Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree.....

So living in a 750 square foot apartment makes having a live tree of any size very interesting! Brian had to do quite a bit of modification to make this baby fit. Looks great though, huh? Peanut loves it. After all those years of a fake tree (sorry mommy) he thinks having the outside indoors is pretty fabulous. I think he really believes he is incognito in the branches! Because the apartment is so small the tree makes every inch very fragrant. We aren't even close to having the festive feel of back home in the Boro but we will build our collection as we go and start new traditions. We can't wait to see all of you for Christmas, but be patient with us because it will be a whirlwind 3 days!

Thanksgiving 2006

Our first Thanksgiving together was pretty great! We stayed in and made quite the spread. Brian made the turkey (including pulling out the guts...what a man! see above), and the pie and I made the rest. We stayed in comfy clothes and watched football. It was all very low key and low stress which we both needed for a change! Peanut eyed the food, got his own plate of turkey and then fell into tryptophan slumber!

Peanut and the Pumpkins

DC PICS

So I went into D.C. with a couple of guys I met at Orientation. We went to the World War II Memorial. One of the guys I was with said, " No matter what you think of Bush, you have to admit this was one good thing he did" and the other guy retorted, " This is just another tool in his war mongering agenda to deceive Americans into thinking we belong in Iraq." Either way, I think that it was a long overdue and touching tribute A million stars for a million lives. The Third pic is from the Korean War Memorial. The last pic is, of course, the Lincoln Memorial.

When I was riding the Metro Subway System in D.C. I kept seeing advertisement signs for war planes, armor, and missiles and I thought at first how strange to see that instead of GAP and McDonald's. Then it hit me. This is the town where a small handful of people decide the fates and locations of our armed forces and whose lives we will disrupt and mangle next. It makes you feel a little uneasy as you look around at your fellow riders.

Bronzed Bush

So I attended orientation for the Nature Conservancy in Arlington, Virginia last week. Flying out there, I got stuck at George HW Bush International Airport in Houston, TX for 19 hours due to some storms, yes 19 hours. I flew into TX at about 3pm. My connection was due to leave at 4. After 7 gate changes and many hours of delays. They put me on a plane to DC at 2 am. I buckled my seatbelt, I ignored the safety video, and I prepared to finally leave an airport in which they felt the need to immortalize Bush Sr. in bronze statue showing him with windblown hair and a jacket swung over his shoulder in a carefree manner. WHATEVER..Anyway, at 2:10 am they cancelled our flight due to lack of flyable hours on the part of the pilot and cordially invited us to all have a good night as we would not be flying anywhere until the morning. At 10 am I got on a plane and left Bush Country. Good riddance. What I want to know is can't we just give Texas to the Mexicans?

McCloud River

This preserve is like something out of "A River Runs Through It". I swear it has you thinking you must be on a movie set. TNC owns 6 miles of the river, allowing restricted and carefully monitored public use on 3 of them. They have a couple who live here all year round and control the amount of fly fishing that occurs. We set up our tents on an island in the center of the river. All night we were able to enjoy the sound of rushing water and one of the most amazing star filled skies I have ever stood beneath.

Mt. Shasta

I went on my first donor trip a couple of weeks ago! We spent a night at Mt. Shasta, a 14,100 foot volcano in Northern California. Next we camped out in tents along the McCloud River. The we was myself, my two fellow PC's Victoria and Carolyn (seen in the pic above), two fellow TNC associates Amanda and Casey (the latter is also in the pic above), and 2 couples who have donated generously to TNC.
To anyone who has suffered through Dr. Wells' Geomorphology Class at Kent State University where Mt. Shasta is always a prominent lab topic, rest assured that after climbing to about 10,000 feet I spit on it for us all!
The inn we stayed at on our first night was very charming and the picture of Mt. Shasta was taken right outside the building.

things I know so far....

So here I am! A California native. Okay, not really. But I did pass my CA driver's test and register to vote so I am definitely a resident. Things I have learned about California so far.

1. Customer service here is non-existent.
You would think there would be a lot of friendly, efficient people here in CA to ensure at least mediocre service. Alas, it simply is not true. It took 4 weeks to get cable and internet in the apartment, the men who delivered our sofa decided it would not fit through our doorway so they just left it on the street (Brian and I hauled it up the balcony), The U-pack driver decided he didn't want to drive the trailer into the apartment complex and so he just left it on the street in a 2 hour parking zone.... I could continue but I think you get the idea.

2. California is EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!
A 12 pack of eggs costs 2.00. Ordering Pizza? Expect to pay about 40 for a medium and two salads. With the higher sales tax, even Wendy's is more expensive here.

3. Public Transportation is the way to go.
First, I just relax and read Newsweek while someone else deals with the stresses of steering the train. Second, a month pass costs about 100.00, which is still cheaper than a car payment, insurance, and gas! A LOT CHEAPER! Third, there is NOWHERE to park in the city anyway, and if you do find a spot it is going to cost you about 30.00 a day. No joke.

4. Being "metro" takes on a whole new meaning in San Francisco.
'nuff said.

The Apartment 3

A couple of more shots. It is small, but cozy and really nice to come home to. Especially when Brian is here. Peanut loves having his litter box and food right in the middle of all the action. He doesn't miss the basement. The sofa is a pull out and once we invest in something to make it comfy, all are welcome. (Brian and I slept on it one night before the bed came. We thought it would be better than the floor. We were wrong.)

The Apartment 2

The kitchen is pretty small... as I am sure you can see but it is functional and the entire wall you don't see is storage so we are pretty happy with it. The only gripe is that the refrigerator is set up to open from the right because of its position. Peanut liked it better when we had to eat on the floor because he thought there was a better chance he would get some!

The Apartment

Before and after shots......... We still need to get nightstands for the bedroom. Right now I am using Brian's filing cabinet and he is using an office chair! But we have all the important stuff. I can't tell you how excited we were to not have to sleep on the floor anymore!