Chicago 2015

Why not make it three posts in one day?

Chicago!
I got to go back for work again - a training - and it was just as lovely as the first time!

PNW 2015

Well, now that I'm back and settled down from a few crazy weeks of travel, I've remembered to post pictures from our adventures. This is mostly for posterity (and my mother's) sake since I've moved them from my phone to my external hard drive. So, phone dump it is...

I think this might be my favorite photo of the trip. Haystack Rock at sunset...it was incredible. 

Of course we had Voodoo Doughnuts...and mom had a fritter the size of her face. Literally. 

I have about a million (ok...fewer than that but whatever) pictures at the International Rose Test Garden but here are just a few.

Toes in glacier water...

Skeeball break!

Windsurfing in the Columbia River Gorge (not any of us, sadly). 

Mt. St. Helens is just above the treeline on the right half of the picture...

We had a lovely trip and were hosted by my mom's lovely friend Ellie and her family. She was the best hostess and chauffeur and we saw so many great things. I'm thankful for the chance to travel with my mom and my sister, as that never happens anymore these days. Sweet memories were made!

Mt. LeConte 2015

Two posts in one day, like I've lost my mind (or maybe making up for lost time)...

We crazy-people hiked Mt. LeConte again this year and survived. We forgot to take the requisite picture in front of the Lodge with the date on it but we did OK. Its a pretty strenuous hike but we keep doing it. I think this was our third time...I might be willingly giving up my spot to someone else next year. I say that now but I also tell myself that I am going to be in better shape the next year, every year too. It rained all the way up the mountain the first day but I actually have zero complaints about that. I have good, waterproof shoes and a waterproof pack cover so I stayed pretty cool and happy.

As always, we celebrated our survival with a stroll to the brewery, beer cheese and warm pretzels, and a cold beer. You'd think we'd never want to walk again but it is nice to keep moving after coming off the mountain - or you are so stiff that you can't walk for days. I generally felt pretty good by the next day but my calves and ankles were sore for 3 or 4 days afterwards. Old age (ok...and out of shapedness) will do that to you...

Either way, I think fun was had by all.

Busy summer.

The only place it has been quiet and calm this summer is right here on the ole' blog. It's been a crazy summer so far and the next few weeks are going to bring about more of the same.


I'm still doing lots of pottery. Trying to get to the studio one afternoon per week and I've already gifted a couple of mugs that were meant to be Christmas gifts but I got too excited and gave them to their new owners already. I'm still quilting too. In fact, I did both pottery and quilting yesterday so I'd call that a good day. I volunteered with the pottery studio at the local Creative Discovery Museum while they did some hands-on wheel demos for the kids. It was awesome seeing the kids - of all ages, even some teenie ones - try their messy hands on the pottery wheel. Faces lit up and all kinds of muddy excitement - but then, I feel the same way!


Finished my 4th quilt this morning after sitting under it sweating with a cat on my lap while I finished sewing on the binding. Hand sewing binding is a pain in the rear (and the fingers for that matter) but it looks so nice when it is done that it is absolutely worth it. I'd take a picture but there is a corgi sitting on it right now and I'd hate to disturb her.


More crazy coming: in the next 4 weeks, I'll spend one weekend at camp for an event, a couple of days in Knoxville, make a 2 day trip to Columbus (dad is having his pacemaker replaced), make a 3 day trip to Chicago for work, and then make a 6 day trip to Portland and Seattle with my mom and my sister. I'm looking forward to most of those things...the one I'm not should be pretty obvious (always worried about my dad).


For now, I'm relishing in my third department budget being finished...and in record time. I finished it the same day I got the spreadsheet which is pretty incredible for a team that has at least 22 unique events coming up in the next year. I'm learning a lot about managing a team and writing budgets and made some improvements this year to make it easier on myself.  It'll go for approval this week and I'll have to make some edits but in general, it's mostly done!


Talk to you all again in...2 months or so. Kidding but not.