merriment

HAPPY 2008!

It's been a fun winter season - with plenty of time at home and with family. We've had a Thanksgiving feast, a Christmas party, a Drake alumni event, a Christmas in Chicago, a "tweener" weekend in Wisconsin and a very relaxed welcome to 2008. Looking back on the past month+ of activity - it feels like one big extended return to childhood. Ok, childhood with a few perks...but it has been a fun month. I'm sad to see it end as it has been a very happy time for me and the family.

Here are some pictures chronicling our adventures.

Our work "Holiday" Party. Ole!

Drake Alumni Event...Sara and Stephanie came in for the weekend
- and we enjoyed a really fun dinner and comedy event. However -
the best part of the weekend was seeing my Drake girls. (note: Sara left Des Moines to come to Chicago for a Drake alumni event...there was no end to jokes about that).





If this doesn't capture "laid back Christmas" (carhart's and a santa's hat)...I don't know what does.

Wisconsin...how we love you. In our trek up to Wisconsin, we were able got to see John's ma and pa, as well as spending time with John's cousin Jim, his sons Jeff & Carl, his lovely grandma Lorraine, the always engaging Uncle Bob and his incredible hostess of an aunt Ann. I wish there would have been more time for snowshoeing and snowshoes... but alas we have to return to the world of being an adult. One of the best experiences was having Tycho off leash and enjoying the big wide world, without leaving us too far behind.

Here is a shot of me in Natarajasana (Dancer pose). I can't explain how balanced, free and strong I feel in this pose - and I hope to carry this feeling with me throughout 2008. Balancing in snowshoes was pretty fun.

Here is little Tycho, pooped after so much snow and running.

And, while no photos were taken this morning, we had an awesome laugh-fest of a brunch with the lovely, charming and beautiful Chandra & Venus. Life is made so much richer having these wonderful women in our life.








So - again, I wish everyone a very happy 2008. May this new year be filled with love, life, strength and joy.

Why I hate fire

So, Global Warming is causing our planet to die a very untimely death. You can watch Al Gore's Oscar-winner, you can read about it in the Economist...or hell the Wall Street Journal...you can feel it when it hits 85 degrees in early May. However, the way that I experience the pain of global warming is as the wife of a Wildland Firefighter.

I never really knew I'd be so well versed in fire. As a former Coloradan, I was at least aware of wildfire because we're a semi-arid climate and fire is always a threat. Forest Fires and the fire danger that Smokey talks about- always top of mind, especially in the Summer when you go camping or hiking or you're just driving in the mountains.

Well, now as an Illinoiseian...I wouldn't really care as much about wildland fire, except I married into it. And...it seems to be closing in on us. This past week, John went to the UP to fight a Fire called the Baraga Bump fire. It wasn't that big of a deal...they got it contained quickly...and I foolishly hoped he'd get sent home. No deal. Now he is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and he's fighting the "Ham Lake Fire." Check this out for more news and info about wildland firefighting: http://www.inciweb.org/.

Both of the fires John has been on this year are far from here. So, we all have a false sense of security. However, I'd like to remind everyone of a very baaaad night in Chicago and Wisconsin history. No, not the night Chicago died...but when we burned. October 8, 1871 was a bad night for Chicago when a cow (or a drunk) started a fire and everything burned down. That is why we have so many frickin fire hydrants taking up valuable parking real estate. However, just north of here in Peshtigo, Wisconsin an even deadlier fire started the same night. Conditions were windy and dry (similar to the weather here...and in the upper US). I could retell the story, but that is not my point. My point is...I think we may start to see Wildland fire creep closer and closer to our metropolitan areas if we continue to have the experience ever-worsening drought conditions. And why is it so dry? Because of global warming. We're all screwed. Thankfully I live close to a lake.

But that isn't why I hate fire. Fire can be really great for our forests and prairies. I hate fire because it takes my husband away for weeks at a time and plops him in the middle of the wilderness with no cellphone coverage. So, as I sit here and type and try to ignore the whining of my boy dog...I curse global warming for making this fire season start so early and with such a bang.

P.S. Please keep the safety of John and all the firefighters in your thoughts...it's a risky business.

Fish Fridays

Happy Friday, everyone. I seem to have just wasted a vacation day just laying on the couch and sleeping. Originally J and I were supposed to travel up to Madison and then on to Rib Lake, WI to take part in the Timm's Hill Trudge. However, we are wimps and when we heard about the potential "blizzards" forecast ed for upper WI...we opted out of adventure and exercise...and decided to stay home. But, a weekend of adventure is still in store as my friend Steffie who was joining us for the snowshoeing will be instead joining us in Chicago for a pedicure/Art Institute/Spanikopita filled weekend. Yea!

J still went up to Madison today (he had an interview...keep fingers crossed), so I stayed here to catch up on life. I should have worked as I have a million change plans to write...but I didn't. Instead, I spent time with the puppies and the fish.

Background: In September of 2005, I set up a 37 gallon aquarium in my apartment. My friend Venus helped me get set up and educated on the art of owning fancy goldfish. I selected 5 baby goldfish for my tank, with plans to bring 2 or 3 more into the tank. These goldfish were tiny. They were the size of a quarter. They were so cute. One looked like Elvis. Two had huge read Brain-heads. One had pom-poms over her eyes. And the smallest, she could only look upwards. And, no one expected them all to survive. At least, that's the feeling I got when they warned me not to name them...yet. (But I did...Lil Elvis, Girl, Steve Zizzou, Klaus and Hari)

Now it is March 2007 and I think it is safe to say all 5 are still living and swimming. They inhabit a total of 92 gallons in the condo after we added a tank so they could spread out...and each goldfish is the size of a small fillet. I remember as a kid, whenever we'd go to a fancy restaurant with an aquarium (I always thought it was fancy if there was an aquarium), invariably there would be an Oscar the size or a dinner plate...bleakly oblivious to his surroundings and the fact that all the jokesters entering the restaurant would point at him and say "Look, it's dinner. Har har." Now I live with 5 of these creatures, and thankfully for them I don't eat fish.

They have been through some harrowing events...first the move to the condo. Then being left alone for 5 days in an unconditioned condo in July. Then the power outage in August. 2 of them actually were upside down... but I brought them back to life. Unfortunately for Lil' Elvis, he lost his sideburns and became Lil' Priscilla.

So, Fish Friday takes on a very different meaning for me than it would my Catholic friends...I've been cleaning the tanks, watching the fish float and bump around the tank, and contemplating why goldfish create such copious amounts of waste. It's been productive and relaxing. As Venus says, it's very meditative to give your tanks a good cleaning. Ok, she may not say it exactly like that...but, however she says it, she's right.