What happens in a week?

Monday: Our co-rec basketball team, who went strong into the playoffs, advanced to the next round due to forfeit, (who could have taken the championship with the right combination of wins and forfeits) was, sadly, eliminated Monday night. Here is a photo from the game. I fouled out toward the end of the game leaving my teammates to reckon with the likes of this woman:

Tuesday: The week took a positive turn when these items were waiting for me out our local and beloved library.


I made chicken sour cream enchiladas like we used to eat on water skiing trips with Laura's family.
Wednesday: During the triathlon class Josh, the coach, worked us like Prefontaine. He did offer to pay anyone who threw up five dollars. A fair and just man indeed.

Thursday: Is it spring? The weather has us thinking it is. Purple crocuses everywhere, blue skies, sunshine...dare I say warmth? It grayed over by Friday afternoon so we wouldn't get too ahead of ourselves.

Friday February 29th (a leap year!): I always teach my students TGIF even though I question if any native speakers really use that saying anymore. The sentiment lives on. We dined at the beloved Cactus in Madison Park, the usual mojitos and tamales of course.



To celebrate a lifetime of work, and considering it is a leap year, R's dad decided to retire today! This clock should fit his planned schedule for the new lifestyle of skiing, gardening, playing chess and windsurfing (not necessarily limited to those activities or that order). Congratulations!

I'm Tri-ing

Training for this has been taking up a lot of time and energy (in the best possible way). Inspirational photos included for viewing pleasure:

The Hope of Spring...in February

This weekend we had our first taste of spring...we want more! The forecast is for rain, but this weekend's sunshine, blue skies and the return of birdsongs means spring is around the corner. We couldn't help but go on multiple walks and there was more than one bench sitting to soak up the sun. The sun filled the windows of the house and made everything bright and cheery. Joni was right, you don't know what you got till it's gone...but you do know what you have when it comes back! Even if it is just for the weekend.

Early 2008 Adventures...

The new year has been treating us well. January started off with a big freeze that had cars sliding down the hill by our house. Even after we put up warning signs and cones telling people NOT TO TRY TO MAKE IT UP THE HILL...inevitably, people "thought I could make it" (direct quote). R and I watched from our window as the private school parents tried to negotiate their way out of the sideways slide (see photos below). I didn't escape the madness as a school bus slid into my car taking off the driver's side mirror!

Other adventures included a long weekend at Whistler with R's family and some amazing time on the mountain. Below are some photographic highlights of early 2008!

The chairlift into the hereafter...

Minivan monster trucks on ice!

Father and son return home to...a giant ice cicle looming above...
Surprise birthday cake for a special lady's big 28th!

R's mom and I tore through these killer bumps...sort of.

L and D take in the view at Whistler before the long decent.


Valentines Recipe: breakfast at Lola's, basketball and sandwiches at Shutlzy's, homemade sugar cookies with lemon frosting surprise at coffee shop, and top it off with a viewing of Juno.

My annual linzer cookies for the hard working IELTS trainees.

The paper featured the recipe for this West African Peanut Soup, which someone in grad school had brought to a potluck once and I really liked it. Not as sweet as you might think with all the peanut going on in it. R went out and bought all the ingredients special and made it for me. It was delicious...though while we were eating it I caught someone trying to steal me car! I won't let the experience taint the soup memory...and he didn't get the car!

Little House in the Big Woods

Today I got caught in a rain storm...well that usually means walking outside in Seattle. So I popped in here and picked up a couple books I've been thinking about. One was Little House in the Big Woods. I remember reading this book when I was younger and staring at the pictures forever. They are so captivating...especially the one where Pa slaughters the pig and then turns the pig bladder into a ball by filling it with air and tying it so the girls can play catch. So innovative those pioneers! To balance out the children's literature I also got this.

Abandoned Blog!

Vince Carter (who R went to college with at UNC) dunking over a huge French basketball player. The Hamburglers had a similarly sized man...sort of.

I've lost some of my blogging gumption from being one busy bee. I've let everything fall by the wayside...laundry, bills, grocery shopping, correspondence, phone calls, mail, and blogging!

I have a load of updates and photos that I hope to post tomorrow. Until then, I'd like to acknowledge the co-rec basketball win our team (The King Building Glass Cleaners) had over the "Hamburglers". A well-fought win indeed.