Civilized vacationing

After a week's vacation to sunny Arizona we are back in the real world.  However, I have settled on a new vacation strategy which is to vacation from Wednesday to Wednesday.  This gives you a two day week before vacation and a two day week after vacation making for a civilized departure from, and soft landing to, the real world.  The other bonus is that air travel on Wednesdays is very civilized; fewer intense business types, hardly any four-generation family groups with all of their needs and machinations, and the plane is not stuffed to overcrowding, thus reducing the chance that you will be sharing a seat with someone you were so hoping was going to keep on down the aisle as you avoid eye contact and fiddle with crap in the extra seat as if it might be occupied.

The weather in Arizona was perfect 80's.  Spring training baseball was in full swing.  Poolside was relaxing.  Our book selections satisfying (I devoured four).  There were many visitors from the northern midwest and Canada allowing me to brush up on my Lawrence Welk-inspired accent (Ay dunno what it is aboot tha way theey talk that fascinates me soo).  We have acquired tans and I was a bit smarter (Karen always is) and used sunscreen to avoid most of the burn.  I know, tanning is bad, but what isn't?

We took a four mile walk most days and snagged a grapefruit from a tree (delicious), a golf ball, and saw the culmination of a high speed chase which involved two girls in a truck, a spike strip, and a dozen cop cars.  We went to our favorite restaurant, Los Dos Molinos, three times.  The original is in the former home of early movie cowboy, Tom Mix and is very funky.  We went the other two times to a new location in Chandler and struck up a conversation with the granddaughter of the founder and her husband who run this location owned by her aunt who had a location in NYC for ten years.  They are pretty interested in coming to Portland and we invited them to stay in touch.  They are a neat couple in probably their early 30's with four kids (3, 5, 6, & &7!).  They are definitely over-achievers, but so friendly, not at all pretentious, and not wound (they should sell their secret).  We would like to see a location here (although would it take away the mystique - we visited a Krispy Kreme once after they arrived and it was a vacation favorite too).

Home is nice though.  The pussy willow is blooming and all manner of bulbs are out getting ready to display themselves.  The cats are back in their routine (or are we just in their routine?).  Now I guess it is time to get to work and do a few things before the weekend escapes.

Gaaga's Birthday

Gaaga's Birthday is almost here (you may notice that Maaga is now Gaaga thanks to some newfound language skills by Tamsin - I think we should stick with Gaaga, don't you?).  She was born in 56 and her age will match her birth year in 2012!  We are going to a basketball game as BYU visits University of Portland.  More to follow on her birthday tomorrow!

Apparently in this establishment......

I really like the E-trade commercial with the junior jump-up in the crib who is bemoaning the fact that he was in his crib because, "Apparently riding the dog like a pony is frowned upon in this establishment." So with that in mind, reading Karen's comment to my last blog where it is confirmed that I am in the dog house, you know how I feel.  I thought I made a pretty good case for my purchase, but "Apparently in this establishment......".  How does that saying go?  When you realize you are in a hole, the first and most important thing to do is stop digging.  Did you just hear that shovel fall to the ground?

So on to today's blog.  Karen and I saw the movie Man on a Ledge.  I would highly recommend it for suspense, twist and turns, and a good story.  The other I would recommend is Hugo.  The book is a combination of novel and graphic novel; the movie follows the book very closely and improves upon it, especially around the character of the station inspector played by Sacha Barron Cohen.  I agree with the Oscar nominations.  The nominations for The Descendants are well deserved, as well.

Not exactly an exciting blog, but that is what is going on here.







 

Resolutions

I have decided on a new plan for resolutions, besides just not having them.  I have decided that they should be a late January activity. It is entirely too cruel to go cold turkey right after the season of treats.  I think my logic is very well founded and fits my rationalization for not getting around to it until now.  Alas, the time has come and I will be getting up a little earlier.  So as long as I am going to suffer, I might as well throw down a challenge and if anyone wants to go head-to-head and make a little side bet, just let me know.  This is not exciting blogging, but it serves me well because I have put it down in writing and will feel the need to report.

Katie and Karen hosted a book club meeting tonight discussing A Return to Modesty (apparently a good book where the author proposes that women should probably have not taken the freedoms thing so far when it came to modesty, as it has led to some unintended effects on society - I have not read it, but Karen does not read non-fiction and she could not put this one down).  This left Ken and I to our own devices and considerable fun playing off the subject of the book combined with the fact that this is national opposite day.  We did not carry out any of our proposed mayhem and instead went shopping at Nordstrom Rack, yep that it what it has come to at this point.  Actually, Ken and I both like to shop much to our spouses chagrin - which is not fair because many women complain that their husbands have
no interest.  Pick a lane, any lane ladies....

I scored a very cool dress shirt that has a NY Mets icon on the back, baseball buttons, and ball stitching.  Ken had told me about seeing this shirt in early December and I had no hope that it would still be there.  I am planning to justify the purchase, under the post-holiday spending lockdown, by the fact that I won a Visa gift card using my coke cap points and the shear karma of the shirt still being on the rack - I will report how this works out.  Just my luck, tomorrow is probably national dog house day.

Come on!

My day at work was a bit of a challenge, thus this will be a short post.  I admit I did not listen to the state of the union address, but I need me some of that hope and change that is long overdue.  Come to think of it, about three years overdue.  Coincidence? Me thinks not.  I am tiring of the "new normal" which translates to doing the job of two or three.  My staff has it worse, all the good ones do the work of three or four.

Good night and good luck!

Blazers (and Jimmer)

Chalupa! Chalupa!  The chant that began with almost 2 minutes to go and the Blazers sitting at 98 points and the fans hungry for the 100 points needed to get a free Taco Bell treat.  Chalupa! Chalupa! For god's sake, there is only 30 seconds to go and you have missed four tries against the frickin' Sacramento Kings (that may have been inappropriate considering we were part of the BYU alumni / Jimmer fan contingent)!  But, come on, we are talking 16,000 chalupas on the line and you guys can't manage a lay-up in trash time? Free!  We know most of you are making enough money to buy a Taco Bell restaurant (is there a word that is like restaurant but would describe a drive-thru with a plastic seating?) every quarter, but all of us above the 20th  row rarely pass up free food - what do you think attracts us to Las Vegas and cruise ships - it isn't the magic shows.....  The ten year olds that topped out at 4'6" in pre-game entertainment competition made these shots.  The losers who raced to dress up in throwback short shorts during a TV timeout eventually made a free throw and they were about as well guarded as you guys.  Wahoo! the coach sends in an eager bench warmer to send us home with a win and visions of mass manufactured Mexican sounding fare dancing in our lower bowels.  Bonus time! we all get a free short stack and 2 for 1 breakfasts at the International Opposite of Portion Control!

I am so glad the NBA season was saved and Jimmer got to come to Portland where the LDS Ensign singers performed beautifully and that spaz of a coach for Sacramento barely played Jimmer and he still was their second highest scorer.

I shall not complain....

Today was our stake conference and a change in the presidency after 10 years.  The new president is our neighbor, Steve Doty.  All work and leadership in our church is done by the members - there are no paid clergy.  We all get callings (assignments) that change usually after a year or two.  Steve Doty was a councilor to the bishop, the bishop, and councilor to the stake president over the last 15 years.  All of these are demanding and time consuming positions. He will now extend his commitment in a big way  by being stake president for the customary 8 - 10 years!

I have been teaching 14 and 15 year olds in Sunday school for like five years.  In conference today, Steve said he kind of feels like he is in the movie Groundhog Day.  He just has to keep doing it until he gets it right!  I feel like we (Karen has been teaching with me for two years) are in the same movie.  We really like the kids and have a great time, but preparing a lesson that will engage them week in and week out is a challenge.

However, I have no way to whine now with Steve's new calling - he leads and is responsible for 6 wards and probably 2000 people.  It was not like I had a right before, but forget about it now.  I am never complaining about a calling again.  I will accept a new calliing, if and when I get one, and in the meantime, will enjoy the comfort of only having to prepare a weekly lesson and teach 17 kids for an hour. I am livin' large!