The 2-hour, $25 Detour

Have you ever been on a road trip and found yourself dreading driving back the way you came? Well, that's what happened to us on Monday as we got ready to leave ABQ.  We had driven southeast out of Salt Lake City in order to visit Arches and then continued southeast toward Albuquerque.  Well, to be perfectly honest, the only good part of all that road is the 30 miles into Moab and then the 30 miles out of Moab.  The rest is full of road construction, 55 mph zones, tiny, poverty-stricken towns and oh yeah, lots of nothing on the horizon.  Blech.  Let's just say I was not looking forward to that again.  So, we plotted a new course.  Westward, ho!

We headed west into Flagstaff, then north toward Utah.  We woke up on Tuesday morning on the edge of the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell.

Our next stop was Zion National Park in southwest Utah.  The charge per vehicle to drive through Zion is $25.  That was 25 bones well spent.  Zion is one of most breathtakingly beautiful places I've ever been.  As the road curves through the park, you descend deeper into this huge canyon with sheer walls on each side.  The road cuts through the cliff walls in a tunnel about a mile long and since there are so many huge RVs that try to go through, they keep the tunnel to one lane.  We were lucky and ended up as the last car so we could stop and take photos through the lookouts.  Oh, and hand off the baton to the park ranger of-course.   The park has a great shuttle service that will take you up to the trailheads deep into another canyon, but since we had to make to Boise on Tuesday night, we just didn't have time for the shuttle.  Arrgh.   We only spent two hours in the park, but two hours were all I needed to know I have to go back.  We will so be back.

The best way to describe Zion is through the photos so enjoy!  (These were all taken on our point and shoot camera so I'll post some of the good shots from B's big dog camera once he gets them downloaded. )

A whole New Mexico

We closed out the weekend with some shopping in Albuquerque.  First stop was the artsy district, Nob Hill and then we spent the afternoon wandering around Old Town ABQ.  Here are my favorite images:

We had the best time.  New Mexico is definitely good for a vacation, but I think it was the company that made it so great.  Our last night in the cabin, we put the babies to bed and played cards for a couple of hours.  You know, that right there, was my favorite part.  It was as if we were all 20 again, back in dorms, playing games in the lobby.  I love you girls!

(Wow, you never know when a sentimental wave a nostalgia will hit do you?  Sheesh, this blog is getting so sappy.)

For more photos from our whole trip, check out my flickr site.

Babies and Mommies

I think my favorite part of the trip was being on vacation.  My second favorite part was being with my good friends for four days.  My third favorite part of the trip was these babies and laughing and watching the babies do what babies do. 

Let the games begin

The ultimate destination was a cabin in the Sandia mountains outside of Cedar Crest, east of Albuquerque.  Gwen, Karen and Jody all had babies last summer so we rented a house big enough for five Husker girls, three husbands and three babies.  We had such a blast. 

On Friday, we all piled in the cars and headed up to the Sandia Crest, the summit of the Sandia range, topping out at 10,678 feet.  It was weird to be up there and think that if we were back in Oregon, we'd be standing on about 20 feet or so of snow.  

Me and Baby #1, Gavin.

Gwen and Jody on the Sandia Crest Summit.

B on the summit.All of us-- Matt with Gavin on his back, Tom carrying Aubrie, Jody and Jonah.  Karen, Gwen, Liz and me in the back.  B, naturally, is behind the camera lens.

We quickly learned that when you have eight adults and three one year-olds, routine and schedules pretty much go out the window.  By the time some of us were ready to go, there was usually a baby that was sleeping or needed to eat.

This didn't phase us too much because we could just go outside and play a couple of rousing games of BlongoBall.  What is BlongoBall you ask?  Well, only the funnest yard game this side of the Mississippi.  My parents played this game at a friend's house and bought my brothers and I each a set for Christmas.  We had no idea my parents were so hip.  This game is seriously a good time. 

Matt kicking butt during a round of "Extreme BlongoBall."  i.e. playing with a baby on your back.

Arches over Moab

We left Portland on a Tuesday night and headed east.  Our plan was to camp at a state park on the Oregon/Idaho border, get up super early and then drive on Wednesday to Moab, Utah so we could check out Arches National Park.  

Let me just say that the drive from Ontario, Oregon to Moab, Utah will take you all day.  All. Day. We rolled into Moab around 11pm on Wednesday night, way past our estimated arrival time.  We had wanted to catch Arches in the evening light, but alas, it was not to be.  So, we decided to make it to the park early in the morning.

Early in the morning at a National Park definitely has its benefits.  You get shots like this:

This area is called Park Avenue.

Or this, of Bryan hiking up the slickrock trail to Delicate Arch.

Delicate Arch.  One of those things that I've seen photos of a thousand times.  It is so much different when you see first-hand for yourself.

More shots of the park:

The Huskers Return

Every summer, over Labor Day weekend, my parents head to Lincoln to meet up with their college friends.  When we were little, we always played a round of mini-golf and then headed over to a park to gorge ourselves on Valentino's Pizza.  They have been out of college for 36 years, but this tradition has stayed firm.  The destination in Lincoln has changed-- the East campus Union, the nearest Valentino's restaurant-- but the date and purpose always stay the same.  Labor Day Sunday.  Eat pizza.  Talk.  Talk some more.

My college friends and I have started the same kind of tradition.  Since we graduated, we've all moved to different parts of the country-- Jody and Travis to Portland, Gwen and Matt to Minneapolis, Karen and Tony to Norfolk, and Liz and Tom to Albuquerque.  But, we've still managed to see each other at least once every summer.  The destination always changes, but the purpose stays the same.  Eat.  Drink.  Talk.  Talk some more.  

I've been blogging about my "real" vacation this summer, a road trip to New Mexico.  B and I just got back from our eight day adventure on Wednesday afternoon.  It was just another installment in our new tradition.  

Since B and I drove to ABQ, I'm going to try and divide up the trip into several posts.  So, sit back, relax, and watch the Huskers return.

On this day in 1974...

...my honey-bunny husband entered this world.

We celebrated by eating way too much Mexican food and then riding our bikes home from the Mexican joint way too late.

Happy #34 babe. 

Jules Designs

So, remember this bag?

Well, now you can buy one.  Jules Designs has officially gone public.

www.julesdesigns.etsy.com

Have a look around Julia's store.  B took the photos with help from the lovely modeling of Julia and Katie.  Enjoy!

Find rock. Will climb.

Another sunny Sunday and we had a hankerin' for some climbin'. Only problem is that the rock climbin' we like to do is a pretty good drive from Beaverton. Not at all helping with the whole, saving-gas-money-so-we-can-make-it-to-New-Mexico situation.

I had heard some people at work talking about this pretty cool crag in.... oh, sorry, can't tell you where it is, certain people at work might slash my tires. Anyway, it's about 20 minutes from our place and we met our friend Erin at the "really cool crag" on Sunday afternoon to put up some climbs.

This is Erin sending the bottom of a really difficult route.  Thanks to my FLAs (freakishly long arms), we didn't have to lead it and I just reached around the rock and put up two more draws for a second anchor.
B about halfway up.  Check out his most excellent heel hook and his impressive guns.
Me, on belay in the sun.  I am a teensy bit sunburned and man, does it feel good!

Oh, did I forget to mention that this rock is down by the tracks?  

Compromise. Really?

Everyone says that marriage is all about compromise.  Give and take.  Pick your battles, they say. You know what I say?  "If you would just stop freaking out for second, everything will work out." 

For B's birthday (#34 on the 17th), we bought a new desk off craigslist.  Which meant that we had to rearrange our office/spare bedroom/gear storage room.  Which meant we started to think about whether or not we wanted to keep certain things.  Like the old, beat-up printer cart that Bryan has had for years.  Or the crazy floor lamp that just "doesn't go."  

And when we got rid of the printer cart, we moved the filing cabinet, which meant we had to move the bookshelf over to where the floor lamp was.  Which meant, naturally, that we had to get rid of the floor lamp.  But what were we to do for light?  Ah, enter the "compromise."

Well, I'm very happy to say that B's awesome lamp is now standing tall, ugly and proud on the dresser in our office/spare bedroom/gear storage room.  It actually looks pretty good in this room.  Yes, I admit it.  See, everything worked out.  B's lamp is happy in its new room.  You didn't think I would actually make him get rid of it did you?

Feeling thankful

... that the Portland weather is dreary, but not dropping inches of water every day on rain soaked fields.

... that my windy days are not tornadoes.

... that my apartment is high on a hill far away from rivers that could jump riverbanks.

... that my family in the midwest is safe and dry tonight.

The longest winter. Ever.

Ok, it's officially getting out of hand. It snowed on Mt. Hood today. It's June and it snowed about a foot on Mt. Hood today and it was 23 degrees at Timberline Lodge. Trucks in eastern Oregon are chaining up to make it through the mountain passes. The high temp in Portland is supposed to only be 57.

I read in the paper last week that Oregon has on average, 9 rainy days in June. It's June 10th. It didn't rain on Sunday. You do the math.

Maybe we'll go skiing on Friday.............

The intruder

I. hate. this. lamp.

Well, hate is really a strong word. I don't like this lamp. This lamp does not like me. No one should like this lamp. My husband on the other hand, loves this lamp. B found it at Goodwill (apparently someone else did not like this lamp) a couple of months ago and it has been sitting, shadeless, in our spare bedroom.

Yesterday, he bought a new lampshade for another lamp in the apartment so this monstrosity could have the other lamp's lampshade and be moved to the table on his side of the bed.

He turned and said to me: "See, it has a shade now."

To which I replied, "That doesn't make it any less ugly."
B came back with, "Someday, this lamp will save your life. Someday, there might be an intruder and this lamp will be the first thing you pick up to defend yourself."

I think the lamp is the intruder.

Anyway, I'm putting it up for a vote. Who likes this lamp?

Wait, let me rephrase. Who likes this lamp enough that you would want to have it sitting on the night stand next to your bed, next to the picture of your gorgeous wife on her wedding day, and across the room from your really beautiful dresser?

Anyone?

Sky Show

The "near-cation"

Anyone heard of the term "near-cation" lately?  Those in the retail world have been throwing it around to try and explain the way people are taking vacations this summer (and how they are spending their money in preparation).  Not surprisingly, the high cost of gas is forcing some of those folks to vacation NEAR their homes this summer.  Thus, the "near-cation."

B and I have apparently been practicing "near-cationers" for awhile now.  We're headed out at the end of June on our real vacation for the summer (off to New Mexico to spend some time with some of my best girls) so we've been trying to keep the small, short weekend adventures close to home (so we can afford the gas for the real vacation). We've spent a lot of time at our local tennis court lately and have been riding circles on the side streets of southwest Beaverton on our bikes.  

Today, the sun finally made an appearance after a long, dreary, gray week.  Sunday = funday.

The Grand Lodge