More Shoveling...

Yes, we got another 8 inches of snow yesterday.  Geez...Will it ever stop.  I got home from work and immediately started shoveling the walks...Bent found a plastic cup to chew on in the snow! 

I am still trying to figure out my new camera and now to not use the flash...cause it pops up EVERYTIME!  Oh well...Maybe I should bust out that huge manual! 

Louie's friend, Jon, came over last night and cooked us an awesome dinner, consisting of cheese stuffed chicken, bread dipped in balsamic and oil, salads with nuts and cranberries, and asparagus.  It was yummy!  And as a dessert...he made some banana bread!  We watched Get Smart...and then headed to bed.  Not much more happening in this life...shoveling, stoking the wood stove...staying cozy...

 

Christmas In Morro Bay...and the New D90!!!

All I can say is that I am NOT thrilled to be back in Cd'A...

We got back last night to a rain/snow mixture...black ice on the roads...and miserably cold.  On my drive to go pick up Bentley from the dog sitters...I got hit by another car, and my car is now dented in pretty good.  The worst part about it is that the car RAN!  Stupid...I bonked my head on the window...and I have a slight headache...but it is going away.  The snow berms are taller than I am...so there it is a leap of faith that no cars are coming at every intersection to stop at.  Well...turns out there was a car coming this time.  My car has had some bad luck this past year...with three accidents.  Grr. 

BUT...California was AWESOME!  I absolutely love it down there.  Christmas was fun, but of course it didn't feel like Christmas!  I got surprised with a WONDERFUL new big camera!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.  The Nikon D90.  Thank you to all who helped buy it for me!  Here is some of the pictures...with some lightroom modifications...

All of us on Christmas morning walking down to the beach

Another group shot...we had Brent's roommates take a walk with us...so we got some good group pics!

Brent is Tide Pooling and Dad is hunkering out of the wind! 

And of course my favorite shots!!!  Love the jumping and Mom's FACE!  Priceless

Now off to the Surf and Sunsets...

Louie's Surf Session:

Go Kristen go!  Way fun!

Dad took these pictures of the birds while we were out surfing...he did an amazing job!

I had to get in the pic that dad took of all of us coming out of the water...cause the surfboards and how brent and louie are talking to each other and I am looking at the camera is way cool....but...chunk-a-lunk here is embarrassed to be viewed in a wetsuit...but who cares right!  This will just be my "before" picture.

Brent in his outfit for work, and mom with brent on the beach...

And lastly the sunset of Morro Bay...taken from Brent's Balcony of his house...Can I go back PLEASE!

OMG will it EVER stop snowing??

A winters wonderland! This was probably the MIDDLE of the snow storm...it went all night and most of the next day as well!

Here is the roof...wanted to document how much snow we have accumulated.

Louie is shoveling! We took turns!

Bentley found Louie lap, he is definitely a lap dog! We were up watching the news most of the night!

A walk the next day found this old van covered!

Bent and Louie on our walk to dad's house yesterday morning...look how DEEP!

Measurement of the deepness! And it is STILL snowing!

Louie's car is covered...we had to dig it out and clear a spot in the garage for it!

Taken today! The garage and the fence...I think it is an 8' or maybe 6' fence?

Taken this morning...our roof with the total snow!

Lets just say I am sick of shoveling...We are going to try to make it to Libby Montana in one piece this weekend...and then back for our flight Tuesday morning to California! I probably won't post again until the 29th of December! But Merry Christmas everyone!

The Color Purple but Stuck in OZ

I forgot to tell you all about the play I went to on Sunday. Mr. Alan has season tickets to this years Tour of Broadway in Spokane. That means we get to go to 4 Broadway Shows this year. The first we went to was "Phantom of the Opera". Sunday, was "The Color Purple". I had never seen the movie, nor heard of what it was about. So I had very low expectations.

To my surprise the play was AWESOME! I enjoyed the story, the music, and the acting! I was shocked, and so was Mr. Alan. I think we both had such low expectations, and such high expectations for Phantom, that we both enjoyed Purple much better! I was a little worried about seeing the "real" Broadway shows the weekend prior...but it didn't ruin it for me....EXCEPT THE MUSIC! I was Stuck in OZ and Wicked. During intermission, and after the play was over...all I could sing was the Wicked music. Maybe I need the Purple soundtrack!

Here was the drapes for the Wicked show in NYC. I definitely belong in Emerald City. I give full blame to the Wizard of OZ for making me like Rubys and Emeralds as much as I do.

Louie and I are also applying for next seasons Survivor! Applications are due Jan. 14th. One of the questions on the application is, "what is your favorite movie." I answered: "the Return to Oz". It was the first movie that popped into my mind, and I thought it was fitting. After watching my first full season of Survivor, I realized that I am probably not as tough as I thought I was. I could endure the physical aspect of the show...but the mental aspect of backstabbing, lying, and sneaking around would be quite tough. I have full respect for Bob who won this last season...a 57 year old high school physics teacher! Amazing...

Last night was pretty low key. Chicken Salad and breadsticks for dinner...and lots of catching up on the TV shows! Heroes had an interesting thought last night...if you were inject with "ability making solution", what ability would you receive. It has to do with what you really want, and your type of personality. Louie thinks I would get some sort of fire, heat ability...because I love the sun/heat so much. I don't know...I am thinking that ability to breathe under water might be cool...which ability would you get?

Just another post

I feel un-motivated to post because Louie has the new fancy camera, and I don't have any pictures! So he writes his blog first, and I read it...realizing that he has pretty much said everything that I would say...so I call it good for my post as well. But...I should just post, just to do it.

I was soooo sick this past weekend. The sickest I have ever been, as I claim. I won't gore you out with all the details...but lets just say it was BAD. So my weekend consisted of laying on the couch...or hanging out in our lovely bathroom. YAY! I did muster up the energy to head to the annual "Elkins" ornament exchange, and brought louie to meet my extended family. I was looking forward to Debbie's cheese dip, that is always at our gatherings! I think I ate about 5 chips...so that was good for not having anything to eat all weekend! I finally got to meet Heather's 4 children, and they are VERY cute! I stole from my dad, a bear in a canoe ornament...which he still has! All good fun.

This weather has been ridiculous and I am totally over it. I don't like the -15 degrees, nor the wind. Snow is ok. I am glad that the wind has finally stopped today...so the 2 degrees outside, feels like 2 degrees...and not in the negatives. YAY for a little bit of sunshine...wheres my bikini?

I was extremely happy with my present I received last night from Ashley, who surprised me with a scrapbooking tool that cuts out several different shapes and letters! We had fun a few months ago scrapbooking, and she had brought over her tool, and I stole it for most of the time! Ashley made Louie a hot plate (aka Trivet) in woodshop that turned out very cool!

I found out at work yesterday that my hours will be working three days a week. It was very wishy washy as to what I would be working...and the boss man just finally decided yesterday what my hours would be. So, I am working Monday-Wednesday.

Louie and I are off to Libby, Montana for an early Christmas with his family, and a funeral on Monday. We drive to the airport on Tuesday to sunny CALIFORNIA for Christmas with my family! I love the holidays!

Finished Cookies

So Louie finally was able to get me the pictures of the cookies I made last week...

Rolling...cutting...
baking...
stacking...agh...


Matt was kind enough to send me some pic messages while I was in NYC of the decorating party...and this is what they came up with!

I have never seen a prettier cookie!

Louie posted on last nights adventures! Nothing really else to add! There is undetermined things happening tonight...might go to a movie with a friend...and then stop over at Matt and Casey's to see all their new baby gifts...but who knows! Gonzaga plays WSU tonight...so I kind of want to watch that! I am just waiting to hear...

Hana's Breaking...VIDEOS!

The before moving to NYC...what Hana knows about Breaking...her three moves!




The after moving to NYC and some training...(this was done AFTER a security guard told us that we could not "linger" there, nor do any breaking...Hana was a stud!)



Scroll down for a new post and pics about NYC!

Flying...Remembering Dec. 8th, 2004

On my flight to NYC last friday, the pilot pointed out all the geographical highlights on the flight down to Phoenix (my first leg of the trip).  He pointed out Salt Lake, Lake Powell, the tallest peak in Arizona...and the Grand Canyon.  It was a crisp, clear day, and all these landmarks were easily seen.  It was pretty cool.  I realized, on this flight, that I would be flying the exact same way home...which means, on Dec. 8th...I would be flying over the exact spot where my brother flew 4 years ago...and crashed. 

Most people ask me if I am afraid to fly, since my brother did die in a plane crash, but my answer is always no.  It was a passion that my brother had, and I thoroughly enjoy sharing that passion with him.  In a way, it makes me feel closer to him.  I sat on that plane and looked out the window.  No wonder he loved flying so much.  You get a chance to see all the beautiful things in the world...and the not so beautiful things (the smog over phoenix was very apparent), in a very big perspective.  It is a feeling of freedom, and honestly, makes me relaxed. 

I thought it was very fitting that my flight happened to take me down to Phoenix, then to DC, then to NYC...where I had to fly over the Grand Canyon...something I had not realized when I booked the tickets.  It was a great way to celebrate his life.  Every year I try to do something special on this day, something Eric would've liked, such as snow shoeing up Moscow Mountain...or skiing...this day was the best though...his one true passion...flying...

On a different note...my trip to NYC was a blast.  It is amazing how everything seems to work out. 

Friday:  Flew to NYC...a LONG LONG Trip, with lots of waiting...but I got through a lot of Sex and the City episodes...Met Hana at the airport and made out way to the BRONX, where she lives with her roommate Kinsey.  Relaxed for the night...

Saturday:  Determined to get "rush" tickets for Wicked (meaning we go 2.5 hours early, and put our name into a lottery, where we can get drawn (12 ppl get drawn) to get a chance to buy front row seats for 25 dollars a piece).   We did not get drawn for the 2:00 showing.  Ran over to Mamma Mia, to buy Standing Room only tickets for 20 dollars a piece....they weren't selling them  yet...off to get some  NY STYLE PIZZA!  Yummy!  Ran back to Mamma Mia, to see if they are selling the standing room only tickets yet...YES!!!  WE got the LAST TWO TICKETS for 20 dollars a piece!  It meant that we had to stand for the first half of the show...but then steal empty seats for the second half...WAY WORTH IT and VERY FUN SHOW!  After the Mamma Mia show...we ran into a Turkish restaurant to get the happy hour 2 for 1 special COSMOS!  Had to be a true manhatten-ite!  Off to try our luck for the second showing of Wicked...NO LUCK AGAIN!!!   Decided to go down to the "Rodeo" bar to try out some country music, happy hour specials and some din din!  Met some of Hana's friends...and had a great night out!

Subway waiting...subway riding

Business of Times Square...Mamma MIA SHOW! Inside Mamma Mia (no pictures allowed...oops)

trying for wicked...again

she's a manhattan girl now!

Sunday:  Off to try our luck again at WICKED, but not before some dunkin' donuts to start off our traditional sundays!  Made friends with the security guard, who recognized me from the previous day...he had no "ins" for the show...but I tried!  Also made friends with some other people in line, and made some deals with some people about getting drawn...Again...our names were NOT drawn...Oh well...wasn't meant to be...OR WAS IT!  Hana needed some cash, so we ran across the street, to rite-aid, to get some cash...on our way back out...we ran into our "friends" in the wicked line who had won!  They couldn't use their tickets...so we bought them from her!  Oh it WAS MEANT TO BE!  GREAT SEATS...even BETTER SHOW!  Off to some shopping after the show...and Rockefeller center...with the "soup man"  thrown in there...falafel and dollar pizza slices..with some WICKED cold weather...we were frozen...starbucks, tasty d-lite yogurt...oh a good day!

  Rockefeller Center

The soup MAN! from Seinfeld

Wicked Set! oh I LOVED WICKED!

should hana go blond...um no!

do we look that huge?

our tasty d-lite yogurt inside the time warner mall...with amazing light show!

the next ANTM on the subway!

Monday:  Relaxed in the AM...local grocery store for a Hero sandwich and a giant pepinjo (pickle)...Airport at 3 pm...

It was a GREAT trip...and I like NYC, but HATE the cold cold cold.  It was busy with people, and overwhelming.  Hana and I got to catch up and just be.  No plans, no agenda...it worked out!