The Wee-est Snow

This morning we received the wee-est snow ever! It was more like frozen mist. It was verrrry chilly!

Down Wi' ODB (Ol' Dirty Bear)

If you've been near my sister's bear lately, you'd know he was sorely in need of a washing.

And drying.

I Love Portugal!

A Typical Day in Idaho

A typical day in Idaho includes any of the following:

• Planting potatoes
• Growing potatoes
• Harvesting potatoes
• Eating potatoes
• Going to the rodeo
• Going to Utah
• Going to Utah to ski
• Going to Utah to marry multiple wives
• Having 115 degree weather
• Being snowed on
• Being snowed on in the morning and having 115 degree weather in the afternoon
• Joining the Aryan Nation
• Joining the KKK
• Joining the Neo-Nazis
• Joining the Republican Party
• Worshipping Stephen Colbert
• Awaiting layovers in midwest airports

http://www.wikiality.com/Idaho

A New Adventure: Grocery Shopping in the Snow!

Tonight I embarked on a new adventure: grocery shopping in the snow! We had a snowstorm hit around 4 p.m., so I stopped and picked up groceries on my way home -- so I would have English muffins in if I needed to work from home for a little while in the morning. (I normally have 2 packets of instant Cream of Wheat with soy milk at my desk!)

I've never pushed a grocery cart through 3 inches of snow. 'Cause who goes shopping in the snow, right? A grocery cart on snow and ice is a wee bit unwieldy. I just went in for a few items, but when I returned, my car was covered!

Plus, it was 9 degrees this morning. Nine degrees. One digit. 9. IX. Chilly.

Mom Turns 60!!

Mom turned 60! Such a spectacular day!! To celebrate, the family spent the weekend in Newport! We did so many fun things! Brunch out! A trip to the aquarium! A visit at the Rogue brewery! The girls out shopping! Dinner! Pool! Willie Nelson on the jukebox! Such fun!

Here's sister letting a fish swim into her mouth; the parents just before entering the halibut tunnel; me and mom waiting in the hotel lobby for dinner; sister using the freshening-up towel without removing it from its bowl; the family out celebrating the end of the birthday event; and pool shark "the black widow."

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Tally Ho, Our Sweet Kathryn!

Sweet young Kathryn, and her husband Stephan, are off on a big adventure to Birmingham, England! To celebrate, we had a proper English tea, complete with crustless cucumber samiches (with goat cheese instead of butter!), a variety of wonderful teas, and something called Branston Pickle, which was a very unusual chutney-like or relish-like mix of pickled items and spice, which we had on cheese samiches.

Anita loved this Branston Pickle so much, we couldn't keep her away from it! She grabbed the bottle and ran from the room so as to keep it all to herself!! I think I know what to get Anita for Christmas this year....

The House is Sold, the Move is Done!

We are officially out of the house, which now belongs to someone else! We drove me in on Friday, moved all the heavy stuff, and drove back to Boise Sunday around noon.

It took another couple of looong days, and yet ANOTHER storage unit, but I did it! Pile by pile until there were no more piles left.

So long 85 SW 143rd Avenue! It was a great house when we needed it, for what we needed it for. I hope the new owners are as happy in it as we were!

Dad Turns 60!!

Dad turned 60! To mark this momentous occasion, we trekked down to the Brazil Grill for meat, meat, and more meat! Uncle Arnie Joined us for family fun. Here he is next to me looking a little dazed.

And yes, Kristin, at this meal we discussed the manner in which Poo and I hold our forks, and that we look like dorks.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Publications Winter Luncheon!

The Boise publications team winter luncheon was today! Such fun! CH doesn't have a long-leisurely-lunch culture, so the rare sit-down lunch is such a treat!

We went to the Cottonwood Grille. Grille with a "e" at the end. [A little too close to Cottonmouth, if you ask me, and having just recently rewatched Kill B.ill Vol. 1, I kept my eye on the waitstaff.] It was lovely.

My champagne soulmate [my friend and fellow Duck, Paula, pictured here] and I took the opportunity to enjoy a little bubbly in the middle of the day. For as you know, a day with champagne is a very good day. I topped off my crabcakes with tart cherry crisp. Delish.

Most unusual thing said at the luncheon: "My! That's a beautiful dairy!" [Elisa referring to the picture of Paula's in-laws' dairy operation that was passed around, as Paula had just returned from volunteering at her daughter's class during "Dairy Week."]

The Sale of Our House Closes January 18!!

It looks like the sale of our house in Portland is gonna go through! A Portland attorney, his nurse wife, and their 10-year old son will hopefully find as much fun and happiness in that house as we did. Their inspection yielded a small leaking pipe under the house, so that repair, in addition to the other items on their repair addendum, should be wrapped up this week!

We will return this weekend to get the big stuff in storage in Portland (no sense trying to drive a U-Haul through the Blue Mountains in the middle of January!) and then my husband will return to Boise, as he has accrued very little PTO in his short time with the city. I will stay through the 20th, getting the smaller items into storage and doing final clear out of the house, and then flying back to Boise on Sunday the 20th.

We feel very fortunate to have made this transaction in this terrible market!

More Snowshoe Pics!

Sunday Lunch Date!

Sunday we shoeshoed up to 6,000 feet for lunch! The fresh show was spectacular! In this photo it looks like my husband is sunk in up to his waist, but he's just fallen is all, and you can't see his legs.

Before we left I built a rather buxom snowlady. In this photo she looks gigantic, but she's actually only about 10 inches tall. Her hair is a strand of dried lichen.

Technical Snowshoe Information

While aesthetics are important, it's also important to have your adventure's technical information, courtesy of my techie husband, of course.

This is the GPS path of our hike, and the profile of the elevation path of our hike, topping out at about 6000 feet.

The Hills Around Boise

We awoke Sunday morning to a fresh coat of white! These are the hills around Boise. Our condo is a little ways past the right edge of this picture and was taken from the viewpoint by our Fred Meyer.

Wildlife in Idaho

I spied these deer seeking respite on the counter at work. There's so much wildlife to be experienced here in Idaho!

A Prime Number: 37!

Now, and for the next three months, I am as old as Kelly.

We had champagne -- as you might imagine -- and opened gifts before attending a lovely New Year's Eve party!

In addition to the new pink controller for our Xbox360, he sweetly got me a pink 8GB Zune! I love it so!

I think 2008 has some good things in store!

Family Christmas!

Christmas in Longview was a good time! We played Apples to Apples, which we highly recommend!

Nephews Louie and Ollie made signs for us and for their grandparents that says our name in sticks. We plan to hang ours at our compound, when we are able to acquire it.

Christmas Cookies!

We made Christmas Cookies at the Coast. Different from Seashells by the Seashore.

My New Wiener Dog Purse!

For Christmas my husband gave me a purse fashioned after a plaid wiener dog, which I love. In this picture, it's hard to see the purse's handle, which attaches at the head and heiney. It also has articulated legs, amazingly.

Miss Ginger would have rather had a Kate Spade.

The Fine Art of Making "Wraps"

Family lore has it that one time Aunt Jean brought "wraps" to a family event -- a pickle spear, green onion, or pickled bean and a thin strip or cream cheese, wrapped in two slices of "one-ply lunchmeat." We've had them every holiday since.

Here Poo explains to boyfriend Dave the fine art of wrap making. She's such an artiste.

Christmas Chaos

I like this picture, because there's so much going on.

Family Christmas!

Christmas morning at the coast was a bounty of fantastic family time, generous gifts, delicious morning treats, and of course, wearing your Christmas stocking on your head.

The Girl Called Baconhead

Toothpick Saboteur

One time my family went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. After the "tour," we went through the gift shop and cheese-buying area, where you can taste-test different cheeses, which are cut up in little blocks on plates, and toothpicks are provided to be used as spear-like utensils. My Dad deftly picked up a toothpick, and with the skills of a ninja, skewered 4 cubes of cheese in one fell swoop. We all shouted a hearty "Hurrah!" at his skills.

At Christmas, Mom had a tiny hotpot of little sausages for appetizing snacks. My husband, with the skills of a ninja butcher, picked up a toothpick, and deftly skewered THREE wieners in one fell swoop.

A hush fell over the family.