A Tale of Three Buses
Once upon a time there were three buses. Bus number one was a lovely white bus that drove Tammy and Rosalin to Liverpool. It did its thing in the nicest of ways, driving straight down the road, stopping once for a break and then driving straight again. Quiet, reserved, well-maintained, nothing short of a perfect bus and a perfect bus ride.
Bus number two delivered Beatles Fan #1 (Rosalin) and part-time Beatles fan (Tammy) to many historic Beatles sites around Liverpool. Pennylane, Strawberry Fields, Birthplaces, Childhood homes, Tammy and Rosalin saw it all. But, unlike bus number one, bus number two was not a nice bus. Vomit had been recently deposited into a seat a couple ahead of our traveling duo and the stench of warm, slightly sweet retch was never far. It was an old bus, not much kept up, with torn seats and no air flow, but only Tammy seemed to mind. Even the poor women whose job it was to sit on the recently cleaned, but still wet, vomit seat did so with a smile on her face.
Bus number three was a pretty white bus. It was however a double-decker bus, which in Tammy’s troubled mind meant an all-the-better-to-tip-over-bus. The driver was a shrunken old man who had a bad-tempered shrunken old woman as his working companion. She never drove, nor did it seem her job to keep him awake as he drove, so other than being bad-tempered it’s unclear what it was her job to do. The 7 hour overnight bus trip back from Liverpool on bus number three was horrible. The bus was quite full when our fearless team boarded and they ended up sitting facing backward. Unlike the trip to Liverpool the trip back included stop after stop and seemed to pass through roundabout after roundabout. There was much jerking, turning, speeding up quickly and slamming of the brakes. Combined with the ever-entertaining but never peaceful contingent of traveling family sitting facing our team who enjoyed snacking and pop drinking and giving much helpful advice to fellow travelers and the lack of comfortable seating, sleep was difficult. Tammy and Rosalin found the whole thing giddily funny, but they were so glad when the bus returned safely to London.
All three buses lived happily ever after. The end.
The Fat Lady Sings....again!
When last I wrote it was Saturday. Today it’s Sunday. Yesterday I was wrecked with the perilous decision, to race or not to race. Should I risk life and limb for the sake of my investment and pride or should I stay home and wallow in the safety of my large butt. I was teetering on the edge; the weight of the decision pressed heavily on my heart. I felt a strong need to compete and yet I also felt the persistent voice of reason that cried to compete in my current state would humiliate and possibly lead to some sort of paramedic rescue. I know I left everyone on the edge of their seat, and so without further ado I give you the conclusion to The Fat Lady Sings…
Me and my fat butt got ourselves to the start line! That’s right, I raced the race and I’m alive to tell the tale. It turns out that the course was so short I had nothing to fear. I nearly missed the race altogether as I got a late start, took a wrong turn and didn’t show up until 15 minutes after the gun shot had sent the first wave of swimmers into the water. Fortunately, there were 17 waves and I was in the 16th, so I made it to the start line just in the nick of time. I got to the beach and it was go time.
My performance wasn’t great, but I swam the swim, biked the bike and ran the run and tonight I am happy. I guess the moral of the story is get your fat butt out there and just do it! Just in case there are any doubters, here are my official results.
The Fat Lady Sings
Okay, it’s time to publicly admit it, I’ve been getting fat for awhile now. For those who’ve known me a long time, the ever-changing size and shape of Tammy is just part of life. Sometimes I’m fit and fabulous, other times fat and flabby and most of the time somewhere in the middle. I am a yo-yo constantly moving in one direction or the other. It seems the six week road trip didn’t do anything for my already expanding mid-section. I’ve been doing far too much sitting and eating and not nearly enough sweating. It’s a constant battle for me and as of late, I’m on the losing team. But fear not fair reader eventually I will fight my way back to a nicer weight and size.
This week I’ve returned to exercise and what a return it’s been. After a 10 week absence, much has been lost, but still a little remains. My body is sore, but happy to be in use again. I signed up to do a triathlon Sunday (as in tomorrow) many, many months ago and I’m just stupid enough to still be considering showing up at the start line. I’m stubborn, stubborn, stubborn and the fact that I’ve already paid money to race makes me all the more determined.
To be continued…
Winnipeg Wrap-Up
We spent last weekend at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. This was my fourth year and in some bizarre and strange way, this may have been my favorite festival. The weather was most unpleasant for almost half of the time, with one day of 50 degree, windy, rainy storms from morning till night, the mosquitos were out of control, it felt like we hardly heard any music and I was showerless from Thursday afternoon through Sunday evening. Despite all of this, I found myself sitting back and digging the experience.
I throughly enjoyed my first visit to the festival when we camped in the family campground, but the last two years were a bit lackluster for me. We took Mazie when she was one, stayed in a hotel and while it was really nice to shower each day, hoteling the festival lacks something. Last year, we camped, but in festival campgrounds (i.e. the party campground) because you can walk right from the campground into the festival and I foolishly thought that it might be fun to stay up late and be young again, but alas it wasn’t. This year we returned to the family campground, with family and friends in tow, and the the magic returned. Long live the Winnipeg Folk Festival!
Yum!
It struck me that while we were on our trip I spent a lot of time writing about restaurants and food. Here at home I also pay a lot of attention to restaurants and food and so it seemed only fair that I yap a little bit about some of my favorite places to dine here in the cities*. I am devoting this post to my number one, top dog, king of the jungle, favorite restaurant, Yum Kitchen and Bakery. It’s casual food, done right. The place is always hopping, but it’s not hard to find a table. It’s set up counter-style, where you order and they bring the food to you. Everything is good (except the burger), some things are really good, it’s affordable and the food is made from scratch. It’s the kind of place where most anyone can find something they like, including the kids. In fact, it’s Mazie’s favorite restaurant by a landslide. She can’t get enough of their macaroni and cheese. The place is frequented by little old ladies, hipsters, business types and lots of families. The only group that I’ve yet to spot is the little old man club. They are located on the verge of Minneapolis in St. Louis Park, so both suburbanites and city folk feel at home. If you’ve never checked the place out, give it a try and let me know what you think.
- I guess I should preface my food writing with a few caveats: I am a picky eater. I don’t (in general) like chain restaurants. I try to dine in places where they offer organic, local, and/or sustainable food choices. I wish more restaurants offered grass-fed beef!
The man in the pants
Jamie has always wanted to be the “man in the pants”. The ultra-cool-without-trying yoga guy who wears billowy poet shirts made of linen and pants much the same. The guy has a beard and is strong and calm and so laid-back and full of wisdom. He is SO not that guy and it’s funny to me that he wants to be that guy, cause he’s SO not that guy.
Just the other day I realized that Jamie also wants to be the “man with the cigarette”. The guy that operates heavy machinery and speaks in short grunt-like sentences. The guy that doesn’t need any direction or help cause he knows exactly what he’s doing; he’s done it a million times before. We are replacing our driveway (cause it’s crumbling and sad) and when the guys drove up to start working, Jamie began calling the action, play by play. He was like a kid in a candy store, so excited by each move they made. Then Jamie pulled out his trusty camera and gorillapod and got to work time-lapsing the rip-out driveway process.
Jamie is that guy. He is the quintessential technology guy. He loves it so much that sometimes it scares me. But he’s also the guy so passionate about living life that he regularly wishes there were at least three of him so that he could accomplish all that he has interest in doing and exploring. I’m sure if there were a couple of extra Jamies, he would master the “man in the pants” and the “man with the cigarette”. He’s just that kind of guy.
Dog Days of Summer
The dogs were away and then the dogs were back. Now the dogs are here and I am once again cohabiting with Mr. Exuberance and Ms. Strange. I didn’t miss the dogs much at all on our trip and I was close to frightened of their impending arrival. My heart picked up the pace when I saw the Pets Are Inn van approach. I was in near panic mode when the back hatch opened, but once I saw that mangy little Izzy and the over-excited Chase, I was happy they were home. I guess they truly have become part of the family. Welcome home guys!
Here comes the bride
A quick shout out to the newlyweds, Kurt and Rosalin (Jamie’s mom/my mom-in-law). Happy wedding, happy marriage and happy Java. Thanks for a fun evening filled with good food, family, friends and a belly dancer. It was nice to see you all fancied up in your party clothes, gooey-eyed and in love. I hope you guys are off to a relaxing and fun-filled start…see you at the folk festival!
If you, the non-Rosalin/non-Kurt reader of this blog, missed the big celebration, here are a few pictures to help your mind’s eye recreate the magic! Click through if you wish to see the full image.
A brief return to consumerism
I’ve tried to mend my ways over the last couple of years and halt my seemingly endless desire for stuff. I think the brakes have been rather successful and while I’m still no ultra-thrifty, re-user, re-purposer, I’ve made big progress. I was the kind of person who would walk into Target flat broke and in need of toothpaste and an hour later my cart would be brimming with anything and everything. In my present life I’ve either eliminated or replaced most of my Target purchases and when I do happen in, I stick to my list and that’s it. All of this is to say that I love to consume, but I’ve been trying not to and doing a pretty good job.
Enter my mom…
She had this idea that it would be fun to take each of her four daughters out for a day of shopping. We could buy whatever we wanted and she would pick up the tab. There was a budget, but it was kept in disguise and we were only to be aware of the limit if we exceeded it. At the end of each daughter’s shopping day, the daughter returned to my parent’s house and put on a little show-and-tell for my dad. He then became the great equalizer and surprised each of us with a check totaling the unspent money in our unknown budget. I had my day in the spotlight a few days ago (I was the last to go) and it was a ton of fun. I started out hesitant and unsure and ended the day drunk on the power of purchasing. Thanks mom and dad for giving us “kids” the opportunity for such an adventure. While I love everything I bought and don’t regret a single purchase, I don’t think I’ll be returning to my old ways anytime soon. This was a one time occurrence…but it sure was fun!
Off the road
The road trip is officially over. We are back home, unpacked and readjusting to a life of the comfort and responsibility of home. Tomorrow marks the one week mark. I gotta say, it feels like we’ve been home forever. The trip is already a distant memory in the back of my mind. I’m overcome with how quick the routine takes over and the novel fades away.
What I learned at the Ranch
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I still like riding horses.
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At this point in her life Mazie isn’t a huge fan of kid camp.
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Kids get really tired after a week of kid camp.
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Jamie likes to ride horses (even he was surprised). Jamie likes to trot on a horse (more surprised) and occasionally canter (super-duper surprised). Maril and Kent also enjoy riding horses.
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Being at a guest ranch is a lot like going to camp when I was a kid, except it costs more. It’s cool to be able to time-shift a few decades and relive kid moments.
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It’s fun to be a staff member at the Ranch, but there is lots of drama.
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I wish I would have worked at a ranch, or somewhere similar, when I was in college.
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I would like to repeat this experience each and every year.
[gallery] If you want to look at the full-size image, just click on a picture.
Ride 'Em Cowboy!
We are spending a week at the C Lazy U Ranch to wrap up our road trip. Our friends Kent and Maril and their kids joined us for the week. Getting back up on a horse has been fun, fun, super-fun. The first couple of days were a little nerve-wracking, but then everything settled in and life became good. I’ve ridden every morning and I gotta say, it’s a nice way to start out the day. Ouray has been my trusty stead and he’s a handsome and lovable guy. He’s been a great companion. I’m going to miss him.
Larger than a Canon 40D
Jamie wields a camera most of the time, most of the place and I’m often with a camera. Mazie decided the other day that she was sick of her no camera status so she invented a camera of her own. She had the best of times walking around taking shots of all of the pretty scenery. We had a hard time getting her back in the van as there were just so many pictures to take.
Hubba-Hubba-Wowsers
That’s my impression of Arches National Park just outside of Moab, UT. I’m not sure if I should feel shameful that until yesterday I’d never heard of the place, but whatever I’m supposed to feel or not feel, such was the case. I now know better and I consider myself lucky. We didn’t have very long to spend in the park, but the three hours we spent were nothing short of awe-inspiring. At every turn there was something that I felt great need to photograph. We did a couple of short Mazie-hikes which were also a ton of fun. For those of you not in the know about Arches, it’s essentially a park filled with red rock formations of all different shapes and sizes. Combine this with petrified dunes and scenic mountainscapes and it was hard to keep my jaw off the floor. We met a guy tonight who claims that this other park in Utah, which I’ve already forgotten the name of, puts Arches to shame, but until I see it, Arches is still top dog in my book.
Pizza, Pizza
My taste buds were in complete shock and awe this evening (in a good way). We dined at the New Jersey Pizza Company in Flagstaff, AZ and it was amazing. It’s the best pizza I’ve ever had. It was a simple cheese pizza, but it was sheer heaven. The crust was just right, soft, chewy, thick, thin. The pizza was ooey, gooey, delectable goodness. These people make fancy pizzas and we tried one of those too, but it had nothing on the plain ole’ cheese pizza. It was off the charts spectacular! If you live in Flagstaff and you’ve never tried this pizza, please put down your computer and in honor of my Ironman brother-in-law Hector, run, bike or swim to this place. If you don’t live in Flagstaff, you should consider hopping a plane cause it’s really that good. Jamie doesn’t agree with me, he says it was really, really good, but for him it fell short of “best pizza ever”, but then who are you gonna believe, me or him? Alright, so you don’t need to drop everything and go there right now, but if you happen to be in Flagstaff stop by and order up a cheese pizza. You won’t be disappointed. Oh and I almost forgot, they do the whole local, organic thing too, added bonus.
Gross Sighting
Yesterday at the pool I spotted a booger floating in the water: Gross! I felt some sort of sick need to photograph and share it with the rest of you.
Larger than a Beetle
I never would have guessed it, but Mazie digs toy cars. She’s picked up two on the trip, a rad VW microbus decked out with peace signs and 60’s memorabilia and a VW beetle covered with a scary leopard print (I tried to convince her to go for a different look, but she was set on the “cat” theme). At home Mazie spends countless hours conducting the lives of her dolls and stuffed animals. Her cast of characters include a life-sized dolled named Mark, who, in case you’re wondering, is a girl, and Johnny, a stuffed bear dressed in very girlie clothes who Mazie insists is a boy. She has a wooden pull-frog on a string, froggie, and a few other babies, all girls, with names like Just Baby, Baby Beans and Little Tiny Baby. Mazie spends most of her free-time at home making sure that all of these “individuals” get fed, take naps, dress and undress, take walks, and get to know one another better. We brought a couple of her dolls and animals with, but without the supporting paraphernalia (stroller, toy kitchen, crib, clothes, etc…), she hasn’t had much interest in them…And here enters the cars. The cars have completely taken over Mazie’s world of play. She drives them around hours each day, inventing roads, trips, pretend people, car washes and elaborate stories. It’s awesome.
You had to be there
Guy, sitting by himself at a upscale, but casual restaurant. He’s reading a book, regular size paperback. He makes a call on his cell phone and to avoid bothering the other guests, he talks into his semi-closed book the whole time. There are only a few other people dining, so you can clearly hear and then see his muffled conversation. It was funny stuff, but I’m sure you had to be there to appreciate.
Quotes from the road...3rd Installment
Yesterday, at the Shark Reef Aquarium, Mazie saw a bunch of fish schooling. She said, “Mom, look, a class!”
Larger than a two year old
That’s right, Mazie is now three! Today was the big day and she celebrated in true Mazie fashion: a pool visit, strawberries, mac and cheese, chocolate cake and lots of playing. Here is a pictorial of the day’s festivities (you have to click through to see the full picture)…
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If you are looking for a touching account of Mazie turning three, tune into Jamie’s post. I’m not too good at that sort of thing, so I decided to let him take the reigns and drive that horse.
