first one up making us all fruit salad and toasting up bagels for breakfast. How do you do it?

I love you so much and I thank you for everything throughout the years.

And thanks to Charlie and Debbie for the great photo (which I "borrowed" from Snapfish)!

Home Again, Home Again

2009-03-03T07:27:00.004-07:00

I know ... long time, no post. But other than the weather (after the ice storm, we had tornado warnings and now it's springtime in Texas), there really has not been much to discuss. Until now!

Last week I took a whirlwind trip back to Denver for a little bit of much-needed Get Out of Texas time. Although I was only there for two full days (plus an evening before and half a day after), it felt like at least a week. Perhaps that is because of how much I crammed into such a short time. Of course, although I brought my camera with me, it never made it out of the bag, and not even my photography friends Glenn or Paul took a shot or two. So there is no record or proof that I was there, though I'm sure some people's ears are just now recovering from all the moaning I did about living in Texas. Sorry for the mini tirades ... I just couldn't help myself (the wine didn't help prevent the whine either).

Thank you to everyone for making it all such a great trip: Michelle, for carting me around everywhere and providing so much delicious food, tasty drinks, and fabulous company. Susan and Sam, for hosting a wonderful gathering of friends on Thursday night (sorry about the burnt cookies!!), with more delicious food and drinks and fabulous company. And everyone else, for making their way down to Lakewood for the party. I'm also thrilled that I got a chance to get out into the dry, chilly Colorado air for a walk with Heidi and little Will, Renee and big girl Isabella (and, of course, Gus), and Susan and not-so-little-but-very-adorable Ryan. I miss all our outings together!

A sad point of the trip was the memorial for our neighbor Nel, who passed away last month. She was a wonderful woman, and Mark and I both thought of her as our mom away from home. I can't count the number of times we met up for breakfast, coffee, chats on the front porch, or just a quick visit on the way out to the mailbox. She was always ready with a smile and a laugh and had the most amazing attitude through everything. I strive to reach even an iota of her warmth and generosity in my life. I am so sad to think that she is no longer here with us. But she will always, always be in our hearts, and I am thankful that she is no longer in pain.

So it was quite the emotional trip with tears and laughter and wonderful memories recalled and made. I can't wait to get back there to create more memories!

I got home in time for Mark's birthday, which was a mellow day, just like he wanted it. A little walk with Kai, some grocery shopping for the cake ingredients (a chocolate caramel turtle cake that tasted MUCH better than it looked), some squash-playing for Mark while I baked said cake, and then a fantastic dinner at Dave and Donielle's to celebrate both Mark's and Donielle's birthdays. An absolutely wonderful day to end an absolutely wonderful week.

The quite tasty but very ugly cake (candle decoration courtesy of the kids)

Kai and Sadie trying to ignore all the noise

The Ice Storm

2009-01-27T08:27:00.005-07:00

The weather is looking mighty frightful today, with temps steadily dropping from the low 30s down, down, down from there. We woke up to a forecast of 1/4" of ice by this evening. I guess Texas forgoes (forgos? hmmm, either way it looks wrong) the pretty fluffy snow for evil deadly ice. Yay! (note the sarcasm)

Mini ice storm from a couple weeks ago

So to help me forget some of this icy madness, I'll catch you up on a just a few things to warm the soul.

Kai soaking up some sun as he tries out the recliner (for the first and last time)

A couple weeks ago, Mark spent a week in Vegas with Dave at the PPAI expo. There were tens of thousands of attendees, and many of them were very impressed with the clothing at Mark and Dave's stellar booth. The orders have already started to roll in. Hooray! The website is still being updated and improved (including an upcoming photo shoot to get actual pictures of the products up there). We will get that link up here as soon as it is all live and good to go!

Sports Central Supply booth at PPAI

When Mark got back from Vegas, we celebrated his success, as well as our 7th anniversary, with an incredibly relaxing, fun, beautiful day that started with breakfast at a local diner, moved on to a nice long walk with Kai at Arbor Hills, and ended with a big ol' sushi dinner. Yum! It really does not seem like we were enjoying the big day at Chief Hosa 7 years ago. Wasn't it just last year? My how time flies! And yet it also seems like it must have been years ago--I mean, how could we have packed so much fun and so many adventures into 7 short years!

Happy Anniversary, Us!

On the Road Again

2009-01-14T11:43:00.007-07:00

We are out of Texas!!!! .....

For now.

Being back in the mountains and breathing that fresh, crisp air is glorious, wondrous, magnificent, invigorating, all around great for the soul. Just wish it could be for more than 10 days.

Mark and I flew into Bozeman, Montana, two days ago. Cute college town, with real coffee shops (we didn't see a single Starbucks) and a great vibe. We relaxed for a bit in town, dining on sandwiches from the Pita Pit and excellent coffee and tea, while reading our maps and guidebooks. Then it was on the road, down through Gallatin Canyon, past Big Sky Resort (where we stopped in at the Lone Peak Brewery for happy hour), and on into West Yellowstone (a pit of a hotel town on the edge of our nation's first national park).

The next morning, we headed west and south, down through Idaho and into Targhee National Forest. I can't tell you how great it is to once again see towering lodge pole pines, wide clear rivers, people in fleeces and Chacos. This is definitely our kind of country.

We stopped in a couple places to take in the views and get ourselves acclimated to being at an elevation higher than 600 feet above sea level. Just past Lower Mesa Falls on Henry's Fork of the Snake River, we loaded up our pack with lunch and set off in search of a nice little picnic spot. We had every intention of following the trail to the Bear Gulch Overlook, but soon turned off and followed a gully down the cliff to the river. I'm not sure anyone but the most intrepid fisherman/woman would have followed this trail. I'm not even sure any animals would have followed the steep trail; I certainly didn't see any tracks, though that could be because it had recently rained, and I was pretty sure we were following a waterfall's track. But it was well worth it. A private rock on the river's edge was the perfect spot to enjoy our lunch of tomato, avocado, salami, and cheese on crackers. Yummy!

We finished up lunch just in time for the rain, which started as a splitter spatter, but soon turned into a pretty serious downpour, thunder and all. My guess that it had been a waterfall's course was confirmed as we slowly made our way back up the cliffside. The only thing that kept flashing through my mind was the mudslide scene from Romancing the Stone. I'm just glad I didn't have to make the hike in high heels and a skirt. My Pear Izumi GoreTex shoes treated me just right, keeping my toes warm and dry as we plodded through the increasing flow of the cascade.

But we made it in one piece, with big grins on our faces, so happy to be drenched with cool rainwater rather than sticky sweat after a big hike.

After drying off, we headed into Jackson, where we were supposed to pick up Mark's parents from the airport. We settled into our rented condo, only to hear that they were stranded in Denver, thanks to mechanical difficulties.

But they are here now, unpacked and somewhat refreshed after an early afternoon nap. Now we're off to explore the town of Jackson and see what there is to see.

Little Things

2009-01-11T15:52:00.003-07:00

First off, please excuse any typos. The tip of my right pointer finger is extremely tender after being sliced on a piece of glass that I did not know was the item stuck in the garbage disposal making a horrendous ruckus. Ick! I have many things in life that I don't like at all. Slugs on the kitchen floor is a recently added item for that list. Reaching down into the dangers and disgusting muck of the garbage disposal is definitely high on that list! With the added treachery of a shattered egg cup, that fear was made even worse.

But I digress ... before I even got started.

Seeing as this blog is pretty much so family and friends can keep tabs on our exciting lives, I am not going to preempt this with a warning that it will be long and potentially very boring. But consider yourself forewarned, nonetheless.

This past week I (Tara) attended the gym's Strictly Strength class in my meager attempt to get back in shape. I was barely able to get through the arm work in the second half of the class, because my legs were so shaky from all the evil lunges and squats in the first half. (I did finish the class, though, so bonus points to me for not passing out and/or vomiting and being carted off in an ambulance.) Friday a.m. I woke up "early" and dragged myself off to a yoga class, with the goal of doing some good stretching for all those muscles that felt as if they had been beaten with a bag of oranges. (This may not sound painful, but it's a scene from The Grifters that has stuck with me, and Angelica Huston looked pretty beat up. I don't recommend the movie, by the way.) Unfortunately the yoga was a Yoga for Fitness class, with many planks and triceps pushups, or shadarangas, or whatever they're called. So not so much with the stretching, though there was more strength work. Yippee.

When I got home, I tidied up the house, paid some bills, caught up on emails, ate a sandwich, and then began to crash. I felt as if I'd put in a nearly full day, and it was Friday, after all, so I decided to kick back, read a book, and even sip a little wine. It wasn't until after I sat down that I realized it was only 12:30 p.m. Oops! An hour later, I could not figure out why I was so incredibly tired. I couldn't even focus on the words in the book. When I woke up on the couch hours later, I remembered that I had taken an Aleve for the muscle aches. That plus the wine equaled a very pleasant afternoon nap. Oops, again! But I was incredibly rested afterward, and by the time Mark got home, I had a yummy dinner of chicken-tortilla soup and smokey-almond salad ready. How domestic!

Saturday we woke up to fog and cold outside and a bad sore throat for Mark. So we sat around all day, watching the few stations we get with our little rabbit ears and eating whatever we could scrounge up from the kitchen. Our big event for the day was venturing out into the world to see the latest Bond flick (thanks, Mom and Dad). Perfect mindless excitement, with lots of Daniel Craig eye candy, for a gray day in Dallas. But even with that outing, by the end of the day, we felt as if we'd completely wasted our Saturday. So before we went to bed, we agreed that first thing Sunday morning, no matter what, we would take a walk with poor, neglected Kai.

And that's just what we did ... for 7 miles! Yay for us! Once we got home, we felt fully justified in chowing down on some scrambled eggs with feta and green onions and a little bacon on the side. We even felt justified in sitting around watching football playoff games all afternoon. Go Eagles (sorry Darling family!)! Then we finished it all off with a delicious dinner of chicken-paprikash-topped potatoes. I will definitely be making that one again!!

And now, here we sit, rooting for an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl, just cuz, and contemplating another trip to the gym. And you are all caught up. Lucky you! Don't worry. These long detailed stories of our life will be few and far between. Just wanted you to know you aren't missing much at all, though we are missing all of you!

New Business Card

2009-01-09T10:48:00.004-07:00

My friend Marjorie, a fellow copyeditor extraordinaire, sent this to me. And I fully agree that this should be on every editor's business card:

2009?!

2009-01-05T16:56:00.005-07:00

No resolutions from us this year. Just a quick hello to wish you all the very best in 2009 (or at least the best possible in these crazy times).

We had a very nice, very relaxing holiday in Connecticut with the Meads, Darlings, and Studebakers. Unfortunately, I don't have a single picture, as the few times that I did pick up a camera, it turned out to be Mom's (who happens to have the exact camera that we have). I always seem to have an excuse for no pictures, don't I?

Well, here's a pic from this weekend. We had our first overnight guests at the Grady Court house. Marianne (pronounced My-anna) and Travis drove up from Austin for a kid-free weekend, though I'm thinking that Mark and I are pretty kid-like, so I'm hoping they weren't disappointed :-) Once again, no camera, but Mark did have his trusty cellphone, with its awesome resolution (HA!). I'm thinking maybe the lens got smudged with salsa or something during the evening. Anyway, we had a fantastic time: We stumbled upon a few tasty restaurants, drank some tasty sips of wine, and enjoyed catching up with good friends over some good laughs (and even some good walks). Thanks for making the trek up here, M & T. Looking forward to the next visit at your place!!

M&T at the Blue Goose Cantina

Weather Report

2008-12-17T12:05:00.005-07:00

There is not much to report from icy Dallas, except to say that it has been icy in Dallas. I thought the weather in Denver was wacky, but Dallas puts Denver to shame. Sunday it was 75 degrees. Everyone was outside. The neighbors were all standing around catching up, while the kids played football in the street. I was bragging to friends in Denver about the fact that it was 70 degrees warmer here than there. All in all, it was a beautiful autumn day. We even opened all the windows to air out the house (though our house is so drafty, there really is no point in opening the windows). Anyway, that night, as we sat around watching TV, the weather changed in the amount of time it took to change the channel. The warm breeze blowing through the house turned into an Arctic wind, and I was frantically running around, trying to seal off all the windows before we turned into Popsicles. By the time we woke up the next day, the temps had dropped to below freezing and then stayed there until right about now. Damn you icy wind from Canada!! By the end of the day Monday, as Mark was driving home from Dave's, the rain was instantly freezing on the windshield of little Henry Honda. ... And as far as we know, that is all that has been happening in the entire world. Since Monday morning, every local news anchor has been talking about nothing but the accidents, traffic jams, icy conditions, and storm tracking. The only other item of note, according to the local news, was that it was Terrell Owens's (boo) birthday, and everyone was wondering whether Tony Romo would show up to the big bash. (Oh, the drama of Cowboys football.) I know, I know. Poor little ol' me. I know it's been crazy cold across the entire U.S., but this is Dallas. It just ain't supposed to be this cold.

Anyway, yes, I did just talk about the weather for an entire (really long) paragraph. I am truly sorry about that. On to happier news: I just got off the phone with my good friend Susan, who lives in Denver and who two weeks ago gave birth to little Ryan. I am a lousy friend and hadn't spoken to her since before the delivery. But it was great to catch up and to hear all about her life for the past few weeks (including her helpful hint to future moms-to-be ... apparently Warren Miller films are great entertainment while waiting for little baby to come out). If you want to "meet" the little guy, hop on over to The Fleming Seven, or check out my other good friend's blog (Beth at Wedlake Studios), where you can see some spectacular photos of the little guy. [I'm not saying that Susan's blog photos aren't spectacular. But Beth's truly are, what with her being a professional and all, y'know?] Congratulations, Sam and Susan. He is a little doll, and we can't wait to meet him in person! Hope all the other "kids" in the house are adjusting well to the new situation (hi, Chester!).

As for what's been going on around here: This past weekend, I finally made it down to Dallas for more than just a quick drive-by. Mark and Dave set up shop at the White Rock Marathon expo to sell their gear. For the past couple years, Mark had been flying down to Dallas for the expo, and I never really understood why. I couldn't imagine an entire expo set up for a little marathon in Dallas. Well, apparently, it's a really big marathon in Dallas, with thousands of people signing up (and paying!) to punish their bodies for 26 grueling miles (kooks!). The expo is a two-day event before the race, where all sorts of vendors promote and sell their wares.

For Mark and Dave, it was quite the success, as they sold well more than 1,000 performance T's, beanies, singlets, and other gear in just two days. I joined them for some of the selling frenzy on Saturday, and it was great to see the positive response to their gear (it was also great to see so much of that inventory moving out of their hands). I originally had great plans to stop in and say hi and then venture out either to see Dealey Plaza or to check out the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts (where King Tut is hanging out). But instead I stuck around and helped them sell, sell, sell (and brought them lunch). So, now my experience of Dallas consists of the Farmer's Market and the Convention Center (oh, and the Spaghetti Warehouse and the Boardroom ... see below).

After closing up shop at the expo, we ventured over to Dallas's West End, which sounds like it should be a cool spot to hang out. Apparently, it's mainly a dinner area that pretty much shuts down around 9. So we ate our dinner and then mosey'd over to the Boardroom for a couple drinks with some friends who were celebrating a night out on the town without their kids.

And now we are home, trying to stay warm, and getting the final holiday shopping done before heading back east next week. Because I have no photos of the icy weather (oh darn) or the expo (forgot the camera), I'll finally put up some shots of our humble abode here in Flower Mound.

You can also go to our Picasa site to browse some of our other images (with accompanying helpful captions). (I have not mastered the art of organizing photos in Picasa, so there are duplicate photos and albums.) And now that I have spent more than an hour updating this blog, I probably should try to squeeze in some work before heading to the gym with Mark for a spinning class (wish us luck ... on the spinning part, that is).

Happy Anniversary, Greg and Karen!

2008-12-12T10:01:00.003-07:00

I know ... I am a day late. Will I ever get the Australia-US time difference right?

Technically, it's your anniversary here today. So happy anniversary from the other side of the world!

Whatever day it is, we wish all the best for you both and hope that your anniversary weekend (as well as the year to come) is full of love and good times with family and friends. We'll be there soon to help you celebrate in person.

[Once again, Mark's computer has all the photos on it, and it is not here. So my apologies for that!]

I Remember

2008-12-01T09:02:00.004-07:00

I remember the scratchy tickleness of your goatee; getting to be the one who blew out the match after you lit your pipe; how stylish you always were, even when you were just out raking the leaves; the big blue bookcase full of your classical, opera, and Dean and Frank and the other boys music; the story of you so involved in a conversation that you buttered the wine cork rather than your breadstick; saving the heel of the rye bread for you; the smell of your tobacco; "1-2-3" jump and "ow-eee, ow-eee, ow-eeee"; writing messages to you on the workshop chalkboard; cocktail cruises on the party boat; dinners at Pete O'Neill's; our Monday morning commutes into the city, with a stop for a coffee and cream for you and a bagel for me; your blue-and-white seersucker suit; wearing your reading glasses; helping to clean out your pipes; how no matter where we lived, you always seemed to find a way to mispronounce the town or base; you and Nana dropping me off at Smith; your cosmo cocktail hours overlooking the lake; your stories of growing up in Brooklyn with the rest of the fabulous Darling clan; our California shopping trips to "Moivyn's"; trying to stay out of your political discussions; listening to you enjoy those same discussions with Uncle George and Mark and others; our discussion together that last Christmas; and so much more.

Thank you for helping to raise me those first months of my life and for so many more months after that; for taking us in all those summers (and falls and winters); for your constant love and support, no matter how far apart we were; for visiting me in my dreams these past few years; for providing an example of such a strong, loving, happy, supportive relationship (you and Nana set a high standard for us all to follow); your belief in me and in Mark.

I wish I had more of your generosity and kindness; your ability to strike up a friendship with just about anyone, anywhere; your good humor and positive outlook; your dignity and grace.

I love you, Grandpa. Happy Birthday!

Say Uncle

2008-11-29T09:35:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday, Uncle Paul and Uncle Gary! And although you aren't our uncle, happy birthday, Greg! We wish the world weren't quite so big, so that we could just zip over and spend your special day with each of you (though, I guess that would require going back in time for Uncle Paul, whose birthday was yesterday, and forward in time for Greg). As always, we are thinking of you all (Mark says, "mostly good thoughts, that is" --- tee-hee). Hope you have a year full of laughter, fun, and fulfillment.

I have a new computer and do not have full access to all my photos yet, so this will be a photo-less birthday greeting. Not as exciting, I know.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T21:21:00.003-07:00

We hope all our United States-living friends and family have a wonderful, love-and-laughter-filled, and good-food-filled Thanksgiving. We'll be thinking of you and wishing we were with you all (and not just because that would mean we would get pie at every house!).

Everyone says this, but it is true, so I'll say it too: Life and the bad economy and laundry and work and bills and what to make for dinner and wondering how to fit in an extra game of FreeCell before going to the gym all seem to get in the way of remembering that we have so many things to be thankful for. I won't list it all here, but here are a few of my things to be thankful for right this very moment:

The beautiful tree across the street that has suddenly turned a stunning shade of red
Kai curled up on his bed, looking so incredibly peaceful and content (and thankful to Mark for giving him a good run)
A steady flow of work to keep me busy, even in this crazy economy
My new sweatshirt with thumb holes, to keep my hands warm as I type
David Letterman's "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches"
Mark's yummy cardamom coffee in the mornings
The roof over our head and the fact that we are no longer sleeping on Thermarests
Sam and Susan, for taking in my ancient cat, Chester
The fact that my ancient cat, Chester, is still alive (though I'm not sure Sam and Susan are that thankful about this one)
Our good health (which is getting better every day)
The ridiculous amount of good food we are going to eat with friends and family tomorrow
Which leads me to the second-most important thing: All our incredible, supportive, fun, loving friends and family, near and far, Thanksgiving-celebrating or not!
And at the top of my list (which I guess is actually the bottom of this list): My incredible, supportive, fun, loving, makes me giggle and smile, shows me so much of the world husband. I love you!

I had grandiose plans of attaching a picture to go with each item above, but it's late, and we have a lot of cooking to do tomorrow. So, a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving to everyone (and Happy Birthday, Pablo ... we miss you guys!). [For those of you not in the States or not celebrating Thanksgiving, we wish you a happy, healthy Thursday/Friday.]

Happy Birthday to Me ....

2008-11-20T07:53:00.006-07:00

... and to Shelby, Aileda, the father of the girl at the grocery store checkout counter, and any other Nov. 19-ers out there.

Having a birthday on a Wednesday means that for the most part, it was just like any other day, filled with work, going to the gym (OK, that's not really like any other day), laundry (nor is that), picking up dog poo in the backyard (nor is that), and other fun and exciting things. But the constant (welcome) interruptions throughout the day from e-mails, Facebook messages, and phone calls made it a much sweeter day. Thank you, everyone!

Last night, we went up to the town of Denton, a college town just north of us. "College town, you say? It must have been a night of loud music and alcohol." Well, the loud music part is correct. After dinner at a mediocre Mexican restaurant, we drove around the University of North Texas looking for our destination (bad planning on my part, as I did not get the correct address). After finally finding a non-permit-required parking space, we walked around campus, trying to find a student who was not talking on a cell phone so that we could ask for directions. Finally, a girl with a violin on her back and no phone to her ear pointed us in the right direction and said, "Follow that cello to the place that looks like an armadillo." So we did, though it was a surprisingly fast-moving cello and hard to keep up with. Sure enough, in the distance was a building that did indeed look like an armadillo . . . the UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center.

The Armadillo

There, we listened to the university symphony play tunes by Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninoff, and some guy named Lutoslawski. (I was going to load up some music to play along so you could get a sense of our evening, but I have no idea how to do that.) Anyway, the symphony was pretty incredible "for a bunch of college kids." And the piano soloist (Vladimir Viardo) was downright amazing. How did he keep track of all those notes!!??

The weird part was the building itself. As I said, from the outside, it was in the shape of an armadillo. Inside, it gave you the sense of being in an upside-down boat or the inside of an armadillo's belly. Either way, a kind of claustrophobic feeling. It was also just a tad bit musty smelling, adding to the sense of either being in a doomed ship slowly sinking to the bottom of the sea or being slowly digested by the world's largest roadkill animal. But, once the music started, my unease passed, and I was able to enjoy the night.

Inside the Belly of the Beast

Now it's back to "real life" and living the final year of my 30s as healthily and happily as possible, so that when I hit the big 4-0 I'll be just a little better off. My goal is to get in some sort of exercise for the next 364 days (yesterday, Day 1, I went to the gym), even if it's just a 30-minute walk with Kai. Anyone else care to join me on this one? (I almost didn't write that second-to-last sentence, so that when I didn't meet my goal, no one would be the wiser. But now I am fully committed. Ack!)

Birthday Ben

2008-11-07T18:05:00.004-07:00

Happy Birthday, brother Ben!

We hope you have a happy day over there in the sunny land of Oz. We're sending hugs your way and will try to reach you via the wonders of Skype this weekend.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T17:26:00.008-07:00

I know you have all been waiting with baited (bated?, yeah, I think it's bated) breath wondering if we were able to pull together our costumes in time for the party at Dave and Donielle's. Behold ...

Go-Go Girl and her Russian Mob Man or Disco Dude, your pick

After hunting everywhere for a pair of "authentic" go-go boots and some white polyester bell bottoms, I realized my old black boots (also used for pirate costumes) would work just fine and Mark's costume was great, even with his old blue jeans. [The pic does not show the stunning white leather loafers Mark was sporting.]

We seriously missed all our fellow Halloween revelers from Colorado. The party at Casa Nyland was great, but much more subdued than some of Halloween's past, with most of the excitement coming from the hoards of kids on major sugar highs running every which way. Followed by some serious sugar crashes, as evidenced by the comatose Batman on the couch:

More Scorpios!

2008-10-29T12:58:00.005-06:00

Apparently 9 months before this very day (give or take a month) was a very successful day for conception, no matter what the year. Today we have not one, not two, but 4, possibly 5, birthdays to announce!

So without further ado, happy, happy, happy, happy (happy) birthday to Dad (aka Grandpa) and Megan (aka first granddaughter and my goddaughter and niece, not to mention the little princess and the boss of the family ... whew, so many titles!). Dad, my apologies for the photo, but I just could not resist! And a happy birthday wish going out to my Fabbo friend, Christin, AND to our dear wonderful friends Glenn (and Michelle??) who we miss so much. (Michelle, is today the actual day, or is it just right around now? I can never remember, horrible friend that I am!).

My goodness, what a busy birthday day!!

In honor of this major birthday day, we voted . . . again. HA! Just kidding. Actually, I spent your special day driving ALL over North Dallas hunting for white disco pants and go-go boots. Just for you. Really. OK, for me and Mark. But I did think of you all and the fact that I should be at home working and updating the blog rather than waiting until the last minute to find Halloween costumes! Alas, I had absolutely no success in my hunt (well, no success for the price I was willing to pay). So now we are up the Halloween creek without complete costumes! Stay tuned until next time to find out if we solve our mini Halloween crisis in time!

Happy Birthday, A. Karen (AKA The Queen Mother)!

2008-10-27T09:52:00.005-06:00

We have been quite lax with the birthday wishes around here. I have no excuse. However, I can redeem myself with the fact that I contacted the missed birthday wishees (including Aaron, Heather, and Jay) via e-mail or phone or Hallmark e-card or Facebook or what-have-you. Because I am overdue with a post and because it is my favorite godmother's birthday, I thought I would write a quickie.

Welcome back from Aruba, Auntie Karen! It sounds like it was a blast, and we are quite extremely jealous that we were not there, celebrating and relaxing with you. I'm also hoping that all is set for you to "enjoy" using The Card! We will raise our glasses in a toast to you this evening (and the next evening, and the next--you know how much we enjoy a celebration or three). Have a very, very happy birthday! We love you!

In honor of your big day, Mark and I performed our civic duty/privilege at the voting booth (with Mark, my U.S. citizen husband, voting for the first time in his life. No photos of the momentous occasion . . . not allowed in the voting booth, of course. I thought about telling everyone there it was his first time . . . like maybe they'd make a big deal of it, like at the Rocky Horror Picture Show or something. But he insisted that we lay low and act like normal voters. Bah humbug!)

Weekend Update

2008-10-14T11:09:00.005-06:00

We took a mini-vacation this weekend to explore the wonders of Oklahoma. And it turns out, there are wonders in Oklahoma! (Yes, that's me on the left, and yes, my hair is SUPER short.)

The Joffes are/in OK

We headed north to Lake Murray, where Dave and Donielle had rented a little cabin. Though we didn't do much, it was great to get away and to see some different terrain. There were little hills, different (bigger) trees, and a beautiful lake with actual shorelines where you could walk right into the water without having to fight off weeds and bugs and who knows what else lurks along the Texas lakeshores. Although it was a sort-of three-day weekend and although all the cabins were booked up, the lake was empty (presumably because it's autumn and much too chilly to be boating, what with those 80 degree temps and all!). We saw maybe three or four boats on the water the entire time (including a souped-up pontoon boat that I'm pretty sure went faster than Eric's (oops, I mean, Uncle Gary's) motor boat).

Lake Murray as seen from Tucker Tower

Saturday evening, Dave and his family rented kayaks to explore the lake, while Mark and I took the dogs for a walk. Sadie and Kai (who has become a full-on water dog) chased each other, as well as whatever rodents and frogs they could scare up, all over the place. Later that night, after a relaxing dinner of lasagna and a fun game of Apples to Apples, we all fell asleep watching reruns of Saturday Night Live. Aaaah, relaxation!

Kai the Explorer

Tired Pooches

Sunday, Dave and Donielle cooked up a delicious breakfast, providing us with the energy for some exploring of Tucker Tower and other spots around the lake. Once again, the dogs (and the rest of us) had a blast. A relaxing barbecue lunch afterward, and we were on our way. A quickie trip, but still a good time.

Mmmmmm, breakfast

Lindsey, Lexie, and AJ atop Tucker Tower

Mmmmmm, lunch

And next time we are in OK, we will be sure to keep our camera at the ready, as we missed out on some classic shots, including a three-wheel motorcycle/sidecart towing the world's smallest trailer carrying a tiny replica of an old 1950s' Chrysler (huh) and the best Burma-Shave-style series of 10+ billboards advertising what I think might have been the only bar in the county.

Heaven Is a Queen-Sized Bed

2008-10-07T10:49:00.003-06:00

Or at least that's my definition of heaven this week. We moved onto Grady Court just in time for the annual neighborhood block party. And not only are our neighbors super nice, they are also super generous. We left the party with bellies full of food and beverages, smiles on our faces, and an ironing board, coffee table, two cute little chairs for the bedroom and the office, sheets, and a mattress. Nice welcoming committee! Our house is actually starting to look like a house. We even got some of the screens in place, reducing the number of flies, moths, and mosquitos at least by half!

The weather is cooling off here and is almost really pleasant. I found out that because our little house is situated on top of a "hill" and there are no trees in our large backyard, there is nothing to stop the wind/breeze from blowing through our windows, keeping us nice and cool, even on some of the warmer days. Fresh air is lovely! I might even need to put on a very light sweater soon, if this keeps up.

I seem to update the blog when Mark is off at work . So once again, no pictures, as they are all on his computer. We'll try to get some from Neil and Tina's wedding, as well as a few shots of the house sometime soon. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Debbie and Eric (no, not my cousins Debbie and Eric; that would be weird) who semi-officially tied the knot in Yosemite last month and who will be making the whole thing officially official later this month in San Francisco. I am so incredibly happy for you both (though I'm not sure you even read this blog, so hmmmm, there is that).

Happy autumn to all of you lucky enough to have one!

So Behind ...

2008-10-02T22:33:00.002-06:00

That's what we are, and no excuse. Well, no excuse except for moving, cleaning out the old apartment, getting settled in the new place, refurnishing the new place with all the items we sold off/gave away/dumped on our friends in Denver, flying off to the Sierras for Neil and Tina's wedding (GREAT TIME!!), trying to launch Mark's clothing line (well, I'm not working on that, but Mark and Dave are, full time), trying not to procrastinate too much on work (that one's all me), squeezing in the occasional workout, cooking our way through the latest Cooking Light magazine (sort of a la Julie & Julia, but not really), and ... well, I think that's everything, though I'm sure I'm missing something in there.

We owe you pictures. We owe you stories. We owe you stuff. But for now you all need to settle for these two short paragraphs, letting you know that we are still alive and well and that we hope to be a little more settled next week. We're just happy to finally have Internet access at home again. We missed our daily connection!

We Are Here

2008-09-11T16:44:00.006-06:00

So, methinks it might be time to change the lead-in question at the top of the page. But I'm not going to. So there. Even though we aren't moving to France in the near future. Even though we are staying in Dallas, as evidenced by the fact that we just signed a year lease on a little house in the 'burbs (with a 1/2 acre yard all for Kai ... yay!!). But I like my lead-in question, and I'd like to think that this little jaunt here in Texas is just a detour in our life. A good detour, as it means that Mark is cranking away at his business, but a detour nonetheless.

So sorry to "all y'all" out there who were planning your next big vacation to the French Alps. We would have loved to played host to you. Perhaps next year. In the meantime, howz about a trip down to the Big D? Our good friend Shane just told us all about some beautiful spots just north of us (OK, technically those spots are in Oklahoma--yet more proof that there really isn't anything beautiful in the immediate Dallas area) that we'd be glad to take you to. Or there's always the incredibly touristy stampede run through the stockyards of Fort Worth (no, really, we wouldn't do that to you, even if you asked real nice). And to try to make it up to you, we would serve French cheese and bread and play some yodel-ly type songs in the background. (OK, we wouldn't do that to you either, unless you asked real nice.)

We move into our new home next Tuesday, and we can't wait. Apartment living was fun for about a week. Then it just got old thanks to the 3 a.m. walks with Kai and the nonstop traffic outside. The funny thing is, after being so excited to downsize and get rid of all our stuff just three short months ago, we are now looking forward to "upsizing" and stocking it all back up. In particular, we are really thrilled to be purchasing a bed. Sleeping on Thermarests and quilts was sort of part of the adventure at first, but now it's just really kind of annoying.

So, that's it from here. We have big plans for the weekend, including the GrapeFest in Grapevine. Apparently some kind of wine festival--sounds good to me! Then a visit with the Bears (Ann and Irwin Bear, that is), who will be visiting family in Plano. And maybe even a trek into the big city itself, as I hear tell that it has a very good farmer's market. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and to see how our big weekend turns out!! I am sure you just can't wait.

Oh my goodness ... birthdays. Although I wished Janet a very happy birthday in person (well, on the phone and not on the actual day), I completely forgot to give her a little shout out on the Joffe Blog. Janet, I hope you had a wonderful time on the cruise with your mom and brother. I will be calling soon to hear all about it! Happy Belated Birthday, sistah!

And to Sam and Susan -- Happy Belated 5th Anniversary! Susan, I'll be sure to drink your portion of the (belated) toast for you, because that's what friends are for!

And finally another today/tomorrow/what day is it anyway birthday wish to Dad, who we hope is off galavanting and having a grand time in Sydney, rather than sitting at home not answering our call! Have a happy, happy, happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Ilan!!

2008-09-05T09:17:00.005-06:00

Happy, happy birthday (a little bit belated). We cannot believe that you are one year away from the double digits!! We hope you had a wonderful day with lots of love, laughter, and good times (and presents). We only wish we could have been there to celebrate with you.

Our apologies for being a day late (although technically, it is still your birthday here in the States, so continue to party on in style). More apologies for this old photo. Our cache of photos is apparently not up to date!

Hallelujah!

2008-09-04T08:20:00.002-06:00

We woke up yesterday morning, threw on t-shirts, shorts, and running shoes, and took Kai out for his semi-regular morning walk/jog. Actually, Mark was taking Kai for a run, and I was planning on working out on the treadmill in the apartment complex's little gym. But one step outside, and I knew it was a special day, worthy of an actual walk around the neighborhood. I actually felt chilled and almost (almost!) contemplated throwing on a light sweatshirt or perhaps a long-sleeve shirt. I'm sorry for all the devastation Gustav caused in the Caribbean, and I'm glad it didn't destroy New Orleans as expected. But for purely selfish reasons, I am thrilled it came our way, with its big dark clouds, gusty winds, and temperatures that never reached above 85 degrees . . . all day (though not a drop of rain, which I guess we really need)! We even kept the windows open . . . all day! Granted the noise from the busy road behind our house was almost deafening, but who cared. We were breathing something other than air-conditioned air. If only it would last.

This may not seem blog-worthy to most of you, but trust me, it really, really is!

Time in New England

2008-08-27T17:23:00.005-06:00

I never did do that well in geography. Is New Jersey part of New England? Hmmm. Anyone out there is free to answer that question and let me know, as I'm too lazy today to jump over to another tab and Google it.

I've been a bit MIA here. A couple weeks ago, I abandoned Mark and Kai to head off for what I am calling New England. First stop, Hamden, CT, where I spent a great time with my dad (Mom was off celebrating Uncle Roy's 94th birthday in South Carolina, which is definitely not part of New England). Happy belated birthday, Uncle Roy!!

Dad and I began the festivities by dining on the world's largest plate of sweet potato fries and fried calamari ... ever! I barely made a dent in it, and somehow leftover fried food just isn't as good as the first time around. Bummer, as it was quite tasty the first time around. The next day, we loaded up the cooler with more than enough essentials, including a delicious deli sandwich, and sailed around Long Island Sound on his 20-some-odd-foot sailboat, Entropy. The weather was beautiful, though not much wind. That, however, turned out to be a good thing. We later found out that not too far south there were tornado warnings and hail storms. That would explain the black clouds on the horizon!

Saturday we headed up to Shelburne Falls, MA, home of the Bridge of Flowers and my dad, for a fantastic day with Uncle Paul and Aunt Gerry and a host of other Meads. Happy Anniversary, once again, to Paul and Gerry! After an afternoon of Wii playing, where I proved that I absolute suck at tennis and golf, both real and virtual, we filled up on lobster, corn, and salad. Yum, yum, and yum. It was so great to see all the cousins again, as it has been WAY too long. Thanks, everyone, for making it up there "just for me" (oh, and for the anniversary too, of course ... grin!).

Then Sunday, the nieces arrived--Megan, Ella, and Sabrina. Denise and I loaded up the minivan to head south to Green Pond, NJ. I can't even begin to cover our week full of adventures and activities. There was swimming; jumping off the dock; playing on the playground; riding in the canoe, party boat, motor boat, and Chris Craft; tubing, including a spectacular "dismount" by yours truly as well as a great time with Megan; lots of food, drinks, and laughter; a reunion with the McGarry girls; listening to Uncle Gary play at Jig's; just sitting around visiting and catching up; bike rides and walks; food at the Stand; lunch at the Yacht Club. Whew. I know there is so much more. I can't even remember it all. Thanks, Mom and Dad for a wonderful time!! And thanks Auntie Jane and Uncle Gary for putting up with me ... I mean putting me up! I know it wasn't in the plans, but I really appreciate it!

Sorry, no photos yet. Mom had the camera, as mine was back home with Mark.

Now I am back home in Texas, where it looks like we will be staying for a while. We just applied for a lease on a home for the next year. It's not too far from where we live right now, and it's closer to Dave's, where Mark works. Right across the street from the house is a park with trails (paved) for good walks with Kai. The house also has a MASSIVE backyard for Kai to run around in all he wants. First purchase after moving in ... a doggie door for Kai. Hallelujah!

So if any of you are ever in Dallas for the next year or so, give us a call, as we'd love some company and a distraction from the fact that we actually live in Dallas, Texas (who would have ever thought that would happen?!?).

Falling Behind and Catching Up

2008-08-11T19:33:00.007-06:00

I'm sitting here sipping some wine and listening to the rain pour down outside. Aaahhh! I don't know if it's cooling anything off out there, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Sorry to be a bit out of touch (aside from all the well wishes). We have been keeping busy with work and exploring and even a little bit of exercise, all as explained below.

But first, some technical info. For those of you who do not receive email updates, you can sign up for them simply by entering your email address in the little box at the right. I know you all check in every single day, anxiously awaiting our next big adventure, so this will make it that much easier to read all about it! OK, onto our so-called adventures.

Two weekends ago, Mark, Kai, and I trekked south for a little getaway. We headed down to Waco and then veered off the main road to explore the back routes. Along the way, we passed a sign for Crawford, which sounded very familiar, though we didn't realize why until I said, "Hmm, Crawford, Texas, sounds familiar." Then I realized that the next word after Crawford, Texas, is ranch, as in Dubya's home away from home. We decided not to stop in to say, "Howdy."

After 5+ hours on the road, we once again realized that taking the back roads in Texas is not even remotely interesting. Ya seen one dusty ranch with long-horn cattle, ya seen them all. But it was all worth it, as we ended up in Dripping Springs, a small town in the Hill Country southwest of Austin. We were there to visit our good friends Marianne (pronounced My-anna) and Travis (pronounced T) and their two boys (Barret and Adler) and two dogs (Bailey and Addie), who had all moved to the area from Hillsborough (Calif.) about a year ago. They have a very lovely home with lots of land and a house full of laughter (with some occasional crying and barking). We were only there for a couple days, but we had a blast. Lots of reminiscing and catching up. Way too much good food and wine. And an absolutely fabulous time at Barton Springs Pool ... a little piece of heaven right in the middle of Austin. If I lived in Austin, I think I would just camp out at this pool 24/7. Mark and Travis finished off the weekend with a mountain bike ride near Hamilton Pool, another cool (in all senses of the word) area of Austin (I only know about it because I found the link for this post; we didn't actually go to this pool ... BUMMER!). It was hard to tear ourselves away from it all, and I probably wouldn't have if I'd known about Hamilton. Even Mark admitted that Austin is a great place, what with all its open space, trails, parks, rivers, and natural pools (all of which is very lacking in the Dallas area), not to mention a host of good restaurants (only two of which we tried). But home we went, promising to get together again much sooner rather than later.

The past week has been filled with work for both of us. I won't bore you with the details. If you really want to know, just give us a call and we'll fill you in. We ended the week with another bike ride. I did the shorter route (only about 20 miles ... ouch!); Mark pretty much doubled that, at about double the speed. His legs are back to being the solid pistons that just won't stop! Yesterday, we did a driving/hiking tour around Lake Lewisville and discovered some great hiking trails for us and for Kai, with a couple easy access/swimming points. We finished it off with a delicious chocolate shake from Braum's and a night of video-watching and relaxation. So, although we may whine just a bit about Dallas, we are enjoying ourselves. And good thing too, as we most likely will be here longer than expected. And with that tantalizing bit of news, I'll say good night until next time!

So Many Leos . . .

2008-08-07T18:10:00.009-06:00

. . . I can't keep up. I completley missed cousin Katya's birthday last week and nearly missed another dual-hemisphere day: Cousin Peter's birthday in Massachusetts today/yesterday and sister Sharon's birthday today/tomorrow (depending on where in the world you are), not to mention Cousin Tim and Denese's anniversary tomorrow. Whew!

We wish you all the best in the year to come with gobs of love and laughter. I'm a little skimpy on photos, as I haven't seen many of you in way too long. We'll just have to find a way to solve that problem in the coming year. In the meantime, heeeeeere's Sharon!

Stay tuned, as I really be updating this blog with more news of our adventures in Texas, including our wonderful, wonderful time in Austin last weekend.

Apologies to Aunt Kay's Family!

2008-08-03T18:53:00.002-06:00

I wrote that last post in a rush on our way out of town. I had Aunt Kay in mind and decided to rename them the McKay family! You know what I meant, right?!?!

An officialy update on our weekend is coming soon, but wanted to say a big OOPS and SORRY!!

Hope you all had a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

Busy Birthday Weekend!

2008-08-01T08:27:00.004-06:00

We are off to Austin to visit our good friends Marianne (pronounced Myanna) and Travis. But before we head south, we wanted to send out very happy, wonderful birthday wishes to a triumvarate of beautiful women in our lives:

Mum and Auntie Jane share the same birthday, although Mum's is today here in America (tomorrow in Australia) and Auntie Jane's is tomorrow. But whatever the day and wherever you are, we wish we were with you to help you celebrate with love and smiles.

And a belated birthday to the latest bride in our family, Mrs. Rebecca Bressani. We saw the photos, and your tropical wedding looked absolutely wonderful and a grand ol' party (who would expect any less from the McKay women and their clan?). Happy, happy birthday!!

Something to Smile About

2008-07-30T14:01:00.003-06:00

In these crazy times, it's fun to just smile and dance once in a while. A friend forwarded this link to me (thanks, Glenn!), and I thought I'd share it with all of you. If I were savvy enough, I'd just put the whole video here, but no idea how to do that. So instead, click the link for a 5-minute break from your day: Happy People Dancing on Planet Earth

p.s. I guess this guy has been around a while, but this is his most recent video. Interesting info about him at Wikipedia (the not-always-reliable font of knowledge on the Web).

Well Done, Mark!

2008-07-29T08:54:00.007-06:00

Though I don't have the photos to prove it, this past weekend, Mark competed in The Plano Cycling Texas State Championship Sprint Adventure Race Series ™ (catchy title; not sure how they fit all that on the T-shirt). In 100+ degree heat. Crazy boy. Considering that Mark and his business/adventure race partner, Dave, had not really trained for the event--aside from going running and biking on a somewhat irregular basis--they did pretty well, finishing right about in the middle of the pack, and that's with a semi-deflated kayak, which should have been their strong suit. Anyway, it was actually the championship event in a series of adventure races that Dave's wife competes in (she and her partner came in 4th; apparently they were a little more prepared). Mark and Dave decided on Thursday that they would compete on Saturday, with the deciding factor being the free entry ($150 per team is ridiculously high, especially when you really don't get that much in return). Made me realize even more what an incredible deal all those kayakers and rafters were getting for the Gore Canyon Race!

The reason I have no pictures is that I was responsible for watching 11-year-old Lindsey and 3-year-old A.J. in something I call The Plain Crazy Texas State Championship Adventures in Babysitting Series. The kids were all-in-all pretty well behaved, considering the circumstances: 100-degree heat on a ranch in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do except kick around a soccer ball, hang out in the truck, throw rocks in the creek, or drop trou and poop right in the middle of the parking lot (that would be A.J.--potty training is grand). I tried to get them interested in hanging out by the creek a little longer so we could catch a glimpse of their parents or Mark riding through on their bikes or maybe even getting to the finish line to cheer them on, but the kids would have nothing to do with it. Some support crew they turned out to be!

A.J. The Drive Home

Post-post edit: The picture on the right is of Donielle, Lindsey, and A.J. all crashed out on the drive home. I woke up from my nap just long enough to snap this shot.

More Birthday Wishes

2008-07-24T10:47:00.004-06:00

Well, we are ridiculously late on some of these well wishes. My excuse is that I did not have any recent photos (as evidenced by the horrible scan of a negative below), but I guess that hasn't stopped me in the past. And to top it off, we sent a duplicate e-card to our nephew Ariel (the same one we had sent to his sister, Lily). Apparently the memory of a six-year-old is a thousand times better than the memories of two rapidly-approaching-40-year-olds! A thousand apologies, Ariel, and you have every right to tickle Uncle Mark all you want next time you see him!

SO, without further ado.

Happy birthday, Ariel!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Gerry!

Sorry we missed the party, but looking forward to seeing you in August to give you a proper birthday hug!

And one that's actually on time ...

Happy Birthday, Beth!

Weekend Update ... a Little Late

2008-07-22T17:28:00.007-06:00

We started our weekend with a bit of dread as we headed out to the Denton County DMV. Mark was adamant that we get the license thing sorted ASAP, as this is the first time he will be voting ... ever ... and he wants to be in the rolls and ready to go. So, off we went, having written off our entire day, just in case.

Imagine our surprise when we were in and out of the license plate place in no more than 15 minutes. We were even more surprised that we dealt with a very pleasant woman who had a sense of humor and who even helped me remember our license plate number by deciding that LBC stands for lazy blue cat. Although that means nothing, it will stick in my head. Now I just need to work on the numbers.

We giddily walked through a little corridor to the driver's license section, feeling quite proud of ourselves. Of course, nothing is ever all easy. Turns out that we forgot (or didn't realize we needed) our social security cards AND our birth certificates. So we ran home, grabbed it all up (thankful that we hadn't sent any of it to be stored in my parents' home in Connecticut), snatched our passports just in case, and headed back. The driver's license woman had a case of grimness and barely cracked a smile, although I tried to be as funny as humanly possible, considering we were in a DMV. But other than that, it was relatively painless! So all in all, it wasn't a horrible experience, and we were out of there before noon. Now we just have to wait 30 days to see how the photos turned out.

We commemorated our new residency by going to an El Salvadorean restaurant I'd seen while out on errands. My goal was to celebrate with a margarita. But alas, not only didn't the restaurant serve much of an El Salvadorean menu, it also did not sell margaritas (although its menu proclaimed that it did). Oh well. After a little work at home, we spent that evening around Dave and Donielle's pool, sipping wine and scotch (depending on who was doing the sipping) and meeting some of Dave's neighbors and friends. Nice folks.

The next morning we got a not-so-early start (thanks to the remnants of the previous night's sipping) on my planned driving tour of the greater Dallas area (see the "Movie Texas" part of the article). Turns out that going for a weekend drive to explore Texas is nowhere near as interesting, pretty, scenic, etc., etc., as doing the same through the Colorado mountains or the San Francisco Bay area. So, it wasn't that much fun at all, though we did find a nice restaurant in Waxahachie (crepe/crape myrtle capital of Texas and home to more lawyer's offices than I think I have ever seen in any small town) where we enjoyed a yummy lunch at the 1879 Chisholm Grill, and Mark had his first experience with sweet tea. (When we asked the waitress how much sugar they put in the tea, she said it depended on who made it. She then relayed a story of how she once took a big gulp of tea, only to have her jaw lock up from the sweetness of it. WOW!)

After being in the car all day, having driven through downtown Dallas (past the grassy knoll), and on to Waxahachie, Maypearl (supposedly one of the prettiest little towns in Texas ... we highly beg to differ), and then downtown Fort Worth (which actually looks pretty nice, though by that point we were too exhausted to get out and look around), we worked our way back to Flower Mound, where I forced the issue of trying to find a margarita. We ended up at El Chico's, where we experienced firsthand what it means to live in a formerly dry town.
Downtown Dallas
Waxahachie Courthouse

Apparently, Flower Mound and Lewisville used to be dry cities. From what the bartender told us, they aren't anymore, but many of the private establishments keep up with the old system. In order to buy something other than beer or wine at a restaurant, you have to show them your driver's license (which, of course, we don't really have ... just a piece of paper right now). But they don't care about photos. They just enter the DL number into some machine, and we get a card that we have to sign stating that we are now members of their little club. And then we can get a drink. It's just one step up from knocking on a door and uttering the secret password through a slotted window.

The margarita wasn't nearly as good as I was hoping, but maybe it was just the long day that put a bitter taste in my mouth. So we went to pick up Kai from Dave and Donielle's, rented a couple movies, took Kai for a walk, and chilled out for the rest of the evening. A nice ending to a long, hot day. [Side note: Sunday we ate of TGI Friday's while running errands, and I finally got a surprisingly good 'rita, and also learned some TGIF history from an incredibly friendly waitress--both potato skins and Long Island iced tea supposedly started in a TGIF restaurant.]
Our walk with Kai
On the phone with the Asakawas during our walk

Last night we headed into Old Lewisville, one of the more charming towns in our immediate area, to see a live concert in the square: Big Daddy Alright, a pretty good 7-piece swing band. Good times!

E-mail Problems and Our Cute Dog

2008-07-14T08:52:00.004-06:00

First of all, an apology to anyone who happens to be reading this. Apparently, ever since I spent my one week in the office, my personal e-mails (and even some work ones ... ACK!) were being stored in GoDaddy's bulk mail folder. I just discovered this today and spent the morning wading through 200+ e-mails, including wonderful pics of dad on his boat and of adorable little Isabella Meyer. So, if you've been wondering why you haven't heard any responses from me, just think how I felt, sitting here in Dallas, thinking no one likes me now that I'm a Texan!

Second, just a quick story of our adorable dog Kai, who has been suffering silently for the past three weeks without a bed of his own. (He used to have two separate beds). We left his beds at Jon and Val's because there was not an inch of space for either one of them in the car. But he seemed fine and has been sleeping either on our so-called bed (Thermarests and blankets on the floor) or in his crate on a blanket-yoga mat combo. Yesterday we finally splurged and bought a fuzzy little bed that fits perfectly in his crate. When we returned to the apartment, my hands were full, so I plopped the bed on the floor and went to put away the groceries. The bed hadn't been on the floor for two seconds, when Kai came up, didn't even sniff it, just grabbed it gently in his mouth, and carried it into his crate, as if to say, "It's about dang time. Didn't you know I wanted something comfier to sleep on, here? Sheesh!" Mark and I were too flabbergasted to laugh (this is the dog who is usually so cautious, he makes a meek little mouse look brave). So instead we just thanked him for finally doing his part in helping us get moved in.

Happy Belated, Val! And other stuff ...

2008-07-06T09:42:00.007-06:00

In addition to celebrating the birth of our nation, I also want to send out a big Happy Birthday to Val Babe (a little late)! Hope you had a blast! (Look at those young-uns!!)

And finally, photos from our trip so far. We would have more, but unfortunately our brand new camera is now on the bottom of Grapevine Lake

My fully loaded car, somewhere in Texas:

Our drive through Texas ... where'd the mountains go?

Our poor Kai dog on said drive in said overloaded car:

The view from our apartment:

Our first meal on our toolbox table (which has since been replaced with a real table):

Dave, Katie, John, and Tara in Grapevine Lake:

Oops, nope, that picture is now on the bottom
of the lake with our camera. Boo hoo!

We've been having a great time here. Last Friday, we saw the Gin Blossoms at The Glass Cactus, a great bar overlooking Grapevine Lake. A week ago Sunday, we went for a 25-mile road bike ride around Flower Mound/Grapevine. Apparently it was just a leisurely ride. I missed that part of it, as I was pedaling furiously trying to keep up with piston-legged Mark and veteran bike rider Dave.

For the Fourth, we went back to Grapevine Lake and had a wonderful day with Katie and John (the owners of the boat and wakeboard). [Katie works for Dave, Mark's partner.] We spent the afternoon lazing about, swimming, wakeboarding (not me, though ... way too choppy and crowded!), snacking, having a couple beers and a delicious mixture of fresh watermelon juice, lemon juice, a bit of sugar, and vodka. Mmmm,mmmm. After a gorgeous sunset, we anchored just below the Glass Cactus and watched the fireworks of at least three different towns (including the ones for Grapevine, just over our heads). The music blaring from the Cactus was an odd mixture of John Phillip Sousa, country patriotic songs, choral versions of patriotic standbys, the theme song from Forrest Gump (really?!), and a couple USA-type rock songs (conveniently leaving out the parts of "Born in the USA" that say anything bad about this country). It was an incredibly relaxing, fun day! Thanks, John and Kate!

Yesterday (Saturday), we headed off to Bonham, Texas, the home of Sam Rayburn, to visit Mark's old Terracom pal, Sean Hutchinson, at Sean's grandparents' ranch. It's still a working ranch, with a bunch of ponds his grandfather dug, filled, and stocked himself. We visited with the family, completely avoided any political or religious arguments (they are through-and-through conservative Christian Texans), and had some good ol' fashioned Texas food--fried fish (caught by Sean and his family in the ranch's ponds), fried chicken (bought fresh from KFC), sweet potato casserole, roast beef, baked beans, white bread, peppermint salt water taffy, ice cream, and on and on. Mark and I ate it all up and then headed off with the boys (Sean; his cousin, Jason; and his nephews, Kyle and Colton) for some fishing. I thought I would just sit and watch and keep Kai company. But it turns out Kai was in his element--wading out into the water, rolling in cow manure, being completely intrigued by whatever it was that we kept throwing out and then reeling in. So, I got a pole of my own and gave it a shot. And wouldn't you know it, I caught the biggest fish of the group that evening. My first fish caught since we went fishing with Uncle Paul when I was 10! I was sure it was about 5 pounds, at least. But back at the house, when Grandpa Hutchinson asked, turns out it was a whopping 1.5-pound bass. I'm still not thrilled with the whole idea of fishing (sushi-loving hypocrite that I am), but I was just a little proud of my accomplishment. I just hope they get it out of the basket and cook it up before it dies.

Now Mark is off for a 28-mile mountain bike ride (at high noon ... in Texas?!). I've decided to clean up, do some grocery shopping, and get some work done. Perhaps sit by the pool and read. Maybe even go to the gym to workout. Who knows! The options are endless.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Dang keyboard

2008-06-30T19:30:00.002-06:00

Sorry about that mis-post. Right now, Blogger is not letting me edit, so you'll just have to wonder what "things I" was thinking of talking about. Or maybe I'll write about it all here.

We have survived more than a week here in Flower Mound. I have learned that the town is named as such because there is, indeed, a mound, and it does, indeed, have flowers on it. I have yet to see this mound, and I cannot ascertain as of yet whether said mound is perhaps one of those mysterious Native American mounds that no one knows much about or whether it is just a mound of flowers. When I find out, I will be sure to let you all know.

Last week I redeemed my younger self by successfully holding a pseudo-temp job for an entire week where all I had to do was answer phones. I answered a whopping six calls (without disconnecting or pissing off anyone). That far surpasses my temp job in 1987, when I believe either I was fired or I quit after less than one day of answering phones for AT&T in New York City. Perhaps I have learned a thing or two in the past 20 years?! I even think my paycheck from this one week was more than I ever earned in a week in New York.

You'll all be happy to know that today I solved the mystery of the Fresh Donuts and Water. First of all, I must apologize to this "fine dining establishment." The true name of the company is Gourmet Donuts and Water. Sounds even more intriguing. Gourmet water? Actually, they sell not-so-gourmet donuts, lousy coffee, and R.O. Water, which is reverse osmosis water. I didn't taste the water, but perhaps it is what they are referring to as gourmet.

Another thing I have learned since living here is that without a TV we are EXTREMELY productive and active, and we sleep 1,000 times better. Actually, I should amend that. I have always slept fine. Mark is sleeping through the night every night and is even taking naps. Perhaps it's the exercise or the improved diet or the full days or (my favorite theory) the fact that he isn't watching 24-hour news 48 hours a day. I don't know for sure, but it's very nice. (And Kai appreciates all the extra attention, too.)

The big news of today is that we finally got our rental washer and dryer. I have been washing 6 weeks worth of clothes all day. We finally have something other than winter clothes and pajamas to wear. Hallelujah!

Speaking of, I think I am going to throw on some clean socks and take Kai out for his night time walk. G'nite, y'all!

Things I

2008-06-30T19:29:00.001-06:00

Texas "D"

2008-06-27T09:28:00.004-06:00

Some call Texas the land of oil and cattle. Others think of Tex-Mex and margaritas. In actuality, from what I can determine, it is the land of donut shops and Chinese food super buffets. During our drive across west Texas and our past week here, I've kept my eyes open for a little breakfast diner like our favorite Nick's Cafe in Lakewood. Signs look promising from afar, but upon closer inspection, it's always Donuts, Donuts, Donuts. I had no idea these tasty little morsels were so popular here. In Dallas (or at least in the Flower Mound/Lewisville area), every strip mall, shopping center, gas station, and corner store has a donut shop. Even the Wal-Mart has a Dunkin' Donuts (where I finally broke down and bought two little donut holes, accompanied by the world's largest iced coffee -- everything's big in Texas, darlin').

My favorite, by far, is the Donuts and Water store. They don't seem to have a Web site, so I'll be driving by there and taking pictures and even going in to see what, exactly, they sell. I mean I've heard of donuts and coffee, but it never crossed my mind to dip my donut in an ice-cold glass of fresh water.

And if you want Chinese food, apparently this is the place, as even the smallest cow town had a China Super Buffet. I'm sure it's delicious, but I think I'll stick with the traditional Tex-Mex and barbecue, thank you.

Howdy, y'all!

2008-06-23T09:19:00.010-06:00

After a couple crazy months, we are finally here in Flower Mound, Texas. We left Denver on June 8, with a car and a truck load full of stuff. We had a wonderful detour on the way here, with four days on the Chama River in northern New Mexico. Great friends, great river, great relaxation, and great time (not to mention Wilderness Bocce Ball). Even Kai loved it! The farewells afterward were super tough. The better the friends, the harder the good-byes, that is for sure!! Even after all our moves, saying farewell to such good friends and family is never, ever easy. But we know we will see you all again, one way or another, whether through the wonders of the Internet or someplace in our travels.

Not too long after leaving the Chama, we were cheered up by our friends in New Mexico ... Chiara in Espanola and then Jon/Val/Daph and Danny and Jill in Albuquerque. Lots of wonderful food (too much!!), more great friends, and so much laughter my sides are still recovering! It was also so wonderful to have a bit more relaxation before the drive to Texas (although that relaxation was broken up by a high-noon death run through the "mosquito farms" along the Rio Grande; but one week later and no horrid diseases or West Nile, thank goodness!).

[P.S. No pictures from here on out as our camera died in Albuquerque and I don't have the attachment for the new camera. Photos to come when Mark gets home from work.]

We left Albuquerque on Tuesday morning, heading due south along part of the Camino Real through Hatch (where we bought what I assume to be authentic roasted Hatch green chilis and juicy juicy mangoes and tangerines), Las Cruces, and on to El Paso, where we waved to Mexico and said adios to the Rio Grande.

We then turned leftish and headed off the freeway toward Guadalupe Mountains National Park in far west Texas. It's a beautiful little mountain range and the highest point in Texas. I guess that was our official farewell to altitude. Our plans to get there early enough to walk around failed (they don't allow dogs anyway) and it was too early to camp (plus, we had no food for dinner or breakfast). So back in the car, where thirty minutes farther on, we drove past the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns (which was just closing--oh well). We still had ample hours of sunlight (with no mountains to block the sunset, daytime lasts forever), so we continued , traveling the backroads past potash fields (ugly), which turned into farm and cow fields (pretty in the sunset), then into windfarm fields (surreal in the nighttime lightning storm), and then into a few last hills before Fort Worth. (We did stop that night at Fort Griffin State Park for a restful sleep in an immaculate, yet empty, campsite.) [Wow, so many parentheses in that paragraph!]

We arrived in Flower Mound at noon on Wednesday and started the fun process of moving in, which continues to today. Who knew we still had so much stuff? The pile of things to get rid of is growing, as trying to cram all our belongings from a three-bedroom, two-car garage house into one bedroom is quite the challenge. And this is after we sold all our furniture, gave literally truckloads of goodies to Good Will and the library, and shipped off 1000 pounds of other items to Mom and Dad in Connecticut for storage. Whew!

We have been pleasantly surprised by our time in Texas so far. Flower Mound is on the northern outskirts of the city. We joked that we are now living in the Highlands Ranch area of Dallas, only to find out the shopping center just down the road is called Highlands Ranch. (Highlands Ranch is the area south of Denver that has all the newer developments and big houses and golf courses). Everyone is super nice, and even the heat hasn't been too bad (although I take back every nasty thing I ever said about air conditioning).

We are hoping to get the last of the unpacking done tonight so we can finally relax and enjoy. We did take a "break" yesterday for a road bike ride that just about killed my thighs. Mark's partner, Dave, and Dave's wife, Donielle, are in incredible shape, and they just about kicked our butts! But it felt good to move (even if it hurts to move now).

So that's it--the past month or so in a rather large and verbose nutshell. We truly and dearly miss all our friends in Denver, but we are looking forward to our new adventures here in Texas and then ... France?! That's still the plan. Stay tuned for more (but briefer, I promise) observations on our little life. For now, I will sit here and wait for the man to install our washer/dryer (who will be here between the hours of 10 and 4?!?!??)

So Much to Say ...

2008-06-15T16:41:00.005-06:00

But we are on our way to Old Town Albuquerque with friends, so just a quick greeting to some of my favorite people who are having a special week:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DENISE!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE RAB!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHARON!!

And one more ...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! :)

Unfortunately, that last one would have worked much better if it were actually me in the picture.

Happy Birthday, Mad Max!!

2008-06-05T09:25:00.005-06:00

So looking forward to celebrating with you on El Rio Chama! Have a fantastic day and here's to many, many more adventures in the years to come (perhaps in France, hmmmm?).

p.s. So many pictures to choose from. I opted for the G-rated one for family considerations :-)

Still in Denver

2008-06-04T09:05:00.002-06:00

We haven't left yet, although we have been out of our old home since Friday. We are staying at Chez Fleming, with two dogs, three cats, and four humans. But it really doesn't feel crowded--though I'm Sam and Susan would love to have their basement back! We try to make up for the nuisance by feeding them and cleaning up after ourselves as much as possible.

It's incredible how much stuff we still have. Even after shipping nearly 1000 pounds of stuff to Connecticut and another pile of boxes to Texas. And after umpteen trips to Good Will, the Humane Society, a massive garage sale, and on and on. Where did we have all this stuff stashed?

Just a few more get-togethers with friends, plus a shopping trip and prep time for the Rio Chama river trip next week, and we'll be on our way. I still have not said good-bye to anyone. I've evaded it by saying, "We'll see you in France." or "We'll be on Skype everyday, so it'll be like we never left." Denial is a wonderful place to live.

Happy 4th Anniversary, Asheman and Kickstand!

2008-06-01T11:01:00.002-06:00

Jon and Val, I can't believe it has been four years. I know we are a little late (or maybe right on time)? We can't remember because we packed all the champagne glasses already. But we hope you have another wonderful year ahead ... one of many more to come. Looking forward to celebrating with you in person next week!!

Bittersweet Day

2008-05-29T13:18:00.005-06:00

I know we haven't been the best about keeping you all up to date on our daily activities of late. But let me tell you, you haven't missed much. We've just been packing and selling stuff and more packing and trying to squeeze in some work and getting together with friends to say farewell (the hardest part of all).

But today our realtor/neighbor Peggy Patterson (who we love and would recommend to anyone) and Mark and I headed off to Title America and signed it all away to Roger and Janice Nelson of Redding, CA. We're still here in the house today and tomorrow (we aren't leaving until they kick us out on Saturday), packing up the last stuff and wrapping our boxes in rolls and rolls of shrink wrap so it can all be shipped off to Connecticut and Dallas. But holy cow! This all happened so fast!!

Our friends Sam and Susan are being kind enough to put up with us for the next week and a bit before we head off on another river trip en route to Dallas by way of Albuquerque. They are also being amazingly kind and taking our poor old cat, Chester, who we will miss incredibly much but who will be going to a good home/hospice.

We have so many fond memories of all the good times over the past 6 years in our little home on Flower Street. We will certainly miss Lakewood and all our wonderful friends. But we know that it is a small world and that we will see you all again ... whether in person or through the wonders of Skype!

(p.s. Photo courtesy of the folks at Obeo.com.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEBRA!

2008-05-28T12:24:00.005-06:00

I'm a day late and always a dollar short, but I did not forget!! I just didn't get this posted in time. I hope you have a FANTASTIC year, my favorite "twin." Can't wait to celebrate with you at the lake in person. We love you ... Tara, Mark, Kai, and the ever-lasting Chester

Happy Birthday, Jon!

2008-05-19T08:27:00.004-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ... to a fantastic (older) brother(-in-law). We hope the family is treating you to a fantastic day, and I hope Denise didn't make you work too much at your own birthday party.

P.S. I know it's an older photo, but I love this one!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

2008-05-15T09:02:00.004-06:00

We've been a bit out of touch, and not because we are busy packing (well, not until yesterday anyway). Tara's parents were in town, and we took them on a whirlwind tour of all things Colorado Springs.

Day one was spent in Manitou Springs, which was not nearly as quaint as I thought it would be. And then a driving tour up to Cripple Creek and Victor and back down (I think we saw Pikes Peak from every possible vantage point except the top). We didn't realize that Manitou Springs was known for its mineral spring drinking water. I thought it was hot springs. Apparently all through town there are springs that you can drink from for free. They must have been hidden between all the kitschy stores and tourist traps, because we didn't see a one. Oh well.

Day two (Mother's Day/Mom & Dad's 40th Anniversary), we visited the Air Force Academy, which has a spectacular campus with some of the best-maintained trails I've seen in a long time. Mom and Dad went to the Chapel for a rockin' service put on by cadets, while Mark and I took Kai for a walk on the aforementioned trails. We then met up, shopped for some food at the commissary, and ate by the runway between a "Warthog" and a "Thunderbird." (Air Force types might know what we are talking about.)

Then it was off in search of the U.S. Olympic Training Center. (We had the world's worst maps, so getting around town proved to be a bit tricky at times.) But we made it, only to find out the complex is pretty much dead on Sundays (especially Mother's Day). But we did get to watch some male gymnasts practice the parallel bar and pommel horse via live TV in the guest area. We also drove around and caught a glimpse of a bunch of young, fit athletes lounging around the pool on their day off.

A circuitous route took us through town to Seven Falls (which we did not visit, because it required sitting in line and paying money), past the Broadmoor (spectacular hotel/residence complex), up to the entrance to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (yet another line that we accidentally got stuck in for a while), back down past Helen Hunt Falls (I mean, she was good in "Mad About You," but naming falls after her, although I thought perhaps it was an homage to her high forehead), and then along a dirt road that wound up and over some mountain back toward Old Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods, where we took Kai for another walk along with half the population of Colorado Springs (did we mention it was a beautiful Mother's Day?).

That night we prepared a lovely dinner of artichokes, scallops, and risotto, with lots of wine and champagne and laughter to celebrate the day.

All in all, a wonderful trip. We were sad to see Mom and Dad leave on Tuesday (sorry to hear about the 3 hour delay in Dallas. BLECH!). But we'll see them again soon, perhaps on Dad's sailboat?!

Now we have begun packing and getting ready for our move to Dallas in June. I promise not to go into that much detail in describing our adventures in packing :)

Congratulations!!

2008-05-08T11:08:00.005-06:00

Raise a toast to Scott and Jennifer. He popped the question in Hawaii (classy!). We wish them all the best and will be raising our 'ritas in toast to the happy couple as often as possible (and not just 'cuz we love us some 'ritas).

p.s. Not sure why the resolution is so fuzzy. I can only do so much with the material I am provided.

Procrastination

2008-05-07T14:17:00.003-06:00

I really should be finishing up a couple projects before my parents come into town, but I realize it's been a while since we posted anything. Also, our last post was anything but enthusiastic. For the past week, we had visitors who took up quite a bit of time and energy. We had a nice time, but three boys ages 5, 4, and 2 are pretty much exhausting (I'm sure all you parents out there are thinking, "Well, duh, you didn't know this!?"). But our house is empty again ... and getting emptier by the minute.

Now that the negotiations are final (apart from an appraisal, I think), we are starting to box up our belongings and trying to sell everything essentially larger than a breadbox. Anyone out there need any furniture? How about dishes and silverware? Everything must go!!

Spring is here at last (although I'm sure we'll get another surprise snow storm before Memorial Day ... perhaps ON Memorial Day). And the 12 hours of rain we had overnight seems to have sprung all the flowers from their buds. It looks and smells divine outside. And yet, here I am at my computer. Silly me!

Other than the weather and packing up, there is not too much going on around here. As mentioned, Tara's parents come in on Thursday night. We don't have every second planned, but we do have a lot of ideas. We'll be sure to post piccies when all is said and done!

Hope you are all enjoying the springtime weather!

At last!

2008-05-03T14:10:00.002-06:00

I know, technically, getting an offer on the house within one week and working out the negotiations in a month is not really a horrible ordeal in today's market and economy. I have refrained from writing anything here about any of this, as I did not want to jinx us. But true enough. Within one week of putting the house on the market, we got an offer. After much negotiation up and back about the price and about who was responsible for repairing/replacing what, we are all at agreement. So, if all continues to go well, we will be closing on May 29 and packing up for Texas, with a brief layover on the Rio Chama for another "relaxing" (or at least I hope this one is relaxing) float trip.

All I can say is "whew" and "boy, that was fast!!"

So that's what that thing is for ...

2008-04-23T22:33:00.005-06:00

With the invention of the CamelBack and other ingenious (although nasty-tasting) hydration devices, I was beginning to think those little deely-bobs on bike frames would become extinct. But today, I was feeling quite virtuous (there's that word, Val) and decided to ride my bike to the grocery store. [Of course, I opted against riding uphill to the Safeway and instead took the flat-ish route to Vitamin Cottage/Natural Grocer. My laziness cost me at least $20 extra in the high-end organic super-duper groceries. But anyway ...] After stuffing my backpack full of goodies, I realized I did not have room for the bottle of wine I planned to purchase. But no worries, "old" technology to the rescue:

Glad to say I made it safely home, although I dodged every bump possible to ensure that my precious cargo did not shatter.

Pourquoi France?

2008-04-23T10:37:00.001-06:00

Or is it, Pourquoi la France? Either way, I realize we never really explained what the heck we are doing selling our house and moving. Well, if this isn't reason enough:

(I mean, come on, isn't that beautiful and quaint and everything the French Alps should be?) I'll see if I can come up with a better explanation. Mark is actually better at explaining all this, but he is off to help Max install wood floors in Suzy's condo. Soooo, here goes ...

It all started at Thanksgiving, when we were getting ready to break the news to my folks that we were seriously considering moving to Tasmania (yes, in Australia). Before we had really broached the subject, Mark got a call from Neil "Willy" Baxter from somewhere in France. Willy had been living in the town of Samoens, France, off and on for the past two years and he thought it had great potential for some business opportunities, not to mention property investment. Mark and Willy have wanted to work together for ages, so perhaps this was the big chance.

Mark was intrigued, as was I (not only by the thought of moving there but also by the idea of finally getting a First World vacation, with real toilets and showers and everything!). So we immediately made plans to visit in February. Once there, we fell in love with the town. Mark and Catherine and Willy have been hammering out their business plan ever since. Essentially they will be running a high-end tourist operation geared toward Europeans (mainly the strong-pound-loving Brits).

The paperwork is being completed this week, and then Mark will apply for his visa. The plan is to be there by September (perhaps Mark might go sooner). In the meantime, we will most likely be living in Dallas once the house is sold (more on that subject to be posted soon). Yes, Dallas ... in the summertime. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

And the most important question:

Yes, Kai will be going with us. (Doesn't he look just thrilled at the prospect?)

However, we are torn as to what to do with little old Chester. Anyone want to give a loving home to our most adorable eighteen-year-old cat??

Where are the Joffes, indeed?

2008-04-21T09:54:00.000-06:00

My goodness, has it really been 10 days since our last post. Time flies when you are floating down the river! Our trip down the San Juan was great, although not quite the totally relaxing experience we were hoping for. A freezing first night in camp after a 10-hour drive was not exactly welcoming, but Mr. Sun came out and warmed us up during the rigging of the boats. The first two days on the river were spectacular. Lots of drifting and floating and beer drinking and sunning. Aaaahhhhh, heaven! And the food was all delish!

On Day 3, however, the Evil SOB Wind came from downstream and would not let up, not even for a second. So what was supposed to be our easy, don't-even-put-the-oars-in-the-water day became a horrendous 9-mile slog down the river. Thanks to all the men (and Liane) for getting us downstream!! I hope someone got pictures of our five-boat barge!

Then the next day was over before we knew it and it was time to derig. The trip home started out fine, but once we hit Moab, we discovered that the mountains between us and home were being hit by a spring snow. James and Mark were our champions and got us safely over two passes, all while towing a 16-foot trailer. We were in bed by 4 a.m. Thursday. Today, Monday, I feel like I am almost recovered from the ordeal, and I didn't even drive or row!

But, really, it was great and a fantastic group of people, including two stellar six-year-olds ... yes, you, Katya and Pearl.

Pearl and Katya (and Chris and Greg)

For now, I must get back to work.

The Unveiling

2008-04-12T00:38:00.001-06:00

Well, I though I had a minute to upload some of our piddly photos, but time ran out. Instead we have our official listing that makes our house look spectacular, in my humble opinion. Actually it looks way bigger and way better than I could imagine, and I live in it. So ... check it out. Our real estate agent hasn't input all the details, but it looks pretty good to me. Anyone in the market for a move-in-ready home in Lakewood, CO? Close to the open space. Super easy access to the city and the mountains. As they say, location, location, location. Mark has already "shown" the house tonight to people who were snooping around the foreclosing HUD home next to us.

http://www.obeo.com/Public/Viewer/Default.aspx?ID=455944

It's 12:30 a.m. Saturday and we are finally home from a crazy day of prepping and cooking for the river. Probably no news from us until we get back. Have a GREAT week everyone and hope it doesn't snow/rain on the dock installation all you Green Pond folks!

Another quickie

2008-04-11T11:30:00.000-06:00

Work is done, the house is pretty much clean (steam-cleaned the carpets and then Kai came in with muddy paws ... rascal). Now I'm working on the menu for our big river trip. As of Sunday, we will be here (the Goosenecks section of the San Juan River in Utah):

doing a lot of this (i.e., relaxing)

I'll see if I can finally post some pictures tonight in between making salsa, chili, chicken, etc., and packing up our gear.

Just a Quickie

2008-04-09T20:29:00.000-06:00

Photos are coming, really they are. Just not tonight. If anything, I'll be able to post a link to our obeo.com site soon enough. The house is clean and barren and has had its photo shoot. It goes on the market on Friday. Eek!

Back to work work.

Almost there

2008-04-07T09:56:00.000-06:00

I know you are all waiting with bated breath about how everything is going. How did you survive 5 days without a post from the Joffes? Well, we have been busy, busy, busy. So busy, I haven't had a chance to download any after pictures. The weekend was a painting party. Sometimes a painting panic. So much work to paint a house. Neighbor Bill did a fantastic job, even with his two sorry assistants (Mark and me) trying to keep one step ahead of his magic painting gun, taping, masking, sanding, caulking. But it all came out well. All that's left is to finish off spraying the interior doors and then stain the front door. Somehow we will get that done today and get all the doors back in their respective places (which will be tricky, as they are now all white rather than some dark brown, some splotchy white, and some unfinished wood).

We did take pictures, and I will get those up soon. Wednesday is P-T-H-O-T-M-Day (put the house on the market day), so all must be finished by then. Then the next posts will be about the joys of floating down the San Juan with a Tecate in both hands and good times around the campfire. Aaaaahhhhh, so looking forward to it, but no idea how we are going to get from here to there in just 5 days!!

Happy New Beer's Eve!
-Tara

To Live and Die by the List

2008-04-02T19:01:00.000-06:00

Whew, another day down. After a lovely breakfast with Neighbor Nel and Neighbor/real estate agent Peggy at Newbarry's Cafe, it was right into the thick of it. I was determined to pare this down:

Don't know if that will come out in a larger version, but that is our list--color-coded, even! Gray is for Mark, blue is for me, and red is for Neighbor Bill the Painter. (Black is TBD.) The trouble with this list is that it is not getting any shorter. Everday we check things off, and at the end of the day, I go to my trusty laptop, delete all the completed entries, and then add about 5 more entries for each deleted one. I am bound and determined to keep it all to one page, even if it requires 6 point type and no margins.

Note: Yes, I have many more entries than Mark, but his are "big" jobs, like climbing on big, tall ladders and scraping caulk into the cracks and seams of the soffetts. Mine entail cleaning the stove and fridge and ever more painting!

Tonight I get to go through all my CDs and magazines and figure out what to get rid of and what to keep (almost everything is in the former category). Our house is rapidly losing any personality, as we take down family photos, get rid of knick-knacks, etc., etc. It's kind of sad to see, but I know we'll be establishing our personality in another home soon enough.

Today's wouldn't-it-be-nice invention: a self-cleaning fridge. I would happily remove all my food from the fridge if then, after that, all I had to do was seal it up and push a button to have all the gunk and who-knows-what-all-else removed. Of course, it would also be nice if the self-cleaning part of our oven actually worked rather than making this horrific grinding noise when I turn it on.

(Yeah, poor me. Having to suffer through the horribleness of actually having to scrub something to get it clean.)

Speaking of cleaning, tomorrow is a big day: We actually have a cleaning lady coming in to get this place immaculate. We aren't quite ready for her, but we are certainly creating a big, big mess for her to work on. I'm even resisting the urge to clean the house so that the cleaning lady won't see how dirty it is.

Well, off to purge some more.

Laissez les bon temps rouler

2008-04-01T19:42:00.000-06:00

Man, oh, man, it is always a party at the Joffes. Tonight we had Neighbor Bill over here helping Mark prep the house for painting. Scotty's neighbor Jess's brother, Chris (who I believe might be from New Orleans and who has some wonderfully hilarious stories--he's even got a funny story about a box of rags--but who is also taking 6 hours to complete a job and now he's coming back tomorrow), is trying to get the downdraft vent for our new stove working and venting outside. Mark has been pounding and scraping away (in between various phone calls and answering Bill and Chris's questions). I was either up on the roof scraping out the gutters or down in the basement painting more walls.

Good times, let me tell you! So I'm taking a break to fill you all in on the fun. Don't you wish you were here (we do!!! .... more slave labor).

Pizzas and Dr. Pepper are on their way, although I might be opting for the Corona with lime at this point.

Here are some belated photos (rated PG for partial nudity and man-on-man gyrations):

Friendly neighborhood slave labor

Mark said he was grinding away so hard
he didn't even fell Paul, uh, grinding away behind him.

Paul and Max enjoying the (ahem) view.

Not quite finished, but purty, ain't it?

Totally non-moving related

2008-03-31T10:26:00.000-06:00

First, we want to apologize. We sent out the notice about our updated blog to all family and friends, many of whom have no idea that we are thinking of moving. Not the most personal way to let you all know of our latest plans, but as you will see from this post, I am just SO busy these days.

Second, another apology: Yesterday after posting, I browsed around the Blogger site and discovered that "proper" blog etiquette is to keep your posts short and succinct, and yet still entertaining and enticing. Yeah, whatever. If you prefer that style of blog, you can skip every other paragraph. You really won't miss out on anything.

So, yesterday we finished up the basement (except for painting the steps and fixing up the home run ... Mark's jobs ... and cleaning the floor ... my job). Then we took Kai for a much-needed, longer-than-half-hour walk with brother-in-law Ben, who is visiting from Australia by way of New York, Boston, Tampa, Columbus, Toronto, Dallas, and San Francisco (whew, and he's here for fewer than two weeks). Then off to meet the Asakawas at La Tapatio (which our friend Mickie said she pronounced "la ta patio," which always makes me laugh) for some very unhealthy, but very tasty, Mexican food and margaritas. Mmmmmm. We will certainly miss cheese-covered enchiladas and margaritas the size of your head when we move to France! This morning has been filled with catching up on my friends' blogs, which led me to another blog that has taken up my entire morning: The Typo Eradication Leaque. Nanci, thanks so much for the link! Too dang funny. Check it out, but be warned: If you are a grammar freak like me, you may get sucked in and never leave.

So, obviously, I'm just too busy to write all of you personal notes.

Time for some more coffee (Val and Jon, not the instant kind. Mark refreshed our stash with some Dazbog yesterday. Hallelujah.) and then, perhaps, I'll get started on some work.