starting off on the left ear (lobe)

it happened again folks. i was so flabbergasted i actually blushed in front of my class. at least three students in my design class (for non-majors, i'll give them that) simultaneously asked me if Picasso was the one who cut off his ear.

yikes!

at least we've got the entire semester ahead of us.

raspberry fiend

this girl knows right where to find them... and who to ask to pick the high ones.

sleepin' out in the back yard

i woke up around 5:00 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. such a bummer. but watching the dawn ease through the window reminded me of summer sleep-outs in the back yard with my brothers and sisters. we would roll out this big old piece of a curtain for a tarp, flop our four-inch foam pads down on top then wiggle into sleeping bags. we'd watch the stars, tell funny stories, provoke... then attack one another, run out of energy then finally fall asleep in the cool night.

in the morning the sun would get us around 7:30, coaxing us up and inside. as a teenager i'd try to fight the sun, covering my head with the sleeping bag, trying to ignore the temperature growing increasingly hot. sleep is so precious. i still feel that way. in fact i'm going to go take a nap now to make up for my lost sleep. but i digress... summer sleep-outs in the back yard are the best. i'm planning to sneak one in before school starts (which starts August 20th, ridiculous, i know).

i really love my mom.

down in the mid-west

Ash and i recently took a trip to dairy country (a.k.a. Wisconsin) to visit my dear sister and brother-in-law in thier new abode. it was a nice, relaxing trip with expansive views, scenic drives, good food, fun times, and fire flies - i love fire flies. we also experienced a couple mid-western storms, which were awesome and unlike any i've ever seen before. enormous looming dark clouds above with a bright light on the horizon and then... boom! a dense, fine rain that covers everything. so cool.

oh, and we also watched American Gladiators, which i hadn't seen for years. it was good to get back into the Gladiator circuit. 'Gladiators ready...'

what is it about a bath?

this is for real

Directions: Twist up product. Remove protective seal and discard. Glide product on. Apply to underarms only. Always replace cap tightly. Use daily for best results.

isn't this a bit unnecessary? isn't this what moms, dads, older brothers and sisters, best friends, middle school P.E. teachers are for?

daddy-o

i really love my dad. he's one swell guy.

how do you like your spinach?

this year we planted two rows of spinach in the garden and it's come up beautifully and bountifully. i've been enjoying the (almost daily) spinach salads, i'm making lasagna for Father's Day, and i've got a killer spanikopita recipe but i think i'm going to need some more ideas. we're talking spinach in Popeye proportions here. if push comes to shove i know i can freeze it but fresh spinach is a billion times better. any help by way of tried and true recipes, home remedies, arts & crafts ideas - whatever - would be greatly appreciated.

El Castillo

the change in our itinerary took us back up to the Arenal area with Linds and Gav to the tiny mountain village of El Castillo. ever since Volcán Arenal erupted in 1968 it's been spurting volcanic rock constantly. in the last four our five years it's been falling on the northeast side and the best place to view it now is from El Castillo. our room had huge picture windows and the bed was set up for convenient night-time viewing. it was crazy to realize that we were just laying there all comfy watching the center of the earth spew forth. when Ash woke up around 2:00 am we brought her into our bed and just watched it until we fell asleep again. better than watching reruns by a long shot.


in the morning we watched the hedge flutter with humming birds and took a little swim in the pool overlooking Lake Arenal. then Linds and Gav headed out to the coast and we headed back to the city to catch our plane the next day. indeed, El Castillo was a grand finale to our tropical adventure. we're happy to say that we would recommend everything we did and everywhere we stayed in Costa Rica.

you can see more photos of our adventures here if you're interested.

La Tigra

it was a short visit but the two days we spent nestled on the hillside at Cabañas Pocosol were peaceful, quiet and beautiful to be sure. in the evening we watched the lightning roll in across the valley and when we woke up the next morning there were two keel billed toucans sitting in a tree in plain view. so cool! Ash got to lounge around in her birthday suit a little and she enjoyed a warm bath in the kitchen sink.


Linds and Gav arrived despite a dark and rainy drive the second night. needless to say we were so glad to see them and very impressed with their driving and navigating skills. meeting up with them gave us a big second wind after two and a half weeks of traveling. we spent the next day at the Los Angeles Cloud Forest and saw philodendron leaves the size of buffet platers, some totally decked out fungi, and giant fiddle heads. we finished with a delicious lunch at the fancy pants café (the pesto was superb).

La Fortuna and Volcán Arenal

we made the family-run Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge our home for five days in La Fortuna. we had our own little cabin in the middle of what looked like the Garden of Eden, minus the tree of knowledge (well, i guess it could have been in there somewhere but we never found it). what we did find was the red-eyed tree frog, the poison dart frog, the chestnut billed toucan and lots more leaf-cutter ants. we also spent time watching and listening to school-bus sized lava rocks go bouldering down the side of Volcán Arenal, and viewing the rain forest canopy from a suspension bridges.



at one point it rained for about 48 hours straight. of course we were totally bummed out thinking the Costa Rican winter had arrived. but it turned out to be a huge storm that affected the whole country and parts of Nicaragua. we were fortunate to be in the central highlands where little to no damage was done. when the clouds finally cleared we could see the volcano in all it's glory. it was awesome! we also decided to make a simple change in the itinerary so we'd have a chance to see the lava at night. more on that later.

Karen Mogensen Reserve

what do you get when you combine a light, steady sprinkle with a steep 3 km hike and lush green everywhere? the way to Cerro Escondito in the Karen Mogensen Reserve. we spent three days in the middle of the rain forest with some of the most spectacular views i've taken in. from the hidden lodge our guide, Rigo and his wife, Angela - both in their late fifties - lead us on an impressive hike up and down muddy mountain trails (and she was in a skirt to boot) up to a two story tower on the top of a near by mountain. we could see out to the Gulf of Nicoya and the 360 panorama left me speechless. absolutely beautiful!

white faced monkeys, red-lored parrots, and armies of leaf-cutter ants were great for watching. on one of our hikes i found a Tarzan-worthy vine and thought i'd take a little swing. English advised me to test it first. i was so confident that it would hold me that i jumped up and stuck my feet out in front of me and well, i guess i did take a little swing... right on to my back! the funny this is, in that split second of free fall i thought i really was swinging. until i hit the ground and the wind was knocked out of me. smooth one Fonz. but i made it through the rest of the hike up to another picturesque mirador - that's 'lookout' in español.

after several meals of beans, rice and strawberry kool aid we waved good-bye and hiked down to take the ferry across the gulf and continue on to the central highlands.

Playa Sámara

this morning we woke up around 5-ish to the the low grumble of some howler monkeys. there's a family of them hanging out in the trees above our little apartment... even a little baby one on mom's back. and coincidentally there was a baby Ash sleeping in our bed. :)

the beach is about 35 yards from where we are staying and it's been a fun adventure. Ash loves the beach and ocean. she's especially enjoyed the night time walks when the tide is low and the cooler wind is blowing. this is probably the first time she's been out in a onesie in the dark. it gets dark here around 6:30 so we've got two hours of night before she goes to bed. oh, and she also enjoys giving herself a 'facial' every now and then with the sand.


last night we saw lots and lots of hermit crabs, some in shells the size of push pins and some the size of golf balls. a few of the bigger ones were climbing up the palm trees. it was awsome crazy. we've also seen a few different types of iguanas, several birds, and geckos.

it's hot as hell here, hence the time pleasantly passing away in this air conditioned internet café. but when the sun is going down we go out on the beach and that's the best time of the day. there is plenty of good food, fresh fruit (the pineapple is the best) and lots to see.

passport Polaroids

all individuals traveling outside of the country, regardless of age, must have their own passport. i discovered this just in time to apply for Ash's passport. the man at the post office waived the washed-out photo fee because she was so mellow and sweet. that's my pie.


surprisingly it only took ten days to get her passport. that's unheard of! we figure the background check went rather quick. so we're set. tomorrow we leave for Costa Rica. if blogging is practical i'll keep you updated. otherwise i'll post photos and tell stories when we're back.

major accomplishment

this is big.



way to go, Ash!

art is good for you

there's a lot of really good art in Utah especially in Sanpete County. i've really enjoyed living in this artistic community and i know i am a better artist and person because of it. recently i've had the opportunity to contribute to 15 Bytes, the Artists of Utah ezine. the May issue features a few photographs i took of Kathy Peterson's studio in Spring City. the 'studio space' spot is a regular piece in the ezine and this time they wanted to highlight a Sanpete County artist to promote Heritage Days later this month.

get yourself an education

the marquee at Ephraim Elementary reads:
CORE TESTING
DO YOUR BEST, KIDS

i remember the Iowa Basics. poor kids.

my basic drawing class had their final critique yesterday and i'm pleased to say they rocked! these were all students who came into the class thinking they couldn't really draw let alone draw something from life, in charcoal. it was very satisfying to see final self-portraits and final still life drawings lined up in a row, one butt-kicker after another. these kids did their best for sure.

and Ash is doing her best rockin' it at several new things:

• crawling off the couch the safe way
• practicing blowing her nose (see photo below)
• reaching and playing with most of the stuff on surfaces that were once too tall
• cutting another tooth - that makes two
• turning on her 'juke box' - the white noise machine attached to her crib - before and after naps
• cruising around the house and sometimes balancing standing up on her own
• saying 'hot' and 'bye-bye' rather clearly, to name a few.

oh, and she continues to excel at all around cuteness.

sweet success

that is such a lame title, but we did it. no sugary sweets for a month. last Thursday opened the door back up to treats and things and i've had a few delicious baked goods since then. but i have to say it was a very good experience. it turned out to be easier than i'd thought and it has helped curb my predictable desire for something sweet to eat. i don't need or even feel like a treat after every meal any more. so i'd say it was a successful experiment and i'd recommend it to a friend.

p.s. i should confess i had a Fruity Cheerio here and there and once, after i had made a peanut butter and honey sandwich for Ash, i made one for myself... in my weakness.

you, live in concert

if you could sing five songs to an adoring good-sized crowd with super sound, lights, and atmosphere what would they be? yes, you sound like you - only you know you'll hit all the right notes and you'll have whatever backup musicians/vocals you need.

here are mine:
1. Why? - Andrew Bird
2. Somebody to Love - Queen
3. Hard Road to Travel - Jimmy Cliff
4. Betting On Trains - Hem
5. Mushaboom - Fiest

feel free to post 'em (but not Postum) here or on your own blog.

Willy Krueger and the Chocolate Factory

i finally got our 2008 Johnson Film Fest entry up on YouTube. it's now available for everyone's enjoyment! spread the word... and the love.