The One Where Pigs Fly

My parents have amazed me over the past couple months. First they were able to download and share pictures from their vacation without any help whatsoever. Then they burned CD's of pictures at the Family Reunion to pass out so that everyone went home with some memories. And the next thing I knew, they were talking about making a website or a blog to share pictures from the reunion and family news.

Have I suddenly been swept into the twilight zone?

I still remember the day that my mom called me and my sister (both still in elementary school) asking how to turn on that new-fangled computer in her office at work. She was perplexed after hitting the button on the monitor and having nothing happen. After we stopped laughing, we explained that the switch was usually in the back.

Now these same people wanted a website - I think I just saw a pig fly by my window.

We've joined forces and created a blog for the Family of William David & Ida Gully Jarvis. These were Elliot's grandparents on his mother's side. Their decedents now gather once a year for a family reunion. The hope is to get it updated it with pictures and news from 2009's reunion and eventually open it up to other family members to upload and share as well.

I'm not really sure when it happened, but I turned around one day and my parents had actually entered the 21st century. Whoa!

Chocolate Cake for Breakfast

When I woke up this morning, I heard Bill Cosby's voice in my head... "You're right, Bill, there ARE eggs in chocolate cake. And YES there's milk too! And wheat, Bill, don't forget about the wheat!"

Home Sweet...AHHH!

Mandarin Oak Trees

You know all that talk about being 'inconvenienced' by going to that conference? Well I have a little confession to make - after being home all of last week with a healing eye, I started to get a little stir crazy! The first couple days I relished in my free-time and did little more than play with the cats, watch Oprah and read (I've actually read three entire books since getting out for summer). Then the decluttering bug hit. I spent the next few days doing things like washing curtains and table clothes, going through closets for donations, and filing away stacks of mail. By the time last weekend rolled around I wasn't really sure what to do with myself. This week I had a few objectives to complete so I was able to keep my sanity by getting out and about.

Eye of the Pantha'

Meeting Sam

Samantha came to live with us back in December of 2007. We found her wandering the property at our friend's house. As the story goes, our friend had bought a bunch of plants from a nursery that was going out of business and brought them home on a flatbed trailer. This nursery had a little stray cat that they had been feeding for a while. Unbeknowst to our friend, that little stray cat had climbed on to the trailer and rode all the way across town including a trip over this bridge. Our friend called the nusery and found out that they had no plans for the kitty once it closed. Since our friend has two gigantic dogs, it was clear that she couldn't keep it. From the moment we saw her we knew she'd fit right in at our house. So began the taming of our wild kitty.

Wild Kitty

She came home and adjusted to indoor life pretty easily. At first she stayed in the garage, then she slowly began to roam downstairs, then moved up to the office and finally ended up claiming our room as her territory. Eventually she decided that the bed is a pretty comfy place to be. Now she goes to bed with us and wakes up with us every morning.

Relaxing at Home

It was during one of these cuddle-fests on Monday when things went terribly wrong. She was snuggled up on my tummy while I was reading in bed. She was completely calm and purring when suddenly thunder rumbled from an approaching storm outside (The only way you'd ever know she was a stray is that she is completely terrified of storms. If there is the slightest bit of rain or just a little thunder or lightning, she freaks out and hides). In the moment she heard that thunder, Sam did just that... she freaked out and turned into a ball of claws and hisses as she ran to take cover. Since she was tucked under the blanket, she apparently thought that there was only one direction she could run... that is, directly over my face. It happened so fast that I had no time to react.

The next morning

That's right, my cat gave me a black eye.

Sunday Car Troubles

I've been saving my errands for Sundays lately. I find it's easier to spend Saturday doing chores around the house and finishing anything that needs to be done for the upcoming week at school. Then I wake up Sunday morning knowing that I only have one objective - errands. I'm much more motivated to finish them early knowing that the rest of the day is mine to be spent however I'd like (usually this involves at least one movie, kicking some Marble-butt on xBox and then a little reading in the evening). This Sunday, less than an hour after waking up, I was ready to set out to do those typical errands. My trip consisted of the pet store, the grocery store, the bank and then home. The pet store only took about 15 minutes (it would have been less but I spent a few extra minutes chatting up the sales staff and coo-ing over their cats up for adoption). When I returned to the car to drop my bags, my mind was calculating that maybe I'd be able to make it home within the hour. Then I went to start the car... nothing. I sat for a few minutes in disbelief and tried it again. Still nothing. At that point I called Tim to come get me and then went into the grocery store to finish errands (luckily everywhere I was going was located in in one giant shopping center). By the time he came to get me, I was finished with what needed to be done and he took me home. We got the car looked at and it turns out the battery had a "bad cell"... very good news considering the alternative would mean a problem with the alternator. It's fixed now and all is back to normal.

Embracing My Randomness

I'm sure I should be updating you on my life, but honestly the past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind. I'm officially a full-time teacher again, but this also means that I came back just in time for spring madness - FCAT week, third nine weeks grades, two field trips and countless assemblies. At the end of all of that was... Spring Break! YAY!! :o) In honor of Spring Break, I give you some randomness:

• In it's two years of existence (this month is the anniversary, by the way) Kook Tales has been visited by someone in every state in the US... except North Dakota!! I'm currently convinced that no one actually lives in North Dakota.
  
• My newest TV-related obsession is Friday Night Lights. I know I'm a little late finding this show but I love, Love, LOVE it!!
• I've been known by the following nicknames throughout my life: Meme, Clover, Noodle, Rudy and Em.
• I'm a top 300 Marble Blast player (out of over 23,000 total players).
• I can't wear earrings. I've had my ears pierced countless times in my life, but I have cysts in my ears that cause them to get infected really easily. For the longest time, I could only wear 14K gold loops (this sounds crazy, but I promise it's the truth). When I was in college I finally gave up and my ears have been without holes ever since. In fact, I was wearing clip-ons on my wedding day!

My motivation for getting out of bed

I washed down my breakfast with a couple Thin Mints today...
not my proudest moment, but oh-so-enjoyable! :o)

So begins another chapter of our lives

I haven't been posting for the past few weeks for many reasons, one of which is that we've been incredibly busy but another is that I've been a little preoccupied... I've found myself thinking about teaching a lot recently. It has been in the back of my mind for a while now, but the final straw happened when talking with some former co-workers, I found that I was slightly jealous of their classroom stories & was wishing that I was back in the classroom. At that point, I knew I had to talk to Tim. I sat him down a couple weeks ago for "the talk." I basically told him that while I *love* working for his business, I still miss teaching. I proposed a few different ideas which basically consisted of me continuing to work with his business in various ways but also getting back in the classroom. My thoughts about teaching are pretty idealized right now so I'm thinking I need a little reminder before jumping back in wholeheartedly. We've decided that I'm going to Sub until the end of the school year and then decide from there what we want to do, but most likely I'll be returning to the classroom next year. Needless to say, I'm quite excited!

King of the Road

There are presents to be wrapped, laundry to wash and bags to pack. I'll worry about all that later though, because this is hilarious... I promise, all I did was hit next!!!!

The Rules:
1. Put your iPod (or media player) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN, NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS! (If a song comes up twice, you can cheat & move to the next song.)


WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Here Comes the Sun ~ The Beatles (how optimistic!)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Stellar ~ Incubus (aww...thanks guys!)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Joyful Girl ~ Ani Defranco (kid you not, that's what came up!)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Swinging on a Star ~ Tony Bennet (that's great!)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
FutureSex/LoveSound ~ Justin Timberlake (uhhh... no comment)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Beautiful Day ~ U2 (should I be insulted?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Under the Bridge ~ Red Hot Chili Peppers

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Heaven Beside You ~ Alice in Chains

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Parden Me ~ Incubus (as in... parden me, it will remain a secret!)

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Strawberry Fields Forever ~ The Beatles (really? but I like strawberries!)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Last Beautiful Girl ~ Matchbox 20 (ha!)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Shadow Boxer ~ Fiona Apple

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Garden Grove ~ Sublime

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Paranoid Android ~ Radiohead

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Ten Minutes ~ Get Up Kids (is this my personality or my attention span?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Least Complicated ~ Indigo Girls

WHAT IS 2+2?
Learn to Fly ~ Foo Fighters

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
As Is ~ Ani Defranco

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Airbag ~ Radiohead (very appropriate from many different reasons...)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
What Goes Around Comes Around ~ Justin Timberlake (I promise, this thing is on shuffle!)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Galileo ~ Indigo Girls (apparently my eyesight is well on it's way!)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Beautiful Disaster ~ 311 (sounds about right...)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
What I Got ~ Sublime (hmm...)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Steppin' Out with my Baby ~ Tony Bennet (sounds like a yes to me!)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Clint Eastwood ~ Gorillaz (I must be really tuned into Dirty Harry)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
King of the Road ~ Dean Martin

The Veggie Files

I've been vegetarian for well over a decade (ovo-lacto to be specific).

My mom is fond of telling the story of "my switch." It was the weekend before Thanksgiving. A delightful meal was in the cabinets waiting for preparation. Family was on the way. Everyone was excited.

It was this precise time that I chose to walk into the living room and drop a bomb on my mom, "I think I want to become a vegetarian." Silence. I could see it in her eyes, her mind was racing... at the time, I didn't know why, but later I would learn visions of the upcoming Family Feast were running through her head... turkey, ham, pot roast. She finally spoke, "Can you wait until after Thanksgiving?" I agreed, & for one more weekend I feasted on the best home-cooked meats & vegetables. The following week, I took up a vegetarian lifestyle.

My parents were hugely accommodating... becoming quite creative with meal solutions, learning the fine art of tofu, & even pointing out to my southern grandparents that "yes, bacon fat is considered non-vegetarian." I am forever grateful for my parents support in letting me make that decision.

You may have gathered from the article I posted a while ago... I am proud of my food choices, and I don't consider being vegetarian secondary to an omnivorous diet. There are several standard remarks when I first tell people I'm vegetarian. Everything from, "Why?" to "What do you eat?" to "I knew someone who was a vegetarian until they got sick from it." The occasional, "I bet I can get you to eat meat again," and sometimes the more sympathetic, "I don't eat much meat either."

While I am very happy to share my food preferences with folks, I find myself between a rock and a hard place in some of these situations. You see, I know being vegetarian is the right decision for me, but I also realize that I've made a personal choice that not everyone feels is necessary. I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm not a militant vegetarian & I have absolutely no intentions of trying to take over the world (just wanted to get that out on the table now). I do, however, believe that a vegetarian diet can be a completely healthy option. If I'm willing & the resources are available to me... what place does anyone else have in questioning my preferences?!? If I said my favorite color was green, would I need a composed thesis explaining my choices? No, I wouldn't.

This post has very little point.... just something I've wanted to get out for a long time.

Maybe I'll Get A Postcard

My body is ready & able, but I think my brain is on vacation today. So instead of that riveting entry on neuroscience that I had planned, I turn to my favorite subject, something that I don't really need a brain to write about... myself.

I am: industrious; open-minded; sometimes silly; vegetarian; a red headed stepchild; on my second career

I like: cats; card-making; Rockband; smoothies; people-watching; butterflies; catography

I think: at my best while alone in the car & listening to the radio

I have: a half read book on my nightstand; long layers & wispy bangs; a sticker collection

I have no: patience with adults

I wish: the world had a remote control

I hate: Gene Simmons; dirty dishes; the phone

I miss: my furball; being a kid with no responsibilities

I fear: free-falling; public speaking

I hear: a kook call - "Kooooo-kuu!"

I watch: Project Runway; anything on the Science Channel; Bill Maher; Chelsea Lately

I smell: lavender & baby powder, mixed with a little salt in the air

I crave: the fuzz (and by fuzz, I mean that which belongs to my cats); chocolate ice cream; pineapple with cheddar cheese; boiled peanuts; blackberry jam (not all at the same time)

I search: for my house keys at least 3 times a week

I wonder: how each decision I make will affect the rest of my life

I regret: nothing, in theory... except maybe the time I ran out of ice cream & decided to eat the hot fudge anyway

I love: family; cats; true friends; my house; laughter

I ache: after drumming for too long

I believe: humans are unnatural; the date revolves around sleep

I dance: to J.T. while cleaning the house

I sing: slightly off-key & really loudly

I cry: at TV shows and the occasional commercial (I get it from my mom)

I fight: my inclination to yell obscenities at people with McCain/Palin bumper stickers

I lose: hair clips; hair bands; basically anything that goes in hair

I could: eat an entire tray of brownies by myself

I never: go on Tower of Terror

I always: type 'time' when I try to type my husband's name... then backspace the e

I confuse: affect & effect

I am scared: sometimes, I'm leaving it at that

I am happy about: my life

I can usually be found: at home with my kooky husband & our cats

Politics & Me

I grew up in a house that emphasized being active in politics, not just in theory, but in everyday practice. I've not said much up to this point on Kook Tales about the election or the candidates, but I imagine that if you know me, you know that I have been enthusiastically awaiting every debate, spending hours on YouTube following the candidates speeches & have read just about every word on both of their websites (that's quite a triumph - politicians are wordy).

Things you should know:

I'm registered as an Independent. I made this decision for one reason - my vote is not guaranteed to anyone based on their party affiliation.

I'm about as liberal as they come, and I make no apologies for it. I'm currently in the process of convincing my "life partner" (i.e. my husband) to join me in demanding a civil union when they become legal in Florida.


If you don't agree with me, I'm fine with that. I might attempt a joke or two, but I will also uphold your right to voice your opinion. I expect the same consideration in return.

My first election was two days after my 18th birthday in November of 2000. That also became my first taste of frustration with American politics. At that time, I found myself at the heart of the biggest and most costly political disaster in my lifetime. Any optimism that I held toward our political process was stolen from me on January 8, 2001. On that day MY Representative stood in front of both the House & Senate and voiced MY concerns. As you probably know, those concerns feel upon deaf ears in the Senate (and don't for a second think that I've forgotten that two of those 'deaf' Senators are currently running for President!).

By the time the 2004 election rolled around, I had a renewed sense of patriotism & a desperate need to have my voice heard. Following that election, frustration was no longer a strong enough word. My feelings toward politics & American voters have become both cynical and untrusting (love you, but collectively - you suck!). I loathe politicians, and I find their vulgar name-calling & vicious attitudes demoralizing. Something about the ease with which they spout those empty, rehearsed lines of rhetoric - echoing everything they believe will get them elected while utterly ignoring what's best for our country and it's citizens.

Despite my unsettled feelings toward politics, I find that (again!) I have a renewed sense of importance over this election. If the United States is ever going to become that vision of stability and compassion that I see in my head, I know it's my responsibility to take part in creating it. Americans need to unite, not based on their religious beliefs or political affiliations, but on our commitment to our nation. We need to recognize that our strength comes from our diversity, and this diversity supports the checks & balances that are necessary in politics.

In the past, I've always dedicated my votes to someone. In 2000 it was my American Government teacher, and 2004 was for my parents. This year, however, my vote is dedicated to Stephan Baldwin.

Stephan, honey, I'm canceling you out!!

I mailed in my absentee ballot today. With great pride, I darkened the bubble next to Obama's name and then said a little prayer to the Universe. You see, I grew up with the self-centric view that America was great. Slowly but surely, I've come to the realization that we are no longer the country that our founders believed in; the land of opportunity. This thought above all others is what scares me.

I don't think anyone could say it better than this....

Still Alive... an overdue update

The author of 'Still Alive' sings it live in concert... on Rockband!

• Tim's doctor's appointments continue, but he can now drive himself - for which I'm so very thankful!! Last week, I was left home alone for THE FIRST TIME since before his surgery. I was so excited for the peace & quiet that I sat in silence the *entire* time... no music, no TV, no phone, no talking. This is somewhat unusal for me. You see, I'm often the noise-maker in our house. Sometimes a self-proclaimed babbling brook... as a child I even talked to my reflection in car windows. If you didn't know me well you'd never guess, but my closest friends know all to well. When Tim first met my childhood best friend, they had at least a five minute discussion (finishing each others sentences & everything) about how there's no stopping it, whatever is on my mind comes out... be it random & trivial or hugely profound. Anyhow, my quiet time was very enjoyable!
• In stark contrast to the previous bullet - Rockband 2 came out a little while ago. I got it a couple days after it's release. My favorite addition, besides the 80-something new songs & improved online Touring, is the freestyle option. And, by the way, I'm seriously coveting this.
  
• Shortly after I got Rockband, our AC went out! The first day I sweated through many songs in a 95 degree house, but luckily the weather turned cooler & now we don't even need the AC on.
• We had our sliding glass door open letting the breeze in. We are usually *very* careful to keep the screen door shut & locked. This night, however, we had been in & out the back door and must have forgotten to lock it. Apparently, Bella Maru, the ringleader of mischief, took advantage of this opportunity. As I walked into the kitchen to get a drink, I noticed the screen was open & immediately started yelling for Tim.We had no idea who was in the house & who wasn't, so we ran outside, barefoot & in our pajamas, with flashlights and shaking treats like manics. It turns out both Thomas & Annabelle were somewhere in the backyard. They were so scared by our antics that they bolted back to the screen door, one of them knocking over a plant on the way. I had closed the screen in hopes of keeping in any cats still in the house. They were essentially trapped between a closed screen & some frantic person running up with a bobbing ray of light... Annabelle flipped out and tried to run while Thomas looked like a deer caught in headlights. I got the screen open & Thomas shot inside. Annabelle hid under a chair until I wrangled her inside. The whole time, Sam was safely napping up in our room, completely oblivious to the commotion downstairs.
• In other news, Tim & I ventured down to Central Florida to attend a friend's celebration of 13 years in business. We were treated to great conversation & a wonderful dinner. Since we work from home & it's just us two most of the time, it's always energizing to get together with our friends & business associates.
• And finally, Tim got his voter id card in the mail this week. I rode him for weeks and weeks about getting this done and, although he almost waited until the last minute, it's done.

The Rumors about us being Encompassed by a Gigantic Sinkhole are False

Last week went something like this...
Monday: breakfast, Physical Therapy, work, lunch, work, dinner, work, bed
Tuesday: breakfast, work, Doctor's Office, lunch, work, dinner, work, bed
Wednesday: breakfast, Physical Therapy, work, lunch, work, dinner, Project Runway, bed
Thursday: breakfast, work, rejoice (no appts!), work, lunch, work, dinner, video games, bed
Friday: Physical Therapy, breakfast, work, lunch, work, dinner, relax (TGIF!), bed

My commentary...
We can't complain about being busy with work (that is a good thing, after all)... but these non-stop doctor's appointments are somewhat frustrating. We lost at least 8 hours last week. Our job offers us so much flexiblilty, but at the same time, there is no escape from it... when our personal time is spent sitting in the doctor's office during the day, we have to work through our normal 'off' hours. During this catch up on work, we neglected the cleanliness of our house - that's right, it was a mess! In a mere week it went from being semi-suitable for Joe's visit to a COMPLETE and TOTAL disaster area!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last weekend went something like this...
Saturday: sleep late, breakfast, play w/ cats, call mom, watch movie, lunch, play Rockband, all-in-all do nothing, dinner, bed
Sunday: breakfast, laundry, pick up the house, dishes, laundry, shopping, dishes, entertain friends, laundry, garbage/cat litter (yuck!), relax, go to bed

My Commentary...
Saturday was a much needed day of nothing-ness, and Sunday was a much needed day of catching up (and yes, we really did have that much dishes & laundry).

In the end, I think we're starting Monday surprisingly on track!

Thinking Outside the Box

It started so simply - "Who wants a snack?" I surveyed the fridge & returned with an assortment of crackers, Cheddar & Havarti cheese, apple slices, celery & carrot sticks, and a little ranch dressing. I set the platter on the table without realizing the full implications of the experiment that I had just created.

Before I go any farther, I must admit - I am generally, as Tim would say, a "food purist." I prefer that different components of my meal not intermingle (i.e. I don't like my side items touching my main course). This has been true since I was a child... in fact, my parents gave me a set of divided plates when I went away to college (which I *treasure* to this day!). Anyhow, with my naive "purist" thought process, I assumed the food would be eaten in certain combinations. These were the only options that ever would have occurred to me:

• Cheese & Crackers
• Celery/Carrot Sticks & Ranch
• Apples (or any other ingredient option) eaten solo

I was honestly surprised (& slightly delighted) when, in reality, our friends partnered some of the strangest items together. I saw some of the following combinations:

• Apples & Cheese
• Apples & Ranch
• Apples & Crackers
  
• Celery & Cheese
• Carrots & Cheese
• Carrots & Crackers & Ranch

Granted, I realize that many of these pairings are not all that strange to others... but let's just say that it was an enlightening evening for me! An impromptu lesson on perspective.

The lesson to be learned for everyone else? A visit to my house might just result in you being the unaware subject of detailed research.

Whiny Wendy's Venting Session

When I taught first grade, one of the literary terms we covered every year was alliteration. Somewhat as a result of this, various nicknames came about over the years that were used to a) help cement the concept of alliteration with students, and b) playfully redirect unwanted behaviors. These included imaginary characters like Sassy Sam, Bossy Betty, Mischievous Marvin (sometimes the name would change to match a student's gender). Today, I'm feeling a little like Whiny Wendy...

• I'm sick. It's just a cold, nothing major, but I'm stuffed up like a teddy bear & I feel sluggish.
• I miss my Sebastian Cat even more when I don't feel good.
  
• Doctors appointments are a doozy! Between two offices & all the reschedulings, I think we've had about 15 different appointment times.
• Tim's being a very good patient and he's recovering well, but being on crutches makes life harder - period. And having one less set of hands around the house is, quite honestly, no fun. You may remember our system of household verbs... for now Tim does what he can. I think I might actually do a cartwheel when he can change the cat litter again!!!
• Tim may have some sort of curse that's inflicted on his medical care providers. The doctor that did his surgery... went on vacation in Canada the next week, long story short, broke his ankle and had to fly home for insurance to cover his medical care. Also, the morning of his first Physical Therapist appointment, we were in the car about 10 minutes away from the office, when we got a call that his Therapist had some sort of emergency and couldn't make it in. (Since today's appointment went seamlessly, I'm hoping the timing of these two events were just a coincidence).
  
• We got a letter from the homeowners association last week requesting we please mown/edge our yard. Between the doctors appointments, weekend visitors, shopping, cleaning & cooking - I hadn't even taken note of the yard. It was out of control. Luckily, our good buddies came over for the afternoon & helped us out! Thank you, guys! :o)
  
  Overall we truly don't have that much to whine about, but that felt really good to get out.

If you love me, you'll read it

This is the article that I would want everyone to read before dining with me... the author read my mind. Please, I beg you, READ THE ARTICLE.

Meatless Like Me: I May be Vegetarian, but I still love the smell of bacon.
By Taylor Clark

On Cooking

I go through phases alternating between enjoying cooking
and doing it solely out of necessity... lately I'm enjoying it!!! :o)

Bullseye

I recently discovered that I'm a pretty talented dart player... who knew? Can't you just see me in the local bars swindling drunken tourists out of their hard earned cash? I just have to convince Tim to be 'the muscle'... ;o)

Do you know my daughter?

My mom had quite a story for me when I talked to her today! It's become somewhat of vacation tradition for my parents to rent an RV & do 'loops' traveling around. This summer my parents, Josh & my Aunt Sara are spending two weeks traveling around Wyoming, Utah & Colorado. During the stops they'll be seeing Yellowstone, Zion & Bryce Canyon (and probably some more places that I can't remember). This past weekend while in Yellowstone, a tour guide saw my dad's FSU shirt & asked where they are from. They were EXTREMELY surprised to learn that she not only grew up in the county that they live in... she graduated high school with me!! What are the chances of that?!

This is actually the second such incident that my mom told me about recently. A couple weeks ago the mom of one of my high school friend's came by the house while campaigning for a spot on the school board. It's really cool to hear what people are up to after so long (Oy! Has it really been 8 years?!?!). MySpace has been great for that as well. I think I've reconnected with more people over the last year than in all of the previous seven years combined...

More shots from the trip sent via Josh's MySpace! :o)

They were snowed in at the cabin &
had to spend the night away from the RV.