I don't think I have been this lax at blogging since sometime last year. I'm sure a string of successive trips and busy evenings are to blame...
As I mentioned yesterday my family (Mom, Dad, Me, Lisa, Adam, Sheli, and Beth) went down to Seaside, Oregon to spend some quality time together. We had great food, both cooked "in-house" and "out" as well. (The kitchen at the place we staid was fantastic. It was close to my dream kitchen. About 20,000 dollars more and little reorganization and it would be there...) It was a great place to prep food and it was nice to be able to help mom cook and toss out ideas for other flavors and food options.
We also got an "old fashioned" photo taken of everyone. It was a lot of fun to get a "family" portrait done in such a way. (Probably can't post the picture here for copyright reasons) Adam and Dad were taking pictures almost constantly so as soon as Adam posts some pictures I'll provide a link. (They just got back from Europe and they are moving this week so I doubt I'll be seeing those pictures today.)
As you no doubt saw from the picture, Lisa and I also stopped into a hat store and picked up a new hat. (My "cabby hat" is heavy wool, and while it's nice for the winter it will COOK you in the summer.) I think I tried on just about every hat in the store to find the one I finally bought. Kind of like a mini-fedora. (Not as much brim) With my black pea coat on I kind of look like I should be solving crimes or something. (1930's style) Just call me Ben "Noir"orrell. heh... ok, maybe not.
Lots of walks were had on the vacation as well. It really made me wish that the area around where we live was a little more... interesting. The seaside is always changing and the wind makes the waves do various things and the animals (seagulls) are flying around, and there are people out on the Prom, walking, riding bikes, chasing dogs, etc. Here your options are 1. drive somewhere more scenic, or 2. walk among suburbia and enjoy the crash and the roar of the... automobile. Where ever Lisa and I happen to end up next (Lord willing) I think I will attempt to put more thought into where we are in relation to other things around us, and what those things happen to look like. (There are only so many laps we can do around the condo shared greenery before I get bored.) All that to say, wish I was walking more... wish I was motivated by my surroundings to walk more.
Saturday we spent the morning cleaning up the house and then we drove back home. I think if anything this trip has given me a thinking that running my own medium sized Bed and Breakfast might kind of be fun.
This week looks to be pretty "normal" (yay!) but the weekend will be wrapped up by a trip to "the island" to hang out with Lisa's family before her sister goes back to school for the year. (And I have no one to tease for another 4 to 6 months at least (it's just not the same on Facebook))
I'll continue to sort through my pictures and post a few as I find them. I'll entertain any questions you might have though... anyone in the audience?
~B.