The 2009 Montana vacation

October 5

>>> is seriously pissed off that her head is pounding, her throat is sore and her nose is running. Happy freaking first day of vacation.

October 6
>>> thinks Dayquil and a Ben & Jerry's smoothie should help, right?
>>> just got carded. Might be because it's Utah, but still made her smile.
>>> is home. :)


October 7
>>> is watching the snow fall.
>>> had a great lunch with John and spent the afternoon going through old stuff in the garage and introducing Mom to "Glee."
>>> is transferring old Jazz Workshop tapes to CDs with my folks' cool stereo thingamabob.
>>> is not really ready to drive to Missoula at the butt crack o' dawn tomorrow.

October 8
>>> had coffee and Dad's rhubarb pie, and is ready to drive.
>>> Who needs coffee when you have Montana wildlife? A moose that wants to tango with the Explorer, a six-point whitetail and a coyote fetching a rabbit. Now, off to the meetings!
>>> thinks she needs Hoagieville for lunch. Hope it's still open.
>>> bailed on afternoon meetings to wander around Rockin' Rudy's. Picked up Manhattan Transfer's Chick Corea songbook. *love*
>>> is having beers w/Andrew and Sam.
>>> had a lovely evening with Darla, Tim and Sam.

October 9
>>> woke up to snow outside here hotel room. Ready for lunch with an old friend.
>>> brought a lovely centerpiece for the banquet.
>>> Sheila, Sam & Darla enjoy the banquet.

>>> Malaguena mfers

>>> is listening to one of the hottest trumpet sections in UM Jazz history ('cept they're missing one key person, *looks at Eric*).

October 10
>>> Todd just busted Mike Milch noodling in the lobby of the Holiday Inn.
>>> chilling with the Goodrich Bros.
>>> is putting om a buttload of clothes to go march this morning.
>>> What a freaking short and cold parade.
>>> Singing/playing Happy birthday to Todd's daughter and Sam's wife.
>>> Listening to the dulcet tones of Kutzman's commentary.
>>> Grizzlies down 10-0.
>>> Griz scored.7-10
>>> Bailed on the game to go shopping. Yay for 20% off Alumni discount.
>>> Beer and brat time with a Grizzly win!
>>> Seminar! Seminar! Seminar!
>>> Nobody puts Sheila in a corner...except us.

>>> Rockin Guitar Hero
>>> JohnO is feebly impersonating Dr. Cook: "Eric Sande-You stink."


October 11
>>> Serious ass-chopping going on.
>>> is blessed with the most amazing friends.
>>> is on her way to Helena to meet up with her Leetle Seester.
>>> is stuffed with Greek food.
>>> is back in GrFls and ready to crash. First, the hot tub, though.

October 12
>>> The creature that sleeps is shaking off a 13-hour binge. Sheet-faced like whoa!
>>> stocked up on Made in Montana items.
>>> encourages folks to post photos and stories on the UM Alumni Band page. Share the fun!
>>> tough choice to make: Dancing Trout or Coldsmoke.

October 13
>>> 's agenda: coffee, the tape project, the Mom photo project, but most importantly, lunch with Jean.
>>> Just went through photos covering nearly 100 years of family history. Folks, please ID the people/places in your photos!!!!!!!!
>>> will be lucky if she can pull any sound at all off some of these Jazz Workshop tapes.

October 14
>>> is going shopping with her Mom!
>>> did her part to stimulate Montana's economy: new boots, Christmas shopping, and Griz items.
>>> is wearing her new boots to dinner with Holly.
>>> is admiring her boots and drinking her second-to-last Cold Smoke. Don't think it'll wait until December and don't want to pack it in the suitcase.

October 15
>>> there's something really weird about drinking beer in your parents' home in a room that really was never yours but somehow has your name attached to it.
>>> Let's see if this works: Birdland by UM Jazz I, November 1986
Audio file
>>> would really like to get in the hot tub but won't because it'll probably freak her parents out.
>>> sadly is packing to go back to 'Sconsin. *sigh*
>>> is waiting in the longest line she's ever seen at the GF airport.
>>> is waiting an hour in GF because of air traffic in Minneapolis.
>>> These boots were made for ... waiting and that's just what I'm doing.

>> gets to spend another night at home. Cold Smoke, anyone?
>>> is getting seriously spoiled during this extra night.
>>> 's parents totally spoiled her with dinner tonight. AND there was Dancing Trout left in the fridge!

October 16
>>> hopes the sore throat that is keeping her awake is not a sign of things to come.
>>> is dosed with Dayquil and vitamin C, and is actually on the plane to Minneapolis.
>>> waiting for the Milwaukee flight with a hot apple cider in hand.
>>> made it to Milwaukee and is now drivng back to Oregon.
>>> 's pup is on her lap. Missed that lil knucklehead.
>>> came all the way back to be left alone tonight. Huh.

Got my mom hooked on "Glee" too.

I vow to never miss a Homecoming again.
I do believe that the best friends I have ever made were during those four years and one quarter in Missoula. We had the absolute best time this weekend at Homecoming.
We laughed, talked, partied, talked, laughed, reconnected.
Even though it was 8 degrees (give or take) during the parade on Saturday morning, we still marched, we still tailgated, we still played at the game (well, until halftime when I went shopping).
We had a "seminar" that rivaled the old days.
More people committed to coming back and help grow the fabolousity that is Alumni Band.

And

I seriously am blessed with some of the best friends a person could have.

Fourth grade!!! (Crappy cell phone photo)

And he's riding the bus from the corner now instead of day care.

He wants to do orchestra and choir this year.

He's playing flag football for the fourth year.

He can beat Steve on NCAA Football on the PS2.

He tells me I'm the best mom in the world.

( More and comparison )

I could go back to sleep. I could go out to make coffee and pancakes
while watching "CBS Sunday Morning."

Instead, I'm huddled under the covers with the crackberry. :)

My poor boss, Julie, found out her son broke his hip while playing.
She was in Idaho at the time, because she travels a ton for work. The
poor dude-who is about to start second grade-had pins put in and will
be in a full body cast for 6-8 weeks. I can't imagine doing that as an
adult, let alone a very active 7-year-old.

We took Amelia to the dog park yesterday, where she made friends with
Thome, another small terrier mix. It was so FUN watching those two run
around in circles!

Bug had spent most of the day near the dog park in a wooded area that
has a walking path through it. He and his buddy built a fort! I was so
glad to see him being an "old school" kid instead of gluing himself to
a screen all day. They even named it the "Old Berry Club" (because
they found a stick that said elderberry on it, and elder means
old--all from Bug).

He starts flag football on Tuesday with practice. He also wants to
sign up for orchestra this year.

my life stinks post. Whee!

I love fall--I love the crisp mornings and warm afternoons. I love the
colors of the trees.

But every year at this time, I begrudge the fact that I don't have any
"changes" going on in the fall. No new classes, no new friends to make, no
rehearsals and the football games.

Living vicariously through Bug just doesn't do it. Buying his school
supplies, going to his practices and games.

So I gripe. About the status quo and the lack of newness that I experience
as an adult. Fall is just another season. More weeks of grinding work, days
flowing into each other with nothing new to boost your soul

I miss it. I miss the excitement, the unknown quality. That's why I go back
to Montana in the fall. It reminds me of the thrill of fall and the
seemingly endless possibilities of what can happen--what I can make happen.

How many of you have age-defying moisturizer AND Clearasil in your cabinet?
As someone who is less than two months from her 43rd birthday, I'm
taken aback by the ferocity of the zits on my chin. And nothing like
being a meeting with a honking one on your nose.
If I were 14, I'd be begging my mom to let me stay home so no one
could see my elephant man resemblance.

Bug is in Southern Illinois and got to go see a Cardinals game with the Nowickis. I still wonder if he'll end up with Quin (the younger) or Ashton (the one who is six weeks older than he is).



And here is my strawberry jam!

So I'm trying to transfer old college tapes to mp3s. I downloaded Audacity, got it loaded, have my RCA-mic cable, tried it and heard nothing but hiss. I used the output plugs on the tape deck itself. I'm thinking I should have run it through my amp instead.
I don't know, but I wasted a whole furlough day on it. So tomorrow I'm going to see "Star Trek" and have lunch with Zack's mom. Another real-life friend possibility??

is the number of people in my office that lost their jobs this week, including one in my department.

There is a great deal of survivor guilt, anger and sadness around here. I am glad that my unpaid furlough is this coming week. Perhaps the drama will be lessened by then.

So I hope to clean house, spend some time outdoors, collect items for the glqcbs garage sale (I offer up my services to sort and price to you gals as well), make some cards for Kim to sell, and generally goof off.

all this food?

Seriously, I got my first every-other-week share from Primrose Community Farm (http://www.primrosecommunityfarm.net/) today. Holy buckets!

Bok choi, broccoli, broccoli raab, cilantro, dill, garlic scapes, lettuce, radish, salad mix, salad turnips, scallions and spinach.

Here is Rhett!

( And Amelia too )



Puppy!

My aunt is getting scans made of the slides that my grandfather used to take.

( Here are a couple )

I just got done having dinner and drinks with jloopy and you didn't.
:P~~~~

Soooooooooo what would you do with a week off with no pay? (AKA mandatory
furlough)

I watched "Sweeney Todd" today. LOVED the music. SO glad I didn't see the blood on the big screen. GAH!
I am such a weenie when it comes to blood and gore any more.

I'm watching Alan Rickman play Franz Mesmer and he's standing over a writing
woman saying, "Stroke, stroke."
Methinks I have died and gone to heaven.

If you have time, I'd love for you to fill this out. I got roped into a committee at work that is looking at cell phones/PDAs and how they can be used by financial institutions.

Poll #1342095 Stuff for Work
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 16

Do you use a cell phone daily?

Which cell phone application(s) do you use the most (aside from pics/calls/texts)? Why?

If you could add another function to your cell phone, what would it be?

What functions of your cell phone frustrate you the most?

Do you use your cell phone, and/or cell phone applications to help you make decisions?

If so, what kinds of decisions?

How could a cell phone application make your life easier?

I steam cleaned the carpets, particularly the areas when a certain pup had accidents.

I need to make chocolate chip cookies for a belated Christmas present for a co-worker.

I can't wait for school to start and get back into a routine, because OMFG I am going to kill Bug sooner than later at this rate.

My mom joined Facebook!!! Now I can challenge her to word games.

The puppish got a bath last night. She was very calm. Even today with all the vacuum/steamcleaner noise, she didn't go ape.

I have this week's menu planned, which makes life so much easier.

Bug has his holiday concert Tuesday because a storm canceled the December date.

I didn't craft ONE time over vacation. I need to do small thank you cards at least. My grandmother will be expecting one of those very soon.

I hooked up my iPod to my way-cool, old-school stereo and introduced
Bug to Bill Cosby ("Noah." Voom-pah, voom-pah. "NOAH!") and the first
few tracks of George Carlin's "Class Clown."

He got a real kick out of SBD, bilabial fricative and sharing a swallow. :)