Snow Trip!

March. Spring was SUPPOSED to be in the air. Instead we had rain and cold and misery. So to escape...DP, my friend and I decided to head east...to Tahoe and fresh snow and casinos and other such miseries.

Little did we know that winter was kicking up a last minute fuss. To avoid the hoards of ski bums driving up on Friday...we drove up on Saturday and drove back on Monday instead of Sunday. Of course, to ensure our safety I had Blackjack outfitted with tire chains, and the trunk outfitted with beef jerky, candy, crackers, M&M's and other such things to avoid having to resort to cannibalism.

DP didn't seem too enthusiastic about the trip:

We stopped off first in Grass Valley, to visit friends and do some light snowshoeing. Alas, we ran into a bit of the last of the snowstorm and ended up sitting on Interstate 80 for an hour and 10 minutes. Despite boredom, cabin fever and someones (not mine) desperate need to pee - we did not have to resort to cannibalism. Instead we amused ourselves with photography and as soon as the next exit appeared on the horizon - we took it!Lots of snow fell!

not everyone was enthused by the winter weather:
The next day, we headed from Grass Valley to Tahoe - the drive was beautiful with all that fresh snow! We stopped many times to take in the view and torture DP with more photos. Here's BlackJack awaiting our return to the car:

Taken while NOT driving:

My friend's traveling companion Gort was about as enthused by the snow as DP was:
more snow type photos:

despite the road looking like this...

we made it to Tahoe! Of course, there was the added drama of driving on 89 for 2 hours only to be turned around FOUR MILES FROM OUR DESTINATION (emerald bay pass closed!!) and made to go back down 89, back to 80, back to 267 and then ALL THE WAY AROUND THE LAKE to get to South Lake Tahoe. Added about 1 hour 30 minutes to the trip, but at least it looked like this:Here is what we drove through, from the safety of the other side of the lake:

Oh yes, I almost forgot...we were staying at a Casino for the night and we lost track of DP at one point, only to return to the room and find THIS:
Sad. Some people just don't know when to hold them. Or when to fold them. Or when to walk away...or when to run!

Anyway...the next day was glorious, with clear weather and lots of opportunity for photos and snow exploring:
of course, the tourist in me came out:
Someone, I WON'T SAY WHO, was busy mourning the events of the previous evening:
We had to drag his ass over to the bench for his tourist shot:
At this point, DP was ready to head home:

We did manage to get in some exploring with a nice walk in the woods alongside Highway 50 on the way home:

INSERT GRATUITOUS RANT: I have to ask, what is with the asshat SUV drivers on Highway 50? This is not exactly a safe road in the snow and there appeared to be some sort of "first one off the mountain wins!" mentality going on with these drivers. I must have pulled over at least 5 times to avoid being run down. Were they all in that much of a hurry to return to there sadsack lives in the big city??

But I digress...a last stop on the way home to take some shots of an old highway sign I kept meaning to photograph for years:
By the way, there is no restaurant.

There were only cows giving us that "oh look, Bessie...check out the dumbass tourists taking photos of that stupid sign again" look.

Farewell Suburbs, Hello Big City!

For years I avoided having to work "in the city". I managed to avoid such things as:

Nasty Traffic - and the obvious ensuing rage

Outrageous Parking costs - and the obvious ensuing rage

Public transportation -and the obvious ensuing rage and fear of germs

Walking in the shadows of big buildings - and having them fall on you in the next earthquake.

I enjoyed the peace and quiet of our suburbanite headquarters. It boasted things like:

A 10 minute commute from home - this I shall miss most of all

Free Parking - no, this I shall miss most of all

CVS and Grocery Store across the street - hmm...

Sunny walks along tree lined streets and parks...I'll miss this too

But alas, all good things must come to an end. My company decided to close our lovely suburb digs and move us all up to the BIG CITY last month. There can be no soothing salve over the open wound of our loss (of suburbanite status that is).

As moving day loomed, little hints of the change to come were dropped....hints like the dead silence coming from once chattering cubes:

Hints such as our supplies being all packed up tight:

Naturally I put our department mascot to work packing up the more important areas. Areas like my desk, for instance. SOMEONE, I WON"T SAY WHO, obviously discovered my secret DP stash:

Thankfully, despite a massive sugar high and his lack of opposable thumbs, Magic managed to get me packed up in time for the moving box pickup:

yes, the plant made it to the big city as well.

Magic waves a fond farewell to his lovely view of the airport:

Then it was time to take the long, sad and somewhat pathetic journey out of the building:

a final glance at our awesome view before the final elevator ride to the lobby:

Not everyone was able to fit into the moving boxes. I wonder what will become of him?

I was too distraught at this point to drive, so Magic had to get us out of the garage and safely home:

Look, even the sky was weeping for us:

But the following week - our new journey began! Commuting by shuttle to the BIG CITY. Magic couldn't wait to start working "uptown". Here he is awaiting the elevator to the shuttle:
SOMEONE, I WON'T SAY WHO...made a mad dash to be first in line for the shuttle:oh no, he's not eager at ALL:
and here are our new digs in the big city!

(not my cube, by the way - I didn't photograph it! DUH!).

Please note that SOMEONE, I WON'T SAY WHO, insisted on having the best office in the department:

Magic and I are now settling in to our new digs and enjoying the energy and vibe of the BIG CITY!

I do kinda feel a bit like this guy now though:

Not that I am angry or anything...

I subscribe to several newspapers, for several (slightly) good reasons:

#1 - My love of the newspaper biz, which supplied me my first job.

#2 - Guilt laden purchases from sad eyed looking high school kids that haunt my neighborhood.

#3 - Fear based purchases from sad eyed looking high school kids that now know where I live and might come back with eggs if I refuse to purchase said newspapers.

I feel I am also doing my duty in keeping the newspaper business limping along for another year. I retain fond memories of my high school years spent working at the local paper...running copy (from a typewriter!), waxing layout pages, developing half tone negatives and running to the printers to pick up the stacks of ink dampened papers for delivery.

Which brings me to the point of my post tonight. Now I realize that delivery boys on bikes are a thing of the past. I accept that. I accept that newspaper deliveries are now made from fast moving vans early in the morning. What I cannot accept is the rampant abuse my poor front stoop flower planter has taken over the past year!

Evidence Photo number one:

Please note the huge section of the rim missing due to the random tossing of paper in the general direction of my house while the van speeds by under cover of darkness. This damage happened last summer. I merely turned the pot around and moved on, thinking it was a one time occurrence.

Several times since I've found the newspaper actually ON THE PLANT in the planter, damaging both the plants delicate leaves and my delicate (raging) nerves.

And then this occurred last week:

Evidence Photo #2

Now really! What has this plant and planter ever done to the newspaper delivery guy? He has got to be aiming for the poor thing at this point! This is getting personal now! Take a closer look:

Now, check THIS out:

Evidence Photo #3

Please not the VERY WIDE EXPANSE OF SPACE available for the newspaper delivery guy to aim for when speeding by in his van (under cover of darkness)!!

It's not that hard to aim AWAY FROM THE POOR PLANT! I must now go to the local Ace Hardware, choose another planter (one made from some kind of iron!) and re-plant my precious spoon petal daisies (bought with my $2.98 tax refund from 2 years ago - see blog archive for further info).

After airing this grievance publicly, I feel I can move on...maybe.

Small Fry Invasion

Over the course of the last two weekends, my normally quiet days off were enhanced by the presence of "small fry". Many small fry. Hell, it was an invasion! Five the first weekend, and five the second. Some were visiting, some were spending the night, and all were excited to see each other and spend time at Auntie's house.

Here's a glimpse of what fitting five kids into airbeds and sleeping bags look like:

I SO ADORE their "let's see who can stay up the longest!" contest. Really, I do. 12:30am, by the way.

Of course, the Lego's had to be invaded. Happy hours were spent crafting farms, skyscrapers, Mario Brothers game scenes, hospitals and the occasional jail.

of course they always look forward to cleaning up the legos:
Since the weather was finally nice and I was getting tired of the sounds of 5 voices reverberating off the walls of my house, I kicked them outside and took them to the local park:



and that is when the fun really started. I decided to corral their high energy into some high jumping photography:



Then the posing began...Mario Brothers power pose:
some kind of yoga type kickboxing pose:
Air Jordan pose:
and finally, the "enough with the camera" pose:
The boys returned to tire swinging:

while the girls began their modeling careers once again:

a little cousin love:

and here is the youngest of the bunch snapping a photo of me with the toy camera:

All in all, a fun time was had by all. The kids all enjoyed yummy diner Food, Pizza lunches, unlimited legos, sunshine in the park, paper airplanes in the backyard, ice cream and Charlie Chaplin movies, cinnamon rolls and Little Rascals and Looney Tunes to boot!

I think I heard my house actually heave a sigh of relief when the last of the bunch went home!