Emma had growing pains again last night

September 30, 2008 by Adam in Emma

Emma had growing pains again last night. I climbed into bed with her around 4:30 am, but she couldn't get back to sleep and so I did all the things my mother did. The muscle massages helped a little, but mostly the warm bath and Tylenol did the trick. Eventually I'd like her to try stretching, but it always seems to hurt so much. Poor girl.

In any case, Emma gave me a call this morning, asking for pizza for breakfast. All is well again.

Patrick will start college next year

September 30, 2008 by Betsy in Betsy

Patrick will start college next year. I'm already looking for a 3rd-4th job. Tupperware anyone????

So, I tried not to cry at work yesterday as a...

September 30, 2008 by Seraph in Cortez

So, I tried not to cry at work yesterday as all of our stocks nose dived, and Isa's college fund continues to dwindle. I guess it's a good thing that I never thought my generation would be able to retire in the first place. My only hope for Isa is to migrate to a country with paid higher education.

So, are we all impressed by America's leaders...

September 30, 2008 by Sue in Wielesek

So, are we all impressed by America's leadership?

We had a fun, but busy, weekend

September 29, 2008 by Sue in Wielesek

We had a fun, but busy, weekend. Saturday morning found me trekking across town to meet with a friend of Jenny who is getting a divorce and just wanted to talk to someone. I scurried home and Bob and I prepared to drive up I-5 to Woodburn Shopping Mall to meet Seraph. We met up and Bob sat in the car with the kitties while Seraph and I power shopped. Then we three went off to Marsha and Steve's where there was an end of the summer fiesta. All their family, old friends, and the Mexican guy who rents from Steve and Marsha and his family... Bob, Seraph, the kitties, and I left around eight, and were quite happy to hit the sack.
Seraph had breakfast with Yayoe and Hanni, and then we shopped for dinner In the meantime, Anna had come down from Portland and Bob's cousin Ron brought his pick up down to take back the double bed to Portland for Anna. The group increased in size, and we would up with ten for dinner. Good times!

Saturday, I woke up early to clean house, and...

September 28, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

Saturday, I woke up early to clean house, and make fried potatoes. It was nice to relax for a little and enjoy a nice warm breakfast. Afterwards, we went over to Eric and Shaun's to help with the gallery. While there, I overheard Shaun talking to a person on the phone about the house. I was discouraged about this news, and lost heart in being there. I tried being cheerful, but deeply troubled by this. I pray everyday that our house will sell fast.

We left for Taos around one, and felt better when I saw a mountain in full autumn glory with aspens in dazzling gold. We went to Taos Public Library, checked out books, and went to the Taos Arts and Crafts Fair. Right of way, I found Christmas gifts for dad and Carolyn. We walked around admiring all of the beautiful pieces of jewelry, paintings, sculptures, and other amazing art. Afterwards, we walked around town, and the plaza before heading home.

Sunday, we went to church finding out that one of the pastors is leaving the church to work as a hospice in Santa Fe. She was extremely nice, and will be missed by the congregation. After a brief stop at home, we left and headed up to Sipapu Ski area to hike and play frisbee golf again. On the way, I had to stop and take a picture of the mountain I spoke of. All of the aspens bursted to life, like fireworks on fourth of July. I was mesmerized by the sight, and only came to my senses with Isabell telling me she was tired of aspen trees. Once up there, a frisbee golf tournament was just wrapping up. We played ten holes with brief stops to take photos of the glorious aspens. We tired out after the tenth hole, and decided to go down by the river to play. Isabell was like a deer hoping from rock to rock and crossing the river several times. I attempted it and managed to do this with out falling in. Up stream, a family was fishing in a deep pool, and watched as they caught several trout. After they left, we went were they were fishing and looked into the slow deep moving pool. The sun reflected off the water, and I could see two or three trout gliding upstream effortlessly. It's so beautiful to watch these fish in their natural habitat. I've seen them in streams at the High Desert Museum and at the Portland Zoo, but never in nature, and found another reason why I love it here!

This evening, while Isabell watched a movie, I made a cup of tea, listened to Celtic Women, lit a candle, and I settled into a papasan chair overlooking our valley. I watched as the dark mountains slowly disappeared into the night sky as they became one.

On Friday, we had an inservice day, and Isabell sick, came with me. One of our meetings we learned about brain gym. A new concept that I've never heard before. The basic concept is to reenergize your brain and make the left and right hemispheres work together. Isabell has been learning this at school, and it is an amazing concept. We did a few simple excercises that worked to energize and relax you. I tried these tonight and it really worked. I also read The Secret a few months ago and applied that philosophy to my life. I feel relaxed and positive and hopefull life will be good this week.

I finally finished Spore, as close to finishe...

September 27, 2008 by Adam in Adam's Games

I finally finished Spore, as close to finished as it gets, anyway. I had a really hard time getting by the Grox. I ended up switching to a strategy where I bought up a ton of repair thingies for my spaceship and just ignored the damage. The end felt like going through a maze while slowly taking damage. The finale was cute and funny, but not particularly dramatic. I did enjoy building up my vast spice empire to the point where I could collect vast sums of money whenever I wanted.

The kids continue to enjoy playing spore, typically going back to the cell phase. Sam created a flying pig this morning, which he's quite happy about.

It's Mocha Friday

September 26, 2008 by Adam in Family

It's Mocha Friday. I'm off the wagon again, another delicious mocha cooling beside me.

Poor Emma was sick this morning. She woke up Jamie with a "Mama! Emergency!" and had to have her crusty nose dealt with. I kept her company for a little while before turning her over to Jamie for the day.

It's been a good, if uneventful week. Work was very busy yesterday. As usual, I was playing the hero and scurrying about. Jamie called me home early a couple days since the kids were sick. Every year when school starts, the waves of illness sweep through our family.

We're lining up events for this weekend. Both Jamie's dad and Seraph are in town on Sunday. Sam has a long play date tomorrow. Emma really wants to go swimming. Hopefully we can fit it all in.

Fall is definitely in the air

September 26, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

Fall is definitely in the air. Cottonwoods, aspens, and other decidious trees are trimmed in yellow. In another week or two, all of the trees will be decorated in yellow, orange, and reds. Creeping brush and bushes, between the pine trees, are oranges and reds, and look like a trail of fire along the ground. I'm ready for the cooler weather to come, so I can wear sweaters.

This week is going much better, the kids are finally getting with the program. We are having fun, and are finally doing art projects with the kids. Stephanie and I are bumping heads about when to do the art work. I wanted to do this later in the morning when we had our circle time, so I could introduce the theme and art project. Stephanie prefered the morning when the kids arrive. This didn't work, because we had snack and long outside time. We tried bringing kids in to do the art work, but they rather play outside. I finally realized the only way to solve this was to do the project in the morning. I compromised, and it seems to work.

Today, it was a pretty good day, but we had seven potty accidents in a half an hour time, and that kept us on our toes. One of the parents brought us Concord grapes, and we made juice out of them. It was really good!

Isabell has been fighting a cold this past week, and I've been feeling guilty wanting to keep her home, but I've just haven't been able to take the time off. Tomorrow, I have an in-service day, and I'm going to take Isabell out of school, and she's coming to work with me. I have meetings and planning time, so Isabell will probably hang out, relax, read books, and maybe watch movies. Hopefully three days off will help her overcome her cold. Friday night we are going to watch a movie called Tortilla Heaven, a movie that was filmed around here. I can't wait to see this movie. I'd like a relaxing weekend so I can catch up on cleaning the house. I know I'll be helping at Eric and Shaun's gallery on Saturday, and we'll have a trip to Taos. Maybe Isabell and I will go on a fall hike on Sunday. We'll wait and see!

I do not often enough provide the balance tha...

September 23, 2008 by Jamie in Jamie

I do not often enough provide the balance that this family blog desparately needs. The voice of reason and reality. The one servicing all the strings, if not pulling them. I am enjoying my favorite season, though not getting nearly enough direct exposure. I had a lovely first 39th birthday, and so many friends and family reminding me how lucky I am. Angie, Victoria and I had a decadent though far too brief spa afternoon at Angie's mom's house on the McKenzie River...complete with hot tub and our own personal masseuse. I need to hang with these chicks more often. I was treated to gourmet appetizers and a relaxing evening at Pat and Karlann's on Saturday, and a family gathering at Sue's Sunday so I didn't have to cook much over the weekend. It sure is nice having someone cook for you. I'll have to remind the family of that more often ;-)
I also am looking forward to spending the first weekend of Oct with friends at the beach house. Happy Fall!!!

Oh, mom, I'm so glad you're starting Sam on t...

September 23, 2008 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Oh, mom, I'm so glad you're starting Sam on theory early. I often think of you as the source of my interest in organizing philosophies, beginning with Campbell and Jung. Kids should be taught Marx, Weber, and Durkheim in middle school, just to start getting a handle on critical analysis. The first leg of school is nearly over- October begins the high holidays, and we get some respite from this month's grueling pace.

Hopefully I'll get to go to the Fluff Festival this weekend, celebrating the creation of Marshmallow Fluff in 1917 by Archibald Query. Bostonians eat peanut butter and fluff sandwiches as children- that's fluff boy. Weirdos.

Seraph and Sadie, remember Abel's Island

September 23, 2008 by Sue in Wielesek

Seraph and Sadie, remember Abel's Island. I sat with Sam a bit today; he had a cold and Jamie had to take Emma to school. I read him several chapters, and we discussed it from a Joseph Campbell myth perspective. Next is Jung.

It was a good, if mostly uneventful weekend

September 22, 2008 by Adam in Family

It was a good, if mostly uneventful weekend. The high point for me was taking the kids swimming both days. They had such a good time and I finally got over being sick, so we played until we were exhausted. For Jamie, she had a birthday party every day. Friday night I got Thai food and assorted Metropol cakes. Saturday she went to Pat's house and his wife made a huge hors d'oeuvres spread. Sunday we had dinner with my mom and got yet another cake.

Otherwise I played a lot with the kids. The kids have both been playing Spore. Sam's been using rolls of black electrical tape to assemble an intricate gun out of junk laying around the garage. Emma got to play with her friend Sahve down the street. Good times.

Sunday evening, taking it easy until the Mad ...

September 22, 2008 by Sue in Wielesek

Sunday evening, taking it easy until the Mad Men program comes on. This has been a hectic couple of weeks. I spent two days in Portland with Seraph getting her place on the market. I spent some time over at Jenny's doing the same thing. Bob, bless his heart, helped me with some fall housecleaning. I did some phone bank stuff for Jeff Merkley, who's running against Gordon Smith for a Senate seat. I think I can safely say that people in general are furious about "smear" campaigning. Apparently there's a photo team paid by Gordon Smith which follows Jeff Merkley
around trying to catch him in a gaffe. Amazing!
I had fun taking Jordan to see "Kung Fu Panda" this afternoon, and Aric, Adam and Jamie, and the kids came over for dinner.
Talked to Seraph tonight.

We've had a nice and relaxing weekend, and I ...

September 21, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

We've had a nice and relaxing weekend, and I feel refreshed for this week. I was so happy that this week ended. It was a tough last few days, with me thinking I was not up to the task of being a teacher. Our non-nappers were a handful, and wouldn't listen to a word I said. I was so depressed on Thursday night and Friday morning, that I really didn't want to go to work. Luckily, Friday turned out to be beautiful, and there weren't many kids either. We made playdough, had fun outside, and the kids did really well during nap time. I felt so good leaving work, that I was singing out loud and happy to go home. Monday, Stephanie, me, and the other TA's will meet after school and see if we can solve some of these problems.

Saturday, we woke up early, went to the post office, picked up my new glasses, and headed to Taos. (My nose pads on my glasses broke off, and I ordered new ones a month ago, and they finally arrived now.) In Taos, I got my tires rebalanced, since they needed it badly. Driving 65 miles an hour the car would vibrate badly. After this was done, I went to the plaza to get my lens transfered to my new glasses. While I was parking, a woman pulled out and hit my car. It wasn't bad, a little dent, and scratch, and it really wasn't anything to get excited about. The woman was really nice, and apologized perfusely. While I was writing down her information, a man that the woman knew came out to see what was wrong. He immediately tried to blame me for not parking properly, and saying anybody would hit me for the way I parked. I was about an inch inside my line. He told her that he was going to call the police, but she said not to listen to him, and that she would be leaving soon.

This is something I learned while living here. Spanish men tend to be very over protective of woman, and they feel that women can't solve problems on their own. Single woman who live in the villages are assured to have hispanic men knocking on there doors at all hours of the day.

Back to the story in hand. While she was leaving, the man chased her down to make sure she didn't want to call the police. She assured him that it was her fault and didn't need to call the police. I watched in amusement as this unfolded in front of me. Once she left, I got my glasses fixed, and headed toward the library. After a brief stay at the library, we went to our traditional breakfast stop at Michaels. After breakfast, we got our haircuts, and went to Questa to see my grandma, and to do our month load of laundry. Isabell, was able to catch up on a week worth of Disney channel, since we don't have any TV reception. We were there for most of the afternoon, and headed home.

Sunday, I helped out at Eric and Shaun's gallery. This weekend, and next is the the High Road Art tour, and many retired people take this tour every year. It was fun, hanging out, and seeing who came to look at the art. We hung out in the front yard, laying in the hammock, and throwing apples at each other. Eric and Shaun are great, and are almost like family. They love having Isabell around, and Eric had fun tossing apples at her. Shaun is funny. A Subaru Forester drove, and she joked saying, "There's no money there!" A reference, that a lot of people own Foresters around here. We stayed for a little while, walked next door to the community center where they had more art. They also had a small kitchen, where Isabell ate a hot dog, and I ate posole. Eventually we walked home, rested, and went to see ET at the theatre. We are now at home, and we are enjoying our evening.

It's Talk Like a Pirate Day

September 19, 2008 by Adam in Family

It's Talk Like a Pirate Day. If anyone needs assistance, here's a documentary to get you started:

Happy birthday Jamie!! Even though it's Talk...

September 19, 2008 by Seraph in Cortez

Happy birthday Jamie!! Even though it's Talk Like A Pirate Day, I hope your family sang Happy Birthday without too many "argggs..."

We're on Wednesday, and almost over the hump

September 18, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

We're on Wednesday, and almost over the hump. Thank God! Monday, was a much better day at school, as the kids were getting better at adjusting to school. After school, I went home, picked Isabell from school and went home for a little while. Arlene came with us, as we went to look at a home near by. This house four bedrooms, five baths, three fireplaces, two sunrooms, and an acre and a half. It was built in 1978, and it was decked for the 70's. It was combination of the Brady Bunch and a bad late 70's early 80's ski movie house. On one wall in the livingroom/diningroom, there was pull out A-track player, and a record player. In another part of the room, there was a wet bar, and pool table with Coors Lite Lights over the table. Upstairs, there are three bathrooms. One in the master bedroom, and two in the hallway; one is blue, and the other is pink.

The plus side, is that there are gorgeous views from the sunroom, and the river winds down below through lush vegetation. There is fireplace in the formal livingroom, one in the den, and one in the masterbedroom. With a little updating, it could be a beautiful house for entertaining. I'd keep the record and A track player, so we could get down be groovy! All family and friend will have to wear bell bottom pants, and polyester leisure suits. Of course, when Isabell went to bed, I had to watch one of those bad 80's ski movies to be in the mood.

Tuesday, I got off school a little early, picked up Isabell, and went home. Arlene is renting a trailer to an old friend named Anne. She's in her late 70's but very active. I really like her, and she has had an interesting life. Anyway, she came over to see if I can help her install a chimney to her woodstove. I had no idea how to help, but I had act manly. The pipe is a telescope type that extends, so we first tried screwing it in, but that didn't work. So she held one end, and then I pulled and twisted to make it longer. NO SICK IDEAS! Eventually, we got in on the stove and connected to the ceiling. I felt like a real country boy! I came home, and made rice in a pot, with out a rice maker, and felt like a real cook! I'm starting to be self-reliant!

Today, started out so promising. The kids were doing so well, until quiet time while the other kids napped. Any improvement on Monday went out the window. I had five kids today, who were so wild. They yelled, threw puzzle pieces, and ran around! I tried talking to them gently, and they laughed more, and kept on throwing things. I felt so inept as a teacher. Stephanie came in, and I thought she'd solve the problem in a minute. She had a time stopping the children, and it took her 20 minutes to calm them down. Eventually a game of burrito child helped out. You wrap a child in a blanket and you pretend to cook and eat them. They love it!

I came home, had a glass of wine, watched Harry Potter with Isabell, and I am preparing to go to bed, and watch another bad 80's ski movie. Sad, but true, I have a couple of these bad movies with T&A. I don't watch it for the T&A, but for the excellent skiing. I dream of skiing!

The kids and I continue to play Spore

September 17, 2008 by Adam in Adam's Games

The kids and I continue to play Spore. Emma's nearly at the end of the tribal phase, soon to reach the civilization phase. Even with Sam and I reading instructions, it's pretty close to the edge of what she's capable of doing. Still, she seems to be having a great time with it and often has to negotiate with Sam for play time.

Sam plays every opportunity. He's at the space phase, slowly building his empire and exploring the galaxy. His latest plan is to reach the rumored black hole in the center of the galaxy and see what's on the other side. It's good to have goals.

I haven't had as much time to play, but I've had fun when I do. Basically I have a small but thriving empire that I'm cultivating, working on alliances with nearby races and trying to keep the annoying warmongers from attacking me.

The week has been moving along

September 17, 2008 by Adam in Family

The week has been moving along. Yesterday Emma was up at five o'clock with bad dreams. I sleepily went over and tried to get her back to sleep, to no avail. I read her stories, got her something to drink, and eventually gave up and took her downstairs. She was pretty tired later that night.

Sam had fencing, which he seemed to enjoy. Emma has karate tonight, which I'm excited to hear about. Hopefully Jamie took some pictures.

I had a great breakfast with my mom yesterday, filling up on pancakes and drinking lots of coffee. It was a great way to start the day.

The weekend has come and gone

September 15, 2008 by Adam in Family

The weekend has come and gone. I had a great time with the family, visiting the Eugene Celebration and generally running about. Saturday Jamie made Challa French toast with blueberry chutney. Later I took the kids to a free karate lesson, with Emma having a great time with the instructor. Later we watched the parade, sadly missing Yayoe's ukulele march. Afterwards we wandered into the celebration itself, where we ate, made robots at some art place, and ate some more. Eventually we all went home and took it easy for the rest of the day.

Sunday we had crepes, then went off again. Sam and I went to the library where he spent nearly an hour reading a book about the National Enquirer. The girls went back to the celebration. Eventually we met up at home for a little lunch and quiet time. Angie whisked Jamie away for massages and hot tubbing, while I played with the kids. The highlight was playing in the sandbox and getting quite messy. Eventually Jamie returned as I was getting Emma to sleep. Good times.

We just wrapped up a beautiful weekend

September 15, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

We just wrapped up a beautiful weekend. On Saturday morning, we drove to Penasco to help with the cleanup, and had lots of fun. There were about ten adults and kids helping out, and Isabell did a really good job of picking up trash. There was a lot of laughter, as the boys tried scaring the girls and women saying they saw a snake. One boy actually found a water snake inside a can. At first we thought he was joking, until he actually pulled out a two foot snake! I loved being out there, and enjoying the company of these people as we talked and joked around. There is one woman who workes for the catholic church, and she lead us in prayer in front of a vacant lot. She explained later on that the area was used for drug trafficking, and a man had died there. They eventually cleaned it up, tore down two trailers, and now it's vacant. I suggested that they make a park there, and they thought it was a great idea. I better be careful, because I'll end up on the committee leading the project!

I planned on going to my grandma's to visit, and do laundry, but I couldn't get a hold of her. We went to Taos anyway, and brought our recycling. Living in a small village there is no garbage or recycling pickup. There is a dump in Chamisal that I haven't gone to yet, and you have to take your recycling to Taos. It's a pain in the butt, but that's only a small sacrifice. After separating the recycling, we had breakfast at Michael's (a weekend ritual), went to the library, and headed to Taos Ski Valley for Oktoberfest. This is mom's old stomping ground, where she was a certified ski instructor. It's a beautiful drive through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, with a pristine creek winding and weaving beside the road. Once there, we had a lot of fun wandering through all the sights. Isabell got her face painted, jumped in the bouncy castle, and we took the chairlift up the mountain. Isabell was a little scared as we rode up, since this was her first ever chairlift ride, however she loved the scenery. They have a sign at the bottom that say, "Don't worry, this is only 1/30 of the ski area!) The run is called Al's Run, and it is extremely steep! Once back on level ground, Isabell made a friend with a girl her own age from Hobbs, NM. She and the girl made sandcastles, and played around in the sand. Her parents were really nice and even bought me a beer. Eventually, the festivities wound down, we said goodbye to our new friends, and headed home.

Sunday morning I woke up early, and decided to make chicken enchiladas for the potluck for our church. I didn't sign up, however I thought it would be nice gesture.
I made a big plate of enchiladas, hoping I would have extra, but my mistake, they were popular and I came home empty handed.

I planned on going to Questa to see grandma again. Grandma, Teresa, and John had gone to Albuquerque yesterday, and I made plans to see them again. We drove up, and John informed that Teresa and Grandma went to Espanola checking on my cousin Daniel. To long to explain, so I'll spare you the details. Long story short, I didn't get to do my laundry, however I did visit with my grandpa. I'm ashamed to say that this was the first visit with him since I moved here. In my defense I have to say, that he is very depressing to be around. He is alway complaining that he is dying and his body is always aching. Even Isabell doesn't feel comfortable around him, and it was nice chatting with him, but I was ready to leave.

It was actually nice coming home and resting. A luxory that I don't do much of. Isabell watched a movie, and I sat down read a book, and took a short nap. Later in the afternoon, Isabell and I took a walk, and watched the sun slowly vanish behind the mountains. As we turned around, we were greeted by the most beautiful and magical sight; The full moon slowly rising over the valley, and we were in awe as it ascended into the evening sky. We grabbed the camera, and took a few pictures. If you've done your homework, and watched the Milagro Beanfield War, you'll know what I'm talking about. I could hear music wafting through the evening air, and could almost see the old man prancing around with his accordian as he waltzed through town. You need to watch the movie! It was all so magical, and I immediately new that I made the right decision on moving here. I have been looking at other properties in the area, in case this house doesn't work out, but after tonight and seeing the moon, I just couldn't imagine us anywhere else!

Emma's been having fun with Spore as well

September 13, 2008 by Adam in Adam's Games

Emma's been having fun with Spore as well. Here's a little video of what her creature looks like:

As most of you know, I have been working with...

September 13, 2008 by Lohring in Lohring

As most of you know, I have been working with Mike Bontoft on a boat to set the world water speed record for electric boats. The current world record is 58 mph, but boats have gone 70 mph. On our last test before the October 11 record trials in Lincoln City, Oregon, we became the first electric boat to unofficially exceed 100 mph as measured by two GPS units.

Mocha Friday is back

September 12, 2008 by Adam in Family

Mocha Friday is back. I've started in on another of those delicious elixirs, though I may try to get a sugar free one next time, as this seems a little sweet to me.

This last week at work I've been hunkering down and finishing a high visibility project. The longer it went on, the crazier it got, so I decided to finish it fast, work with my main customer, and ignore everyone else. So far, so good.

It's also been the first full week of school for the kids. Emma seems to be enjoying things, and she shares her latest alphabet signs and songs at dinner. Sam's having a good time with his friends at recess, and enjoying the books they're reading in school. Time seems more scheduled for him, with his chore, homework, packing lunch, and occasional fencing class. Of course, he continues to find time to play Spore, which is his new favorite game.

Jamie hasn't exactly been relaxing while the kids are at school. Mostly she's going shopping or heading in to work. So much for watching old movies and eating bon bons.

I feel a little weird having two trips next month, one to Bellingham for work and another to Edmonton the week after. I find myself being extra nice to everyone, and strangely excited and nervous about my trip to Canada.

This week has been long, and crazy and I can'...

September 12, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

This week has been long, and crazy and I can't wait for the weekend. Tuesday night was our Back to School Night, so I was in Santa Fe from 8:30am-8:00pm. After school, I went to see my Great Uncle Francis, I realized that he only lived a few blocks away from the school. However, he was not there, so I went to the plaza, where there is an antiquarian bookstore I wanted to visit. When I started off insearch of it, dark clouds rolled in, and it started to rain. When I reached my destination, it had already closed, and I headed back towards the plaza in a down pour without a rain coat, but I didn't mind in the least. It was a nice warm rain, and by the time I made it to the plaza I was drenched. I went under the portal of the Palace of the Governors, where the Pueblo Indians sold there jewelry. I looked around, got spoked by a loud clap of thunder, and went to have an early dinner. I ate spicy enchiladas, and a beer called Roswell Alien Ale, it was a great label with an alien and a spaceship on it. I felt relaxed as I went back to school, and had our meeting with the parents. They are a great group of relaxed parents and it should be a great year.

We stayed longer than I anticipated, and called Arlene that I wouldn't be back until 9:00pm. Luckily, I know the road well enough, so I could go a decent speed around the curving roads. I spotted a huge beautiful Elk with an enormous set of antlers on the side of the road. It spooked me a bit, realizing that these magnificent animals could wander on to the road. By the time I made it home, I was so tired, that I put Isabell to sleep and I crashed right of way.

Since I arrived late, two consequences occurred. One Isabell was not able to do her reading log, and then she lost her homework. I felt terrible that this had happened, and I wrote to her teacher. Then next day, she found the homework, and the teacher told me she could hand it in on Monday. I felt so grateful and relieved that Isabell has such a nice and understanding teacher.

I'm between two worlds living in New Mexico. More than half of me is German, and the other half is hispanic. When I'm around my community in Vadito/Penasco, or my family I feel my hispanic heritage, and I love being around them. They are so relaxed, and easy to laugh around. They are all very friendly, and as you drive slowly down my road, they all wave to you, and you feel very much part of this village. At our Back to School night, the cleaners were busy getting the classrooms ready, and they all are hispanic. They were very happy group, and joked around quite a bit. One lady that I met, greeted me warmly, and jokingly asked If I were there to help her clean the tables. I love there is easy ways, and I feel totally comfortable with them.

I need to explain something about there culture. It is a mistake to call the people hispanic. There is a proud group that could call themselves hispanic, and are a liniage from Spain, and have "true blood." But, most people have Indian blood too, so they are not true hispanics. Over time, the spanish people called themselves Hermanos (brothers) and this is where family places a big role in the Spanish culture. Family is number uno in this community, and it doesn't have to mean immediate family. They are all brothers, sisters, and cousins, and the term hermanos was shortened to manitos (little brothers.) A term that I like very much, as it applies to most communities in the mountains and valleys of Northern New Mexico.

In my other world, I have been mostly raised in an upper class anglo society. In every community that I have lived, I have never really lived in a diverse neighborhood. Living in the areas that I have, one doesn't see many hispanic, African American, Asian, or Indian families, so I never really knew these cultures very well. I wasn't really introduced to these cultures until Seraph, Isabell and I moved to North Portland. Here, in this area of Portland, it really is a melting pot of culture, and it took me a long time to feel comfortable in such an environment. In the long run, it was great for Isabell, who grew up here, went to day care, and elementary school with such a diverse population. It won't effect her, and she can live anywhere, and feels like she fits into any community. As for me, I have only taught at well to do schools, where the community is segregated from the rest. In Eugene, I worked at EEI, in South Eugene, in Portland I worked at Hillside, an influent neighborhood, and here in Santa Fe, I'm working at an expensive school. If there are children of diverse backgrounds, they are usually adopted. When I moved to New Mexico, I really wanted to change this pattern, and work with the families of the area I'm living in, but to really afford to live in Vadito, you have to have a well paying job, and they are hard to find around here. To find good paying jobs you have to travel to Santa Fe or Taos, and these schools are usually private, and don't have the cultural backgrounds. It is sad, because I would like to immerse myself in this community, and I will try to do this, by volunteering in the community. On Saturday morning, Isabell and I are going to help with her friends from school to do a trash pickup of the area. This should be fun to hang out and talk to the kids, and adults that will be participating. Ironically, we are doing this clean up for the Enchanted Circle Art Gallery show for all of the communities between Taos and Santa Fe. (Each town will participate in this clean up.) It's usually for the well to do anglo tourists who come through these areas that stop at these galleries. Here again, I'm between two worlds as I want to get to know my community and be apart of the family, however, I also want to mingle with the anglo society as they tour the galleries and spend lots money on art. (By the way, that's not going to happen.)

I love it here, and I thank God everyday for this grand opportunity to live in an area, where anglos, spanish, and Indians live, and I want to immerse myself in all of these cultures, and I want Isabell and I to enjoy these cultures and learn from them, too. When Seraph comes, she will also enjoy this, too, and we as a family will love every aspect of New Mexico.

Yeah Adam! Have fun in Canada

September 11, 2008 by Seraph in Cortez

Yeah Adam! Have fun in Canada. This might be one moment you wish you had taken up that Canadian citizenship (if only to avoid the passport issues).

I got the oddest offer yesterday

September 11, 2008 by Adam in Adam

I got the oddest offer yesterday. I was offered a trip to Canada to spend a couple days looking over a new game (shrouded in secrecy and all that). It would be two days of travel and two days of indulging my gaming hobby. The big hassle right now is seeing if I can get a passport in time. Last night Sam and I went down to get our pictures taken. Today I'm going to see if I can get the process going and expedite it. The trip is a month from now, and I think it takes a couple weeks for the passport to arrive.

I have this weird excited and nervous feeling about the whole thing. I woke up at one o'clock this morning just thinking about it and it took forever to get back to sleep.

EUGENE CELEBRATION THIS SATURDAY! HI There

September 10, 2008 by Yayoe in Yayoe

EUGENE CELEBRATION THIS SATURDAY! HI There...I'll be marching with the Iron Mango Orchestra (ukuleles) at the parade..playing Hawaiian songs..Look for our float....we're #67 in the line up....No throwing of tomatoes etc for being out of tune..

I'll be wearing my big wide Panama hat and wearing thermo underwear under my Aloha shirt..Aloha.....

Graduate school

September 09, 2008 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Graduate school. We've been reading about welfare policies' affect on de-commodification of labor, and all I can think about is how wonderfully exempt I am from the market as I sip my tea and read hundreds and hundreds of pages of social policy. The program is also woefully disconnected from the community, so I don't even have to enact change! The mission of the program, "Education Forwarding Social Justice," means forwarding social justice... once you've read more Locke. The best thing about my classes is the wealth of experience from my fellow classmates, who have been policy analysts, researchers, and program directors. They make going to class interesting.

We are in the middle of September storm season, the only time that Waltham looks like Eugene. The perfect day to settle in with a good book and think about the fact that I've now read more social policy that Governor Palin has in her political career.

Hi, all, I'm sitting here in a lovely motel r...

September 09, 2008 by Sue in Wielesek

Hi, all, I'm sitting here in a lovely motel room at the Mill Casino, where the Veterans Affairs Grantwriting workshop which Bob is attending here in Coos Bay has reserved a block of rooms. They have free Wi-Fi, which is a real treat! Bob and I drove over this afternoon, and it's hard to imagine that it was only two weeks ago that we were leaving Athens.
We did have a wonderful time in Greece. Athens is an interesting city because, while it is a sprawling city, all of the "historical" sights are in a fairly small area known
as Plaka. And the Parthenon (which is the famous building
in the ancient complex of religious buildings known as the
Acropolis) is on a steep hill in the middle of the Plaka area, so it's easy to get to.
Later, olmom

Saturday, a strange "loco" north wind swooped...

September 09, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

Saturday, a strange "loco" north wind swooped into town, leaving me on edge. Isabell and I went to Taos to go to my Uncle John's company picnic. We left early to take my car in, to get a tune up and took the public transportation into downtown Taos. We walked up to Michael's Cafe, and the wind blew through my soul, leaving me homesick for Seraph. Isabell was feeling it too, and we ate a huge cinnamon role in silence. I really wanted to talk to Seraph, but I couldn't get a hold of her, and I was feeling depressed. We left Michael's and went to a bookstore, to see if that would lift my spirits. Surpisingly, it didn't. I didn't find anything of value, but Isabell did, and then we went to the library where I picked up a few books for school. The Auto shop closed at one o'clock, and we rushed from the library to the park, hoping that my Aunt Teresa would drive me over to the shop. It was 12:35 when we arrived, but Uncle John told me that Teresa dropped him off, and that Teresa went back to Questa and would be here soon. I frantically, called the shop, and I then paid over the phone, and they left the car for me outside. My soul recovered a bit, as Teresa showed up, and we watched Isabell participate in the potato bag, three-legged, and obstacle race. They tried a water balloon toss, but the kids had more fun throwing them at each other. After that, they had two pinatas, and Isabell came out like a bandit. My cousin Cory, his girlfriend Joni, and there five month old baby came by to visit. I haven't spend much time with my cousins, and I don't feel in touch with them. They live a different life style than I do, and I have a hard time talking to them. They live a simple life, and I really don't have anything in common with them.

My cousin Cory, was talking about getting wood for the winter and how he would go up to the mountains and cut some down. Since that conversation, I've seen trucks loaded up with wood everywhere. Pinon, is a very fragrant tree, and is one of the type of woods that people burn during the winter season, and leaves a ever lasting impression. Fall is right around the corner, and I can't wait for the cooler days, and smell the aroma of burning pinon.

Later on, Teresa took me to pick up my car and we headed home. We watched a movie called The Education of Little Tree. About a boy who lives with his Grandfather and Grandmother in the Smokey Mountains during the Great Depression. Good movie, sad ending, and I felt terrible again, knowing I wanted Seraph there with me. So far, I've been doing really well, with my love and adrenaline for New Mexico and it has carried me through. Here and there I've missed Seraph, but that day, it really hit me like a brick, and I really wanted her right then.

Sunday, I woke and my soul felt much better as we went to church. Every other Sunday, they alternate churches between Penasco, and a small town called Chamisal. It's not far from here, and it's a very cute little adobe church. They are selling it, and it peaked my curiousity. Seraph and I had talked about finding a cute church and converting it into a house. In the end it was only a fantasy, and it would take a lot to convert it. On the way home, we went throught the Picuris (Pick-a-rees) pueblo, in seach of baby buffalo, but we didn't see them . It was a beautiful drive though, and we'll have to explore it again. Later on in the afternoon, we watched Babe at the the theatre, and came home and I worked on projects for work.

Today, we implemented our new schedule, and it went pretty good. We have some ironing out to do, but I believe it will work. My group of kids is very good, and they are read to do the calendar. When I left work, huge billowing clouds hung overhead, and thunder rumbled through out the city. I'm still so fascinated by these beautiful display of clouds, as they look like towering cities in the sky.

My watched stopped at worked, and I didn't have my cell phone, so I rushed home thinking I was going to be late picking up Isabell. But I had no worries, as I was on time. She had trapezee lessons at the theatre after school. I love this small community, because they do so much for the kids. It was free, so there were a lot of families. It seemed that the "white people" crawled out of the woods and joined the class. There aren't many white families in the area, since it is mostly hispanic and Native American. But some of these white families appeared, and I just stood there amazed. Next time, I'll come out of my stupor and ask where they live!

We rushed home, grabbed my homework binder, and hurried off to Taos from my class. We had a quick bite to eat, and made it to my class, only to find out that they canceled it for the term. There were not enough students. I was P.Oed for two reasons. One, I need to take the class for work, but I have six months to take the class again. Secondly, they could have called me to tell me this, but NO, I had to waste gas and drive all the way there. However, I went to Wal*Mart, bought some poster board for work, got a new battery for my watch, and an answering machine. If you ever have the need to call me, my number is: 575-587-1910. You can call me in the evenings.

There was a bonus though, we drove home to a beautiful sunset. The sunsets here appear like the ones in the Old Western movies, where the cowboy rides into the sunset. I would love to do this, but I think it would hurt! I perfer to watch them while driving and from my front porch.

I had an email from a parent from Hillside, exclaiming that my old kids missed me, and one little girl was told by her mom that I was on an airplane. Now the the little girl thinks I live in the sky! Almost the truth, my head usually is stuck in cloud 9! Yours would be too, if you lived in such a beautiful state.

More next time.

The bachelor weekend with Sam has come and gone

September 08, 2008 by Adam in Family

The bachelor weekend with Sam has come and gone. We had a pretty fun weekend, filled with boy things. On Saturday we tried to go canoeing, but sadly they were closed. We watched a movie, did some filming of our own, and did a few chores.

Sunday morning we went for a run, made a fun little movie where things went backwards, went swimming at noon, and played Spore until the girls came home.

Emma had a great time seeing the baby elephant at the zoo. It's nice to have everyone home again.

I picked up Spore yesterday, after Sam practi...

September 08, 2008 by Adam in Adam's Games

I picked up Spore yesterday, after Sam practically begged me to get it. It's a great game, with Sam rating it very high on his favorite game scale. Even Emma's gotten into it, explaining about the cell and creature levels. She occasionally had a hard time with the cell level, with the giant creatures being too weird and scary for her. Needless to say, she's an herbivore.

I got a chance to play last night and this morning. It's pretty fun, and I've taken my Adamoids from cell to Tribal level. I started out as a carnivore, but tiptoed into eating plants too with a weird sucking attachment. After I left the sea, I started out eating my nearby nest mates, but decided it was usually easier to impress them.

Odd events happen along the way. I discovered a strange monolith, survived a meteor shower, and watched an alien ship abduct some nearby creatures. Good times.

Sam had the strangest dream today

September 07, 2008 by Adam in Sam

Sam had the strangest dream today.

The first chaotic work week has ended! We hav...

September 06, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

The first chaotic work week has ended! We have 21 kids, but usually we have around 19 as most kids don't come the full five days. I have to say that my group of kids that I have by myself, are great. They listen, they pay attention at circle time, and do a great job. Stephanie on the other hand, who chose the children for the classrooms, has her hands full. She has a few wanderers, and criers, and she worries if I can handle my kids. I keep on reasuring her that I'm perfectly able to handle them. One of the big problems that I have noticed, was that the children arrive between 8-9:15, and we have an art project set up, and the kids are free to choose an activity. I don't like this, because when we do an art project the kids have no idea why they are doing this. I'm use to having a circle time at the beginning of the day, and explaining our theme of the week, and what the art project is going to be. Finally on Friday, I told Stephanie that we need to have more structure, and have a circle time at the beginning of the day. She readily agreed, and so I wrote out our new schedule, and hope we can implement this on Monday.

On Friday, it was a pretty good day, as two parents of criers stayed the whole day. The father suggested that the classrooms were too big, and that is why his son his having a hard time adjusting. Between you and me, this kid doesn't have chance. Even when his parents are ten feet away, he goes panic and starts screaming. Anyway, another change, is that we are going to split our groups for longer times. Since I have a smaller classroom, I'll be myself for two hours with 9 kids and Stephanie will have 13 kids with a TA. I like this better, because it will give me time with my kids and I get to know them better. I guess this is why they pay me the big bucks!

After work last night, I picked up Isabell, had pizza at the Bistro, and then watched Transformers. It was actually a packed house, with several kid running around. It's great, because it is family oriented, and they have mats for the kids to lay and play on. I had a little boy, who was a first grader, and he kept on asking me questions and declaring he was "the smartest person in the world!"

We drove home under a heavenly sky of stars. Isabell claimed that she hadn't seen so many stars in her life. I tried in vain last week to show her the stars, but she didn't want to go out and see them. Now, she was amazed!

Today, we are going to Taos, to go to my uncle Johns company picnic. It should be fun to hang out with them, and maybe wander around town.

We've had beautiful clear days here, and it actually got so cold yesterday morning that there was frost on the car windows. It almost feels like an Indian Summer. I can't wait to see the aspens, and cottonwoods in full autumn colors. With the contrast of pine and golden aspens, it should be a spectacular fall!

It's another non-mocha Friday

September 05, 2008 by Adam in Family

It's another non-mocha Friday. For some reason, I keep driving past the Starbucks on my way to work and settling for tea. This weekend I'll make up for it by making my own mochas at home.

I try to get some picture for the Friday posting, so I grabbed the camera and the kids and I did self-portraits in the mirror. The auto-focus failed horribly, and I couldn't really switch to manual with the kids running around. So much for being artsy.

Jamie and Emma are going to Portland this afternoon. I delayed leaving for work so I could say my goodbyes. I'm not quite sure what Sam and I are doing this weekend, but hopefully we can do some hiking and canoeing before Fall appears in force.

Emma had her first day of school yesterday. I think she generally liked it, though she got into a bit of a "boys versus girls" scuffle on the playground. With her starting Karate soon, hopefully future events won't result in her giving anyone a bloody nose.

Sam informed me he was sort of excited to go back to school, though mostly for recess. Then he added that he's excited to finish the salt-dough Oregon maps they're making. Today they get to paint them.

Ah, the things I do for my Steampunk office

September 05, 2008 by Adam in Adam's Projects

Ah, the things I do for my Steampunk office. Yesterday I decided to pretty up my old flatbed scanner. I have a bunch of vinyl laying around from the keyboard mod and decided to give the scanner a faux-leather top. I broke out the scissors and a hot glue gun, and went to work.

Well, it turns out the hot glue gun's first word is "hot" for a reason. I ended up giving myself a bad burn when I squeezed out some hot glue on my finger. Soon I was a demonstration for the kids on why you should be careful. Jamie informed me that the really stupid thing was that I'd already given myself several small burns, but kept going anyway.

In any case, it turned out fairly well. I like the fake rivets made from brass-plated paper holders. They're stuck on with glue, so it's purely decorative, but so is most of the stuff around here. I'll eventually do something to the bottom, though I think I'll avoid anything to do with a hot glue gun.

This week is the first week that the children...

September 04, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

This week is the first week that the children return to school. On Tuesday we had a big potluck with the parents and the kids. While it was fun to meet the families, it was chaotic to see where all the children were. There are two playgrounds at the school; upper and lower. Obviously, the kids wanted to be in both places, so teachers had to be stationed at both playgrounds. For the most part the kids seem really nice, though there are a few wanderers who roam around the classroom. We have a few kids that are on the shy side of three, a few kids who just turned three, and a few who turn four in the next month or two. We have nap time after lunch, and it's like herding cats. We have to keep walking around and laying children down; when one goes down, then next child gets up and heads for the toys. For the kids who don't sleep they go in the other room, though they really need the sleep.

Today, the children trickled in, and we had cardboard boxes out that the children painted for our parade on Friday. I had a successful circle time, however my teaching partner Stephanie had a few wanderers and had to be herded back to the circle. We also had a few..."I want my mommy!" types. They are always the boys too...damn mama's boys!

Over all, the children did relatively well, except for a few cryers, wanderers, and nonlistners. The nice thing, is that I have the drive home. For the first time since I've moved here, the weather was absolutely beautiful this afternoon. Usually when I go home, the clouds have drifted in, and we have a few thunderstorms. I've said it before, I love the drive back and forth. There's something here in New Mexico that just agrees with me. I have returned to my spiritual home, and my soul is free to live. I loved the Pacific Northwest, but my soul always felt contained, and I never felt content with life. Here, I rediscovered my smile, it's back where it belongs, and I can't be happier. I smiled, and shouted out as I drove with the windows down, and enjoyed every minute of the scenic drive. Luckily with wide open spaces, my voice doesn't carry far. Friends and relatives, you need to come out here and experience what I feel here. You'll love it!

Sam starts his first day of school today

September 03, 2008 by Adam in Sam

Sam starts his first day of school today. He didn't want to go to the ice cream social last night (and instead played Resident Evil), so he won't know who his teacher is until he shows up this morning.

There are a few changes this time around. For starters, he's bringing his own lunch. Jamie has a chart of acceptable food and the two of us were packing our respective lunches last night. The other switch is that he's going to be taken to school by Sophia's mom and Sam, Sophia, and Emma will be picked up by Jamie in the afternoon. Hopefully that's fun for everyone and saves a little gas. Sam and Sophia seem to share a common love of Nerf guns, video games, and weird YouTube videos.

We had a good day yesterday, the kids gatheri...

September 02, 2008 by Adam in Family

We had a good day yesterday, the kids gathering up all their rocket gear and heading to Amazon park with my dad. Emma was really into it at first, but then the loud noise of ignition made her scared. We ended up in the car, watching Sam and my dad launch until they couldn't launch any more.

Next was lunch across the street, and a quick stop at Evolution Gaming to check out all the nifty old school games. We returned home, empty-handed but generally happy.

Jamie was off for awhile with Angie, while I played with the kids. Later Emma, Jamie, and I made tamales. For dinner Sam's friend Sophia and my mom came over. The kids weren't that into the tamales, but I loved them and will probably be eating them for lunch all week.

Sadly I'm back to work now, with way too much to do.

Living in a small rural area has been a very ...

September 02, 2008 by Robbie in Cortez

Living in a small rural area has been a very interesting experience. Arlene, is a single woman who lives by herself, and values her privacy. She has her eccentricities, that can not be explained. When I first called her to see if I could rent from her, she explained to me that she didn't want me to tell many people where I was staying. I do understand this, because when you live in a small community, word gets around fast. Also, everyone is related to everyone else. You might have a scuffle between cousins, but when someone says anything bad about that cousin, you defend them to your death. Yesterday, we came home from watching Wizard of Oz, and a hispanic man came running down the lane, asking if Arlene was OK, I had no idea what he was talking about, because I could see Arlene talking on the phone and waving to me. Arlene came out to the gate, and had a heated conversation with this man. Obviously, something had happened to her ram, and she is one that cares very much for her animals. The man insisted if the ram was sick you should shoot it. Arlene vemenetly told him to knock that type of talk off, and told him thank you for checking on her, but to leave.
Later she came over and told me when someone comes over that I don't know to close the gate right of way and walk away. She told that her neighbors are all nice, but this man abuses alcohol and drugs, and has two faces. Nice most of the time, but damn mean when high.

Another reason why she doesn't want people to come into her property, is that she is working on the house we are staying in, and doesn't have licenses to work on the house. She's afraid that people will notify someone, and then she will be out the money. She's a great woman, but it's hard trying to tell people where I'm staying. However, most people know Arlene, and know that I'm staying here. It doesn't take much for people to know who lives where.

Another small community matter, is with our sellers Eric and Shaun. They don't want anyone knowing that they are selling their house and property. So I have to be extra careful when I say we are looking at property around Vadito. They haven't said anything to his brother and sister-in-law about selling the property. They were at the art show, and luckily I mentioned that we were looking for property and didn't mention Eric and Shaun's house. I was taken back, when they said that if Eric and Shaun's place went up for sale, they'd like to buy it. It seemed strange that they didn't mention this to family. I do understand that they probably don't want to get overly excited by the prospect that they we might buy it, and then be greatly disappointed if it falls through.

Ssshhh...don't tell anyone, but we are ghosts living in a heavenly place.

The other day, I saw a house for sale on craigslist about eight miles north of Espanola. It sounded like a beautiful homee, and I became intrigued with it. I emailed the guy who owned it, and setup an appointment to see it today. We left at 9:35 thinking I'd make it on time to see it at 10:00. Isabell was in the back listening to Johnny Cash. (We saw the movie Walk the Line the other night, and now she is hooked on him, and the song Jackson.) I keep on forgetting about the manana miles, and it was already ten when I turned South from Dixon. I still had 15 miles to get there. I tried using my cell phone, but there was no service. Finally, I was able to call, and told the owner that I was running late, but he said it was no problem. We drove through San Juan Pueblo, (a very cute town), crossed the Rio Grande River, turned right after the bridge, and drove up to a beautiful house. The main house is over 100 years old, and contained two rooms. The house is L-shaped, with one room added to the short L side, and then they added a livingroom, another bedroom and bathroom to the long L. A portal (Front covered porch ran along the front of the house. It had beautiful scenery looking over a long green field, and a spectacular view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It was definitely a handsome house, and was torn between this and the Vadito house. Both have their own charm. We left for Espanola, and I talked to Seraph about the house. I can always tell from her voice when she is not excited about something. When I told her that I looked at another house, I could tell by her flat unenthusiastic voice that she wasn't impressed. Number one, it is to far from Isabell's school. We love her school, and don't want to take her away from it. Secondly, we love the community of Vadito. Everyone is so nice, and they try so hard to keep it a safe community where neighbors keep an eye on each other.

After this, we went to the Super Wal*Mart, and went grocery shopping. I hate going into a place that I'm not familiar with. I had a small grocery shopping list, but it took me an hour an half to find all of the groceries. Never again will I go there again. On the way home, I realized that Vadito was our home. I love driving up into the mountains and seeing miles and miles of forested valleys, mountains, and little oasis of meadows, where giant cottonwoods wade by small creeks. I love how the sky reaches down and touches the mountains.

When we got back, we went on our frisbee golf adventure and what an adventure we went on. The course is on Sipapu ski area, and it didn't dawn on me what the course would be like. I bought two disks, one for "driving", and the other for "putting", got a map and headed for our first frisbee golf experience. I'm usually pretty good at picking up new sports, and thought this shouldn't be too hard. How hard is it to throw a frisbee? Just like golf, they have Pro, Advanced, and Recreational tee off boxes. Most of the holes are parr three. (You have to make it in the basket in threes shots.) The first hole goes straight up the mountain. Just like when I tee off in golf, I have a natural slice and it doesn't go very far. Eventually after six throws we made it to the basket, where we "putt" the frisbee in. Though I was disappointed I didn't fair well, we had lots of fun. The second hole, was down hill and down to the right. At first, we couldn't find the hole, I didn't think it would be that far away. I consulted the map, but it didn't make any sense and decided to ask the woman at the shop where the basket was, and she said it should be there. We went out, and realized it was further than I thought. After another six shots, I finally realized this was harder than I thought, and we seeked out the recreational tee box. The third hole was across the stream, and far away. We cheated a bit, got closer, and tossed it over the stream. This is only a brief discription of what occurred, I won't go over every hole detail, but it was more mountain climbing then throwing a frisbee. On one hole, my natural slice ended down the side of a hill, where I slipped and slid down a slick muddy hill, almost lost the frisbee, and managed to make it to the hole in eight shots. We climbed up the mountain, down the mountain, and across the mountain. two and half hours later, and twenty holes, we finally made it down the mountain! It was a lot of fun, but what a work out. Besides the hiking and searching for frisbees, the scenery is spectacular up here; huge stands of pine trees, intermixed with tall gracefull Quaking Aspens, and a new favorite of mine the Blue Spruce. I've never seen huge stands of them before, and I was in awe at the blue hue of them. My mom loves these trees, and has one planted in her yard, but they are breathtakingly beautiful to see them in the wild. This was the first time in a long time, that I had such fun with Isabell, and not worrying about anything.

We came home, made dinner, and ate outside, watching the clouds race by. I had a glass of red wine, and watched as the birds fluttered from fence post to tree. I bought a hummingbird feeder today, in hopes of attracting them to the house. I was astounded to see so many hummingbirds i

We're back from the beach, a little tired, bu...

September 01, 2008 by Adam in Family

We're back from the beach, a little tired, but glad to be home.

Our grand adventure started Friday afternoon with everyone in high spirits. I had a laptop for each kid, so they were completely silent the entire trip. It was weird. Once we arrived, I helped unpack and we made a quick trip to the beach while Jamie made dinner. Since it was so late in the day, we wrapped the evening up after watching the first half of My Fair Lady.

Saturday started with a hearty breakfast and a trip to the beach. We built this huge castle, complete with a moat and a river that went all the way down to the ocean. Beside the river were a number of buildings, roads, and bridges. Fortunately the tide was coming in so the kids gleefully got to watch it all wash away. After returning home for a snack, I took the kids swimming for a good long while. Jamie took Emma to Newport to buy crab, which we had for dinner. Eventually we finished My Fair Lady and Sam and I decided we had to make Jamie watch the Buffy musical next.

Sunday was almost exactly like Saturday, with more sand castle building and swimming after lunch. Jamie cleaned like a maniac while I watched the kids, getting the house in pristine state before we all returned to our normal lives.