tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55164887775996292362024-03-18T12:11:48.412-07:00The Island of PhelpsRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978112515173586772noreply@blogger.comBlogger460125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-46403788939398714852024-03-18T12:11:00.000-07:002024-03-18T12:11:13.646-07:00Cardamom Rose Cake<p>I'm the designated baker for the office, so was asked to make a treat for our February birthday celebration. I hemmed and hawed a bit about what to make, but my sister came through with a <a href="https://bromabakery.com/persian-love-cake-cardamom-rose-almond-cake/">cardamom rose cake</a> recommendation. It uses rose water, which I'd never worked with before and discovered that it's impossible to not feel like you've overdone the rose because as soon as you pour any amount into the batter the room smells strongly of rose. </p><p>Of course, my cake pan is also a 9 inch, not an 8 inch, so I had to calculate the recipe. And I knew one co-worker wouldn't touch the cake, so also needed to make chocolate chip cookies - which served as a solid backup for everyone else as well just in case I messed the cake up horribly. None of this would've been a big deal since our lunch was on a Tuesday and usually my Mondays are pretty chill. But I'd agreed to play in a concert for another orchestra and that group rehearses on Mondays and our concert was the same week. So I found myself trying to frantically put together the cake and cookies between work and rehearsal. I managed getting the cake baked and cooling as well as making the cookie dough before I had to leave. When I got back I baked the cookies while making the glaze for the cake. Definitely messed up the glaze a bit because it was a little too stiff when I put it on the cake. So mine didn't end up as pretty as the online picture.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3Az3ViOKnoKzZlQ4rIwOdJTTCH5ccyP1r3ltTNMOhcD2yyd1YrtJQ5CEIbSxcFwNTk1G511xslahRhMPpO4ixD-pMFCRiYUertkPTR1ZkIaAsS2Q5lTSfaue8Mb9TFs_wO63r7fFrL2AavSJerpINlfO4dT2-SHYzn10824nIoTkmvNWh6snVg9N7b5A/s4000/20240226_222932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3Az3ViOKnoKzZlQ4rIwOdJTTCH5ccyP1r3ltTNMOhcD2yyd1YrtJQ5CEIbSxcFwNTk1G511xslahRhMPpO4ixD-pMFCRiYUertkPTR1ZkIaAsS2Q5lTSfaue8Mb9TFs_wO63r7fFrL2AavSJerpINlfO4dT2-SHYzn10824nIoTkmvNWh6snVg9N7b5A/s320/20240226_222932.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>But adding the pistachios and rose on top helps to draw attention away from my glaze mistake!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOI7zzjDAbhIRFbMeMDPJDvFCI9P9VY6KQWcW8-ibOSKOkloiDOwfV6EjU3_Ufy7lIxL8ztyd-c-vShf78XgthhyshtuGlr9RcVeCBDkD6br1_YsSXvDkE0TihogImECRokkgu3aMIEuwjGua0Pf6qx0WiEeGhOJ9vekcR_2k9eKO8sHtH1F3bvt30en1/s4000/20240226_223424.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOI7zzjDAbhIRFbMeMDPJDvFCI9P9VY6KQWcW8-ibOSKOkloiDOwfV6EjU3_Ufy7lIxL8ztyd-c-vShf78XgthhyshtuGlr9RcVeCBDkD6br1_YsSXvDkE0TihogImECRokkgu3aMIEuwjGua0Pf6qx0WiEeGhOJ9vekcR_2k9eKO8sHtH1F3bvt30en1/s320/20240226_223424.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>The cake was delicious, definitely floral. I did cut the rose in the glaze down to 1/3 of what was called for and may try playing around with the amount of rose in the cake itself the next time I make it as well as increasing the lemon just a bit. Don't want to lose the rose flavor, but I think where it was at may be overwhelming for some. Overall, a very easy cake to make once you get your flavoring amounts to your taste - since it's just a single layer it only takes 40 minutes to bake and the glaze is not complicated, even though I managed to mess it up. Both this and the cookies got rave reviews from co-workers.</p>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-1046418305485601762024-03-03T14:36:00.000-08:002024-03-03T14:36:54.155-08:00Mid-Winter Break<p>For the first time ever, I took off during the kids' mid-winter break. It's my least favorite of their breaks but we were planning to try and organize an international trip for the family - maybe to Mexico. We failed at that and then thought what we should really do is go see some colleges in California. But it took a while for G to confirm they were on board with that and then covid finally got me and after recovering from that the airfares were crazy expensive, so that idea got tabled. But since I had the time off we didn't want to waste it, so we booked a last minute stay on San Juan Island.</p><p>We headed up to Anacortes Wednesday to catch an afternoon ferry - it's a one hour ride to Friday Harbor and even though it's the off season, reservations are still needed for the ferry. It was funny to hear San Juan locals on the ferry chatting - lots of surprise at how many cars/people were on the ferry when it's not even summer yet. But also "you coming back from the doctor?" conversations and that right there is why you don't retire to/I couldn't live on the islands. A full day just to get to/from appointments is rough and it's probably smart to sign up for their helicopter ambulance service if you do live there.</p><p>We checked into our room, decided it was a little too late to fit in a hike so we wandered the town for a bit. Of course, since it was after 4 many of the shops were already closed, and there were several that were closed until spring or summer. But we did find an open bookstore and always enjoy a good bookstore wander. M got the newest Amulet book. The streets were almost completely empty while we wandered, but then we headed to San Juan Brewing for dinner - and there were actually other people there! Enjoyed some good food before walking back to our room.</p><p>The next morning we headed out for our first hike - Young Hill. This is located on the north part of the island and where the English were camped at the time of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_War_(1859)">The Pig War</a> - which M actually knew about from school! Not too hard of a hike but with a little climbing. We took a mini-detour to a cemetery part way up the hill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlmz_df8_3b0esPETE4OQO6FsVYLIvx_VoZooHp05mmQTdlgI76Cq1A_0mPi4PQLZfU3FUQ1NGDe5QO6808DZ3PJpjGxU_EMJZwVPIpvtN9LB0X27usZ3fmln6V8nivbFpddGUNgk-CM0m_9kp9tlH9Fg3_TBOCSO4QyH5C5bVrSsyl3wWI1Bizs17j5U/s4000/20240222_104440.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlmz_df8_3b0esPETE4OQO6FsVYLIvx_VoZooHp05mmQTdlgI76Cq1A_0mPi4PQLZfU3FUQ1NGDe5QO6808DZ3PJpjGxU_EMJZwVPIpvtN9LB0X27usZ3fmln6V8nivbFpddGUNgk-CM0m_9kp9tlH9Fg3_TBOCSO4QyH5C5bVrSsyl3wWI1Bizs17j5U/s320/20240222_104440.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HYo355msUKh4wXl5t29A4BRtRWlb0rGF48vmZh_4fhk_xO9QmhktDyDPPRZRaIhZSqy6lGZz10MBo8XwyW0jedIKDF808_YQdVU2Ngq5PNQtUqkoJYNtuHGJDsJ6LPap9keIKqwJBR52Xl5YYEy9x7QRrm9k186SMhi7gVtIH5150ydooIHE1ub0ijhn/s4000/20240222_110815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HYo355msUKh4wXl5t29A4BRtRWlb0rGF48vmZh_4fhk_xO9QmhktDyDPPRZRaIhZSqy6lGZz10MBo8XwyW0jedIKDF808_YQdVU2Ngq5PNQtUqkoJYNtuHGJDsJ6LPap9keIKqwJBR52Xl5YYEy9x7QRrm9k186SMhi7gVtIH5150ydooIHE1ub0ijhn/s320/20240222_110815.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqZQTKeJzH1_PipvPyBFpWind6Zdqr0rt-Pkdmr13ZjCALC2N5SpFbuR0M-ksfSbCEAvMxyt0utEg7AZjsa0shElvKQbfMnA2ys1-J5m-8cra73-NzsqYdlitB0Lj9IzN7QUVL20uXVv1swqQnEVzqsAD-Y0UYv2h4iSmdTyBL6PRhjY5PDpW165BRRva/s4000/20240222_110832.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqZQTKeJzH1_PipvPyBFpWind6Zdqr0rt-Pkdmr13ZjCALC2N5SpFbuR0M-ksfSbCEAvMxyt0utEg7AZjsa0shElvKQbfMnA2ys1-J5m-8cra73-NzsqYdlitB0Lj9IzN7QUVL20uXVv1swqQnEVzqsAD-Y0UYv2h4iSmdTyBL6PRhjY5PDpW165BRRva/s320/20240222_110832.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Some of the land in the distance is Canada.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoncQX9SjM81X1qJqcFPME5QjfUBS3dIeI_9-EBwfNH3JNeTrLqg8LnjG4Qjlc9Lp26bbquCzv9RfhW6PcPHvONTZD8vW9aqBNMrjT_0ma7ZW8-N_1hOFbHOWll42CetGecLDWJ-HKJuXWTrKvlZeVcKGwM7Fex_fxIDbBiE8F55CECXj2d8B9DB2tmUC/s4000/20240222_112715.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoncQX9SjM81X1qJqcFPME5QjfUBS3dIeI_9-EBwfNH3JNeTrLqg8LnjG4Qjlc9Lp26bbquCzv9RfhW6PcPHvONTZD8vW9aqBNMrjT_0ma7ZW8-N_1hOFbHOWll42CetGecLDWJ-HKJuXWTrKvlZeVcKGwM7Fex_fxIDbBiE8F55CECXj2d8B9DB2tmUC/s320/20240222_112715.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaXBAGv5h__8KLB2pLNVJ6tlas51TDRBSKErtx5EoD8Hd4AUp8F-9VIrgl4dw7FQBbiE-loQuZn5J15pIJU7-UpnhCX9LGvfbs9TKO06gJlVRJWFR59h-DA6FbKdybHl11Bv5dF25lWfVWaIoFL9vsyasxui_l0u3IPKlihfgvUhoiDTyeOJ__U6xGaej/s4000/20240222_115413.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaXBAGv5h__8KLB2pLNVJ6tlas51TDRBSKErtx5EoD8Hd4AUp8F-9VIrgl4dw7FQBbiE-loQuZn5J15pIJU7-UpnhCX9LGvfbs9TKO06gJlVRJWFR59h-DA6FbKdybHl11Bv5dF25lWfVWaIoFL9vsyasxui_l0u3IPKlihfgvUhoiDTyeOJ__U6xGaej/s320/20240222_115413.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>When we got back down the hill, I very unexpectedly ran into a former coworker - she'd moved to Portland so it was surprising that we both ended up visiting the island the same week! It was fun to catch up before heading back to town to find some lunch. After lunch we headed out for our second hike - a longer one at 4 miles, but mostly flat. Despite being mostly flat, the area was called Mount Finlayson. This hike was on the southern part of the island, closer to the American camp during the Pig War.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYk-1koqxlfbLYr59TaRF9wF-k6ZQcS8XPqb9bJedZRE7LzhKVkYOuXB3T_4vTneUcWTJtX_dcGCaYXMLlqX0qRWYTYyFUMvD_o35vsxVGcvIH6cXv5fAuID6TU0vL57Bvj7w7sUUtT3ZE-WfNUray5cASqYoEgvDciSMNBYQJMAYFJ0AlzZLyPP3affQb/s4000/20240222_153551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYk-1koqxlfbLYr59TaRF9wF-k6ZQcS8XPqb9bJedZRE7LzhKVkYOuXB3T_4vTneUcWTJtX_dcGCaYXMLlqX0qRWYTYyFUMvD_o35vsxVGcvIH6cXv5fAuID6TU0vL57Bvj7w7sUUtT3ZE-WfNUray5cASqYoEgvDciSMNBYQJMAYFJ0AlzZLyPP3affQb/s320/20240222_153551.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERFrYmxl4xpwmI1Xd8uZrfzhONub17cITeSdK2VgUC88U1L5EFu6pLM3Q-0O2JBDkxIg3qtV7MhUjOf8QYIYzrdg6l5_tByrj-Ba6fxSYzbvc-CAiPfDT4goLmFN-ZYEQDjdCA8w9bXUKVPyqlQYhP9upwCZJ4zVrUqXie8kZ-yTh98x0J1xrVQA8T954/s4000/20240222_153637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERFrYmxl4xpwmI1Xd8uZrfzhONub17cITeSdK2VgUC88U1L5EFu6pLM3Q-0O2JBDkxIg3qtV7MhUjOf8QYIYzrdg6l5_tByrj-Ba6fxSYzbvc-CAiPfDT4goLmFN-ZYEQDjdCA8w9bXUKVPyqlQYhP9upwCZJ4zVrUqXie8kZ-yTh98x0J1xrVQA8T954/s320/20240222_153637.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The first half of this hike was mostly in the open, with flat grassland, while the second half was more forested with occasional opportunities to detour to the beach. We opted against the beach detours since M was getting tired. We could've detoured to one of the two lighthouses on the island as well, but that would've added more time to the hike than we had. After getting back to town we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner - another instance of being pretty sure the town is completely dead and only as we got to the door of the restaurant did it become clear that there were many people there. </p><p>The next morning we had an early checkout, but our ferry back didn't leave until the afternoon so we had some time to kill. We started off by heading to Bakery San Juan for breakfast - delicious pastries and if we did live there I'm sure we'd go to this place often because their loaves of bread and cakes were so tempting. Then we headed to the Whale Museum. Lots of informative things there, but definitely a little dated in their presentation. After the Whale Museum we headed to the San Juan Island Sculpture Park. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrlSbl9QgEYiqTtloLxvpZx1nagJdDvERSu7ueka_XjRt8zaA5Bo_yI614BEzrfRxG1OsEWzVhJ2X8iabDtteAJktRuM8dQkfOsLHYCDAgTRN7WeKR_Qq6_lTiItTlVE_SsoFDUbjUX5XGwWLcwRD1UNxHrlHZ4ll58I9j65d4gR62HbMDxrH_5xnV22G/s4000/20240223_123900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrlSbl9QgEYiqTtloLxvpZx1nagJdDvERSu7ueka_XjRt8zaA5Bo_yI614BEzrfRxG1OsEWzVhJ2X8iabDtteAJktRuM8dQkfOsLHYCDAgTRN7WeKR_Qq6_lTiItTlVE_SsoFDUbjUX5XGwWLcwRD1UNxHrlHZ4ll58I9j65d4gR62HbMDxrH_5xnV22G/s320/20240223_123900.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is titled "Grumpy Man" and made me laugh</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4mOuv3PSk8P2wyx5pZWo0IQ4PSx-tuCCiRkVWibzuAyxnREACwUTWRT0ecqnLYYnI5YjZreeUN7d2VbWbPxf_GGaqjSIapJ2aHBB8WFPb24suYSjAp8bRKZSC37UCKSBWy0HvtUV4n_nmYMNwrTfUfsxIxadDEJzCuqXSb7CrJ9iCYmRiO46JfVRJawd/s4000/20240223_124241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4mOuv3PSk8P2wyx5pZWo0IQ4PSx-tuCCiRkVWibzuAyxnREACwUTWRT0ecqnLYYnI5YjZreeUN7d2VbWbPxf_GGaqjSIapJ2aHBB8WFPb24suYSjAp8bRKZSC37UCKSBWy0HvtUV4n_nmYMNwrTfUfsxIxadDEJzCuqXSb7CrJ9iCYmRiO46JfVRJawd/s320/20240223_124241.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These fishnet sheep were delightful - they're intended to be used as footstools apparently!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrhXl26CVT-DbF-yLSTTZoTj1D7D1ASZFZhg5G5PHznpO8-vrVa7njgH6pRWlwiN-fHnoCiPxDBUNqpuMyYz8udMuapXR6UnVxcQEeMITG_5KuXsrh1G1iBJeiMt3QtgbYrLmeqbPrF9DD50yP33xAeOG9mJ1dCmK8cmqIaen6W5-lJGyzWRGz1ia7bKa/s4000/20240223_124759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrhXl26CVT-DbF-yLSTTZoTj1D7D1ASZFZhg5G5PHznpO8-vrVa7njgH6pRWlwiN-fHnoCiPxDBUNqpuMyYz8udMuapXR6UnVxcQEeMITG_5KuXsrh1G1iBJeiMt3QtgbYrLmeqbPrF9DD50yP33xAeOG9mJ1dCmK8cmqIaen6W5-lJGyzWRGz1ia7bKa/s320/20240223_124759.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My feet were already very wet by this point so I didn't want to walk through the mud to see this cool jellyfish any closer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfI5S3ILWhLLVvtFr9pgmzujKzGk1x3YqEqeQZsO2VwZ4tSKWNGfyeavFKR_RytEVt81T6hYrRlqaY7asq0btoN5PpqabU5SVJCn0Gk2f371iOUAerNnn_jeG8Hwp1NK3s7L0_FsWEtCiGiBeACTAhLRYEaiN4qHiOmBbC4t1neCMfyLWSAGbO0-T-xJ3/s4000/20240223_124907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfI5S3ILWhLLVvtFr9pgmzujKzGk1x3YqEqeQZsO2VwZ4tSKWNGfyeavFKR_RytEVt81T6hYrRlqaY7asq0btoN5PpqabU5SVJCn0Gk2f371iOUAerNnn_jeG8Hwp1NK3s7L0_FsWEtCiGiBeACTAhLRYEaiN4qHiOmBbC4t1neCMfyLWSAGbO0-T-xJ3/s320/20240223_124907.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I forget the name of this one, but it's supposed to be something new breaking through the old<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>We still had a couple hours left so hung out at San Juan County Park, where my phone got confused an thought I'd entered Canada. There is a little beach area below the main park that you can go to and then we also enjoyed clambering on the rocky bluff. There are several campsites with views of the strait.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6bJC4R4whYl99ttPDKMPsCQT-yPOF4VC_P491rYkHV0t7h_zhw3ecX0Yr5Sogy8Df1kjyZV2jOC7qkdSUIIqNOAFJLU-iB57w_as5UIaE2yQlq2CQB6F6darxtkgJyyhmhaHsV3wM0RfnMbHba-sbIFDnf_ofl_MA2vu028If14hkFI7mAGByLL-uUq3/s4000/20240223_142346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6bJC4R4whYl99ttPDKMPsCQT-yPOF4VC_P491rYkHV0t7h_zhw3ecX0Yr5Sogy8Df1kjyZV2jOC7qkdSUIIqNOAFJLU-iB57w_as5UIaE2yQlq2CQB6F6darxtkgJyyhmhaHsV3wM0RfnMbHba-sbIFDnf_ofl_MA2vu028If14hkFI7mAGByLL-uUq3/s320/20240223_142346.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>We headed to the ferry line and back home. G had stayed home so they could attend a rocketry club event but also completed some fine-tuning of their college list while we were gone, so we actually need to plan our college visit trips now.</p></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-31311181520756518352024-01-07T11:24:00.000-08:002024-01-07T11:24:29.732-08:00Christmas and New Years<p>While Ryan and the kids were gone, we had some lovely foggy days. It was very atmospheric to walk to get my Thai food in the fog. Have I mentioned how much I love living in a walkable city/neighborhood? We can walk to the doctor, dentist, restaurants, bakeries/cafes, hardware store, library, parks, movie theatre, etc. And of course can walk to the lightrail which takes us even more places. The walkability of our life is a consistent source of joy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NYRQrYSU-cjgbfUt85g6RVmiZ7fbLlDiHU3JEBMJEVkbenLUPI4PpOT-1DRlVgmGfrvZLErMZguV9bSaWRhrJ2fit9I6yQpRRaN2vR7yaIoyPUbpq3P_o09jhtLy6Ltf4oOuj2gjD3VsXgjIvuPgcNN-Dj2W3oLMu_YhMDzRvI7p89Iy6QXg27bqq-ba/s4000/20231220_193227.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NYRQrYSU-cjgbfUt85g6RVmiZ7fbLlDiHU3JEBMJEVkbenLUPI4PpOT-1DRlVgmGfrvZLErMZguV9bSaWRhrJ2fit9I6yQpRRaN2vR7yaIoyPUbpq3P_o09jhtLy6Ltf4oOuj2gjD3VsXgjIvuPgcNN-Dj2W3oLMu_YhMDzRvI7p89Iy6QXg27bqq-ba/s320/20231220_193227.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>The weekend after they got back, Ryan and I braved the mall because I needed wrapping paper so I could send my niece and nephew their belated birthday gifts as well as Christmas gifts. We managed to score a surface parking spot really close to the stores we needed to go to - even in non-holiday times I don't expect to find one of those - a true Christmas miracle haha! I wished the non-holiday paper options were more varied, but we had a lot of fun picking out what we got, including a couple fancy papers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sguB1G2Ky0rEeiTG3RlYhX2f689gk5kXrZWnF_-kDbGC59FBwpifx5NgI33VitKbUTUcQHbu8NPFiARcYyRHcVssxUl5z5rHLk4l1UsNwrqavw5dSkFeKX0zlZnEuV-Vo98Z-tSGFI0_Xpoy27bKTCQy9rqodl0AtHfezUfSKMpIVSTGtMDq8gsKF6cl/s4000/20231223_094047.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sguB1G2Ky0rEeiTG3RlYhX2f689gk5kXrZWnF_-kDbGC59FBwpifx5NgI33VitKbUTUcQHbu8NPFiARcYyRHcVssxUl5z5rHLk4l1UsNwrqavw5dSkFeKX0zlZnEuV-Vo98Z-tSGFI0_Xpoy27bKTCQy9rqodl0AtHfezUfSKMpIVSTGtMDq8gsKF6cl/s320/20231223_094047.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClpGiN-8zHl-qXdm3JcVPDnxBHIsS1LSu9AQkYOf3Ofdtb-cX93FhnrySVCdlhXxZsqt9G4AnK4KvstFzIcbS20DMa9A7LLGE9n-7RSeexLw36IU2sSwfWrylBfWcLHuwfa2fQIBGRY-Aly_cvBr0I2io91tVUEzWCuLRP1bkSVZbSA1o1nuy4VqQ4ZkB/s4000/20231223_094053.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClpGiN-8zHl-qXdm3JcVPDnxBHIsS1LSu9AQkYOf3Ofdtb-cX93FhnrySVCdlhXxZsqt9G4AnK4KvstFzIcbS20DMa9A7LLGE9n-7RSeexLw36IU2sSwfWrylBfWcLHuwfa2fQIBGRY-Aly_cvBr0I2io91tVUEzWCuLRP1bkSVZbSA1o1nuy4VqQ4ZkB/s320/20231223_094053.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Aren't those beautiful? Perhaps another sign of adulthood when you're very excited about fancy wrapping paper. We also did a little shopping for G's Christmas - they love hoodies but don't usually want brand or place names on them, so I was a little worried it would be hard to find. But the first store we tried had several completely plain hoodies in a variety of solid colors! It'll be so exciting for them to be able to rotate their hoodies through the wash more frequently.</p><p>Christmas Eve was spent largely in the kitchen. Ryan was inspired by Ted Lasso and wanted to try a mulled wine and finger foods on Christmas day, so we found a recipe for Smoking Bishop and had to get that started. It included roasting oranges and grapefruit that we then poked cloves into before soaking those in wine overnight - the next day we juiced the fruit into the wine and then added ruby port before heating. Then I prepped the filling for <a href="https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a38124313/stuffed-acorn-squash-recipe/">stuffed acorn squash</a> and roasted the squash, made a coffee cake since M doesn't like our usual blueberry breakfast bake dish, Ryan made toffee, and by the time all that was done it was about time to start prepping the rest of our dinner. Ryan made a delicious <a href="https://www.uwajimaya.com/recipes/chinese-american-kung-pao-chicken/">Kung Pao Chicken</a> courtesy of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's wok recipe book and sides were the family favorite <a href="https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sangchu-geotjeori">Korean lettuce salad</a>, and that stuffed acorn squash I'd prepped earlier in the day (used Canadian bacon instead of sausage in the squash). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEmkw6oEPb1vLNzaafs0T2Mumh7LQz235O78qXi0Bl_8H7IrjjAuLsGts1xXZeGs2P7tKlxNCiC2KCeCRyrjIFWsZryeeIUSHW8fzOLjB3W8qjlfYKZNnzpKqj9-aCqwGa3SSvK_uBGcubav7q3DpI19j0GjT6ihhB6AV0xCr6pGBGJoG6b0Q9o38T_AO/s4000/20231224_122453.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEmkw6oEPb1vLNzaafs0T2Mumh7LQz235O78qXi0Bl_8H7IrjjAuLsGts1xXZeGs2P7tKlxNCiC2KCeCRyrjIFWsZryeeIUSHW8fzOLjB3W8qjlfYKZNnzpKqj9-aCqwGa3SSvK_uBGcubav7q3DpI19j0GjT6ihhB6AV0xCr6pGBGJoG6b0Q9o38T_AO/s320/20231224_122453.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The oranges were as big as grapefruit! But they roasted up nicely and my not thinking to rotate them while roasting didn't seem to negatively impact the end result</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a4JL69-esV8ocF-hCQZN6SzFRxn3v1fNnXRKJjmGg1Znbf-q98Arlia6vokAidpB7WB9pmrvTm4UCT-Xa6Pd2wLT5GIymu1AHu8Scj-EmxKK69VG4hKF7bXRQNiFhIBC4yivKue8yb58XMEUVnYkErfGKnPIM5jAN8fALkpFsO2OCpGFlwAFR1tepNYG/s4000/20231224_194736.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a4JL69-esV8ocF-hCQZN6SzFRxn3v1fNnXRKJjmGg1Znbf-q98Arlia6vokAidpB7WB9pmrvTm4UCT-Xa6Pd2wLT5GIymu1AHu8Scj-EmxKK69VG4hKF7bXRQNiFhIBC4yivKue8yb58XMEUVnYkErfGKnPIM5jAN8fALkpFsO2OCpGFlwAFR1tepNYG/s320/20231224_194736.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>With all that going on, dinner was a bit late so then we started A Christmas Carol a bit late, which meant it was midnight before the kids got to bed and 1 am before Ryan and I could get all the gifts set out and get ourselves to bed. I was very grateful that I could anticipate the kids sleeping in late the next day!<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTrAdUptqBJ-JbJ7L7mUovXVwxF4hZ6S81a7kC3fE-4Qtu5KUWuaNwBIVqwmg6g5imH8N168eDcx2CSU2ka-95c-S5kbRYfiQIwmcku9QeSU7WsxlQ_-nQf4Naq0nD1ZeacYG-_d20GyKdH7jTbb3x6yjRxKpqPP4euM34smB1Gwh09tcYalsis6yTbHZ/s4000/20231225_012116.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTrAdUptqBJ-JbJ7L7mUovXVwxF4hZ6S81a7kC3fE-4Qtu5KUWuaNwBIVqwmg6g5imH8N168eDcx2CSU2ka-95c-S5kbRYfiQIwmcku9QeSU7WsxlQ_-nQf4Naq0nD1ZeacYG-_d20GyKdH7jTbb3x6yjRxKpqPP4euM34smB1Gwh09tcYalsis6yTbHZ/s320/20231225_012116.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>And I was right - they didn't wake up until 10, which meant we weren't ready to start our Christmas morning until 11am - a record late start for our family but I was shocked it wasn't later. Our Christmas was quiet. Because we ate breakfast so late I was glad we'd decided on finger foods for dinner. We got our wine heated up and made up some platters with our finger foods that we ate while I tried out the Oregon Trail game Ryan got me. </p><p>Ryan was disturbed by me and G being excited about a book I got (<i>An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good</i>) since it's about an old lady who has no qualms about a little murder. He read it before I got to it and I caught a picture of him looking quite distressed while reading (ignore my finger that got in the way). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqBDwLb-wKI_Uh2QKoM4AmSi-E8Kccd_tPSp1LDl_PVw7yqNoDcPzN-Ks-qGTIe6KKqZGSrgHXGAgoYXYsradwzhJ-DUDsOzOxAbxM0sOU4cKfTR8gMKpZ79dLC854PYt2Gg0J71ra0rGKH-aY3FNwFgp6yuI5QqaOV_ExBu1-uUJxVC6nMxvPEP-rRaI/s4000/20231228_162725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqBDwLb-wKI_Uh2QKoM4AmSi-E8Kccd_tPSp1LDl_PVw7yqNoDcPzN-Ks-qGTIe6KKqZGSrgHXGAgoYXYsradwzhJ-DUDsOzOxAbxM0sOU4cKfTR8gMKpZ79dLC854PYt2Gg0J71ra0rGKH-aY3FNwFgp6yuI5QqaOV_ExBu1-uUJxVC6nMxvPEP-rRaI/s320/20231228_162725.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>M's D&D club experience at school sadly didn't work out - their entire group was made up of kids who hadn't played D&D before, including the DM, so it was just a mess and he quickly got frustrated. So G's gift to them was a D&D campaign that we'll do as a family with G as the DM! We spent some time the weekend after Christmas creating our characters.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsnmB1SsM2LI4WbLZssUKX4t3O8wz9WgFm4La_l1-S_OR_1xkEPgLDP3pqRLsWSIXZhJM3A6HHHHqJv82Q5ei2JdlPgZZmWijFUSx68TGOxmbOb1BE5c45VqienxwrrGStqoqCT5JLvsAgOV-cAR4-ce6yWL0cw0wO-RJksKAAkfNfzYimXZpj4K4yxCX/s4000/20231228_164605.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsnmB1SsM2LI4WbLZssUKX4t3O8wz9WgFm4La_l1-S_OR_1xkEPgLDP3pqRLsWSIXZhJM3A6HHHHqJv82Q5ei2JdlPgZZmWijFUSx68TGOxmbOb1BE5c45VqienxwrrGStqoqCT5JLvsAgOV-cAR4-ce6yWL0cw0wO-RJksKAAkfNfzYimXZpj4K4yxCX/s320/20231228_164605.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I finally got to some baking after Christmas, including this delicious <a href="https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/pine-nut-rosemary-shortbread-recipe.html">Pine Nut Rosemary Shortbread</a>, which is an absolutely beautiful dough.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqaOKwzLf3OLPaHdLqY0QJu1CMTC61jP0-MrdWvobFB4wJA2AH9uFV4XuVJiJk0OWIaXWhZmZ90bk_gaGzMwRwv65nImusIv9wX_tDzg8_we8YKYn5LvLbpQ2NB9E00mNNmr98xOLWtpmfjLufJnjYKMbuHGQOFtc3HjwERJfwZOA4UmzdNzxdJY5yReo/s4000/20231230_165556.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqaOKwzLf3OLPaHdLqY0QJu1CMTC61jP0-MrdWvobFB4wJA2AH9uFV4XuVJiJk0OWIaXWhZmZ90bk_gaGzMwRwv65nImusIv9wX_tDzg8_we8YKYn5LvLbpQ2NB9E00mNNmr98xOLWtpmfjLufJnjYKMbuHGQOFtc3HjwERJfwZOA4UmzdNzxdJY5yReo/s320/20231230_165556.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Before we knew it, it was New Year's Eve! We chose How to Steal a Million as our movie to watch with my sister's family this year and the kid's all enjoyed it, so that's a win. So many great lines in that movie. We tried our hand at a New York Sour for the first time ever, which requires you to float red wine on top of the rest of the drink. It was a bit tricky and definitely made a bit of a mess trying to slowly pour the wine over the back of a spoon, but I was really pleased that it actually worked!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA74buUULTwxgarL3DCy5lOPI07kjtE26zSnv7dwi9UiE6FYxoQNj0f-AgRFj4cug8x8VnI-DYZPjiUMJLjT0nwatORZscdzvTZGoxz8sqimaLcq4JqxVn0NVnaCfxxA5S8RAMccjk6t_QNJ19PboPjFdGt5XG23AmsQS6yxtvIYRNw8lPPEFZeERO8Vr_/s4000/20231231_221702.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA74buUULTwxgarL3DCy5lOPI07kjtE26zSnv7dwi9UiE6FYxoQNj0f-AgRFj4cug8x8VnI-DYZPjiUMJLjT0nwatORZscdzvTZGoxz8sqimaLcq4JqxVn0NVnaCfxxA5S8RAMccjk6t_QNJ19PboPjFdGt5XG23AmsQS6yxtvIYRNw8lPPEFZeERO8Vr_/s320/20231231_221702.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>We got one more day of relaxing at home before we all headed back to work and school on Tuesday. Here's hoping we all have a great 2024!</p></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-50641284434364975492024-01-04T16:02:00.000-08:002024-01-04T16:02:32.075-08:00Fall 2023<p>Our fall has been fairly uneventful - work, school, cross-country, and so on. My mom came for a visit just before Halloween and we had fun making a lot of candies. She also got to go to one of my concerts and one of G's concerts. We made chocolate and coconut covered marshmallows, boiled cider caramels, and peanut brittle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAMqa9gC5wBp-dOvYiyPJhrSMuL_l6mB2QGfVvycmKeJ5JY4hpchYSyULEEPkXEagFORmAfOASUCF77bbsMNIQA88XY4SVV-ZMoAm_RgNwVBGHKWOcyWam532vQwcRw0HnNNyahXfDQ1t4wzw268UXMkaLKfEoliqMIb9N1UIMkkIkwbcptxtWKcUZ6q6/s4000/20231029_162135.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAMqa9gC5wBp-dOvYiyPJhrSMuL_l6mB2QGfVvycmKeJ5JY4hpchYSyULEEPkXEagFORmAfOASUCF77bbsMNIQA88XY4SVV-ZMoAm_RgNwVBGHKWOcyWam532vQwcRw0HnNNyahXfDQ1t4wzw268UXMkaLKfEoliqMIb9N1UIMkkIkwbcptxtWKcUZ6q6/s320/20231029_162135.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggOPrfkuEcpcLvE6qZlEDXsZHA7f9oPubaHZnp0K1aQuxr92KZQyEqJlYxzGs6Y4ClbjhEcYqUxIyOruypLm7jIeEa6I4SbOB1et340lHcKR0No48qWQ-Czp2hZxzl8hAIclk-YDrw4jSRvwN8Vemeq0fKXEXupMkVNBsMFx1MFDKXsXDI5f_zgoEqO-S/s4000/20231030_140947.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggOPrfkuEcpcLvE6qZlEDXsZHA7f9oPubaHZnp0K1aQuxr92KZQyEqJlYxzGs6Y4ClbjhEcYqUxIyOruypLm7jIeEa6I4SbOB1et340lHcKR0No48qWQ-Czp2hZxzl8hAIclk-YDrw4jSRvwN8Vemeq0fKXEXupMkVNBsMFx1MFDKXsXDI5f_zgoEqO-S/s320/20231030_140947.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Ryan and M dressed up and went out trick or treating.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHyvvnDk3nq-tf6k4oYNtC2TD6xrVwGVP8sY6lgYcV_Xzam7lsqTJ4I02GJz3S4BXmojKdcbfXXyKmnpoGap_9N3k0nqDIHsqdNKsP8_ulh0OQJd7mQupHr2KSi0n-AOS7flTiHtGiYNFxvj9dlRSQdDLmkl7bD5c7iUuJoL7RwyfPgptL64c0SW4zkyj/s4000/20231031_185344.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHyvvnDk3nq-tf6k4oYNtC2TD6xrVwGVP8sY6lgYcV_Xzam7lsqTJ4I02GJz3S4BXmojKdcbfXXyKmnpoGap_9N3k0nqDIHsqdNKsP8_ulh0OQJd7mQupHr2KSi0n-AOS7flTiHtGiYNFxvj9dlRSQdDLmkl7bD5c7iUuJoL7RwyfPgptL64c0SW4zkyj/s320/20231031_185344.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And Ryan and the kids carved pumpkins. Gram helped M put up our Halloween decor.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L5Ee7276sZLEIRwTORU85VIl2GHzzgqAQXDJIWmTgIjqwvCHwtGzAsjwKHGhWW0vPJ8ACWT1LmbtDGbJvVSxp0yrNwr7wMLOvuPQ1P07-2LhisQ4N6B4GKo2OVi1mYgjqjUuxmOj1AiCt6LFoUSiEwg21G0kzzcnfAWbLUh5ydNUmefjPnPeixh4nWeh/s4000/20231031_193725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L5Ee7276sZLEIRwTORU85VIl2GHzzgqAQXDJIWmTgIjqwvCHwtGzAsjwKHGhWW0vPJ8ACWT1LmbtDGbJvVSxp0yrNwr7wMLOvuPQ1P07-2LhisQ4N6B4GKo2OVi1mYgjqjUuxmOj1AiCt6LFoUSiEwg21G0kzzcnfAWbLUh5ydNUmefjPnPeixh4nWeh/s320/20231031_193725.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Then Ryan's brother's family came to visit over Thanksgiving. We ended up having 10 people around our table this year since one of my orchestra friends and her husband joined us as well. I was on call over Thanksgiving so it was a little crazy to host, but everyone chipped in helping to make dishes and desserts so that made it much easier.</p><p>I tried out a new way of opening pomegranates over Thanksgiving and it actually worked!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQX3YppVDjHA8GsDJ-QGmruRh9zVUICPxYsEHD0jhJEXPGVsNilWdgEKP63fZziHAPttUyfmjHy7IQvMRIFLmfraYmwpMn6IAKY9FNCqvR0yylLJpakXIdvwOCGFdb1w5Tz9_N-RxntErMr2cPH_ISU9cZqiyL38tHZr52J9LO_w7TC43TnsyB9kizu_mu/s4000/20231123_105714.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQX3YppVDjHA8GsDJ-QGmruRh9zVUICPxYsEHD0jhJEXPGVsNilWdgEKP63fZziHAPttUyfmjHy7IQvMRIFLmfraYmwpMn6IAKY9FNCqvR0yylLJpakXIdvwOCGFdb1w5Tz9_N-RxntErMr2cPH_ISU9cZqiyL38tHZr52J9LO_w7TC43TnsyB9kizu_mu/s320/20231123_105714.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBvO_3FOQ64pGk2-QjN1wDro1OsWyqJXHiqORDusHClCkzMNOEwwk_wB9TbwP2xceO7x7D-4bKxuE5Y0qnqdE8RtSA97XJaivUeJDTFZpEWRoJdZ7lkeJl5P0WeXoFER0if6tNTdNfgk9SS7DhB2S1LwVGHFivkVQR_c89tbOg04uJavxmIy99YVEUXKC/s4000/20231123_110400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBvO_3FOQ64pGk2-QjN1wDro1OsWyqJXHiqORDusHClCkzMNOEwwk_wB9TbwP2xceO7x7D-4bKxuE5Y0qnqdE8RtSA97XJaivUeJDTFZpEWRoJdZ7lkeJl5P0WeXoFER0if6tNTdNfgk9SS7DhB2S1LwVGHFivkVQR_c89tbOg04uJavxmIy99YVEUXKC/s320/20231123_110400.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>When he wasn't chasing around "cousin" (M) with dinosaurs or asking to play, our nephew enjoyed playing foosball.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95skygojg-mTFV2T1BXyZcHIBLHC9McEtGEs0YMW2BJTlwIulaZbuKC62em5wWyp6HElW7DOBgWYwX8a_n7WjUdRT6HF79V1rkFIFoaWpLUclhNggojCZ41YKuRoYXpYXrE1ugtdptCjgJgyV1dZmUdusvalm_0GZoz44hpBUee2mX3yguxMNCAX3Zc5s/s4000/20231123_143923.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95skygojg-mTFV2T1BXyZcHIBLHC9McEtGEs0YMW2BJTlwIulaZbuKC62em5wWyp6HElW7DOBgWYwX8a_n7WjUdRT6HF79V1rkFIFoaWpLUclhNggojCZ41YKuRoYXpYXrE1ugtdptCjgJgyV1dZmUdusvalm_0GZoz44hpBUee2mX3yguxMNCAX3Zc5s/s320/20231123_143923.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It was a lot of fun to get to see them all again.<div><br /></div><div>Shortly after Thanksgiving I went with co-workers to a Rage Room - we picked out plates and cups and bottles and got to smash them with hammers, bats, crowbars, etc. It's a good way to get out frustration with insurance companies getting away with not covering the most basic of things.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy8PDBbBjtThwW-3JIQMxUzbHwZh1K1JP5nQmBRW4QoMJVGV0JNZq9oarsNS9OlLNngkSnMhG721aO6zKN6fxDzYFUkaZWdG9w8TpTBiOIeeTf4L7op0oeT3IhL0_72Lp_3dF_XZ2mCbioyufUbNgFCb5s_4ql4CyrJ299GMfnCzPLR-h-rFTv5JWJ-Wa/s4000/20231128_171158.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy8PDBbBjtThwW-3JIQMxUzbHwZh1K1JP5nQmBRW4QoMJVGV0JNZq9oarsNS9OlLNngkSnMhG721aO6zKN6fxDzYFUkaZWdG9w8TpTBiOIeeTf4L7op0oeT3IhL0_72Lp_3dF_XZ2mCbioyufUbNgFCb5s_4ql4CyrJ299GMfnCzPLR-h-rFTv5JWJ-Wa/s320/20231128_171158.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>M had their first band concert - when you force all the 6th graders to take a music class, it's pretty easy to fill the stage with the beginning band. We couldn't see M because they were way in the back as a trombone player.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_1QLRmCuHMICoiSSZrp6Fir4G4AsuL-pD57Ocsd9EqkFoCEZBNe5OOjWmvavEe8iL1-NM0S8Nbv9q4hNAdZQJQXKp1YoDFKwLSOg3ZXm9TqRFClFWSN6-6m2Ke4u37NE616E0mFpae0JDnvQAXjphsZOVm9buan8PCVsx2Jp7sFGjqYeNGIBLjva41Ji/s4000/20231130_193228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_1QLRmCuHMICoiSSZrp6Fir4G4AsuL-pD57Ocsd9EqkFoCEZBNe5OOjWmvavEe8iL1-NM0S8Nbv9q4hNAdZQJQXKp1YoDFKwLSOg3ZXm9TqRFClFWSN6-6m2Ke4u37NE616E0mFpae0JDnvQAXjphsZOVm9buan8PCVsx2Jp7sFGjqYeNGIBLjva41Ji/s320/20231130_193228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I got enough of a break in the stream of on-call pages for us to go get a tree - it helps that the tree farm has a stand only ten minutes away! Ended up with quite a character-full one this year, but we like it! The kids enjoy that the new LED lights allow them to easily switch from white to multi-color lights.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK8eVYghis6F8O4CKn4JcbBwxe6Edtc5IxoGFLqUCsLn0pB7pWKyDjMBWHqPWOBf4HHHiuVbruWrq31FSCnifnOYbWvvnSEVz7vZk49wGoL8cuDNjVkauodhrgCBnyZGwoa-zDQZ2dRjUTxvrVW9iCsRfLIjX4umGjhKhZgt6K9VcZdXCjRvEnYr7mR_a/s4000/20231210_143253.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK8eVYghis6F8O4CKn4JcbBwxe6Edtc5IxoGFLqUCsLn0pB7pWKyDjMBWHqPWOBf4HHHiuVbruWrq31FSCnifnOYbWvvnSEVz7vZk49wGoL8cuDNjVkauodhrgCBnyZGwoa-zDQZ2dRjUTxvrVW9iCsRfLIjX4umGjhKhZgt6K9VcZdXCjRvEnYr7mR_a/s320/20231210_143253.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbiU2PTM0dpZL4g3pGm9-6EiW0GLJSFCV0ca-3Pw-YcO9QkC94s0RdL7ngLUFt10Na4P69vKKzieP64Mf_hR-BfZhqBuIcpHqyD5Dkw7GE0oRPFeKM2MuF5ypEAc9jB08zK95PpHy_6DbK4Qn0Q8sbG4f-eFE1lxetAr2iks9_WI_D1RToJe0sB2l1S9H/s4000/20231211_201749.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbiU2PTM0dpZL4g3pGm9-6EiW0GLJSFCV0ca-3Pw-YcO9QkC94s0RdL7ngLUFt10Na4P69vKKzieP64Mf_hR-BfZhqBuIcpHqyD5Dkw7GE0oRPFeKM2MuF5ypEAc9jB08zK95PpHy_6DbK4Qn0Q8sbG4f-eFE1lxetAr2iks9_WI_D1RToJe0sB2l1S9H/s320/20231211_201749.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>M also pulled out a puzzle to start at Thanksgiving and I finished it in mid-December. Sadly, it seems the puzzle is missing a piece. But still a very fun puzzle to complete.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUzhGvwp5abGZ9iw_Bh3ZV0CeMrkZiSg5-ZKgTEFEcU59asjT8HFC39DMvhCrVSLuORo4HpF94h4IJpz5DeG8qDW_R3pen8fcDFlJ266KxI-ouT662dy14X1WYYKFGdbrnXOqGbtXOREuPQGgKCd_9UTlEXMGBIUD2XIDEHEoccX7mgLsQymsN-c11RmO/s4000/20231215_221414.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUzhGvwp5abGZ9iw_Bh3ZV0CeMrkZiSg5-ZKgTEFEcU59asjT8HFC39DMvhCrVSLuORo4HpF94h4IJpz5DeG8qDW_R3pen8fcDFlJ266KxI-ouT662dy14X1WYYKFGdbrnXOqGbtXOREuPQGgKCd_9UTlEXMGBIUD2XIDEHEoccX7mgLsQymsN-c11RmO/s320/20231215_221414.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>The kids and Ryan started their breaks at the same time while I had a completely packed clinic week before being off the week of Christmas. So I sent Ryan and the kids off on a trip that first week - it started with Ryan joking that they were all going to go somewhere fun without me and then I realized they totally should do just that! So they took the train up to Vancouver, arriving mid-afternoon there and stayed overnight before coming home late the next day. They got a fun trip and I enjoyed a couple nights of having the house all to myself before heading into Christmas week!</div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-4326179856539109242023-08-19T18:49:00.001-07:002023-08-19T18:49:57.071-07:00Whidbey 2023<p>For our final summer excursion, the kids went off to Camp Quest while Ryan and I spent a few days on Whidbey Island again. M had been saying all year that they didn't want to go back to camp again and I finally figured out that they feel pretty homesick while they're away - which is really all the more reason they need to go! They finally accepted that they were going whether they wanted to or not and went into the packing and trip up there with a decent attitude. Got our usual view from the beach photo while dropping them off:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dxijq7ijaVBM_taAz9eNW0H_pdMAQJaaQnR8XWzS9GGRC0IRT6xw4ZBLZ0zSNvU36mASM_hY47mSVffetk29dBgW4Mohw1xG7ngCLf7Q4lhslAPz2Q_F5UJ-wq7aVnvO6gp6SB1MpLPt5R7Qn0mA3c6Us2St0rEeElB5Ac_C1ZCdaqrdMVyj6RtzH_i6/s4000/20230813_140550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dxijq7ijaVBM_taAz9eNW0H_pdMAQJaaQnR8XWzS9GGRC0IRT6xw4ZBLZ0zSNvU36mASM_hY47mSVffetk29dBgW4Mohw1xG7ngCLf7Q4lhslAPz2Q_F5UJ-wq7aVnvO6gp6SB1MpLPt5R7Qn0mA3c6Us2St0rEeElB5Ac_C1ZCdaqrdMVyj6RtzH_i6/s320/20230813_140550.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We headed back home to an empty house - we'd opted for more driving for ourselves this year in order to push our time on Whidbey to the latter part of the week. Tuesday afternoon we got ourselves packed and headed to the ferry. Ferry rides here never get old, as evidenced by the view from the Mukilteo ferry ride.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjyFzfMKHPx9FnHRjWSYi_SFX_9HF9xVbCDkjcCmHCqVuTcMjMpFHL2Gyv2PSfIbkcsjgh5HrQ-gslXlFRHjLK5k_KivgaWxJgqwKSsoCn3wenLKLsisKpCdqHiewpevXg-BGEVfeYVProHMKjwm7R4sTpNUkV6XUyBJZ9asdkx3CAlpG6KKX1f6B8Hlz/s4000/20230815_162130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjyFzfMKHPx9FnHRjWSYi_SFX_9HF9xVbCDkjcCmHCqVuTcMjMpFHL2Gyv2PSfIbkcsjgh5HrQ-gslXlFRHjLK5k_KivgaWxJgqwKSsoCn3wenLKLsisKpCdqHiewpevXg-BGEVfeYVProHMKjwm7R4sTpNUkV6XUyBJZ9asdkx3CAlpG6KKX1f6B8Hlz/s320/20230815_162130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>We did a little exploring this year but also just spent a lot of time relaxing at the cottage - we stayed in for all our meals those first couple days and went out for dinner in Langley just on our last night. I read (<i>Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</i>) and we spent some time enjoying our shows that we watch without the kids and which we never have time for usually. We did do a little exploring though. I'd come across an article that talked up Greenbank Farm, so we checked that out. It was not as impressive as the article made it seem - the cheese shop was mainly cheeses you'd find in any grocery store for instance - but the small art studio/gallery was interesting and we did a little wine tasting and thoroughly enjoyed the pies we got at the cafe that's on-site. Our last day we headed up to <a href="https://www.parks.wa.gov/505/Fort-Casey">Fort Casey State Park</a> near Coupeville where we explored the fort and learned about the disappearing guns that were in place there. That was all interesting, but the main draw for me was the <a href="https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=31">Admiralty Head Lighthouse</a>. If the lighthouse looks shorter than lighthouses you're used to seeing, it's because it is! Since the house sits on a bluff, it didn't need to be as tall to serve it's purpose.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaInEqbe4_5tyFhR3Q1oHOKnLaI2E1BFLbrVHsKFlqdWXkzx-Wc9QtE3GNZCaUGl3aKPMOGKe9ze2hNTPHk_rjmkprb84Gmo7IGdoZJLzKya1Voz6Kw-dAWObBx7y2p9s1E8ynWmELCp2SYYskhGS4wJDEzoBoV22nPW8sEdBJqmpvHcvSL6tqR2Ila1n6/s4000/20230817_152518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaInEqbe4_5tyFhR3Q1oHOKnLaI2E1BFLbrVHsKFlqdWXkzx-Wc9QtE3GNZCaUGl3aKPMOGKe9ze2hNTPHk_rjmkprb84Gmo7IGdoZJLzKya1Voz6Kw-dAWObBx7y2p9s1E8ynWmELCp2SYYskhGS4wJDEzoBoV22nPW8sEdBJqmpvHcvSL6tqR2Ila1n6/s320/20230817_152518.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After a few days on Whidbey we headed home and had one more kid-free evening before camp pick up. M seemed to have a better time this year and their camp counselor commented that they were a great addition to the cabin and seemed to have really grown since last year. G has really enjoyed the past couple years as a "leader in training" - it's weird to think they only have one more year as an LT/camper, though they could opt to go back as a full counselor after that.<div><br /></div><div>While I'm sure we'll do a few more small weekend things over the next couple weeks, we're starting to think about school starting again. The summer has flown by and I'm not feeling ready for the kids to go back yet. Cross-country officially starts this next week and I've got to figure out where to get a trombone from for M and we'll have middle school orientation and all that sometime in the next couple weeks as well. <br /><div><br /></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-76803765840461297482023-07-30T18:52:00.000-07:002023-07-30T18:52:30.368-07:00San Francisco<p>We were supposed to head back East this summer, but then airfares skyrocketed and things have been uncertain in the tech world, so we decided it wasn't the time to spend that kind of money on a vacation. Our consolation trip was to head to San Francisco - Ryan and I have both been but the kids never had. And my trip was 20 years ago in college, so I barely saw anything.</p><p>We stayed in the Embarcadero neighborhood, at a hotel Ryan had stayed at previously for a work trip. He had a view of the Ferry Building and the Bay when he stayed, but those rooms weren't available so we were stuck with city buildings/rooftops. The lobby of the hotel is pretty cool though.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJna_hFp3iv0c4lKvC91KLD62phzpqUwLsF0sexjo3RkJfVI6yU2TPpeBvYlsSWaecfartnrziht7yl0Ctd4jismOA2kSprj3o8nXy0l5R2Vi-grkwP9NOMOIyKO412ImbLpXZ_111W6KvcLYePNybyyT7fTeH_YS-he6Ec5OSUAtAhrluZDvMMRaY20r/s4000/20230726_193557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJna_hFp3iv0c4lKvC91KLD62phzpqUwLsF0sexjo3RkJfVI6yU2TPpeBvYlsSWaecfartnrziht7yl0Ctd4jismOA2kSprj3o8nXy0l5R2Vi-grkwP9NOMOIyKO412ImbLpXZ_111W6KvcLYePNybyyT7fTeH_YS-he6Ec5OSUAtAhrluZDvMMRaY20r/s320/20230726_193557.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Day 1: Started the day off with <a href="https://yanksing.com/">dim sum</a>, much to M's delight. Took the bus to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Baths">Sutro Bath</a> ruins, which also afforded the kids a first look at the Pacific Ocean. The baths look quite impressive in old pictures - would have been cool to see them back then. Hiked a bit along the various trails that run through the park here. Hadn't really thought about dinner plans, so ended up at a fancy (aka expensive) <a href="https://www.waterbarsf.com/">seafood place</a>. Ryan got to experience cracking open lobster and he and G tried a variety of oysters/clams. I am just getting to where I can tolerate mild fish with the occasional crab or lobster being okay, so did not try the oysters or clams.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYy6F8wu6ItWDwBdW44PvKjs9eqzi6h8JSdCsuGyNXlsl26p9ia70tSmO9b22kBDiuUzSLy6OVMf4QWngLdwljLup9AM22Nr2jHY00D6L7ehfZ1GQSR7ZTRav73kKIWYS_PsZAMbLIQYiN-RW1nROttVi5MEQhc2HMlUPNOMOlN6FEEw4bwBaPAEO_7z81/s4000/20230723_154040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYy6F8wu6ItWDwBdW44PvKjs9eqzi6h8JSdCsuGyNXlsl26p9ia70tSmO9b22kBDiuUzSLy6OVMf4QWngLdwljLup9AM22Nr2jHY00D6L7ehfZ1GQSR7ZTRav73kKIWYS_PsZAMbLIQYiN-RW1nROttVi5MEQhc2HMlUPNOMOlN6FEEw4bwBaPAEO_7z81/s320/20230723_154040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4gwd82yg8ucXYYUv_AQAEB8NvZSVdrmR8K8XkHCbZvg6lfPq6QMNgVWoZbMVZ70JINgAqrU9UyezLzwINNibb7jYOFxW00nSnmQ__ThR1i-hPlliV6jIJUM3sS7yqKUw2HrHwLqfxy8VZBV6Z1dvTklneqsNSd9oYLB1JRK7F1nA7hD_hZCp5VoEM_C2/s4000/20230723_162915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4gwd82yg8ucXYYUv_AQAEB8NvZSVdrmR8K8XkHCbZvg6lfPq6QMNgVWoZbMVZ70JINgAqrU9UyezLzwINNibb7jYOFxW00nSnmQ__ThR1i-hPlliV6jIJUM3sS7yqKUw2HrHwLqfxy8VZBV6Z1dvTklneqsNSd9oYLB1JRK7F1nA7hD_hZCp5VoEM_C2/s320/20230723_162915.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These trees were everywhere - I think they look cool</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsKuryO5Zu9Vj9D7iFHR_vqum6Dy4M6l1als5HzQy_f0DJxLn69i6qutm47qg8AontAUdZ1pskLYCzqEWbu3X912LlUwo1rJIEiI6TQTRBWHJt7BWPfVdUvOkIo8oKPiV6M0e3JURqKqkKquB4eZ-gfSYH-eLY9UqPebhoj-v8lI2waPQuBrcrCzbwdGH/s4000/20230723_164106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsKuryO5Zu9Vj9D7iFHR_vqum6Dy4M6l1als5HzQy_f0DJxLn69i6qutm47qg8AontAUdZ1pskLYCzqEWbu3X912LlUwo1rJIEiI6TQTRBWHJt7BWPfVdUvOkIo8oKPiV6M0e3JURqKqkKquB4eZ-gfSYH-eLY9UqPebhoj-v8lI2waPQuBrcrCzbwdGH/s320/20230723_164106.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Distant view of the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Day 2: We had a sailboat excursion in the Bay scheduled for the afternoon, so we took a very slow streetcar (not cable car - never did get around to riding one this trip) over to Fisherman's Wharf and found a cafe to eat brunch at before exploring that area a bit. G is confident that we could've jogged to the wharf faster than the streetcar got us there. It also lurched and shuddered every block or so, leaving me wondering if it was going to break down mid-trip. </p><p>M bought a lobster souvenir and per their request we stopped in at a candy "department store" where they had all the usual stuff but also things like pickle cotton candy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISj5ne1TP9QFH3tPB-3QsGa14RvATF1LDxVED1KHnkp2b1XOXfnxXbYU22cgtzl3-8ysqssf6GsfMlgJZmAEQUs9Yw4SNu2qPlS6hHbCGv85CfIMk2Z6xH-FHa4YZnaUnklBIBe3FgCbWWTIK_ZEJNp0mSrnb4mS1XpchfOo6EOUlrHev1F2YCQOYjpHt/s4000/20230724_130501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISj5ne1TP9QFH3tPB-3QsGa14RvATF1LDxVED1KHnkp2b1XOXfnxXbYU22cgtzl3-8ysqssf6GsfMlgJZmAEQUs9Yw4SNu2qPlS6hHbCGv85CfIMk2Z6xH-FHa4YZnaUnklBIBe3FgCbWWTIK_ZEJNp0mSrnb4mS1XpchfOo6EOUlrHev1F2YCQOYjpHt/s320/20230724_130501.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Headed to Pier 39 to board the catamaran we were set to sail on - <a href="https://www.adventurecat.com/">Adventure Cat</a>. Saw a sea lion swimming around.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwRinX4rx1GIPYycN8iqZNAYypIMvJ-eEKuoTmK7LmJlRlXTsHMHPnQslTvn83LL15KlJPBsA4e8u_KLq3t6_zmY5AzNvciD7ykbKo8gdfulzTkQyiwzrha5DtU_IRL0wi7ai7iWeIBNV-d42qkCok4QiT_VTzxS2INV9ILnMoXjCIeunZUGVahIH2fgS/s4000/20230724_132758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwRinX4rx1GIPYycN8iqZNAYypIMvJ-eEKuoTmK7LmJlRlXTsHMHPnQslTvn83LL15KlJPBsA4e8u_KLq3t6_zmY5AzNvciD7ykbKo8gdfulzTkQyiwzrha5DtU_IRL0wi7ai7iWeIBNV-d42qkCok4QiT_VTzxS2INV9ILnMoXjCIeunZUGVahIH2fgS/s320/20230724_132758.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>We forgot sunscreen unfortunately, but enjoyed the sail a lot. I was a bit cold despite dressing in layers - it's just so windy once you're out on the water! And because it's so windy and chilly you don't even notice that you're getting sunburned until well after the fact. We ate crepes at Pier 39 once we got back from the sail and then got ice cream before heading back to the hotel. We got the kids food from the store and Ryan and I headed out to a local bar for a light dinner/belated anniversary celebration.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULN5YUllzha4-yAFHrral9wakn2-wOQMMmvYLywi1Ud_Jiq2UcCiSuiNnHuqiGHX-4E5H-AAnysIrkv5SXODYFgNemOBCeI3yK-7qb6pf1IcQXFiI-S_Bh1pyXgXAlXrxU-KMg48Z5_Qn4GR65bI75PhdH7P28UAo1KOBnn6NjpPkaRkIdIvV3Em1C__m/s4000/20230724_140543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULN5YUllzha4-yAFHrral9wakn2-wOQMMmvYLywi1Ud_Jiq2UcCiSuiNnHuqiGHX-4E5H-AAnysIrkv5SXODYFgNemOBCeI3yK-7qb6pf1IcQXFiI-S_Bh1pyXgXAlXrxU-KMg48Z5_Qn4GR65bI75PhdH7P28UAo1KOBnn6NjpPkaRkIdIvV3Em1C__m/s320/20230724_140543.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back on the city</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc08Q-gjM7vovDyo0MJKruH37p6wvA2U_ouAX0I8ElDVEwqTBp_KB13Wx_noJ1egXFraqMVBJ-cB0sq-g-S0ujiveoJfq2aoXm7M8EAfwxPwtL89rSRtbq9pODIgV12afPd1HohPp_x1CY3wYpKS8ZuNk6F28KcFlTfvs_qExVitoH0cJyRCLOe04omNdd/s4000/20230724_141310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc08Q-gjM7vovDyo0MJKruH37p6wvA2U_ouAX0I8ElDVEwqTBp_KB13Wx_noJ1egXFraqMVBJ-cB0sq-g-S0ujiveoJfq2aoXm7M8EAfwxPwtL89rSRtbq9pODIgV12afPd1HohPp_x1CY3wYpKS8ZuNk6F28KcFlTfvs_qExVitoH0cJyRCLOe04omNdd/s320/20230724_141310.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alcatraz</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wHuJy0u9hX6zvaLLSBSGbSS21TdmPwa7ipAt6EsEag2y3JWA37vx6yXMNj2LWiFCDLephlD_MdW5mx9VWwt9n0TtblGJrU3RszUVeiNya-Qc2IeJ-ISR2zDhcXBaILRVb8gVidrb5HNJ1iLaR8ZPkr3-S75XcpDy9MvWP_DNXCq5BILNRY8z8LgC3_Yl/s4000/20230724_143347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wHuJy0u9hX6zvaLLSBSGbSS21TdmPwa7ipAt6EsEag2y3JWA37vx6yXMNj2LWiFCDLephlD_MdW5mx9VWwt9n0TtblGJrU3RszUVeiNya-Qc2IeJ-ISR2zDhcXBaILRVb8gVidrb5HNJ1iLaR8ZPkr3-S75XcpDy9MvWP_DNXCq5BILNRY8z8LgC3_Yl/s320/20230724_143347.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer view of the bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Day 3: We took the light rail to the botanical garden in Golden Gate Park. After the gardens we headed a little east toward Alamo Square. Ryan and G stopped a a place for pedicures/manicures but M wasn't interested in that so the two of us went straight to Alamo Square where he played at the playground for a bit while I enjoyed the views of the Painted Ladies and SF. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53fTNccSlCKqArpBU7vHhpUG12D8A0zW0Q6wt3Pk2Mtjm5_43xWrxoJNL3WmdpN2swRG_PowFGz-qvozkgvcn9gsbWRZuFQaeNnXbenxjQ-DM10T1R_RkmSDekiTCLXvXkMgQP2N83FCc9aXGVfcJTdIKER_fj7NNWkf5yPMKuoKQE-vB4K0Q2_vt_r8O/s4000/20230725_125223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53fTNccSlCKqArpBU7vHhpUG12D8A0zW0Q6wt3Pk2Mtjm5_43xWrxoJNL3WmdpN2swRG_PowFGz-qvozkgvcn9gsbWRZuFQaeNnXbenxjQ-DM10T1R_RkmSDekiTCLXvXkMgQP2N83FCc9aXGVfcJTdIKER_fj7NNWkf5yPMKuoKQE-vB4K0Q2_vt_r8O/s320/20230725_125223.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZDDnWNrF8dUI9vU9lixmIy7oU-kDDQg2C2L_fOaVn-8er4OugHSaH-wpvGG0-ND3bpo86e9p5bUAAeo0yNaR9TSrk_kJoJmNUOBuMQ_yXv0SMGysA-lJHWPXNvGxip5xzvXypGD-3izcNyJVRgVD9DKHVojlJcrM7rVrn-sk7sBWJAJWGRti1fAr3o7J/s4000/20230725_154053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZDDnWNrF8dUI9vU9lixmIy7oU-kDDQg2C2L_fOaVn-8er4OugHSaH-wpvGG0-ND3bpo86e9p5bUAAeo0yNaR9TSrk_kJoJmNUOBuMQ_yXv0SMGysA-lJHWPXNvGxip5xzvXypGD-3izcNyJVRgVD9DKHVojlJcrM7rVrn-sk7sBWJAJWGRti1fAr3o7J/s320/20230725_154053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>Ryan and G joined us and then we all headed to the <a href="http://www.churchof8wheels.com/">Church of 8 Wheels</a> for some roller skating. I used to know how to roller skate, but it's much harder as an adult. The building is <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/church-of-8-wheels">cool</a> though - used to be an African-American Catholic congregation, survived a couple big earthquakes, hosted Vietnam protests and was a site for the Black Panther Party Free Breakfast Program, which inspired federal school breakfast programs. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBMpSLratnyQ8kZ7NxlzPS8Lc2qf2_ogXwC-6j_H74iHAackvvdIghqctfxIRJQacrVWdcC8R_RLWyNQJOBNa2cXZYOTOisqyi2Z8Y2KnerEFu7DIP7QzUrcj_jnJbENEDQ1qlI3WK2oLRWP6JHmHyLPq_VrBzBloUw8axxanODvB5ui_Y5MBQgKdB7mA/s4000/20230725_165757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBMpSLratnyQ8kZ7NxlzPS8Lc2qf2_ogXwC-6j_H74iHAackvvdIghqctfxIRJQacrVWdcC8R_RLWyNQJOBNa2cXZYOTOisqyi2Z8Y2KnerEFu7DIP7QzUrcj_jnJbENEDQ1qlI3WK2oLRWP6JHmHyLPq_VrBzBloUw8axxanODvB5ui_Y5MBQgKdB7mA/s320/20230725_165757.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPty1Mcuf1EzhjK4VivmWal8xuvmsS6QVYqIUJo23BdiNGjnDTn-bMyQszCkMiySdq5chGZCwtWr8KVIAITVbhP8qEqcJHWRibpwH8lYK2g4KGYaxqXmKGWT8uS3z2dr-1K0T289U8XoUm0Dd62TBMfIUIfhWFLQ0CHO7B7Jjfh94ha43zWuT_WLnB6Nmj/s4000/20230725_165843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPty1Mcuf1EzhjK4VivmWal8xuvmsS6QVYqIUJo23BdiNGjnDTn-bMyQszCkMiySdq5chGZCwtWr8KVIAITVbhP8qEqcJHWRibpwH8lYK2g4KGYaxqXmKGWT8uS3z2dr-1K0T289U8XoUm0Dd62TBMfIUIfhWFLQ0CHO7B7Jjfh94ha43zWuT_WLnB6Nmj/s320/20230725_165843.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After skating, we rode the light rail back toward Golden Gate Park where we had <a href="https://www.fierysf.com/hot-pot-and-grill">hot pot</a> for dinner - a first for all of us, though Ryan and I have been wanting to try it for a while. Then we headed to Ocean Beach to catch the sunset. Before we knew it, M had their socks and shoes off and was wading in the water. Ryan joined in, while G and I decided that sand in our shoes was as much as we wanted to deal with. At some point a wave caught M and once a little wet he decided he may as well go all in. They had a lot of fun playing in the ocean even though it meant they were chilly as we rode the train back to the hotel.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDh5vvJN3dDBy7Md0WrbFjjs9vxoKTLNuZpcwNoP9z8rCsJDffDIDDZN4AEQGmIL9nt50yp1P2_bngyfOCv1HM6HV3CFucYCDdyJECRUg57x6wu73BK7XTltSePjUD8WAs5BrqGesuGBb9NQ8aj0qQfJ3t2K7C6Zh8UtEhI13iL9FoDNkjoHug1VoTqeF/s4000/20230725_184720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDh5vvJN3dDBy7Md0WrbFjjs9vxoKTLNuZpcwNoP9z8rCsJDffDIDDZN4AEQGmIL9nt50yp1P2_bngyfOCv1HM6HV3CFucYCDdyJECRUg57x6wu73BK7XTltSePjUD8WAs5BrqGesuGBb9NQ8aj0qQfJ3t2K7C6Zh8UtEhI13iL9FoDNkjoHug1VoTqeF/s320/20230725_184720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbZVIN4xYR4J8Zx6k_2-2knuwRYL9onL8NiBjbVbFk2VFGj_yAYbuwGwKrnjVDLfKOoEgMiiYJudL-pyeLfkTEeL7Am50Mukt2-rJKmRBsmAXbXr8soZ_tCElMCz3WE27S0rGNBU4v446K0T_6Gpjn3aooE5lDWlxwypj6LN4Z_O_M3fJxr25vV1wv6gJ/s4000/20230725_201746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbZVIN4xYR4J8Zx6k_2-2knuwRYL9onL8NiBjbVbFk2VFGj_yAYbuwGwKrnjVDLfKOoEgMiiYJudL-pyeLfkTEeL7Am50Mukt2-rJKmRBsmAXbXr8soZ_tCElMCz3WE27S0rGNBU4v446K0T_6Gpjn3aooE5lDWlxwypj6LN4Z_O_M3fJxr25vV1wv6gJ/s320/20230725_201746.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLKsoMVCrKqd8pQ9LuVdcAggK2A7Ynm5sB0oLYYWaStM4UpaeBAvozfvZQ4bkbzBQs0B8_DGOxEyyXhuOWVIm85QRcbhwlT_IOPtbmj6l2pl4KF2pARyYnGSoDI1I99mtxzunikmfmTsBK4_PEkOaw342EaVo2quChbgJHYt8MKE4suXwARQa7-0igESj/s4000/20230725_202408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLKsoMVCrKqd8pQ9LuVdcAggK2A7Ynm5sB0oLYYWaStM4UpaeBAvozfvZQ4bkbzBQs0B8_DGOxEyyXhuOWVIm85QRcbhwlT_IOPtbmj6l2pl4KF2pARyYnGSoDI1I99mtxzunikmfmTsBK4_PEkOaw342EaVo2quChbgJHYt8MKE4suXwARQa7-0igESj/s320/20230725_202408.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D72mVIin5g_LQ1QfojyQmRgpgGHhfu3vX4-KFZ5_HMlkvHrb5hNgwY0-jv0ZBFiyLHb2F5nynLUN53WPvkQe24TTE_VU-r_aidU0MKg_rMg7aTfSGn1Of2rZEe2x1KdeeyCdeH6D8467dLVvf9QRe_J0aa91z9JFFccIquSHLDIYWVulXClxNMWEFDDp/s4000/20230725_202447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-D72mVIin5g_LQ1QfojyQmRgpgGHhfu3vX4-KFZ5_HMlkvHrb5hNgwY0-jv0ZBFiyLHb2F5nynLUN53WPvkQe24TTE_VU-r_aidU0MKg_rMg7aTfSGn1Of2rZEe2x1KdeeyCdeH6D8467dLVvf9QRe_J0aa91z9JFFccIquSHLDIYWVulXClxNMWEFDDp/s320/20230725_202447.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjIz-FrfZPCQvzh_87Jo_AHKQ6pGeYu7RaGBKOCVxyJbR6ZiWWc74DLOfZwo6stM-L_eSHhYqADE5KvPhMo8a2Dfl4nAwEbN7V5Cys-wmCcUHqGvk4GFSTzuwZfkF-LM-glG2eFWkvdp4bkMe8SSNUu5eA3mRN3rWul3CX9hYvhgqpD6wxOFYbOOLl8MH/s4000/20230725_202926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjIz-FrfZPCQvzh_87Jo_AHKQ6pGeYu7RaGBKOCVxyJbR6ZiWWc74DLOfZwo6stM-L_eSHhYqADE5KvPhMo8a2Dfl4nAwEbN7V5Cys-wmCcUHqGvk4GFSTzuwZfkF-LM-glG2eFWkvdp4bkMe8SSNUu5eA3mRN3rWul3CX9hYvhgqpD6wxOFYbOOLl8MH/s320/20230725_202926.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Day 4: Mission District. We started off with breakfast pastries that we picked up from <a href="https://tartinebakery.com/">Tartine</a>, which we ate at Mission Dolores Park. M enjoyed playing on that playground for a bit before we headed off to wander Valencia Street. There was this cool-looking high school across the street from the park.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXDgvWcvE6JRYkpao2AZbcf3pZblzZ8yeBwv31TMHIDKgZz7tYt8yNiAatHfNn8sHDWPRU8Bqhlvs709pJCUqwayI5csE49brKc89qkwl9GuSzVlomLbrEIN35B9XUvOytzoCDdRJmH9j5mnT0dlArGziImO5M1kzRTl5y6kCtlAkXqzm_8pxJoYwDIyB/s4000/20230726_115154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXDgvWcvE6JRYkpao2AZbcf3pZblzZ8yeBwv31TMHIDKgZz7tYt8yNiAatHfNn8sHDWPRU8Bqhlvs709pJCUqwayI5csE49brKc89qkwl9GuSzVlomLbrEIN35B9XUvOytzoCDdRJmH9j5mnT0dlArGziImO5M1kzRTl5y6kCtlAkXqzm_8pxJoYwDIyB/s320/20230726_115154.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We started with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarion_Alley">Clarion Alley</a> - there are many more murals throughout the neighborhood than just the ones in Clarion Alley, but it was interesting to see several all together. I believe they are updated periodically, so often reflect current events. I took pictures of just a few:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni3AuK5TjuneQnCVYZzKFHOjVuHG8AwXj6jwicdtJRGgnPPsgHPY1p-ozOlr8uv8xOUdkpUdTa_C6rgyaUsheC1lboLap1JnJWUkVr9a4zDolm2GqUg6bLjhNhdx7JPWSe8N5jUg_tbs6LfUjEzUQhzTnG0USzHWxlYqWfU0r8tAU3cCgYhGt9g7E4rXr/s4000/20230726_124857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni3AuK5TjuneQnCVYZzKFHOjVuHG8AwXj6jwicdtJRGgnPPsgHPY1p-ozOlr8uv8xOUdkpUdTa_C6rgyaUsheC1lboLap1JnJWUkVr9a4zDolm2GqUg6bLjhNhdx7JPWSe8N5jUg_tbs6LfUjEzUQhzTnG0USzHWxlYqWfU0r8tAU3cCgYhGt9g7E4rXr/s320/20230726_124857.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7-tWLxeloI4PeRGsNBMpS2nv6zijNGk6-7ACb1xWIJIHoMawex_3SbUwTKfemz_3eTNlxIkKxzyB-v8cWfn7TSN6yWeqL77EIcGFliUkwpmxBn0UoaMC00vzQq_mfDmAP_QQE-xsBhu1XFOKnrs9NpExVEVoCrAe3QFDLetBafeCBdsS90xRqcTtW-1L/s4000/20230726_124912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7-tWLxeloI4PeRGsNBMpS2nv6zijNGk6-7ACb1xWIJIHoMawex_3SbUwTKfemz_3eTNlxIkKxzyB-v8cWfn7TSN6yWeqL77EIcGFliUkwpmxBn0UoaMC00vzQq_mfDmAP_QQE-xsBhu1XFOKnrs9NpExVEVoCrAe3QFDLetBafeCBdsS90xRqcTtW-1L/s320/20230726_124912.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisCEiKXMy0g7QllnpcGFjBLXmP_ikAKKxBAqp7CUZhkif2uE3GmeLxatjW8qgwL6R_9nTqyxwm3qlWqp7rj-SCtWj6xPpN58ASh71GZO1MZP0o7uh5GzXNALQZ6ZmRyR8jCFNvknpIcS-fNIOX6dTkeuyVQI-nfqdLYvje_NAtpyPvfGWHnTUdMBOKwIb/s4000/20230726_125053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisCEiKXMy0g7QllnpcGFjBLXmP_ikAKKxBAqp7CUZhkif2uE3GmeLxatjW8qgwL6R_9nTqyxwm3qlWqp7rj-SCtWj6xPpN58ASh71GZO1MZP0o7uh5GzXNALQZ6ZmRyR8jCFNvknpIcS-fNIOX6dTkeuyVQI-nfqdLYvje_NAtpyPvfGWHnTUdMBOKwIb/s320/20230726_125053.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Along Valencia street we stopped at <a href="https://www.dandelionchocolate.com/">Dandelion Chocolate</a> for some very rich, chocolatey drinks. M found a store they loved further down the street that had a variety of taxidermy, rocks, witchy items, and then at the back had tons of houseplants. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1VGsi1tLwRYvDYexwOnOPRFj96DOnO1kgNRxZRRxq_9iFDIcBnTKD9NtDtljXlehrX0hDRomOh6Wazync8xACCf2_e4O_9fynfarcTRs5J4ti-nsRSxSYC17FrQUnF-9f4kKxELvok9aVwz7Zwk_PIlR3fB97xMadRmSCNYsnD_jCKPB8lion9pBE4lT/s4000/20230726_134721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1VGsi1tLwRYvDYexwOnOPRFj96DOnO1kgNRxZRRxq_9iFDIcBnTKD9NtDtljXlehrX0hDRomOh6Wazync8xACCf2_e4O_9fynfarcTRs5J4ti-nsRSxSYC17FrQUnF-9f4kKxELvok9aVwz7Zwk_PIlR3fB97xMadRmSCNYsnD_jCKPB8lion9pBE4lT/s320/20230726_134721.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3N1TtP5NUtSu3PVSvPUfElKZ1UNiIcJ-h8IzquW0uKdWHD-0xyJYIUxqanbCdg97ajC3KrCsHKN_yhlZWEgSx5K2MSqKtv40YHl82tvFl4KI1JaaAXhylo3S88L42n4AW2ybvB8oUdtI_FBupV8zaHc0ADDcJT_-RiP_Izi7wRmhwbOHNhoOsNKFzBtV/s4000/20230726_134217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3N1TtP5NUtSu3PVSvPUfElKZ1UNiIcJ-h8IzquW0uKdWHD-0xyJYIUxqanbCdg97ajC3KrCsHKN_yhlZWEgSx5K2MSqKtv40YHl82tvFl4KI1JaaAXhylo3S88L42n4AW2ybvB8oUdtI_FBupV8zaHc0ADDcJT_-RiP_Izi7wRmhwbOHNhoOsNKFzBtV/s320/20230726_134217.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ1A6-9fZqYaq7PKJlIECSp4nlB_1sHqxoM1Ae6EhSlDtYxAzf69_KEtHlbMWvxl7_ioIZU9jgRLlvzNqHfcAXOpAx7ipDAn-fNx4xOrp9-FHZGijQbSW2KXnB6VHcxU9wP1ALTPw1O62XiUed3tA8PWZ0RMD8Li1eZ6q_hzOxrOxolJ9nz6zir06wBD_/s4000/20230726_134208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ1A6-9fZqYaq7PKJlIECSp4nlB_1sHqxoM1Ae6EhSlDtYxAzf69_KEtHlbMWvxl7_ioIZU9jgRLlvzNqHfcAXOpAx7ipDAn-fNx4xOrp9-FHZGijQbSW2KXnB6VHcxU9wP1ALTPw1O62XiUed3tA8PWZ0RMD8Li1eZ6q_hzOxrOxolJ9nz6zir06wBD_/s320/20230726_134208.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>We walked all the way to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernal_Heights_Summit">Bernal Heights Summit</a>, where we enjoyed a windy view of the city. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReLyTCyS_vCyPwtSvxe1bhzDt3xvsIGFOjzvKtkGo4qDAgVaYKIKTLJFz_aIKfQPf7Gm8b87uz5GyhMs4ZKOYYunOM6uFI-8Yo_GjrvVnwcdqKTEIfH2yvAJeE-AbCbnry7e6CvxHeb_ati6QUk7mtKMijwZ9vDKdtr2qyqqRcQnaLS_Qfi_wNl4PdaTF/s9120/20230726_151304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3760" data-original-width="9120" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReLyTCyS_vCyPwtSvxe1bhzDt3xvsIGFOjzvKtkGo4qDAgVaYKIKTLJFz_aIKfQPf7Gm8b87uz5GyhMs4ZKOYYunOM6uFI-8Yo_GjrvVnwcdqKTEIfH2yvAJeE-AbCbnry7e6CvxHeb_ati6QUk7mtKMijwZ9vDKdtr2qyqqRcQnaLS_Qfi_wNl4PdaTF/s320/20230726_151304.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Opting for a car to take us back to Valencia Street, we next stopped at a Brazilian bakery/cafe for pao de quejo, coxinha, acai bowls/smoothies, and a brigadeiro for M. All delicious. Then it was off to <a href="https://www.urbanputt.com/location/san-francisco/">Urban Putt</a>, a fun mini-golf experience that is inside what used to be a house. G, of course, beat Ryan and I while M opted to not be scored - though did manage a couple holes in one.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fdv3Plva3offGSO2g4JQJ45qFMV4MF79g18GTd4baxkXX6l0ss-0JBqYMpAIxyiK9RfIzz_BztPpAjkNlUmbiFaeD5_ST99eTDcwxkshT5SNZn4HuipIywjh0TSM27mBXKgMRm1uy4sUBNViM3KMjY__86upfAotQg2LLRPSc3ql_toZ2l73HnYmibDN/s4000/20230726_171557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fdv3Plva3offGSO2g4JQJ45qFMV4MF79g18GTd4baxkXX6l0ss-0JBqYMpAIxyiK9RfIzz_BztPpAjkNlUmbiFaeD5_ST99eTDcwxkshT5SNZn4HuipIywjh0TSM27mBXKgMRm1uy4sUBNViM3KMjY__86upfAotQg2LLRPSc3ql_toZ2l73HnYmibDN/s320/20230726_171557.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGfhYCMqlSns-qebwzOMIQuhaYl_EXmgDQ03P_N6JG3dhBZ7e04cmZu7iMxM7W6RmQQIKQX1918ZCOPHROnb_Ws7fsyYMUA6HCG8VGhFhc-kI4-l6MF2F5PkjRAhNFuahJ1YgXBGeB4GLKCED52GUOxls3yeDO-XXCEhhLiQ0tjoknhTzHN0M8Jv8a2Jt/s4000/20230726_172100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGfhYCMqlSns-qebwzOMIQuhaYl_EXmgDQ03P_N6JG3dhBZ7e04cmZu7iMxM7W6RmQQIKQX1918ZCOPHROnb_Ws7fsyYMUA6HCG8VGhFhc-kI4-l6MF2F5PkjRAhNFuahJ1YgXBGeB4GLKCED52GUOxls3yeDO-XXCEhhLiQ0tjoknhTzHN0M8Jv8a2Jt/s320/20230726_172100.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Day 5: We started the day with another <a href="https://www.harborviewsf.com/">dim sum</a> place, then walked through Chinatown to Lombard Street and after climbing up toward the famous part of that, headed down toward the piers again. Browsed Pier 39 a little more before heading to the gate for another boat ride, this time on <a href="https://bayvoyager.com/">Bay Voyager</a>. It was just us and a young German couple. The kids had loved our jetboat tour that we did in Portland, so we were correct in assuming this would be a hit as well. The captains shared a lot of interesting history through the ride - and I appreciate that they outfit us all in wet weather gear to help keep us dry and warm! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3p4APnuVfdHAZ_KBn9VhV7eFDCCzROF8uun0NjE1Yan1WX72VW-93_awOQVLCW1yhwl1AVIcU7AMcONJA5Z95RI8n68VqwCkTKZY3jukgosa5eIi4pb7avkfwQsQT6D7_uII5TdU3bos5MgwYfvoMxRglUANLFxoX7T4aXZSnTtvtvI99q8uEjuqSUoAn/s4000/20230727_170044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3p4APnuVfdHAZ_KBn9VhV7eFDCCzROF8uun0NjE1Yan1WX72VW-93_awOQVLCW1yhwl1AVIcU7AMcONJA5Z95RI8n68VqwCkTKZY3jukgosa5eIi4pb7avkfwQsQT6D7_uII5TdU3bos5MgwYfvoMxRglUANLFxoX7T4aXZSnTtvtvI99q8uEjuqSUoAn/s320/20230727_170044.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's close up and not covered in fog!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF7uQVgB33AxqlfAHK4Pw2DNTqeFDLNwanMHuoYaWnIXJm1pkYJomW1WQjV963NmWgrfZzkihnAJO42HnsoWdvlfDDMd64Z2y9A7fr3fkSgNdT2evkH0h79gGqnfrnjdRDvN-513a9THM5auhIJKONKwlhrXVtSG-M0INkw3aw6Omzz1DSk-wuHJ6ozqS/s4000/20230727_170703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF7uQVgB33AxqlfAHK4Pw2DNTqeFDLNwanMHuoYaWnIXJm1pkYJomW1WQjV963NmWgrfZzkihnAJO42HnsoWdvlfDDMd64Z2y9A7fr3fkSgNdT2evkH0h79gGqnfrnjdRDvN-513a9THM5auhIJKONKwlhrXVtSG-M0INkw3aw6Omzz1DSk-wuHJ6ozqS/s320/20230727_170703.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is a Civil War era fort (Fort Point) under the bridge arch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPePFPxmEoQdHx_4IR99WP2guhB0bQ0MESuQuamSoHwyhWcdGDZXSH2pHvi-o2F_i15gFBcrzLp4cjA7B3QEILeNni-AJM1fWU6gzTW5GyCN6CqDc1vKNavVLtawr5FA9YAUXZMKRkFaMCsKT-DR_rbg8HpBb4GRdsdJl_ouJ7sO-tY9K-khsRjAw2rO5/s4000/20230727_172806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPePFPxmEoQdHx_4IR99WP2guhB0bQ0MESuQuamSoHwyhWcdGDZXSH2pHvi-o2F_i15gFBcrzLp4cjA7B3QEILeNni-AJM1fWU6gzTW5GyCN6CqDc1vKNavVLtawr5FA9YAUXZMKRkFaMCsKT-DR_rbg8HpBb4GRdsdJl_ouJ7sO-tY9K-khsRjAw2rO5/s320/20230727_172806.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Jeremiah_O%27Brien">SS Jeremiah O'Brien</a> is a WWII Liberty ship that is still operational - our tour captain was part of the crew that sailed her from London to Normandy for the 50th anniversary of D-Day</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6AtWggKJMn5aCQJ7UzuG8IzWOcEvHaKlK_9TkuEQIYR1Mb6-ylTqSydUKjz-OfR3pEOyzL_4Vqn6RJIlAiBf5y9Er8nh6cGvalUA80mFTxXQdhfZqMS11vgjx4nDy2H3fz4Hf8utWL_dHu95tTHrvyHSFhQPdz8gkcDW_veEo1YX-bRi2lizZW8FB3Xo/s4000/20230727_175608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6AtWggKJMn5aCQJ7UzuG8IzWOcEvHaKlK_9TkuEQIYR1Mb6-ylTqSydUKjz-OfR3pEOyzL_4Vqn6RJIlAiBf5y9Er8nh6cGvalUA80mFTxXQdhfZqMS11vgjx4nDy2H3fz4Hf8utWL_dHu95tTHrvyHSFhQPdz8gkcDW_veEo1YX-bRi2lizZW8FB3Xo/s320/20230727_175608.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lounging sea lions!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After our boat ride we found a restaurant to head to for dinner, <a href="https://piccolo-forno-sf.com/">Piccolo Forno</a>. It's in the middle of Little Italy and had excellent food - I'm very jealous that SF has a Little Italy neighborhood. We walked back to the hotel, a delightful journey through the Little Italy neighborhood which borders Chinatown.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIikUM6wnHoe10za5fxyslBG2XOsEoxswogpP-lnaCpZyi8fLGcBsKotbQ3UMp7DnaDcP6_VsrOya7CpInXt1-A_2DsIlu05YZPubD3mxkeNGz5HLkEjz1cix1nbic-NrIb4Z-ugNyYN5W50dArbCl3DXZmVBGnNrQS0nWg5mkTqA4ih2QPgkKiSfsKMb-/s4000/20230727_203551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIikUM6wnHoe10za5fxyslBG2XOsEoxswogpP-lnaCpZyi8fLGcBsKotbQ3UMp7DnaDcP6_VsrOya7CpInXt1-A_2DsIlu05YZPubD3mxkeNGz5HLkEjz1cix1nbic-NrIb4Z-ugNyYN5W50dArbCl3DXZmVBGnNrQS0nWg5mkTqA4ih2QPgkKiSfsKMb-/s320/20230727_203551.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun building seen on our walk back to the hotel</td></tr></tbody></table><p>San Francisco was a lot of fun to visit. I don't think I'd want to live there (and can't afford to anyway), but if you stay right in the city it's very easy to get around by walking or via transit. Lots of sewage odors wafting through the air (apparently a combined side effect of warm/dry summers meaning less rainwater to move sludge through the pipes and unintended consequence of low-flow toilets per what my google search turned up). It hits randomly, which means you don't get used to it. That said, the robust transit was nice (not perfect - the signage left a lot to be desired, there was the aforementioned incredibly slow streetcar, and the light rail we rode was at grade and in the same lanes as the cars which slows everyone down; but still, more built out than Seattle) and I adore Victorian/Edwardian style homes, which are plentiful in SF, even if they have all been split into 2-3 apartments. I'd happily spend more time in several of the neighborhoods we visited and there were definitely sights we didn't make it to, so another visit may happen in the future.</p></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-73777613368362116962023-07-10T16:41:00.001-07:002023-07-10T16:41:00.141-07:00Zoo<p>It's been ages since I've been to the zoo - I know I went once or twice with G when he was little, but couldn't remember if the last of those trips included M or not. And we've been to the Port Defiance Zoo a couple times with friends, but I'm not sure we'd ever been to our zoo, which is shocking considering how much M loves animals. So when he asked on Friday if we could go to the zoo, I decided we should go this weekend.</p><p>Started off with the penguins, as usual:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHMrxINd1ViK1xmixk22cFdzEap-koZ10GICpeVI5B-h5x1WnzhBxkbYImkUuN53zVjFkgpyBfFSdlFz6rsj8vgcK6dsuxuRdbEbLUmjQThZcFYKVTDIbIxk_5BXxBc_MOxE_wK3nCVoi2OcnoofgYw3E3_sZEl_8vqA9fPpsuc-c2Q4tk7c-RLziDDG9/s4000/20230709_110128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHMrxINd1ViK1xmixk22cFdzEap-koZ10GICpeVI5B-h5x1WnzhBxkbYImkUuN53zVjFkgpyBfFSdlFz6rsj8vgcK6dsuxuRdbEbLUmjQThZcFYKVTDIbIxk_5BXxBc_MOxE_wK3nCVoi2OcnoofgYw3E3_sZEl_8vqA9fPpsuc-c2Q4tk7c-RLziDDG9/s320/20230709_110128.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Saw lots of other animals - jaguar, wolf, elk, colobus monkey, lynx, river otters (G's favorite) and so on on our way to find M's requested emu. Saw this kookaburra:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbi5tDWAGmRV_pSqla6jOjI4ft6wdJLYKXGXmj8cXkJNxFRM6v0sTWh3Ns7f2rn8K6zu8sD3oA1wHtvwmEuOD2S6LwlIf3C-Gpa-xcoYf4U2By_WCTcExMUcXlg579onC6QBKtbSEU0X8pXTi8TVAlCSInrMP2h_Lfi2hDFsZz5MEW2QinAgJ9u33V8uD/s4000/20230709_113017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbi5tDWAGmRV_pSqla6jOjI4ft6wdJLYKXGXmj8cXkJNxFRM6v0sTWh3Ns7f2rn8K6zu8sD3oA1wHtvwmEuOD2S6LwlIf3C-Gpa-xcoYf4U2By_WCTcExMUcXlg579onC6QBKtbSEU0X8pXTi8TVAlCSInrMP2h_Lfi2hDFsZz5MEW2QinAgJ9u33V8uD/s320/20230709_113017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And saw a few wallabies hanging out indoors, before finding an emu and another couple wallabies outdoors:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZ7hpNV_HF6j-m4D9_-ehSkobKOGXKfSYTFpO2hDd6KfaR8bKU89Kj5yFmZ8cl5cRZkggZ4b_coHPA5DGEKkx_nCbFAx_GaxY0lGcXID1S2dHIZBtnsLop3tFXftQkFGbZ9U3f359L5n_gcz8JJHQkVbvZBPd1JU6EfOuyhWU1bgmQ390IaVmvcL6nTuz/s4000/20230709_113424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZ7hpNV_HF6j-m4D9_-ehSkobKOGXKfSYTFpO2hDd6KfaR8bKU89Kj5yFmZ8cl5cRZkggZ4b_coHPA5DGEKkx_nCbFAx_GaxY0lGcXID1S2dHIZBtnsLop3tFXftQkFGbZ9U3f359L5n_gcz8JJHQkVbvZBPd1JU6EfOuyhWU1bgmQ390IaVmvcL6nTuz/s320/20230709_113424.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>By this point M had expressed a desire to have all the things as pets, including the bears. He also would like to ride on an ostrich or an emu (I told him I have a movie we can watch that will show him how that would go). <br /><br />Of course, he wanted to be able to touch the animals, so we made our way to the "family farm" section where we admired the pig, donkeys, cows, and chickens while waiting for the petting area (with goats and sheep) to open. He entered the petting area with several other kids but outlasted all the ones in his group and some in the group that came in after them. Got all the goat and sheep pets in before we left for the day, catching a glimpse of the red panda and the flamingos on our way out - M and I agreed that the flamingos win the smelliest animal award.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbyH5pcTKiG3Z1iJ5pCnuTMYF0uUDl0mineKl7HFxMKHKEDaUjpvOqih8FJpO87FFPSiYEC27e3iIFpbkVvDkn2CiQjE4G_wgLb4RRT7AQmVxEgvP7kloJMx2smwZkbNW8i9rpcbkR41gnxpkQWSnQYgHhdvaH-RJBT4UfBX6RE54PIXlqwMaqOcxwUAx/s4000/20230709_131729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbyH5pcTKiG3Z1iJ5pCnuTMYF0uUDl0mineKl7HFxMKHKEDaUjpvOqih8FJpO87FFPSiYEC27e3iIFpbkVvDkn2CiQjE4G_wgLb4RRT7AQmVxEgvP7kloJMx2smwZkbNW8i9rpcbkR41gnxpkQWSnQYgHhdvaH-RJBT4UfBX6RE54PIXlqwMaqOcxwUAx/s320/20230709_131729.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>It's easy to put off little adventures like this when we're busy with other things, so I was happy we took advantage of our quiet weekend to fit this in for him.</p></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-77476655247400995482023-07-09T16:41:00.000-07:002023-07-09T16:41:09.433-07:00Birthday Trip<p>We're trying really hard to actually get out of the house and do things/go places this summer. Ryan was tired of hearing about all of his coworkers' adventures and having none of his own. An orchestra friend has been telling me for the past year about an <a href="https://bushhouseinn.com/">inn</a> she's been <a href="https://www.heraldnet.com/news/in-index-historic-bush-house-inn-is-accepting-guests-once-more/">helping to renovate</a> and they just got the restaurant in the inn opened, so we headed up there for a couple nights since I had off on the 4th and my birthday anyway. </p><p>This town is tiny - they've got a combined elementary/middle school apparently, with a total enrollment of 28 students per wikipedia. Most of the homes in this part of Washington are rich people's ski cabins I guess. But the inn has been around since the 1890s, when the town was a little more bustling due to logging and a nearby gold strike. The town is in close proximity to Stevens Pass for skiers in the winter and to lots of good hiking and climbing. And since it's right by the Skykomish River, lots of river activities as well. </p><p>We stayed in the cottage that is just behind the inn since this had a bedroom space for the adults and a loft for the kids to sleep in. M was nervous about climbing up and down the ladder to the loft initially, but after a couple trips up and down decided it wasn't so scary. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFj2ns3874SV45LsZj9NF7oZloTPGLI5JxR8ZyBzdPmJZMDq-2PDc--hmsMdShcrwIHMZFnkBx4KkayoswiPgTgHjYv7qAPAdWkletfwU5NBUyeSWcf3yBroy91Vm0kCi21wbuJFY09fbKgbT1QLUqXc5f4MjQCUMueptLtJdJGaPnN_aXua8B_zFhVqm/s4000/20230705_093922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFj2ns3874SV45LsZj9NF7oZloTPGLI5JxR8ZyBzdPmJZMDq-2PDc--hmsMdShcrwIHMZFnkBx4KkayoswiPgTgHjYv7qAPAdWkletfwU5NBUyeSWcf3yBroy91Vm0kCi21wbuJFY09fbKgbT1QLUqXc5f4MjQCUMueptLtJdJGaPnN_aXua8B_zFhVqm/s320/20230705_093922.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up in the loft</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoB5GJPkUbZrO7W-d8DHG4qf6n4yym5ri0sBzwkD3e77h3chu-Z-s-d25Sbj1z9FjRcVJFcgdt0EQofFNfgt94kZsmGvVhW3rbHrcte_jwj8aOhNSvjK6RcBEckQks14WDEeQ7SjyBc_N4HsKCgxXyK4INwL68lglA17R8G_494_kbyTSAPUfITXCSXzn/s4000/20230703_182826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoB5GJPkUbZrO7W-d8DHG4qf6n4yym5ri0sBzwkD3e77h3chu-Z-s-d25Sbj1z9FjRcVJFcgdt0EQofFNfgt94kZsmGvVhW3rbHrcte_jwj8aOhNSvjK6RcBEckQks14WDEeQ7SjyBc_N4HsKCgxXyK4INwL68lglA17R8G_494_kbyTSAPUfITXCSXzn/s320/20230703_182826.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M asked "is that a radio?"</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We opted for a hike on the 4th, waiting until early afternoon to allow the early morning hikers to finish and leave (and to allow the 3 night owls in the family plenty of time to sleep in). Bridal Veil Falls and Lake Serene are two well-known hikes within the national forest, but given their popularity we decided to opt for the Wallace Falls state park hike to Wallace Falls instead. This was also packed, but we did manage to find parking at the trailhead. The hike started off relatively easy, but after the lower falls quickly started to pick up elevation. The falls were beautiful and the view over the valley at the upper falls worth it, but my knees really didn't like the trip back down. Still, glad we did it. And at least you're protected from the sun by the trees, unlike the hike we did in Salt Lake last year! I also made sure to take extra water on this hike, having learned our lesson from that Utah hike. Despite the tree cover, it was still the warmest day we've had yet this year, pushing 90.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRcp15BuZyESFQCVoQMo8WtFkCp2W4WbV486OGTmQazBgccnMa9kIKaaH36-m-Eg3JOBLaGvRZ82Mu3iJC7_75mNK9w1_jEciQYUnfAg8lppjxaeeTVZ_Xq19VYClUq3qB-08wFzxPSNEO-tnATDqqz8HRNn9DZ9xm0RwtwTGZTqYBpBU1InwPBKUcDcf/s4000/20230704_132105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRcp15BuZyESFQCVoQMo8WtFkCp2W4WbV486OGTmQazBgccnMa9kIKaaH36-m-Eg3JOBLaGvRZ82Mu3iJC7_75mNK9w1_jEciQYUnfAg8lppjxaeeTVZ_Xq19VYClUq3qB-08wFzxPSNEO-tnATDqqz8HRNn9DZ9xm0RwtwTGZTqYBpBU1InwPBKUcDcf/s320/20230704_132105.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all that shade!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDa_dSsZ3yainI4XU3Ge7KwW_96HWhfdgpmtkHTi3P5SMV6OzyAgx4V_1ivBYxEIaBV9KONsj5KppEnxuKmef85V20n3Bv0fMGSdI0YmRm8yvC1p9v0ryaCo-wCPM8KLMp0JNdBGrZhv-7nUujt1u02Yi_AvIfPcmtaU9OoF9U9b_NJ22jH02z6i01yYAg/s4000/20230704_135520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDa_dSsZ3yainI4XU3Ge7KwW_96HWhfdgpmtkHTi3P5SMV6OzyAgx4V_1ivBYxEIaBV9KONsj5KppEnxuKmef85V20n3Bv0fMGSdI0YmRm8yvC1p9v0ryaCo-wCPM8KLMp0JNdBGrZhv-7nUujt1u02Yi_AvIfPcmtaU9OoF9U9b_NJ22jH02z6i01yYAg/s320/20230704_135520.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudiBvTUdF6g1br7UoHZNdlYRtTzXbMZ_09CR9vl34D5y-IXjenuN73rLRrmqTS6BU-JQglgY0fV0URF0ohwYpKa_7sJWOn421zfWYE0xwVz_pVTRRmVebPju69MqgGzgqv-yOgN1sr1CbMnJy5z8-IYKi_-fKVmrOHnZicyYsmsjt4-L6FJ3FllKGSlhH/s4000/20230704_140843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudiBvTUdF6g1br7UoHZNdlYRtTzXbMZ_09CR9vl34D5y-IXjenuN73rLRrmqTS6BU-JQglgY0fV0URF0ohwYpKa_7sJWOn421zfWYE0xwVz_pVTRRmVebPju69MqgGzgqv-yOgN1sr1CbMnJy5z8-IYKi_-fKVmrOHnZicyYsmsjt4-L6FJ3FllKGSlhH/s320/20230704_140843.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0JHr-ix_uT-w0ZnH9aizxb4zgxuIb9czhi5Z6-8wxACzr6PTLgF60BzkCWhtGGESUHB5rUsOyRI4oJB3ONnJDCi3VmMpRILF1nCaxS1LZuIRldHKjJqsb_Z0jtXsvmk0Nw3mHE3Kwz8unCGFRjcbvj0XhUcoUJkRzI9M7htbDPvLu_kOpb0LKucrSRKe/s4000/20230704_142749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0JHr-ix_uT-w0ZnH9aizxb4zgxuIb9czhi5Z6-8wxACzr6PTLgF60BzkCWhtGGESUHB5rUsOyRI4oJB3ONnJDCi3VmMpRILF1nCaxS1LZuIRldHKjJqsb_Z0jtXsvmk0Nw3mHE3Kwz8unCGFRjcbvj0XhUcoUJkRzI9M7htbDPvLu_kOpb0LKucrSRKe/s320/20230704_142749.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle Falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_06YQAQ80ZT_CdD0-68tEyEH5GmBbnDWIYrhFd-F9p_Bbbr6JCZPc4qZAuy326328ZhqcdGqXN3vER59QtVYqp4S8C_FBgVR0BFSjm9X7brrfKyhISLCEKlzRwRT13bpbVKBfkAaeiapF-O_BdlcBK7AYUNFk1Nt_giDDpIAFxam_LpGy1ueNzn_0Lhf9/s4000/20230704_150231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_06YQAQ80ZT_CdD0-68tEyEH5GmBbnDWIYrhFd-F9p_Bbbr6JCZPc4qZAuy326328ZhqcdGqXN3vER59QtVYqp4S8C_FBgVR0BFSjm9X7brrfKyhISLCEKlzRwRT13bpbVKBfkAaeiapF-O_BdlcBK7AYUNFk1Nt_giDDpIAFxam_LpGy1ueNzn_0Lhf9/s320/20230704_150231.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Falls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIA_1S1FnTVGU7wawBh7Xhs7Q393lja7vfzd2uZIAqVv0nD46aOsEFhbrscO-G9lw-Tg5f3VpBwTiSum0kbrsiNf4kFNrRENCZPoyESinN17bVtxLNaSqcDtP1LDE39GFzTKp5qJls5fegnTETxj_Qa1ptOkMbvumDsX6Q_2NJszPUF_7d5BpJPOIXc_33/s4000/20230704_152605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIA_1S1FnTVGU7wawBh7Xhs7Q393lja7vfzd2uZIAqVv0nD46aOsEFhbrscO-G9lw-Tg5f3VpBwTiSum0kbrsiNf4kFNrRENCZPoyESinN17bVtxLNaSqcDtP1LDE39GFzTKp5qJls5fegnTETxj_Qa1ptOkMbvumDsX6Q_2NJszPUF_7d5BpJPOIXc_33/s320/20230704_152605.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out over the valley from near the upper falls</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The crowds on the trail significantly thin out after you reach the lower falls - there's a covered picnic shelter there and lots of people go that far and then turn around. A small number continue on to the middle falls but even fewer go as far as the upper falls. We all appreciated cold showers when we got back to the inn and then went to the inn restaurant for dinner that night. The next morning we packed up and headed home. I constantly feel lucky to live in a place with such easy access to natural beauty - all this was just an hour outside the city.</p>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-22479850487484507972023-07-05T17:04:00.000-07:002023-07-05T17:04:17.750-07:00School's Out!<p>School is <i>finally</i> out for the year - and just like that we're done with elementary school. It feels strange to be through when I swear we were just sending M to Kindergarten not that long ago. They had a graduation, but when the day came he asked me how long it was going to last and if there would be treats after (a little over an hour and yes) - to which he replied that even treats weren't enough enticement for such a long graduation, time he would much rather spend playing Tears of the Kingdom. So we gratefully skipped 5th grade graduation.</p><p>M's thoughts on being done with elementary are "well, it wasn't always the greatest experience for me", which is accurate. I'm not remotely confident that middle school will be any better, but it has a few things going for it - starting later, after school clubs that M is actually interested in, and he's looking forward to science and history classes. I'm nervous about those because they start to include more and more of the things he doesn't enjoy - writing and math. And they switched the middle school we're zoned for so now he has to bus to the school and I have no idea how that works for after school activities.</p><p>The middle school is forcing all the kids to do music and he's opted for trombone. I'm glad that they get to be the "bad guy" since our previous attempts at encouraging music were met with indignation that we were forcing him to do anything (we weren't, as evidenced by the fact that he neither plays an instrument currently nor knows how to read music - something I never expected would be the case for children of mine by this age). We were surprised by the trombone because he's been firmly in "if I have to it will be cello" land for years, but has now declared "I don't think I'm a cello guy". I think he's mainly picking trombone because he's decided the lack of keys/valves means it will be easier, lol. And I'm slightly worried that because they're making everyone do music it means he'll have a bunch of obnoxious kids in his beginning band class which will make him hate it. </p><p>G's year was difficult in a myriad of ways, ranging from the shooting to a disorganized and ineffective Spanish class. But he'll be swapping out Spanish for computer science next year, so is looking forward to that. He considered doing running start (taking classes at the community college) on and off, but in the end decided to stick with classes at the high school. And he did enjoy his LGBTQ world history class and his language arts class this year - where he didn't even break a sweat over an assignment to write 25 poems in various styles that all work to tell a single story. Such an assignment probably would've killed me in high school considering the level of stress I felt about having to write just one poem.</p><p>Of course, track was a huge positive as well this year. The track season ended in mid-May, but he's continued to have practice a couple times a week since. He just missed making districts, so hopefully will make it next season. He did earn a varsity letter for track this year and it feels slightly shocking to have a child of ours get a legit athletic varsity letter and not a "oh, you did band/choir for a few years, here you go" letter. One of the local running clubs puts on a series of all-comers meets through the summer, so he's gone to a couple of those. He'll go to a 3-day pole vault camp in mid-July. And, whether we're all ready or not, we're going to start small discussions around college selection and admission prep this summer.</p><p>We kicked off summer the weekend before school got out with a camping trip. Our last camping trip, M was still in diapers. Reservable camping sites fill up quickly, so we just picked one at random that looked like it would fit our tent. Ended up at Schafer State Park a little southeast of Olympia. It's a small state park along the Satsop River. If you fish, that's an option there as is swimming in the river. And there's a 1 mile loop trail in the park. It was a nice way to spend a couple nights, but not where I'd go for a longer camping trip since we don't fish and there aren't other things to do nearby - even getting up to Olympic National Park would be a few hours drive.</p><p>It was much easier to fit all our stuff in this car than our old car, but we decided we'd still benefit from a cartop carrier.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaegQnhC9v2j44MA4M_MPo0HGQ-dQju3frz5NR-ttTc0XLY2-s5CZfpBZ8w7jCQcXNFGHUuI0ti8X1BM4rMCprO_JkDekXiuZ79flo45oEJe4ZTxomNbf9WdWPDyWgcz2K7-QZZZzG5wUd8u0Upl3Dm9enucxhSkJNpsRWEZoRjBKPPMj3kzTu6QvjdPb/s4000/20230623_181752.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaegQnhC9v2j44MA4M_MPo0HGQ-dQju3frz5NR-ttTc0XLY2-s5CZfpBZ8w7jCQcXNFGHUuI0ti8X1BM4rMCprO_JkDekXiuZ79flo45oEJe4ZTxomNbf9WdWPDyWgcz2K7-QZZZzG5wUd8u0Upl3Dm9enucxhSkJNpsRWEZoRjBKPPMj3kzTu6QvjdPb/s320/20230623_181752.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Ryan taught M how to build a fire, so he was in charge of all our fires this trip and did an excellent job.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zV_QCkK9_8NmSEZ5mOdBzTUikZMWk8c6wdvLVEpF-Q4vHGdpCEeZ5KUGdJReW24QgtNYBPx-_KkAgEyU3QdiU_dWtQBzklK7SQg3JqLoafHck0mYx3ctV5nFwcowDR_FP6NPlvbB72z--LEdCYlSx2tF_WCM5ldIlOvYdmzrV3C4Eg6JwrfyVb5pq4lk/s4000/20230624_093010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zV_QCkK9_8NmSEZ5mOdBzTUikZMWk8c6wdvLVEpF-Q4vHGdpCEeZ5KUGdJReW24QgtNYBPx-_KkAgEyU3QdiU_dWtQBzklK7SQg3JqLoafHck0mYx3ctV5nFwcowDR_FP6NPlvbB72z--LEdCYlSx2tF_WCM5ldIlOvYdmzrV3C4Eg6JwrfyVb5pq4lk/s320/20230624_093010.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Hot dogs roasted over the fire is the best way to have them it turns out, but M decided he just doesn't like hot dogs at all anymore.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8CZ_3G41Pzrke0cf8Pe0aDNH7jktIKEuzgGN8kLmZU5jF9m-_223IRxDXenQLMxiulBvqN2vc_xWm2ArR88hkZy6tY521Kp8Fgrql0TOnD3q27wqh3lY1wOgK0xArURkA-J8ExH1I0HqUXIQFcamcPmNB6qNdJ3MDeyKfo3NCZGuPFfDcFiodQkOUlrX/s4000/20230624_181155.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8CZ_3G41Pzrke0cf8Pe0aDNH7jktIKEuzgGN8kLmZU5jF9m-_223IRxDXenQLMxiulBvqN2vc_xWm2ArR88hkZy6tY521Kp8Fgrql0TOnD3q27wqh3lY1wOgK0xArURkA-J8ExH1I0HqUXIQFcamcPmNB6qNdJ3MDeyKfo3NCZGuPFfDcFiodQkOUlrX/s320/20230624_181155.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Next time we go camping I'll take off work the day we plan to leave. I think I figured the kids would be in school all day anyway and I'd be able to prep in the evenings before. But then the Symphony was playing Mahler 2 and so of course I had to go to that Thursday night, and all the previous nights had been packed with a variety of other things. Work was busier than anticipated that week, so we ended up rushing around in the late afternoon to get last minute prep done and didn't leave Seattle until after 6, which wasn't ideal. Still, it was good to get out camping again. M was very disappointed we weren't going for longer, but G had finals the next week still so we had to keep it short. We won't have time for another camping trip this summer, but plan on another one next year.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-924305696115348602023-05-07T12:53:00.000-07:002023-05-07T12:53:05.161-07:00Plants and Pole Vaulting<p>The elementary school has a plant sale every year. This year the first day was when I got back from metabolic university and of course M asked to go as soon as I walked in the door. We waited and went the next morning and he chose these two plants. Now we get to see if he can keep them alive!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64OFhe984Uu7Al1Dw4PXn1ep_t_EbshyrmwCBZscJF9IIFBZOdtz8jBnQ_xzBbA_60YwFIklbHwZP-b8tS9xXJzXMQ_sTbR-f7mr1k1Mx85OzkotceA0-OKDYPkhIQgbXctIVhsUpItrTfjYGxJkUk3YldOsToE9a-wg1l_nqUlNaKRN3kOSPo2jzjg/s4032/PXL_20230429_195432693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64OFhe984Uu7Al1Dw4PXn1ep_t_EbshyrmwCBZscJF9IIFBZOdtz8jBnQ_xzBbA_60YwFIklbHwZP-b8tS9xXJzXMQ_sTbR-f7mr1k1Mx85OzkotceA0-OKDYPkhIQgbXctIVhsUpItrTfjYGxJkUk3YldOsToE9a-wg1l_nqUlNaKRN3kOSPo2jzjg/s320/PXL_20230429_195432693.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaWuuJGhnv7sV0ooavsSWyN2aPQebxxiJJ6YSuJby2XmHKTydJl8ZBiJdMwxTMv1QzPbeI8ERD0_nSoMfdJX2C1ALVp7NpCGF4jWGlHNVQOvOCfBjMjdtWozlIFUXiK54057JNVmJs4rG_UXszLFDH-cOYkMMaXqlVuWPJIgJZfx-B8MI7DclInJCpQ/s4032/PXL_20230429_195446532.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaWuuJGhnv7sV0ooavsSWyN2aPQebxxiJJ6YSuJby2XmHKTydJl8ZBiJdMwxTMv1QzPbeI8ERD0_nSoMfdJX2C1ALVp7NpCGF4jWGlHNVQOvOCfBjMjdtWozlIFUXiK54057JNVmJs4rG_UXszLFDH-cOYkMMaXqlVuWPJIgJZfx-B8MI7DclInJCpQ/s320/PXL_20230429_195446532.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My coworkers got the office ready for summer:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1ybFQuraCBCh6wc7Z42e6ladyw209u7WpzU2g33joibCzPM14K9CldhGJ0MhEuwTUkQuIMENa-camTKGlrZdLTGb_movyoyTogJXiijDXq3C32oYPYwbH5_abT5ifFngLRJSnUTtWlP53g-5TNGyBKr9ArekqCnneHkg_F36MVQlvnkXyoyotMaE3g/s4032/PXL_20230504_162137043.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1ybFQuraCBCh6wc7Z42e6ladyw209u7WpzU2g33joibCzPM14K9CldhGJ0MhEuwTUkQuIMENa-camTKGlrZdLTGb_movyoyTogJXiijDXq3C32oYPYwbH5_abT5ifFngLRJSnUTtWlP53g-5TNGyBKr9ArekqCnneHkg_F36MVQlvnkXyoyotMaE3g/s320/PXL_20230504_162137043.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>But it hasn't felt very summery this past week. After arriving home to summer heat, it quickly dropped back into the 50s. G had their last home track meet this week and I hadn't seen him vault yet, so we headed over to the school for that this week. We learned the hard way that even trying to arrive a little after they should've been starting pole vault was not nearly late enough since they start at a height of 5 feet and move up in 6 inch increments. Kids who are trying for higher heights wait to enter until they're closer to their goal height, so G didn't even start vaulting until they were at 8 feet. So, an hour and a half of standing in the cold and wind later, we finally saw him vault. And then had to leave to pick up M from after school care. I caught a picture of the vault we did see, which he says wasn't a very good one even though he cleared the bar easily. His PR is 9', which he's frustrated about because he was very close to getting 9'6" at this meet (wind helped push the bar off) and he's been hitting that and getting close to 10' in practice. Metros are this week and then the season will wrap up for him - hopefully the weather is nicer and less windy this week!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bhxKNmdKY5z6Y4YiLme6qdkS_RB1quIM5pKvL4sZHoH_q7hF4fE_GgV277QMv8SQ3_9om5X2aeBo1LcQTVOxr9pjfv-UnSbsCWzcmNN--zbR-MvxKho8HEhr6YxiE0q4hOQWTNxI0RnSK_yYoLVQv5Ye8N9MI8Hs2Kvw6Fx7Glp3oVPiuGn7JKl-Yw/s4032/PXL_20230504_235605652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bhxKNmdKY5z6Y4YiLme6qdkS_RB1quIM5pKvL4sZHoH_q7hF4fE_GgV277QMv8SQ3_9om5X2aeBo1LcQTVOxr9pjfv-UnSbsCWzcmNN--zbR-MvxKho8HEhr6YxiE0q4hOQWTNxI0RnSK_yYoLVQv5Ye8N9MI8Hs2Kvw6Fx7Glp3oVPiuGn7JKl-Yw/s320/PXL_20230504_235605652.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-44474014063708707852023-04-20T18:47:00.000-07:002023-04-20T18:47:39.966-07:00Winter to Spring 2023<p>We've been busy with the usual life things. School, work, extracurricular activities. Nothing of note happened in February, at least if my picture roll is any indication.</p><p>I was not on top of St. David's Day this year, but did manage to make pice ar y maen, which M just called "Welsh yum-yums". I need to practice making them more because I don't have a griddle and making them in the non-stick pan led to some burnt ones. Nothing was inedible, but I need to figure out where to set the heat to get the optimal cook on them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0DQ4YYNBp-a9dyub2DZcVqZ2g8Y2FMvW1LOALXsUp3VpqisOVfxxSg6JDHOmorPRnEjXS8H1MLeSdzpVoqIvOAnOsNZvlElBpO40X18e86SdSIhy2UMTWO9fC2ACJ4Rs_KIgz-TCxWxGbblvPXAXtzTLLYtg3-orN_FSp-xGTekWX6AmPwd3HQ5meA/s4032/PXL_20230302_051707302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0DQ4YYNBp-a9dyub2DZcVqZ2g8Y2FMvW1LOALXsUp3VpqisOVfxxSg6JDHOmorPRnEjXS8H1MLeSdzpVoqIvOAnOsNZvlElBpO40X18e86SdSIhy2UMTWO9fC2ACJ4Rs_KIgz-TCxWxGbblvPXAXtzTLLYtg3-orN_FSp-xGTekWX6AmPwd3HQ5meA/s320/PXL_20230302_051707302.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZfJbIeBZIC_sVdy0ZBv5ipz2zP871Tho0Q8p6ZVzaH8vXxgFdOPsyaRoLdk2cYr3AHXV0cJTbRZQ3RdyBTrOSBStxi1IW-oJGcWjEwUi-ay88QGxEEFhSM7GFZRuGXJ8f9pn6yHveXoUvlH_UFzXOvHtpdeUr5va0IYJ5NOYprC0JbYvWdkpdXWgHw/s4032/PXL_20230302_054741097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZfJbIeBZIC_sVdy0ZBv5ipz2zP871Tho0Q8p6ZVzaH8vXxgFdOPsyaRoLdk2cYr3AHXV0cJTbRZQ3RdyBTrOSBStxi1IW-oJGcWjEwUi-ay88QGxEEFhSM7GFZRuGXJ8f9pn6yHveXoUvlH_UFzXOvHtpdeUr5va0IYJ5NOYprC0JbYvWdkpdXWgHw/s320/PXL_20230302_054741097.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>My clinic team put together a tea party, complete with tea gloves and finger sandwiches, to celebrate RD Day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxjasNNIVF-1bdJTZTFyUb_7KNZ4tJdFoqvf-p2JY298qFAc4Ao_pT5VJKLeYkmyvGMya9fOn0z3dWXjt4R6s9ZITc2BjzHNBF23UYNfvJphmeiT40mGpoB_t4bjQaKMb28yOS7bhn-C8M5GJHa3YXoFH3FrhcFdu9wizvLG6recMO0M5U2S97mct-A/s4032/PXL_20230307_222719925.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxjasNNIVF-1bdJTZTFyUb_7KNZ4tJdFoqvf-p2JY298qFAc4Ao_pT5VJKLeYkmyvGMya9fOn0z3dWXjt4R6s9ZITc2BjzHNBF23UYNfvJphmeiT40mGpoB_t4bjQaKMb28yOS7bhn-C8M5GJHa3YXoFH3FrhcFdu9wizvLG6recMO0M5U2S97mct-A/s320/PXL_20230307_222719925.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>And I found the creepy baby cousin to our clinic's creepy baby (named Maybelle, if you recall) in the oncology RD office, just peering out from behind some Ensure. I'm guessing this baby's head doesn't fall off as easily as poor Maybelle's.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFp62BiEVQUqZrk-nGQRiVyzeDk1jZyYsiPCR706C9ENwQhqGg3rslVjiUG30Yin7Lv9DVIjVy56LRYESXdDfCKLDDi7zBLiAzK2aPCMgplF9rzjsVGZ5DNeDnjQKScnOQWo-qPu7XkiNbkrTPMpUVQt1unvZhGY8uJPCUCQXo0AvoR5-aAQ5QQwmaQ/s4032/PXL_20230309_210226732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFp62BiEVQUqZrk-nGQRiVyzeDk1jZyYsiPCR706C9ENwQhqGg3rslVjiUG30Yin7Lv9DVIjVy56LRYESXdDfCKLDDi7zBLiAzK2aPCMgplF9rzjsVGZ5DNeDnjQKScnOQWo-qPu7XkiNbkrTPMpUVQt1unvZhGY8uJPCUCQXo0AvoR5-aAQ5QQwmaQ/s320/PXL_20230309_210226732.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We had a slew of work fun in March-April - an RD/GC/SW sleepover where we watched a bunch of Lindsay Lohan movies, a few happy hour outings including one to celebrate social worker day, a bunch of us went to see Sarah Silverman (Ryan joined us for this one), and we went to take awkward family photos to give to the MDs for doctor appreciation day - they turned out amazing. We had a 90s theme, denim on denim with those plastic bracelets and chokers. Our photographer was very excited about our goals for the photoshoot. We are planning a holiday edition of the awkward photos.</div><div><br /></div>Back at home, we finally finished the nightmare of getting the deck re-done. The guy we used was so difficult to work with and the whole process was a constant stream of issues and sob stories and I spent months stressed on and off about having to deal with him. One of the big ones was they found a drainage pipe that needed to be moved and expected us to find someone, get a quote, and have the pipe moved within 2-3 days, lol. I was impressed that we were able to get it done within 1-2 weeks, but they threatened to start charging us some exorbitant daily amount for "delays", supposedly because we'd already had delays due to weather (we hadn't, it had been beautiful weather since they'd started our project and there had been multiple days that no one from their team showed up to work). They backed down on that pretty quickly at least once I called them on it. But everything was them trying to find ways to charge us more money. I think the deck quality turned out fine (but also how can you really know until you see how long it holds up?), but will never recommend this person to anyone else. And I need a good long break from dealing with home repairs, except we have lots more that needs doing. It is nice to not have the deck be rotting away anymore though. We cut off the side that wrapped around the house and was useless and pushed the deck further out at the back. Now we just need to find outdoor furniture so we can actually use the space.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEE8ETTmTPYNGABpjvz71QaGqD6Glz23-BzeHAzidDqHp6hF430vAuZVbMEAERpwFIxp0-75fkMzxxeZONn1nB8RDC_XiKXChMeR1jeZ2V2Cf7dtDfNLZqOqHXZN1oKI8GrIqnv6rB7fNk9U2pAWWwg4oKPbXmKPxyjrcBPlnAFZSA7MsxlHP5iv8EA/s4032/PXL_20230311_212718515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEE8ETTmTPYNGABpjvz71QaGqD6Glz23-BzeHAzidDqHp6hF430vAuZVbMEAERpwFIxp0-75fkMzxxeZONn1nB8RDC_XiKXChMeR1jeZ2V2Cf7dtDfNLZqOqHXZN1oKI8GrIqnv6rB7fNk9U2pAWWwg4oKPbXmKPxyjrcBPlnAFZSA7MsxlHP5iv8EA/s320/PXL_20230311_212718515.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>M had a birthday and requested ramen for dinner and German chocolate cake. Unfortunately, they weren't feeling well on the day we'd planned to celebrate, so we spent that evening just taking it easy and opened presents; we were able to take him to dinner and eat cake the next evening instead. </div><div><br /></div><div>I messed up when making the cake and put half the chocolate in that I was supposed to - I blame the Baker's chocolate company for changing the thickness of their baking bars a few years ago and ever since I've had the hardest time getting the correct amount! I didn't realize my mistake until the layers were already baking and the result was interesting, with a slightly different color to the outside and inside of the cake. It also didn't have much flavor - just vaguely sweet but bland:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dPbMsUGUZ3DHrti6Ap1DSJhAbSG3IrWvQGNs_LMd10xKgefJ-PabBBtezu4NOMUfGTWFudvXYz9gSkEEc57RN3jFKUfkBFpZDpQa0P4kswNQrn8rcEhtiY3RJDeURStoaTITVtq91Kkcd7zm2NY7e74P4KWDFVCCeTM3uO4S0_2LB3yOx7AJzw0CpQ/s4032/PXL_20230324_212627235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dPbMsUGUZ3DHrti6Ap1DSJhAbSG3IrWvQGNs_LMd10xKgefJ-PabBBtezu4NOMUfGTWFudvXYz9gSkEEc57RN3jFKUfkBFpZDpQa0P4kswNQrn8rcEhtiY3RJDeURStoaTITVtq91Kkcd7zm2NY7e74P4KWDFVCCeTM3uO4S0_2LB3yOx7AJzw0CpQ/s320/PXL_20230324_212627235.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>I remade the cake, because no one wants a bland German chocolate cake, and the second one was much better.</div><div><br /></div><div>Went on my first bike ride in a while - along the Interurban Trail over to the Burke Gilman with a stop at UW to see the cherry blossoms. They weren't at their peak yet, delayed by the cold weather, but still quite lovely.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFUFSlIeuMcuschNZ-llSZzrcwJAvTVzO15zTrkQdralLxEOOQywzz32FpcSfuKsCyzp_rz8NSoZUfCszT_WHV1GpUV2IfdSh-lD7uafAjhHFbn0cRJnw1lYVgzGdMh9aJMqsGLbiZO59dXc1-ulJnrHNLbLMtHJ4QWjQTMa53nW8fZ6ZHX7tlKwb7A/s4032/PXL_20230326_184733877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFUFSlIeuMcuschNZ-llSZzrcwJAvTVzO15zTrkQdralLxEOOQywzz32FpcSfuKsCyzp_rz8NSoZUfCszT_WHV1GpUV2IfdSh-lD7uafAjhHFbn0cRJnw1lYVgzGdMh9aJMqsGLbiZO59dXc1-ulJnrHNLbLMtHJ4QWjQTMa53nW8fZ6ZHX7tlKwb7A/s320/PXL_20230326_184733877.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>G has been loving pole vault. Like, excitedly will get up for 9am practice on a Saturday loving it. His PR so far is 8 feet at a meet, but he's made it over 8'6" in practice and I think is hoping to make it to 9' before the end of the season. We've signed him up for a pole vault day camp during the summer and will likely do some occasional trips down to Tacoma for some sessions with a coach down there (they've done a couple as a team, but sounds like we could do them a little more frequently if desired). It's been a lot of fun to see him this excited about something that isn't video games.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't love Easter and have largely abandoned most of the holiday, but we do usually do an egg hunt. Every year I'm on the fence about the egg hunt, but the kids always want one and I do usually end up happy I've done it. However this year I ended up down with a stomach bug in the days leading up to Easter. There were no plastic eggs left at the grocery store when I went Easter day and so we just got some candy. And because it was spring break for the kids the week after Easter we did a candy hunt (inside because it was rainy) the next day. I have to say, hiding individual candy is so much more fun than hiding eggs - especially if you're inside because there are just so many options for where to hide things! This was one of my favorites, which took the kids a long time to find:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbu8vvkOp3-C0yiX6FK0AYyzY2TkXR29Cs8o7Id_jfsmSO8IDptNCnfKqTf-snDq-Uq_iTFw6c56mC8T7jLisgNCZ_j_pBcsWFNM9jktSIY9jSN6iqT8M7sYpeEfSdmHqfqIzXJ_jWobWBqaUcLF2g1BauB4ud0mbu0qxyJ03xhXQI3HDrW3QdwGpG9g/s4032/PXL_20230411_021353633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbu8vvkOp3-C0yiX6FK0AYyzY2TkXR29Cs8o7Id_jfsmSO8IDptNCnfKqTf-snDq-Uq_iTFw6c56mC8T7jLisgNCZ_j_pBcsWFNM9jktSIY9jSN6iqT8M7sYpeEfSdmHqfqIzXJ_jWobWBqaUcLF2g1BauB4ud0mbu0qxyJ03xhXQI3HDrW3QdwGpG9g/s320/PXL_20230411_021353633.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My coworkers then asked me if I would hide candy around the office, so I did - and left them all chocolate bunnies on their desks. I did make sure to write down where I hid the candy so we wouldn't be finding candy in random places months later. Which is good, because they definitely didn't find it all on their own - I sent them the list of spots today so they could collect it all. </div><div><br /></div><div>G had a birthday as well. I got sick again (exactly a week after the stomach bug hit, ugh) but thankfully just with a cold, not covid or another stomach bug. So it wasn't exactly fun to make his cake since the cold was at its worst on those days, but I was very excited about it because I've been meaning to make <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/chocolate-mousse-cake-with-raspberries-recipe">this cake</a> for years and he just happened to pick it out as what he wanted. I baked the layers and made the frosting the day before his birthday so that the day of I could just make the filling and put it all together. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mine is only 3 layers because my pans are 9 inch instead of 8 inch and I don't have room in my kitchen for a set of both.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJGcd69yCVcnGEuPooQ-0nPN5zEK-ZhqgGWzxmUjLefhlUQUaY2uQd7q8SBStc7nH_aniskP_hem65vMRLEcoSZaF21k0zbiX21OvIGIcXMmtp5wB4s5V_wMrjzftA9CMTa9EcIoo5ql7BA9Yghrn_d4hYwyW1ycuYo5zFLmLwncEcjKT9G0pbB_rPQ/s4032/PXL_20230418_015829414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJGcd69yCVcnGEuPooQ-0nPN5zEK-ZhqgGWzxmUjLefhlUQUaY2uQd7q8SBStc7nH_aniskP_hem65vMRLEcoSZaF21k0zbiX21OvIGIcXMmtp5wB4s5V_wMrjzftA9CMTa9EcIoo5ql7BA9Yghrn_d4hYwyW1ycuYo5zFLmLwncEcjKT9G0pbB_rPQ/s320/PXL_20230418_015829414.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letting the layers/filling firm up in the fridge before doing the crumb coat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYqErWhBt7ryD5AmF32K3fN7xpFffo9jR_2ayn01D2igKwAthJqPO9cbpNHLf62vnuKBQS9uSczaPuT16srDOl6nuWUOcc_msCUHw5EI4WKkDkiDGHw6lQhbWVfJHXiwSbk-WTVibB0uevLsRRk59g4RPW_uD7JeoXBPushfXBwdMkJBkPKEr1DcZRQ/s4032/PXL_20230418_033038180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYqErWhBt7ryD5AmF32K3fN7xpFffo9jR_2ayn01D2igKwAthJqPO9cbpNHLf62vnuKBQS9uSczaPuT16srDOl6nuWUOcc_msCUHw5EI4WKkDkiDGHw6lQhbWVfJHXiwSbk-WTVibB0uevLsRRk59g4RPW_uD7JeoXBPushfXBwdMkJBkPKEr1DcZRQ/s320/PXL_20230418_033038180.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXY2XHskMua_QfRxPPCbNqSHFCLXNMM38Nw2XXlcpLbHJ9mjKrE7SpBH__qgCSdCnWVoMW-Dk5ZCWZnlOSh1kCp8d1u1q8MMzM03urqH5EHmx4cZaITbU3Li8VbSA_P5uPi2EuXowbMseBHcIXHQGJ59IDU2n1kSHpJKo2kVAZcB7suov__N4GCsELIA/s4032/PXL_20230418_034048844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXY2XHskMua_QfRxPPCbNqSHFCLXNMM38Nw2XXlcpLbHJ9mjKrE7SpBH__qgCSdCnWVoMW-Dk5ZCWZnlOSh1kCp8d1u1q8MMzM03urqH5EHmx4cZaITbU3Li8VbSA_P5uPi2EuXowbMseBHcIXHQGJ59IDU2n1kSHpJKo2kVAZcB7suov__N4GCsELIA/s320/PXL_20230418_034048844.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>It was delicious. Will definitely be making it again. The recipe can feel overwhelming, which is why I hadn't tried it yet, but none of the steps are all that hard really. We are letting G upgrade one of the computers as his birthday present, so there wasn't much in the way of presents to open. But Ryan also drove him down to Tacoma the day before for a pole vault clinic, so I think that can count as a present as well. Even if we did make him drive one way because he needs the practice.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next week I'm off to Metabolic University for the week - I'm very glad I got sick early enough to be over it before the trip. I've been wanting to go to this training for 2 years and am really excited for it, nerd that I am. Even if I do have to wear actual business casual and not Seattle business casual.</div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-47611015412526092152023-01-26T22:40:00.000-08:002023-01-26T22:40:12.523-08:00January<p>January has been more positive than the fall, so the new year is off to a decent start. I got a fancy dress to wear to our first ever <a href="https://dita.net/">burlesque</a> show to start the year off. It has pockets!! Seattle is so casual generally that I may never have an opportunity to wear this again, but it was fun to dress up for a night.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHPahen5HxzmcK2yyWIYmIJvZALCAR9LDR9sPCxddBjJBy5JA93ItFAg32u1demmOTw23_5dehfN1jVZ_zAY2q9NY-Y6lvQKnL_dyemQeMZ43fuBa9J_X0k4YkdZUEV4YiNgJuP7shph_bda4AYWK4zR3u3DVKCgcIRk7RtJUFZIWk_dyQyu_JEdc1A/s4032/PXL_20230108_024943032.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHPahen5HxzmcK2yyWIYmIJvZALCAR9LDR9sPCxddBjJBy5JA93ItFAg32u1demmOTw23_5dehfN1jVZ_zAY2q9NY-Y6lvQKnL_dyemQeMZ43fuBa9J_X0k4YkdZUEV4YiNgJuP7shph_bda4AYWK4zR3u3DVKCgcIRk7RtJUFZIWk_dyQyu_JEdc1A/s320/PXL_20230108_024943032.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>People who attend this artist's shows go all out in their dress, though there were a few people who kept to the typical Seattle dress code. It was an awesome experience, great energy from the audience and incredibly impressive line up of artists.<div><br /></div><div>G completed the youth strength training series at our gym, so now he feels comfortable in the weight room and is allowed to use it on his own - much needed to build strength for pole vault which he is trying out in track this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I went on a closet purge, removing all the items I've been holding onto but am finally trying to accept will never fit me again. Some were hard to give away, but I had fun reminiscing over the shopping adventure to get this top for my Debussy performance my senior year of college. My sister went with me (I still need her help picking out my clothes). It was a fun but exhausting day because trying to find something to wear that evokes Debussy is not easy. Made even harder by ridiculous modesty rules. But this worked well in the end - and became a thing that I've never worn again because what else would I wear it for?? It was too fancy for anything else in my life back then. It's felt good to clear out some space.<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo4Y7NlGOohsIjLoBvEaDgTo-y4y3DtJjw95AEfpIMwEP1uA76-5BA5paRvPFDh_gyhwkKr0DR46YORt3w8X-RZsQgMxQbRgSMbIziiLFytoNEwgaMGx3Be-7qWEm7xEtyL0Bv8TZDo4Woqhs7aq9vgy9VIV0hMaEvKhIxXG2Jo44jRgVCplhwiIncg/s4032/PXL_20230116_205226516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDo4Y7NlGOohsIjLoBvEaDgTo-y4y3DtJjw95AEfpIMwEP1uA76-5BA5paRvPFDh_gyhwkKr0DR46YORt3w8X-RZsQgMxQbRgSMbIziiLFytoNEwgaMGx3Be-7qWEm7xEtyL0Bv8TZDo4Woqhs7aq9vgy9VIV0hMaEvKhIxXG2Jo44jRgVCplhwiIncg/s320/PXL_20230116_205226516.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>This is a bittersweet, if somewhat silly, one - a patient is moving away and they handed me this crumpled up bit of sticker paper at our last visit - they were so excited about giving it to me. One of the great things about working outpatient is that you get to develop deep relationships with your patients, share in the ups and downs and celebrations of progress. But it's a double-edged sword because sometimes you have to say goodbye.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmlWtn7HLWu38nlzHWRmG8VJ5CLzXhTT8TxYrI-sxSi923vvqT46ikuj4bhnEQyxpI3se_0CPKPE69E_ea2VHhykRsG1KgCQqTb5i1ciTmuXLMujr1M9TGuLSTpxcaNAGudyx1XxJQtpLOtHel6MHjjo8gtXaLrQdk6Yx4GC5o0r8f4-qFmePZBqotQ/s4032/PXL_20230119_220137240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmlWtn7HLWu38nlzHWRmG8VJ5CLzXhTT8TxYrI-sxSi923vvqT46ikuj4bhnEQyxpI3se_0CPKPE69E_ea2VHhykRsG1KgCQqTb5i1ciTmuXLMujr1M9TGuLSTpxcaNAGudyx1XxJQtpLOtHel6MHjjo8gtXaLrQdk6Yx4GC5o0r8f4-qFmePZBqotQ/s320/PXL_20230119_220137240.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Ryan and I went to another play, <i>I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter</i>, and it had this gorgeous set:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjXJJjjTluyoRCe-QtHnluGVLk_O_PFbSQN9cGJR_88hM3ya5_XlOCz1GfexG88Uc8nCeUF2kwHaFoxc68F0jHCGeWIQgdmawxlxcu0MVIAe__1NtgVCpj5U1EDiBdap1ukR2Lj6gPE4oIu2C4c4NlPBBOWOfAx_QWKW3umgW6nPAIo9ctM8HIWJn9Q/s4032/PXL_20230121_032227654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjXJJjjTluyoRCe-QtHnluGVLk_O_PFbSQN9cGJR_88hM3ya5_XlOCz1GfexG88Uc8nCeUF2kwHaFoxc68F0jHCGeWIQgdmawxlxcu0MVIAe__1NtgVCpj5U1EDiBdap1ukR2Lj6gPE4oIu2C4c4NlPBBOWOfAx_QWKW3umgW6nPAIo9ctM8HIWJn9Q/s320/PXL_20230121_032227654.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Also, that is a person in the casket on stage. They were in there before the doors opened, which means they had to lay there perfectly still for at least half an hour before the show started. I know my nose would start to itch as soon as the doors opened if it were me, so we were very impressed by this feat. Excellent play which is based on a novel. I haven't read the novel, but think I'll pick it up based on this performance.</div><div><br /></div><div>I finished <i>Still Life</i>, which was recommended by my sister (who, in addition to advising me on clothes, also has stellar book recommendations - which makes sense given that is literally her job).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lLAeF_ZORgeq7j6sjdFJLt1kjWehfCx4jvMs4OD5_ywVZEOywMMjfoZwINGD_lE1KBtqvkxKON8E7N9LPm07Z7g7aqq7jDfbadVMW_-YFm5HQDV5Yn6yqd7UiNz5LH_6LLqaHqdwW6qRZ9_jf7lovy1hFQlpKw9S7dXnskMync2TJUpqPfT79XmU_g/s4032/PXL_20230127_060800993.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lLAeF_ZORgeq7j6sjdFJLt1kjWehfCx4jvMs4OD5_ywVZEOywMMjfoZwINGD_lE1KBtqvkxKON8E7N9LPm07Z7g7aqq7jDfbadVMW_-YFm5HQDV5Yn6yqd7UiNz5LH_6LLqaHqdwW6qRZ9_jf7lovy1hFQlpKw9S7dXnskMync2TJUpqPfT79XmU_g/s320/PXL_20230127_060800993.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is the second book I've finished this year (the other was one of the <i>Heartstopper</i> graphic novels), which means I'm already closing in on the number of books I finished in 2022, haha. Time for reading has not been plentiful in recent years, but I'm trying to change that. Anyway. I don't really know how to describe the book, but it was much-needed in my life. It contains passages such as:</div><div><blockquote>They go together. It's what we've always done. Left a mark on a cave, or on a page. Showing who we are, sharing our view of the world, the life we're made to bear. Our turmoil is revealed in those painted faces -- sometimes tenderly, sometimes grotesquely, but art becomes a mirror. All the symbolism and the paradox, ours to interpret. That's how it becomes part of us. And as counterpoint to our suffering, we have beauty. We like beauty, don't we? Something good on the eye cheers us. Does something to us on a cellular level, makes us feel alive and enriched. Beautiful art opens our eyes to the beauty of the world, Ulysses. It repositions our sight and judgment. Captures forever that which is fleeting. A meager stain in the corridors of history, that's all we are. A little mark of scuff. One hundred and fifty years ago Napoleon breathed the same air as we do now. The battalion of time marches on. Art versus humanity is not the question, Ulysses. One doesn't exist without the other. Art is the antidote. Is that enough to make it important? Well yes, I think it is.</blockquote><br /><div>But also:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>When I call it a day, I'm going to be in my Land Rover with Poppy by my side and I'm going to drive straight off a cliff.</div><div>Poppy know about this?</div><div>Not yet, said Des.</div><div>Best tell her.</div><div>Maybe you're right.</div></blockquote><div></div><div>If I had to try to sum it up, I guess I'd say it's about chosen family and lives lived and the million tiny, beautiful moments in those lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, I've discovered that puzzles are similar to quilting fabric for me. If I'm around them I can't help wanting to buy some. We went to the toy store while the cleaners were at the house and found these. This first one was so apt for Seattle and made us all laugh, but we opted not to get it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi650RAcnXxK2rKX0mZDKt3_Onx4ouizu6oeXn-N7AaZIg67CaZ_irjB1LtWtg7-OErVALz38g1bosQtUyft4-uaqDBXXQfk-KtV9Ew44Q-qci-hEUDa5uaoCFo07ZvkAMa2k9e5JF3-1iuFaKu0rcejpGErbMK-lwmRdqNB3Ri9VD8nmQVEQOngC1F6Q/s4032/PXL_20230121_201048282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi650RAcnXxK2rKX0mZDKt3_Onx4ouizu6oeXn-N7AaZIg67CaZ_irjB1LtWtg7-OErVALz38g1bosQtUyft4-uaqDBXXQfk-KtV9Ew44Q-qci-hEUDa5uaoCFo07ZvkAMa2k9e5JF3-1iuFaKu0rcejpGErbMK-lwmRdqNB3Ri9VD8nmQVEQOngC1F6Q/s320/PXL_20230121_201048282.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>Because we were more interested in these two as far as actual puzzling goes. I don't think we'll make these anytime soon, but I really just couldn't help myself.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNacqhYinuAaRM4kNe2B7jZ5jJY232jCxQZiHxzospvmc7nkCM1xZBZn1q6AgyWQsOB0RHG1TFC0MgTBB0xQMWK6-4SeobwYuQg093AzoYdN4blxZEjSCdURUQpsnQwQscLQL8YDdOnQHR6g4ahKzPFoARzHB4E3rItlDcY2RRDGBwtUOjrpF8vkbTA/s4032/PXL_20230121_204124708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNacqhYinuAaRM4kNe2B7jZ5jJY232jCxQZiHxzospvmc7nkCM1xZBZn1q6AgyWQsOB0RHG1TFC0MgTBB0xQMWK6-4SeobwYuQg093AzoYdN4blxZEjSCdURUQpsnQwQscLQL8YDdOnQHR6g4ahKzPFoARzHB4E3rItlDcY2RRDGBwtUOjrpF8vkbTA/s320/PXL_20230121_204124708.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><div>And that brings January (almost) to a close!</div></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-73338533680665987222023-01-02T22:28:00.000-08:002023-01-02T22:28:03.809-08:00Holidays<p>We've been excited for the holiday season at the office since Halloween ended. We decorate our small area of the office year round, but the level of decor has been steadily increasing through the year. My coworkers also noticed I had yet to bring in family photos near my desk, so I walked in one morning to find some excellent photos of them up above my desk, titled "BC Gang Family Photos" - Ryan was so happy to hear I finally have a family, lol. (For the record, this did prompt me to bring in pictures of Ryan and the kids, but I'm definitely keeping the BC Gang photos as well.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zJVgrlUqg2WQXWGAv7mZa8ogPDThzTn8D-XKH5QypUwysvczMVBLs1rsNh8o6pt4hpSblT91dqwvzOk-3YGVM7qNhcC2exe033GQRWdCjuOMzvz36cnSVobfYU6gucjbITVjQ5ORP-Ly3IR8_ZTqdtLkOVukzTzpcoYHsDxCoulcjK1HbtyUJL9GGg/s4032/PXL_20221215_215001018.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2574" data-original-width="4032" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zJVgrlUqg2WQXWGAv7mZa8ogPDThzTn8D-XKH5QypUwysvczMVBLs1rsNh8o6pt4hpSblT91dqwvzOk-3YGVM7qNhcC2exe033GQRWdCjuOMzvz36cnSVobfYU6gucjbITVjQ5ORP-Ly3IR8_ZTqdtLkOVukzTzpcoYHsDxCoulcjK1HbtyUJL9GGg/s320/PXL_20221215_215001018.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The genetic counselor pod was also highly decorated, with a cardboard fireplace, stocking, lights, etc. It's been delightfully festive.<div><br /></div><div>We got our Christmas grapefruit a week or so before Christmas and have been enjoying it as usual.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFER7uUbCJteRFLxBp53EjQqoA3NkYQqkAmPXUjHHZb83Lq3NgdoYhjHiQUaRgEDDAEzAPqTI2Y7of-AEpEtQAdzEtfHNALvKDHi2O3YyXwDVcsh-ISnvES_ehfelfOW9HwAP9dCshiQlHzuRD8oIOCeUl0QyZD6sxuGK3R_-5GNiHJCN6krhnwNfRQ/s4032/PXL_20221218_185730923.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFER7uUbCJteRFLxBp53EjQqoA3NkYQqkAmPXUjHHZb83Lq3NgdoYhjHiQUaRgEDDAEzAPqTI2Y7of-AEpEtQAdzEtfHNALvKDHi2O3YyXwDVcsh-ISnvES_ehfelfOW9HwAP9dCshiQlHzuRD8oIOCeUl0QyZD6sxuGK3R_-5GNiHJCN6krhnwNfRQ/s320/PXL_20221218_185730923.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then we got <i>more</i> snow! We've now had two snowstorms and that's two too many. There eventually was enough that I actually had to shovel and then it was supposed to get really cold, so had to put salt down as well.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhiYN8FhV9vxtUweRaLV_3fo2hvW8RYkkVq5mPEiQmBmdl8pWT0hR9ZAHgL6aL0TC4KqCZYupsu3fAGzMAEu9YwU_YEFS7AwCU6RD2BwSqXyB6OTG_RX9Z21IwOY0Qc2lQPbE2KqsXSNuknXBjCNmXRtLilBJmPM_IATYUQx2VFzR-wSSj9EsWjpSAA/s4032/PXL_20221219_155814273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhiYN8FhV9vxtUweRaLV_3fo2hvW8RYkkVq5mPEiQmBmdl8pWT0hR9ZAHgL6aL0TC4KqCZYupsu3fAGzMAEu9YwU_YEFS7AwCU6RD2BwSqXyB6OTG_RX9Z21IwOY0Qc2lQPbE2KqsXSNuknXBjCNmXRtLilBJmPM_IATYUQx2VFzR-wSSj9EsWjpSAA/s320/PXL_20221219_155814273.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmJmKecf0lP_PNa63eKPTvNSMLAIx3IexN69ln3bn65F-ask5kXX99Rm2BVBaRCUn8zI-RvPT81Q0rOeRQvjqerGANks1IFTy1zf4P-2RtbdDhJqc4SNTVXmAWigXypXF9INPx5wmwC0wi_1AbQts-zV3_3omsn-chu947lUkuryHXDOHp4XAu3hH-w/s4032/PXL_20221220_164336180.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmJmKecf0lP_PNa63eKPTvNSMLAIx3IexN69ln3bn65F-ask5kXX99Rm2BVBaRCUn8zI-RvPT81Q0rOeRQvjqerGANks1IFTy1zf4P-2RtbdDhJqc4SNTVXmAWigXypXF9INPx5wmwC0wi_1AbQts-zV3_3omsn-chu947lUkuryHXDOHp4XAu3hH-w/s320/PXL_20221220_164336180.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As things froze, we had our usual circus of folks getting stuck at our corner. This car actually ran into the neighbor's fence and required a tow truck to get unstuck. Minutes after the tow truck took this car away, another car came along and almost hit the fence as well. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjc6pmWFdpJMUIZ78xwU7Ugez2vUJcZb0kIYjukP1mP1RrL9UELkQYySEb5KA5f04IzO0KcM_QdrVx7Oh_Vgk9YteirvpMle5Ks-nAiprNJudy9UUqMpw6135jk6B8OrHjMSJKA7s-sGxf0zEyTfjnSNU5NZNFzHMQ4_5Clb9SkWoB3CZS0JFnMl5gEA/s4032/PXL_20221223_054307443.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjc6pmWFdpJMUIZ78xwU7Ugez2vUJcZb0kIYjukP1mP1RrL9UELkQYySEb5KA5f04IzO0KcM_QdrVx7Oh_Vgk9YteirvpMle5Ks-nAiprNJudy9UUqMpw6135jk6B8OrHjMSJKA7s-sGxf0zEyTfjnSNU5NZNFzHMQ4_5Clb9SkWoB3CZS0JFnMl5gEA/s320/PXL_20221223_054307443.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And none of that was the worst of it yet - the next morning we got freezing rain. You can find all the videos of cars, bowls, people, and pets sliding all over the roads and sidewalks on tiktok, youtube, or whatever your preferred platform is. I became the designated person to take out the trash/compost/recycling given I have yaktrax - they work really well, by the way! Thankfully fewer people attempted to drive on the roads after that, but there were still some, none of whom fared all that well.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqqpKCqpCyxmR8c7UfuOLPe--GFndjNFyB9aa301OomjqxKbejXV4EVYYNDaRkkQ_GEsr_B5nS-smK6VwJ6Gwjwue6qo4V88I3s4lKJbXD4LZrA9AhxEQDLGF4LGKSL1hV8ih_eNxSXIP4FWZB0dWqmLjNT0sszyVYtLiALdEP0w76y2TJ8toMHl4hw/s4032/PXL_20221223_174334440.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqqpKCqpCyxmR8c7UfuOLPe--GFndjNFyB9aa301OomjqxKbejXV4EVYYNDaRkkQ_GEsr_B5nS-smK6VwJ6Gwjwue6qo4V88I3s4lKJbXD4LZrA9AhxEQDLGF4LGKSL1hV8ih_eNxSXIP4FWZB0dWqmLjNT0sszyVYtLiALdEP0w76y2TJ8toMHl4hw/s320/PXL_20221223_174334440.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Of course, all of that put a serious damper on holiday shopping and shipping. We still managed to get almost everything in time because on Christmas Eve we warmed up from the teens/twenties to the 50s and switched to regular rain, which cleaned up the roads and sidewalks beautifully. </div><div><br /></div><div>I got to baking. I actually did some prior to having days off because we had a cookie exchange at work. I always have to make <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/magic-in-the-middles-recipe">Magic in the Middles</a> as these have been designated the official BCG cookie, but also wanted to make cranberry macadamia bars. However, couldn't find the recipe anywhere - thankfully my sister had it and texted it to me. I had several recipe cards I was missing and realized I must've put them somewhere odd the previous Christmas. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next week, I discovered they'd all been used as bookmarks in our cocktail book the previous year! Glad they aren't permanently lost at least!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hwqRpqQ6pQbFsOBH62SDQFqZkJ5FsyV-10Zh41Hihppri-vp7INuht1EuBOCI2g1vma1MotHDMymIOMufUjalG4Q2tR1stnrl7Yw3Q_GzFXp--Wl4cSMR8T8W6WHU1XZDtJJCiImGTvfHntgLRUWD4BCZ3ja95GF5UQRLmnkcgn7he_2kG85BM7d3Q/s4032/PXL_20221224_040233946.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hwqRpqQ6pQbFsOBH62SDQFqZkJ5FsyV-10Zh41Hihppri-vp7INuht1EuBOCI2g1vma1MotHDMymIOMufUjalG4Q2tR1stnrl7Yw3Q_GzFXp--Wl4cSMR8T8W6WHU1XZDtJJCiImGTvfHntgLRUWD4BCZ3ja95GF5UQRLmnkcgn7he_2kG85BM7d3Q/s320/PXL_20221224_040233946.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I do highly recommend the cranberry macadamia bars. We made those, magic in the middles, and gingersnaps - it's probably been a decade since we made gingersnaps and I'd forgotten how much I like them. Ryan made toffee. </div><div><br /></div><div>For Christmas Eve dinner Ryan made beef and broccoli stirfry and we had bok choy and <a href="https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sangchu-geotjeori">Korean lettuce salad</a> as sides. As usual, the George C. Scott version of Christmas Carol preceded bedtime.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOF-OuIvHHp_LmQcb5uoBtoBBi06WcmQP0muyIAa4hyRQPLtDj3l9XZlvxd3gF3HlVkNHEz0tP4CO4QIpEzEHUbik7ILwannE-5Ao31QPGi2kPYHR3GThTq9xdnxYZ8gkev2TwPzmYB1TsATpJ1vsdIKCWw8WwdtdNQfGCwEM-F5wvXkuXI2HAb5tMYA/s4032/PXL_20221225_085539428.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOF-OuIvHHp_LmQcb5uoBtoBBi06WcmQP0muyIAa4hyRQPLtDj3l9XZlvxd3gF3HlVkNHEz0tP4CO4QIpEzEHUbik7ILwannE-5Ao31QPGi2kPYHR3GThTq9xdnxYZ8gkev2TwPzmYB1TsATpJ1vsdIKCWw8WwdtdNQfGCwEM-F5wvXkuXI2HAb5tMYA/s320/PXL_20221225_085539428.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Christmas was pretty simple and small this year. M got books and games and rock stuff - a rock tumbler, identification book, etc. G got a chess board, video games, and books. It was a lovely relaxing day. The next day I got started on one of our two new puzzles this year and completed it a few days later. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXmbJzQNAbrGje-Cxd1XuwOA3CgGX31K5eYEHHhfkAVl00EAvSTw5AiBYRMz1duQ6kayVgRMLAPwoOujOoEszA_q_VPtlQh0lOBnwRhDssaPIg6pBj3J0HbQenIPpvu766-_eUIesYDIfKlkwAS03jmOsnn17dGj4ARzAQts3xTBbzcSfpa3lpvwQDA/s4032/PXL_20221230_224824419.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXmbJzQNAbrGje-Cxd1XuwOA3CgGX31K5eYEHHhfkAVl00EAvSTw5AiBYRMz1duQ6kayVgRMLAPwoOujOoEszA_q_VPtlQh0lOBnwRhDssaPIg6pBj3J0HbQenIPpvu766-_eUIesYDIfKlkwAS03jmOsnn17dGj4ARzAQts3xTBbzcSfpa3lpvwQDA/s320/PXL_20221230_224824419.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>New Year's Even I started on our second puzzle and got the frame done before it was time to focus on our evening prep. We also got to see the progress of M's first batch of rocks going through the rock tumbler as they'd completed their first stage.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRNmMSPhNWljdnSLrrd9HmJZqk25n2OF--0Mr2dQv7BzM6sQGv8iTe45EohfOQrD2QUx-sB6VBmkt6tZI8VmDhY9qID7q_fAeeeswUi98ssLOo9D7PDJN6mLpme19VxeuuB4hiDJqW9VZjnPMKoZ9tvRAwEDTGSdTu5CbDqjENoF8MiXGvVPRR5amAQ/s4032/PXL_20230101_001554591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRNmMSPhNWljdnSLrrd9HmJZqk25n2OF--0Mr2dQv7BzM6sQGv8iTe45EohfOQrD2QUx-sB6VBmkt6tZI8VmDhY9qID7q_fAeeeswUi98ssLOo9D7PDJN6mLpme19VxeuuB4hiDJqW9VZjnPMKoZ9tvRAwEDTGSdTu5CbDqjENoF8MiXGvVPRR5amAQ/s320/PXL_20230101_001554591.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rinsing off the grit - you don't want to do this at the sink as it can damage plumbing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyc8qrUiZFfxM0BJyUKgeAt3GdudWppaKq4FC7_Y-9B78aG4vGhKDY3prqeI38uGpDhmp1cRWlORikW5h_Bpzo3TjMJk2Fu53PypkxF4daLmXz4C-JkGROJ7j678QJAiTQCJnVkM1jhoUQ3V2ePb26gqry1lvfnQFAdNIM-ayvNOPGRTcLIvFx8rkYQ/s4032/PXL_20230101_001833657.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyc8qrUiZFfxM0BJyUKgeAt3GdudWppaKq4FC7_Y-9B78aG4vGhKDY3prqeI38uGpDhmp1cRWlORikW5h_Bpzo3TjMJk2Fu53PypkxF4daLmXz4C-JkGROJ7j678QJAiTQCJnVkM1jhoUQ3V2ePb26gqry1lvfnQFAdNIM-ayvNOPGRTcLIvFx8rkYQ/s320/PXL_20230101_001833657.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough edges smooth and ready for stage 2 of tumbling</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I've struggled to find dried currants at our grocery store for the past year plus and finally remembered to check on Amazon, so was able to prep some - soaking with brown sugar, tea, and orange zest overnight - to make bara brith.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzcUnMB7ep4Y6ANZVFBdB1woDowu076JTiyqY_OOkbHjpI62bHmUKx8vBFRQ8JsdnJX5ycikypZSap_Y8HRrcp5c1g4nBN3rGKBdeeESAgkTyQmvytuPfNV8xcBXIUZeCOxK2Gr-uQujQxroLRDoTdje0xymxZVXZ_Xj1-JNv1KdLRWRmItiq30w-9Q/s4032/PXL_20230101_004644840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzcUnMB7ep4Y6ANZVFBdB1woDowu076JTiyqY_OOkbHjpI62bHmUKx8vBFRQ8JsdnJX5ycikypZSap_Y8HRrcp5c1g4nBN3rGKBdeeESAgkTyQmvytuPfNV8xcBXIUZeCOxK2Gr-uQujQxroLRDoTdje0xymxZVXZ_Xj1-JNv1KdLRWRmItiq30w-9Q/s320/PXL_20230101_004644840.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We watched the second Thin Man movie with my sister's family - the last good one since after that they try to go sober and the characters aren't nearly as funny when they're not drunk it turns out. So we'll have to come up with something else for next year's movie. Maybe Auntie Mame. Or How to Steal a Million ("Leland Davis. Or was it Davis Leland?"). We've got a whole long list of Golden Age movies to share with our kids and spouses, so I'm not worried.<div><br /></div><div>New Year's Day included more work on puzzle 2. M helped with some of the mushroom caps.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF1yMcGtmZcvnKrMRo-HK5HusgfVtAL2Q9C1cmFxUBZ2GlwkNtSkk3u3o41P6emylOYRyP0SeECNf9Bl7C7-577eS5_6As03xRHOWuvY5rCEff6wZtHVJT5ee0PBHHbhOkIGHO5K8LyT3bmQkVNKAah_VUVFgxEX8wuNYAzo40IfsKuIgBeCqoNU0Pw/s4032/PXL_20230101_222810874.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF1yMcGtmZcvnKrMRo-HK5HusgfVtAL2Q9C1cmFxUBZ2GlwkNtSkk3u3o41P6emylOYRyP0SeECNf9Bl7C7-577eS5_6As03xRHOWuvY5rCEff6wZtHVJT5ee0PBHHbhOkIGHO5K8LyT3bmQkVNKAah_VUVFgxEX8wuNYAzo40IfsKuIgBeCqoNU0Pw/s320/PXL_20230101_222810874.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>And I made the bara brith! The first time I made this I followed a suggestion in one of the recipes to use raisins and currants - that batch really solidified that I just don't like raisins in baked goods or in anything generally. So now I use just currants. The fruit/orange/tea flavor can be a bit of an acquired taste, it's grown on me and now I love it.</div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7UjHauQIAqbGOz4WP_hZojY_uSu_YLbdCIOfMP4KWbcqi0PIveAdWfjwsDnaVcyPTv5_o7_a9MvXwQ1wRivFrUc7nM5qcWTkpm48EJOUUnVzfyRN20rkXvaxI_vMI5EKcAgvk4Xqp8MUOFWvRlvqkHyf0vGnxcP5V0yWpHLyNnAWSM1EvIHmVF9xiA/s4032/PXL_20230102_055834376.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7UjHauQIAqbGOz4WP_hZojY_uSu_YLbdCIOfMP4KWbcqi0PIveAdWfjwsDnaVcyPTv5_o7_a9MvXwQ1wRivFrUc7nM5qcWTkpm48EJOUUnVzfyRN20rkXvaxI_vMI5EKcAgvk4Xqp8MUOFWvRlvqkHyf0vGnxcP5V0yWpHLyNnAWSM1EvIHmVF9xiA/s320/PXL_20230102_055834376.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We all had one last day off after New Year's. I got the ornaments off the tree and worked on the puzzle more. G joined in for the very last bits, where I was just working on the pieces with tiny hints of mushroom and the background with no mushroom at all - the hardest parts of the puzzle. All done - just in time to go back to work and school!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhD_GLlvTXvTX008c0YH1c8nH31CFOLelUB772AF0pi3Vnl4_bi_dO8c03Dk-A-1JaRLnT8xqTXJO6mir-45ncf7aIu-Dm36E3r50-vHvDRUCqto-QsTc8gYLsz5PAS-VQR_6U9PU-7FwzK_JLVen3U6qDJwsnxPxYB7dnfbhzCu-52Lepbc1E1G6DA/s4032/PXL_20230103_052505440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhD_GLlvTXvTX008c0YH1c8nH31CFOLelUB772AF0pi3Vnl4_bi_dO8c03Dk-A-1JaRLnT8xqTXJO6mir-45ncf7aIu-Dm36E3r50-vHvDRUCqto-QsTc8gYLsz5PAS-VQR_6U9PU-7FwzK_JLVen3U6qDJwsnxPxYB7dnfbhzCu-52Lepbc1E1G6DA/s320/PXL_20230103_052505440.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-3705282897618987712022-12-18T15:50:00.000-08:002022-12-18T15:50:48.819-08:00Autumn Updates<p>Getting our Autumn updates in just before we switch to Winter!</p><p>The kids started back to school. G participated in cross country, though much of their season was disrupted by wildfire smoke - smoke season was delayed this year so instead of landing in the summer started in late August/early September and lasted into October/early November, aided by our unusually dry fall. Don't know about you, but I'm not loving the effects of climate change.</p><p>We finally managed to get M into swim lessons! We adore his teacher - she used to be a school teacher and has taught many different ages and special ed classes and immediately knew how to connect with him, cuts right through his avoidance techniques, and got him from terrified to enter the water to not wanting to get out of it in a matter of weeks. I wish she could be his teacher for everything. </p><p>I've been busy with orchestra leadership - I somehow* ended up being the president of the board this year and it's been a huge time commitment, more than expected, as we try to get back to a semi-normal state. I'm exhausted and it's having a negative impact on my mental health - I've felt depression creep in in a serious way for the first time since leaving Mormonism. I plan to step down from the board entirely after this season. The fact that there is an end date to it is the thing helping me make it through right now. That and <i>Heartstopper</i>, which brings me joy and so I re-watch episodes anytime life is feeling a little too much. Though I'm super nervous for the characters in upcoming seasons because obviously they're dealing with some serious things (bullying, hints at eating disorders, etc) that I'm worried will get worse and I just really want them all to be okay. </p><p>Work is busy as usual, but would feel manageable if I didn't have the orchestra stuff on top of it. RSV and influenza have kept the hospital full and made on call weeks extra busy. I presented at an online conference in September - the same topic I presented at the conference in March. My team has started buying stuffies from the gift shop semi-regularly as part of our coping strategy, so I have Ollie and Alonzo and Sam the Eagle at my desk. We give them different hats for the holidays. And Alonzo was joined by a new, yet-to-be-named friend a couple weeks ago. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CqdjNDcG93GxD1W0uEZ3u7hz_XfsCMIReOeyMydbTosni7-kWKHnagk4tGa-ZX8Ih73fZmEvAzJqeM0JZ8IgaNuOhGNMO__H2okzVxje-6R7jrUm5Q7wUjQ16NG8gX1pvkVx2lkYYhmq84tZYNYqwQV6l6GQqFRcDUIo7qtF187myi0J--pjS8UgpQ/s4032/PXL_20220908_180107558.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CqdjNDcG93GxD1W0uEZ3u7hz_XfsCMIReOeyMydbTosni7-kWKHnagk4tGa-ZX8Ih73fZmEvAzJqeM0JZ8IgaNuOhGNMO__H2okzVxje-6R7jrUm5Q7wUjQ16NG8gX1pvkVx2lkYYhmq84tZYNYqwQV6l6GQqFRcDUIo7qtF187myi0J--pjS8UgpQ/w226-h320/PXL_20220908_180107558.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSGe9JNr8lqfdCQLCElKCeb1pSbk9StUmLUJ6RafXKZ7fc-OxqSASpw5mXIlPN8YnQxAxt2osgvHvwwqA6fUB5gT-OuFmlRcJydY3VHh4qTDuzjCRjsSrsLQLnrotpYvu79Zq9mf3zZARvHZd-g7YMRyuFRRc5TtC_XGqIhumOOZ2N9qQh1u-Hsdz7Q/s4032/PXL_20221118_222438729.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSGe9JNr8lqfdCQLCElKCeb1pSbk9StUmLUJ6RafXKZ7fc-OxqSASpw5mXIlPN8YnQxAxt2osgvHvwwqA6fUB5gT-OuFmlRcJydY3VHh4qTDuzjCRjsSrsLQLnrotpYvu79Zq9mf3zZARvHZd-g7YMRyuFRRc5TtC_XGqIhumOOZ2N9qQh1u-Hsdz7Q/s320/PXL_20221118_222438729.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><p>We made it to the pumpkin farm/corn maze again. Weather meant there weren't all that many people there when we arrived, which was delightful. M wasn't too interested in carving his pumpkin afterward - to be fair, October weekends were packed and I think we were all a little exhausted - so kept it simple. We did get him out trick-or-treating this year. And got way more kids at our door this year than last year and actually got rid of almost all the candy we got!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rkUfeh1Ti7PPUAbZuO2CpaqV6ku5kifrjU9AZK8VwQ9naNvRUns-TvVO-dogL2rlB-cu0JI_2gzYd5yOz7rhdz6sZdIe7S9qOSnbcQvWRXIfHJ5dyQaV0Yeq0K5qV5NgcL0WwsF5GDPK52pbhFtifpGdlvGHIo-V1N2bhaDC8k7SQTEum2PGG4SSQg/s4032/PXL_20221022_174751334.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rkUfeh1Ti7PPUAbZuO2CpaqV6ku5kifrjU9AZK8VwQ9naNvRUns-TvVO-dogL2rlB-cu0JI_2gzYd5yOz7rhdz6sZdIe7S9qOSnbcQvWRXIfHJ5dyQaV0Yeq0K5qV5NgcL0WwsF5GDPK52pbhFtifpGdlvGHIo-V1N2bhaDC8k7SQTEum2PGG4SSQg/s320/PXL_20221022_174751334.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JwXDT3bBd_HP8rQY8QTUp-dUpAbww3JSn3My1Y5knL2bf9ChShe_f-8123UUtoZZrF5jhyj5auhnsnSnKjbYQZEnW_NZp3y7TonsYvvi39W2uj9pKBhLV4lSesWSxbEkp8RhOt_GM2x8dcQebFqjmntEy9NH6C8EJlo10HgOzdDrrPEZO4k7yO3-AQ/s4032/PXL_20221110_150110741.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JwXDT3bBd_HP8rQY8QTUp-dUpAbww3JSn3My1Y5knL2bf9ChShe_f-8123UUtoZZrF5jhyj5auhnsnSnKjbYQZEnW_NZp3y7TonsYvvi39W2uj9pKBhLV4lSesWSxbEkp8RhOt_GM2x8dcQebFqjmntEy9NH6C8EJlo10HgOzdDrrPEZO4k7yO3-AQ/s320/PXL_20221110_150110741.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_QwihWIFKwPX4G56YQfaf93UVBu9K-zE5PLgwLcR8c_oIpZi2BXM6_u6AYn4bGRXS3GELkzizjpkIUriG_V3ntiUbfcTpwo-Us7fLFSAJWj6tzS2AOGFvetwS55VOi5kRFjzreixQyWtK7YqKE2i_ezoIhvc7GwMOJmXdXYpjhKqIkj0Mgry07sLGQ/s4032/PXL_20221110_150105686.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_QwihWIFKwPX4G56YQfaf93UVBu9K-zE5PLgwLcR8c_oIpZi2BXM6_u6AYn4bGRXS3GELkzizjpkIUriG_V3ntiUbfcTpwo-Us7fLFSAJWj6tzS2AOGFvetwS55VOi5kRFjzreixQyWtK7YqKE2i_ezoIhvc7GwMOJmXdXYpjhKqIkj0Mgry07sLGQ/s320/PXL_20221110_150105686.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>M was disappointed that I wouldn't let him get these for decorations this year. But we did, for the first time ever, get some outside decor for the holiday (aside form jack o lanterns). We put up some cobwebby stuff and he picked out some large spiders to go with that. It looked quite good until the wind got to it, but we were too busy to get pictures.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlydN8SlZkGzGr8f1P9gV5IID7Eg6gkVxc2EAI73v4v66FhQogLOBFTVAgHuf6WTqkCbGKkS3edNFVMKofi_UqSCkuszaMi5gUe1c0sxP-g9TOYOBn7Yw2RWJeBCNoieSGsdv4edxYU56YDoe44JO0Xld0gqVSPUuAZGJKSdm8a4bku0kYQD3AdD3-Ng/s4032/PXL_20221009_234947530.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlydN8SlZkGzGr8f1P9gV5IID7Eg6gkVxc2EAI73v4v66FhQogLOBFTVAgHuf6WTqkCbGKkS3edNFVMKofi_UqSCkuszaMi5gUe1c0sxP-g9TOYOBn7Yw2RWJeBCNoieSGsdv4edxYU56YDoe44JO0Xld0gqVSPUuAZGJKSdm8a4bku0kYQD3AdD3-Ng/s320/PXL_20221009_234947530.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Adding to the just general overwhelmed-ness of the fall, there was a shooting at G's school in early November. It was targeted, but has left everyone with a lot to deal with emotionally and mentally. The shooting happened on a Tuesday and they closed the school for the rest of the week. The student who was shot died and two other young students were arrested. Just incredibly sad for all of those families. Thankfully I happened to check my phone and saw G's texts first - otherwise I would've first seen a bunch of texts from friends asking if things were okay. It's funny how everyone responds to things like this. I was between clinic patients and felt kind of frozen - they weren't releasing kids yet so it's not like me rushing off anywhere would be helpful, but it also felt weird to just keep going about my day. I went and saw the last patient and then went and packed up my stuff and left for the day. It was going to take so long for them to release the kids that Ryan ended up driving to the hospital to pick me up and bring me home. Then he stayed home to get some food and work while I went to wait for G to be released and got to talk with my mom on the phone while waiting. We had so many friends from all our communities reach out to us and support us in a variety of ways. A close friend called me and stayed on the phone while I waiting for Ryan and as all the emotions finally started to hit. Orchestra friends checked in by text, arranged a sub for me the next day, and ordered us dinner. Work friends stepped up to cover my call and offered resources. I really appreciated the reminder that we have built robust support structures for our family here. And my sister sent the most thoughtful care package, filled with items for comfort, warmth, confronting, processing, distraction, etc. The teachers eased the kids back into school the next week, but I know a lot of teachers, staff, students, and parents are still dealing with the fallout from such a traumatic event.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf26cX7cQYpyFkPndfT0YplSwhxQJHJ1TImE3jfpm9Hif7BjtwHxAs6ds_pI2F_hOqxpHduAsvo-3_7Y2myPf4ROozb2W3PWI2v2FIpj7Mxyg3lANk7XYEIDv-oCQ4dUQ3m7mb2I2djn-YQx3h9QIDEeIwfV6beKiIf-UZa58EhMcrLM_Yx6gTO9eILA/s4032/PXL_20221129_030221809.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf26cX7cQYpyFkPndfT0YplSwhxQJHJ1TImE3jfpm9Hif7BjtwHxAs6ds_pI2F_hOqxpHduAsvo-3_7Y2myPf4ROozb2W3PWI2v2FIpj7Mxyg3lANk7XYEIDv-oCQ4dUQ3m7mb2I2djn-YQx3h9QIDEeIwfV6beKiIf-UZa58EhMcrLM_Yx6gTO9eILA/s320/PXL_20221129_030221809.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We got an earlier than usual snow. I appreciated that it turned into less of a storm than initially predicted, though we still had slick sidewalks for a few days. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGqLIv-lq8XOIlcUyeeiPFzGywL8LNER11Ad5DvrabJNEFxPCZiJY7lVXXMOV_tMegfPi0KAPzRxaMd0ir3oIbk3yiBVpffFDeJFH0bpXGxM9uuCg8CywLlIgjRqxXaO-1QSXbeaqqcez8F7sa5QzeQNFUlOH4ExT5RffJiQrWtmU2MjgPz4AEITIlQ/s4032/PXL_20221130_180637535.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGqLIv-lq8XOIlcUyeeiPFzGywL8LNER11Ad5DvrabJNEFxPCZiJY7lVXXMOV_tMegfPi0KAPzRxaMd0ir3oIbk3yiBVpffFDeJFH0bpXGxM9uuCg8CywLlIgjRqxXaO-1QSXbeaqqcez8F7sa5QzeQNFUlOH4ExT5RffJiQrWtmU2MjgPz4AEITIlQ/s320/PXL_20221130_180637535.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Ryan survived the initial layoffs at work. Of course they always say they hope there will only be the one round, but I don't trust that, so we're kind of assuming it's only a matter of time before he's laid off. That's definitely added some stress to work life for him as more pressure gets put on everyone who is left, but I'm so glad we're not solely reliant on his income. I would be much more stressed right now if I were a stay at home parent still. I feel really badly for those here on H1b visas who have been laid off - as usual, immigration rules are stupid and they have a very limited time in which to find new jobs which is very stressful.</p><p>Ryan and I went to a play for the first time since COVID! We saw Mr. Dickens and His Carol. While not my favorite play that I've ever seen, it's always fun to admire the acting, sets, costuming, etc. And just felt really good to be going out again.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBDdgrBlLTICjqo_a6Thnj_WjU90pjufHox06TA5CEGxlhgMW5zqi1O1qB8jSbo-FA2Sz4dAzqKDb190zY-Am-7EknMK9JJMoacjj3E2ubuaxQfC4RL4t9jlGgIPkD-xOK39KAGa8JzGHqnrHBLSEPZ7FykIf1AHoL11m8FG4kEhHZEXxMBY3QBBHJQ/s3264/PXL_20221203_032151640.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBDdgrBlLTICjqo_a6Thnj_WjU90pjufHox06TA5CEGxlhgMW5zqi1O1qB8jSbo-FA2Sz4dAzqKDb190zY-Am-7EknMK9JJMoacjj3E2ubuaxQfC4RL4t9jlGgIPkD-xOK39KAGa8JzGHqnrHBLSEPZ7FykIf1AHoL11m8FG4kEhHZEXxMBY3QBBHJQ/s320/PXL_20221203_032151640.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>We had some lingering Halloween decor up until last weekend, when I finally put it away before we went to get our tree. I adore the tree we got this year. So well-proportioned all around. Pretty proud of us that we went to get this in the afternoon, got it put up, lights on, and decorated all that evening. And we got a wreath this year as well! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1z4DFSie9YSh6Me7ankibt6rxQISLSJHR3Xh0RUTFPi85KZcJFT2VNiRKukKmjVGTnalImQvEGj52d4xtsOcTmFki3tleFHoYaP-gN3OJprADuW0hOH_0_6bQcQ6Ji9QIkWqMidfnqi35IxTuKdjgyfKQ4KDnbTAgkYhRslN_cwZjVIAo74NZa8MiA/s4032/PXL_20221212_043951992.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1z4DFSie9YSh6Me7ankibt6rxQISLSJHR3Xh0RUTFPi85KZcJFT2VNiRKukKmjVGTnalImQvEGj52d4xtsOcTmFki3tleFHoYaP-gN3OJprADuW0hOH_0_6bQcQ6Ji9QIkWqMidfnqi35IxTuKdjgyfKQ4KDnbTAgkYhRslN_cwZjVIAo74NZa8MiA/s320/PXL_20221212_043951992.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZCExlwJ5hCfkMoWnKeTqHSfiiMICrWxzn7iIqRt5yAu6uwi4AKyzc22bR52azZc6dWw6fO6ATmhqgfdRSV_K7sTUw95j_PAAe_MHgsoa8edE10_OA21QkMhG_jM6FsidSAHkimCxe_Imv6mHlYHI14gEB6AkemiLSZZFPxAydfRXKivaJL04AQE2Tg/s4032/PXL_20221212_005217482.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZCExlwJ5hCfkMoWnKeTqHSfiiMICrWxzn7iIqRt5yAu6uwi4AKyzc22bR52azZc6dWw6fO6ATmhqgfdRSV_K7sTUw95j_PAAe_MHgsoa8edE10_OA21QkMhG_jM6FsidSAHkimCxe_Imv6mHlYHI14gEB6AkemiLSZZFPxAydfRXKivaJL04AQE2Tg/s320/PXL_20221212_005217482.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Ryan is off for the next couple weeks and I've got some days off here and there, so we can finally start getting into Christmas!</p><p>*Somehow = you have to have been on the board for at least 1 year before you can be president and everyone else on the board had either done it for too many years already or were having to take a break from the board because they were starting new jobs or couldn't take it on because they were going to be having a baby so I felt bad saying no when I had slightly less going on than others. Or less new things at least. </p></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-1383677216006059532022-08-25T21:56:00.001-07:002022-08-25T21:56:00.232-07:00Whidbey Island<p>Last year while the kids were at camp we opted not to go anywhere aside from some day trips, because we'd just spent a bunch of money on our family vacation. We instantly regretted it upon arriving home, so made sure not to repeat that mistake this year. </p><p>Somehow, despite our decade plus in the PNW, we have never made it to the San Juan Islands or Whidbey Island. I had found what looked like a nice Airbnb on Whidbey the previous year and it was available for our dates still, so booked that - our first time ever using Airbnb. We dropped the kids off at camp successfully and and took the requisite picture of the beach at camp before heading toward Whidbey. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnMy6Tv9fD-ucc8h4ASprSIwd4Hro1wHLpwz9Qb_eBX0HjZxBtGpb5-XqSVn3O45fUdjHLENzJpKw8sFa4EyIqYWQIUYqclyq0Xs4Yba3BHHdqkZCPxCrOxpm5peRUl9yogi4w-yI3xQAUt2T5Fmm2-3wc_7Wo1q5POj2mqnvNXl3VZtq0P42WfF1mw/s5386/PXL_20220814_212712776.PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1677" data-original-width="5386" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnMy6Tv9fD-ucc8h4ASprSIwd4Hro1wHLpwz9Qb_eBX0HjZxBtGpb5-XqSVn3O45fUdjHLENzJpKw8sFa4EyIqYWQIUYqclyq0Xs4Yba3BHHdqkZCPxCrOxpm5peRUl9yogi4w-yI3xQAUt2T5Fmm2-3wc_7Wo1q5POj2mqnvNXl3VZtq0P42WfF1mw/s320/PXL_20220814_212712776.PANO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We took some time to stop at Deception Pass State Park along our way. Walked partway across the Deception Pass Bridge and took this picture while feeling terrified of both the long fall down in front of us and the highway traffic just inches away behind us:<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlk0fOkeV0bnsMGcIWsTrxnHtPYmrPr11WyA67wkPnLycepJddmsCseOlr_3ncJC0UX_7iD9m_qiRXMuepTmtTL1qRH99hkP82jDZRPDKxZs62F_qeaI_Irh98qH4lNCAF6bVQKTzdU1ZQmcI1KIXF4iJZjt1cpNCQe_ZiNKIL2BabdnO9QGVAzmYt6Q/s4032/PXL_20220814_224532491.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlk0fOkeV0bnsMGcIWsTrxnHtPYmrPr11WyA67wkPnLycepJddmsCseOlr_3ncJC0UX_7iD9m_qiRXMuepTmtTL1qRH99hkP82jDZRPDKxZs62F_qeaI_Irh98qH4lNCAF6bVQKTzdU1ZQmcI1KIXF4iJZjt1cpNCQe_ZiNKIL2BabdnO9QGVAzmYt6Q/s320/PXL_20220814_224532491.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then we walked down to the beach and just soaked in the beauty from what felt like a safer footing for a while. And took this picture from the path down, which felt like a much more secure vantage point.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjBUFvQx55rTYyrLLfxJP6HMsVx3Rq1PJKZYbRP20NLcstB40w10H_PKc6SovTBS3dDS7pIXmxG31FF_AI8QK4QuvzK88dJDqwf9bv05NDXYj-XIw0ThyGvPuzL2Dlm92NuvoDKSzQJV9vudDeCRDPTYR35R1IFMUIjj3z3oeG5g2pdfKva4zzzGNZg/s4032/PXL_20220814_233212725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjBUFvQx55rTYyrLLfxJP6HMsVx3Rq1PJKZYbRP20NLcstB40w10H_PKc6SovTBS3dDS7pIXmxG31FF_AI8QK4QuvzK88dJDqwf9bv05NDXYj-XIw0ThyGvPuzL2Dlm92NuvoDKSzQJV9vudDeCRDPTYR35R1IFMUIjj3z3oeG5g2pdfKva4zzzGNZg/s320/PXL_20220814_233212725.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivznj9KtOGTumcNzUbeojSCN6oqt6xHRxAbij_i5oDdbBTAuA_FHq1Ob1zTP_AwKjxJuK10ddhcvxhH3w-JF4GPhIfXDaNulOw9U8Px64jx2l9fGO4fYBQPJGKiw_ApyXYwM8xhoHoeQFgTZttqd3jcFJ6zpEgpvV4_8d60tBY70SYwe8MsC7yOiHx_g/s3264/PXL_20220814_233311986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivznj9KtOGTumcNzUbeojSCN6oqt6xHRxAbij_i5oDdbBTAuA_FHq1Ob1zTP_AwKjxJuK10ddhcvxhH3w-JF4GPhIfXDaNulOw9U8Px64jx2l9fGO4fYBQPJGKiw_ApyXYwM8xhoHoeQFgTZttqd3jcFJ6zpEgpvV4_8d60tBY70SYwe8MsC7yOiHx_g/s320/PXL_20220814_233311986.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We could've done a lot more hiking in the park, but I had my clarinet with me (and I never leave my clarinet in the car unattended) and we needed to be getting on to our rental, which was on the southern side of the island.<div><br /></div><div>As we drove up, Ryan was dubious because it looks so tiny. And, despite having looked at the pictures online and making the booking myself, I had a moment of doubt:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7caXkIPpXGrtVQerOx2VR5Whu98SC8tuu6fqU5OaFT5YtG6bki0KeE6R52xDukl48bpnGGiyz2i9mBjLLUJHXUmx1cHqQ4d9BFwf_ZJnauQUYsFxfigRMJi72ADoNsxLwpxq5iN9pDlKVoLg2Xf0fgNdRQAYfoxFQLhSGUS8YNwqsirZ_5p4PGTVJtg/s4032/PXL_20220817_180112064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7caXkIPpXGrtVQerOx2VR5Whu98SC8tuu6fqU5OaFT5YtG6bki0KeE6R52xDukl48bpnGGiyz2i9mBjLLUJHXUmx1cHqQ4d9BFwf_ZJnauQUYsFxfigRMJi72ADoNsxLwpxq5iN9pDlKVoLg2Xf0fgNdRQAYfoxFQLhSGUS8YNwqsirZ_5p4PGTVJtg/s320/PXL_20220817_180112064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>But no. The cottage extends back/below what you can see as you pull up and really was perfect. I'm not particularly into hunting/fishing lodge decor, but I get why they chose that. And all of the details that matter where comfortable and well-thought out with this place. The owner left breakfast items for the next morning and the cabin is the only place on the multi-acre property, so you feel really secluded even though you're not far from town. The kitchen allowed for plenty of cooking and the bed was comfortable.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw08rUzQc_ZUWyg1plgdquU3HQcqr45OLwiMSF7iinKb50awLLTln8P4jhh34GIeca9MyksB5tXzGLpy7g9p5b0go-cOvT6jHdItZZhiEE6spnjzdhAOwVr_y4PyGqn-CdNexhQ6Aj9RfN0Oc34fG93BoXOWgMXAxbbtVnSAkeiZ9o2s8n-6SBIPwrQA/s4032/PXL_20220815_005700359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw08rUzQc_ZUWyg1plgdquU3HQcqr45OLwiMSF7iinKb50awLLTln8P4jhh34GIeca9MyksB5tXzGLpy7g9p5b0go-cOvT6jHdItZZhiEE6spnjzdhAOwVr_y4PyGqn-CdNexhQ6Aj9RfN0Oc34fG93BoXOWgMXAxbbtVnSAkeiZ9o2s8n-6SBIPwrQA/s320/PXL_20220815_005700359.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As usual, Ryan immediately got to work figuring out the TV and how to connect for streaming.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eAH5oRThrsedi_rc9QNNWAbL4za_jG8p4DPiOvR47Vx08x3BS3PbrT9gGP5GXBm_dR5PUx2Zs3gg2OZ2abpzQ0aTMwguy35HOFDbyi2nBdORJe3ex6vqNIoa4otrWs_04SG8-D64j3Fd3le3rnOgKBYGIY0rV63ylArFXnyF_YqnnzYrQZO4Zqxx-A/s4032/PXL_20220817_170601156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eAH5oRThrsedi_rc9QNNWAbL4za_jG8p4DPiOvR47Vx08x3BS3PbrT9gGP5GXBm_dR5PUx2Zs3gg2OZ2abpzQ0aTMwguy35HOFDbyi2nBdORJe3ex6vqNIoa4otrWs_04SG8-D64j3Fd3le3rnOgKBYGIY0rV63ylArFXnyF_YqnnzYrQZO4Zqxx-A/s320/PXL_20220817_170601156.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most ridiculous photo, but the toilet is a Toto and automatically opens when you walk near it, heated bidet and dryer. Ryan was sad to leave the toilet behind, lol</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOqRz6rqvvjl_WJGVjTMLvd8CGJkOqKJoQTcVdIhusoK34l679ooLgui6XD-is6Rbip89rP2AfxlOi8CujAdJNuxJ7yne-vj1Fy-Cl6Xc3r-XH46TygONMBTqHxbHDnAMi6epssKSUMu0dwVBfWBI69bsC8xpyF510tgpK-kMED9uW_1l9zsc_q-Riw/s4032/PXL_20220815_005821828.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOqRz6rqvvjl_WJGVjTMLvd8CGJkOqKJoQTcVdIhusoK34l679ooLgui6XD-is6Rbip89rP2AfxlOi8CujAdJNuxJ7yne-vj1Fy-Cl6Xc3r-XH46TygONMBTqHxbHDnAMi6epssKSUMu0dwVBfWBI69bsC8xpyF510tgpK-kMED9uW_1l9zsc_q-Riw/s320/PXL_20220815_005821828.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the two decks - we ate breakfast and dinner here most days/nights</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK7tC3z3bCa3m_5_wXtlrt4nc8UXzp_-uqPBSME8MeBqHHGxCXzr_6CXCD_EW9SJaRRy-7H0MiJe3eMRHxceVD0MWmde8hloOJ_8nseC4ix04IW_F31Lg8hkxHQHStdJyl8iO59Hampe_9b8b8k80vakhxlLhaxoxNJVNgHSHg1TpzAgJhHgCWoJYtA/s4032/PXL_20220815_005829883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK7tC3z3bCa3m_5_wXtlrt4nc8UXzp_-uqPBSME8MeBqHHGxCXzr_6CXCD_EW9SJaRRy-7H0MiJe3eMRHxceVD0MWmde8hloOJ_8nseC4ix04IW_F31Lg8hkxHQHStdJyl8iO59Hampe_9b8b8k80vakhxlLhaxoxNJVNgHSHg1TpzAgJhHgCWoJYtA/s320/PXL_20220815_005829883.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a grill that we made sure to use</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9lfsUEc8SPRUDDxgNnOA7sbOteRJTxRwtUcNEBa6wZHBbgp3MLfPGvHUZ9ZNe3FGB7DPlLRumo2cGRWp3IgwROxDN661IGOFY-P3ZXAHYya4sBTkSj-E5EwDG_hieicUkjcpy8CxxDQspgYOOiMec9QoyWMZdpQG9nI6ai99k3VrZLL6ROKFIqDbvw/s4032/PXL_20220815_013400710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9lfsUEc8SPRUDDxgNnOA7sbOteRJTxRwtUcNEBa6wZHBbgp3MLfPGvHUZ9ZNe3FGB7DPlLRumo2cGRWp3IgwROxDN661IGOFY-P3ZXAHYya4sBTkSj-E5EwDG_hieicUkjcpy8CxxDQspgYOOiMec9QoyWMZdpQG9nI6ai99k3VrZLL6ROKFIqDbvw/s320/PXL_20220815_013400710.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a pond</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV8DuxNm3EsHAHtCs332mnzJsdB0jOd2gZKqX4Qh-3UJw07LId_iXQM4LnRINrGvcApNO8-EmhEJYzMsVxybk_6Eeg-ivky2_rjKlODHJailefGV045i_Wbvz6mxoij99WSufrSnHlgfgpGvlfmC7W-SGTPNR6IAHTm_Ucxb3ejMlSQjyXzWVyF46Zw/s4032/PXL_20220815_022641488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV8DuxNm3EsHAHtCs332mnzJsdB0jOd2gZKqX4Qh-3UJw07LId_iXQM4LnRINrGvcApNO8-EmhEJYzMsVxybk_6Eeg-ivky2_rjKlODHJailefGV045i_Wbvz6mxoij99WSufrSnHlgfgpGvlfmC7W-SGTPNR6IAHTm_Ucxb3ejMlSQjyXzWVyF46Zw/s320/PXL_20220815_022641488.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan brought his wok and cooked us a stirfry the first night</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJosynuMITNxZL0btJYJae2e1EKMARLsL0SYMHNZqYAjaC7Lr5d-6ie0odlBybHF7ea06pvb3jd9FtlRd0S68XYxi3tnkMEd3_8z9-B-boQPmnqU3JdG-dE4dNepgq_Hw_FMbP_NakyREvhLamSvhLbZlOIVyJNOYlP_BX3rPhMDFu3KW6DU5uSrtnSg/s4032/PXL_20220815_040738382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJosynuMITNxZL0btJYJae2e1EKMARLsL0SYMHNZqYAjaC7Lr5d-6ie0odlBybHF7ea06pvb3jd9FtlRd0S68XYxi3tnkMEd3_8z9-B-boQPmnqU3JdG-dE4dNepgq_Hw_FMbP_NakyREvhLamSvhLbZlOIVyJNOYlP_BX3rPhMDFu3KW6DU5uSrtnSg/s320/PXL_20220815_040738382.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We enjoyed the firepit, roasted marshmallow, and stargazing</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Our first day we headed into town and meandered/window shopped a bit. Unfortunately, our timing being there Sunday-Wednesday was a little weird - clearly the town runs a little more on the weekend crowd. But we found a decent place for lunch and enjoyed a wine tasting before heading back to the cabin to relax and make dinner.<div><br /></div><div>The next day we took it easy in the morning since I hadn't been feeling great the night before - watched some shows and I practiced a bit. Ryan had booked us a kayak rental for the afternoon. It had been ages since I'd kayaked, but the rental place was great about getting us set up. It was way more tiring on my arms than I remember from when I was a kid! But fun to see the water and shoreline that way. Some people wrapping up as we arrived were very excited about having seen a whale. Sounded like the whale had moved on, but I kept an eye out while we were out anyway. Partly because it would be cool to see but also because I really didn't want to accidentally get too close to a whale. Not only are you supposed to leave them lots of space, but a close whale encounter in a kayak seems like it would be mildly terrifying. We did not see any whales, or much wildlife at all, while we were out. But just as we were pulling back in, the woman helping us saw the whale at a beach not far from where we were coming in! She ran and got us all binoculars - it's out of season for whales, but this one grey whale has been coming close in to lots of the harbors this year, enjoying more of the ghost shrimp. It was really cool to see and I'm glad we enjoyed it from the shore. </div><div><br /></div><div>We headed out to dinner at a local restaurant, Prima Bistro, which was excellent (and one of just a few restaurants open on a Tuesday evening). The next morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before packing up and heading to the ferry to go back home. It was a thoroughly relaxing few days and we'll likely stay at the cabin again in the future - there are a lot more parks and little towns to explore on the island, but honestly the cabin is also a great place to hole up away from everyday life for a bit as well.</div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-2455713303403398462022-08-23T21:56:00.002-07:002022-08-23T21:56:48.184-07:00Little ThingsSo many little things make me happy as an adult, things I would have found very mundane and boring as a kid. Maximizing our space is always something we're thinking of, so got inspired by my sister and brother in law's storage of their spices and set about to mimic their system when we got home. Got the first dozen spices set up and just got more boxes delivered to finish up the rest of the herbs and spices.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6KUZPaAfnmBJpaKXFkOq2dJ9QH6cnZG1xn5KkjahdEnhsb95Lyknd9H5sjVR0JOgXrxqOGpnRRJrGgXp1g7HLbZ3WiJURyQGlYHzdWIfURiTvPJfNgzagkJbOvoqQrYQwsjd0bvE6NKjjamXIuinGrKsQao0lgQtfMV2GQgk8CxwrjEbHiBn81TYfQ/s4032/PXL_20220812_042709294.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6KUZPaAfnmBJpaKXFkOq2dJ9QH6cnZG1xn5KkjahdEnhsb95Lyknd9H5sjVR0JOgXrxqOGpnRRJrGgXp1g7HLbZ3WiJURyQGlYHzdWIfURiTvPJfNgzagkJbOvoqQrYQwsjd0bvE6NKjjamXIuinGrKsQao0lgQtfMV2GQgk8CxwrjEbHiBn81TYfQ/s320/PXL_20220812_042709294.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-65375586376602018682022-08-13T18:51:00.001-07:002022-08-14T08:02:19.220-07:00Utah 2022<p>We finally pulled off the trip to Salt Lake that was supposed to happen in 2020! My sister's kids are the closest in age to our kids of all the cousins and we really enjoy hanging out with their family, so have been looking forward to this trip.</p><p>Because airfares were ridiculously expensive, we had to opt for layovers and leave on a morning flight. We left for the airport before 6am to allow extra time with all the flight shenanigans that have been happening lately. However, all went smoothly (aside from having to dodge a couple dead rats along our sidewalk, gross)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPw4G92rUFAt1pXdyNbrj7qW9StZj4D19JUgU8HzXdHQeKAzLbCIzzAhs8xXr-Z1gq6svjkbps-AKnqpIAcUK7Mml85OihBrugjihCchK4-Nso-rGqTVX7vrdK5RDKNzAHSD6Ng-hmjnLP5GH7uFB9C6qs_NN-72J9OHoSt-d8WGJw6GLC4z5-4ONrQ/s4032/PXL_20220723_121136152.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPw4G92rUFAt1pXdyNbrj7qW9StZj4D19JUgU8HzXdHQeKAzLbCIzzAhs8xXr-Z1gq6svjkbps-AKnqpIAcUK7Mml85OihBrugjihCchK4-Nso-rGqTVX7vrdK5RDKNzAHSD6Ng-hmjnLP5GH7uFB9C6qs_NN-72J9OHoSt-d8WGJw6GLC4z5-4ONrQ/s320/PXL_20220723_121136152.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We decided to try out a loft-style room, which provided us a little separation from the kids. The concept was kinda cool, but there was still just the one bathroom and I couldn't decide if I preferred that this was up in the loft or if I would have rather had it in the main room. Some other awkward points - the only mirrors were up in the loft (bathroom mirror and full length) and the only dresser was down in the main room. So, cool idea but could have used some better execution. The kids had to sleep on the sofa bed - ideally I think I'd love a room with two kings, but that seems rare to find in a hotel. Lifestyle creep has not got to the point where I'll pay for two separate rooms yet.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGBnUFvTFDfaHNKsAfC9Lms5P3OdeIhVSoII3aC7fc0rF77X_6hw6vg1PLTvnE2tXu2ukLpypqsK7JzGZzsLulh5PnLr6WA8A3O5UPvYSribNl76v9vsmXE89OUPmJYpQm6kI8op8bl9TXUqPK0ITYT8Qubi23lcKLxB3HxvHmt9frS9buYM6cKwdCA/s2048/PXL_20220723_213324692_exported_836_1658614431769.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1232" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGBnUFvTFDfaHNKsAfC9Lms5P3OdeIhVSoII3aC7fc0rF77X_6hw6vg1PLTvnE2tXu2ukLpypqsK7JzGZzsLulh5PnLr6WA8A3O5UPvYSribNl76v9vsmXE89OUPmJYpQm6kI8op8bl9TXUqPK0ITYT8Qubi23lcKLxB3HxvHmt9frS9buYM6cKwdCA/s320/PXL_20220723_213324692_exported_836_1658614431769.jpg" width="193" /></a></div><br /><div>The mattress on the bed was good at the Sheraton, however lots of other frustrations. We obviously checked in with 4 people there, yet they didn't ask if we needed bedding for the sofa bed. So then we had to call to ask for it. Twice. There were only two towels in the room and we also had to call twice to get more towels - I'm honestly not sure that would have done it if we hadn't run into the housekeeper and just asked them for extra ourselves. Don't know why the front desk wasn't actually conveying those needs to housekeeping. And we'd paid extra on the room fee to include breakfast - the package was for 4 - 2 adults + 2 kids under 12. I wasn't expecting to get it for G, but on check-in they went ahead and gave us 4 tickets for the next day, which I appreciated. The breakfast was not that great, but if you stuck to fruit/toast/yogurt it was palatable enough. We were told we had to ask for breakfast tickets daily and they continued to give us 4 without issue for a couple more days. Then they claimed that we should have received all the tickets at check in and that it was only for 2 breakfasts per day. They "didn't want me to feel bad" (um...I don't? I was up front about my one kid being older than the rate and they kept giving me 4 anyway and now I'm just annoyed that you're pulling a bait and switch on me and claiming the deal was always for 2 breakfasts). </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPcrxwxR-SV3KkaKeXuuoVLtYG2N4Fh7KBCnFTmjot8-7XfULCGyb8weLD-GgoTGgN7p_q3Fpsdy7UUptPdjUhY6fUfbNtkbtIBXoZ91U5ELVmJYt60AwikKDpXia6HhnAvs6ZdKmhtmehdeOgIXeBmFf5_u2eEps6CA7yX3iREwMvmT0MwQW3ELS3A/s4032/PXL_20220727_153533580.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPcrxwxR-SV3KkaKeXuuoVLtYG2N4Fh7KBCnFTmjot8-7XfULCGyb8weLD-GgoTGgN7p_q3Fpsdy7UUptPdjUhY6fUfbNtkbtIBXoZ91U5ELVmJYt60AwikKDpXia6HhnAvs6ZdKmhtmehdeOgIXeBmFf5_u2eEps6CA7yX3iREwMvmT0MwQW3ELS3A/s320/PXL_20220727_153533580.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are just floating in undefined space, apparently</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Add onto that that some of the electrical outlets stopped working part way through our stay, the broken hand towel bar, and the generic fire escape route posted on the door (that neither has the room actually marked nor matches the actual layout of the floor) and the place overall just felt a little sketchy for what is supposed to be a 4-star hotel. The good mattress was clearly leftover from pre-Marriott takeover days and based on everything else I wouldn't trust Marriott to keep the good quality mattresses much longer. Thankfully we weren't spending much time actually in the hotel, so it wasn't worth trying to find another place. But now we know for next time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our first morning we started with a trip to the <a href="https://www.kingsenglish.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">King's English Bookshop</a> and all chose some books - the kids and I had brought books/kindles with us, but you can really never have too many. I picked out <i><a href="https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9780385547345" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lessons in Chemistry</a></i>, which I highly recommend, with the caveat of some pretty serious trigger warnings for rape, sexual assault, suicide, and death. And while from those trigger warnings you can tell there's some very serious content, it also managed to make me laugh frequently and the characters were utterly delightful. After the bookstore, we headed to their pool. My sister had told us the cantina there was better than a pool/health club cantina had any right to be and she was not wrong. They had tacos and homemade tamales and someone who works there knows how to pick mangos, because they were delicious. We hit up the pool twice during this trip on days where we just needed time to relax.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over the next couple days we visited Red Butte Gardens and hiked up to the Living Room lookout - it was <i>so</i> hot and there's very little to no shade and we all needed about twice as much water as we had. Ryan turned around a little early with our niece, who was struggling as we neared the top. The rest of us made it to the lookout and then back down, and managed to stretch our water supply to last, but it was definitely rough there are the end. It's not a long hike, and in the PNW we would've had more reprieve from the sun (and probably lower temps generally). So, lesson learned to always bring way more water than you think you need when hiking in Utah. One of our pool days was the day after this hike to make up for overworking everyone.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZq2J6dMo00Sazh2QLiQ36H3vcbhxjVmiByd9tmw_hqo2EBVZBK7UQDVv-WoJeE3LGpOGjSwJ1XQqdlbXeseJoBdfUAcEm96pf9jbze8ZRU1SilTL5yh5QhaMq1CUHgbLZokUxiWgKlhm8cDHKBHYeSC_n-KS_DMOMKjgjDZM--bbnU_Lo4EUsO90NJQ/s4032/PXL_20220727_174107594.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZq2J6dMo00Sazh2QLiQ36H3vcbhxjVmiByd9tmw_hqo2EBVZBK7UQDVv-WoJeE3LGpOGjSwJ1XQqdlbXeseJoBdfUAcEm96pf9jbze8ZRU1SilTL5yh5QhaMq1CUHgbLZokUxiWgKlhm8cDHKBHYeSC_n-KS_DMOMKjgjDZM--bbnU_Lo4EUsO90NJQ/s320/PXL_20220727_174107594.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknJLBCPHy-4r7FaOFuMzK6BpRPjsv8xNjyjbQ_ETjP81bViE3cfRmZ2ZaHOrksH6rVzv40XqUxBRTXaz54ODNyppjuUE1y5-NNwvtv66YEO5pZlGhjauKoxDI_1-_dEA42aclSmCaxT6U7jVH-a3G7bA_0M_B2WQqQ7i7kgYTtM6QH3kEwi-FYYPqtQ/s4032/PXL_20220727_180759693.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknJLBCPHy-4r7FaOFuMzK6BpRPjsv8xNjyjbQ_ETjP81bViE3cfRmZ2ZaHOrksH6rVzv40XqUxBRTXaz54ODNyppjuUE1y5-NNwvtv66YEO5pZlGhjauKoxDI_1-_dEA42aclSmCaxT6U7jVH-a3G7bA_0M_B2WQqQ7i7kgYTtM6QH3kEwi-FYYPqtQ/s320/PXL_20220727_180759693.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>One afternoon we went on a distillery tour at <a href="https://www.dentedbrick.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dented Brick Distillery</a>. It was really cool to learn about the distilling process and see the very steampunk looking stills. As with breweries, the spent grain from distilleries is also sent off to farms to feed livestock - during my internship, we met up with a cow nutritionist at a local brewery and learned about how they use the spent grain plus other food to carefully balance the feed they give dairy cows; before then I'd never realized there were people with PhDs in animal nutrition, but it makes sense once you hear them talk about it and realize it's not as simple as just putting animals out to graze! This distillery sends their spent grain to a local pig farm. We tried white whiskey, which is whiskey that has not been put into barrels, alongside standard barrel-aged whisky and the difference between the flavors of the two was surprisingly stark. The white whisky does taste like whisky, but very single-note flavor. You can immediately smell and taste a lot more depth to the regular whisky - vanilla, clove, etc. I particularly enjoy gin-based drinks, so we also tried that and was very impressed with the flavor packed into this gin. I'm not usually one to drink liquor straight, but after you have an initial sip and get past the "omg, alcohol" throat-burning feel, this one was really good. Martinis are quite possibly the stupidest "cocktail" ever, because it's literally just gin (or vodka) in a glass that's had some vermouth swirled in it. And I guess some olives, but I don't like olives. So basically just straight liquor - why does that need it's own drink name?? And why would you use vodka which usually tastes like nothing?? But I could see a martini actually being decent with this gin (or with their vodka, which also had a little pleasant flavor to it). We picked up a couple bottles of their gin to bring home as well as a rum finished in cabernet barrels, because Ryan is a sucker for anything barrel-aged/finished. </div><div><br /></div><div>We also dragged the kids to BYU one day, mainly because Ryan was interested in seeing what things were like after not having been on campus in 15 years. It was really hot and we were all pretty miserable walking around. But some fun nostaglic moments. We entered campus through the Museum of Art since we parked there and did a brief walkthrough of the main floor exhibitions. They're tearing down the music building next year, so I did end up being a little glad I walked through there one last time. Ryan and I spent a significant chunk of our getting to know each other time in the HFAC hallways, and of course most of my classes were there. We also went to the room Ryan had most of his classes in. While walking on campus we overheard a missionary telling someone that they had been out for 16 months and it was "so much fun" and that being in the BYU mission was a really great experience - which made Ryan and I laugh because we know that opening up a mission call to BYU campus has to be one of the most disappointing moments in a young Mormon's life.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpJ1EDUNXnYH-8w3WnWWy5NIXVUXMqCfq9LZYN5W-vCLCUZKV-at8-Cx_caEx2DOHdNPkIvJ1t7abaHfNNiA6ho57VppmK1cEe0RXWUd6fezVs9LdyRGv4B5d_dTMKuAeWnrbMBnUgolsSvbsx-lqod3Q_riUACahMKMpfKxPY9JJbca4IPup612SnQ/s4032/PXL_20220726_211720785.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpJ1EDUNXnYH-8w3WnWWy5NIXVUXMqCfq9LZYN5W-vCLCUZKV-at8-Cx_caEx2DOHdNPkIvJ1t7abaHfNNiA6ho57VppmK1cEe0RXWUd6fezVs9LdyRGv4B5d_dTMKuAeWnrbMBnUgolsSvbsx-lqod3Q_riUACahMKMpfKxPY9JJbca4IPup612SnQ/s320/PXL_20220726_211720785.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visited what we dubbed the "Joseph Jensen Memorial Hallway", because Joe could always be found there - many of us spent a lot of time in this hallway chatting</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvmM3ylVxXSWzee__AYcrLbi8zMl_iENI5w_vI0qyHObZtMKl170xcyy4RYoFssMOHp2uNSP4GCWRqehRj9zS5re5ZBsl05S7PsJsDLouuAamK_Qvo85_U0zdm_sg_DpA57Eg8hARsKbO7fesyuGjttS4aSqLNom8zSpjCwAAm1E6FIhPPNmDhApQdA/s4032/PXL_20220726_220910203.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvmM3ylVxXSWzee__AYcrLbi8zMl_iENI5w_vI0qyHObZtMKl170xcyy4RYoFssMOHp2uNSP4GCWRqehRj9zS5re5ZBsl05S7PsJsDLouuAamK_Qvo85_U0zdm_sg_DpA57Eg8hARsKbO7fesyuGjttS4aSqLNom8zSpjCwAAm1E6FIhPPNmDhApQdA/s320/PXL_20220726_220910203.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found an old school sharpener to be fascinated by</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>We tried to find the spot where we got engaged, but they tore down Heritage Halls and replaced them and I think they redid the whole walkway/water area when they did that, because there were parts of what we remembered there, but the exact spot didn't seem to exist anymore. I think it's nice they at least kept Heritage Halls as the apartment style rather than converting them to dorm style housing, but I was disappointed to see that they just re-named the new Heritage Halls buildings with numbers - those had to have been some of the only buildings on campus named for women. </div><div><br /></div><div>We took the kids to see Regency apartments, where I lived my junior year and then, for comparison, took them to see Park Place, where Ryan lived for a couple years. They could easily see that Park Place was significantly crappier than Regency. Regency was a unicorn kind of complex because it was incredibly close to campus, relatively nice (not rich kid nice, but quite good compared to a lot of student housing), and not insanely expensive. We had to get up really early to line up for a contract there back in the day. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpaX9K-5uJ-wHU2izX2pyO1V8E2FUXVEe42tFh3A0ZkmqaTnIKAvPJGIYTcWpL9hqxAqRo-iPMKsZJ5JuM_D6yH0-PHTcdpeOipdRzu1xUH91WzK39KtQalYfh2Rdcd8cowHjGDq-8grtjNc679gnX9LoWoRNijV7o-SwDLkG-G-RQfmwK8H26IX_mw/s4032/PXL_20220726_222338611.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpaX9K-5uJ-wHU2izX2pyO1V8E2FUXVEe42tFh3A0ZkmqaTnIKAvPJGIYTcWpL9hqxAqRo-iPMKsZJ5JuM_D6yH0-PHTcdpeOipdRzu1xUH91WzK39KtQalYfh2Rdcd8cowHjGDq-8grtjNc679gnX9LoWoRNijV7o-SwDLkG-G-RQfmwK8H26IX_mw/s320/PXL_20220726_222338611.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan and I spent a lot of time talking on that landing before he left my apartment each night</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Regency also still had the same porch swing that Ryan and I would sit on sometimes - kinda crazy that 15 years later some of those things are still around. Around the corner from Park Place, there is now a boba tea place which we tried out (someone selling fake coffee in the same building tried to get us to buy their stuff, but no, we were there for boba). Everything was too sweet and they had run out of tapioca pearls, but the student working was really nice about trying to make things less sweet for us - I had to remind Ryan that we were in Provo after all and most people there don't actually drink tea or anything that's not incredibly sweet. And the employee did a great job adapting what she had available to a less-sweet palate. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was quite surprised by all the new food places that have sprung up in the area. My sister gave us some recommendations for places they like there, but we didn't have time to try them out, unfortunately. And there were Korean and Peruvian places near our old apartments - no idea how good they are, but way more variety than when we were in school. After boba we were all refreshed enough to make the trek back up to campus, where we tried to make things a little less boring for the kids by taking them to the student center for some bowling. Then we hit up the Creamery for ice cream before heading back to Salt Lake.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyeKc9ps2En0vJf1OhiAlfgkxDS-Ge0X1PabOc9fu-ivQI7MksLuUIX9MDMgBGTU96xLHnKuykcoozXgpesxw23iA2Ddav-CVQ-ju7uG4ZeHmz1_6uE-rEiaJOLCiO7PfTjR82x1lXXPBqI821UWBV9Z4rn3iIaBHlGOun4rMRuCWfF_iPnpeMCG-bw/s4032/PXL_20220727_002340762.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyeKc9ps2En0vJf1OhiAlfgkxDS-Ge0X1PabOc9fu-ivQI7MksLuUIX9MDMgBGTU96xLHnKuykcoozXgpesxw23iA2Ddav-CVQ-ju7uG4ZeHmz1_6uE-rEiaJOLCiO7PfTjR82x1lXXPBqI821UWBV9Z4rn3iIaBHlGOun4rMRuCWfF_iPnpeMCG-bw/s320/PXL_20220727_002340762.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />We also headed over to City Creek and got some Italian Ice - I'm so jealous that they have a place there and we don't have one here!! My sister gave us a driving tour of the city as well - texting us from their car while we drove behind them worked quite well. One day we stopped by the houses in the Avenues where my great-great grandmother lived and where our grandmother would visit. The house next to that was one that my great-grandmother moved into at some point and was inherited by my grandmother's brother and he lived there until he passed away as far as I know. We ate lots of delicious food at many of their favorite eateries, of course. And the cousins spent lots of time playing video games together. Our oldest kids are pretty much mirrors of each other and immediately bonded - it's always a little mind-boggling just how similar they are. The younger two are also incredibly similar, but they seem to have a harder time bonding - though they did seem to make some progress in that they weren't actively ignoring each other anymore by the time we left.</div><div><br /></div><div>For our final day, we all got up early to make the trip down to Arches. Ryan and I (and therefore the kids) hadn't been and it's been on my list of places I want to see for a while, so it didn't take much for my brother-in-law to convince us to go. It was quite a drive to do it in one day, but I think worth it. We got up early and hit their favorite bagel place (Utah has real bagels now!) - aptly named The Bagel Project - before heading down to Moab. Ate lunch in Moab and stopped at a rock shop before heading into the park. The rock shop has some very nice, very expensive items - we let the kids each choose one not very expensive item, because M is very into rocks right now and we knew he'd come back with his hands full of things if we didn't set some guidelines. </div><div><br /></div><div>The park has timed entry passes right now, which worked smoothly. After a stop at the visitor's center to refill water and buy some small souvenirs, we headed through the park. We definitely did not do the park how Edward Abbey would want us to, but the goal was not to give anyone heat exhaustion and to get a taste of it/see some of the nicest parts while achieving that goal. So we mostly drove the park. Saw Two Windows and Double Arch - the only "hike" we did actually to an arch, which was more like a short walk. But in the heat it felt quite long, especially for some of the kids. We considered also walking out to two windows, but some of us were pretty worn down from the heat just doing the walk to double arch, so we settled for viewing those from a distance. Then we drove on to a couple more viewpoints, before heading to Delicate Arch. We did not hike out to delicate arch either as we had neither the time nor the stamina/water for that with the sun beating down on us. We did an even shorter walk from the parking area to a viewpoint. It doesn't sound like much, but we did spend a few hours in the park, even with as little as we did. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmd_58Ft28FRP5YMaJ3ZF0x6IZct2SlTl_lc9VZ2KeyVVUIolLlutsFRcpn16CQEbMQOcsBlZZ2vUwU-Ct6o7ghNZ7hFcT2P3P1VnV70ib3r9cnhrkpTMdGXLXbLBYKW6JHEmgnW8QBfYjmohhpZyiLtR_e68qdgDHgVr7xwiv0-2lzNvfOjhMs1Vsw/s4032/PXL_20220729_211313133.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmd_58Ft28FRP5YMaJ3ZF0x6IZct2SlTl_lc9VZ2KeyVVUIolLlutsFRcpn16CQEbMQOcsBlZZ2vUwU-Ct6o7ghNZ7hFcT2P3P1VnV70ib3r9cnhrkpTMdGXLXbLBYKW6JHEmgnW8QBfYjmohhpZyiLtR_e68qdgDHgVr7xwiv0-2lzNvfOjhMs1Vsw/s320/PXL_20220729_211313133.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learned about the jobs people do in the park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Rb_Wubxa0pR2M12CmCWA2HMucOANSLP47EVrK-ugJhecDb516EDcZ303YhduJm83UfRwV9AvOY_U4ujn4IkAMbiR4iuszxZ8_t4QIKIZFDpjgYpzcwcjtORjgVMMwBVtIdTnphKeVF5fLH9PZfUptsACYDFeucUvX0SmSh5Xy8qI0mD3tp27Cr5nWA/s4032/PXL_20220729_213859615.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Rb_Wubxa0pR2M12CmCWA2HMucOANSLP47EVrK-ugJhecDb516EDcZ303YhduJm83UfRwV9AvOY_U4ujn4IkAMbiR4iuszxZ8_t4QIKIZFDpjgYpzcwcjtORjgVMMwBVtIdTnphKeVF5fLH9PZfUptsACYDFeucUvX0SmSh5Xy8qI0mD3tp27Cr5nWA/s320/PXL_20220729_213859615.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibfE3Hsz86mZKQoaYGBf8bYaIbx-P8-hMX-_vfGXMC5g4Gp5REH8Ef_Ylf7ysdfGQekjszGBDse23ASNSRXy9k9hIMSLXf0JgD_Ws_O6sVy5OLxt-e0whmDOj7sUckKieFdlmr-Z_eCsMjn5c1vCtEGfJunBavvS2e47f4rDma5yW5PPIdAJgSkvolg/s4032/PXL_20220729_214406407.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibfE3Hsz86mZKQoaYGBf8bYaIbx-P8-hMX-_vfGXMC5g4Gp5REH8Ef_Ylf7ysdfGQekjszGBDse23ASNSRXy9k9hIMSLXf0JgD_Ws_O6sVy5OLxt-e0whmDOj7sUckKieFdlmr-Z_eCsMjn5c1vCtEGfJunBavvS2e47f4rDma5yW5PPIdAJgSkvolg/s320/PXL_20220729_214406407.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEVWjvv_cejeIgFZY38OJ9Dj2qsAtQO3YVxLkBVnZvsad71Xq5gFK0IKkei3y9YvNh3PFDlmgwgUQQc2jdZaOZCNnUqrhLQnKqlj67J6Pzv7rijCSHNFT-G7Vh3QOFbnAossxdP5LRxxHxjJCH__rHtr7fA0sCNXzxGMxDLwAHoYa0gWG4Ma9vl_LwA/s4032/PXL_20220729_221837795.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEVWjvv_cejeIgFZY38OJ9Dj2qsAtQO3YVxLkBVnZvsad71Xq5gFK0IKkei3y9YvNh3PFDlmgwgUQQc2jdZaOZCNnUqrhLQnKqlj67J6Pzv7rijCSHNFT-G7Vh3QOFbnAossxdP5LRxxHxjJCH__rHtr7fA0sCNXzxGMxDLwAHoYa0gWG4Ma9vl_LwA/s320/PXL_20220729_221837795.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgh-ZcP_RWH4S3OlsA-engTnIqOyfeVbqg1JWqLQumthcQnEvKchY3TEUmSzSi6jwD-2WfyrELAUKc-TVJ-UOzvd0y_58gxl325GY2NGwv9kO9HDPsa_P-nBn564SJGZF_Fm0MztMF5A2jWIVbCWCr2cnT9frjCpGKr-1JYl_EzZCzM2QxVUgY5CUcbw/s4032/PXL_20220729_220418552.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgh-ZcP_RWH4S3OlsA-engTnIqOyfeVbqg1JWqLQumthcQnEvKchY3TEUmSzSi6jwD-2WfyrELAUKc-TVJ-UOzvd0y_58gxl325GY2NGwv9kO9HDPsa_P-nBn564SJGZF_Fm0MztMF5A2jWIVbCWCr2cnT9frjCpGKr-1JYl_EzZCzM2QxVUgY5CUcbw/s320/PXL_20220729_220418552.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWPo7lkq6EL7hEQv25GmloF3fPXkkm70jbSybN1-xubnivREq9RByI0VR19RQ9OBDvQmo35xiCrhxhdxcd_zTV4RQResXiOcMIDx06WALIFlRbTVe9_5i5keexycq8sRUZCkuTQquq5ian8_HLUvJJ2PM9gQ_CbCWzkz7scKUS0DPxp1ys8npTw6fgA/s4032/PXL_20220729_230737672.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWPo7lkq6EL7hEQv25GmloF3fPXkkm70jbSybN1-xubnivREq9RByI0VR19RQ9OBDvQmo35xiCrhxhdxcd_zTV4RQResXiOcMIDx06WALIFlRbTVe9_5i5keexycq8sRUZCkuTQquq5ian8_HLUvJJ2PM9gQ_CbCWzkz7scKUS0DPxp1ys8npTw6fgA/s320/PXL_20220729_230737672.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXvU1ID7PnsDq3l2zULI7_abqu-Gulo8HXOMhN86Cd6DK0-7yGERrnLUh9-74BinfJvDdOHsXQV9q8kJTu-fKokDQ2B9RUXbclu50nPzwj_BzwcRzQ6E5op1EWUcD0yxvi6PWbKE86c8H0oYFrLoe2YwSFDgPDEr37iaVRozes882E9_D58-n5pHDew/s4032/PXL_20220729_232648704.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXvU1ID7PnsDq3l2zULI7_abqu-Gulo8HXOMhN86Cd6DK0-7yGERrnLUh9-74BinfJvDdOHsXQV9q8kJTu-fKokDQ2B9RUXbclu50nPzwj_BzwcRzQ6E5op1EWUcD0yxvi6PWbKE86c8H0oYFrLoe2YwSFDgPDEr37iaVRozes882E9_D58-n5pHDew/s320/PXL_20220729_232648704.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>We knew we'd get back to Salt Lake really late, so we stopped in Helper for one last meal together at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/balancerockeatery/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Balance Rock Eatery & Pub</a> - none of us had been there before, but were delighted with it. The only downside was the portions were huge - the 3 chicken strips were more like 3 chicken breast halves plus served with multiple (delicious) sides. No way could I finish it all, which was sad given how delicious it was. But excellent way to wrap up our time together, as we were flying out the next morning, to the disappointment of all the kids. Here's hoping we don't have to wait so long before we all get together again!</div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-16370868067847472032022-06-24T16:41:00.001-07:002022-06-24T16:41:46.151-07:00Honkfest and Birthday Walk<p>Nothing much going on here, just plugging away at life. The kids wrapped up the schoolyear, which felt like it flew by from my perspective. G will be doing driver's ed this summer and it was a shock to the system to realize they let kids get their permits/licenses so young here - there were multiple freshman taking their driver's ed courses during the schoolyear but I just couldn't even think about how to fit that into the school schedule.</p><p>Shortly before the end of the schoolyear M requested we attend Honkfest, which is essentially a bunch of street bands playing throughout the day. One of the after school care counselors was playing in a band, so hence the interest. I took him down to Columbia City to experience that. Very mixed quality of the groups. They had 3 bands playing at any given time, but spaced out such that it wasn't a cacophonous mess; we stayed for a while, got him some lunch, and then headed back home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBd0vvxfkgkLRXuy6psNr40By2HDmg2rEiIcQ_TXbPNqC0cTgg0sbvwlnO9cGLH1v187UWRsTc20P7yac0WxxcJd76K0M89Htt8754B_NTQvVb72tl9--3vJNe3fgRsAJVhGU7VrP4ZQDRT_mG1RMonw6U388MtvE-_r9PgO9llTHwBLSoKbgDR83lg/s4032/PXL_20220604_212142635.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBd0vvxfkgkLRXuy6psNr40By2HDmg2rEiIcQ_TXbPNqC0cTgg0sbvwlnO9cGLH1v187UWRsTc20P7yac0WxxcJd76K0M89Htt8754B_NTQvVb72tl9--3vJNe3fgRsAJVhGU7VrP4ZQDRT_mG1RMonw6U388MtvE-_r9PgO9llTHwBLSoKbgDR83lg/s320/PXL_20220604_212142635.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>On Ryan's birthday we both took off work, thinking we'd go on a day trip somewhere. We had picked Bellingham, but then he didn't feel like driving - fair enough, a 2+ hour drive each way isn't how I'd want to spend my birthday either. A couple weeks earlier he'd asked if it was possible to walk all the way downtown, if one wanted to. I said I was sure you could and we confirmed on the map that indeed, you can do that. The weather was decent on his birthday, so he decided we should try it out. We ended up only going to Capitol Hill because our feet were a little sore by the time we made it to our lunch spot. Google wants to take you in a pretty direct line there, but that keeps you along busier roads and not far from I-5 at points and we wanted a more scenic hike. We opted to stay off the busiest roads for the most part, walk through UW campus and across Montlake Bridge. Things got a little hairy for a bit just after that due to all the construction on 520 - Google tried to tell us to go through some federal property that was very much not open to the public! - but we sorted it out and made our way to Interlaken Park. This felt like a proper foresty hike just nestled in a (super expensive) neighborhood. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzSP8jp9DWjzLsbfE8aCggBwWI5k_V53iOAGOVljEmWi9sN05FsES7VTxMEMmkNXEmffnqcuvNqXJMUeIgO6b4eKm8y4zBoGl8WN7Rs2uHKCOyp9y11mw1FENMPHBPGk6DHhleYqFR-2JFR1LX7B3QDXfXv_emMkKUDHAWpJWLCIrqmIfuRcXLHBk_A/s4032/PXL_20220601_192009734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzSP8jp9DWjzLsbfE8aCggBwWI5k_V53iOAGOVljEmWi9sN05FsES7VTxMEMmkNXEmffnqcuvNqXJMUeIgO6b4eKm8y4zBoGl8WN7Rs2uHKCOyp9y11mw1FENMPHBPGk6DHhleYqFR-2JFR1LX7B3QDXfXv_emMkKUDHAWpJWLCIrqmIfuRcXLHBk_A/s320/PXL_20220601_192009734.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkxiu7tP4V1pWtCJcMipxclG633hFMcF6r0iPNRE51LL4-QSdFUjeaHdqM6JRCtOFyuXtnIc19JArPKWslClYF2i67sUc27Ksl9A974crXXgc62r_xtKnPd65iEDrMbye2fKWePuXvtR_AR5PgD29hxJ_yJnj7bqX2JEahziU9YbKIA0lTCScYfNXEg/s4032/PXL_20220601_192320182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkxiu7tP4V1pWtCJcMipxclG633hFMcF6r0iPNRE51LL4-QSdFUjeaHdqM6JRCtOFyuXtnIc19JArPKWslClYF2i67sUc27Ksl9A974crXXgc62r_xtKnPd65iEDrMbye2fKWePuXvtR_AR5PgD29hxJ_yJnj7bqX2JEahziU9YbKIA0lTCScYfNXEg/s320/PXL_20220601_192320182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After winding through there, we went through Volunteer Park and then just a short bit further on to our destination. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWzvLdV6z9ele1y5l7Epmy8e1tstGqfpzxEbb5Q2eFpKHbKSMRqCRlqLtGX8DZYUkPc30J_c9Qh1h43htqoyXV9bLjXXQLnoJhSzrLT4O2tFqwP4q0RXpuVHR37Ya04Wer9xyO2kEHRG-ejqBY5x0xGW_4IRrYBc6tUcEj7ehSzkYvDetsc14Y18QAg/s4032/PXL_20220601_195700936.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWzvLdV6z9ele1y5l7Epmy8e1tstGqfpzxEbb5Q2eFpKHbKSMRqCRlqLtGX8DZYUkPc30J_c9Qh1h43htqoyXV9bLjXXQLnoJhSzrLT4O2tFqwP4q0RXpuVHR37Ya04Wer9xyO2kEHRG-ejqBY5x0xGW_4IRrYBc6tUcEj7ehSzkYvDetsc14Y18QAg/s320/PXL_20220601_195700936.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDqUTjY3QiqpLfSSOiYLkzs6HLSzf6Vu1KM-4tFvi1L8ouj2o5YTHkigt0LBvvq96Bbokx0O0pjXJE4GCnLYGO1jjbU1WBvRYy41H2NkZq1-RspvvtyMcjCLi4RSIoF6C7G7kD7Hr_K5zbFEoeNOnaGqJg3ABpZ3Bo4ltSP7p8uZj7KgKMFDdc_OtEw/s4032/PXL_20220601_203034255.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDqUTjY3QiqpLfSSOiYLkzs6HLSzf6Vu1KM-4tFvi1L8ouj2o5YTHkigt0LBvvq96Bbokx0O0pjXJE4GCnLYGO1jjbU1WBvRYy41H2NkZq1-RspvvtyMcjCLi4RSIoF6C7G7kD7Hr_K5zbFEoeNOnaGqJg3ABpZ3Bo4ltSP7p8uZj7KgKMFDdc_OtEw/s320/PXL_20220601_203034255.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>8.2 miles total. It really wouldn't be that much further to downtown from there, so maybe we'll tack that on another time. Opted for taking the lightrail home instead of walking back - not that walking back was ever under consideration. We didn't do much else to celebrate given we were tired and I had rehearsal that night. But this felt like a good celebration all on its own.Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-81490851180713767702022-04-18T09:08:00.001-07:002022-04-18T09:08:00.216-07:00Spring Break Light Rail Outing<p>I managed to not cancel my planned days off this past week - these days coincided with some of spring break for the kids. The first day was busy with their annual checkups and then I had to run to a baby shower for a coworker. But Friday Ryan managed to take off work as well and we decided to go on a city "hike"/another light rail adventure.</p><p>We hopped on the light rail and headed for the Westlake stop. Both kids needed new shoes (M desperately so) and all the shoe stores that used to be near us are gone now since the mall is being redeveloped. M had apparently been suffering through shoes 2 sizes too small for the past several months (oops). They didn't have the shoes he liked in his kids size, but we were able to get the women's size that is equivalent (and pay $30 extra for them being women's instead of kids, sigh). </p><p>Then we headed off toward the waterfront. The kids were getting hungry, so stopped at Lowell's for lunch and got a table next to the window.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4GBub3kxcsvrLXdiwr6JKPW8fXY_PpLn_gopX3sfxZkrlaJR9ksFAtyzhmdwVptR2JJ1tQx8uzd5dTa17_kK9QX8Qi8_McWOFLkjPQgcuUqJeXo6tOD8kT13MpV4sONRLedrVUhAtSG7tfkmVRPPiIS0tH0brcCMbM_emeFKjkZwBV0gSuvMjY_mEQ/s4032/PXL_20220415_212252946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4GBub3kxcsvrLXdiwr6JKPW8fXY_PpLn_gopX3sfxZkrlaJR9ksFAtyzhmdwVptR2JJ1tQx8uzd5dTa17_kK9QX8Qi8_McWOFLkjPQgcuUqJeXo6tOD8kT13MpV4sONRLedrVUhAtSG7tfkmVRPPiIS0tH0brcCMbM_emeFKjkZwBV0gSuvMjY_mEQ/s320/PXL_20220415_212252946.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>After lunch we did a touristy thing and rode the ferris wheel. M was <i>very</i> anxious about this given their dislike of heights. But with lots of reassurance we got him to get on and realize it wasn't all that bad - the cars are completely enclosed and you're certainly not moving very fast. Some lovely views of the Sound and downtown.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa9FBWMAEL-S6DpAh04Mzu0z_rD5N5CCIek7J7HidQemhCAVlH2LwuEx9CLJWOd_bQCTguewBF0bdB9FN9JEVhGlHeEKK1YSTEg7IF5fnW1YFyytk8LVz0udq7FGaKFvhDB6xiInVuUiCDtvlZihvWfZUil6519ISLk7-rLeTR9qJOZjHp126_eDUzw/s4032/PXL_20220415_224531850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa9FBWMAEL-S6DpAh04Mzu0z_rD5N5CCIek7J7HidQemhCAVlH2LwuEx9CLJWOd_bQCTguewBF0bdB9FN9JEVhGlHeEKK1YSTEg7IF5fnW1YFyytk8LVz0udq7FGaKFvhDB6xiInVuUiCDtvlZihvWfZUil6519ISLk7-rLeTR9qJOZjHp126_eDUzw/s320/PXL_20220415_224531850.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5p_fN4YN9dctzTKU0oNg9fUq2YskvRcEJQqMiSPWD3FECJstJN0F3si9FOcbZsLpTOHhsGmjVAPr4YXtIQwas8RSQ4PMNzgog3qeHsoC6SgIcDcRx8PuVQ2qF_mXW5tq-Z3dUif6mJyCzo-cQEuKcOpi8AJzezFL7F0zYLeMsw8vh3cm19Fkhq1_Bg/s4032/PXL_20220415_224921218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv5p_fN4YN9dctzTKU0oNg9fUq2YskvRcEJQqMiSPWD3FECJstJN0F3si9FOcbZsLpTOHhsGmjVAPr4YXtIQwas8RSQ4PMNzgog3qeHsoC6SgIcDcRx8PuVQ2qF_mXW5tq-Z3dUif6mJyCzo-cQEuKcOpi8AJzezFL7F0zYLeMsw8vh3cm19Fkhq1_Bg/s320/PXL_20220415_224921218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Then we walked along the waterfront to Olympic Sculpture Park. The kids ran around on the grass while Ryan and I just enjoyed sitting for a bit. M described this piece as "some sort of art" (to be fair, he wasn't viewing it from this angle when he said that):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xiM6yl2BoFq7tasryNvPKowVOOdZQGmKfjy9bgmQBnz_xCpTu0zY8tZ21rKAT6xe_qnDnF473f1KSZxa13IuL22qiUffqyhVDZOEPL71xMNsboDRcudt8mXrEjdBbjlONJpzAtlSq5FI0KS-JVNHIBOhVmvl3NAgjHWQhX4mlIe6ATABB3F_eP10DA/s4032/PXL_20220415_233235195.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xiM6yl2BoFq7tasryNvPKowVOOdZQGmKfjy9bgmQBnz_xCpTu0zY8tZ21rKAT6xe_qnDnF473f1KSZxa13IuL22qiUffqyhVDZOEPL71xMNsboDRcudt8mXrEjdBbjlONJpzAtlSq5FI0KS-JVNHIBOhVmvl3NAgjHWQhX4mlIe6ATABB3F_eP10DA/s320/PXL_20220415_233235195.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>You could apparently walk 8+ miles if you followed the entire waterfront path, but our feet were tired. We hiked back to Seattle Center, grabbed the monorail to Westlake, then the light rail back home. I cannot overstate how much I love having light rail so close to us. Even though we had good bus access to downtown previously, it never felt as easy as the light rail. Trips like this felt like they required more planning and were therefore less likely to happen. And, of course, some of the places we can get to with light rail (Capitol Hill, for instance) were significantly more difficult to get to via bus. In my casual scrolling of unaffordable houses for sale, even when I find one I love I always end up realizing that they don't have light rail in walking distance and I can't give that up.</p>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-21668914883278046542022-04-16T09:08:00.001-07:002022-04-16T09:08:43.357-07:00February and March Whirlwind<p>Things have been on the intensely busy side the past few months. I presented at a conference and my slides were due in February with the conference occurring at the end of March. That plus my usual workload meant for a stressful first few months of the year.</p><p>We've been trying to take advantage of weekends and light rail whenever we can to get out and explore. Back in February we went to Capitol Hill again, ventured to the U-District Farmer's Market (sans G, who was off skiing with friends), and met up with friends at the aquarium. We've never been to the aquarium before since it's pricey. It was fun to check it out, but especially now that the kids are older, not something I feel I need to do regularly. M really enjoyed the things he could touch and watching the otters - especially enjoyed the fact that an otter pooped in front of us.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLo6L0EH1MJsaotTor8v1-fujpILJd-G_9RqF6B7jyxVx_WSk5F78wlxb87enxBiGGi5MNSFMiRuFZsD9iiCfPDdAwVPDUtBbp2Y00uXkKCmw0N7gQSQbRjrhVMdmPRzIs7pqN95UK8Qc5TASyIwCRupb-p3sIaPGs9slHtb15WiaqkV5cL-ufZSroNQ/s4032/PXL_20220213_215339056.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLo6L0EH1MJsaotTor8v1-fujpILJd-G_9RqF6B7jyxVx_WSk5F78wlxb87enxBiGGi5MNSFMiRuFZsD9iiCfPDdAwVPDUtBbp2Y00uXkKCmw0N7gQSQbRjrhVMdmPRzIs7pqN95UK8Qc5TASyIwCRupb-p3sIaPGs9slHtb15WiaqkV5cL-ufZSroNQ/s320/PXL_20220213_215339056.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>We had a few nights with absolutely stunning sunsets that month as well:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-jbmB0K9zjpn2yrc4UEvouhfFq5jSSp1ng3jJD_7-Tu4w3KH-JYq_vVJTGQ37Zj2K_QfaIsRV3x0xECzXlPbw8kIBiqrkPdBsldpZUByTcnDse8SoufWQT6NhL7cy2Itpe-i2eme4L-Yrwg32KcIVl54mxD9fTQWfy8kljioWMkzwrrEN82XFxKGhg/s4032/PXL_20220214_014843621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-jbmB0K9zjpn2yrc4UEvouhfFq5jSSp1ng3jJD_7-Tu4w3KH-JYq_vVJTGQ37Zj2K_QfaIsRV3x0xECzXlPbw8kIBiqrkPdBsldpZUByTcnDse8SoufWQT6NhL7cy2Itpe-i2eme4L-Yrwg32KcIVl54mxD9fTQWfy8kljioWMkzwrrEN82XFxKGhg/s320/PXL_20220214_014843621.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>In early March we were able to head out on our first hike of the year - we stuck to a fairly simple trail near what was once a coal mine. G had pretty constant commitments elsewhere for several weeks, so also missed this trip.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItAt0_as7lNzZD5Ci1O98_ehHkaoA-jnsQRM49F--UdGE2xjMjSN41KvTN0iMHKOaZ2_b45y4Oqq3mWkHptTPX3RZcHFFtxi3mCZ49LhbaEU2szvJuIBgcy42wH-ENzd75kUnw37QPJGgsxYp3lvghwyX3tB8x6XufAjPoArNOG3m51YCiZLUaghBng/s4032/PXL_20220306_210349528.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItAt0_as7lNzZD5Ci1O98_ehHkaoA-jnsQRM49F--UdGE2xjMjSN41KvTN0iMHKOaZ2_b45y4Oqq3mWkHptTPX3RZcHFFtxi3mCZ49LhbaEU2szvJuIBgcy42wH-ENzd75kUnw37QPJGgsxYp3lvghwyX3tB8x6XufAjPoArNOG3m51YCiZLUaghBng/s320/PXL_20220306_210349528.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-Vnp3XTck8c2kt3ZCybtAUsaTsFdWFhP7-RqzUO52QoS7UMhHCJiIPui1F7DLeAB7RE8voEjBmpSsCrGDGrPkCy5MVf5jl94OHGmTlu1mt4J9qZvl6J8_A0bLjs1NBxe0YcCf2rlPzgBto73FAdyqsYlY9eNDU2GmRpS5dgf7XDRg7irzHbHv5IMbA/s4032/PXL_20220306_220331192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-Vnp3XTck8c2kt3ZCybtAUsaTsFdWFhP7-RqzUO52QoS7UMhHCJiIPui1F7DLeAB7RE8voEjBmpSsCrGDGrPkCy5MVf5jl94OHGmTlu1mt4J9qZvl6J8_A0bLjs1NBxe0YcCf2rlPzgBto73FAdyqsYlY9eNDU2GmRpS5dgf7XDRg7irzHbHv5IMbA/s320/PXL_20220306_220331192.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6lv0DsqrVHvb9lSXzHppKU-a5zyRvOU3XQt275B9sMxNQ0qk_cBL1z1SgYVaCGBJYiQiBy0vpyVf79zgb-Tg8qkUnVNJgN49fky2RaL3SMIQot8kyj7dLbasTR_bMkGfm0etrfKCSjSZ1nyyccV8-cz0pp5qYqExirXQOspAD9slAWw6hC0fdsZkNw/s4032/PXL_20220306_232123984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6lv0DsqrVHvb9lSXzHppKU-a5zyRvOU3XQt275B9sMxNQ0qk_cBL1z1SgYVaCGBJYiQiBy0vpyVf79zgb-Tg8qkUnVNJgN49fky2RaL3SMIQot8kyj7dLbasTR_bMkGfm0etrfKCSjSZ1nyyccV8-cz0pp5qYqExirXQOspAD9slAWw6hC0fdsZkNw/s320/PXL_20220306_232123984.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBzcryKuQFuW0OTnNFOk-Q-nBBSDlqAB3KSn3Agqhuu3WfLg4zMn4WfUhF7ofZorhvfNO6BtPCfKBlsVIp2pJFIaucF98tGqvwnGEFBwLCPw56jY65HueVhRUpgtFxlf45Hvq0PTAWQv_KWU2XXQ39gXR2-uoQSLuCWz02wN2CWKaQGNos-1h1I2V0A/s4032/PXL_20220306_234643206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBzcryKuQFuW0OTnNFOk-Q-nBBSDlqAB3KSn3Agqhuu3WfLg4zMn4WfUhF7ofZorhvfNO6BtPCfKBlsVIp2pJFIaucF98tGqvwnGEFBwLCPw56jY65HueVhRUpgtFxlf45Hvq0PTAWQv_KWU2XXQ39gXR2-uoQSLuCWz02wN2CWKaQGNos-1h1I2V0A/s320/PXL_20220306_234643206.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>As we wrapped up the hike, M saw this sign and asked me "what does the pants symbol mean?". Took me a moment to figure out what he was talking about:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2tOZUNooJ7MAvxGWXvK3O21xoGN9dobQJiTsmf-9spwwCO1W2OBC-Rc_pPeCIOqB6wMgMiiOd8gE2vIP9ssuAg8V1B2yajpFlWm4xQ-IYL52uLHI2Wy0i2vsFON3YOXJZOx3QxvetoGOMEu-5BcPK0Yyw4oc1TQ4h-CJXQISfcRqkCfWze3ZKSOULA/s4032/PXL_20220306_234957814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2tOZUNooJ7MAvxGWXvK3O21xoGN9dobQJiTsmf-9spwwCO1W2OBC-Rc_pPeCIOqB6wMgMiiOd8gE2vIP9ssuAg8V1B2yajpFlWm4xQ-IYL52uLHI2Wy0i2vsFON3YOXJZOx3QxvetoGOMEu-5BcPK0Yyw4oc1TQ4h-CJXQISfcRqkCfWze3ZKSOULA/s320/PXL_20220306_234957814.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Sadly, I've been working every weekend for the past month and had to cancel some time off I'd planned on because our service was just too busy, so our outing opportunities have been limited. It's a whole thing with doing 24/7 on call, increasing acuity of our patients, and then also being expected to be part of weekend ICU coverage - we're going to be having some conversations with our manager about the absurdity of this (no other RDs take call and no one covers for us when we're out, so makes no sense that we're expected to cover weekend ICUs) and hopefully won't have to cover ICUs on the weekend.</p><p>I survived the conference presentation at the end of March and the next weekend I managed to pull off a small birthday party for M. Took a couple friends to the ice rink for skating - the public skate is usually pretty crowded but they had fun until their feet started to hurt from the rental skates. Then we headed home and they played video games before having donuts. It's the first time in a couple years that he's had friends over and it felt so much easier now than when they were 6 and 7. </p><p>At some point I managed to make his birthday cake but then it sat in the fridge for a week waiting for me to frost it. It was a rather spread out birthday, which M said he didn't mind, especially as he at least got dumplings and presents on his actual birthday. For his cake, he wanted a simple design from the show Naruto:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhhgHsOb53Xzs9A4u9reYxPu4-PcOeKQPfiP9tJn1s3XCU516WUxtl8_eQdjdTe2Y3sBSLmea9XRuubfIkiCtxBQamuqyKoc9H4ySQys5ZHE8gy_wLX_uhUWKRrUJU_fgpqbXwfssTsqhqJ1eZb-JZHcQzg46kG7pmAaZmHK5Cdf_MX03u9M6zSsmOg/s4032/PXL_20220404_023706360.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhhgHsOb53Xzs9A4u9reYxPu4-PcOeKQPfiP9tJn1s3XCU516WUxtl8_eQdjdTe2Y3sBSLmea9XRuubfIkiCtxBQamuqyKoc9H4ySQys5ZHE8gy_wLX_uhUWKRrUJU_fgpqbXwfssTsqhqJ1eZb-JZHcQzg46kG7pmAaZmHK5Cdf_MX03u9M6zSsmOg/s320/PXL_20220404_023706360.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Here's hoping things calm down a bit in the next few months - I'm certainly much less stressed now that the conference is over!</p></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-47674668118979274122022-01-24T12:30:00.001-08:002022-01-24T12:32:34.566-08:00Holidays Continued<p>We started on our puzzling just after Christmas this year since part of our holiday plan was to watch Lord of the Rings with M, who had not yet seen it. We also got snow the day after Christmas and then a couple days later, along with bitterly cold temperatures. We did our best to keep the sidewalk shoveled and clear.</p>It took a few days, but G, Ryan, and myself finished this puzzle during our LOTR marathon - we let M focus on watching the movie. M picked out our next puzzle to complete, a repeat from a few years ago, even though they weren't actually doing much puzzling themselves. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgC9LuOQBvGX4zCzqskrjLnvVxyFRlQ3fejnubJg8cGJhtDB3jIYbyh_uGPi1sUoW7FGOhP86QvEqjT01uQIuH9mJ5ZId8NLAOoDpBYdfmFtfM1NpIRX_TvvOezJzTWfl4_6kpBcdoL0trkXizbBlVR6HDxVkU3uXDbtPkjw9xIvu9uV49t8zb-GRwMPg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgC9LuOQBvGX4zCzqskrjLnvVxyFRlQ3fejnubJg8cGJhtDB3jIYbyh_uGPi1sUoW7FGOhP86QvEqjT01uQIuH9mJ5ZId8NLAOoDpBYdfmFtfM1NpIRX_TvvOezJzTWfl4_6kpBcdoL0trkXizbBlVR6HDxVkU3uXDbtPkjw9xIvu9uV49t8zb-GRwMPg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I ended up doing most of the second puzzle. Ryan did Mt. Rainier and some of the sky. G did one building and then got frustrated one night when he spent ages looking for a piece and I looked down and found it instantly. But I was also the only one working on the puzzle during the day as well, since they were all busy video gaming.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHDlLaTtLF1tpfnPRgVE20z4HVnf7Syv9OZamUOM6V64Vsk5bTKZm06IH30xqwWq0H2DNpBhJ2rfNWXLSJGfOTjXRH9Id6NOp2eXW0bL9jwmOW0m2WS45dnEjH5sC32ztEGQE6P_AI_j2sO9y7hlvZCOgYTZJIUPAF-vShk2qt_hcC9nNACmBrgPBdjg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHDlLaTtLF1tpfnPRgVE20z4HVnf7Syv9OZamUOM6V64Vsk5bTKZm06IH30xqwWq0H2DNpBhJ2rfNWXLSJGfOTjXRH9Id6NOp2eXW0bL9jwmOW0m2WS45dnEjH5sC32ztEGQE6P_AI_j2sO9y7hlvZCOgYTZJIUPAF-vShk2qt_hcC9nNACmBrgPBdjg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>New Year's Eve we watched Casablanca with my sister's family. M wasn't very interested in it seeing as it's neither a comedy nor an action movie, but everyone else enjoyed it. </p><p>We used the opportunity to try out some new cocktails and use the coupe glasses Ryan's brother and sister-in-law got us for Christmas! We started with a brown derby - it has grapefruit juice in it, so seemed appropriate to make given we have Christmas grapefruit on hand.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmXGJxrVEKLUCTuVpq33uB34IL51vQ-YK_EdNE0_UMYPfCFTYOvuSZruLZXOA_UhzL9vb3O2ge4Sr839rHaeMbbb6z1wDcLkXMLGEP1bhvvd8HLQvXPGXbQ01nIctvThMiEE--5HEbC-zh8y2C72OEpIZ7aHtsI2y5_jk3VDT0g7HBYcEDcD51andhlA=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmXGJxrVEKLUCTuVpq33uB34IL51vQ-YK_EdNE0_UMYPfCFTYOvuSZruLZXOA_UhzL9vb3O2ge4Sr839rHaeMbbb6z1wDcLkXMLGEP1bhvvd8HLQvXPGXbQ01nIctvThMiEE--5HEbC-zh8y2C72OEpIZ7aHtsI2y5_jk3VDT0g7HBYcEDcD51andhlA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Then tried a Jasmine, which is more citrusy - and pink!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgU63GoK-ax-r8SAvFlAvqTZAXwbAJZbR0xWnQwI6-VnBFBhZ4SyFpvMlOxq2wN3V7FriNKgu07_84pmtuXDFiVR7ZH9vgmyF9sTZrVUQ14l4WdoNCmNe8mrQc0SC0nFiSoBhwU8xfVVICOyWwsz6DX3bOjhbJxC6qULu-qvAPRQuIMute14cK5bqpORQ=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgU63GoK-ax-r8SAvFlAvqTZAXwbAJZbR0xWnQwI6-VnBFBhZ4SyFpvMlOxq2wN3V7FriNKgu07_84pmtuXDFiVR7ZH9vgmyF9sTZrVUQ14l4WdoNCmNe8mrQc0SC0nFiSoBhwU8xfVVICOyWwsz6DX3bOjhbJxC6qULu-qvAPRQuIMute14cK5bqpORQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then the atholl brose, for which you let some oats and water sit overnight to make an oatmeal "liquor", combine that with some scotch, half and half, and honey. It's kind of a dessert cocktail.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRDOo9efT5uCp4cTJs4HQJFa4d4yukToGlHiB5wa_DQGJdNC6eclvOfwQ9ernCoESxnKQih29F6zn2RWP4aZLhD-3RKaS4tjpAEYlNAPFDRv6-fr-io3lad9p2Ao9dUgCf1UZ9OVcpDP1YrXzhjSh0akNjF9PPfYakGGJtnLnpTc1dtdQTh9TZhPE8TQ=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRDOo9efT5uCp4cTJs4HQJFa4d4yukToGlHiB5wa_DQGJdNC6eclvOfwQ9ernCoESxnKQih29F6zn2RWP4aZLhD-3RKaS4tjpAEYlNAPFDRv6-fr-io3lad9p2Ao9dUgCf1UZ9OVcpDP1YrXzhjSh0akNjF9PPfYakGGJtnLnpTc1dtdQTh9TZhPE8TQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>We were thinking of doing a French 75 as well - this drink is named after 75mm field guns used by the French during WWI - given that it's the only cocktail mentioned by name in Casablanca (despite the copious imbibing!), but we were done and decided not to make them. </p><p>We did make a gingerbread house this year, but I didn't love the batch of royal icing I made up. Took forever to dry and even when it did it was very powdery. Not sure if I just needed to beat it even more or if it's because I used meringue powder instead of egg whites this year. So it ended up with minimal decoration and I didn't manage to get a picture. </p><p>The kids got an extra day off because the district decided to offer covid testing clinics to students and staff before resuming school. I did drive the kids over to our local one, but parking was a nightmare, the line was already super long and outside (it was still so cold!), and given we hadn't been anywhere or around anyone outside of our house since Christmas day, it seemed very unlikely the kids would have been exposed, so in the end we didn't stay and get them tested. They've both had kids in their classes get covid in the last couple weeks, but have both stayed healthy. Ryan and G are now boosted and most of my clinic visits are back to telemed, so hopefully that will help us avoid omicron.</p></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-85475920773765946792021-12-28T12:21:00.000-08:002021-12-28T12:21:02.127-08:00Christmas Time 2021<p>I think the kids woke up at their earliest time yet - 7:45. They waited semi-patiently for Ryan and I to get up and ready then we headed down for stockings.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSC-iXMju4u1kTX1vHM5bv-PiHRDmNc3rR9NO07H43VR3qfrkJE7sElmJK53fdSE-Sx1Jt6YKpXHZEf4rrQyzEckTQAzuZ0LHrQw3wYMBq1n9zxjdpnGE5j4tai0CVi_D73zm7cKzSuaoFXU82FUiw82caG06adeKm3WMKLXjIGuAZPylPxnwKew8k8Q=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSC-iXMju4u1kTX1vHM5bv-PiHRDmNc3rR9NO07H43VR3qfrkJE7sElmJK53fdSE-Sx1Jt6YKpXHZEf4rrQyzEckTQAzuZ0LHrQw3wYMBq1n9zxjdpnGE5j4tai0CVi_D73zm7cKzSuaoFXU82FUiw82caG06adeKm3WMKLXjIGuAZPylPxnwKew8k8Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8T_ZuC0m28aRYuL81Nzn50GWhi9AjDLFDapxashhmYClY2kql8BkaHl_jxD4rhQyjNhXEcerrtFfdFKaq9LzVnzCSaVlp7vL9JVmOsYQ-08DT37D1OV9c1zW5mvr019YJcEHBzIoxdWuLaDWOieWasUcwkhCCkAn8Gwp1QhzAnT_tNe6b8u_8MRIa-Q=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8T_ZuC0m28aRYuL81Nzn50GWhi9AjDLFDapxashhmYClY2kql8BkaHl_jxD4rhQyjNhXEcerrtFfdFKaq9LzVnzCSaVlp7vL9JVmOsYQ-08DT37D1OV9c1zW5mvr019YJcEHBzIoxdWuLaDWOieWasUcwkhCCkAn8Gwp1QhzAnT_tNe6b8u_8MRIa-Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgziydKeCvrHEo0QgmqKjvM3zOCVjhAlq2X5ErSCWaQgNX3P_Y6CqcKybR4tTAmp5fK4aS_WsQ2FEWmgMYl7IRdvgXzvVVukQQR0NthE12gd1OZBnYV7dFBJQ_6yXAFkKV4TOG_cxr3gjNG7WxyDpd1n4I0t7nIeWvBAzaMzHcm3fOr3vgerLwn4Q7QZw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgziydKeCvrHEo0QgmqKjvM3zOCVjhAlq2X5ErSCWaQgNX3P_Y6CqcKybR4tTAmp5fK4aS_WsQ2FEWmgMYl7IRdvgXzvVVukQQR0NthE12gd1OZBnYV7dFBJQ_6yXAFkKV4TOG_cxr3gjNG7WxyDpd1n4I0t7nIeWvBAzaMzHcm3fOr3vgerLwn4Q7QZw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP2CKLlICAohz4KhWE90N-HINVB74e_6YvnF-ij9AmNe95Lgufbtim0b8AsRmZLmQwOnNlpf77kV5wv_uWjuVNunmYizbolHWKOKxQMUZfC5UVkRWioCW-pXDDwMboUekWF2rKhxbyToNZ15SsX3eFredXTiIWO5BTHDB0MsxuE7mjXg9p_yx2CV24oA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP2CKLlICAohz4KhWE90N-HINVB74e_6YvnF-ij9AmNe95Lgufbtim0b8AsRmZLmQwOnNlpf77kV5wv_uWjuVNunmYizbolHWKOKxQMUZfC5UVkRWioCW-pXDDwMboUekWF2rKhxbyToNZ15SsX3eFredXTiIWO5BTHDB0MsxuE7mjXg9p_yx2CV24oA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>They're just blurs as they run down the stairs to Christmas morning. Ryan opted for our fireplace this year to be from The Witcher. And we did manage to get our Christmas grapefruit! It was touch and go there for a bit as they arrived in Seattle and then went to Renton, Kent, and Auburn - gradually further away - before finally being delivered several days after it was initially estimated to arrive. I'd had another package that had come from Virginia, supposedly be out for delivery in Seattle but never arrive, and then get sent all the way back to Virginia inexplicably, so I was pretty anxious while my grapefruit was so close yet getting further away every day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyyi4nv7ltcKwB8_D_6Q6WMEug5G_LI9Jz04Y8GE5PAEcC3y5u3OiQhuI_PZIYi_PB76ctKbxwXA3qKNQtaNCYr6Ghial1hLfjybCzSOR4tCr7zgxMZNPhiScGCzn3ZjiC5GdJQgiCxdsMAG5TgOYPfHrhuMCxu7A15kz-Iq6L6XkqrWeYKvMGBnEtag=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyyi4nv7ltcKwB8_D_6Q6WMEug5G_LI9Jz04Y8GE5PAEcC3y5u3OiQhuI_PZIYi_PB76ctKbxwXA3qKNQtaNCYr6Ghial1hLfjybCzSOR4tCr7zgxMZNPhiScGCzn3ZjiC5GdJQgiCxdsMAG5TgOYPfHrhuMCxu7A15kz-Iq6L6XkqrWeYKvMGBnEtag=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>We'd thought we might get a white Christmas, but as you can see from the yard here, we didn't. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGo_EMY9FcZwS56ZoUub5LG4Ud9vku-9uJsugjGXANI3J4mN3FsI7rXRK-HY32u7HWDeNO-hqC68rFG86N5g7SVAObkRYj9QkBFQPqVf04GVHJtobeBZbctG-RCKwGmWCQ08Pnc7gwCJ4H_nq2sMTeliCb7POWmclssct-gkohLugSJTVRZlRA3U1-zQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGo_EMY9FcZwS56ZoUub5LG4Ud9vku-9uJsugjGXANI3J4mN3FsI7rXRK-HY32u7HWDeNO-hqC68rFG86N5g7SVAObkRYj9QkBFQPqVf04GVHJtobeBZbctG-RCKwGmWCQ08Pnc7gwCJ4H_nq2sMTeliCb7POWmclssct-gkohLugSJTVRZlRA3U1-zQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>Daniel joined us for part of the day, so we added a gluten-free breakfast bake to our usual breakfast bake. And he discovered that grapefruit is delicious and why we are obsessed with our Christmas grapefruit tradition.</p><p>Ryan received a bidet attachment and we all got a laugh from the many stool jokes included in the packaging/instructions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsFLWGegSRk5xJ2SzGxzi3LYaBXyB0gQbGg43xVEJPvQMnwQYRaq5YaoNbY78JKGjlarcqEBJCmRHDucvE-lmEZxuN4qyN2B2NJZUtJH5kmRzQxS_nhU-UMPRnMmyXNmw-2FAlccwc9jERIlWYyX-Q1iQ0shRsi5bRo85juFrHhdMPo8HCYhSsaH9Abw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsFLWGegSRk5xJ2SzGxzi3LYaBXyB0gQbGg43xVEJPvQMnwQYRaq5YaoNbY78JKGjlarcqEBJCmRHDucvE-lmEZxuN4qyN2B2NJZUtJH5kmRzQxS_nhU-UMPRnMmyXNmw-2FAlccwc9jERIlWYyX-Q1iQ0shRsi5bRo85juFrHhdMPo8HCYhSsaH9Abw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>He also got a coffee sampling box!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6os-Rk9pvpHRXUs0eYQpI-M9gF25cFQpvON2sejtJroraSEL7lugZmgu-fel-TznRG5rMz-GvGhdJEzX-B5rWb55GwhGE4YNnM0Rr_IgicCCy_-RcCnB6minUBSlLgR1MPZRdSGB7zJRgwb-vii39Assti4qD2DtGzaJgFGBDST-SEhdq5Gs22SoRMw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6os-Rk9pvpHRXUs0eYQpI-M9gF25cFQpvON2sejtJroraSEL7lugZmgu-fel-TznRG5rMz-GvGhdJEzX-B5rWb55GwhGE4YNnM0Rr_IgicCCy_-RcCnB6minUBSlLgR1MPZRdSGB7zJRgwb-vii39Assti4qD2DtGzaJgFGBDST-SEhdq5Gs22SoRMw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>Many delightful gifts later (G got lots of D&D stuff that they were excited about, M got a mix of things, but all hitting on everything he'd wanted - hiking gear, nerf, light sabers, book series he likes, etc) we finished up and set about enjoying the rest of the day. I'm a fan of Christmas on the weekend since it meant guaranteed Christmas Eve off for me plus the day after Christmas as well. I've so far avoided having to work Christmas day or weekend - I'm sure it'll happen eventually but I'm just hoping to push it off until the kids are older.</p><p>Ryan has made one batch of toffee and needs to make another. We still haven't done any of our usual cookie baking, but maybe now that I'm off work the next few days that will happen.</p><p>We woke up to 3-4 inches of snow the next morning and got at least a couple more inches through the day. We did our part to keep the sidewalk clear. We also put faucet covers on our outdoor spigots for the first time ever given our predicted overnight lows of 10-15 degrees. I can't wait to get back to 40 degrees and rainy, but that's a little ways off still.</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpnJB6YBd1BOKY7q1GCnb8amNeae6_KOKgie1baRsBfjVEghdbcn1q9jNW3CzCjNnUpkr6gMqSHtBx8KUjr0k-ezP3I-s8_gOuWfpKiTIYmZLC_ze7x490MIBHJBt7u6ll7Q8N4nxOtEW44li9gRI85K6_Xh9-VXxkrXer8jRsWPTOeIhM8LIteS1yKA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpnJB6YBd1BOKY7q1GCnb8amNeae6_KOKgie1baRsBfjVEghdbcn1q9jNW3CzCjNnUpkr6gMqSHtBx8KUjr0k-ezP3I-s8_gOuWfpKiTIYmZLC_ze7x490MIBHJBt7u6ll7Q8N4nxOtEW44li9gRI85K6_Xh9-VXxkrXer8jRsWPTOeIhM8LIteS1yKA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br />Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-71236113042546914502021-12-21T18:03:00.000-08:002021-12-21T18:03:06.928-08:00Christmas Prep<p>We've had fun preparing for the holidays. Haven't managed any baking just yet, but hopefully in the next couple days.</p><p>Started by clearing some space in the living room and set up the advent box on the small table.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7Ndq5smg8TSwXcZbgXKaaAnUadecfaVCIjSbQPh141eXDUbGNom7bJ3H5aZIbF9nkWwzmlKM5mNYGB-x_a3N5AQDDCprKQRzldQP_Obe5YGLoj_-OpQfvSubm4xyylKNiFstBCsfWmTKn3jBLakhCaepkbW3fqNjvH8bhOiMvkfqIZ1ph8ac70-TGug=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7Ndq5smg8TSwXcZbgXKaaAnUadecfaVCIjSbQPh141eXDUbGNom7bJ3H5aZIbF9nkWwzmlKM5mNYGB-x_a3N5AQDDCprKQRzldQP_Obe5YGLoj_-OpQfvSubm4xyylKNiFstBCsfWmTKn3jBLakhCaepkbW3fqNjvH8bhOiMvkfqIZ1ph8ac70-TGug=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I got a tea advent to try out this year and it's been a lot of fun to sample all the different flavors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR28bH40Ex5MeSDxGlXKKIAjlt4e6B8txQuPjz8xw7uZSFVFFz-f7Kj5caTeehHlqPtGwvb0zhLBrHxFcO8KEKOBx_0eBuxpEhpOdTrMfOXb7QrM-AXggNLYbAiWTx_kVhKYbUIx5N5fDoZEDTwVaEwxK33CCRugZ1J4IJqFRgfcoFBAhyNBRWibNHwg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR28bH40Ex5MeSDxGlXKKIAjlt4e6B8txQuPjz8xw7uZSFVFFz-f7Kj5caTeehHlqPtGwvb0zhLBrHxFcO8KEKOBx_0eBuxpEhpOdTrMfOXb7QrM-AXggNLYbAiWTx_kVhKYbUIx5N5fDoZEDTwVaEwxK33CCRugZ1J4IJqFRgfcoFBAhyNBRWibNHwg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And see the pretty colors of the various herbs and flowers added to the teas!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK09wBivCc03Yonu8x5ySengmk_SchV6O7dsof7BwEYRKJA5qGrJzaeF6qt2uON6qUHz9c-h5rPH0lqRAUd15Meuw7IOtAoo-cMYEeSwotQdUHtUOhCVB8SLCA0iyUzQ3Ctsw8CxMuOaOxxN5W-C4yEv8zzsVC-lIjj0UdlTs4yO2-zFL4etwl3un0WA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK09wBivCc03Yonu8x5ySengmk_SchV6O7dsof7BwEYRKJA5qGrJzaeF6qt2uON6qUHz9c-h5rPH0lqRAUd15Meuw7IOtAoo-cMYEeSwotQdUHtUOhCVB8SLCA0iyUzQ3Ctsw8CxMuOaOxxN5W-C4yEv8zzsVC-lIjj0UdlTs4yO2-zFL4etwl3un0WA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>M isn't a big tea drinker, but enjoyed the cinnamon spice rooibos tea. They curled up on the couch with their tea and a blanket and declared "Fridays are the perfect day to unwind and drink tea!" and then patted the couch and told me to sit. That was...unexpected. This was followed with "Sundays are when you wind up...to the max!"<br /><div><br /></div>We also got a new Lego advent set this year - Harry Potter!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMETJAj_Rsz2S42v50f4Ne0j4E5KN2lm0P_4-fIgqoL3V0fNu1v5TbxAd-V8Sa6IXFfxoe5svr0jtroxhtJC2Jp081TkbP7DfMwVEJHV9lT87ZpMnftPbc1vy4_d53WT-MthDvvL-rB9PbrpHecMmCeOkZguwrk5QV7WJ66ES_4XRrt1jLCXRtS-HLMQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMETJAj_Rsz2S42v50f4Ne0j4E5KN2lm0P_4-fIgqoL3V0fNu1v5TbxAd-V8Sa6IXFfxoe5svr0jtroxhtJC2Jp081TkbP7DfMwVEJHV9lT87ZpMnftPbc1vy4_d53WT-MthDvvL-rB9PbrpHecMmCeOkZguwrk5QV7WJ66ES_4XRrt1jLCXRtS-HLMQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>As usual, we waited until mid-month to get our tree. I was worried it was a little tall, but it fit perfectly!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu6AVNK6OmGyr99DLvtf1lkW407ZGL5FFGV4AfknvhkDEaIoGNFN7HR-r8wlapsw_xVr03QfnAfWJSV1WxlNIvLR-teRWjpOBeSJ1IvBjXt_keHFmCrgC3NvOUyNyR6hqIJiXfGnNLk1Idm_n4YczGl1jy6C0pzAr3dBYnw-4pbMiw6gfhwVN94QFCvw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu6AVNK6OmGyr99DLvtf1lkW407ZGL5FFGV4AfknvhkDEaIoGNFN7HR-r8wlapsw_xVr03QfnAfWJSV1WxlNIvLR-teRWjpOBeSJ1IvBjXt_keHFmCrgC3NvOUyNyR6hqIJiXfGnNLk1Idm_n4YczGl1jy6C0pzAr3dBYnw-4pbMiw6gfhwVN94QFCvw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And we even managed to get it decorated the same day. Now we have some advent presents from Gram sitting under the tree, conveniently close to the advent box.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi8NyayYGc24qdly4d7bBu8GOIRMYQpTnSeEGY7JblF-cobsehpGoJcsMQVoB0Qb_1laK_tVi5_IPOurUGnCB52CilButH4x6Svz4fTMu8QPSVEE7O0Tgs-M_8aKYRmW7Lm7k1gzle2X6hnoNEoHljYM4G_V5FpqIvkXieHdi4RpSgCYfq6CwXaIUTZw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi8NyayYGc24qdly4d7bBu8GOIRMYQpTnSeEGY7JblF-cobsehpGoJcsMQVoB0Qb_1laK_tVi5_IPOurUGnCB52CilButH4x6Svz4fTMu8QPSVEE7O0Tgs-M_8aKYRmW7Lm7k1gzle2X6hnoNEoHljYM4G_V5FpqIvkXieHdi4RpSgCYfq6CwXaIUTZw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>I've asked the kids to start on some cookies, but they haven't yet, preferring to play video games. Hopefully they (and Ryan) can find some time for that the next couple days!</p>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-31670189931749233632021-12-15T15:56:00.001-08:002021-12-17T16:31:57.729-08:00The Yard<p>Midway through the year plus of everyone being home together all the time, we were really starting to feel the itch of our house just not being large enough for this. I knew we couldn't afford to add on or anything right away, but needed to stop my brain spinning on it with some hard numbers, so reached out to a local architect dad. And the $600,000-800,000 guesstimate for a modest addition quickly put a stop to any spinning of any sort, likely forever. We were pretty discouraged by that for a few days, but we've since decided that our goal will just be to make the space we do have work for us as best as possible. And that includes the outdoor space, which will be expensive to transform, but not 600-800k expensive.</p><p>I'd already found a landscape designer that I thought I wanted to work with and just hadn't called them yet, so went ahead and reached out. The initial visit was essentially "I don't really know what I want, it's all a very blank slate and overwhelming me. Except I do know I hate everything that's currently here. Oh, and I'm thinking a fence at the front with espaliered fruit trees and we must have blueberries and gooseberries and (contained) raspberries and strawberries and maybe some rhubarb. And I adore front porches, so maybe we rip out all these bushes and make one of those?" </p><p>And now, several months later, we've got some initial proposals and have started by tearing out most of the hated things. I'm realizing I should've had them remove the awkward cherry tree while they were at it, but that's okay. It can wait for another phase of the project.</p><p>One proposal:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTQoEdDPluRKgTXDy04jYMoxoEm_D9NvN0deyYH7SRG5Wr2Z8sYmipTFBK1rAQLCeCYvYI-lQ0wkZWmBk6HDeS1X4DEWZaXpiJLIkS2Zke37nRMF7e17sY1_oToui1h0yEgtaXr6hjH0F6wJTm8IXm39wcOypZZzFpC1RLSojCwNen7EtJWTS3kwBOxg=s3918" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1939" data-original-width="3918" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTQoEdDPluRKgTXDy04jYMoxoEm_D9NvN0deyYH7SRG5Wr2Z8sYmipTFBK1rAQLCeCYvYI-lQ0wkZWmBk6HDeS1X4DEWZaXpiJLIkS2Zke37nRMF7e17sY1_oToui1h0yEgtaXr6hjH0F6wJTm8IXm39wcOypZZzFpC1RLSojCwNen7EtJWTS3kwBOxg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>The second one isn't all colorful, but has more details about the plantings. The other proposal:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihSEGsOCLhzW2vdxFXHUwtFQyPAXh2lrQvuvc-XNnSPuR-Fy2xKaLWtFIwiJ5vpfKUiSY_w_LX0gCwdkrd2Dm_UwAJvRMoqLeW1Y7T2-oI-6dhfhXlsdG2f7a2qCM5CTUTeI9AOp31mSlHAy_7TPOxXlmf-gvB9CAky7rUlDe_r7lpsn0qeXwClH6B3g=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihSEGsOCLhzW2vdxFXHUwtFQyPAXh2lrQvuvc-XNnSPuR-Fy2xKaLWtFIwiJ5vpfKUiSY_w_LX0gCwdkrd2Dm_UwAJvRMoqLeW1Y7T2-oI-6dhfhXlsdG2f7a2qCM5CTUTeI9AOp31mSlHAy_7TPOxXlmf-gvB9CAky7rUlDe_r7lpsn0qeXwClH6B3g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Our next job is to look the proposed plans over and decide what we want to do - we can mix and match between the two plans - and then the designer will put together a final plan based on our discussion.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZUstGER9_7UKkYuMTozEf4DJDw13VWXXl13OEEIgv2wis2SMk1-6l9aq7kwP4xDqsQ2S-iBV5fZy_2YqZBAHhL4uXWLyYhqdTuWDNarkrEvzC-EGQOWjQxO6gGNN7Li4crom5-N_gABNOv0kRtw4jTkkjJmmJl9K1e9SrF3NAVtC0PaajmTsMhj9lmg=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZUstGER9_7UKkYuMTozEf4DJDw13VWXXl13OEEIgv2wis2SMk1-6l9aq7kwP4xDqsQ2S-iBV5fZy_2YqZBAHhL4uXWLyYhqdTuWDNarkrEvzC-EGQOWjQxO6gGNN7Li4crom5-N_gABNOv0kRtw4jTkkjJmmJl9K1e9SrF3NAVtC0PaajmTsMhj9lmg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of demo progress - removing the hated bushes and blackberries near the street</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXXcCvA2J3-oy3z-X0Rp7FC7oXhj3CxB2G_BSja_lvJ1NsABXT3ixgJrqEy9StTssEy2WUCkb-uZKm0pJJJfG11RKRZmtbqhKHpN8ARuBAkGr_QS2KoNNXrnPEAgww9FeaVi5RL8_cSw78Bu3AXdC4AuC3exprKk9yvAMlaBE9HlVDaM3tV5z_pT6mKA=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXXcCvA2J3-oy3z-X0Rp7FC7oXhj3CxB2G_BSja_lvJ1NsABXT3ixgJrqEy9StTssEy2WUCkb-uZKm0pJJJfG11RKRZmtbqhKHpN8ARuBAkGr_QS2KoNNXrnPEAgww9FeaVi5RL8_cSw78Bu3AXdC4AuC3exprKk9yvAMlaBE9HlVDaM3tV5z_pT6mKA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front yard all done</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj59Rqi0dA1dIh2bm5XLaO5-z6s4DRXiyfz4KNGhOvoQYnnqgjpuYhHgK1mkUVTfCoJQs6eV3vBgDDQHMV4iG9LSRjjEk1Jp56QgRke4QQGw86ioEk-1-pRUmVhEeXbQwAG2THFFlq36TK3nqw9G8wGsHkZnphi96Izz0WvCZdFriZcgQkn0fm0R7D7Jg=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj59Rqi0dA1dIh2bm5XLaO5-z6s4DRXiyfz4KNGhOvoQYnnqgjpuYhHgK1mkUVTfCoJQs6eV3vBgDDQHMV4iG9LSRjjEk1Jp56QgRke4QQGw86ioEk-1-pRUmVhEeXbQwAG2THFFlq36TK3nqw9G8wGsHkZnphi96Izz0WvCZdFriZcgQkn0fm0R7D7Jg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side yard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLoAGY9RgC4_8X9DUV3Oipv6ciJU21lPNbztkoC5KWXfypeTAa5ftRjzOT6qR8G3B4TW8CFnK2rK_74q_D-76rVGWYzs1IWPMQtyEIW8eIIZYCy1_m1VOa2UPk3UiORq0ZeqwEKd48WfIpLyK6QKJ9swUchxAw1CSObidzCLWw58iUyfcBe536_wTuNw=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLoAGY9RgC4_8X9DUV3Oipv6ciJU21lPNbztkoC5KWXfypeTAa5ftRjzOT6qR8G3B4TW8CFnK2rK_74q_D-76rVGWYzs1IWPMQtyEIW8eIIZYCy1_m1VOa2UPk3UiORq0ZeqwEKd48WfIpLyK6QKJ9swUchxAw1CSObidzCLWw58iUyfcBe536_wTuNw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't remember the last time I could actually see the bricks here. Of course, they'll all get torn out eventually anyway. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihMGMeUd8MPuxHe1AUR5fxB-Zvb4VasrTIuEQm22jlv0uMjM9bo4XQsB95qtkSiQk4sTbdZ3X1Ji9D4CRIoT087vbnVJIz0vGuzEtZUY7s534FdshMtHA7BH26LP0x4Hr4l3FMn3oCbOFgN3eIzxMDvVoaP2Gd6nFop8Fed-Ku7WzdzQE1HTXkNDiXsA=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihMGMeUd8MPuxHe1AUR5fxB-Zvb4VasrTIuEQm22jlv0uMjM9bo4XQsB95qtkSiQk4sTbdZ3X1Ji9D4CRIoT087vbnVJIz0vGuzEtZUY7s534FdshMtHA7BH26LP0x4Hr4l3FMn3oCbOFgN3eIzxMDvVoaP2Gd6nFop8Fed-Ku7WzdzQE1HTXkNDiXsA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this has just been a super thick bed of pine needles for the past 2+ years</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I showed the kids the plans last night and they're very excited. I had to keep reminding them - partly to remind myself as well - that this will be a <i>slow</i> project and likely take several years to implement.</p>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5516488777599629236.post-89946649039011115112021-12-07T19:27:00.000-08:002021-12-07T19:27:02.144-08:00Winter Grand Prix 2021-22<p>After a hiatus last year for covid, Winter Grand Prix is back on this year. They did hold a virtual version last year where you ran all the races yourself, but we didn't realize they were doing that, and probably wouldn't have had the activation energy required to make it happen if we had. Anyway. G signed up again, of course. And M asked to sign up as well! Come Saturday morning when I woke them up at 7:30, M was no longer certain they wanted to do this. But in the end the three of us piled into the car to head to Magnuson. </p><p>It was really cold and drizzly and there was a longer line than we expected for registration, so that wasn't so fun. The race started a little late, but once we got M registered I left M and G to warm up for the race and headed to the car to stay warm and drink my tea! Some parents run with their kids, but I'm not those parents. I do need to up my snack game for the next race though - need to plan ahead and have hot chocolate and scones or something for the kids to have afterward.</p><p>As the race started I did get out of the car to grab pictures of the kids and was a little worried when I didn't see M for a long time. But finally found them, carefully jumping around the puddles that were everywhere rather than running through them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5zaVzw_5OKgbViL5SOF4tTi_sVg8H2K4gmVH9bkot2Y61LVs66pqUEcrHEpS2O8SCNvijVgnQy8dyi3AVAxL-7W41Q1d6IlgqNPhN5YLkBeigFI4JRNUjLIoPUgxYoPapXYAfUKn5csv/s4032/PXL_20211204_172004233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5zaVzw_5OKgbViL5SOF4tTi_sVg8H2K4gmVH9bkot2Y61LVs66pqUEcrHEpS2O8SCNvijVgnQy8dyi3AVAxL-7W41Q1d6IlgqNPhN5YLkBeigFI4JRNUjLIoPUgxYoPapXYAfUKn5csv/s320/PXL_20211204_172004233.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There they are, lap one! Shortly after I took this photo, they stopped to walk, but did start up running again after a few seconds of rest. But I was still a little worried they'd drop out entirely...<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGI0yt4lW-2SJFY66VSkP7OxhRbIIqhP_kk-s35PS2d5_epBZ0Tx05hlmAWfIBtIVoxzggKKRbXjvs81FD1XpQMG1NbqTCNuJpbXuJywxjj6Uvk7pFrSAAOsaKCZn_BE4Qh13oygmX6p9/s4032/PXL_20211204_172156851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGI0yt4lW-2SJFY66VSkP7OxhRbIIqhP_kk-s35PS2d5_epBZ0Tx05hlmAWfIBtIVoxzggKKRbXjvs81FD1XpQMG1NbqTCNuJpbXuJywxjj6Uvk7pFrSAAOsaKCZn_BE4Qh13oygmX6p9/s320/PXL_20211204_172156851.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>But they didn't! G finished up and then waited for M to come around to the where we could see them and then went to run with M to encourage him along the rest of the way. Serious heart melting happening on my part (and cross-country gratitude for the overall supportiveness and team encouragement they learn there!). Here they are coming to the finish:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr86L67M-ggL4F-ym2weX5z_Q-nBXjBif_O-m5owRbJUlXggTh8MKrZmY5C_2F8rn4gseoq5JAUX1a4V4CGaqTv81fyCgKuBuyWgBbrvD-c3dg9J0bfnBMlIfmxF1s5kJ2bO0-NI4Eo2E/s4032/PXL_20211204_173732523.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr86L67M-ggL4F-ym2weX5z_Q-nBXjBif_O-m5owRbJUlXggTh8MKrZmY5C_2F8rn4gseoq5JAUX1a4V4CGaqTv81fyCgKuBuyWgBbrvD-c3dg9J0bfnBMlIfmxF1s5kJ2bO0-NI4Eo2E/s320/PXL_20211204_173732523.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Seriously so proud of M for just finishing. Especially given how gross the weather was. So much colder than it usually is this time of year. No idea if he'll stick it out for the whole series or not - might try to get them some better winter running gear so that at least they can be a little more comfortable! If you want to follow along, they'll post the results <a href="https://www.clubnorthwest.org/wgp-results" target="_blank">here</a>, usually takes a few days to get each set of results up. </p></div>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636146366627166656noreply@blogger.com1