A Few Photos

A few photos from the last couple days...

We celebrated Christmas early with my mom this year since she will be out of town for part of December. We had a little fondue party at her house, which was quite fun.

Sorry for the green cast in this next photo. (Fluorescent lights and the wrong camera settings.) Jesse got a technical shirt from one of the running blogs he reads. Clever little rhyme.

Monkey also got a present. Cesar says high energy dogs can benefit from a backpack weighted to fit their size and endurance level on walks. We've been wanting to get her one, but who knew - dog backpacks are pricey. So, when my mom saw one on clearance, she snatched it up for us and decided she could tweak it with her sewing skills if it didn't fit Monkey right. So, here's Monks and her first fitting!



We had a foghorn out because Monkey and Riley don't get along very well. We just honk it when there are potential fights brewing. Sounds odd, I know, but it gives peace of mind, and if you have ever had to break up a dog fight, you know it sure isn't easy.

Other than Christmas celebrations, we have also finally started hanging up some stuff in the office. Maybe by the new year it will be all cleaned up and finished. Doubtful, but maybe.



Jesse standing in front of the painting I did of his chin, to help me see how close I got it perhaps. =)

Birthday Fun

Jesse has the entire week off work. He had originally scheduled his vacation week for April, which is when he ended up having hernia surgery. That meant he was on medical leave the same week as his vacation week, so his union rep told him he could pick a new vacation week, and this week is it. Since he had so much time off, I decided to take Monday and Tuesday off so that we could have some time together. (Plus, it was nice to have the day off on my birthday.)

I am smack in the middle of an audit at work, so I guess it was good to get some time away from that as well. I'm not sure. Part of me just wants to get it over with, but I am sure the time away has given me some perspective, which I am really awesome at losing.

Anyway, for my birthday, I received the very cool composter that I blogged about a few weeks back. I'm pretty impressed with it. Only a couple days into it, and I can't even recognize what I put into it, which means it's all breaking down super fast. The irony of using electric resources to compost is not lost on me, and I do admit, it's a pretty luxurious way to go about the whole thing. But, in my defense, it uses extremely minimal power, and allows me to compost more food scraps than my traditional outdoor bin allowed me to. I like the idea of self-sufficiency in terms of food, and I like that I can follow much of what we eat the entire way through - from table to trash to turning it back into the soil.

Gardening is also good for my problematic loss of perspective syndrome. Seeds remind me how miraculous and ironic life is. One thing, that I can hold on the tip of my finger can feed my family all year. If I didn't know about gardening and someone told me that, I would laugh at them and tell them it was impossible. But, somehow, year after year, I put these tiny little specs in the ground, and suddenly, I have more food than I can eat. That is really stinking amazing. And it always makes me wonder, if this little itty bit thing can make so much, how can we have people starving? Obviously I know the answer is much more complicated than seeds, but still - something so simple and powerful that fits on my finger tip can literally sustain life...and for lack of it people die. Guess it's part of that cruel irony that the world is so wonderful at.

Though I'm about two seconds away from going all "circle of life" on you, I'm going to stop. I shall save the virtue of worms and respect for all life forms lecture for another day - perhaps this spring when I am inspecting my freshly composted gardens and clapping each time I find an earth worm.

Anyway, I also received some other very cool items, one of which was a homemade vegan birthday cake from my mom! And, since it came complete with candles, Jesse did the honors and sang the happy birthday song for me.



The cake was super yum, and unfortunately also came complete with 2 flavors of vegan ice cream that were also super yum...and we ate dinner out Friday night which was super yum, and Saturday night which was super yum, and Monday lunch which was super yum...oy. My tummy has had too much super yum!

Other than eating, which is apparently 90% of what we did over the weekend, we shopped a bit and rented a couple movies. I also got birthday snuggles from my "other favorite boy". All in all, I cannot complain!

Gift Idea

A year or so ago, I kept hearing this buzz about a book called The Daring Book for Girls. It came about because a year or so prior, a book called The Dangerous Book for Boys was published. Both books are meant to be nostalgic, in that they offer a "how to" guide for all of the essential boy or girl activities of childhood. Tying knots, chinese jump rope, paper airlines....things that a boy or girl should just know to have a wholesome childhood. Both books were quite popular, sucking in both young readers and older ones who just wanted to reminisce a bit.

In any case, when Jesse and I took our little day trip to Boulder last summer, I spotted what looked like the cover of one of the books. (They have a very distinctive, old school design.) When we got closer, I realized it was a spoof of the books, called The Dangerous Book for Dogs. We flipped through and it had us both laughing out loud in the store.

I didn't think much of it after we left, but now that Christmas time has rolled around and different people have been asking me for gift ideas, I thought about what a great gift this book would make, not just for myself, but for any dog lover/owner. The few pages I read in Boulder had me cracking up. Subject titles include: How to Make Your Owner Look Like an Idiot, Creative Pee Stains, The Formal Rules of Fetch, and if my memory of the book serves me correctly, a warning that mounting a bitch is never as easy as it seems.

In any case, though I don't own it and haven't read the entire book, I have to say, I would highly recommend it for any dog lover on your list!!

Thanksgiving Weekend Happenings

I have spent the morning touching up the paint on our walls and painting our dresser. I'm in between coats, and what better way to pass a few minutes than to blog?

Before Jesse left for work we put up a couple more of the ceiling panels. (The project that was started last spring... the hernia surgery and Abe's ordeal kind of threw us for a loop and house projects have generally been on the slow track ever since.) Anyway, anyone who has visited our little house will recall the ghetto popcorn ceiling in the office and bedrooms. It is no more (or at least will be no more by the end of the day), though we still need to get the moulding up around the edges.



Another project I finally finished a month or two ago is doing a painting for the bathroom. (The reddish orange border isn't really part of the painting, but I was apparently holding the camera crooked, so I couldn't crop out the wall. Whatever, you get the idea.)


It's good to finally catch up on some projects. I've been trying to stick around the house this weekend anyway to keep an eye on Horton. He tore his ACL, and is supposed to be kept as immobile as possible for 30 days. Depending on how he heals, he may or may not need surgery. I am really hoping for the not. I don't want to put him through that. It is a really major surgery, where they have to cut his tibia and everything to attach a metal plate. Very bad deal. Monkey doesn't fully understand why her buddy can't play anymore, so Jesse has been taking her with him on some longer runs to try to drain her energy. (Energy which has been put toward digging holes in the yard, annoying us, and trying to nibble Horton's ear off.)

Anyway, last weekend, besides making some trips to the emergency vet, we went to a wedding, and did our usual routine...Jesse to work...me to the shelter. Here's a shot from the wedding.



Otherwise, I guess I have nothing to say. I am going to see if my paint is dry yet!

Our Weekend

The weather has been insanely wonderful the last few days and we have done our best to take full advantage of it. Yesterday before Jesse headed to work, we gave the dogs a much needed bath in the backyard. Horton always loves it and Monkey always hates it.

This one didn't turn out quite like planned, but I had to post it anyway because Horton was so cute in his little towel when I was drying him. The Groomers: We grilled out for lunch and then I spent the afternoon cleaning. Maybe it was all the sunshine putting me in the mood for "spring cleaning". It was nice to have all the doors and windows open.

Anyway, this morning we loaded up the pups and headed to one of our favorite trails along the river. We took a slow 2.5 mile walk, during which Monkey did her very best to undo everything we had done yesterday during her bath. Note the doggie headlocks. They were not at all interested in stopping for photos, but the weather and everything was so nice, I wanted at least one of our little family. Shortly I am headed to the dog shelter. I was very excited when I saw the adoption list this week. One of the "regulars" got adopted out. There is a core group of dogs who are there week in, week out. In this case, the dog who got adopted has been at the shelter for 14 months....finally a happy family for her!! She deserves it, though I will miss seeing her around each week. Anyway, I will leave you with this video of our crazy one from earlier today -

Coveting

Going garden geek on you -

I found the coolest thing ever online today! Check out the Nature Mill Plus XE indoor composter. It basically eliminates all of the inconveniences of composting.

While we do use our current old-school outdoor composter, and I do like it a lot, we don't use it to its full potential due to the inconveniences. For instance, you have to walk out in the cold winter to dump your food scraps. (And actually, now that I think about it, that's not even convenient in the summer time when you are making a meal.) And since it has a lid and rain doesn't get in, you have to make sure the moisture level is correct. And it speeds things up if you turn your pile on a regular basis, but this is hard to do given the size and stability of our composter. Plus, it is a traditional method, so takes patience - as in give it a couple months before you can harvest anything.

By contrast, you can keep the Nature Mill inside, next to your regular trash can, or tucked away in a cabinet, which means you can dump your scraps in as you are cooking. And, genius - it provides heat to your pile, so you don't have to wait around for the microherds to do their thing and generate the heat for you. It also mixes for you, so it's always aerated...another key for composting. All of this means you can harvest compost in 14 days!

It says it can handle 120lbs per month, and I have no doubt we would max that out. When we first started composting, I was shocked at how small our weekly trash bag was. (And for the record - compost, when done the right way, should never smell. I think a lot of people are leery of composting because they think it stinks. If it stinks, that means there is too much nitrogen in the pile, which is really easy to correct by adding some carbons, like newspaper or dried leaves. So having this inside would not equate stinky house.)

I am SOLD! This is officially on my list of things to covet.

Shopping Just Got Deep.

I have gotten a jump start on the holiday shopping this year. A few names on my list, year after year, I always have a terrible time buying for and generally don't enjoy the gift giving experience at all. I think I am finally starting to realize why, besides just chalking it up to the fact that they are "hard to buy for".

I realized this year that it's unfun giving to people who are totally self-sufficient. It's not necessarily about wealth even, though certainly only some people can afford to be self-sufficient. But, maybe the real joy in giving and receiving gifts is the interpersonal symbolism behind it -

From the giver's viewpoint: I have something you might like. I can offer you something. I am valuable to you because of this.

From the receiver's viewpoint: I like what you give me. You have something to offer me. I value you because of this.

By that, I don't mean that the value is in the object, or that people only value each other based on what they can/can't get. It's more about the relationship exchange. When you think about it, generally our most fulfilling relationships are those in which we feel used to our full potential. We inherently want to give of ourselves and our resources.

I feel happy when I cook something that Jesse really likes. Why? Because I think it's something I can offer that fulfills a need or desire of his, which he accepts from me. And I imagine he probably likes it when he can fix our cars and save us hundreds of dollars in mechanic fees. Why? Because it's something he's good at, a part of himself, that he can offer to me.

Why do jobs suck and get boring? Often, it's because the employee feels she has more to offer than what the company will let her. He can do more than answer phones. She can do more than data entry. Or he has great ideas for marketing, but they won't be heard because he doesn't have the right title or whatever the reason. And the best jobs? They are fulfilling because the employee gets to use their skills to contribute to something greater than self - even if that something is a corporation -it's still something.

And why is it hard for parents to see their kids grow up? Because the parents know the child is growing closer to independence. Someday, the parent will no longer be a necessity for the child. And when the grand kids come along and Grandma won't shut up with her "advice" - she's probably doing it because she wants to give of her experiences. She offers a piece of her history, of herself.

In some sense, our sole fulfillment in life comes from this connection; some delicate balance of giving and receiving whereby what we offer is accepted with joy and what we receive is valued as unique and irreplaceable.

But, the key in making it work is that we have to be willing to do both. We have to give, and we have to receive. And the receiving part, I think a lot of us are a bit rusty on. After all, aren't we supposed to be self-sufficient?

I know the holidays and gift giving is all kind of just a silly obligation to consume in the name of "holiday spirit", but I think it still boils down to the connection. And when someone is self-sufficient, providing themself with their own heart's desire and not expressing any of their wishes, it really sucks the fun out of it all. They are, in some sense, withholding of themselves, refusing to let you in. You don't know what to get for them, because you really don't even know who they are. You don't know what they like, because they won't share that with you. So you are forced to come up with some offering, blindly hoping that perhaps maybe you stumbled upon something that may have some remote sense of value to them. Because the fact is, maybe what you are really hoping is that you yourself have value to them.

I am probably making gift giving way too deep, and obviously, this may not apply to baking a nut loaf for your neighbor or being forced to partake in the office secret santa party, but - at least for me - there are people on my list that I really care about, and I really wish I knew better, yet despite my best efforts, each year when jingle bells start playing, I find myself sighing and plastering on a smile while we exchange obligatory, extremely meaningless gifts. So why do I keep doing it every year? Why do I spend my money, money that is often very tight, on something so meaningless?

Well, it's because even if my gift is forgotten, at least I can say I offered something. I tried. I put some piece of myself out there, and I was still open to the possibility that someday, maybe I will have a gift that matters.

And until that day comes, I will let my heart be thankful for the exchanges that do work; the ones where I see something at the store, and I think of this or that person, not because it's a cool object, but because I know them.

I Heart Chipotle

I recently learned that Chipotle is test marketing a vegan burrito in one of their DC locations. It's called "Garden Blend". It's a mix of plant proteins, grains, and vegetables marinated in their Adobo sauce....mmmm....sounds so super yummy!!

I decided to e-mail them about it - representin' the meatless, ya know? Here is part of their response: We are getting rave reviews so hopefully we will be able to offer it nationwide someday.

Yeah for rave reviews....hope they keep pouring in and I can someday taste this yumminess.

A Few Photos

Slow on the blogging front lately. Here's a few random photos from the last few weeks - some you may have already seen on Jesse's running blog.

What Can I Say?

I haven't blogged in a while for two reasons - 1) I've been busy, and 2) Jesse has sniped the photos I was planning to blog and posted them on his running blog. So, from reading his, most of you already know we went down to the farm and that Monkey chased the bike and Horton was snuggly, and my mother-in-law was in town, and Jesse ran his first marathon with kick-ass results. So, what can I say that Jesse hasn't?

I can say that I am eating apple crisp that I tried to "make healthy" by cutting the sugar and using very little margarine and it tastes kind of rubbery. The apples are good, but the "crisp" part is not so much.

I can also say that I am very proud of Mr. Nikkel. It was so great to see him cross the finish line - not just for running a race, but for all that it represents. For self-discipline, for endurance, for respecting your own body, for being grateful for the vessel that God put his soul in, for not choosing the path of least resistance, and for overcoming challenge and pain. In fact, I was so proud, that in my clouded mental state, I think I actually uttered the words I want to run a marathon. This sentiment is probably just hype, but I do admit, it was really hard just being on the sidelines. I wanted to be part of the action.

I could also tell you that I am close to finishing the office. I found a pillow a couple weekends ago that gave me the idea for how to decorate. I am doing a nautical theme, but not like tight-white- navy-pants-with-sisal-rope-and-golden-brass-ship-steering-things-nautical....more like vintage-oars-rowing-team-crisp-graphical-prints-nautical. I need to get busy with the jigsaw to finish up, so I'll post pics when I am done, assuming all goes well.

I can also tell you that I spend a bit more time at the shelter on Sundays now, because the main people who used to head up Sundays can no longer do it. So, I am now one of the main people. I even got my very own set of keys!!

I could tell you that I generally like my job, but feel so much angst about long term vs. short term goals and where exactly my job fits within those.

I can tell you that I love my Monkey dog, but that she also really annoys me sometimes. Like right now, when she wants to relentlessly play. And she makes Horton look like the most angelic dog to ever walk the planet, as he sits calmly, sweetly, and wags his tail when I smile at him. We really lucked out with him. What a good boy. Monkey is different...and as I type this, I literally have a Monkey on my back, sniffing into my ear with her wet little nose. Where is the respect? Cesar would be so disappointed in me. Sigh. On that note, I think it is time to walk these dogs less I lose my mental sanity trying to keep Monkey entertained.

I Don't Know Where I'm Going With This

Jesse will be 30 in just a couple months. I myself have reached the age where I forget how old I am. When I was a kid, I'd always think it so absurd that older people would mix up their age, or forget birthdays or anniversaries. I kind of understand that now. Life is really, really fast. I'm not saying I'm old. I'm not. I'm young, and I have a lot to learn. But what I do know is that these days, I feel like life carries me along faster than I would like at times.

Jesse and I were young when we met, young when we got engaged, and young when we got married. In some odd sense, we have come of age together, and I'm kind of flabbergasted at how much we have both changed - as a couple, as individuals. Life is shocking to me. Sometimes I feel like Vivian in Pretty Woman, when she's talking to Edward, who tells her that very few people surprise him, and she replies something like, "Really!? Most people shock the hell out of me." Never, ever, ever would I have guessed the course our life together has taken - that we'd move more times than I can count, that we'd own and close a photography business, that we'd buy a house near the mountains, that I'd drop out of an art institute, that we'd face the personal issues that we have, that we'd end up living in Missouri - Missouri! None of that was what we'd planned. We knew our life course, and we were so sure. So sure.


Now, these days, there are few things I'm sure about. And I am okay with that. I used to worry so much about what other people thought of me. I wanted to make everyone happy. I wanted everyone to like me. I wanted people to call me things like "sweet" and "nice". What I've come to realize though, is that it's a lot easier to not care what other people think of you when you like yourself. I never would have thought that I didn't like myself; in fact, I always thought I was a pretty confident person. But I've come to realize that I think maybe I worried so much about what other people thought of me because if they thought something bad, perhaps I myself wasn't sure that it wouldn't be true. In some way, I needed people to think good things about me.


Maybe it is all just part of getting to know yourself. While I don't want people to think poorly of me or to be offended by things I say, it doesn't bother me so much now if they do. I like who I am. Not everyone else will. And now I know myself well enough to know which things people say about me are and aren't true. So in some sense, this ambiguous force of "other people" has lost its power over me. I'm not a mean person, even if I have mean moments. I am however, an anal person, a competitive person, and sometimes even a controlling person. But, I'm also an extremely compassionate person who will give a piece of my heart to any being in need, a person who is willing to stick by my values even when the going gets rough, and a person who is innovative and resourceful. And let's be honest, at some point, in all of my worry about what other people thought of me, I was probably a really self-centered person, for it's highly doubtful other people were saying anything about me at all!


I think one reason I have always had such a fondness for animals is that they always accepted me. Growing up, sometimes I'd feel so alone; my dog would lay on me and let me sob. He gave me his time, when I felt like no one else would. I found some piece of hope in that.

When Abe died, I was so angry at God. Not just for Abe, but years of sadness and anger that I had always brushed aside, seemed to come to a head. One night, a few days after he died, there was a thunderstorm outside, and I went and sat on our back deck and cried. Soon, I felt something on my shoulder, and there was Monkey, who had trotted out to check on me. She sat down, nudged her head up under my arm, and then peeked up at me with her little eyes squinting in the rain. I could tell she had no idea why in the world I was choosing to be outside in the thunder when there was a perfectly dry house just a few feet away. Even though she didn't understand, she sighed, flopped down beside me, and leaned into me hard. She was just there. And when you're sad, sometimes presence is all you really need.

My dogs are hairy. They mess up my clean house. They often smell bad. They goober my curtains. They eat their own poop. But they make me really happy in really simple ways. They are loyal to their "pack". And loyalty is a trait that is so few and far between these days.

I've come to realize that not only is life really short, but life is also not like you plan. With Abe, all I could think was "if I had only known..." I didn't know our time with him would be so short. I didn't know he was in so much pain. Losing him through the circumstances in which we did stretched the fabric of my soul; a new type of anguish, doubt and struggle, like a lifetime of accrued emotion. Because it wasn't just about a dog; it was about finally having to face the truth of where I've come from - admitting hurt and anger and wrong doing on my part and the part of others to me, facing a hollow faith, and feeling anger over how cruel and unjust the world is. I also felt horrible that I hadn't done better for Abe, and I was so angry that his life ended the way it did. I felt like a pawn in a some sick and twisted joke of God - if anyone could devise a way to hurt me, this would be it.


And it sucked.


And I still don't have it all sorted out. I still don't know if I will ever have the kind of faith that I once did. I still don't know if I even want the kind of faith that I once had. But I do know this - life is short and I don't want to miss it. And who I am now, flawed work in progress, is enough for me. I don't expect things from life anymore. I don't expect things from God anymore.


And there is a whole lot of unexpected happiness and joy in that.

I feel like my perspective is so much better. I'm not striving anymore. I'm not wrestling anymore. I'm not waiting around for something anymore. I'm not trying to figure out God anymore. And life comes easy now. And even though I don't know who or what or why or how, I am pretty sure God is somewhere in it all, and if He's the kind of guy I think he is, I'm pretty sure he is pissed that the world is so jacked up, too. And I hope someday, He'll help me understand. But until then, I just don't know and all I have is now.

So, I look to find beauty in now. I marvel at the colors on our neighbors tree. I laugh at the quirky things my dogs do, I overflow with gratitude that my husband feels like my home, I try new things and I love them and I hate them, and it's all generally wonderful. It's like I can finally feel. So I do - I let myself feel the beauty in this life, and I let myself feel the pain in this life. And suddenly, I am richer than I ever have been before.

Paws in the Park

Today was the shelter's big fundraiser, Paws in the Park. Thank you to those who sponsored me! It was a lot of fun! Besides the walk, they also have all kinds of booths set up with samples and goodies, a canine costume contest, agility demonstrations, and other random things like that. Horton and Monkey had a ball!

Here's Horton and me doing the walk. We started out in front and ended up toward the middle-back, as Horton wanted to mark anything that stood over three inches tall.


Jesse and Monkey doing the walk... Monkey was in ADD mode all day. It looks like she is walking nicely here, but don't let her fool you. We'll just say she was really living up to her name.

Trying to get the dogs to stop for a photo...they obviously have their eyes focused on something else.

Note the headlock maneuver Jesse is pulling on Monkey in the photo below. She was still for about two seconds.

When we got home, Horton immediately crashed out on the floor and has pretty much been sleeping ever since.

Monkey was completely delighted that her goodie bag included a toy. Once home, she successfully ripped it apart, and then decided it was nap time.

All in all, I think the morning was a success! There was a really good turn out, which I was very happy to see. Lots of raffles and various games at different booths with proceeds going to the shelter, and of course, doggie adoptions! I'm looking forward to going to the shelter tomorrow to get the final count on how many found new homes. It would sure be nice to see some of the old "regulars" get adopted out. I think Jesse honestly thought we would be coming home with a third dog, courtesy of me, but I was able to withhold. (Barely.)

A Certain Someone

A certain someone ran a 10k this morning. A certain someone also placed 1st not just in his category, but overall. I think I am pretty happy to be married to this certain someone.

Shameless Soliciting

Next weekend, myself, a certain Canuck, Horton and Monkey will be doing a walk to benefit the shelter that I work at. Yes, this is an official plea for money.
Click here to visit my personal fundraising page - high tech!

We're Back!

As usual, Mickey showed us a good time. But before I get too into vacation stories, let me first relieve you all by saying: My dogs survived!! I know you were all just as worried as me, right? Turns out, despite my fretting, they enjoyed themselves in doggie day care every day, ate well, and came home just as tuckered out as Jesse and I. In fact, they had such a good time, they really didn't even seem to be terribly excited to see me when we picked them up. (Gasp!) I was actually really relieved at this, because I could tell they were feeling so comfortable at the boarding place. Now that we have done it once, I think it will be much easier to do it again. Not that I want to anytime soon, but it's just nice to know that they didn't stress the whole time. In fact, they came home with a nice little report card that filled me in on their little vacation.

Okay, so now that the important stuff is out of the way and you can all breathe again...

This year, we stayed at Coronado Springs, which is probably our favorite thus far. The grounds were really nice and I think our room may have been recently redone. It was all fresh and pretty. Plus, it's a convention center so they had a lot of nice amenities, like a gym, which I only used once, but Jesse used a number of times.

Below is a shot inside our room, just as we arrived - before unpacking and messing it all up!

And here's the exterior of part of the resort below. There are 3 areas, each themed slightly differently. The building we were in was 4 stories, but you can see this one only has 2 levels. Either way, they were all really nice and happy festive.

We spent the day we arrived just walking around the grounds and had dinner at a place called Maya Grill at the resort. It wasn't very good. In fact, it may have been the most bland meal of my life. For instance, my "salad" was greens...no dressing...no other vegetables. We decided our chef was passive aggressive against vegans and vegetarians. =) The menu had zero vegetarian options - which is really unusual. Most places list at least one meatless option. Anyway, this made it difficult to order, especially since I decided I wanted to go vegan on vacation. (Vegan = nothing with any animal products at all, including dairy, honey, etc. - I will tell you more stories of my vegan adventures later.) Anyhow, despite the bland meal, we had a great first evening at the resort.

I noticed the below newspaper headline as we were buying a little snack in the food court, and couldn't help but take a photo. I hadn't considered the impact of the recession on the feminist movement, but this decade is writing a big shift, and for a minute, I was envious of all sociology students when I read the headline - what discussions to be had! I'm saddened that the wage gap is closing in this manner, but excited to see how this all plays out in terms of equity and resources. What would Marx say??? Anyway, that is another blog post all together, so let me move back to vacation!

The next day, we headed to Magic Kingdom in the morning, which is what people usually think of when they think Disney. It's the traditional Princess/Castle type thing, and though neither Jesse or I care much for castles or Princesses, it's a right of passage to have your photo taken in front of the castle, so we happily conformed. =)


Here's us at the tail end of riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, one of our favorites at Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom is fun, but it's neither of our favorite parks. So, we decided to only do a half day there, and left for lunch at another nearby resort, and then headed over to Epcot. We met up with my parents, brother and sister-in-law at Epcot. While we were waiting, I had fun playing with the mirrors and trying to get a self-photo that had both of us in it. I think I did pretty well.



Once my family showed up, I had to do the same with all of them.


Had a great afternoon at Epcot, riding Test Track and Soarin' - two of our most favorite. For dinner, we went to the Polynesian Resort and ate at a place called Ohana. Unlike our passive aggressive Maya Grill chef, the chef at Ohana was amazing. His name is Chef TJ, and I had actually read about him online before we left. He is known for treating vegans very well, and lived up to his reputation. He came out to the table to talk with me, and explained that he would be making me a special seven course dinner, then warned me to pace myself. After that, he personally delivered each course to our table and explained to me what was in each dish. He was stinking awesome, the food was beautifully presented, and I could not have asked for better.

The above is course four. I had: 1) hummus and the best baba ghanouche of my life 2) grilled bok choy with mushrooms in yummy sauce 3) spicy ginger soup 4) wraps with pineapple and avocado spears, cucumber stuffed with chili (above photo) 5) main dish of tempura fried asparagus, tofu, rice, fried noodles and other general yumminess 6) lychee in coconut milk with berries 7) tofutti with fruit and chocolate syrup. My terrible descriptions would surely make any chef cringe...apologies to Chef TJ! He explained to me all the ingredients and cooking methods, but it was so much to take in, I just can't remember it all! All I really remember is that he used Hawaiian beer for the tempura because of the yeast in it. Otherwise, I just remember it was yummy, Chef TJ treated me with excellent service, and my tummy was so very full when we left. Later that night, we went back to Epcot for a bit, watched fireworks from the monorail, and climbed into bed late...still with a full tummy.

The next day we went to Animal Kingdom, which is my favorite park. The themeing alone warrants a day of viewing, let alone the attractions. (It would have to be on my top ten coolest jobs list to be a Disney set designer - they do a great job.)

Here's my parents happily checking out some birds.

Jesse and I with Expedition Everest in the background. Last year when I rode this, I seriously considered the thought that I may die on it. Never again, but I would recommend that everyone to do it at least once! Fishies...they were so pretty in real life - orange and blue.
Our last full day we decided to take it easy. We went to Downtown Disney, a shopping/entertainment district, browsed stores, then had some lunch and headed back to the resort. We spent the afternoon lounging by the pool, which was an awesome way to end vacation.
Below is the view I had from my lounger and I don't think it could get any better! He looks so peaceful. Unfortunately, when Jesse called to check flight loads the next day, we learned that they were really full. Our best hope of getting out of Orlando meant we had to be on the first flight out. This also meant we had to be up at 2am something (1am something Missouri time) in order to catch the bus to the airport and be there in time for the flight. We ended up getting the last two open seats on the plane and were extremely thankful. They had already announced to all standby passengers that the flight was full and they were rolling everyone over to the next flight out, but we decided to stick around the gate just in case. I'm glad we did, because at the last minute, they called us and we cruised on right before it pulled away from the jet bridge. We got home, bleary-eyed and tired...

My only complaint is that it was not long enough!