The Odom Odyssey

Summer Back in Washington

2011-12-26T14:25:00.001-08:00

We had a few other summer adventures. Justin's mom moved to the Olympic Peninsula a few years ago. We don't get over there too often, but made a trip to see her shortly after we moved back. She currently lives in Ocean Shores and what a beautiful place.

Beach combing

Looking for marine life. We did see a seal but were unable to capture a photo.

Weatherwax Park

We had a nice time visiting, checking out some local hot spots and seeing Keitha's library.

My good friend Heather and her family made a visit to the US in early August. Heather is the dear friend I moved to Washington with back in 2003. She was my roommate for as long as she was living in WA and she was the maid of honor at our wedding. She moved to Australia the summer of 2007 to be with her now husband and they welcomed sweet baby Savannah in May. The visit was too short but it so much fun to see see Heather and her family.

One of the things Justin and I really missed while living in PA was the beautiful mountains and lakes of Washington. We tried a few hikes there but they paled in comparison to the PNW. With work schedules and getting settled, we were only able to make 1 backpack trip, but what a doozy. I am always amazed at the hoops we have to go through to be legal when in the great outdoors (dogs vs no dogs, parking permit, park pass, overnight permit, etc. . .) but we persevered and had a nice overnighter in the North Cascades. We hiked the Thunder Creek Trail in the morning and then headed up to the Fourth of July Pass for the afternoon and overnight. As usual I struggled with the steep climb, but its always worth it once we make camp. About an hour into the hike Justin and I were both stung by wasps. I got stung on my finger and upper arm, Justin got stung on his arm. Thank goodness Scout wasn't stung and neither of us are allergic, but holy smokes. My hand swelled and got really stiff, losing range of motion in several joints. Neither of us wanted to leave but I became increasingly concerned. I hadn't been stung in a long time and never by a wasp so I didn't know what other medical concerns I could look forward to. I trudged along for the next couple of hours with my hand raised over my head to try and decrease the swelling without much benefit. It became less bothersome as the weekend progressed, but for the next 2 weeks I experienced redness and swelling. And oh the itchiness! It was unbearable at times. When at home I could treat it with caladryl but at work I have to wash my hands like 100 times a day so topical medicine wouldn't do. But look at the scenery! Totally worth it.

Camp and a tired dog

My guys relaxing

Time to cool off

The trailhead after the hike

Justin thought he got a nice tan, turns out it was just dirt.

Where did you go this summer? Any recommendations for moderate overnight backpacking trips?

Summer at the Cabin

2011-12-26T14:16:00.000-08:00

We were able to make 2 trips to the family cabin on lake Wenatchee this summer. The cabin is always a good time. Good food to eat, peace and quiet, lots of activities and ways to just relax.

A few years ago Justin purchased a bow and arrow. Since there aren't many places to set up a target in Kirkland, Justin has been bringing his gear to the cabin to practice. Here's my archer down on the beach.

The first trip to the cabin included my friend Amy and her dog Sammy. Justin, Amy and I, plus the the 2 dogs, took a nice day hike to Twin Lakes. We ran into some snow as we got into higher elevation but were able to easily forge through. Beautiful views.

What a gorgeous day for a hike.

Here we are at an old Department of Game office.

Scout after a swim. That dog knows how to cool off.

He also knows how to relax in the warm sunshine. He insists on having his own lounge chair, as long as its right next to ours.

The second trip to the cabin included more friends and water activities. Here is Justin headed towards the dock after a wakeboarding trip around the lake.

Matt and Justin chillin'.

The Drive Back

2011-12-26T13:51:00.001-08:00

As you all know by now, the East Coast was not for us. I guess you never know until you try something like that, and it was definitely a learning experience, but Justin and I are so happy to be living in Seattle again. We had so many challenges and obstacles living in Philadelphia. We never found community or felt like it could be home, albeit as temporary as it was supposed to be. It really made us evaluate what we loved and appreciated while living in Washington, and how much we took that for granted. It was nice to be closer to my family (we got to see them 4 times in 1 year, a record!), and I know it wasn't easy for my mom to say goodbye to me again, but we made the choice to "come home" to Washington. We know how blessed we were to have made that move one time, and how much more to be able to do it two times (financially). We thank God for the opportunities we had and feel especially fortunate that we could come home. We will continue to trust him in all we do.

The morning of the move started out a little rough. Like 10 minutes after getting the truck, I took a corner too short and crashed the side of the trailer into a wall, bent the tire rim and then had to wait a total of about 4 hours for it to be repaired. Justin and his dad took the moving truck to the apartment and I waited at the storage unit for the repair guy. It was already like 80 degrees and humid by 8:30 in the morning (get us out of here before another hot and humid summer). When the repair guy arrived, he didn't have a new rim, despite the fact that I told them that was what was broken. So he had to go back to the garage, which was like 45 minutes away. Needless to say, not the start we were looking for. I felt terrible for crashing the trailer and delaying the start of the trip, but did feel a little better when I heard I was the first of 4 trailer accident calls that garage had that day. Guess a lot of people underestimate those turns. The guys had the truck loaded before the trailer was ready so they came to relieve me of my waiting duties so I could go back to the apartment and clean. When all was said and done, we got on the road 1-2 hours later than originally planned. We had a few more obstacles along the way, but it was worth it to get back to the Pac NW.

We drove through the Badlands National Park on our way through South Dakota. Such beautiful landscape. And we might have seen a herd of bison, but they were too far away to know for sure.

Our National Park Travel Dog

We stopped at Wall Drug again and I can't pass up a photo op with a buffalo. Go Milligan Buffs!

Gas stop in Montana. Almost home!

We stayed in Spokane our last night on the road. My father in law suggested we leave in the middle of the night to ensure we would have time to unload the truck, return the rental and things like that. I was a little skeptical at first, but was so happy that is what we did and were home and unpacking everything by mid afternoon. And what a pleasant surprise to get to our condo and be welcomed by a card, some balloons, cupcake treats for us and a toy for Scout. Thanks Matt, Lauren and Gwen.

New York City

2011-12-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

For our 3rd anniversary, Justin and I made a special weekend trip to New York City. I had never been there before and was excited to take advantage of its proximity before we moved back to Seattle. And boy, did we get there just in time. We went Memorial Day weekend, got back to Philly Monday, May 30th, and then packed up the moving truck and started our trek back to Seattle on the 31st. Needless to say, we were trying to see as much as we could in a very short amount of time.

We had a great time in NYC. And I think we packed in just about everything we could in the 2.5 days we were there. We got there Friday afternoon, grabbed some lunch and then checked into our hotel, which was in Times Square. We walked around Times Square, checked out some fun stores (including the Hershey Store and M&M World). Then we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner and our Broadway show, Wicked. We ate dinner at Shula's Steakhouse. Justin had the best crab cakes he's ever had and I had the best garlic mashed potatoes, ever. So delicious.

Here we are outside Gershwin Theater. I strongly recommend Wicked, it was fabulous.

Saturday started with a walking tour combined with The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour. Here we are posing with the Wall Street Charging Bull.

Statue outside of Rockefeller Plaza

911 Sculpture made from scraps of the Twin Towers

View of Lady Liberty from the ferry

Ellis Island

The Statue of Liberty

Carriage ride through Central Park

Central Park

Sand Sculpture created in Times Square to honor our armed forces for Memorial Day

View from the top of The Empire State Building. We went first thing in the morning to avoid the long lines (we were packing as much in as time allowed), but the fog hadn't burned off yet. Bummer. At least we got to go up, and we had some pretty good views from our corner hotel room on the 32nd floor.

Me in Times Square

The Met (yes, we did the Met too)

I think that is a good summary of the highlights of the trip. We also went to St. Patrick's Cathedral and saw Trinity Church, from the movie National Treasure. It was a fantastic anniversary and I'd say we left the East Coast with a bang.

Its About Time

2011-12-19T19:46:00.001-08:00

Well, I'm back. It has been quite awhile since I've written here, many of you (I mean all 2 or 3 of our followers) probably thought I might never return. The last 8 months have been eventful to say the least. I am going to try to catch you up on what has been going on in our lives, maybe an entry or 2 a week, hopefully.

The first entry is our trip to Valley Forge. This was another Philadelphia tour we wanted to do before moving back. I must say is was almost surreal to walk on the same ground our soldiers walked on. And to walk through the home where George Washington's headquarters were located. What an amazing glimpse into some of the most amazing history of our country, our freedom. We ventured out on a gorgeous day, Scout in tow for the hiking and exploration.

A replica of the living quarters for the soldiers

George Washington's headquarters

A view of the grounds

I hope you check in occasionally over the next several weeks and I'll try to be a better blogger. Merry Christmas!

Tour of the Town

2011-04-04T13:20:00.001-07:00

Today Justin and I headed downtown for a walking day tour of Philadelphia. We've lived here almost a year so decided it was finally time to see some of the things the city has to offer its visitors and residents. We hopped on an early train and headed straight for the Historic District. First on our list was the Independence Hall Tour. This is a National Historical Park and is considered the birthplace of the United States. This is where the Declaration of Independence was created, as well as where the Constituion was drafted, debated, and signed. It was fascinating to hear some of the history of our nation. Parts are under restoration but we were able to walk through the East Wing, the first courtroom, and the actual Independence Hall where many of our founding fathers met. The chair in the back of this picture is where George Washington sat. It is one of the few original pieces of furniture still there.

After the Hall tour, we made our way to The Liberty Bell.

Next we went on a tour of The US Mint. So many commerative coins. They have a part where you can actually see coins being stamped and made, but things weren't too busy while we were there. Did you know it takes 60 tons of pressure to stamp a coin? Crazy! No pictures permitted in the Mint.

Here is a picture of Philadelphia City Hall. William Penn is atop the structure (although you can't see him in this view). A pretty massive, and beautiful building.

We asked an innocent bystander to take this picture for us, guess he had a hard time getting the whole scene. Thanks anyway buddy! This was taken at Love Park, a.k.a JFK Plaza, outside of City Hall. It apparently is an attractive and popular park for skateboarders.

Our final stop was The Mutter Museum. Justin and I both have an obscure and sometimes morbid curiosity of things, especially when it comes to the medical field. The museum contains a collection of medical oddities, anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment. Once again, no cameras were permitted. Although interesting and a bit strange, don't think its a place we need to visit twice.

So there you have it. A one day, whirlwind tour of Philadelphia. Obviously there are many more things to do here, but I think we hit some pretty good highlights.

Zoo Part 2

2011-04-03T15:21:00.001-07:00

My husband requested I add a few more zoo trip photos. Especially of this rhino. Apparently not many zoos have a rhino exhibit.

Philadelphia Zoo

2011-04-03T12:11:00.001-07:00

Before we moved to Philadelphia, our dear friends Matt and Lauren gave us 2 tickets to the Philadelphia Zoo as a going away present. We finally put the passes to use and enjoyed a nice, sunny morning at the zoo. This zoo is America's first zoo and had a decent variety of animals to see. There was a new Avian Facility which was pretty neat, and they are putting together a hippo exhibit which should be cool. Many exhibits were empty, but I'd say we got a good taste of the zoo. Interestingly enough, no elephants. I don't think I've ever been to a zoo without elephants. Here are a few of my favorite pictures/animals. We always love the polar bears. These guys were pretty sleepy and didn't entertain us with their aquatic antics, but still amazing animals.

This tortoise looked right at Justin for the picture!

I always love the big cats and this one posed nicely.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Shine

2011-04-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

Today our church teamed up with The City of Philadelphia for a citywide spring clean up. Philadelphia has a reputation for being gritty and full of litter, so this was the 4th Annual Philly Spring Clean Up. Bethel Church organized several projects for volunteers and community members to work alongside each other to try and make a small difference. Justin and I signed up to help clean up Poquessing Park. There was a group of about 40 of us, including 10 "weekend inmates." The weather was very cooperative and we found a lot of garbage. I'd say the majority of the trash we picked up was beer bottles and cans, but I thought I'd share a list of the Top 5 Most Interesting things we found.

A beer ball

A man's shoe with moss growing on it

A carburetor

A pile of ?opossum bones

A gas mask

And as I was writing this, I found what appears to be a tick on my neck. Awesome. Luckily it hadn't embedded yet and now its dead.

I encourage you to find out if your city or neighborhoods are doing any Spring Clean Ups and then get out there and help!

I miss Syed!

2011-03-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well, another Philadelphian special. Justin and I are finally done with our taxes, but it wasn't easy. A few weeks ago I scheduled an appointment at H&R Block. We have used a Kirkland branch in the past, had our "own" preparer, Syed, and have been very pleased. It was a good company, efficient and professional. So why wouldn't I pick H&R in Philly? Right? So I scheduled the appointment for a Wednesday evening at 6:00. The very next day I got a call saying the person my appointment was scheduled with didn't work on Wednesday so if I wasn't busy, maybe I could just come in now, or maybe Saturday morning. No, that is why I scheduled it for Wednesday night. Turns out we were waiting for 1 more form anyway, so I cancelled and rescheduled it once the form came. Two days before the appointment, I got four calls in one hour, and finally on the fourth call they left a message to remind me of my appointment, and then to tell me since we were new customers, they were going to have the best accountant (the manager) of the branch prepare our taxes. Super! So when we arrived to our appointment, the manager comes to the front desk, wearing dark, reflective aviator glasses, and told us he wouldn't be able to do our taxes but directed us to someone else. For the next TWO hours, our tax preparer, let's call her Tina, shuffled around our papers, asked the same things at least 3 times, and went back to the sketchy manager with "issues." Meanwhile, the receptionist, who was at the cubicle next to us, was on the phone, shouting (maybe I mean talking loudly, but it sure sounded like shouting) at previous customers to try and get them to make an appointment but kept saying things like "We really miss you," "We can't wait to see you again," and "Tina would love to do your taxes again for you this year." This may sound rather benign, but it was so loud, vexing and annoying. After the two hours, Tina and the manager came to tell us they would not be filing our taxes because they wanted someone else to go over them again. Now I can appreciate them wanting everything to be correct, but were they really that complicated? And now we were going to have to go back to the hole in the wall (it was in a very ghetto shopping plaza) with hoodlums and loiterers all around. Tina told us to come back in two days. Two days later I called to make sure everything was ready, Tina assured me it was and we could meet her at 5:30 to sign everything and file. My train was running a few minutes late, but I got there right at 5:30. Justin was already waiting for me. We walked in and the receptionist told us Tina had just stepped out. She had no idea where she had gone, but kept telling us she would be right back. What? How do you know she'll be right back, you don't even know where she went? And we had an appointment! The manager came out and started walking up and down the strip looking for her. She came back in at 5:45. Then she asked me many of the same things, all over again. But alas, we finally signed and were able to file. Plus, we never have to go back again! Now I know this was another complaining entry, but this is just another fine example of how things are different here. There were many other little incidents that kind of irked us, or that were completely Philly, but guess you had to be here ; ) But don't come.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

Justin and I have never been one of those couples who goes crazy for Valentine's Day. I know it sounds cliche, but we have never felt like we need to have a special day to express our love with cards or nice things, we do that year round. But I was surprised with a beautiful card and a heart full of my favorite candy, Reese's Cups, on Friday night when I got home from work. We had already planned on making steaks for dinner either Saturday or Sunday night, but when we settled on Sunday, it quickly transitioned into a special Valentine's candlelight dinner. We recently purchased an indoor grill and were happy to put it to use with the delicious steak. Here is a picture of the indoor grillmaster.

The grill did a pretty nice job for our medium rare steaks. Here is a close up of the grill and grill lines. Justin had seasoned the steaks with Montreal Steak Seasoning earlier that morning for some added flavor.

The side dishes included some wedged red potatoes and brussel sprouts. We have recently discovered our like (love is a pretty strong word people!) of brussel sprouts. We cut them in half and then Justin sauteed them in about a tablespoon of EVOO. Then we baked them for about 20 minutes and added some toasted slivered almonds. Very tasty!

It was a very delicious and romantic meal, with some soft jazz Muzak in the background. Happy Valentine's Day Love. You are the love of my life and my best friend, looking forward to spending many more special days with you!

Hope you had a nice Valentine's Day and were sure to tell those you love how special they are to you.

Low Impact Snow Zone Update

2011-02-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

Many of you may remember my earlier post about the snowfall in Philadelphia. As of January 18, the snowfall was 22.1", that is 5.9" above the normal. We have had a few big snowstorms which have made the commute quite stressful. I have figured out how to drive to work, where the best (read cheapest) parking can be found, schedules for a bus, train and subway. My wonderful husband gets up early to clean off and warm up my car. There has been a lot of weather anxiety going on over here. And I am not an anxious person!! To top it off, I work at a hospital and am considered essential staff. That means I am required to be there, no matter what the weather is or how hard it is to get into work, or its a day without pay.

About a week and a half ago, we got a huge storm. It had snowed all night and there was at least a foot. I got up extra early, like 4:45 AM, to check the situation. The train was delayed, but running. Justin got out nice and early to start digging my car out. I joined him once I was ready for work. After about an hour of shoveling, by both of us, and multiple attempts to get both cars out, we were stuck. We were tired, sweaty and defeated. I had to call in, which felt pretty bad. I didn't want to leave my co-workers hanging, but I couldn't get out of my parking lot. To top it all off, a car had gotten stuck in the exit driveway so the plow truck couldn't even get in/out. I will admit, I did enjoy a snow day home with my husband, and let's not forget Scout the Snow Dog (who had a blast by the way, bounding through 3 foot drifts), but it was kind of ridiculous. Justin spent about another hour helping neighbors shovel and push out their stuck cars. And then once people had spots shoveled, they began reserving them with lawn or camp chairs. And if you didn't, your assigned spot could be gone next time you came home. So we had to do the same, put out a chair in order to have a spot saved.

We haven't needed to use our chains yet, but at least we're ready, I guess. Hope you are staying safe and warm this winter season.

Snow Dog 2.0

2010-12-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures. He loves running in the snow and then jumping full force into a drift. The second picture is of him trying to find his tennis ball. He's really getting down there!

Snow Dog

2010-12-28T15:40:00.001-08:00

Scout is a Snow Dog. He has been snow-shoeing a few times, but since we didn't get a lot of snow in Seattle, he hasn't had a ton of time to play in it. That was until we moved to the East Coast. We spent Christmas weekend in Ohio at my parents and he could hardly contain himself. They had several inches for him to play in and we could barely keep him inside. We'd play with him for awhile, bring him in the front door and he'd immediately race towards the back door to try and get back outside. He tried to incorporate fetch and snow playing, but this often led to a ball getting lost in deep snow and him trying to dig it out, which actually drove it even deeper. Here are a few pictures, not the greatest quality, but to give you an idea. Justin has taken some pictures with his camera over the last few days now that we are back in Philadelphia and had a bad winter storm, you know, in our low impact snow zone. I'll try and get those up too. Hope you are staying safe and warm this winter season. And Happy New Year!

New Toy

2010-12-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

Scout with one of his new "sports ball tug" toys. Doubles as a pillow. Love that guy!

Make Your Own Sushi Night

2010-12-14T11:23:00.001-08:00

When I was in OT school I worked part time at a Japanese Steakhouse. It was a fun place to work, plus delicious food, but one of the best things I picked up during my tenure was how to make sushi. I was never great at it, but had the basics down and knew many of the basic rolls and techniques. I have hosted a few "Asian feast" nights with friends, practicing some rolls and pieces, but it had been awhile. We found out one of Justin's classmates and his wife liked sushi and were up for learning how to make it. I returned to the delightful Reading Terminal Market for some fresh fish and supplies and prepared for a fun night of sushi making and fellowship with friends. Everyone made their own roll with their favorite ingredients and by the end, everyone was pretty stuffed. Fun time!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-12-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago my mom and step dad made it down to Philadelphia for Thanksgiving. It was the first time they had been here since we moved. We did a traditional turkey dinner with all the regular dishes. The turkey turned out pretty well, even though it took over 2 hours longer than we had planned for. Here is the set table, with hand made name cards and all. I'll take any chance I can to do papercrafting :)

Saturday we went into the city to tour around. We stopped by The Liberty Bell, walked around the court house where the first Supreme Court met, and spent some time at Reading Terminal Market, a really cool indoor farmer's market that has just about any type of food you could want. They also had a large train display set up for the Christmas season.

Tickets were sold out for the the tour of Independence Hall, but maybe next time. Thanks for coming Mom and Jack, it was a lovely visit.

Low Impact Snow Zone

2010-11-21T13:44:00.001-08:00

We are getting ready for an East Coast winter. Snow boots have arrived, I am trying to find an alternate commute in case my train isn't running, and we went to purchase chains for Justin's car. The route he takes to school has a few Emergency Snow Route roads and we want him to get to school safely. I already had chains for my car, purchased when I went to Montana for Christmas several years ago. I understand that many people here get snow tires or studded tires, but we were trying to save some time, hassle, and money so went to look for chains.

We went to our local Pepboys Auto Store, despite our previous negative experience. This was the closest and most convenient parts store. You'd think we'd have learned our lesson from all the other things that have gone wrong since living here, but alas, we just went to the store expecting to get what we wanted.

We looked around for a few minutes and then I went to the help desk asking for chains. The salesman told us they don't carry chains because this is a "low impact snow zone." Are you kidding me? Philadelphia? The same city that by February 10, 2010 broke its snowfall record with a whopping 70.3 inches? The salesman proceeded to tell us we wouldn't need them. He's lived here a long time and has never needed them. What happened to trying to sell product to your customer?

I understand the city has plows, salt, etc. . . to help make the roads safer, but really, no chains? Not to worry though, my in-laws found some on Amazon for us so we will be good to go out and brave the roads. Hope you enjoyed the photo at the top, taken during Philadelphia's Snowmageddon of 2010.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

2010-11-18T16:59:00.000-08:00

I have never been all that great in the kitchen. I like the idea of cooking and trying new things, but when it comes down to planning it all out and actually executing it, I haven't been very successful. Or shall I say motivated? Until this past month. I felt like we were kind of in a rut for our evening meal rotation and I wanted a change. I am all for eating more healthy options, but not at the cost of taste. I also find that so many recipes call for too many ingredients and not stuff that we typically stock. I took some time at Barnes & Noble to select a few cookbooks, ones with healthier options, limited ingredients and for busy people. I had already been doing a monthly meal calendar which definitely helped with grocery shopping/budgeting, but this month I added 3-4 new recipes to each week and wanted to share one of my new favorites. It is super easy, makes a lot, and best of all, is really delicious. Give it a try!

Southwestern Chicken Soup

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
3 quarts water
12 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups salsa
1 box Spanish rice (I used Rice-a-Roni)

In a large pot mix the chicken, water, bouillon, salsa and Spanish rice. Bring to a boil. Boil 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Suggested side- corn bread

A 1 cup serving has 110 calories, 4 g fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbs, 13 g protein and 1088 mg sodium.

Enjoy and let me know if you have any tasty, quick recipes to share.

Homecoming

2010-11-15T09:58:00.000-08:00

Back in October I had the opportunity to head down to Johnson City, TN for my 10 year college reunion. I'm that old ; ) Justin had some exams he couldn't miss so I made the trek on my own. I had known for awhile that I'd be on the East Coast making the trip a lot more convenient so emailed all my roommates so everyone could make plans to be there. And they were! We went to a beautiful college in east TN, Milligan College, and fall is amazing there.

Here is a picture of the chapel and then down to the left, the library. The weather was gorgeous, pushing 80 on Saturday.

We spent Friday taking a self guided tour of the campus. So much had changed, building-wise, but in way, it was just as we left it. I have so many fond memories of my time there.

Here is a picture of a cross in the courtyard with one of the education buildings behind it.

Milligan's mascot is a buffalo, so here we all are posing with "Buffy." From left to right is: Laura, Rachel, me, Mara and Nancy.

Rachel and I were both Biology majors so here we are in The Science Buliding posing with one of the anatomy models. So many hours spent there!

Saturday was the actual Class of 2000 reception, followed by a Firehouse catered lunch (delicious BBQ), a Homecoming parade and then the Fall Festival with inflatables and kettle corn. Saturday was also Laura's birthday so we went out on the big town of Johnson City for a tasty dinner at Jack's City Grill.

Sunday morning I went to Grandview Christian Church, where we all attended church while in college. It was great to visit with so many friends. The trip was short, I headed back to Philly Sunday afternoon, but the memories were perfect. Thanks for making the trip everyone!

Happy Birthday Love!

2010-10-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Honey! Hope you had a special day and enjoyed your yummy birthday dinner at Bugaboo (it wasn't the Keg, but not a bad substitute). I love you!

Mall Cop

2010-10-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

Justin and I had to go back to the mall this weekend and I was reminded of something else that had caught our attention the previous week. The have mall cops. On Segways. Couldn't help but think of Paul Blart: Mall Cop. At least the mall security at Franklin Mills were wearing helmets, don't need any head injuries.

Let's go to . . . The Mall!!

2010-10-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

Neither Justin and I are really mall people. Everytime I even say the word mall, I think of an episode of How I Met Your Mother where one of the characters, Robin, was a Canadian pop star who sang a song called Let's Go To the Mall. You can watch it here. Good times! But there was a movie we wanted to see and it was showing at our local mall, Franklin Mills, so we decided to give it a go. After the movie and lunch (which all was a surprise date planned by Justin), we decided to do a little shopping. We hardly ever go shopping, and had never been to this mall before, except to go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for something when we first moved to Philadelphia. We had no idea what we were in store for (no pun intended). First of all, it really may have been the biggest mall I have ever been to. It just kept going and going. And it was very eclectic. It had something for every culture group, every economic class, every age. They even had factory outlet stores. And seeing as there was so much store variety, there was the same degree of variety in the people. Here are a few of our favorite things we saw or experienced: 1. Kraft was giving away free samples of a new style of Mac and Cheese, Homestyle. We ended up with 4 packs. But as we were walking around, we noticed a gentleman eating the raw noodles right out of the bag. What? 2. Eyebrow designing- I don't know much about eyebrow design and we didn't really investigate this too much, but it looked like they were using some sort of string and laying it on people's faces. What is that about? 3. Massage parlors- I have seen massage chairs you put a few quarters in at a mall before, but there were actually massage tables in the middle of the mall and creepy men standing there waiting to give massages. 4. Shower caps- we saw two women walking around in shower caps. That is all I can remember for now, but all I know is it was one interesting day. What did you do this weekend?

Polo!

2010-09-26T16:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the chance to go to my first polo match. Tinicum Park in Bucks County, Pennsylvania hosts polo matches every Saturday from May to October. My friend Becca and I loaded up the dogs and headed out for a nice drive and Saturday afternoon. The Polo club has several themed activities throughout the season, such as Pooches and Polo or Wine and Polo. Yesterday was just a normal game which we thoroughly enjoyed. I had never been to a match before so did some quick research on wikipedia to get a better understanding of the game and rules. At this particular park, people either watch from a public tent, rent individual tents/canopies or tailgate. We went the tailgate route, packed some snacks and camp chairs and sat back and relaxed in the hot sun. We even went out on the field to help replace the divets during halftime. Check out the pictures.

Here are the hot puppies sharing some water.

What did you do this weekend?

Wet Tail

2010-08-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't share this little story in my last post because I felt it deserved a post of its own. While we were in Maine, Scout developed limber tail syndrome. It is also known as wet tail, cold water tail, limp tail syndrome, broken tail, dead tail or broken wag.

Commonly seen in large active dogs, this condition often appears suddenly after vigorous exercise or activity. The exact cause is unknown but is thought that the muscles that "run" the tail become overworked or injured, resulting in pain and inability/reluctance to move the tail.

Scout was acting a little weird Sunday after his Dog Day of Fun. He had been active for about 9 hours, most of it swimming. He wouldn't sit down but would instead circle around a few times and then lay on his side. He didn't cry or whine, but was a little "off." When I woke up Monday I recalled a story from an old coworker of mine had once told me about her Rhodesian Ridgeback having something called limp tail. I called Justin who remembered something like what I described from his vet tech days. He looked it up and we diagnosed Scout with Wet Tail. He had exercised too much!

It was actually quite pitiful, a dog who couldn't wag his tail. It just hung there, limp and flaccid. The cure is rest and he was back to normal in a couple of days. I didn't get any pictures of him, but here are a few I found on the internet. Too sad.

Maine

2010-08-29T13:34:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the chance to go to Maine to spend some time with my in-laws. Justin and I had been looking forward to this trip for awhile since we would have the chance to see some family, and of course get out of Philly for awhile. Unfortunately he had a big Greek test he couldn't miss so I went with Scout. My mother-in-law Lea is from Maine and that is where a lot of her family still resides. Every summer she and Mike head up to stay at their family cabin on Sebago Lake and then a family reunion at Sebasco.

I haven't really spent much time on the East Coast, or New England, so wasn't sure what I would encounter on my drive north. We left Philly around 1:15 on a Friday afternoon. I was quite disappointed to average only 35 mph for the first 4 to 5 hours of my trip. There was so much traffic, and some construction, and many, many, many tolls. It was a little frightening driving across the George Washington Bridge into New York as it was during rush hour on a Friday afternoon and everyone was out for themselves. No courtesy drivers there. What should have been a 7 hour drive ended up being about 9, but we safely arrived at Lea's sister Anne's house that night. Scout was immediately welcomed by Anne's 3 year old golden retriever, Scarlet, and tennis balls, in the house!! A special treat for a dog who usually only gets them outside. Lea had already been there for a couple of days and left to pick up Mike from the airport that night.

Saturday morning was nice and relaxed. I enjoyed some breakfast, fetch with the dogs, and then the 4 of us took the dogs to Twin Brook Recreation Area. This park has all the recreation/sport fields for Cumberland and a lovely off leash dog park that had fields and trails. There was also a creek which was out of sight for us, but the dogs found it without any trouble. Scout cooled himself down this way, but when we arrived back at Anne's, he raided Scarlet's baby pool as well. The dog loves water. Little did he know what was in store for him at Sebago Lake.

Soon after this we packed up and headed to Lea's girlhood home which was right on the Atlantic Coast (can't remember the name of the landing) and then stopped by Town Landing Market to pick up some italian sandwiches for lunch. The views by her home were beautiful and it looked like a really neat place to grow up. Very green and blue! Here is a picture from the beach.

Next we took about a 45 minute drive to Sebago Lake where Lea's family has a quaint lakeside cabin. Scout headed straight for the water and pretty much stayed there for the next 3 days, with a few exceptions. Here we are on Scout's first boat ride. He seemed sort of indifferent about the whole thing.

That evening we headed into town for dinner and I had my first lobster. It wasn't as hard to get the meat out as I thought it would be and it was tasty. I am glad I had the experience but don't know that I'll order one again.

Sunday Lea had arranged a Dog Day at the lake. Several of her siblings, their spouses, kids and dogs came over for an afternoon of swimming and boating. It was nice to get to meet more of her family and I think Scout had a good time playing with the other dogs.

Here is Anne, me and Mike tossing the balls for Scarlet and Scout. I pretty much hung on this little piece of beach most of the weekend so Scout could be out in the water.

The weather was great. Nice and warm, but not too hot. Here I am cooling off with a few of the dogs. The dog count was 6. Scout, 4 goldens (Scarlet, Willow, Cricket, and Rhubarb) and 1 standard poodle (Sadie). It was a bit crazy with all 6 out, but they had a blast. You may have noticed Scout's life jacket. He is actually a great swimmer but I put the jacket on when he was in the boat and when I went swimming with him. It has a handle on it which makes it a lot easier to grab him if I needed to, especially to pull him up on the floating dock since he can't climb ladders.

Here is a shot of about 1/2 of us. From left to right: Henry (Lea's brother), Randy (Lea's mom), Jan (Henry's wife), Mike, Anne, Scarlet, me and Sadie.

Here is Scout at the end of the day, beat.

Here we are on the Big Mable, an awesome tube I took a ride on with Lea's niece Annie. He is such a good snuggler when he is tired!

Monday was a bit cooler and rainy. I spent a little time on this fun hammock reading on the enclosed porch. We made this nice cushiony (is that a word?) bed for Scout but he didn't stay on it for long.

Monday afternoon we went to Henry and Jan's nearby farmhouse for lunch and to hoof around on their property of fields and woods. Here is a picture of me pulling Scout out of their water fixture, where he wasn't supposed to be!

Here is another partial group shot in front of the house. Henry trains his dogs for agility trials and the one closest to him is their newest addition, 6 month old Rhubarb. What a cutie!Tuesday we cleaned and packed the place up and then took another boat ride to see some more of the lake and gas up the boat. Mike and Lea took me by Frye's Leap, a cliff about 5o feet above the water where my daredevil husband jumped from in his younger days. Kind of scary. After lunch I packed up and headed home as they made their way to Sebasco for the family reunion and remainder of the week. I really had a nice time. So glad I was able to get off work for a few days and enjoy a new place and family. Wish Justin could have come with me but we already have next year's trip in the works!

The Wagon Wheel

2010-08-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't actually done any research on this, but I would bet there are at least 50 pizza joints within a 2 mile radius of us. And they are always leaving takeout menus in our door to tempt us. One in particular advertises The Wagon Wheel, a 24" in pizza. The first time we got pizza from there I was intrigued by the boxes they use for the wheel, they looked too big to even fit in the backseat flat (it almost was). We finally succumbed to our curiosity and ordered it last night. Don't judge! It was humungous. It wasn't as good as Papa Murphy's, and the kind we got had a few too many toppings on it for my liking, but it was good and there was a ton!! Lots of lunch leftovers. Please note the can of soda in the corner for size comparison. And like the diet Dr. Pepper was going to cancel out the calories or something.

Lums Pond State Park

2010-08-08T14:30:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going on a little hike and picnic with my friend Becca and our dogs. The hubbies stayed home to study Greek. I have been looking for a place for Scout to swim and one of my coworkers had suggested Lums Pond, a state park in Delaware. It only took a little over an hour to get there and was well worth it for the dogs. We hiked around the lake, about 7.1 miles, although the paths weren't marked super well and we ended up on a different trail for a short bit. The hike had several spots for the dogs to hop in and cool off. There were also several of these white birds which were kind of cool to watch. I don't know what kind of bird it is, but they were pretty big.

Here are the dogs enjoying some off leash time. Scout is the gigantic one in the back and Yogi is the little one in the front. He's 4 months old and this was his first hike. He did pretty well for such a little guy.

Here they are sharing the tennis ball during swim/fetch time. It was also Yogi's first time swimming. They had a pretty good time and we enjoyed some nature. Plus, it wasn't super humid like it has been. Hope you had a nice weekend too!

So its been awhile

2010-08-03T18:04:00.001-07:00

So I am not a very good blogger. There are likely a few reasons for that, but mainly because I don't think we've done too much that is blog worthy. As you read in one of my most recent entries, the transition to PA has not been very easy. So may things we have tried to do have ended up in disaster that it is diffcult to get motivated to try something new. We have had a few adventures, one of which was a day trip to Hershey, PA for our anniversary, but that will be for another time, when I get the pictures. You see our camera battery died half way through the tour of The Hershey Gardens so we bought a disposable, and still have pictures on it. So one day I'll blog about that. But until then, here is the run down of what we've been up to.

One of our first weekends here we packed a picnic lunch and headed out to Pennypack Park, a local Philly park. Part of it lies up against the Delaware River so Scout swam. It was nice to get out and start exploring.

Over Memorial Day weekend we went on a day hike. I can't even remember the name, but probably because it wasn't too good. No mountains, no spectacular views. It was super hot and humid, we thought the dog was going to keel over. The trail ended up crossing over several roads and intertwining with many equestrian trails, not too fun. Here is a picture of a lake, but not a swimming lake.

For July 4th weekend we were invited to my aunt and uncle's in Maryland. My mom and stepdad were there for several days and we went on Sunday for a BBQ. It was nice to see my folks and Justin got to meet all my cousins and their families. I hadn't seen my cousins in over 10 years so had never met their wives/significant others or their children. It was great to meet and see everyone. Here is a photo of the family. Please note the dogs, none of which are looking at the camera.

One of the things Justin and I have always enjoyed doing is volunteering together. We found a great organization called Greater Philadelphia Cares that is an umbrella organization for numerous volunteer opportunities. There is something almost everyday and they have made it really easy to get involved for as little or as much commitment as you can. We have been volunteering for a Wednesday night Youth Enrichment program held at a local church in the inner city. During the summer the program is geared towards teaching the kids healthy habits and activities. They put together a community garden, have learned how to treat animals and pets, how to make a healthy snacks, and are putting together a scrapbook (lucky for me, this is the project I help with the most!!). During the school year the program will be more for tutoring the neighborhood kids that come. We also ventured out to a Friday night game night for the kids.

We have gone to a few other parks in the city, walked some trails and looked for swimming holes for Scout. Justin finally started class this past week and is loving it. He is currently in an accelerated biblical Greek class and is doing very well. He has put a lot of time into studying and can't seem to put the books down. A few weeks ago the school hosted a little pizza social and it was a Godsend. We hadn't really made any friends yet but were able to meet some nice people at the pizza get together and have quickly become friends with 2 of Justin's classmates and their wives. Turns out we weren't the only ones to have so many struggles with the move. We have gotten together with each of the couples a few times and really enjoy their company. And Justin has gotten a steady workout and study partner!!

Those are the highlights for now. I will be sure to blog about our anniversary when I get the pictures, but I leave you this final picture. The muddy dog after wallowing in a mud puddle at his field. Hope everyone is having a great summer!!

What we like about Philly. . .

2010-06-19T12:58:00.001-07:00

Rita's Water Ice. Many of you know this as Italian Ice, but for whatever reason, they call it Water ice here. And it is a cool and tasty treat!

Transition

2010-06-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: There will likely be a lot of whining and complaining in this post. If that does not suit your mood, please go here or here. Just warning you.

After 5 weeks here in Philadelphia, we realize how good we had it in Seattle. Actually, I think we knew that after 5 minutes, but anyway. I knew things wouldn't be super easy nor that everything would just fall into place moving to a new city, but its been rough. I look back on my first few months after moving to Seattle and although I remember a few bumps here and there, it was nothing like this. It seems as though everytime Justin and I try to do something, it utterly fails or at leasts hits a hundred road blocks. I can't begin to remember all the things that have caused us trouble, but here are some lowlights.

Traffic/Roads

The driving here is a bit different. Those of you from Seattle know what bad traffic is, but this is a different kind of bad. Fortunately enough for us, I think, we don't need to use the highways all too often. I spent a bit of time on the freeways around Philly when I was out here for my interviews and it was awful. There are so many different ones that intertwine and connect, or charge tolls, or change numbers in the middle of them that it can be super confusing. And they are super crowded all the time. But the roads around our neighborhood are just as confusing. There is one in particular that is a pretty major route for most things we need to get to. It is basically 4 sets of lanes, 2 sets for each direction. Within each set is 3-4 lanes. So if you are traveling north in the far right lane, and need to get to something on the left side of the boulevard, you need to first find a "crossover" to get to the more middle set of lanes, and then find a place to do a U-turn. Sometimes this means going 1-2 miles completely out of your way. Most intersections are "No Turn on Red" which ends up making you have to wait at lights, even when NOBODY is coming for miles and miles. And we have yet to find any light that has a sensor. What that means is we will spend minutes and minutes at a major intersection waiting at a red light (since we can't turn on red!) with nobody coming. One of the worst of these is on the road I take to get to the train station for my commute. At 6:00 in the morning, I'll get a red light on a major road. The light is for people coming off a little side street, but there is never anyone there. What is up with that? Also, speed limits appear to be nonexistent. We get passed going almost 50 mph in a 35 mph zone. And the people passing you are mad that you're going so slowly. What?!?! We have seen a fews cops turn their lights on so they can get through a light, and turn on red. Not fair. Also, we have a handy dandy GPS that has been helpful, but also a hindrance. It will often take you way out of your way to avoid U Turns. But you don't know that is how you are being directed until its too late. None of the roads or routes are very intuitive and it has made for several disappointing outings.

DMV/DOL

It took us 3 trips to the DMV and 2 trips to the Department of Licensing, to get new driver's licenses and to register our cars, not to mention how ridiculously expensive it all was. Justin and I are both fairly intelligent people (him more than me) and it still took that many trips for one reason or another.

First Trip to DMV- I had about 5 days off from work when we first got here so we could get our bearings and get some of the "new residence" stuff taken care of. We got our directions, our proof of ID and went to the DMV. They didn't take cash or cards. So back home since we didn't have our checkbook with us.

Second Trip to DMV- So the next day we tried again, with checkbook in hand, and also with 2 proofs of residency, or so we thought. This time we were turned away since one of the proofs of residency was a FAX. This apparently is not enough, since it was a facsimile, you know, the exact copy of a contract stating we lived at you know, our address.

After this we decided to coast by until something forced us to get it done. Like a ticket or something. 2 weeks later I get my Washington Tag renewal in the mail. Which I can't renew, since I needed an emissions test. Didn't think the state of WA would give me tags when I sent them a copy of a PA emissions test. So now we needed to get PA license plates and tags, for 2 cars. And you can't do that unless you have a PA license. So back to the DMV.

In preparation, I made several calls to both the DMV and DOL to insure we had everything we needed. Oh yeah, the DOL only takes cash. We don't typically have cash on us since its the 21st century and all. You know, where most places take debit or credit cards. But not old Pennsylvania. Toll roads are also cash only, learned that the hard way while here on my interviews. So we got our cash out, our social security cards, birth certificates, old licenses, PA car insurance cards, passports, checkbook, 6 proofs of residency. You name it and we probably had it with us. Plus a bag of reading materials, snacks and water, we were planning on being there for a long time. Nice way to spend a Saturday morning right?

Third Trip to DMV/First Trip to DOL- Fortunately the 2 are right next to each other (at least that is smart) and about 15 minutes away from where we live. We got there 20 minutes before it opened and there were already about 20 people in line. Once the doors opened, we quickly got our numbers, filled out the form (tried to get that online and do it before we got there, but it wasn't available online). We waited about 15 minutes, got called and processed. Then another 15-20 minutes to wait for them to call our new numbers to get the photos taken. Rather uneventful. Then next door to the DOL where only 1 person was in front of us. The first thing the lady says when we tell her what we are there for is "Are both cars here?" Now my smart husband asked me before we left if we needed to take both cars. I told him no, nobody every told me that when I made my calls and its not like people drive their boats up to the DOL when they need tags, do they? I was wrong. (sorry Honey!!). They need the vehicle present so they can verify the VIN. Or we could have had a "good tracing" of the VIN, for proof. What?!?!?! So we processed the Camry and got a new PA plate, and then rushed home to pick up the Honda. When we returned, there were about 5 people in front of us. So back to waiting, for about 45 minutes. Then we were told we needed to get the cars inspected by the state. This apparently is required yearly and is an emissions inspection as well as a general safety inspection (check the lights, brakes, tires, etc.) Now is it just me, or wouldn't it make sense to require the inspection prior to receiving the tags? What is the incentive to do it if you already have what you need? It really made us think how many people are driving illegally because it is such a hassle and pretty expensive to keep everything legal and up to date.

So our next task was to get the cars inspected. I am used to driving to an emissions center, waiting, getting out of the car, having them do the inspection and then off again. Rather painless and I have never needed to wait for an extended period of time. Guess what, its different in PA. Shocking, I know. They have these auto stores called Pep Boys that can do the inspections so we found one close by and got all the details of what we'd need, costs and hours. We dropped 1 car off after church and were called about an hour later to let us know it was ready. And with the news that since we didn't have the PA plate on yet, they had to do that for us and would cost $10.4o a plate, so $20.80 since there is a front and back WA plate. I explained that I got the plate yesterday and can change it myself, but it had already been done. I repeated that I should not be charged for something that I can do myself and especially since I had not been told. The gentlemen was understanding and removed the charge. Only to then tell me I needed a new bulb for the plate and its cost. Once again I said I can do that myself. To which he said he couldn't pass the car until it was done. So I am out the door to go buy the bulb and do it myself in order to avoid the excessive charge and so the car could pass. By the time I got there, they had already done it, but once again removed the charge, which was nice. So I paid, and left the 2nd car.

An hour or so later comes the call that the 2nd car is ready. But they are recommending the tie rod on the front be repaired. Now mind you this car had the whole front end done about 2 months ago so there really should have been no issues. The mechanic tells me they could have failed the car, but since we had already had the other issues, were going to pass it and recommend that get done. Fine. Then they tell me it will be ready in 10 minutes. So we leave to go get it and as we drive by, we see the rear WA plate is still on it. Justin and I tried and tried to get these off before we dropped it off but the screws were rusted and immovable. We knew that dropping it off so asked them to do it, understanding there would be a charge. So why were the WA plates still on it? We try and pick it up, they remind us about the tie rod, and then I point out the WA plate is still on it and they had been asked to change them for us. They explain that they couldn't get them off. Ok, so what are we supposed to do? It is now illegal to drive this car with the WA plate on, but they can't get them off? The guy then proceeds to explain to us the process it takes to do it, which could include breaking or cutting the screw head off and then drilling the thread out. Which would be charged at about $100/hr for labor and could take 30-60 minutes. Are you kidding me? Car not ready and going to cost another $50-100, and still could take another hour. We had had it sooooooooo long ago with all of this stuff, and now another hassle. So back home to wait for a call to say it was done, again. Then the call, another drive to Pep Boys, another bill, and home.

So for those of you who have lost track, it took 3 trips to the DMV, 2 trips to the DOL, 4 trips to Pep Boys, and a freakin' small fortune to register our cars in the state of Pennsylvania. Ridiculous.

Are you tired yet? As frustrated as we are? There's more.

Apartment
When I came to Philly for my interviews, I also had to check out potential housing options. This was super stressful as I didn't know the city at all and had very little time. We had researched places that would meet our needs, fit in our budget, and not be too far of a commute for either of us. I had 6 appointments, made 5 of them (due to bad directions, traffic and getting lost in a super sketchy neighborhood) and finally came to 1 that seemed like it would work out. It had to work out, it was the last one on the list and all the other ones were holes in the wall or in unsafe areas. We live in a 2nd floor apartment in NE Philadelphia. It is a pretty good size, but a little run down and in a ghetto and loud community. I don't feel unsafe, but there are tons of people who blare their music in their homes, cars, out the windows, everything. We had kindly asked both neighbors 2-3 times to turn their music down with little results. We took it to the property management team who sent out a memo re: quiet hours and consequences. There was a little improvement, in my opinion, but Justin is the one who is here during the day studying while I am at work. And he still hears it. At night too. We even rearranged our bedroom to get the bed off of a shared wall. I am a pretty sound sleeper so don't hear it anymore, Justin does. We are certainly over community living and as soon as this lease is up, we truly pray we can find a house to rent. We need some peace and quiet already!!

Costco
Justin and I are used to doing most of our grocery shopping at Costco. Although we get things in bulk, we have been able to figure out how to eat most of it before it goes bad (we've lost a little bit of produce but that is to be expected) and were really saving money. Turns out the closest Costco is about 30 miles away. And in New Jersey. So we decided to try the Sam's Club that was only about 5-10 miles away. We went in, got a membership and then did our first grocery shopping trip in our new state. And we were disappointed. Everything was different. Different brands, different quantities, different types of food. And it wasn't really any cheaper than getting it at a regular grocery store. Later we learned from our friends Chris and Anna that we could have asked for a tour before purchasing the membership to see if it would fit our needs. Good to know for future endeavors, but didn't help us out this time. Several weeks later it was time to get more groceries so we planned our Saturday morning Costco trip. It took just under 30 minutes and was a successful trip. For the most part. Still a lot of different brands, and no Tillamook cheese (very sad), but much better than Sam's Club. And we only had to pay a toll on the way back into Philadelphia. What's up with that? We decided a trip once a month to Costco for some good food and savings was going to be worth it. Anyone want to buy out our Sam's Club year long membership? Any takers? I mean after I just built it up and all.

Ticks
Now we have to worry about ticks. I think it was our 3rd day here and Justin found a tick on Scout. We can't even recall any tall grasses or fields he went through, but he had one. It hadn't embedded yet, and Justin was able to get it off fairly easily. The next day we headed out to get some Frontline Flea and Tick treatment. Each dose lasts for 30 days. 2-3 days after we treated him, we found another one. Once again, it came off pretty easily. We quickly became very diligent in monitoring where Scout runs around (we were already, but really tried to keep him out of certain grasses, etc). We got a flea/tick fine toothed comb and began combing him after hikes or trips to certain parks. Things were going pretty well until Justin found a 3rd one after a particularly long, hot and fieldsy hike. I am sure the Frontline is working, but like anything, its not 100% effective. We just pray that he hasn't gotten and won't get bit by any that are too small to see or feel. Any of them could carry Lyme disease and that is not something we want to worry about.

Weather
This seems like a weird thing to complain about, since everyone always talks about how much it rains in Seattle, and who would miss that? But its more about the temperatures. It is pretty hot here, consistently in the 80s, and its super humid. The air is always so thick and muggy, and you get sticky and sweaty so fast. Thankfully the apartment has air conditioning.

I feel like I have gone on and on about all this stuff, which I have, but it seems like it is still just the tip of the iceberg. Almost everything we have tried to do and even fun things we have planned, have ended up in disaster. Makes it hard to get motivated to try anything new. And I know struggles are to be expected, and that God won't give us anything we can't handle, but when do we get a break? I continue to know we are here for a reason, and despite all these troubles, God is here with us. We have taken a risk for Him, and He will bless this situation, sometime and somehow.

If you are still with me, here is a question for you. If you have ever relocated to a new place, what was it like for you? How long did it take for you to feel settled? What helped you get through it?

Next on the blog line up: "What we like about Pennsylvania"

The Move

2010-06-12T12:25:00.001-07:00

Here's another entry that's a bit overdue. We have been here in Philadelphia for about 5 weeks now and I am just getting to this entry.

Justin and I decided to move to Philadelphia, PA so he could persue his schooling in seminary. It was hard to leave our friends, family and life in Seattle, but we were excited to take on this new adventure together. We left Kirkland on Saturday, May 1st. We filled our rental truck to the brim (holy smokes, why do we have so much stuff!!) with one car on a trailer behind it. The 2nd car was for Scout and the stuff we actually needed for the week. We were fortunate enough to have my father-in-law, Michael, come and help on the trip. It was a huge blessing to have him along and help with the driving, as well as many other things.

Here we are with our friends Matt and Lauren just as we are about to head out.

The next picture is the view we had for much of the time. The truck was the lead since it wouldn't go as fast as the Camry. Michael and I shared the truck driving and Justin was the constant parent with the pup. We were actually quite worried about how Scout would do being in the car for so long. He gets really excited and anxious when he is in the car because it usually means we are going somewhere fun for him (dog park, hike, backpack trip, etc). What this translates to is a whiny, pacing, needy dog. A few of my Harborview co-workers (thanks Louise and Michelle)recommended Rescue Remedy. This is a natural remedy to reduce stress and anxiety in pets and it worked really well. He was a great traveler.

If you have ever driven a northern route across America, you know I-90 will get you most of the way. We were quite familiar with this road by the end of our trip.

Here's the guy being a good car dog, getting ready to pass out for another nap.

We were super fortunate to follow this rainbow for awhile in Montana. I don't think I have ever seen the whole arc of a rainbow before, and certainly not for as long as we followed this one. Thanks for your everlasting promise and beauty God!

We took some time on Monday to do a little site seeing in South Dakota. Here is a photo of us in front on Mount Rushmore. The signs weren't very clear as to where dogs weren't allowed, so Scout came in and may be the only dog who has ever been as close as he was to the monument. On our way out, a ranger stopped us to inform us he wasn't allowed in there. Oops!

They had about 5 or 6 mountain goats around the entrance. Scout never noticed them (not-so-much a Captain Obvious), but they sure had their eyes on him.

Here is another picture of some of the beautiful scenery we took in. This was still South Dakota, on our way to the infamous Wall Drug Store.

Wall Drug Store is quite the attraction. What started off simply as a drugstore offering free ice water has turned into a "Must See" attraction. It extends a whole block and has just about anything you may need or want. They even have a "backyard" with wooden signs to stick your face through for a funny picture to various wagons and jackalopes to climb around on.

Here is the family on a train caboose. Don't we torture that dog so, just for a picture? Poor guy!

After 5 days of driving, we finally arrive in Pennsylvania, the Keystone State.

The trip took right around 6 days, 2800 miles, and lots of stops for gas, food and "run the dog" time. Luckily we had a relatively uneventful drive and were so fortunate not to have any breakdowns, flat tires or other car problems. One day the temperature gauge on the truck went a little haywire and had us worried, but it was just a fluke. I say luckily because we have been anything but lucky since we've gotten here. But that's for another entry. Don't worry, we're fine, but it has not been an easy or stress free transition. We miss you Washington and are counting the years until we come back!!

Friends and Family Weekend

2010-05-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

Back in April we had the opportunity to go to the family cabin for the weekend with a few friends and my in-laws. The cabin is always a good time. It is very relaxing, pretty easy to get to and a nice way to get refreshed. We arrived a Thursday night and headed into Leavenworth on Friday. Matt and Lauren had never been so it was nice to take some time going into the stores and enjoy the Bavarian village and food. Yummy brats!

There is a goofy little hat shop there so we spent some time trying on silly hats. Here is the King and Queen.

Group shot against a mural

We played some fun games including a new one to us, Ticket to Ride, European version. Most have been beginner's luck, but I won!! Justin was a close second.

Saturday we went on a nice hike around Hidden Lake. There was still some snow on the ground in some spots, and the trail seemed to disappear several times, but we persevered and made it the whole way around. With a little trailblazing.

Would hardly be a blog entry without the patented self portrait.

We spent a little time on the lake kayaking, and here is a shot from an early morning jaunt that just Matt and Justin took. The time all 4 of us went was a little cold and windy, so we warmed up in the hot tub afterwards.

Thanks for a great weekend friends and family! We miss you.

The Oregon Coast

2010-05-16T06:38:00.001-07:00

Back in April, Justin and I spent about 4 days on the Oregon Coast. I had never been before and we decided to take this trip for an early anniversary celebration knowing we wouldn't have time off when our actual anniversary came about. Justin found a very quaint and cozy cottage right on the beach in Rockaway Beach. We really enjoyed the time to relax, do a little sightseeing, walk the beach and of course, see Scout have a blast frolicking on the beach.

Rockaway Beach

View from our cottage reading room

Our cottage

Comfy feet as we read and look out onto the beach

Man and dog

Sunbreaks

Self portrait at Cape Meares

Tillamook Cheese Factory!! Fun self guided tour and tasty samples!

Cape Meares

Cape Meares Lighthouse

The Octopus Tree

Munson Creek Falls

Happy Dog on beach

Update

2010-03-28T16:10:00.001-07:00

Holy smokes! I am a terrible blogger. It has been awhile since I have updated. Its not that we haven't been doing anything, but I guess I was lacking the motivation to update. For my like 2 readers. But anyway. . .

The first few pictures are from a hike we did in February on one of the Mount Si Reserve Trails. Mount Si can be a pretty popular hike for those in the Seattle area so we were happy to take the road less traveled on the reserve trail. The views were still spectacular.

Scout had a good time, as usual.

At the end of February and beginning of March, we had the chance to do a couple of hikes with our friends Matt and Lauren. The weather was super cooperative and it was nice to get out to some local spots. We went to Paradise Valley Conservation Area and then tooled around several trails in the Coal Creek Park.

Lauren and me.

Justin and Matt

The Fam!

Our next activity was the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. We try to do something special like that for our birthdays, so I chose the PD Zoo for mine this year. It was a little chilly, but lots of sunshine. Justin is the official photographer of the family and I think he did a nice job, especially some of his tiger and polar bear shots. Below are a few highlights. This first photo is a walrus swimming upside down towards us.

Otters are one of my favorite animals. They are pretty cute and fun to watch.

Here's a polar bear shaking off water during his swim.

Nice close up of the tiger.

Posing in a shark's mouth.

I am currently on vacation and Justin and I decided to do a few things around Seattle and the Pacific NW that we hadn't done together before. April has been pretty rainy and windy so far, but we got a break in the weather on Wednesday to head over to Alki Beach. Little did we know NO DOGS allowed on the beach, even on leash, but we still enjoyed a nice walk and great views of the city skyline, shipping containers, and ferries in the Puget Sound, looking from a SW view.

Urban dog

Does anyone know what the spraying water in this photo is? I have seen it several times before and still don't know what they are doing. The Space Needle has a unique ability to look really tall from certain perspectives. It really sticks out in this photo.

If there had been a few less clouds, you would be able to see the Cascade Mountains a little better is this picture, great blue sky though.

Hope that catches you up on the Odoms' latest Odysseys (not really sure how to make that word plural :) We want to wish each of you a Happy Easter. We are so not worthy of the life He's given us, but are saved by His death and resurrection. What a glorious gift!

Cross Country Skiing

2010-02-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Justin and I had the chance to spend a nice, relaxing weekend at the family cabin. I had never been there during the winter season and was excited to see the winter wonderland. There was snow everywhere, very beautiful. Besides spending some serious time in front of the fire with a book, I had the opportunity to go cross country skiing for the first time. I was surprised how timid I was a few times going down hill, no edges on the skis made them harder to control. But all in all, a pretty successful first time. Enjoy the pictures!

Biscuits and Gravy

2010-01-10T12:35:00.001-08:00

I have always liked biscuits and gravy, and while living in Tennessee, was fortunate to have many opportunities to eat real, southern biscuits and gravy. Right before I moved, while shopping at Kroger, I found frozen packets of Bob Evan's Sausage Gravy. Heat it up, pour it over some Pillsbury's biscuits, and enjoy one of my favorite foods at home anytime. When I moved to Seattle, I looked high and low for a replacement, but to no avail. Even restaurants that served biscuits and gravy weren't as good as what I had in TN. And then one day at QFC, it happened. I found it! I wasn't even looking for it but its like it just stared at me from its shelf. Campbell's Country Style Sausage Gravy. So we bought it. And made it. And loved it! So if you are looking for a quick and easy biscuits and gravy meal, might I suggest Campbell's Sausage Gravy. You won't be disappointed.

Christmas Light Shows

2010-01-09T18:37:00.001-08:00

This Christmas season we had the chance to go check out two local light shows. The first was displayed by a couple from our Sunday School Class (nice job Byers!). I believe this is the 3rd year he has done the display, each year fine tuning it even more. It featured 20,000 lights connected by 2,200 feet of extension cord and 94 independent channels to make each light turn on or off. We tuned in our car radio to a local station and the light show was coordinated with 4 Christmas songs and an excerpt from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Pretty spectacular show. Here is a picture with most of the lights on.

A few weeks later we checked out Woodinville Wonderland with a couple of friends. This display was in a more rural setting with more land and had two 30-minute radio shows to coordinate the lights. Apparently you can buy software to create your light show. Pretty impressive!

Check them out next year!

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-01-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

DISCLAIMER: The flow of this entry is messed up! Pictures are in reverse order and should be after text, but alas, Blogspot is not being very helpful.

Its been quite awhile since I have blogged, but have been having some technical difficulties. I prefer to use Windows Live Writer for posting, but the program was uninstalled from our computer as we tried to remedy our Blue Screen Nightmare and now won't download. Another fatal error. So I am finally biting the bullet and posting through Blogspot, which will take a bijillion years! And probably have funky spacing and layout.

Justin and I have started a tradition for our Christmas tree, each year we want to cut one down. This may not sound like a unique tradition, but neither of us grew up having real trees at Christmas time and the excitement of going out and hunting for the perfect tree has a certain appeal. So we headed out to Mountain View U-cut Tree Farm in Maple Valley several weeks ago. (As in several weeks before Christmas, that's how behind I am on posting). The first time we cut a tree down, Scout was only about 5 months old and came along and was permitted to walk around with us as we chose our tree. But not at Mountain View. So we had to but him back in the car, after he thought he was going to run around and explore a new place. The poor guy was not thrilled.

So we headed off, dogless, in search for the perfect tree. We found one we liked after about 5 minutes, took a few pictures of it and then just as Justin was about to cut it, we thought, maybe there are some better ones, we haven't really looked very much. So we continued the search. And found another good one, and then another and another. But upon closer examination, each had some fatal flaw, like too tall, too short, uneven branches, etc. We finally decided on what we thought to be a great tree, despite a large lopsided branch at the bottom, and Justin chopped it down. Then we went to buy it, but they only took cash, which we didn't have. Luckily we were close to my in-laws and they quickly came to our rescue.

We headed home with tree in tow, Scout happily sniffing it up. When we tried to set it in the tree stand we encountered a roadblock, the giant extra branch at the bottom. So Justin chopped it off, but that left a large bare spot. So we had to keep rotating it to try and get an even side facing forward. Decorating progressed and as it did, we found more and more uneven and bare spots,thus prompting us to name it "Our Charlie Brown Tree." We came to terms with this, thinking it unique, our special tree.

Our next concern was the dog. We have only had one other live tree and Scout was never left alone with it. He stayed in his crate while we weren't home, but we have since stopped using his crate. Its not even in the house anymore since he is a good boy when we are away. Soundly sleeping on his kingsize Tempurpedic bed! We were a little concerned he'd knock it over, or knock ornaments off and break them. But he didn't and we were quite pleased.

And then it happened, at 5:15 a.m. 2 days after it had been put up, it tipped over and crashed to the floor, spilling water and ornaments all over the floor. One side was still too heavy. So we did some more trimming. But once you start, its hard to stop and before we knew it, there was a large bare area on the bottom. So then I had to try and redo some of the lights, which was tricky because the ornaments were more lateral than the lights. What an adventure! All in all it turned out just fine and was our unique tree.

Merry (belated) Christmas!

Wallace Falls

2009-11-28T15:33:00.001-08:00

This morning we headed out for a day hike at Blanca Lake but as we continued on our drive, the weather was getting worse. We figured we wouldn’t have much visibility for the beautiful views so decided to do one we’d already done and that was even a little closer. Interestingly enough, it happened to be the first hike Justin and I ever did together, sort of, as a group activity with The Bridge, the young professionals ministry where we met. As usual, Scout was pretty excited to be out prancing around. Without paying much attention when we first started, we accidentally took the Railroad Trail for the first ~2 miles, which was pretty flat and easy going. Once it merged with the woodland trail, we had a easy-moderate climb to the Lower, Middle and Upper Wallace Falls. It rained a little off and on, nothing too bad. We enjoyed a packed lunch at the top and then headed back out. Here is the photo roundup.

And all tuckered out on the way home!

The Water Project

2009-11-22T13:50:00.001-08:00

Did you know nearly 1 billion people in the world do not have access to clean water? Access to clean water affects health, hunger, poverty and education.

Health begins with access to clean water. HIV/AIDS is a disease that just ravages the body’s immune system. How can you live with this disease if the water you drink is so dirty that even the healthiest of people, with intact immune systems, get sick? You cannot treat HIV/AIDS or even manage the symptoms if you do not have access to clean water. Having access to clean water can drop infant mortality rates by 50%. And people cannot work if they are sick. Many of the reasons that un-developed areas of the world remain so is that they are caught in a cycle of poverty that is often the result of very poor health and nutrition.

Relieving hunger in Africa has to begin with access to clean water. It may seem simple, but we forget that without water, food is impossible to grow and difficult to preserve and prepare. It takes huge amounts of water to grow food. Did you know it takes 2400 liters of water to produce a hamburger? 70 liters for an apple? 185 liters for a bag of chips? Water is fundamental to relieving hunger in the developing world

One of the greatest causes of poverty in Africa is the lack of access to clean drinking water. Access to clean water is the foundation of all development. The lack of water is therefore an often insurmountable obstacle to helping oneself. You can't grow food, you can't build housing, you can't stay healthy, you don't go to school and you can't keep working. Without clean water, poverty is inevitable.

Everyday, women and young girls carry over 20kg of water from sources over 7km from their homes and villages in Kenya. This leaves little time for education which is critical to changing the long term prospects of developing nations. Schools cannot run programs if they cannot provide water to students, faculty and their families. Because so many adults are sick from unclean water, children are often left to manage homes, provide food and look after the sick. With the many additional burdens that a lack of clean water brings, education simply becomes less of a priority. This sets up an unfortunate cycle of poverty as without a proper education, there is little chance of improving one's situation later in life.

Take a few minutes to think about how many times you use water everyday, without even a thought! To take a shower, use the toilet, wash your hands, prepare food, drink! We literally have water at out fingertips and yet nearly 1billion people are without. Please consider making a donation to The Water Project, an organization that funds both the technical assistance and supplies needed for communities to build wells, small dams, rain catchment systems and/or water filters. For as little as $10, you can help provide water for a person for 10 years. Consider making a donation in someone’s name this Christmas season.

“I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” Matthew 25:35

Click here to be directed to the secure donation site of The Water Project, a non-profit organization that's bringing relief to communities around the world who suffer needlessly from a lack of access to clean water.

Let's make water erupt from the floors of Africa and India .
And give men, women, boys and girls the gift water

Its wet out there!

2009-10-17T15:55:00.001-07:00

Days off usually go better if the dog has been thoroughly exercised so we headed off to the dog park first thing this morning, with me in full body gortex. And it was raining. A lot. Like really a lot. And I think water, whether rain or swimming water, makes this dog crazy. It re-energizes him or something and he goes crazy. Pretty funny to watch.

This is him telling me to throw the ball.

Got it!

The agility!

Playing in the tall grasses, 2nd only to tennis balls. Wait, 3rd only to tennis balls and swimming. Who am I kidding, food is first.

Attempting to shake off after a swim but not very successful when its POURING!

On the way home.

Hope everyone is staying warm and dry.

Mom Visits Seattle

2009-10-09T11:37:00.001-07:00

As many of you know my husband has been in India for the past 11 days. I was fortunate enough to have my mom come visit from Ohio during his leave. We don’t get to see each other very often so this was some special mother daughter time.

We started our visit with a weekend trip to the family cabin on Lake Wenatchee. It was a great time to relax and enjoy some of the fall landscape as leaves were changing and the sun was shining. We headed into Leavenworth to check out this quaint Bavarian village and found ourselves in the midst of Oktoberfest. Good times!

Monday was an errand day and Tuesday we headed into Seattle to enjoy some of the things the city has to offer. She has been here several times before so we didn’t need to do the special touristy stuff, but did check out some shopping, the waterfront and Pike Place Market.

Wednesday we caught the Victoria Clipper and made our way up to Victoria, BC to enjoy the Butchart Gardens and high tea at The Empress. We couldn’t have been blessed with better weather for this fall visit (Thanks God!). Here is the photo highlight.

The Victoria Clipper

The Butchart Gardens

The Sunken Garden

Ross Fountain

The Empress Hotel

Parliament Building

Sunset on the way back to Seattle

Thanks for a very nice visit Mom!

The Rodeo

2009-09-13T20:15:00.001-07:00

I have wanted to go to a rodeo for a really long time. I have mixed feelings regarding the treatment of the animals, but wanted to see the bulls, the blood, the dust, and the mud. Garth Brooks anyone?

So Justin and I headed out to the good old Puyallup Fair this weekend for the “Justin Boots Pro-Rodeo.” The program gave a nice description of each event so I was able to understand exactly what they were doing, what would get somebody disqualified or a penalty, and how to earn style points. The bullriding is typically the highlight of a rodeo, but I have to say I liked the Team Roping Event the most. Each partner has to be quite skilled at their portion of the event and I was never really able to figure out how the 2nd guy ropes the hind legs of that steer. Pretty cool!

The funniest part had to be the Mutton Bustin’. This is wear 5 and 6 year old children latch on to a sheep and try to ride for 6 seconds. So very cute and funny!!!

Its was a little challenging to get good pictures from our seats, but here are a few.

The Justin Boots Playoffs Rodeo

Bareback Bronco Riding

Steer Wrestling

Team Roping

Tie Down (The horses used for this are pretty smart!)

Bullriding

We of course had to indulge ourselves with some delicious fair food, but this name? Seriously? Krusty Pup?

There will be camping. . . sort of!

2009-09-06T17:55:00.001-07:00

We’d been planning on rounding out our summer adventures with a nice relaxing weekend of camping. We had planned on returning to Nason Creek campsite in the Wenatchee Forest. We had camped there last year and found it to be a pretty good site. Unfortunately, the campsite next to us was being occupied by a huge extended group of Mexicans who were playing their mariachi music way too loud for 9:30. The longer we stayed, the more people came and the louder it got. Not relaxing. We actually packed up and drove the whole way back home.

Saturday morning we re-evaluated the weekend and headed back to Lake Wenatchee where we set up camp on the deck of the family cabin. It had rained Friday night so we needed to dry out the tent. Scout was pretty excited to be OUTSIDE and ON A LAKE. He could hardly contain himself. We spent a good 4-5 hours on the beach that afternoon playing with this dog. It was also the maiden voyage of his new life jacket.

He gets so obsessed with the ball that he’ll practically drown himself. He can’t stay out of the water and he’ll get so tired swimming and fetching balls he starts swallowing water as he swims around. We wanted him to stay safe while having fun and swimming and the jacket definitely did this.

Here are my guys swimming.

Check out this video of “doggie paddling”

Here is our lovely fire so we could have some S’mores.

And some of the beautiful scenery.

I forgot to mention that it poured rain on and off for most of the weekend. And it was only “sort of camping” because we had all our food with the rest of the family, inside. Thanks Dad and Lea!

A few more photos to finish up.

Man and dog

Doesn’t it look like a Super Hero Cape?

This is how he looks while he waits for his Masters to throw it, again.

It cracks me up when he does this. He digs around in the sand, or water, or whatever, like he’s trying to pick it up, or make it bounce up. I call it “puppy hands.”

And finally, after a total of about 7 hours of swimming, he rests. With his babies and toys.

Hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend!

Community Serve

2009-08-16T11:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had the opportunity to join forces with over 1000 people eager to serve our community. 7 churches came together to cover a wide range of community service projects. Our mission was to show God’s love through serving others, without asking for anything in return. What a great witness to work hard and show compassion to others. As far as we can tell, this was the first time these churches joined together for this day of serving, but will certainly not be the last. Projects ranged from, but were not limited to, cleaning out and setting up classrooms, doing home repairs, renovations, yard work and maintenance in homes of low income and/or disabled people and families, packaging school supplies for low income kids, cleaning up parks, litter pick up and over 30 medical and dental services. Justin and I were assigned to a group that would be “removing invasive species.” What that means is cleaning out blackberry bushes!!! Many times throughout the work I heard, and said myself, “We should have rented goats!” Clothed in long sleeves and somewhat helpful gloves, armed with rakes and loppers, we attacked the invasive species along the Sammamish River Trail at Blythe Park. What initially appeared as a rather daunting task turned out to be rather rewarding. We pulled out some serious blackberry bushes that were thick and intertwined into everything. Cyclists, runners and walkers expressed their thanks as they whizzed by and seemed rather appreciative of our work to help maintain their park. All in all some hard work, but a good day. And now the photo wrap up.

Although these pictures don’t show much detail and its hard to get a perspective, here are a few BEFORE shots on one section we worked on,

and AFTER!

Animoto.com

2009-08-12T19:56:00.001-07:00

Something To Nurture

2009-08-12T19:12:00.001-07:00

Justin has been wanting to invest some time and TLC into some plants. “I want something to grow, something to nurture.” Neither of us know much on the subject but went ahead and got some plants. The plants have been named and are cared for daily, talked to and tucked in by my husband. Here they are.

This one is Peter.

Here is Paul.

And John.

And lastly, spiny Thomas.

Here is Justin giving some tender loving care.

Wish him luck!

Spider Meadows Video

2009-08-12T18:40:00.001-07:00

I am going to do a little test here. My disclaimer when I first started this blog was that I was not very “techy.” I am trying though.

Spider Meadows

2009-08-10T19:32:00.001-07:00

Justin and I have been trying to do this trip for awhile, but couldn't quite get the timing right. It was either still too snowy, or hunting season. But finally, we picked the right weekend. Great temperatures and no rain. We headed out Friday evening and camped just a few miles past the trailhead. Scout was pretty pumped and didn't sleep well, which in turn prohibited us from sleeping well. I take that back, I could sleep through a tsunami, Justin on the other hand, not so much. So we were up at about 5:45, ate a leisurely breakfast, filtered some tasty glacier water and were on the Spider Meadows trail by 8:15. We made it to the meadow in a few hours and enjoyed some gorgeous landscapes. Scout had a blast tramping through the creek and woods.

The meadow was beautiful. Lots of wildflowers blooming and snow capped mountains all around.

The only draw back was the bugs. Huge flies were everywhere and would not leave us alone. Poor Scout had them all around his eyes and face; he looked so pitiful. We walked on, spent some time by a waterfall and pool, and took in some of God's amazing creation. This is definitely a hike/backpack trip we'd recommend, but bring your insect repellant. Here are a few more pictures.

The Little Swimmer that Could

2009-08-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon with some friends at Lake Sawyer. What a welcome blessing to finally cool down. For those of you not from the Seattle area, we had record breaking temperatures (triple digits!!!) this week. And NO air conditioning. Anyway, Scout was in puppy heaven. You can't keep this guy away from the water. He LOVES it! And what a great way for him to wear himself out, I mean exercise. The poor guy was getting so tired, but couldn't stop playing and fetching his tennis ball. He learned how to jump off a dock, not too gracefully, but he did it. When he had just about swallowed enough water to equal his weight, we figured how to get him up on floaty and let him just float around. It was all pretty entertaining and a nice, relaxing family afternoon. Thanks friends!

The Locks

2009-08-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

With the prompt of the Entertainment book coupons, we headed out for another Argosy Cruise. This time we went around Lake Union through the Hiram Chittenden Locks and out to the Puget Sound. We got a glimpse of the houseboat Sleepless in Seattle was filmed on, some of the boats from The Deadliest Catch, and learn a little about the shipping industry out of the Seattle harbor. Seattle is the first choice in west coast ports for shipping since it is about 400 miles geographically closer to the Far East, saving about 1 day of fuel. We are very fortunate to live in the Pacific NW. Gorgeous landscapes of mountains and water and tons of fun and interesting things to do. And now for the photo summary!

Sleepless in Seattle houseboat

The Locks

Container ship

The Happy Couple!

Twin Falls

2009-07-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

We have been pretty busy this summer and haven't had a ton of opportunities to get out and enjoy the beautiful Pacific NW. We came across a close and pretty easy trail just past North Bend. With dog in tow, we headed out for a nice afternoon hike. Round trip was about 3-4 miles and 500 feet elevation gain. I think the advertised ease of the trail draws the crowds because there were a ton of people. We were able to find parking, but had a hard time finding some space along the river for the dog, and us, to enjoy the deep pools. Once we found a spot, Scout had a blast. He is such a funny dog. He loves to swim and chase tennis balls. After a good cool down swim, we headed up the rest of the trail to enjoy the falls. Here are some pictures.

Senior Service

2009-07-20T19:38:00.001-07:00

Justin and I have been leading a group from church in a local community service project for the last several weeks. Each Saturday morning we head over to a nearby nursing home to volunteer. We spend about 2 hours each week doing a variety of activities. Anything from walking them around, pushing wheelchairs, reading, visiting, playing games, doing puzzles and the ever so popular Bingo. I didn't grow up near any of my grandparents so was never able to spend much time with any of them. This volunteering opportunity has given me a chance to spend some time with our community's elders; hearing their stories, their life experiences, and just giving them some time. Too often our society overlooks this demographic which is really unfortunate. Many of these elderly people have a lot to offer and are so thankful when you give them just a little of your time. If you haven't visited your local nursing home, might I encourage you to do so. I think we each have a lot to offer this population, but will likely be surprised as to what they have to offer you.

Born on the 4th of July

2009-07-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Scout!! Scout celebrated his 2nd birthday on Saturday and what a good day he had. We went on an afternoon hike that ended at the lake for a nice swim. He loves to be outside. Sniffing, exploring, swimming, running, fetching, and meeting other dogs. In the evening Scout had a play date with our neighbor's dog Lacy. They had a great time and really played well together. And to top it all off, Scout got the biggest rawhide bone he's ever had. He was pretty excited. Happy Birthday Puppers!

Here he is the first day we had him. What a little man he was. And how big he has gotten.

Scout swimming around. . .

Scout and Lacy playing some tug and having fun!

And his birthday bone!

The Dinner Cruise

2009-07-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

After not using an Entertainment Book to its max benefit in 2008, Justin and I made a decision to try some new things and get some culture using the 2009 book. Earlier in the year we sat down, tore out all the things we'd consider doing, and got to planning. We went to a few symphonies, a few museums, and scheduled a few Argosy cruises. Our dinner cruise was finally upon us. We headed into Seattle on a beautiful Saturday evening and really enjoyed our "3 hour tour." The food was ok, the live entertainment was entertaining (pretty swanky band), but the views were amazing. We got some good pictures and just had a generally good time on our date. Here are some photo highlights. As a side note, I would recommend this type of activity for any out of towners. A fun activity and beautiful Seattle scenery.

Here is our tasty three-tiered appetizer.

Sunset on Elliot Bay

Home Improvement

2009-06-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

The following is one of those stories where the events individually would have been fine, but put them all together and it was pretty annoying.

We needed to replace the door to our spare room due to a large crack in it. We actually took the whole door to Home Depot in order to match it up exactly, since the other doors in the condo were all the same. The employee immediately told us they wouldn't be able to match it because they no longer made that style of door. Perfect. Now we have to buy 3 doors. But since we hadn't planned on that, we hadn't taken the necessary measurements. So we drove back home and took the measurements. Justin needed to head out to school that evening and since we weren't sure how long it would all take, he stayed home while I went to get the doors.

I also needed to get some paint for the doors so that was also on my list of things to do/get there. Luckily I had already matched up the paint color for a previous home project (don't ask but it involved a big hole in our shower ceiling due to a leaky shower in the unit above us). I dropped off the paint color and request first so they could mix it while I got the doors. The paint mixer man gave me about a 15 minute estimate for completion of the mixing. I proceeded to the doors section, had an employee load up 3 doors, and then headed to the van/truck rental place. See, we have 2 sedans, not big enough to haul around 3 doors, so I needed to rent a vehicle for an hour. The renter guy said I could go get the rest of my supplies, purchase everything and then fill out the paperwork for the rental.

I went back to the paint section only to see they hadn't even started the requisition. There was one guy back there, and he was new. And getting a little behind. He called for back up which arrived pretty quickly. There was still 1-2 jobs ahead of ours, but they were taking forever. And then apparently one of the lids wasn't on securely and he put the can in the mixer machine. Guess what happened! Paint everywhere. It was pretty ridiculous. And messy. They finally got to our order only to find out they didn't have a gallon of the type of paint I needed. So he asks me if its ok if they give me 4 quarts for the gallon price. Great. Now I am going to have to carry around 4 little cans of the same paint. But fine. So they finally get it all together and I headed back to our doors. I ask about the van/truck and guess what. There weren't any available for rental. The last one had just left. So now I have paint, doors, and no way to get them home. I am put on a waiting list for a rental, purchase the materials and then leave everything at the exit. They estimate a rental vehicle will be available in 30-60 minutes. Super.

So I head over to Fred Meyer and waste nearly an hour waiting for the stupid truck. I actually meant to take a picture of the truck, but forgot due to my frustrations. It is about time that a truck should be back so I head outside and one is pulling up. I get it, they load it up, I rush home since Justin is waiting there to help unload everything, we unload, he leaves for class and then my little helper joins me for the ride back.

Now we get to paint them. And have them installed. Good times.

Another Odom Wedding

2009-06-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jon and Stephanie! Jon is Justin's younger brother and he and Stephanie exchanged vows on Saturday, June 20th at Sacred Heart in Bellevue. We then headed over to The Woodmark Hotel for a beautiful reception with great food and a fun band. The weather was great and the location on Lake Washington was beautiful. Congratulations guys and enjoy the honeymoon in Hawaii.

Our First Anniversary

2009-06-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been a year since our wedding. The time certainly has flown by. Justin and I decided to celebrate our first anniversary in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and do a whale watching tour. We left Friday afternoon and took the ferry from Anacortes.

Here we are on the ferry, a really beautiful day.

We stayed at the Tucker House Inn Bed and Breakfast, a very quaint historic home.

That afternoon we explored the port and had some dinner and ice cream by the water. On Saturday we ventured out on the Sea Lion with San Juan Safaris and were able to see a bald eagle, several porpoises, seals and 2 resident Orcas from the K Pod. I have always been fascinated by whales, especially Orcas, so was pretty excited to see some in their natural habitat.

It was tricky to photograph them since they'd only surface for a few seconds at a time, but Justin got some good shots.

We really enjoyed the whale watching tour and supposedly lucked out since this was the first day in 12 days that there had been any whale sightings. We did however underdress. It had been so hot in Seattle that week, we didn't expect such a significant drop in the temperature. We obviously knew it would be cooler on the water, but not that cold. Thank goodness the boat had blankets for everyone. Later that evening we had a romantic dinner and celebrated a beautiful 1 year anniversary. Many more to come! Here are a few more photo highlights.

The Trail That Wasn't

2009-06-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Justin and I headed out for our first backpacking trip of the season. We spent the week prior checking our gear, getting our food, and making sure we had everything we needed. We were both pretty excited and headed out right after work. The plan was to do the Dingford Creek Trail. About 5 miles outside the trailhead, we encountered a washed out bridge and road closed. Guess we should have done a little more research. No big deal, we back tracked about a mile to the Middle Fork Trail. We checked out the map, did a quick little sketch with some landmarks and turns, and were set to go.

Right off the bat we tried going the road less travelled. There was definitely a trail, but it got pretty rocky for awhile and then ended at the river bank about 15 minutes later. We turned around and headed off in the other direction. About a mile or so into it, Justin unfortunately twisted his ankle pretty badly and went down. Generally this wouldn't have been too bad, but being the super strong and manly husband he is, he was carrying most of the weight in his pack (80-90 pounds) and went down. We had to undo the pack so he could get up. But alas, he persevered and managed to hike on another 3 or 4 hours. Then comes the washed out trail.

We spent the next hour or so crawling all over these felled trees looking for the other side of the trail but to no avail. It was pretty hard work and poor Scout got a little stuck a few times. Luckily he was wearing his pack that has a handle on it and we were able to grab it to help him along. At this point, Justin's ankle continued to swell and throb. We decided to turn around, head back to the trailhead and find a nice little beach spot to set up camp for the night with the plan to leave in the morning. We got settled in and kind of doze on and off for a couple of hours. We were sleeping in a 2 man tent to begin with, but add a 90 pound dog to the mix and it makes for even tighter, hotter quarters. And Scout always loves to lay his head or part of his body on our legs so we in turn become "puppy paralyzed." And then at about 1:30 in the morning, we were awakened to the sound of drums. It was a ways off, but definitely audible and somewhat ritualistic sounding. Outside of being "a little concerned," we didn't really verbalize our thoughts on this strange sound. It wasn't until the morning we both expressed our thoughts that it could have been some weird cult looking for human sacrifices!

At this point we made some oatmeal, broke camp, let Scout swim in the river for a bit fetching after his tennis ball, and then headed out to enjoy a delicious Burger King breakfast to reward us for our hardships ; - ) !! All in all, we did enjoy some beautiful scenery and some quiet time away from the hustle of our daily lives. And Scout was pretty worn out, slept the rest of the day (on his new bed by the way). Here are a few more pictures. And Justin's ankle fared pretty well. It was pretty bruised and sore for a few days, but is definitely on the road to recovery.

New Bed

2009-06-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

So we have been thinking about getting a thick foam cushion for Scout's crate. He is a big dog and prone to orthopedic issues so we thought having some more cushion would be a good idea. We went to a fabric store to see about getting something we could cut to size. We were quite surprised at the high cost and thought it was a little ridiculous. We were right next to Petco so decided to see what they had to offer. Turns out there are actual orthopedic dog beds. These were pretty nice, with a removable fleece cover. But more expensive!! We decided to go ahead and get it, even though it was more than what we were just complaining about. I had planned to do a little internet searching once we got home to see if I could find something comparable, but cheaper, and then return the one we had already bought. But as soon as we got home and tried it out in his crate, there was no turning back. He walked in, sniffed it, and immediately layed down. This was strange since he usually only goes in there when we leave, and never does he go in just for a nap. But for the rest of the day, he slept in there. He'd come out every few hours to check in, and then would turn around and go back in. Too funny, and cute. Check him out on his new bed!

Memorial Day Weekend 2009

2009-05-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

Justin and I had the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing weekend on Lake Wenatchee with friends and family. Scout was unable to join us, but I don't think he missed us too much. He spent the weekend playing at Mystic Mountain Retreat, or "puppy camp" as I call it. We ate great food, enjoyed some jet skiing, kayaking and topped the weekend off with a river rafting trip with Wildwater River Tours . Here are some highlights!

He's so cute!

Dirty Face Mountain

Nice wetsuits huh?

Welcome!

2009-05-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog! I can't promise witty writing, or life changing wisdom, or even stuff you'll be remotely interested in, but here it is. We do hope you'll at least enjoy learning what we are about, reading about our adventures, and if nothing else, see lots of pictures of the cutest black lab ever!! Joking aside, thanks for reading.