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Flooding craziness! We had major rains and flooding in the NW the past couple days. Our house is fine, but there were landslides, sink holes, and flooding around Seattle and elsewhere. The interstate connecting WA to OR will be closed until at least Friday!

John has been in Oregon for work and instead of driving the rental car back to WA he is flying home tonight. Yay to Enterprise for waiving the out-of-state drop-off fee!

This photo is from the gym parking lot not far from our house (gym is right next to Longfellow Creek)



I guess John could try to kayak home from Oregon...

Snowy in Seattle

We had snow yesterday, December 1st!

New car!

Big changes! John sold his truck and we traded in my trusty Honda Civic today (it's over ten years old and has served me very well over the years-- college, DC, cross-country move, etc. Kind of sad to see it go).

Our new car is a Honda Pilot. John said he's going to get a leather bomber jacket and aviator goggles to wear when he drives it.

We went with this model because, since we're now down to one car, we need it to serve all our needs, including pulling a raft trailer. And, there's plenty of room for dog(s), family, etc.

Here's a picture we took this evening of John, Mr. Q, and the new car, just before a little hike in the park.

mini-vacation on the North Umpqua

John and I were down on the North Umpqua River in Oregon last weekend. We stayed at the Steamboat Inn. Very cozy, great food, great people. Lots of fly-fishing history there. Beautiful fall colors - maples, dogwoods. We forgot to take any pictures of ourselves...

This is not a great picture, but it's the view from the deck of our cabin:

The Queen and her King

Our homecoming queen is dressed in her Halloween Hippie finest (I remember wearing those purple velvet bell-bottoms for Halloween in junior high!), standing side by side with Elvis, aka The King, aka Dad.

Homecoming Queen

Muhlenberg College just had homecoming, and mom and dad travelled up to PA to be a part of it. But were they just enjoying the festivities from the sidelines? Oh, no! They WERE the festivities! Well, mom was, since she is a past Homecoming Queen.

Muhlenberg had all the past H-coming Queens come for a high tea and ceremony.

I think it's pretty obvious who holds the title as most beautiful, most wonderful queen...

Movie Premiere!

John and I went to our first red carpet movie premiere last night. People were actually dressed up, and not in Seattle fleece! (we got invited b/c our friend works at the production company)

It was the premiere of the movie Outsourced, which you should all go out and see. Good film, and cool story -- totally independent, they're trying to make it without help from a big studio.

The premiere was at a local theater and we got to drink champagne while we watched the movie. Then, went to the "after party". We were hoping Pearl Jam would show up, but alas, they didn't. Still, it was fun to say that we were VIPs.

Here's the Seattle Times story

Among the dozen or so movies opening around the country Friday, there is one lower-budget Seattle production that could have a major effect on the film business -- and it is no exaggeration to say the whole movie world will be watching.

The film is "Outsourced," a romantic comedy set in Seattle and India that was voted best film at the last Seattle International Film Festival. What's unique about "Outsourced" is that it's entering the hectic movie marketplace in seven cities Friday without a distributor, all on its own dime.

Bob and Sara, it's opening in Austin, I think tomorrow, so you should see it!

He's the boss

Meet the new executive director of Pacific Rivers Council!

East coast trip

I just got back from a trip to DC and NC. Had work meetings in DC Thurs and Fri, and saw lots of friends. I stayed with Joy and Jim, and Cheryl W came over for dinner. High school flashback!

The second night, Joy had back-to-school night (she's a math teacher! Wish, wish, wish I'd had a cool math teacher like Joy. Maybe I would have liked math) so I hung out with Matt and Renee and their sweet 15-month old Jake. On Friday after work I flew down to Raleigh, luckily avoiding the tornadoes. It was supposed to be a surprise for dad's belated b-day celebration, but he figured it out (hello, out-of-office email notice!)

We had a great weekend, centered, in our great family tradition, around wonderful meals and tennis. Dad and I went out for a sushi lunch while mom played her first tournament match on Saturday. Then we all had a great dinner at a new restaurant, 18 Seaboard. Dessert: molten chocolate cake with a heaping spoonful of toasted marshmallow fluff!

Sunday, dad and I froze watching mom play her early match in Durham. Sadly (luckily?) they lost, so the tournament was over and mom and I could go shopping!

Sunday night was a So-Ko dinner classic, "John's tuna" - John created the recipe at Wrightsville Beach several years ago. It involves making a spice/nut crust for the tuna. Very tasty.

Flew back to Seattle on Monday.

Next stop, Hollywood

Here's the link to a short (6 min) film we made about the restoration of Oregon's Sandy River.

(and it's getting good reviews!)

BBQ Birthday Bash!

We had a fun BBQ for friends and neighbors on Sunday, when I turned the big 3-2.

John went all-out with the food and we had delicious carrot cake!

Photos from Salmon River trip

Here are pics from the trip John and I did on the lower Salmon (the River of No Return), with friends from my office -- We floated for 62 miles (five days), putting in at Pine Bar near Cottonwood, Idaho and taking out at Heller Bar on the Snake River.

It was amazing, and a great way to celebrate our 3rd anniversary! (July 30 was the final day of the trip)

Camping at the put-in (John, Amy, Dave and Summer)



At the put-in



Amy and John



Lower Salmon --



Late afternoon sun on canyon wall --



Camp kitchen --



Me



Ducky in a rapid --



John and Ross playing horse shoes at camp --



Celebrating three years!



Cooling off at camp (that's my back)



The lower Salmon's Blue Canyon, right before the confluence with the Snake --



Camp on the Snake --



Group photo --

More Montana pics

John on the Missouri...





Rex on the Missouri...



John's hummingbirds...





Cabin at night...



Night sky at the cabin...



Amy and Dad under the wing...



John and Rex playing music at the cabin...



Queets and Natalie...



Queets and Mitchell...



Climbing Sara...



Climbing Bob...

Montana - last day at the cabin

Possible Christmas card photo?

Montana: the cabin

The cabin has been in John's family since Bert's (John's step dad) grandfather bought it back in the 1930's.



Prickly Pear Creek flows right by the cabin...



The dinner bell...