oh yeah, i have a blog...

So, i am a lax blogger. actually, i just haven't had much to say and adam keeps kidnapping my computer to go work on the weekends. but in way of an apology...here's neah playing in our new foot of snow.

we are getting ready for the trip to thailand. i'm so excited to see abe, emma, and sarun (joe--who i went to school with about a decade ago). i think the break to the warm will do my soul some good. this winter has been very cold and not snowy--bad for winter sports.

in other news, adam's bowling is going well. insert big lebowski joke here. and we joined the gym, which has a sauna i like to warm up in.  i have not yet managed to get over the abject nakedness of the women wandering around the locker room yet though.  i am glad that so many women over 50 are comfortable with their bodies, but seriously, i do not need to see it.

so, that's the news! love from snowy cold, not quite north pole :)

whispers of winter

the days are getting shorter. the sun sets well before we come home from work and is just barely up as we head out. soon, it won't rise before midday. i have been trying desperately to generate the motivation to get up early and head to the gym for an early morning, anti-arm flab, workout and sauna before starting work. needless to say, this is proving tricky.

more importantly, it appears winter is upon us because everyone is driving like idiots--snow tires not on, quick stops fail often.  neah and i were almost hit on our way to the holy day tonight. stopped at a corner facing west and getting ready to turn south, one of the cars coming from the south in the northbound lane (this reminding you of a fifth grade word problem yet) slammed on brakes and in an attempt to not rear end the other cars came careening towards us--only to be stopped (and us saved) by the pole that holds the stoplights about four feet to my right. ugh. dear idiot with the big truck....please please do the speed limit and remember its icy...we'd like to live another day...thanks, EVERYONE.

Been trying out some new recipes....so the roast

is from those adventures. neah was very intrigued---perhaps too intrigued because her tummy doesn't seem to like us tonight. 

It has been nice to have some friends over for dinner and kinect and feel like we are settling into this house. neah has been great about the new people, only barking for a minute or two before warily wandering around until peanut butter pretzels stealthily appear in new hands and the intrusion into her space is forgiven. 

a ghostly hiking story

so, adam and matt went hiking the other night. it was dark. when they got home, adam told me the following story:

they drove the spiffy new ride up to far north bicentennial park (about five miles away), unloaded the neah, and headed up under the setting sun. they turned off the main trail after a couple miles and onto a side one (read: game path) and got to a point where the trail crossed an iced over swamp. by this time it was dark/twilight/vampire hunting hour and they decided that crossing the ice swamp in the dark, foggy mist probably wasn't the funnest plan. so they stopped and stood around as one is want to do next to an ice swamp, when the neah monster began barking into the dark.

matt and adam were annoyed at her disruption of the peace for a few minutes.  she continued barking. simultaneously, the boys realized that perhaps she was actually barking at something. they slowly turned in the direction of her furor and stared into the darkness. after close to a minute, they saw what neah did--a dark moving shadow out over the swamp.  adam turned to matt and asked "did you see that?!" to which matt replied "yes".  "is it moving," adam asked. "yes," matt replied.

in the following 20 seconds, adam fumbled, reaching for the bear spray--only to realize he couldn't reach it in gloves (20F) and pulled the gloves off frantically. matt pulled the head lamps out of the back pack. the 20 seconds felt like minutes as they prepared for the shadow.  they turned the head lamps on and peered into the darkness toward the shadow.....

turns out, neah, the still barking protector, isn't an idiot, there was a large shaped object looking at them in the dark. the bear slowly moved away into the shadows, eyes still fixed on the three of them.

just kidding. they still couldn't tell what the hell it was because of the mist...but they could see its eyes shining in the dark---and based on its height there's a 95% change it was in fact a bear.  and as it moved away, all they could see was still the amorphous shadow with gleaming eyes creeping into the dark.

here's to neah, the Protector, who kept them from getting eaten.

the arrival of count clockula.

so part of the trip to seattle was to bring the last of our stuff up here. it landed in the port a week after we shipped it and a week later it landed in the house. some of it, like count clockula, we had been eagerly awaiting. count clockula is my grandfather clock, so named by one ms. courtney when she and i decided that the clock was not actually going to leave its box at our Queen Anne house---thus, remaining in its travelling coffin like a good little clockula with the front off to show the face. yes, we did take it out, put the chimes in and put it back in the box.

back to this move....I was not pleased, however, when the very nice movers tilted the clock beyond the 45 degree limit and appeared in the house with it flat. i summed up all the calm i could and politely said, you need to put that back upright, it cannot lean. then i spent part of the next day concerned about the potential damage (ended up being slight).

anyways, last night while adam was practising with his bowling league team, i let the clock out of the box, slowly fixed the hammer stings, rehung the chimes (at which point the dog fled), and plugged the count back in. tick tick tick, thank effing god, tick.

The study is now complete, the clock is released from its coffin and all is right with the world.

long lost

it seems like ages since i have written something here. i somehow feel like i have let down those of you who follow our adventures through this little blog. in the last couple of weeks people i love have given birth to sons, bought houses, married their lovers, and said goodbye to this world. anchorage had an enormous windstorm (read: cat 1 hurricane) and is now preparing for another tonight.


yet another us picture. i promise, my dress is honestly really cute.


meanwhile, we were in seattle and california soaking up the sun. here's my highlight list, which appropriate photos:

1. we saw a speedo streaker at the mariners game...he leapt onto the field during a boring losing inning, made two stellar laps of the outfield with hefty security guards sprinting after him in his red speedo and orange crocs before the cops threatened to taze him when he reached left field.  He surrendered, placing hands behind his back and accepting the silver bracelets while the announcer blared the jail time and fine amounts to the wild cheers of thousands. 
2. Shane and Lisa danced their way out of their own reception to the sound of music. adieu, adieu, with the stalwart partiers following and waving from the bottom of the stairs.
3. Devin, Neda, and Ara went to watch the bucking bulls with us at the Ellensburg rodeo--my first. Yee Haw y'all. too bad the ellensburg rodeo is a better fair than the Alaska State one. 
4. The last of the stuff in seattle--including count clockula--shipped for anchorage. My rough guess estimate of the weight turned out to be only 11lbs off. damn. i.am.that.good. and yes, not moving ourselves and coughing up cash---excellent for our marriage.
5. celebrating Adam's Aunt Sandee's birthday for the last time. we lost her the second saturday of our trip after a long and stalwart battle with cancer. her best friend regaled us at her party with stories of their forty years of adventures around the globe. 
6. gondolas are a tansik family vacation must! so, we ride a gondola to the Sterling vineyard in napa valley...a vineyard where you tour its mission style facility and hang out on patios with epic views. (see adam pic for gondola proof).
7. celebrating Emma and Aric's wedding in the sun at the Beltane Ranch in Sonoma. it was so warm--both of soul and temperature. the boys were bowtied out and she play Warren G at the reception. LOVE my girl.  We stayed at this place called the Kenwood Oaks Guest House--amazing. Highly recommend it, it was peaceful, inviting, soothing and had a super comfy bed.
   

Thank you, to all the friends, family, and randoms who made our trip so beautiful, relaxing and full of love.

photos from last weekend

We loved being with friends....and WARM. Well, i did....adam in his penguin suit, less so.

The wedding was here:

In addition to the lovely wedding, we visited some local wineries.....where i found this guy:

things, they are a changing

this is the view from the hotel.

i whine. alot. mostly about (adam would insert "everything") travelling more often. On Thursday, we are off to Hood River for a wedding and then up to Port Orchard in WA for Adam's grandpa's 90th birthday. this kicks off a frequent flyer month. at the end of the month we are in seattle and then sonoma for two more weddings and the shipping of contents of a storage unit. there may be a garage sale in there too, depending on how i feel about the contents of the storage unit (not the family stuff, mom, don't freak) here's to bringin.on.the.sun!!

My film camera has film, i have outfits, and neah has a babysitter (love you, matt). most importantly there are plans for a spray tan in place for Thursday so that i am not the goddess of pasty. i know you people all think i am a little dramatic, but even adam--whose favorite refrain has to do with me getting skin cancer from loving the sun--suggested that i think about a tanning bed. no need for a flashlight people...the moon can reflect off me and light ANYTHING. maybe the hotel has lounge chairs--i can sit in the sun and read statutes.

speaking of statutes: the other big news is that i am leaving state service tomorrow (yeah, i worked for the state in case you missed that) to go into private practice doing worker's compensation defense (same thing adam does).  I'm not going to name where i am going here, mostly to protect both me and them from my ramblings. suffice to say, i am not going to have time to blog at work anymore--so, i will have to be better about after hours ramblings. the new gig should be very fast paced, allow me to exercise some actual lawyer muscles, and comes with a view of Mt. Susitna.