Margaret Garner

Walking in a winter wonderland

2012-01-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I went to Anchorage to visit Dave. I had a great time and wish that I could have stayed longer. Had I known that the subsequent work week would only be 1 day due to snow and ice in Seattle, I'd have stayed all week! But, alas...here I am stuck in Seattle a city with terrible conditions for drivers when it snows. Here's the basic equation. Icy, slick roads + lack of readily available snow-plows and de-icer x one of the hilliest cities in America = 100% stir-crazy. Okay, I'm not at 100% stir crazy YET, but it's coming. Made worse because Dave's trip to Seattle for the weekend was cancelled (apparently planes don't like landing on icy runways with no de-icer, either. Go figure). I digress.
My trip to Anchorage was great, despite the -11 degree temperatures! I saw 3 moose, which was amazing. On Saturday we went snowshoeing at the Alyeska ski resort about 45 miles away from Anchorage. We drove along the Turnagain Arm which provided spectacular views of the inlet and surrounding mountains on a beautiful sunny day. Easy to enjoy such scenery from the warmth of the truck. On Sunday we walked on the Coastal Trail, toured Dave's office and ate crab for dinner. It was great to spend time with Dave and I look forward to my next visit (wouldn't mind if it was a little bit warmer, though).

So glad I bought hand warmers at the lodge!

At the start of the trail.

Beautiful views, wickedly cold

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

2012-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a sample of the merriment I experienced this Christmas.What a wonderful holiday spent with family, friends and loved ones!

Christmas breakfast in the Counseling Office just before break

At the top of Camelback Mountain

Gates Pass just outside of Tucson (after our visit to the Sonoran Dessert Museum)

Got the presents arranged under the tree just so.

Christmas Cookies!!!

Holiday Cheer

2011-12-19T18:59:00.000-08:00

The hustle and bustle of the holidays has me rushing around lately (aren't we all?). That said, I'm a bit behind on my blogging, so this will be a short post.
Two weeks ago was the Kiewit Holiday party and I got to attend for the second year with Dave. Had a great time with my handsome date!

With Dave at the dinner

cooking de canard

2011-11-19T21:44:00.001-08:00

Last weekend Dave and I decided to roast a duck for dinner. We bought the little ducky while at a local butcher pre-ordering a farm fresh turkey for Thanksgiving. Since neither of of had ever cooked a duck before, we consulted several Internet sites to find the perfect duck roasting process. We used this recipe from the Hungry Mouse blog and followed along, step-by-step.
http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2009/02/11/the-best-way-to-roast-a-duck-hello-crispy-skin/
I guess that makes this a blog post about a blog post. Huh...
Anyway, the duck turned out delicious! We topped off the meal with garlic mashed potatoes, root vegetables, and a delicious pinot noir!

As instructed by the Hungry Mouse, I'm scoring the skin of the duck in a diamond pattern

Here's the duck after we finished scoring.

After roasting for 3 hours, Dave bastes the bird.

Add caption

The proud chefs

Dinner is served.

Who says Halloween is just for the kids?

2011-11-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

Once again this year, the counseling office threw a Halloween party for our staff. It's become an annual tradition and a highly anticipated event at school. It's fun to have veteran teachers bring new staff from their departments to show them the rope (overheard, "you got to get here early to get the pumpkin bars!" and "I come in the morning for some sweets, and back again during lunch for the savories!").

This year I dressed in costume. Inspired by my trip to Pamplona, Spain several years ago, I dressed as a running-of-the-bulls-victim. My costume is complete with a red bandanna from Sanfermines, and "bloody" bandage from being gored (the bull might lose the war, but he always wins a couple rounds in battle). To properly convey my character I decided I should play the role of a drunk Aussie, but I couldn't do the accent.

Here are some pictures from the party:

Check out the full spread!

Angel Teri ministering to the injured bull-runner

Green Thumb

2011-10-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

When I was away in Africa this summer I didn't have anyone water my plants. Poor little things almost died. Almost. My mom and dad pruned and transplanted all my geraniums, and low and behold, they're coming back! Good thing I have family members with a green thumb. Thanks for saving my plants, mom and dad!

Wallace Falls Hike

2011-10-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today, Dave and I hiked Wallace Falls in Gold Bar, WA. The weather forecast called for sunshine, but as we all know, the forecast in Seattle is rarely accurate. Under overcast skies, we hiked to the upper falls and were grateful that it wasn't raining! Even if it had been raining, we still would have had a great time.

The Herbfarm

2011-10-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the immense pleasure of dining with Dave at the Herbfarm in Woodinville. From start to finish, this was an amazing culinary experience which started with warm, home-made apple cider and a self guided tour of the restaurant's wine library. Following was a tour of the herb garden and introduction to a few of the herbs used in the preparation of our meal. Then came the main event. From 7PM until 11:30 we dined-- nine courses in all, paired with wines. Wow! The theme for the meal was mycologists dream and each course featured mushrooms in drastically different preparations; the most unique of which was a mousse dessert made from a mushroom which has a strong maple flavor. The chef made a point to tell us that there was no maple in the dessert, but it was hard to believe. My favorite dish of the evening was a lamb prepared 3 ways with mushrooms and a lamb jus (pictured). We were seated at a group table with 3 other couples. We had lively conversation and lots of laughs throughout the evening (when we weren't drooling over our food). The best part was to share in the evening with Dave. It's great to be with somebody who loves fine food and wine the way I do. Thanks, Dave, for a wonderful evening!

Eins, Zwei, Drei!!!!!

2011-10-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

Over the next, ohhhh...I don't know how long, I'll catch you up on my life since I last blogged consistently. But, for now I'll just share my fun weekend in Leavenworth with Keith. And, for those of you who are not from Washington State let me clarify that Leavenworth is a Bavarian-themed town in the foothills of the North Cascades with a rockin' (or rather, um pah pahin') Oktoberfest!
We arrived on Friday in time for dinner, and instead of the traditional German food, we had a nice Italian dinner. Then it was off to the hotel and early to bed for a full Saturday of touring, bratwust and beer.
In the morning we had breakfast at the diner in Plain, WA. It was a beautiful day and I always love shopping at Just Plain Hardware. Then we went to a fruit-stand-gone-wild just outside of Leavenworth where we bought some canned good and gourds (getting in the harvest festival spirit). Then in the afternoon we hit town. Oktoberfest in Leavenworth consists of 4 building/tents, each with different musical groups playing (mostly of the German or German-hybrid variety). You can also buy beer and German-food (brats, kraut, pretzels, etc). It's quite a spectacle, with young and old all celebrating together. It gives many a chance to wear their lederhosen, which party-goers undoubtedly look forward to all year (strange, but true). Randomly, many people also use Oktoberfest as an excuse to wear crazy hats. Not sure what crazy hats have to do with Bavarian culture, but why ask questions. We also saw two guys dressed-up as Storm Troupers. Really not sure what THAT has to do with Bavarian culture, but who cares?!?!
One of the best parts was seeing Krissy and Jason in town! Maybe in the future we'll plan to celebrate together! Overall Keith and I enjoyed a sunny, fun-filled weekend. I had a great time!

Back to blogging

2011-10-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a year and 4 months since my last blog entry. I've spent (AKA wasted) a lot of time on Facebook since then and I realize that I miss blogging. Plus, a lot of great things have happened in my life since my last entry. In my next post I'll attempt to play "catch-up" so stay tuned!

Shambo!

2010-06-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

This month I got to meet Shannon "Shambo" Waters from Survivor Samoa! She was the guest speaker at the graduation program for an alternative program in my school district. As a big Survivor fan, I was a bit star struck - witness the huge smile on my face. Since she had speaking duties, I didn't want to bug her for another photo, but I was hoping for a picture which would better display her mullet. For you Survivor fans out there, I'm happy to report that the mullet is still in full effect!

Vegas, Baby

2010-04-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

Spring Break 2010 was back to Vegas with Kristin. It's been a few years since our last trip together, so it was time! As two women in our 30's who work in public education, it took us a day to adjust to life in Vegas. On the day we arrived we could barely keep our eyes open past 10PM. By our third night we were sitting down to dinner at midnight and having cocktails before noon! Boy, how Vegas gets a stranglehold on ya!

We didn't exactly bring the casinos to their knees, but I did walk away with $70! We checked out the casinos, saw the dolphines at the Mirage, saw two shows (LaReve and The Lion King) and sat in the sunshine! Best of all was spending time with my dear friend!

Irving Kahler 1911-2010

2010-04-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

On April 10th we had the memorial service for my Grandfather, Irving Kahler. His 98 years on this planet were truly remarkable and he will be dearly missed. I take solace knowing he is with his true love, Ada (Grandma) and the rest of his friends and family. In us, his children and grandchildren, his legacy lives on. He was so proud of all of us and loved us so. I'm certain that he was filled with joy, his family all together for hjs memorial-- watching us laugh, talk, play cards, eat, drink, be merry and celebrate his life.

Gesundheit, Grandpa!

Skagit Valley Tulip Fest

2010-04-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

Since I'm way behind on my blog post, I'm playing catch up today.

In early April, Keith and I visited the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. No matter how many times I've seen those same fields filled with tulips, I never cease to be awed by that beautiful color. It always lifts my spirits to see tulips in all their glory. One of the best parts of Spring in the Northwest.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Baaaaaaaa

2010-04-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Once again, I apologize to the reader of my blog for my long absence. Here we go...

This weekend I went to the Sheep Shearing Festival at Kelsey Creek Park in Bellevue. My primary purpose for attending was to visit Teri, my friend and co-worker. Teri and her spinning group (we're talking textile arts here, not stationary bike riding) were demonstrating making yarn out of wool. Teri was eager to teach me how to spin wool on the spinning wheel. "It's very easy" she said,"you can't really mess it up!" Famous last words! Although I appreciate Teri's confidence in me, apparently I could mess it up. In less than 60 seconds I had Teri's yarn in such a knotted mess she had to cut it out! Whoa jeez! Sorry Teri! After that, it was time to hop on my bike and pedal back home...

2010-03-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me apologize to the reader of my blog for my long absence. I know it's been quite a while since I've written an update. In my job, when we begin the new calendar year I think of it as three sprints- one from winter break to mid-winter break, then from mid-winter break to spring break, and finally from spring break to summer. I just completed the first sprint, which for me is always the busiest and most difficult. Long, stressful days. Haven't been on the computer at home in a while, but things are leveling off now.
To cap off "sprint one", I went to Los Angeles with Keith. Ohhhhhhh to feel the sunshine on my face. We arrived on Friday and went to dinner at Mr. Chows in Beverly Hills. We didn't spot any celebrities as I was hoping, but we did have a wonderful dinner. On Saturday we got to do many of the tourist things we've never done in LA- Disney Concert Hall, Mullholland Drive, Graumann's Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood walk of fame. On Friday night we went to Santa Monica to walk around the pier and the 3rd Ave Prommenade.

On Saturday we went to Anaheim. Started in the morning at Knott's Berry Farm and then on to the main event late in the afternoon- Disneyland! We were at the two theme parks from 5-11PM on Saturday and most of the day Sunday and it still wasn't enough. No matter how old I get I still love Disneyland. There are three new rides, Nemo's Submarine Adventure ride at the Disneyland park and at California Adventure there is the new Monsters Inc. ride (similar to Mickey's Toontown ride) and Toy Story ride (similar to Buzz Lightyear, but more like a 3-D shooting gallery). Great new additions to go along with my old favorites, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean and Soarin' over California. I'm already looking forward to my next trip!

Desert Christmas

2009-12-28T07:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a very busy week here in Tucson. Here's a sample of a few things we've done.

Last week we went to Kartchner Caverns and took a tour. I don't have any pictures from inside the cavern (something about light from the flash killing the micro-organisms in the cave...blah, blah, blah) but this picture is from outside the visitors center. It was so beautiful to see snow on the cactus. The caverns are at a higher elevation than Tucson, so this is the only place we've seen any snow!

Yesterday Keith and I hiked Picacho Peak. If you've ever driven on I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix you've certainly seen Picacho Peak which is a prominent feature in the desert landscape, right off the freeway. Quite the view from the top, but the hike up was a little tough for those of us who have a fear of heights. My arms are sore today from hanging onto those steel cables!

Here's a picture from Christmas morning. I guess I was nice and not naughty after all! Santa was very good to me (and it helps being one of his crew).

Naughty or Nice?

2009-12-25T09:33:00.001-08:00

Well, let's see how the Garners behaved this year....

Keith has a very full stocking. Must have been nice!

Sharon has a very, very full stocking (no surprises there).
Must have been very nice!

Another full stocking for Jack. Another one who was nice!

And Margaret? Naughty I'd say! Guess I'd should behave better in 2010! See if I learn my lesson...

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

Here we are half way through December and I realized I haven't posted about Thanksgiving yet. I guess I'd better write about Thanksgiving before we get to Christmas!

I had a great Thanksgiving in Longview this year with Randy, Patti, Whitney, Erin, Nate, Keith and Grandpa. We were a small group but it was wonderful to be with family.

Here are a few pictures

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2009-11-16T06:08:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to you,

happy birthday to you,

happy birthday, dear Keith,

happy birthday to you!

Have a great day, Keith, and a happy, healthy and prosperous year!

One size really DOES fit all!!!

2009-11-09T16:44:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Keith returned from Costco with a gift for yours truly...a Snuggie! Yes, you've seen it advertised on TV, you've wondered if it works and maybe even thought of buying one for yourself. Well, I'm here to tell you it's a little slice of heaven. Now I can read my Sunday paper and drink my coffee without letting my arms get cold. Brilliant! When I'm cozied up with a blanket watching TV I don't get that pesky draft when I reach for the remote control. Ahhh the practical uses are endless. In fact, I'm sitting at my computer wrapped up in my Snuggie right now! And it works for everybody. Here's Keith all Snuggied at 6'2" (okay, I made him take this picture).

TEAM TONY

2009-11-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

This morning I walked with Team Tony in the 1st Annual Free to Breathe 5K at Seward Park. This walk was to raise money and awareness for Lung Cancer. I was proud to walk in support of Tony Liu, beloved science teacher from Mt. Rainier. Tony was diagnosed with Lung Cancer at the beginning of 2009 having never been a smoker and living a health conscious life. The five year survival rate for lung cancer is low- not many make it but we believe in the incredible strength and courage of Tony, the wisdom of his medical team, the support of his friends and family and we pray that he beats the odds of this terrible disease. Although he's been on medical leave for about 10 months, it was heart-warming to see so many of his former students there to show support for Mr. Liu. We all love Mr. Liu and we hope to all be walking with him at the 2nd Annual Free to Breathe!

GO TEAM TONY!!!!

Halloween Bash

2009-10-31T16:27:00.001-07:00

This year I went to a Halloween Party at Erik and Jenn's house. The costume theme was "Your Worst Nightmare." I dressed as if I had shown up to high school in my pajamas. To be truthful, my worst nightmare is showing up to high school naked, but I don't really know these people well enough for that costume!

Here's the very pregnant Ms. Teen U.S.A

Here are a few more of the best Nightmarish costumes:

The Pig Farmer --yikes!

That's really scary

Vice President Sarah Palin -

Eek! That's really, really scary!

Our hosts, Erik dressed like a UW Cheerleader, and Jenn, who won the costume competition with a near sweep of the female vote for her costume as an empty roll of toilet paper! Great costume Jenn!

Oktoberfest

2009-10-18T18:24:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was Oktoberfest! If you can't make it to Germany to celebrate, Leavenworth is a pretty good alternative. Here's a run down of the day's highlights.

Beer hall with German Um-pa-pa band: check

Bratwurst with kraut: check

Lots of German Bier: check

Wiener schnitzel at Andreas Keller: check

The Chicken Dance song: check, check and check (yes, we heard it played three times in one day!)

Good day had by all: check

Labor Day

2009-09-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

I've been away from my blog for a while so I'm going to play a little catch-up. Here are some pictures from Labor Day weekend when I went camping with my family. With La Conner as a home-base, we took day a day trip to Friday Harbor and went sight-seeing at Deception Pass. Here are a few photos:

Bellingham Bay 1/2 Marathon

2009-09-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

Keith's at it again...running in another race. Today it was the Bellingham Bay Half Marathon. Conditions were pefect for running...a warm, fall day. Keith finished with one of his best times at this distance, approximately 1 hours 48 minutes and that was WITH a couple minute wait for the train (one of the challenges of running along the Bellingham waterfront).

Way to go, Keith!

While Keith was running I was feeling nostalgic for Bellingham. As I was walking around downtown I was thinking about the Bellingham of my childhood, back before the mall when we shopped at Nordstrom's Place Two, JC Penny, Bon Marche and Golden Rule. Back when my Grandma Garner used to take us to lunch at Woolworth's and we'd sit at the counter. Back when the YMCA had a terrible facade. Back before the bus depot when the buses would line up in front of Pay 'n Save and Nancy White's Ballet Studio.

At dinner in Fairhaven on Saturday night with Kristin, I had similar thought. So much has changed.

As I was clinging to the memories of yesteryear, I drove out to Cafe Caffe to get muffins. Like a stake through the heart I read the hand-written note on the door thanking everyone for years of devotion to the little bakery now closed for good. I think it will be a while before I come to grips with this loss.

Even with the changes, Bellingham will always be my hometown. Favorite hang-outs may change but I will always love the heart of soul of the town.

Grandpa's 98th Birthday

2009-09-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

At the end of August my Grandpa turned 98 years old. Born in 1911, he has survived the flu pandemic and the Great Depression. He remembers a time in Seattle when the fire-fighters were in horse drawn trucks and neighbors would come outside to gawk at an airplane overhead. In his teens he worked as a typewriter repair apprentice and in his 90's he learned to use his laptop. He build a house from scratch and raised 4 children. He is a remarkable person with remarkable history.

Family gathered in August to celebrate with Grandpa. Although he's been battling cancer, we may do it all over again in a year. I am rarely shocked to see Grandpa beat the odds.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa. We love you!

Left Coast, Right Coast

2009-08-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

In July I was on the Atlantic. In August I headed for the Pacific. Keith and I spent last week on the Oregon Coast. No funny accents in Oregon (compared to Maine and eastern Canada) but there was still great entertainment-- beautiful beaches, Aquariums, kite flying, motorcycle riding on the 101 and, of course, more good seafood! We spent a few days in Pacific City (between Tillamook and Lincoln City) and got to visit with my Aunt Patti and Uncle Randy who were camping in their motor home. Together we visited Pacific Seafood in Bay City, OR and ate oyster stew and then onto the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream. The next day Keith and I headed south to Newport where we visited the Coastal Aquarium, took morning runs on the beach, toured Yaquina Head Lighthouse and shopped in old town Newport. Then we made our way back north to Cannon Beach and Seaside were we shopped, flew our kites and had a great surf and turf dinner at Norma's Ocean Diner. Norma's Clam Chowder is recognized as one of the "10 Best Soups in U.S.A." by Bon Appetite Magazine and was winner of the "Chowder Cookoff" in Seaside. My verdict...de-lish-ous!!!! Perhaps the best restaurant chowder I've ever had but it certainly wasn't better than my mom's chowder. Sharon's clam chowder is still the best...hands down!

Here are a few pics from my trip:

Above- enjoying the beach at Pacific City

1- Keith flying a kite on the beach at Seaside

2- Uncle Randy eating a plump oyster!

3 - Sea lions take over the dock at Newport
4 - Keith and Margaret at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach

5- Keith rides his motorcycle to Mo's at Otter Rock

Oh Canada

2009-07-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

I just returned after two weeks in Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edwards Island. Ahhhhhhh the Craggy coastline and quaint fishing villages of the Maritime Provinces. In this part of Canada the descendants of French, Irish, and Scottish immigrants have created a culture unique to this part of the world. We soaked up the culture, went to ceildhs, ate lobster and listened to lots of strange accents!

Thanks, mom and dad, for wonderful trip!

Pictures:

row 1 -
The quaint fishing village of Peggy's Cove
the fortress of Loiusbourg

row 2-
My dad admires the Atlantic near the Louisbourg Lighthouse
Moose on the Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia

row 3-
the quaint fishing village of North Rustico, PEI
Green Gables (where "Anne" lived), PEI

It's Sunday, time (for Keith) to run another half-marathon

2009-05-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

On Sunday it was time for Keith to run in the annual Kirkland half-marathon. In a time of 1 hour, 47 minutes, this was one of Keith's best results. Having just hiked to Poo Poo Point the day before, I decided NOT to run the 13.1 miles (as if there was ever any question). I won't get off as easy for the next race. I'm already committed for the Rock 'n Roll Half-M in June. Only 6 weeks to train. Yikes!

Poo Poo platter for two

2009-05-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Krissy and I took advantage of the beautiful sunshine and hiked Tiger Mountain to Poo Poo Point. Conditions were ideal for all the para-gliders who were soarin' the sky by the dozens. Conditions were also ideal for completely bustin' my quads. The trail we took to Poo Poo Point is the shortest but steepest route up Tiger and my legs felt like Jell-O on our hike back down. Diminished capacity to move my legs aside, it was a great day. Well worth it to get out on the trails with a good friends and watch the para-gliders...from a distance, safely on the solid ground, far, far away from the cliff edge. Just the way I like it!

All Decked Out!

2009-05-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of my new house is the deck. A full 700 square feet of deck. Since I moved here in the fall of 2008 I didn't really get to enjoy any warm summer days lounging in a chair, soaking up the sun, firing up the barbie, relaxing with a drink or enjoying the sunset. All of that is about to change! Summer 2009 is fast approaching and the newly acquired deck furniture is almost in place. There are now 2 chaise lounges, a slate table and four chairs. Now all we need is the barbecue and we'll be chillin' and grill'. Can't wait to have you all over to enjoy it right along with me. C'mon sun!

Here's a sneak preview

Tiptoe through the tulips

2009-04-19T16:47:00.001-07:00

It's April, which in NW Washington means it's tulip time! Today, Keith and I drove up to Skagit Co. for the annual Tulip Festival. Usually the fields are in full bloom by now, but it's been such a cold spring that most of the tulip varieties hadn't bloomed yet. However, there was still plenty of color to make me happy...that and a bag of kettle korn.

First hike of the season

2009-04-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from today's hike to Wallace Falls with Keith. Great hike, good weather, beautiful views! Ahhhhhh, it's finally time to get back out on the trails.

Erin's Wedding Shower

2009-04-06T20:00:00.001-07:00

The Cake

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The bride and her parents

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The co-hosts

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The gifts

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The friends

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The food

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Congratulation Erin! We love you!!!

Race Day

2009-04-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the Mercer Island Rotary Half Marathon. Keith participated for the first time and finished in 1 hour, 52 minutes. To me, simply finishing the race is excellent, but as you can see from the photo, Keith had spring in his step throughout. Believe it or not, this picture was taken at mile 13!

Krissy and Margaret went for the more reasonable 5K. Here we are pre-race, hanging out at my house. This was was the kick-off for our own half-marathon training program. We plan to run in the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon this summer. With our official "chip time" of 29:43, we weren't breaking any records, but we met our under-30-minute goal. Not bad considering we were slowed down by congestion on the course the first mile.

3.1 miles down...many training miles to go.

Gay B-I-N-G-O!!!! Woot Woot!!!

2009-02-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

Last night I went with friends to Gay BINGO, a fundraiser for the Lifelong AIDS Alliance. After raising our daubers in our right hands and taking the Bingo Pledge, promising to "remember this is just a game", the BINGO was ON! However, no one at my table won a single game. I know we were supposed to have fun and retain some perspective that this is a friendly game for charity, but c'mon...my table didn't even get to think about yelling BINGO. With one thrilling exception -- during the Blackout game, Paul was just an O-75 away from the big win of the night (darn, that professional photo shoot could have been his!).

Pictured:

Paul's ohhh-so-close-to-winning Blackout game

Paul comforted by one of the Sister's after the heartbreaking loss

Maria and Lisa are "Bingo" ready

Margaret and Jessica are ready, daubers in hand!

Stacey's Baby Shower

2009-02-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Saturday was my friend, Stacey's, baby Shower. I met Stacey two years ago when she was a counseling intern in my office. Now, she and her husband are expecting their first baby at the end of March. It was fun to celebrate with Stacey and some of my co-workers. We wish her all the best - she'll be a great mom!

Picutured: Margaret and Teri, Andrea and Stacey, Margaret and Stacey

Weekend in Whistler

2009-01-25T10:34:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was my annual ski trip to Whistler. This year was my first attempt at snowboarding. It was a good start, but I think I need more practice before I'm off the bunny slope! My body was so sore after one day of snowboarding, I could barely ski after that. It was nice to take a break between boarding and skiing and watch some of the World Cup Nordic events which were being held last weekend at the Whistler Olympic venues. We got to see ski jumping as part of the Nordic combined, and cross country skiing, the women's 15K pursuit. Wow! Seeing world-class athletes on their skis will humble you, real quick. Since I doubt I'll get to go to the Olympics in 2010, it was nice to the World Cup live.

The other amazing part of the weekend was getting to finally ride the new peak-to-peak chair at Whistler-Blackcomb. What an amazing engineering feat and amazing views! Of course I forgot to bring my camera with me when I went to the top of the mountain, but here are a few pictures of the World Cup.

Pictured: Cindy and Margaret at the World Cup Cross-country ski; Keith at cross-country skiing; a ski jumper flies through the air in the background, Keith and Karen in foreground.

Night Lights

2009-01-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

Since it's still officially the Christmas season (right?) I gave Christmas '08 one final hurrah on Friday night. Keith and I visited Garden D'Light, the Christmas light display at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. It was, well...d'lightful! Here's a small sample of what we saw.

Ohhhh the weather outside it frightful...

2008-12-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

These pictures won't surprise anyone who lives in the Northwest. For the rest of you, here are a couple of pictures to illustrate just how snowy it is here in Seattle.

Two pictures of my back porch. One, a perspective shot to show you how deep the snow is, and the second, a nice view of the sun shining (finally) on Seattle in the distance.

we wish you a Merry Christmas!

2008-12-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this silent (almost) movie

King Keith Kahmehameha

2008-11-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

Today Keith and I ran in the 5K Winter Pineapple Classic. This race challenges teams to complete the 5K course and conquer all the obstacles and physical challenges along the way, all while carrying a team pineapple! The obstacles are completely unknown to participants until race day. Our team, "Ithinkathinka my knees are going to hurt", proved to be nimble and fast as we scaled walls (up to 8 feet high), crossed monkey bars, jumped over hay bales, crawled through tubes, rolled under low bars and high-stepped through tires.

Afterwards, we celebrated Keith's birthday at the luau! The organizer of the Pineapple Classic must have known that they scheduled the race on Keith's birthday and they generously threw a birthday party, just for Keith and invited all the race participants! For Keith's "birthday" luau, they turned one of the old airplane hangars at Magnuson Park into an indoor beach with sand, Hawaiian music and food, including roast pig! A good time was had by all.

Happy Birthday Keith!!!! I look forward to running with you again in 2009!

Z turns 1

2008-11-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

Today was the party for my godson Zach's 1st birthday. Zach and all his baby friend played with the toys...and played with lots of things that are not toys; the Blackberry, the remote control, the diapers, the wrapping paper and the boxes. But, a good time was had by all! Zach even got his very own cupcake, chocolate zucchini with whipped cream frosting. The cupcake was also turned into a toy (and a doggie treat) and the whipped cream was spread all over the kitchen table a la Jackson Pollock. Since I'm not a mother, it never occurred to me that a baby wouldn't want to devour a cupcake with whipped cream. I certainly didn't have a problem and easily downed two of Wenmei's varieties, an apple-cinnamon and a rose-cardamom. Yum Yum!

Thanks to Chris, Wenmei and Zach for inviting me to this special celebration. Happy Birthday!!!!

I'm feeling very Zen-ful

2008-11-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

In what has to be one of the most decadent experiences of my entire life, I spent nearly 4 hours at Habitude Spa yesterday. My afternoon of relaxation was compliments of Wenmei who gave me to a gift certificate for my birthday. I should mention that she gave it to me when I turned 35 and I'm now 36, but I'm glad I held onto it...yesterday was the perfect day for the spa! The experience was even better because Wenmei and I got to spend the afternoon together because she also got a gift certificate (from her husband). We both got the full pamper treatment, a full body massage, a scalp treatment, a facial, use of the sauna, and a blueberry smoothie! Ahhhhhhhhhh....

A huge "Thank You" to Wenmei. I am overwhelmed by your generosity and so glad I got to share in the day with you!

Wisegals?

2008-10-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight on "60 Minutes" I learned that members of the mob never use wallets to hold their cash. Instead, they wrap their bills in a purple broccoli rubber band. For as long as I can remember, my mother and aunt have bundled their credit cards in those same purple broccoli rubber bands. Now I'm wondering about Sharon and Patti. Maybe I should refer to them as Sharon the Snake and Patti the Plumber.

That's all I'm going to write. I don't want to bring shame to the family.

Espanol para maestros

2008-09-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight I started taking Spanish for Educators. This 2 credit college course is being offered to educators in my school district for only 10 bucks! Those of you in public education know that college credits are required to maintain your certificate and they help you move up the salary schedule, so when I heard about this opportunity to learn some conversational Spanish for only $10, I jumped at the chance. What I didn't think about when I signed up for the class was the Tarea (Homework) and Examenes (Exams). Maybe I was Muy Loco to sign up for this class, but I'm sticking with it.

My class includes educators from elementary, middle and high school. The number one phrase the elementary school teachers wanted to learn was, Mas despacio por favor, meaning Slow down, please. Any guess what the high school teachers wanted to learn?

Hold on, it's going to be a wild ride.

2008-09-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

You know that feeling you get once you've committed to going on a wild roller coaster? You get in line and wait for your turn. When you make it to the front of the line you get yourself situated in the car, secure your safety harness, grip the bar in front of you and wait for the launch. In those few seconds of waiting, you're filled with adrenaline, excitement and nerves. You know that once you take off there's no stopping, you've just got to hold on through the corkscrews and free falls until you make it to the end.

For me, this is the best way to describe how I feel at the start of the school year. I know that for the next 180 school days, I'm in for a one heck of a wild ride. No way off. Just buckle up and hold on (and hope that I can make it through without barfing).

Tonight I'm waiting to launch.

Margaret and Omar - another year older, another year wiser

2008-08-31T08:01:00.000-07:00

It's been 1 week since I turned 36. On my birthday I thought about Bob, whose memorial service I attended the day before. Whenever somebody had a birthday, Bob would ask them, "Are you having more mature thoughts?" Well, indeed I was having more mature thoughts, but only for one day. Now I'm back to wondering, "How did this happen? When did I become 'mid-thirtysomething?'...yuck!"

My birthday was great. It was preceded on Friday with a delicious Italian dinner out with Wenmei. For my birthday on Sunday, my parents came into town. If you know me, you know that I'm a Zagat's Guide junkie. I love to try new restaurants and my birthday is typically a time when I like to try something extra special. In choosing a restaurant this year, I broke from tradition and chose a culinary experience that was hokey instead of elegant. I think because I was emotionally drained from Bob's memorial service and tired from work and packing (did I mention that I moved to a new house?), this year I just wanted to relax and have some fun. So, I went with Keith, mom and dad to the Crab Cracker. There's nothing that equals this quintessential Seattle experience of puttin' on a bib and smashing crab legs with a wooden mallet! On that day, happiness came with a sheet of butcher block paper that the waitress laid on our table, followed by pots of steamed clams, muscles, shrimp, corn, potatoes those yummy crab legs. With a couple of cold beers to wash it all down, it was the perfect way to spend the day.

Two days later, Omar celebrated his birthday. He's not quite as "mature" as I am, but next year we'll welcome him into the "Over 30 Club". I'm sure Omar is very excited to learn the secret handshake!

Essential China

2008-08-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

It's been more than a week since my return home from China and I thought it was time I share a few of my thoughts. I'm still feeling the effects of jet-lag , but I've had some time to sort through my photos. I'm also a sucker for the Olympics and the TV coverage has provided plenty of opportunity to reminisce (Oh look, Bird's Nest Stadium...I was there! And the Temple of Heaven...I was there, too!).

China in July is, in a word, HOT. In two words, hot and humid. The conditions were punishing and they took they took a toll on my group with a few fellow travelers succumbing to heat exhaustion. Despite the heat and humidity we toured hard through many of the most well-known sights of mainland China and Hong Kong. China is a country of contrasts, modern marvels and ancient technologies; evidence of life unchanged in centuries next to some of the most advanced engineering on the planet.

China is also big. With a population of more than 1.3 Billion people, China has 100 cities with populations over 1 million that you and I have never heard of. It's also a vast country (4th largest in the world). Surprisingly, China has very little countryside in comparrison to North America, at least in the eastern third of the country where most of China's people reside. Every bit of land is used with rice paddies or crops growing in every nook and cranny.

I could go on with my impressions of China, but further topics such as state-run media, westernization in a communist country, overnight trains and squat toilets, deserve their own post. As a simple tourist, I was in China to experience the history, culture, sights, sounds and tastes of China. Here's my top 10 experiences in China:

10. Traveling 431 km/hour on the maglev train in Shanghai

9. Food, glorious food! Sichuan, Cantonese, hot pot, dim sum, Peking duck

8. The giant Leshan Buddha (pictured)

7. Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square

6. Shopping in Yangshou

5. Terra Cotta Warriors

4. Hiking on The Great Wall (pictured)

3. Drinks at the Hyatt Hotel on the 87th floor of the Jinmao Tower in Shanghai

2. Victoria Peak in Hong Kong (pictured)

1. Bike riding through the countryside along the Li River and views of the karst mountains from the top of Moon Hill (pictured)

Ni hao!

2008-08-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

After 21 glorious days in China, I have returned home. We traveled far and saw lots (and almost melted in the heat). I promise to write more and add some photos in the upcoming days when I'm not so jet-lagged.

Here's a brief itinerary:
Beijing
Shanghai
Xian
Chengdu
Cruise on the Yangtze
Three gorges dam
Yangshou and the Li River
Hong Kong

Overall, a spectacular (if tiring) tour!

And thanks to the Blue Angles for the wonderful "welcome-home" air show right above our house upon our return. What a show!!!

The urban wildlife show

2008-07-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning and went for a run along Lake Washington. All of a sudden from high in the sky, a bald eagle dove down to the water, grabbed a fish with his talons and flew away. What an amazing sight. It stopped me cold and I stood there in awe. I couldn't believe I was standing in the city limits, witnessing a wildlife show that seemed like it was made for Animal Planet.

What a treat! What an amazing city.

Disclaimer-- I'm sure Jack and Sharon, who are currently touring Alaska, aren't nearly as impressed. I too, would be more impressed by a grizzly bear and two cubs and all the other wildlife they've seen.

Our very own "Girl Next Door"

2008-07-02T09:42:00.001-07:00

Who knew there was celebrity amongst us...

Happy Birthday, Jess (We only roast those whom we love).

"I just kept on run-ning", Forrest Gump

2008-06-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my brother ran in the Seafair Half-Marathon. This year's race crossed over the 520 floating bridge; the first time foot traffic has been allowed on the bridge in decades. The other thing that distinguished this race from others was the presence of the Seafair Pirates.

Question: What do you need to be a Seafair Pirate?

Answer: Just two things, a trip to the costume store and alcohol.

It was a hot morning and the heat took it's toll on the runner. It wasn't Keith's best time, but a great run in tough conditions.

More musicals

2008-06-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend I saw the musical Avenue Q, the 2004 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. It was terrific! I didn't really know anything about it, other than Wenmei listens to the CD... a LOT. Knowing that Wenmei and I usually like the same things, I decided while walking past the Paramount Theatre Saturday afternoon to buy tickets for that evening's show. My spontaneous purchase turned out to be a great decision. I loved the show. It was hysterically funny, had heart and great toe-tapping tunes. I've been humming the songs ever since.

For those of you who haven't seen the show, most of the characters in Avenue Q are puppets. They live in a tenement building in NYC on Avenue Q with Gary Coleman as their landlord. It's done in the style of Sesame Street, but this is not a puppet show for kids. There are adult themes and language throughout. There's even a sex scene with puppets (I naively thought this must be the only sex scene ever portrayed with puppets, but I was told that there's also a sex scene done with marionettes in the movie Team America: World Police. Should have known).

Avenue Q is at the tail end of it's national tour, but if you're lucky enough to have it play in your city, I recommend it!

The official and unoffical start of summer

2008-06-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

At 4:59 p.m. today, summer begins! In a manner completely uncharacteristic of Seattle, this official start of summer is actually a beautiful, warm, sunny day. What a treat. Of course, the weather forecast calls for some rain over the weekend, but today we will enjoy.

My unofficial start of summer began at 2:35 p.m. on Wednesday when I finished up my last day of work for the 2007-08 school year. Two days into my summer vacation and I'm slowly adjusting to having free time. After the busiest Spring of my life on top of an already crazy and chaotic school year, it feels a bit odd to have nothing that I have to do. Now I have to think of things I want to do. First on today's list- baking biscuits for strawberry shortcake...the ultimate summer dessert.

Every summer vacation I go through this adjustment period; trying to think up ways to fill up my time. Eventually I adapt to the lazy days of summer. Then, having one project a days seems like a full plate ("I'll go to the grocery store tomorrow, I've already been to the post office today."). As of now I'm through the adjustment period. I'm going now to figure out some projects that need to be done. Maybe I'll work outside for a while. Best to work outdoors while we still have this glorious sunshine.

Happy Summer!!!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

Dad, have a safe and scenic trip north to Canada and Alaska. Enjoy yourself, eh.

You've been married longer than I've been alive!

2008-06-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. Instead of a romantic weekend for two, they came to our house for the weekend. And what did they want to do? House projects! Unbelievable, but true. They pressure washed the sidewalk, weeded flower beds, and pruned shrubs (Quote: "It's fun for us. We don't 'get to' do this anymore" -- now that they live in Tucson).

It wasn't all work and no play. On Saturday we visited with Wenmei and their grand-godson, Zach. They were delighted to finally meet baby Zach and they were thoroughly impressed with how Wenmei has blossomed into her new role as a mom (but then again, they are always thoroughly impressed with Wenmei).

On Sunday we had a small gathering and invited Nate, Regan and Whit over for brunch which also gave them a chance to see our new house (and newly pressure-washed sidewalk!). We had a great time and my parents were so happy to have the chance to visit with everyone.

It was a joy to celebrate with my parents on their anniversary. They are an inspiration and I'm very blessed to be their daughter!

The bluest skies I've ever seen are in Seattle

2008-06-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

I case you haven't heard...I've moved. From the eastside to the westside; I'm now back in Seattle. It's been four years since I've lived in Seattle and it's taking some time to adjust to urban living again. One of the biggest advantages of life in the suburbs is parking...an abundance of free parking. No circling around the blocks looking for on-street parking and then reluctantly deciding to pay big bucks to park in a pay lot. Paying to park is a small sacrifice because Seattle has a lot to offer, great restaurants and great distinct neighborhoods. Plus, my daily commute has improved. My new house is smaller than my house on the eastside, but it's cozy and comfortable and only 3 blocks from Lake Washington. It should be a nice place to live this summer.

Another day, another race

2008-05-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

Today was the Kirkland 1/2 Marathon which Keith ran for the fourth consecutive year. We are awaiting the official results, but according to Keith's stopwatch he may have set a personal best with a run of 1 hour, 47 mins and 26 seconds. I am utterly impressed. Here's a picture of Keith early on in the race when he still had the energy to give me a "thumbs up." Notice also that the photo is blurry because he's running so fast (the blurry photo has nothing to do with my shaky hands. Honest.)!

Today is also, of course, Mother's Day. Unfortunately I can not be with my mother today since she lives in Tucson, but I'll see her soon. My parents will be back in the Pacific Northwest in just 2 weeks. We have a nice belated Mother's Day dinner planned for her when she arrives. As always, I'm looking forward to visiting with them.

Mom, I love you and miss you!!!

Yah Mon, I'm back from da Islands!

2008-04-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

Last week I was on a Caribbean cruise. Ahhhhhh.... Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Marten.

This trip was just what the doctor ordered. After all the project stress in March, it was great to get away with my family and relax, laugh, and have fun in the sun. I found a perfect balance of activity (highlighted by the three "S's", Snorkeling, Sailing, and Shopping) and a blissful lack of activity (I grew accustomed to two-a-day naps!). Plus, some Malibu Rum helped complete the attitude adjustment. You can see in the pictures how my perspective changed.

I may be back at work now, but I'm keeping a bit of island life with me!

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

2008-04-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

This past month has been, without a doubt, the most stressful consecutive 4 weeks of my life. Throughout my life I've been through difficult times and I've been through sad times, but I have never experienced such intense stress over so many days. I'm an emotional wreck. I'm constantly on the verge of tears. I've been snippy and irritable. I can't stop my brain from racing with thoughts of all the things I need to do. I leave my "real" job and go to work. Weekends too, filled with projects. I can hardly sleep, not that I have the time anyway.

I don't know what I need more, a vacation, a nap or a stiff drink. All 3 might do the trick.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Keith, brother, business partner and my rock. He's been under the same stress (even more), yet he always manages to pick me up when I collapse (both literally and figuratively). We both need a vacation.

March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion

2008-03-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Snow? Today? What's going on around here? It's Spring!!!

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

Keith and I just returned from a great Easter weekend with our family in Longview. We were missing a few of the regulars (Nate and Regan are in Mexico, my parents are still in Tucson), but it was great to see Grandpa, Greg and Genie, Whitney and our gracious hosts, Randy and Patti. I've been extremely busy with work on houses and school, so it was great to have Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning to just cook, eat, visit and "share stories" (read: BS-- you BS'ers know who you are!) with my family.

As always, the food was delicious- for dinner on Saturday we had salmon with an apricot glaze, a mashed potato & sharp cheddar casserole, asparagus, broccoli, rolls and a garden salad. For brunch on Sunday we had every one's favorite egg dish and an orange & pecan coffee cake. Yum Yum.

As I write these descriptions of meals, I realize that I'm becoming more and more like my mother everyday. Like my mother I, too, look back on my life and remember where I was and what I was doing by remembering the meals I had. I guess there are worse traits a daughter could pick up from her mother. The daughter of a foodie becomes a foodie. Thanks mom!

Touch of Yellow

2008-03-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, Shilpa, Wenmei and little Zach made the trek from Seattle to the Eastside for brunch at my house. Shilpa was in town for a few days visiting from NYC. I haven't seen Shilpa since September of 2005 and it was so wonderful to spend some time with her!

Brunch gave me a chance to try out some of my favorite recipes. Once everything was prepared and we sat down to eat I realized that the entire meal was...well, yellow! I had made a scrambled egg casserole dish, a baked, fluffy Swedish pancake called Aggkaka and served pineapple! It was a moment of personal pride, realizing that I was following in the footsteps of some great women in my family, specifically my aunt Patti who is known as a gifted monochromatic meal maker. I'm glad to be bringing the tradition to the next generation. Maybe next I'll try to sew like my aunt Gennie who made the cute apron I'm wearing in the picture.

Paint Date

2008-03-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

Today, Zach and I went to Paint the Town (paint your own pottery at U Village) and made some artwork for his mama and daddy. Since Zach is still a breast-feeding infant, we had to bring his mama along, too. I guess our gift won't be too much a surprise for Wenmei! We commemorated Zach's 4 month birthday by painting his footprints on a picture frame. It took us a few attempts to get clear footprints that weren't smudged. Once that slimmy paint went on his feet, Zach got a touch squirmy and he would alternate between curling his toes and spreading them out. Luckily, Paint the Town has an experienced staff who knew how to get perfect feet to pottery contact. Next, they'll put it in the kiln and I can pick it up after March 9th. We can't wait to see how it turns out!

Back to the Blog

2008-02-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a chance to blog in a while so I'll catch you up on a few things.

Last Friday marked the end of the first semester at school. That means I've made it over the peak and it is a downhill slide to summer vacation. 85 more days of school. My job is getting ridiculous. Without adequate funding for No Child Left Behind, public schools are having to shoulder the financial burden of meeting all the new requirements (at the expense of programs and services that actually help kids). And what's even more abhorrent, Washington State, a state whose own constitution declares education its top priority, has managed to make the problem even worse. The state's implementation of NCLB is incompetent, harmful and impractical at best. And without adequate funding (or ANY funding) all the meaningless reports, and plans, and data collection, and implementation of meaningless programs generally falls to...well, me (and my 3 counselor colleagues). I long for the days when I actually felt like I helped kids.

Enough editorializing.

Over the weekend, I went on the annual trip to Whistler for Karen's Birthday. There were six of us who rented a condo for 3 nights. I spent the first day cross country skiing and the second day downhill skiing. After five years of going to Whistler, I'm still a green run skier. I guess I shouldn't expect to make much progress when I only ski one time a year. Still, with all those acres of skiable terrain, it would be nice if I could get beyond "Upper Whiskey Jack" and "Ego Bowl". But, with a grand total of 10 days on the slopes in my lifetime, I should be pleased that I'm off the bunny hill. There's always next year.

Tomorrow I'll participate in my precinct Caucus for the very first time. It's exciting to think that my involvement might actually help determine the outcome (I guess you can tell which party caucus I'll be attending tomorrow).

Bavarian Blizzard

2008-01-22T19:47:00.000-08:00

I spent this past weekend in Leavenworth with some friends. We had a great time snowshoeing and cross country skiing. The weather was certainly cold, but the snow was great. Many of the locals told us they hadn't seen that much snow in 10 years. We also had some delicious food. Of course German cuisine is the taste of the town. We, however, indulged in pan-Asian dinner Saturday night and Italian Sunday night! I do love German food, but I was in the minority. Nobody else in my group was feeling the love for wiener schnitzel. After some shopping, a few games of Apples to Apples, some wine, a soak in the hot, and viewing the fireworks for ice festival, it was time to head for home. It was a great weekend!

My Holiday in Arizona, cont.

2008-01-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Keith and I flew back to Seattle after nearly two weeks in Arizona. Upon our arrival at Seatac we immediately noticed a few significant differences between the two states. Our very first observation was hearing/seeing Japanese translations in the airport instead of Spanish. Second, was grey skies instead of sunshine. You can guess the rest, lots of water instead of desert, evergreen trees instead of cactus, and the presence of 800 Starbucks between the airport and home.

It was a great trip to Arizona. After Christmas, we took Grandpa to the airport in Phoenix. As I watched him impatiently duck under the ropes of the security line, I was really struck by what a remarkable man he is. It's not everyday that you see a 96 year old man go through airport security on his own, grab his bag and confidently walk to his gate. I thoroughly expect to see him at Christmas 2008!

After the airport, we spent 2 night in Phoenix. It was a great opportunity to tour The Valley of the Sun. We toured Old Town Scottsdale, did the scenic drive on South Mountain, and Keith and I hiked Camelback Mountain where we had unprecedented views of the city.

Then it was back to Tucson. New Year's Eve was spent with friends at Bud and Nikki's house. We ate delicious appetizers, drank pink lemonade margaritas, and played the world's longest game of Domino's. The remainder of visit to Tucson gave us time to relax and enjoy time together. Mom and I sewed a purse (okay, mom sewed and I cut and pinned) and went to a card making class. Keith and I jogged in the sun almost every morning. We all went golfing at The Cove course and I shot my best ever 45 on 9 holes (let's just ignore the fact that the course is a short nine!). On Thursday we went for a short hike in Sabino Canyon and out to dinner at our favorite restaurant, Cafe Poco Coso. It was hard to leave on Friday.

I guess it's time to get back to reality. Work starts again on Monday. It's time to get back into the routine. I need to remember how to drive a car instead of a golf cart. I need to detox from sugar (although not cold turkey! That could be dangerous. Luckily, mom packed us a little lunch for the flight home, complete with the last of the Christmas Cookies, 2 Krinkles and 1 Nanaimo Bar each! Whew. It could have been a rough flight). I need go through the mail and pay my bills. I need to take down the Christmas decorations and organize my life. I get to see my friends. I'm going back to yoga. I'm gearing up for 2008. Luckily, I can look forward to Spring Break!

Thank you Mom and Dad...you're the best.

Pictures above:

#1) Dad, Mom and Keith in Old Town Scottsdale

#2) Dad and Bud serving up those delicious Margaritas on New Year's Eve

#3) Margaret at the top of Camelback Mountain

#4) Keith climbs one of the characteristically steep stretches of Camelback Mountain's summit trail

I'll be home for Christmas...

2007-12-29T18:14:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I can consider Tucson "home" since I've never lived here, but as they say, "home is where the heart is" and my heart is happy to be with my family for the holidays. Keith and I arrived in Tucson on Sunday and my Grandpa Irv was already in town. On Monday we went to the Catalina Room where they have a piano and sang Christmas Carols. On Christmas Eve we went to visit Tom and Kathy for what has become our traditional dinner of clam chowder and corn bread. It was especially delightful this year to visit with our childhood friends, Sean and Leslie, who were also in town visiting their mother. Sean was visiting with his wife Kathy, and their children Tyler and Sydney, and Leslie was visiting with her husband Richard, and their daughter Sophie. After dinner we went to Christmas Eve service at my parent's church.

Christmas morning began with the customary opening of our stockings and presents, proving once again that I have been more nice than naughty in 2007. I got a beautiful cream colored knit sweater and new trekking poles (can't wait to hit the trails in the spring!) among other things. Then we had mom's famous egg dish for breakfast and played with our new toys they rest of they day. Christmas dinner was a delicious standing rib roast with red wine gravy. Yum Yum!

On Boxing Day we spent minimal time shopping. Instead, the highlight of the day was seeing the new show at the Gaslight Theatre. Every year the Gaslight Theatre puts on a Christmas musical review that and this year's production was a hit once again (good thing mom got us tickets back in July, before they sold out!). The show is goofy, but they actors and musicians are very talented and we all (Grandpa included) enjoyed ourselves.

So far, this holiday has been great, but it is the time spent with family that is the greatest gift of all (that, and all the Christmas Cookies). I don't know what I have done to deserve such abundant blessings of love and family. Thank you all.

Out with the old, in with the new!

2007-12-22T15:42:00.001-08:00

Christmas came early for Margaret this year! Of course this "gift" to myself comes with car payments for the next 60 months.

Yesterday I bought a 2006 Honda Civic EX. I've been shopping for this make and model for weeks; scanning the Internet, Craiglist, going to dealers and checking out private party sales. I even made an offer on one at the Honda dealer last week, but I'm a tightwad and my offer was rejected. Well, I found one at a local Chevy dealer and the price was right. They've been advertising it for at least 3 weeks at a very competitive price (like I said, I've been tracking these things for a while), but then yesterday, they dropped the price even lower. Bingo! Priced $2000 less than any comparable I've seen.

The salesman told us that at the listed price the dealership was only making $81 on the deal. That almost made me feel guilty when I pulled out the coupon I had printed from their website that offered "$100 off any used car for Microsoft employees." As you know, I don't work for Microsoft, but my brother works at Microsoft (close enough) and he was with me. Much to my surprise, they agreed to honor the coupon. The only bump in the road was my trade-in 1991 Accord with 270K miles. They would only offer me $100 for my car, which I rejected. Bah Hum-bug.

When all was said and done, the price I paid was below what KBB and NADA list as the trade-in value for the car. My tight-wadyness paid off. I may be one of the few people on the planet who's car appreciated the second I drove it off the lot.

When I got home, I posted an add on Craiglist to sell my old car and by noon today, my car was sold for $1500.

So far, so good. I have high expectations for this car since my Accord was such a good car. In the 10 years I owned the Accord, I put on almost 200K miles, had very few mechanical problems, and no major accidents (I have been rear-ended twice). I can only hope to have as much good luck with the new car. I woud consider that the best Christmas gift.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2007-12-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up to the first snow of the season. With my Christmas tree trimmed, it's really starting to feel like Christmas. They say a Pineapple Express is heading our way, so all the snow will be gone by the time I head for work on Monday. Until then, I'm going to sit inside, drink hot cocoa, shop for gifts online, write my Christmas cards, and get in the spirit of the holidays.

Way to go #10889!!!

2007-11-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

This morning was the Seattle Marathon. For years, Keith has wanted to run in the 1/2 Marathon and this was the year. He waited for the weather forecast and when he saw on Saturday afternoon that clear skies were projected for Sunday morning, he went to the Expo and signed up. Conditions could not have been better; it was cold but sunny. A beautiful November morning and a great race day for Keith who turned in his second best time ever! There's nothing like running 13.1 miles to burn off all those Thanksgiving calories!

Way to go Keith!!!

Pictures:

#1 Pre-race

#2 Running down Mercer towards the finish line

#3 Post-race recovery

Gobble Gobble

2007-11-24T17:21:00.000-08:00

Once again we had Thanksgiving with our family in Longview. It was great to see everyone and the dinner was delicious. Pattie cooked the turkey, stuffing, and gravy and everyone else prepared side dishes. As Keith so aptly stated, "everyone really brought their 'A' game this year". One of the best turkey dinners ever. Yum Yum!

Most of all, it was great to visit with everyone. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family. Thank you all for making this such a special gathering!

pictures (in reverse chronological order):

#1 Day after Thanksgiving- Nate has turkey leftovers

#2 Regan and Whitney make a turkey omelet for breakfast

#3 We swaddle Grandpa to keep him warm

#4 Patti, Keith and Regan socialize

#5 Keith, Regan and Randy enjoy the Thanksgiving feast

One year older

2007-11-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Keith's 37th Birthday. We celebrated with a delicious dinner at Sages in Redmond. They were kind enough to bring out the "birthday cake" (AKA chocolate decadence cake) with some lighted candles. He was, however, spared of having to endure my singing of Happy Birthday before he got to make a wish and blow out the candles.

After dinner was gifts. Microsoft even gave him a new monitor! Well, they actually replaced his old monitor which got water damaged when pipes burst and flooded his office building. I guess this wasn't really a birthday gift, but it's new and it arrived on his birthday. My gift to Keith-- tickets to The Nutcracker. Neither of us have ever seen it and we've been talking about going this year. He's not exactly a fan of ballet, but he IS a fan of classical music and you can't go wrong with Tchaikovsky. He also got what every distance runner needs...more running socks!

Hope you had a good day big bro! Wishing you all the best this year.

Weekend in Tucson

2007-11-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

Keith and I spent this Memorial Day weekend with our parents in Tucson. It's always nice to see mom and dad and as a bonus I got to trade a cold, wet, and windy weekend in Seattle for sunshine and temperatures in the 80's! I felt the need to soak up as much vitamin D as possible while in Arizona. On Saturday we visited an arts festival at a mission in St. David, AZ. My brother decided to explore his hippie side and bought his first ever tie-dyed T-shirt (is this a mid-life crisis?). We then went to Tombstone and visited the cemetery at Boothill. The graveyard, just outside of Tombstone, is where several of the men who died in the gunfight at the OK Corrale are buried. As they like to say, "What happens in Tombstone, stays in Boothill."

On Sunday, we did a short desert hike to a viewpoint with spectacular views over Tucson. Then we cooled off with some beers and appetizers on University Street and did a walking tour of the University of Arizona campus. In the evening, it was off to Gavi's Italian for Keith's birthday dinner (just a few days ahead of his actual birthday). We dined outside, which is something we Seattlelites are not accustomed to in November!

On Monday, there was just enough time for a morning run in the sun, and then we had to pack and catch our flight home. It was such a wonderful weekend! Big thanks to our gracious hosts! I'm already looking forward to our next trip for the holidays.

what a difference a day makes

2007-11-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 3th

On Saturday morning, I met a very pregnant Wenmei on lower Queen Anne for cheap pedicures. After getting our toes done, we went to Ozzy's for breakfast (it's always entertaining to take a pregnant lady to a bar)

Sunday, November 4th

On Sunday morning, I went to the hospital to see Wenmei, Chris, and newborn Zachary James, who was all of 5 hours old. Wenmei's doctor warned her that the massage from the pedicure could start labor. Gee, she wasn't kidding! He was almost 4 weeks early, but at least she didn't have to look at chipped polish on her toes during delivery. Mother and baby are doing fine. Zach is 5 lbs, 7 oz and 18 inches long.

Blessing to the Hill family!

Getting "Swank" in the Emerald City

2007-10-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was Emerald City Swank, a fundraiser for Seattle Works.

I arrived with Jessica and Nick and we promptly got cocktails and wandered through the silent auction. There were so many lovely things to bid on; theatre tickets, nice bottles of wine, resort vacations, etc. My only bid was $60 for carpet cleaning. Boring, yes...but practical. I was quickly out bid, so my carpets will have to wait for another day to be steam cleaned. Oh well.

After another cocktail, we entered the dinning room to join our table. Maria sponsored a table for 10 and we had a fun group. During dinner was the live auction where the bidding was out of our league. I should say out of my league. Others at our table had the means to bid big, but wanted to lay low after having auction-buyers remorse from previous events (Hope you enjoy that autographed Eddie Vedder poster, Beth!). Nick, however, did splurge on a bottle of champagne for the table!

After dinner was dancing. The DJ knew how to cater to drunk 30-somethings and played Michael Jackson (strictly pre-Thriller), Justin Timberlake and other pop music faves. My friends tore it up on the dance floor. All in all, it was a great night with a great group of friends.

Pictures

#1 Jessica, Nick, Margaret

#2 Lisa and Maria

#3 Nick bids on a bottle of champagne for the table

#4 Erika and Nick tear it up on the dance floor

Monday Night Yoga

2007-10-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

For more than 6 years, yoga class on Monday nights has been a staple in my life. That is until last Spring when I decided I needed a break. After a 6 month hiatus, I decided it was time to return to my yoga class and my wonderful yoga friends. It feels great to get back, although my muscles are a bit sore.

This picture is from Tuesday night when we all went to dinner together. It was a farewell dinner for Stacia who is moving to Bellingham in two weeks. We will all miss her and wish her the best.

Auto Triumph!

2007-10-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

My '91 Accord is on the road again! She lives to drive another day!

266,432 miles and counting...

Commuter's Nightmare

2007-10-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

I was on my way to work Friday morning when my car died. It was 6:40a.m. and I was cruising south on I-5 when all of a sudden I lost all power. I had to coast over to the shoulder and call for a tow truck. The tow truck driver was pleased to find out that I am a high school counselor and he used the drive to get my advice about his teen-aged son. I think he was hoping for lots of advice because he took us on the longest possible route to my mechanic in Kirkland. Have you ever seen the typical Family Circus comic with the dotted line showing little Billy's path as he loops and curls his way through the neighborhood? Well, that's what my trip to Kirkland was like. For starters, we began in Seatac and went south to Federal Way before turning around. The entire drive was like that! Plus, the tow truck guy was using a GPS system! Needless to say, he did get my car and me safely to the garage...eventually.

Now I'm just waiting to find out how much the repairs will cost. With a 1991 automobile, I've got to ask myself how much I'm willing to spend to fix the darn thing. Just in case the repairs are over worth more than the value of the car, I took this picture of the odometer to remember my little Honda and all the miles we've driven together. This is also a picture from the freeway of the sun coming up over Mt. Rainier.

Wishing you all a happy and safe commute on Monday!

Critics Corner

2007-09-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, I finally got to see the movie Once, which I have wanted to see since early summer. Luckily it was still playing at the Redmond Picture Show which is a theatre/lounge where you can sip a cocktail while watching a moving. I ordered a Black Pearl which is a rum, amaretto, pineapple juice concoction. The drink was delicious, but mostly I ordered it because it made me think of Johnny Depp.

Once is the story of a street musician/song writer in Dublin, Ireland. He meets a young Czech immigrant woman who sells flowers on the street. She also happens to be a pianist/song writer and when they get together to write and play music, magic happens.

I guess the movie could be considered a "musical" (a genre of which I am generally a fan), but the songs don't feel contrived. Watching the musical numbers, I actually felt like a secret observer getting to witness something very special unfolding in front of me. The chemistry between them is truly magical and sitting in the theatre, I had chills (an experience I never had watching Dreamgirls). Once isn't flashy and it is at times bittersweet, but it has heart. I give it my coveted "one thumb up". Go see it if it's still playing in your area!

To see other reviews (of less prominent critics), check out the link below
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once/

P & P from DC

2007-09-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Back in February of 2001, I went kayaking for a week in the Sea of Cortez with Sea Kayak Adventures.

http://www.seakayakadventures.com/cortez.htm

It was a fantastic week of paddling through the clear blue water to islands in the Sea of Cortez and camping on sandy beaches. I traveled with a small group from around the US and Canada, including Pat and Patty Garvey from Washington D.C. I was delighted and surprised last week to hear that they were traveling to Seattle over the weekend and wanted to visit.

It was so great to visit with them; both still as funny and warm-hearted as I remember. It was nice to catch up and to also reminisce about our trip, the hermit crab races on the beach, the pineapple upside down cake our guides baked for Pat's birthday, the windstorm that carried our tents into the lagoon, and the beautiful sunsets that one could appreciate while sitting on the throne (AKA, port-a-potty)! I have been richly rewarded to meet so many wonderful people on my travels.

Thanks to the Garvey's for a wonderful visit. I look forward to the next time.

I have a not-so-secret admirer

2007-09-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have an admirer. He is, however, four years old.

According to his mother, Finn anxiously awaits my arrival when I visit the O'Malley household in Bellingham.

Kristin told me that Finn was very excited about my overnight visit this past weekend and kept inquiring about what time I would arrive. When I did arrive and made my way to the playroom downstairs, Finn did a little "happy dance" and gave a squeal of excitement (Why don't my adult friends do that when I come to visit?).

The admiration of a four-year-old is a curious thing however, as Finn stood shyly by the couch after the initial excitement of our reunion. The early awkwardness quickly melted away after I gave him a big bear hug and a few raspberries on his bare belly (something I promise NOT to do when I greet my adult friends). In the afternoon when I was away at the wedding, I am told that Finn repeatedly asked in desperation,"When is she coming back?". Then in the morning he told me "I thought you were NEVER going to get here". Kristin says that Finn was also very excited for us to eat breakfast together and I was glad to oblige. After all, who can can say no to a breakfast of Honey Nut Cheerios with a toddler in Underoos! Of course, I knew it was time for breakfast because I could hear Finn outside the guest bedroom in the morning, asking "Why is she in there?".

I feel a lot of pressure living up the expectations of a four-year-old. I think my reputation has been inflated by his mother. If I could only be as great as Finn thinks I am.

He's the terrific one.

pic #1- Kristin and Ruarc

pic #2 - Finn the Master Painter

Reshelle and Tom DeForrest

2007-09-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was in Bellingham for the wedding of my friend, Reshelle. Reshelle and I have been friends since the 6th grade and I have so many fond memories of growing up with "Rey". Reshelle has a warm heart and a playful nature that draws everyone to her. Her wedding to Tom was a perfect reflection of their love, both touching and funny. The whole day was lovely and the country setting was beautiful with sunny skies and a clear view of Mt. Baker. Being there makes me remember why how much I love Whatcom County. It still feels like "home".

Best Wishes Reshelle and Tom!!!!

the countdown begins

2007-09-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

Only 179 more get-ups 'til summer vacation!

Over the Hill

2007-08-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, on Friday I turned 35! I'm not sure how I feel about turning 35, but luckily I haven't yet slid into a mid-life crisis. At least I'm not showing any symptoms-- I haven't bought a convertible, or taken up sky diving, or gotten collagen injections, or gone to the ice skating rink and demanded to drive the Zamboni. No, it's pretty much life as usual.

However, I did have a wonderful Birthday. At work I celebrated with my colleagues and Andrea made a delicious ice cream cake (my favorite). In the evening, I went with my family to the Olympic Sculpture Park and then ate a terrific dinner at Restaurant Marjorie. As an added bonus, August 24th turned out to be the only nice weather this whole week and we were able to dine outside and enjoy the sun.

Thanks to everyone for the kind birthday wishes!

P.S. Best wishes to Bob and my prayers for a speedy recovery

Yellowstone or bust!!!

2007-08-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

I have neglected my blog this summer and it's time to catch up. I'll start by writing about my summer road trip.

My travels this summer were a family affair. I travelled with my brother and parents to the national parks of the northern Rocky Mountains: Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. The primary objective of the trip was to visit the grand-daddy of the National Park system, Yellowstone. For years I have wanted to return to Yellowstone NP as I have such fond memories of my childhood trip to the park when I was 5 years old. It turned out to be just as wonderful (and other-worldly) as I remembered. We spent four nights camping in the park and had time to get around to most regions. We saw The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, Norris Basin, Artists Paint pots, Roosevelt, Yellowstone Lake and more. We did lots of hiking, swam in Boiling River, and spotted LOTS of wildlife including hundreds of bison.

On our way to Yellowstone we toured Glacier, a park I had never previously visited. The scenery in Glacier was perhaps the most breath-taking of the three parks we visited, particularly on the Going to the Sun Highway. We also hiked to Victoria and St. Mary's Falls and toured Many Glacier Lodge, which had terrific views of...well, many glaciers. Our third park was Grand Teton, which also awed us with unbelievable views of those jagged alpine peaks.

Throughout the parks, we had great wildlife sightings. We saw the "Rocky Mountain Big 5" (bear, bison, moose, elk, and mountain goats). We also got up close and personal with some of the smallest critters in the woods. While camping in Grand Teton, Keith had a chipmunk that got into his motor home. Luckily, he was able to shoo him out in thirty minutes. My parents were less fortunate. On our last night camping in the Tetons, they got a mouse in their motor home at 3AM. It took them 5 hours to chase the rodent out!

The remodeling continues

2007-07-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

The finish line is in sight! After 2 years and 9 months of work on the house, we are almost done. It seems like a long time, but when I think back on all the work, I'm impressed by our accomplishments. In less than 3 years we have remodeled approx. 2,400 sq. ft. of living space, doing most of the work ourselves on evenings and weekend.

Our most recent projects:

1) We have completed the main bathroom. (the 3rd and final bathroom remodel, yeah!!!). You can see the before and after pictures above.

2) We took out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. We are in the middle of constructing an arch between the two rooms. You can see the before shot looking at the narrow entrance between the dinning room and kitchen. The other picture was taken today with the wall removed and the arch in place. We put the sheet rock up today. Now we just have to tape, mud, texture and paint.

The kitchen in the background is mostly finished. We just need to tile the back splash, update the lighting, and have the wood floors installed throughout.

Maybe my excitement about being almost finished was a bit premature...

You Go, Girl!

2007-06-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

My lifelong, dear friend Kristin O'Malley has to committed to run in her first half marathon. She'll be racing in the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco on October 21st. As a friend and supporter, this is a very special event for two reason. First and foremost, I am most impressed by Kristin's commitment to train while juggling the demands of a 1-year old, a very active 3-year old, 140 hormonally driven teenagers (not hers people...she's a high school teacher!) and her own school work. She's a courageous woman.

Secondly, and most importantly, Kristin is running to raise money for Leukemia research. She is running in support and honor of her Aunt Pam, who was diagnosed with Leukemia last year. Although Pam is currently in remission, she is still struggling with the horrible side effects of the treatment course. Chemotherapy is truly barbaric. I've had this thought many times over the past year as Pam has undergone this treatment. For the millions of cancer patients, we must find a better way. I applaud Kristin's efforts to raise money in support of medical research for this important cause.

Kristin has a fundraising goal of $3700. Check out her website.

http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/tntwaakKOMall

My blond moment of the day-- In the acronym for Team In Training, I was wondering why they use the letter "N" to represent "In" instead of the "I". It took me a minute to figure it out.

Daiden's first visit

2007-06-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

There's a baby boom going on all around me. Last week we had a baby shower for Sarah, our school social worker. She's having a boy in July, one of 3 staff members expecting babies this summer. Not only that, but Wenmei's pregnancy is progressing smoothly. And quickly! She's at 17 weeks already. My how time flies.

Here's a picture of me with Denee's 10 week old son, Daiden. He is such a cutie! He loves to snuggle and he's starting to smile and laugh. Contrary to what you see in the picture, his eyes are not usually crossed. This is an awkward picture of him, but I only had two photos to choose from and I look terrible in the other one, and...well, it's my blog! Sorry Daiden!

Cool Rider...

2007-06-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday turned out to be a great day to ride with Keith on his motorcycle. I finally got a motorcycle jacket to go with my helmet and gloves and I was ready to go! I've got to admit, it is a thrill. There is, however, one thing I've got to learn about riding on the back of his bike. When Keith shifts gears and the speed drops momentarily, my head snaps forward and I smack the front of my helmet against the back of Keith's head. Not very cool. I'll have to practice keeping my head in alignment...either that, or get my own bike : )

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's already Memorial Day weekend. The unofficial start of summer has arrived! Fortunately, I left the rain of Seattle to spend the three-day weekend in Eastern Washington where the sun is shinning and it actually feels like summer. I'm spending the long weekend camping with my family. My prodigal parents have just returned to Washington and Keith and I have joined them in the Yakima Valley for a wine tasting weekend. It is great to visit with my Mom and Dad whom I haven't seen since Christmas. It's been a wonderful weekend, sipping wine, eating great food, playing cards, relaxing, enjoying the sun and great company. It will be hard to go back to work on Tuesday. Retirement seems like a lot more fun.

The wine tasting in this region is wonderful. We visited five wineries yesterday and three more today. The fruit growing tradition is this area is strong and the valley has a welcoming, down-home, old farmhouse style ambiance. Not quite as charming as Napa Valley, but the tastings are generally free and the winemakers here have a pioneering spirit and make a quality product. We have sampled a wide array of wines and purchased a little bit of everything from dry to sweet whites, light to full-bodied reds, late harvest dessert wines and even some port. The most difficult decision I've had to make today is which bottle to open first! I love being on vacation.

Run Forrest, Run!!!!

2007-05-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

This morning was the annual Kirkland Half Marathon. I'd like to claim that I completed the 13.1 miles, but I was not running (or even participating) in this morning's race. Instead, my role was support crew and cheering section for my brother who finished in spectacular time. Keith averaged just over 8 minutes per mile, which is even more impressive given the difficult course. If you know anything about the topography of Kirkland, think about going UP from the shores of Lake Washington to the top of Rose Hill at Lake Wa Tech College. That's a LOT of climbing to do!!!! All his training certainly paid off this morning. Maybe someday I'll get myself in shape enough to run a 1/2 M. Maybe...

Way to go KEITH. I hope you can walk up the stairs tomorrow.

Kiwi travels

2007-04-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

After two glorious weeks in New Zealand, I am back in the Pacific Northwest. It was an exhilarating trip with high adventure and a whirlwind of activity. Of course, this made my transition this week back to the hum drum world of work even more intolerable. My countdown to summer vacation is officially on...Ten weeks and counting!!!!!

Here's a synopsis of my travels around New Zealand with Karen

Day 1 - Rotorua - viewed the geysers, bubbling pools and other hot spots of geothermal activity in the region. Oh yeah, we also watched a sheep shearing demonstration (baa ram ewe)
Day 2 - Waitomo Caves - an amazing adventure on the Black Abyss Tour with the Legendary Black Water Rafting Co. http://www.waitomo.com/caving-adventure.aspx
Day 3 - Fly to Christchurch
Day 4 - Christchurch - time to shop, tour the town, and do an 18k bike ride from the top of the gondola
Day 5 - Drive to Nelson - via Kaikoura where we hiked to seal beach
Day 6 - Hiking in Able Tasman - we took a water taxi and then hiked through spectacular jungle from Tonga Bay to Torrent Bay.
Day 7 - Drive to Hokitika - via the Pancake Rocks and blow holes on the west coast.
Day 8 - Franz Joseph Glacier - it was time to put on our crampons and hike that glacier (or, as they say in NZ, glay-see-er).
Day 9 - Drive to Queenstown - dubbed the "Adventure Capitol of the World" and rightfully so.
Day 10 - Queenstown - We got our thrills with the famous Shotover Jetboat and then rode the luge.
Day 11 - Queenstown - This day we had adventures of a different sort...wine tasting. The region is know for Pinot Noir.
Day 12 - Drive to Otago Peninsula, wildlife reserve where saw Albatross, Yellow-Eyed Penguins, and sea lions.
Day 13 - Drive back to Christchurch - we toured the Antarctic Center (70% of all expeditions to the Antarctic depart from Christchurch)
Day 14 - Flight home

Happy Birthday Krissy B!

2007-03-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

Last night was Krissy's 35th birthday and we celebrated with a group of her friends at Trader Vic's. Yes, Trader Vic's has returned to the Northwest. What a throwback! If you remember Trader Vic's from its hay day in the 1960's - 1980's (and I barely do), the new version keeps to the original theme, but with an updated menu and modern decor. However, they still have a Tiki Lounge where you can get a tropical drink served in a coconut. We also had a terrific dinner and pineapple & mango crisp a la mode for dessert. Yum Yum. Krissy had two fortune cookies which will certainly bring lots of good fortune over the next year!

It was fun being with Krissy on this milestone and reflecting back on all the good times we've had over the years. It struck me yesterday that I've known her for almost seventeen years. Boy, does time fly. I still think of her as one of my "new" friends.

Hmmmmmm, I guess my 35th is right around the corner. Gulp.

Choppin' Broccoli (Or Eggplant)

2007-03-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had Sunday dinner with my dear cousin, Whitney. We made eggplant, mushroom and sweet potato stir fry which turned out quite tasty. I also attempted to make mango sticky rice for dessert, but that is a culinary experience which still requires further practice. Luckily we also had jasmine tea and fortune cookies (even though the fortunes were rather dull). It was wonderful to catch up with Whitney who I don't get to see nearly enough. She's a delight!

Confucius Say...

Fortune #1

You will attain a hoped-for objective

Fortune #2

Another's expression of appreciation will delight you.

Emily and Brett's wedding

2007-03-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Emily and Brett tied the knot. They were technically married a few months ago when the Australian government inconveniently refused to extend Brett's work visa and they had to rush the wedding for immigration purposes. I wasn't at the first wedding at the county courthouse, but I can say with great confidence that this was a far more elegant event. The whole evening was a perfect reflection of Emily and Brett, altogether charming and uproariously funny. The wedding and reception were held at C'est Si Bon French Restaurant in Port Angeles, the bride's hometown. It was an enchanting setting which felt like we had been transported right to the heart of the French countryside...with a bunch of drunk Ausies! It was a fun and wonderful wedding, start to finish!

Cheers to Em and Brett!

tears of sorrow

2007-03-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

This past week I received the unexpected news that my friend, John O'Keefe, died in Miami on Tuesday. Since learning of his death my head has been spinning, thoughts filled with memories and heart filled with sadness.

I once read that we grieve more bitterly when we have not been able to fully experience life with another individual. This concept, that whatever is lived fully is easier to let go, has resonated with me this week. With his early passing from this world, I feel robbed of the future experiences that I was counting on sharing with John. Although I had only known him for a few years and we were separated by distance, I took comfort knowing we would have a long lifetime to spend together as friends. Dreams now ripped away.

I will always keep close to my heart memories of time spent with John. Together with Robert, they were the perfect duo who graciously invited me to be part of a trio; friends who laughed and shared and dreamed of adventures around the world. I am a better person for having had John in my life. In his radiance he received the range of human experience with passion, as though he had squeezed the earth's life-force and drank the marrow. John inspired me to live my highest and best life, to have deeper compassion, fuller joy, take risks, and above all, never take for granted the love of my friends.

thank you John. we will all miss you.

(picture: left-Robert, right-John)

Denee's Baby Shower

2007-02-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

Today was the baby shower for Denee, my dear friend and trusted colleague. Denee and her husband are adding to their brood with a baby boy due in April. We celebrated with a fiesta-shower at La Costa Mexican restaurant. This may not be a traditional setting for a baby shower, but who can argue with good Mexican food and Margaritas (non-alcoholic for those who were so inclined). We did our best to turn the restaurant into the "baby zone" and the La Costa staff were quite obliging. Thanks!

With just two months until Denee's due date, I have yet to face the reality of life at work without her. Although I send her with blessings into the next phase of her life as a stay-at-home mom, Denee's absence from the counseling office will be a personal loss. As our drug and alcohol counselor, Denee's support and guidance, both professional and personal, has had a profound impact on my life. I will miss her. Her shoes (and all her cute hats) will be impossible to fill.

Best wishes Denee and Terry.