proof that the girls watch basketball

Ha.

The Momgoose

how to keep the girls from kissing any boys

Let them get their lips pierced.


They are adorable. A little sore, but adorable. Eating Thanksgiving dinner should be an adventure.

The Momgoose

red vs blue

The colors that divide our family. Here we go...kickoff.

END OF GAME--WHOOO HOOOO!
48 - 24. Utah!
Unbelievable game. Truly.

I think I saw Papa and Grandma storming the field at the end....

midnight movie

If you know anything about popular culture, you know about Twilight and the hoopla surrounding the movie release yesterday - at midnight. 12:05 a.m. to be exact. Which was the show time on our tickets at Cinetopia, the only HD big-screen theater in the Portland/Vancouver area. I bought tickets online over a week ago for me and the Three Musketeers: Becca, Kristen and Ian.

For the record, it was a really fun movie. The story is engaging and the characters are interesting. Filmed in Washington all along the west coast near the Hoh Rainforest at the Queets river (where we all camped last summer) and here in Vancouver, it has some sweeping cinematography including shots of the Columbia Gorge and our northern forests. Two thumbs up from The Momgoose.

Favorite characters (in order): Edward Cullen, Jacob Black, and Alice Cullen.

Favorite scene: the baseball game.

Favorite song: Supermassive Black Hole by Muse.



Really proud of Becca and Kristen for getting right up and going to school this morning since we didn't get home until around 3 a.m. after our opening-night adventure.

If you weren't aware of our nerdiness before, you just haven't been paying attention.

(postscript) But wait - there's more.

Just for perspective, I also launched my new work website last night. I was hired by my company 9 months ago specifically to design and manage this project, so it is kind of a big deal.

The last 10 weeks have been insane as I have been working through my evenings and weekends just to stay even close to deadline. On Thursday morning, after a grueling 12-hour work day the day before, I woke up with inflamed tendons. I worked all day with an ice-pack intermittently strapped around my right wrist. Yee-haw.

This is just Phase I of the new design and the launch went off flawlessly last night from 8:00 - 10:30 p.m. I couldn't be more pleased. And relieved.

Phase II is already in progress. Launch deadline: May 1, 2009.

So here it is, the new design. All shiny and new:
www.psoriasis.org

Sherri

amused

So...while working at a hotel in San Diego last week (I'm in Oxnard as of last night...which probably deserves its very own post on odd place names and mental images that life would be better without...), the buzz all around was that Playboy would be doing a photo shoot in the hotel. You can imagine the grins of anticipation on the faces of the male hotel staff, not to mention the crew of assorted rowdies I work with.

I was...indifferent, really. Not that I am blind to attractive women, far from it... a fact that I know my beautiful wife would readily attest to, and I am truly grateful that she remains unthreatened by that and that we can share our respective opinions on the topic without causing harm to each other or to Us.

But I just find the whole Southern California ethos to be generally unimpressive. As an example, I picked up a copy of San Diego's local weekly paper (similar to the Willamette Week) and I'd be willing to bet that some 75% of the ads in it were related to the sole pursuit of looking good: diets, cosmetic surgery, gyms, liposuction, chic clothing, cosmetic dentistry, spa treatments, hair styling, hair restoration, hair removal...ad nauseum. Oh, and a plethora of "get your medical marijuana card here" ads as well.

So all this time and effort (and money) spent on an eternal search for youth and beauty by selfish, self-obsessed, empty, plastic people... and that's the lifestyle. Apparently augmented with copious amounts of reefer.

Whatever.

And, having been born there, all that causes me to wonder who I'd be if I'd remained in Southern California. Thank God I left early.

Monday night, a couple of big buses and several large vans enter the parking lot of the Mission Valley Sheraton Hotel. Out of the front of the vans come the roadie-looking guys, with backstage-looking passes hanging from lanyards around their necks, and out of the back they unload what must amount to tons of lighting and equipment.

Tuesday morning the girls start showing up. One early trip in the elevator I was alone with a woman wearing tight jeans and a t-shirt proclaiming, "I posed for Playboy today." I asked her if it was fun. She gushed, "Yeah, it was...but it was also nerve-wracking and I've never done anything like this before." I wished her luck, and she thanked me.

The more experienced Bunnies seemed to show up later, and by noon the lower portion of the hotel was packed with women (girls?), most of them wearing high heels and short silk robes with probably (kinda obviously) nothing more than a thong on underneath.

California, condensed.

I don't want to sound too harsh...they really are beautiful women, strikingly so. But they are just sooooo not my type that I found it difficult to be anything other than impressed by the utter vacuousness of the entire extravaganza, and amazed (and amused) by the reactions it created.

Last elevator ride of the day, headed out after finishing the job, having showered and packed for the train ride from San Diego to Oxnard (there's that name again...). My boss and I get on the elevator at the 8th floor with two of the previously described scantily clad lovelies who have obviously come down from the scene shoot going on in a suite on the 14th floor.

As the door closes, I look at my boss, and he's...twitterpated. Then I notice the very powerful scent of perfume permeating the elevator air. I comment, "It smells verrrrry girlie in here." They giggle. One of them responds, "But that's a good thing, right?" I say, "Compared to riding the elevator with six sweaty, smelly guys all day, you bet it is!" Then she says, "Six smelly guys crowded into this elevator, that doesn't sound like any fun at all...but it'd be kinda fun if it broke down right now..."

I think I just got flirted with by a Playboy Bunny.

And I remain...amused.

girls at home

While Rick is off working in California, the girls are holding down the fort. So to speak. We've had rain (4" so far for November), raccoons in the yard, frost in the garden, coyotes singing under the full moon, school, work, and some sleepless nights.

Yesterday, Becca got to see the doctor, who diagnosed strep throat even after the quick test came back negative. He seemed convinced by the lovely pus in the back of her throat. It was quite impressive - I saw it. Penicillin seems to be helping already, and she is feeling better today. Kristen and I have been trying not to get breathed on - so far, so good.

Missy came over for a minute, dinner and a hug. And Nichole called to say she would come for Thanksgiving.

But for tonight, we venture over to the girls' art school for a play. Metamorphoses: from the myths of Ovid.

Of course the Utah/San Diego game is at 5:00 p.m. One more game to hope for a win before the final red-and-blue. Perhaps the Seattle clans should come down to watch...

Sherri

later that same day (update)

Worst sportscaster joke of the day: During the UNM/CSU football game, the announcer says "The receiver is hit by Karaoka." The other announcer says, "At least he isn't hit by karaoke. Then it would be Hit Me With Your Best Shot." Oy.

not in washington anymore, toto

Rick not only sent me a text today (xoxox - i love you), he also sent a picture. A monumental feat of modern technology and personal achievement, this from the man who refused to even own a cellphone for forever.

And if you can't tell from the skyline, he's not anywhere near our lovely home - San Diego for a week, and then Oxnard until Thanksgiving.

Here at home, it's cheese soup and toast, and the at-home girls are dying their hair, perhaps in early anticipation of the upcoming Hale family photo next month. Talk about a monumental achievement - the Hales have increased to a staggering crowd. Papa definitely has his basketball team now, although its players seem a bit spread in skill and age. We will collectively test the cat-herding skills of some poor photographer.

Expecting more rain tonight. Other than missing my darling husband (already after one day), all is well on the homefront.

Sherri

christmas gift suggestions

Our annual Cabela's Christmas catalog arrived today. So I thought I would post a few choice items to consider since the holidays are right around the corner.

Broken Silence Turkey Alarm Clock. Need to launch those children out of bed in the morning? There's no better way to start the day than with sounds of the hunt. When this alarm goes off, you'll hear an owl hoot, a hen cutting and then a gobble. Push the snooze and stop the gobbling with a shotgun blast. (Seriously, I could not make up details like that if I was Chuck Palahniuk)
Only $44.99. [click to order]

Camouflage Crib Collection Your little hunter is sure to have sweet dreams of the outdoors when you adorn their room with a complete crib set of camo. The only downside is that your baby may be effectively hidden from you. Only $59.99 for the complete set. Perhaps the two Amys will want to coordinate Susanna's and Jayne's rooms since there are also regular sheet set sizes available and surely our babies could never outgrow this exciting decor. [click to order]

Bridger Mountain Man Coyote Fur Hat. Relive the era of the mountain man with this authentic full-body coyote Mountain Man Hat. The hat drapes down in the back for added warmth and protection of those heads that might be a bit sparse on top. The classic styling and authentic coyote hide make this hat a conversation starter at any school or church event. The perfect gift for those fashion-conscious teens and environmental enthusiasts. Rated 4.7 out of 5 by satisfied customers. On sale now for only $199.99. [click to order]

And finally, one of my most favorite items considering all my vegetarian children:

Tur-Duc-Hen. Picture this - chicken stuffed with your choice of five dressings, stuffed inside a deboned duck that is stuffed with more dressing. Then put those two birds inside a turkey filled with even more stuffing and you have a 15-lb. delicacy known as a Tur-Duc-Hen. A unique dining experience that will have your holiday guests raving. Arrives fresh and ready to cook. A real deal at $129.99 for this specialty meat...er, meats. [click to order]

We can hardly wait to see the entire Hale family in Utah for Christmas! That hasn't happened in years. Now...whose name do we have? Ah. Brad and Susan. Excellent.

Sherri

awe

I haven't been able to stop crying yet. I am awestruck. I had lost my faith in the political system years ago while I was working in politics, disillusioned by the reality of what I witnessed behind those closed doors of the ivory towers, what the political rhetoric translated to for those elected officials who said they served the people, those people who did not walk their talk, officials for whom their message was only words.

2001 happened.

2004 happened.

The message of hope and change began small and I dismissed it as campaign hoopla. But it continued to grow. It was pervasive. I listened with a cynical ear. I heard it in person in the packed Portland Coliseum - cried at the weight and substance of Sen. Obama's message, cried at the pain of not knowing if we could dare to hope that such a man with such a message could reach a place of leadership to actually make a difference.

As the last months have escalated in intensity, as the negative response from the extreme right has become louder, my dread has increased. How could such a simple message calling for change and hope hold against an entrenched system? I have never been afraid to be an American before - embarrassed, yes, but never afraid. My early childhood was in a military setting on foreign shores - I did not know that every movie theater in the world did not play the American National Anthem before every movie. And now, to hear the anger and the hatred coming across the airwaves and in the news from parts of our own country whipped up into a frenzy of campaign drama, I grew increasingly afraid for my family, my children and their children. And for a future that might embrace that negativity. My only hope became for Sen. Obama to succeed.

I am so relieved. I am so moved by the message that has remained steadfast and clear. I am so awed by all the greater implications of the outcome. A little piece of my faith is restored, and my little scrap of hope carries it forward.



Sherri

added by Rick:
Spontaneous "Star Spangled Banner" breaks out in Pioneer Courthouse Square
by Michael Rollins, The Oregonian Wednesday November 05, 2008, 9:53 AM

A crowd gathered last night at Pioneer Courthouse Square Park. At 8 p.m., when television stations called the race for Barack Obama, people broke out in an a cappella rendition of the National Anthem.


www.oregonlive.com

Sleepless in Connecticut

Wow, that was original, wasn't it? An echo of an old movie, echoed in my beautiful wife's earlier sign-off...

Yeah, so the absolute worst thing about working away from home is the inability to sleep without Sherri by my side...or underneath me...or on top of me, as the case may be depending upon where we are in the nightly tango (tangle?) that is our way of sleeping together. Oh, except boys don't like to cuddle, so forget I just said all that...

I'm grateful that cellphones have become so inexpensive to use, and thanks to the benefit of that modern technology we remain connected on the facets of everyday life. I can't quite imagine what it would have been like in the time from not so long ago to forever back in human history where that was simply not possible, and for the married man who had travelled 6,000 miles, coming home must surely have felt something like trying to re-become a person he once was, while returning to a person (and a life) he once knew.

My biggest challenge on this brief trip to the east coast has been the result of the three hour time differential. Between that and the aforementioned lack of my cuddle partner, I've been falling asleep between 3:00 and 4:00 AM, then waking up around 7:00 to go to work. Woo-hoo!! I don't think tired begins to describe the way I feel. I'm glad the "daily commute" involves no driving, only stumbling down the hotel hall, headed for the pre-work meeting in my boss' room with a mug of hot tea in my hand.

Even in the midst of my exhaustion, this is a wonderful life to live. Our friend John (who is also Sherri's business partner, of sorts) was good enough to come across town last night to pick me up and take me to an A.A. meeting close to where he lives, after which he gave me a tour of his home, and then we just kicked it for a bit and shot the breeze with his wife Sheryl before he drove me back.

(Now...A.A. isn't the 12-Step fellowship I'm most comfortable in, but it'll do as a substitute... {/inside joke} )

It is nothing short of amazing to me that Sherri and I have friends that live all over the world. Freed from the depths of the misery, terror, and pain of our addiction, we walk among a community of friends that quite literally spans the globe.

As someone I am very fond of would say, "It's a fucking miracle", and I will print that here even though C.A. would not let that particular word past the editor of its quarterly newsletter in an article she was requested to write for it.

~~~~~~~
Today we entered the room of an elderly woman (and her cats) who is living here at this hotel. As we removed her 10 year old tv to replace it with a new 42" flat-screen hdtv, I commented that I imagined it looked a lot different than the first one she ever saw. As I left the room she began to tell a story about that first set to another member of the crew who was in the room completing the installation. He later made a comment which revealed he considered her tale a lot of boring chatter to endure.

Which left me to wonder if all our marvelous technology has done humanity any good at all.