A Whale of a Trip!

This past week we (Bob + I + all of Bob's immediate family + slimebaby) were up in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington vacationing our little hearts out. The final day approached and, though there were rumored to be 2-3 pods in residence there, we had yet to see any whales.

Heather Ann and I struck out early one morning, dedicated (read obsessed) to viewing whales before the day was out and we lost our opportunity forever! So we sat there together, our single-mindedness driving all others away as we lost perspective in our pursuit of the whales. It was then, mulling over our mammalian hopes and fears that a miracle happened. A whale-watching boat shouted to the shore that a pod of whales was on its way and would be where we were in a half-hour.

The whole family gathered together, huddled on a mass of rocks, eyes scanning the distance for tiny black specks that it seemed would never come. Finally, they came. Jumping in groups of two or three, the Orca whales seemed like something from Free Willy or Sea World. It was an incredible experience, once in a lifetime and indescribable.

Here's the best picture I was able to get, but keep in mind that I wasn't using any zoom here. 

On the Road Again.....

We're headed off this evening to make the long drive up to Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands. (Are you taking notes, Dione?) I expect to go on many bike rides and hikes, play lots of Nertz and Rock Band, and mostly relax.

Bob and I have not taken time off of work to relax since Christmas of 2007, and this is a much needed vacation. Life has become bogged down with many little stresses: Bob's ankle with two torn ligaments, the yard aka the weed factory, church callings that guilt you into spending valuable time attending pointless meetings, work-need I say any more, and so on and so forth. It's so easy to fill up a life with thousands of meaningless tasks and top it all off with some tv-watching. I'll be glad for the release and the lack of responsibility.

I keep telling myself these things, but what a huge hassle it is to get out of town. I hope that y'all enjoy your week, and keep out of trouble!

Ta da!

New blog layout! It took me forever, and is a much simplified version of where I started out... But it's a work in progress, and now I know that I'm going to have to help the Bitches vamp theirs up as well.... Darn dogs. I'll be looking at putting in a new masthead at some point, but I'm waiting for inspiration.

So if you're reading this from Reader or other RSS feed device, come on over and check out my lovely blog!

Truths and Consequences

It's true, I love the Twilight books. I know what you unbelievers out there are thinking, because believe me, I thought it once myself. I would never get into faddy literature like that. I know a crappy tween romance book when I see one. I would never taint my mind with the likes of Stephenie Meyer, no matter what I hear about Edward.

You have no idea what you are missing out on! The books are written simplistically and in a Harry Potter-esque style. They capture the imagination and the heart, making it difficult to settle for a man any less than Edwardian.

I first read the books in fall of 2007 when my sister Jocie gave them to me. She hadn't been a huge reader, so I thought that I would humor her by taking them, thus encouraging her nascent love of reading. I couldn't have been more wrong. Instead of doing her a kindly favor, she had done me one by introducing me to such a fun series that captivated my imagination for long after I had read the final page of Eclipse.

So these past few weeks, as everyone has geared themselves up for the release of the 'stunning conclusion of the Twilight saga,' Breaking Dawn, I have felt a wave of melancholy imagining how excited she would be and how often we would text each other about it. I found her copy of Eclipse and read through it, repeatedly returning to the title page where she had written her name carefully in curly script: "Jocelyn Garlick." Oddly formal, using her barely tolerated full name, Jocelyn. I wonder what she was thinking when she inscribed that; surely not that she would never read the conclusion.

So I'm here to recommend the series from both my lips and Jocie's. I will guarantee 100% customer satisfaction, or your money back! If you call now, you can get the Maggie and Sammi commemorative pin, a value of $32, for free. That's right, free!