Crap Snow

Forgive my offensive language, but that is exactly what our snow has been like this year: crap.

We can thank our friend El Nino for this. He has been pushing the jet stream directly into California and then pulling all that warm air and water up the coast so we get really nice weather, warm rain and no snow. (At least I think that's how it works. We watch the weather almost every night and watch the ocean storms swirl around the California coast and then never make it to us.) Which has left us with the worst snowpack in a long time and now there are very real concerns about our summer water supply.

"Well, doesn't all the rain fill up the reservoirs?" Well, yes, it would, if it would just rain. Or snow. Or do anything but be partly cloudy all day. But you know what they say, "It doesn't have to be good snow to ski on it." OK, maybe they don't say that, but the Hoybooks do.

Sophomore Year

Spring is in the air! It really is. Birds are singing, trees are budding out. Spring is here people, just a tad bit early. And, spring means that it is high time I visited the garden and did some winterization... oh dang.

The truth is that I haven't been to the garden since early October. I didn't even pull up my pepper plants or take down the "deer fence." My beds just sat there, neglected all winter. So, imagine our surprise when we showed up on Sunday to see a row of lovely green onions just as happy as can be. Do you think it is a bit strange that the veggies that grew the best in my garden were the veggies I completely ignored?

B and I met my garden mates, Linda and Michelle, at our plot for some spring cleaning. We pulled up the dead peppers, weeded a little, turned over the soil, pulled up grass in the walkways, etc. Linda and her dad finished installing the 10 foot fence posts that will soon become our new deer defense and Michelle was building some raised beds to increase her slug prevention this year. We have a lot going on!

Currently, my sophomore year status is: Planning & Orientation. I'm waiting on a little more fill dirt and then we can put in greens (spinach, arugula, butter lettuce) and, cross your fingers, I'm attempting broccoli this year. Woo hoo! Yes, I know you are excited too.

P.S. The green onions are delicious. Not too many recipes that call for a whole truckload though. We did find one solution--see the recipe to the right.

Save Second Base

A couple of photos from my "hard day" at work yesterday. Spreading REI cheer at the Tubbs Romp to Stomp Snowshoe Series.

The weather forecast for Saturday was 29 degrees and snowing. Hmm....

Homeland Tour, Stop #4

Scribner/Wayne, NE

Feb. 16th-18th

Last, but not least, our final stop was Wayne. On Tuesday night, we made a pit stop at the family farm in Scribner on the way to celebrate some very important birthdays-- my mom turned 60 on Jan. 21st, her dad turned 90 on Jan. 28th and I turned 30 on Feb. 15th.

My aunt Becky cooked up a great meal for us and Kevin even drove in from Lincoln. This might not seem like a major feat, but Nebraska has seen so much snow and wind lately that some of the highways between Omaha and Wayne were still one-way in parts because of huge drifts. Crazy.

The biggest surprise of the whole trip? My dad actually got our snowmobile running. Our 35 year-old, been wrecked by Craig, snowmobile. We had an awesome time tearing it up with my dad.

We also got to see Karen and Tony and Adam and Natalie. When we go home to Nebraska, I get my money's worth.

The Homeland Tour was a great success. I'll admit, it was A LOT of traveling-- six flights and around 14 hours in the car-- but it was just what we needed. We love Portland and all, but when we go home, to both of our homes, we feel right in place like we never left. Homeland, we heart you.

Homeland Tour, Stop #3

Omaha, NE

Feb. 15th-16th

There is a peculiar phenomenon that happens to Wayne High School students. For some reason, and I can't really put my finger on it, we all stay incredibly close with our high school friends. Not just one or two, but all of them. It's fantastic. And, it's what makes Omaha so dang fun to visit. Well, that and the fact that my college friends live there too. You might say it's an all-in-one package. I say that it's just what this newly crowned 30 year-old needed.

Dinner with my best girls and their husbands.

If I'm going to be brutally honest, I was having a pretty difficult time with the whole "30" thing. I suddenly become acutely aware of the march of time. Yeah, yeah, I may be getting older, but everyone else is too. And that is what I am having a hard time with.

Luckily, if one was going to be "down" about anything, the best place to be is in the company of good friends. We met Liz, Tom and adorable Abigail for lunch and then while B spent the afternoon with Tom introducing Abbie to the wonders of Scheels Sporting Goods, I hung out with Mindy and adorable baby Hudson. Then, we all reconvened for dinner and plenty of wine. I ended the first day of my 30th year listening to my friends laugh, tell stories, tease each other and hug. Time may be marching on, but we're all in it together.

Abbie up to no good wandering around Liz's classroom.

Lisa shows off adorable baby Skyler.

Adorable baby Hudson.

Homeland Tour, Stop #2

Tomball, TX

Feb. 11th-14th

Stop #2 on our tour was to visit B's mom Flora and her husband Mark in Tomball, northwest of Houston. B's aunt Linda drove in for the weekend from Dallas with her dog DJ and when we added in Flora and Mark's pups, Randy and Tippy, we had quite the full house.

We did even more relaxing in Houston as the gosh darn thermometer just wasn't working in our favor. The last time we were in Houston? We drove down to Galveston to walk along the sunny, sandy beach. This time, we opted for a much different excursion and headed west to Brenham to meet Mark's niece, Teddy. After lunch, we spent the afternoon strolling about the antique stores, one of our favorite activities. What is it with us and old stuff?

Saturday was more of the same as Flora, B and I scampered about in Houston, strolling through shops, hunting down some tennis rackets and soaking up the sun that finally decided to show its face. We then retired back to the house for a grilled shrimp feast and some rousing games of Wii Tennis. And, if you thought B was obsessed with "real" tennis...

Out and about in Houston.

B and Mark peel a couple of pounds of shrimp. They were promptly wrapped in bacon and devoured.

Randy watches the Wii tennis match with great interest.

We flew out for Omaha on Sunday night, but not without some "real" tennis and a long walk with the dogs. Thanks Flora and Mark, we had such a great time!

Homeland Tour, Stop #1

Murchison, TX.

Feb. 9th-11th

The first stop on our mid-winter Homeland Tour was to see B's dad and his family in Murchison. We drove up from Houston and were greeted with temps in the 30's. The 30's! We bundled up and headed out to the farmhouse to visit Sonny and Granny.

We spent our two days in Murchison chatting, cooking, taking walks, watching the birds, keeping the fire going and more than anything, relaxing. Sonny catches B up on all the family goings-on and Granny oh-so-gently mentions how many people are having babies. (hint, hint.)

Here, B shows Granny some of his handiwork from our trip to the Redwoods.

I also got schooled in the proper way to play dominos from B's uncle Stan and aunt Sarah. B's grandaddy taught him many years ago, but since there was always a lot of "table-talk" going on, he didn't really know exactly how to play. Well, now we do. Sort of.

We ended our time in Murchison with dinner at the local Beans 'n' Burgers restaurant with Stan and Sarah's family-- Sandee, Rusty, BreeAnna, Britton, Scott, Amy, Tucker and Hunter. Of-course, there wasn't a single silent moment and we soaked up every second. Families are so much fun.

Thursday morning, we woke up to an inch of snow on the ground with more on the way. (Again, 30's in Texas? Snow? What?) We hightailed it back to Houston with hope of warmer temps.

The Big 3-0

As I mourn my 20's today, here is a look back. (Big thanks to Dena for the idea.)

During my 20's, I...

graduated from college,

lived in three different states, at 10 addresses with 17 roommates,

was a bridesmaid six times and attended 25+ weddings,

learned to ski, snowboard, rock climb, kayak and cook.

I spent ( ) of the decade ( )...

4% living in a dorm room.

34% living in Lincoln.

5% living in Minnesota.

61% living in Portland.

50-ish% living with girls.

55-ish% living with boys.

60% working at REI.

40% working at seven other jobs.

61% single.

6% engaged.

33% married!

Bring on the 30's! I'm ready. (I think.)

We'll be right back.

Gang's All Here!

B and I did something we haven't done for years yesterday: we went skiing on a Saturday.

And joined a couple thousand of our closest friends for a day on the slopes at Meadows. Skiing on the weekend is an experience all its own, where the people watching spectacles never cease. We saw people drinking PBRs in the parking lot at 9:30am. The slopes were packed with ski schools from little kiddos all the way up to what looked like retired adults. Teenagers on twin tip skis were everywhere. Snowboarders dressed in every color imaginable were sprawled all over the place. I saw a guy pull an opened beer from inside his jacket, pass it to his girlfriend in the lift line who then took a few swigs, passed it back to the boyfriend who then put it back inside his jacket. We saw countless wipe-outs and faceplants from the lift.

But, it was snowing! Everyone had a smile on their face, no one complained about the 10 minute wait in the lift line. People were shouting hellos to each other from lift to slope or from slope to lift. While I will still take my weekday ski trips, where the runs are deserted and the lines non-existent, it was a great atmosphere and so fun to see so many people enjoying our mountain. I don't care what they say, the mountain economy is alive and kicking.

Chef's Corner

Here's a small check-in on the "cooking" resolution. Two more meals under my belt:

I made this chili for friends last week along with a to-die-for avocado salad whose recipe I stole from another friend. The chili was super spicy and instead of serving it over rice, I made jalapeno cornbread. Perfect. Tonight's dinner is this ravioli on the side of sauteed broccoli and roasted chicken.

Success. Full success.

Monday Morning

Proof that sometimes it doesn't rain in Portland.

Nordic Barbie!

Introducing... Nordic Barbie! Complete with skis, poles and mad skills.

Olympic gold medal, white Volvo and blond pigtails sold separately.

Lazy done up right

I really can't even remember how many plans we threw out for the weekend:

-- weekend in Seattle

-- weekend in San Francisco

-- skiing at Anthony Lakes

-- weekend skiing in Salt Lake City

-- weekend at the Oregon coast

-- camping/hiking in the Painted Hills

-- weekend skiing in Bend

ALL of these ideas were abandoned for various reasons-- too far to drive, too expensive, too far to drive-- but the main reason was that it was forecasted to rain all weekend, up and down the west coast. Rain in Portland, Seattle and San Fran and wintry mixes at the ski resorts. Ick.

So, we spent the 4-day weekend making "lazy" live up to her name. In between sleeping late, reading and lounging around, we did manage to watch a couple of movies, attend happy hour, have a sushi date night, finish up a long-over due sewing project and go cross-country skiing.

Hmmm, what to do next weekend...

Kristina and I posing outside of The Observatory in SE Portland.

B and I on the trails at Teacup XC skiing park.

Hey Nebraska, give us the snow back!

While it dumps, blows and blizzards snow on the Plains, we here in the Pacific Northwest are wondering what happened to winter. It started out great, but since then, zip, zero, nada. Sure, we're getting precipitation alright, just not enough of the white variety.

B and I headed for the ski slopes again today and were met with gray skies and crappy snow. So, what do you do when the slopes are chopped up and the out-of-bounds territory is an ice sheet? You jump stuff.

Well, I didn't say big stuff, just stuff. We spent a couple of hours in the parks today, basking in the 40 degree temps and the serious lack of anyone else on the mountain. Crappy snow aside, we had a pretty good time.

Resolution Solution

A new start. A fresh perspective, a fresh look. A new year, a new you. Blah, blah, blah.

I'm not good at New Year's Resolutions. It's not that I can't keep them, it's that I start to cheat right from the get-go: I set resolutions I know I will absolutely achieve without even trying.

Big, fat, cheaty mccheater.

So, this year, I have decided (very resolutely I might add) to actually set some goals that might actually be a challenge.

One of my 2010 goals is to spend more time in my kitchen. B usually does the cooking around our house and since he's rather exceptional at it, I really don't protest and let him take care of it. (I wash A LOT of dishes.) For some reason, I'm a little uptight in the kitchen. I get intimidated about trying new methods and if I don't have a recipe, I won't even attempt it. My goal this year will not only be to spend more time in the kitchen, but to spend more time experimenting in the kitchen. Finding what tastes will work well together, what ingredients can I substitute for other ingredients, finding a couple of recipes I can whip up from what we have in our pantry and mainly, trying to get B to say "wow, this is really good" when he takes a bite.

So to that end, 2010 is off to a great start! I'm proud to say that I've already made some resolute progress in this area. New Year's Eve? I made this. It was positively scrumptious. Tonight? I made this. But because I tried to combine it with another Asian inspired recipe, it was...meh. Guess that is two recipes down, only about a thousand to go.

Reflection

The year 2009 by the numbers:

Out of state trips taken: 6 (Denver, Kauai, Zion, Belle Plaine, Pullman, the Redwoods)

New states visited: 1 (California)

Days spent on skis: probably 25

Miles biked: around 350

Miles hiked: 50-ish

Days spent snorkeling: 3

Days spent rafting: 2

Nights spent in a tent: very surprising, only 3

Volcanoes circled by bike: 1 (Crater Lake)

Days spent at the coast: 10

Miles put on the Jeep: 28,372

Mountain summits reached: 1 (Mt.St. Helens)

Days spent together on an adventure, driving, flying, skiing, biking, hiking: 365

Rules of the Road

The rules Oregon drivers seem to follow during inclement weather:

1. If your car spins out and you can't go anywhere, DO NOT pull over to the side of the road. Just abandon your car in the middle of the freeway and walk to the nearest exit/bar.

2. If you get in a small fender-bender, DO NOT pull over to the side of the road. Simply stop in the lane, get out and inspect the damage with the other driver.

3. If you are lucky enough to have tire chains in your trunk and think you need to put them on because it has snowed approximately two inches, DO NOT pull over to the side of the road. Stop in the lane, get out and take the next 45 minutes to put on your chains.

4. If there is a sudden, glorious break in the traffic, DO NOT gradually accelerate so you can be ready to stop again. Speed up as fast as you can and then slam on your brakes to stop behind the other car in front of you. If need be, swerve to the side, spin out and then abandon your car.

Oh, I'm sorry, I might need to explain my tone: we had a surprise afternoon snowstorm on Tuesday. It took me almost 4 hours to cover my normal 40 minute commute. Arrgh.

Hoybook Holiday Tradition #2

Skiing with the Lodges on Christmas Eve.

Ahem, make that skiing with one Lodge on Christmas Eve. Julia is busy growing two babies so she stayed home from the hill this year. She still joined us for dinner though, so the tradition continues. However, apparently, the boys decided this would be the perfect opportunity to drag Gayle into Heather Canyon, double black diamond territory.

Well, as it turns out, diamonds really are a girl's best friend.

Wishing you all the merriest Christmas and the happiest New Year! May the snow gods bless a slope near you soon.

A note about confidence

I've been thinking a lot about the recent events on Mt. Hood. For the second time in three years, a trio of climbers has gone missing on the upper reaches of the mountain in cold December weather. Both trios started up in light and quick alpine styles on gorgeous sunny days with decent weather windows. Both groups didn't return. As with the well-publicized incident in 2006, rescuers were able to recover one body, but two remain missing. Early this week, weather moved in and now both remaining climbers are presumed dead. Both groups were experienced, had a decent amount of climbing under their belts-- one of the climbers in the most recent group had reached the Mt. Hood summit six other times.

So, why is this still on my mind? Well, for starters, I've been up there. Twice. Once when I was super naive as to what the mountain could do and then again with Scott when he made the summit in 2008. I think to myself, how can you get lost up there? The weather was gorgeous, what went wrong? How come I've been up and down safely without even a hint of impending danger?

I've decided that it all boils down to confidence. All of these climbers were experienced, confident in their skills. But something happened. Something happened to shake that confidence and that's all it took. One little thing goes wrong with the plan and things just start to pile up and bear down. I was thinking about confidence on Friday as B and I were headed up Mt. Hood on the Cascade lift at Meadows. We saw this in front of us:

And that's all it took. I was done, my confidence deflated. I had been skiing well all morning and as we picked our way down in the foggy soup, I got more nervous and scared with each turn. I couldn't see and didn't know where to carve, and if I had fallen on my way down, things would have piled up quickly and we would have had the longest ski run imaginable. But, I talked myself into it and we finished the day lower on the mountain.

I think that your confidence can be shaken at any moment. I've just been blessed and lucky enough to have those shaky moments lower and safer on the mountain. I pray for the families who lost loved ones on the mountain last week. May they feel comfort in knowing they were doing what they loved and out there living it!

Portland Holiday Tradition #2

Tuba Christmas, Pioneer Square, downtown Portland.

Nothing says Christmas like 200 tubas playing carols in the middle of downtown Portland. It was delightful. Absolutely, delightful.

Hoybook Holiday Tradition #1

Cutting down our own Christmas tree.

It's just not Christmastime without tromping out to the countryside to cut down our own Christmas tree. Oh, and then having it up in the living room for five days before I decorate it. Whoops.

Fresh Tracks

Finally! B and I got out on the ski slopes for the first time yesterday. It seems we've been really busy so far this winter and couldn't find a day off to go skiing together. We finally made it happen yesterday and headed up to Meadows on what was easily the coldest day so far this year. We had checked the weather on Tuesday night, saw the predicted -7 wind chill and called Geoff to say we were sleeping in instead. But, he called bright and early and talked us into it. That guy is always making us do ridiculous things.

I'm not going to lie, it was COLD. Living in the Northwest, I've skied in all kinds of weather-- sleet, rain, heavy snow, snow squalls, snow showers, drizzle, sun, etc. However, this was the first time I've spent the day on the slopes in my down jacket with every inch of my skin covered.

Even though it was freezing and the snow wasn't stellar, we had a great day. We literally had the place to ourselves and really, it's not often that we get to ski in sun on Mt. Hood in December. It's going to be a great season.

You may have noticed the curious absence of Julia on this ski trip. Usually, where there is a Bryan, there is a Gayle. Where there is a Geoff, there is a Julia. Well, Julia has been working on a fresh new project of her own and we are so excited. Click here for the juicy details.

Portland Holiday Tradition #1

The Holiday Ale Festival

Gather your friends and join us downtown under a heated tent for a few tasters of some extremely strong, Oregon micro-brewed, Holiday beers.  It's just not Christmastime without getting a little tipsy off a beer called the "Tannen Bomb."

Adventure Family

I've lived in Oregon for a little over six years and in that time, my parents have visited four times. While this is fantastic and we love to see them, when they announced they were coming for Thanksgiving, I got a little nervous. See, B and I are running out of things to do with them. They have visited the Japanese Garden, Powell's, Hood River, Timberline Lodge, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Smith Rock, the Capitol building in Salem, the Canby dahlia fields, Cannon Beach, Astoria, Newport, the Newport Aquarium, Multnomah Falls and the Gorge. How were we going to entertain them this time?

Simple. Drive six hours south.

My dad actually suggested the trip during one of our phone calls: "How far away are the Redwoods?" "Well, only about six hours, do you want to go?" "Yeah, let's do it."

So, they flew in on Sunday night and Monday morning, we took off for Crescent City.

Redwood National Park surrounds Crescent City in the northwest corner of California. Redwood trees used to cover much of northern California and southern Oregon, but these were saved from being logged in the early 1920's and thank goodness. They are amazing sights to see.

I got us rooms at the uber-retro Curly Redwood Lodge, built from one single curly Redwood tree, and the woman at the front desk was nice enough to point us toward one of the best sights: the area where they filmed "Return of the Jedi." We got up early on Tuesday morning and took off for a day of photos and highway pullouts.

We finished the day at Patrick's Point State Park, where we hunted for agates on the beach and did a little whale watching.

Wednesday was the drive home and we decided to head up Highway 101 on the Oregon coast. We made stops at Cape Blanco, the western-most point of the 48 states, the Oregon Sand Dunes and Cape Perpetua for the sunset.

After spending almost twelve hours on the road on Wednesday, we didn't want to go anywhere on Thursday, so what luck! Thursday was Thanksgiving. Nothing to do but eat and watch sports. Which we did. A lot.

So, now, my parents have officially seen everything Oregon has to offer. Well, except for the John Day Fossil Beds, the Wallowas, Crater Lake, the Three Sisters, the Steens, the Alvord Desert, the Willamette Valley wine country, the Pacific City dune and Mt. Bachelor. Guess we have to live here just a bit longer.

Precipitation 101

In Alaska, the Eskimos have 300 words for snow.  In Hawaii, they have just as many words for waves.  Here in Oregon, I feel like we have about that many words to describe precipitation.  

Here is a quick primer:

drizzle:  that annoying constant mist.  no need for a rain coat.

showers:  actual decent size water drops, occasionally falling through the day.  still no need for a rain coat.

rain:  constant rain throughout the day.  waterproof jacket needed.

heavy rain:  rain you can actually hear on the roof.  break Oregon code and bring an umbrella.

showers and sun breaks:  see showers above, but add in moments of sun in between the showers.  give up on the jacket halfway through the day.

freezing rain:  ice on EVERYTHING and the city will refuse to salt the roads and just wait for it to melt.

fog: when you can see about 40 feet in front of you.

freezing fog:  a weather phenomenon that causes slick roads.  for real, this happens.

the marine layer:  a layer of fog that comes in along the river from the coast.  this won't lift until around 2pm and it will feel like you've been in a bowl of soup all morning.

snow:  white rain.

snow showers:  occasional white rain.

heavy snow:  what closes the freeway in the mountain passes.

snow squalls:  sudden bursts of windy snow followed by blue skies.

wintry mix:  white rain mixed with normal rain.  this causes the schools to close.

Pineapple Express:  the remnants of typhoons in the Pacific ocean.  warm, warm rain that melts the snow.  i.e. a skier's nightmare.