I Loved College!

Tweet So, the other night, I saw Asher Roth on a show and in honor of his song, "I Love College", I would like to write about why I loved college. All six years of it. There are definitely lines in his song that I can relate to, but I forego putting my reasons for loving college into a song.

Please note the long hair & earrings. EARRINGS! -DanaK

1. Freedom. Now it's not like I didn't have freedom in high school but you have so much more in college. Come and go as you please. Stay out until all hours. Option to skip class.

2. Fraternity Life. Prior to college I made fun of fraternities. And I do say fraternities and not frat. You don't call your country a c....you get the idea. In fact, I vividly remember driving by my future fraternity when I arrived on campus and mocking them. Anyways, joining the fraternity was one of the best decisions of my life. I made terrific friends, learned to appreciate the views of others, and always had someone to share a beer with. Of course, there were parties and socials but I'll get to that.

3. Parties, socials, and mixers. I was not a partier in high school and, in fact, didn't drink until I got to college. I didn't always drink in college, though, even at some parties, and they were still awesome. As a popular fraternity with many members, we had a large social budget which meant numerous and large parties. We had awesome bands, awesome themes, and an awesome time. Social events with sororities were fun, also.

Long hair, a necklace, and EARRINGS! - DanaK

4. College football games. There is no better way to spend a Saturday. Case closed.

5. Pre-gaming for college football games. There is no better way to spend a Saturday morning before a college football game. It didn't matter how late I was up on Friday night, come 8am Saturday morning I would be up, dressed in the most ridiculous outfit I could find, and drinking screwdrivers while dancing to loud music. It was also fun to watch some of the other guys walk over to sororities buck naked and see the look on the girls' faces when they answered the door.

6. Road Trips. Memorable times with good friends. Trips to Notre Dame, New Orleans, and every city along A1A in Florida including West Palm, Miami, and Key West. Nothing like sleeping in parking lots and bathing in the ocean.

Yes. That's a crab. And a goatee. Shenanigans. -DanaK

7. No responsibility. Ok there was some responsibility to be had but it was nothing compared to what it's like to be a grown-up.

There are plenty more reasons I loved college but this blog has to end at some point. Would I go back to college? Of course, but I don't think it would be as fun. That and I would be that creepy older guy everyone talks about...

2012 International Babywearing Conference

Tweet Last week, I saw that one of my friends here in Hampton Roads was making a day trip up to DC for the free public day at the 2012 International Babywearing Conference.

Naturally, I told her we should carpool. Jilliane somehow managed to convince her husband & four kids that they would have more fun at home instead of at a conference in DC and our roadtrip was in motion.

It's rare that I find someone as silly as I am...

Anyone who watches television probably knows that our region got ROCKED by storms over the past few days.  The drive up to & in DC was not as uneventful as we would have liked due to fallen trees & power lines. Jilliane was impressed with my mad driving skills.

this tree was just a few blocks from the conference location

I was pretty excited to finally meet Amy & Tim of NuzzleMe Creations in person. I am a huge fan and own two of their Ultimate Man/Mama Carriers, one standard & one stay-cool carrier. Yep, I sound like a commercial and I don't care. I haven't received anything free or discounted from NuzzleMe Creations, I just like their products. Bonus: TIM is the man behind the Ultimate Man/Mama Carrier. You have to appreciate a guy who can rock a sewing machine like it's his job.

Wait, it is...

Me, Tim, Amy, & Jilliane - NuzzleMe Creations

Jilliane & I were excited to meet Amy & Tim, which should be obvious by our cheesy grins. However, nothing could have prepared me for Jilliane turning into a total fangirl at the Didymos/Birdie's Room table.

Barbara from Birdie's Room is great

 FYI - I want to be like Barbara from Birdie's Room when I grow up. She's so incredibly nice and, dammit, the woman is gorgeous. She's also trying to help me fine the only wrap I ever sold and regretted, Didymos Ellipsen Primavera.

Anna, Jillliane, & Tina of Didymos

Didymos is a wrap company based in Germany. They produce some wonderful quality wraps for babywearing in a variety of patterns, styles, & colors and are well known and well regarded in the babywearing community. Anna & Tina were super nice and it was really neat being able to meet them in person, too. They had three yet to be released wraps available for purchase and a ton of other wraps at discounted prices. I was so tempted but had to remind myself that I hardly ever wear Klaw anymore and I can't really justify it, regardless of how beautiful it is. (Check out the skirt & dress...they are made from Didymos wraps!)

Jilliane & I won a few things in a raffle the conference was hosting (we bought 35 tickets). I won two pairs of Beco baby socks and a Britax carrier . I was going to burn it but they did include a seat extender to make it more ergonomically correct, so I'll probably sell it on ebay or craigslist.

We also attended a Toddlerwearing 101 class that was offered but it was not great. The instructor was not familiar with wrapping toddlers and wasn't able to offer any suggestions. Jilliane ended up teaching different carries to the other parents in the room. I even learned a tip from her that will help me wrap Klaw more quickly.

All in all, it was a great day. It is rare to find someone who can enjoy ~8 hours in the car with me in crappy traffic and still like me when the day is over. I only scared Jilliane a couple of times and Jilliane totally won a dance-off on I-64 with some twenty year olds, so she is completely awesome in my book.

HA! I almost forgot the true highlight of the day - Jilliane & I were mistaken for college students at Catholic University. This doesn't happen very often, so I am going to revel in it for quite some time.

I know some of y'all probably think a babywearing conference is kind of odd. Some of y'all even thought a blogging conference was kind of odd when I went to Blissdom. You'd think some of the other conferences I've attended are even more odd!

Have you ever attended or wanted to attend a niche conference? What was it? Did you enjoy it? If you could create a niche conference, what would you like to see happen?

Top 5 #Blissdom Takeaways

Tweet I know, I know, I'm late to the game. In my defense, I have been very busy! I barely had time to breathe before we had to pack up again for a trip to Pittsburgh to visit one of Klaw's specialists, Dr. Vockley.

I have some deeper posts in mind about my experiences at the Blissdom conference, but I needed to get some of the general ideas out of my head and into the blogosphere.

Robin, Angela, ME, Jessica, & Carri

My Top 5 Blissdom Conference Takeaways

1 - Wow. There are some unique, impressive, wonderful women in the Blissdom world. I had a few people I knew I wanted to meet because of our interactions with our blogs, on Facebook, or on the Twitter.  I didn't expect to find so many awesome women in one location. It was almost like being back at Wesleyan College...except I was dressed better and Gaylord Opryland is bigger than Wesleyan.

2 - My inner voice needs to shut the hell up. Even medicated (whut whut zoloft), I still have a persistent nagging voice telling me that I'm not good enough, that I can't make a difference, and that I don't matter. I know this isn't the truth but it's very hard to not listen to words I hear every day inside my head. Several of the sessions and the keynote speaker, Jon Acuff, reminded me that I have got to find a way to let go of my self-doubt.

3 - I actually do cry and ocassionally it's in public with witnesses like Fadra & Bernice and no one has a tissue so I have to tear pages out of my notebook to wipe my nose.

4 - I like to nap...even if that means I miss sessions I planned to attend.

5 - I may have to adjust my PR Policy because I realized there are actually a few big brands I wouldn't have a problem promoting through a business relationship.  Granted, I am already a fan of these brands...it just never crossed my mind that they'd be interested in working with bloggers.

Have you ever gone to a conference or retreat that exceeded your expectations? What was it? What is something you'd like to experience or learn at a conference or retreat?

What I'm wearing to #Blissdom

Tweet I didn't think I'd do this, but I'm posting my Blissdom Conference outfits.

My lame justification is that maybe it will help people recognize me?

Maybe?

For the actual main two days of Blissdom, I'm wearing dark wash, wide legged jeans with comfy tops and shoes (Clarks clogs are my winter shoes). I'm debating wearing my sunglasses on my head even though we'll be inside. They are such a part of who I am.

What I'm wearing to #Blissdom by reallywwwthinking

I am torn about what to wear for the "Girls Night Out" event. I haven't been able to find shoes I like or earrings that I like, so I'll probably bring the dress and a backup outfit in case I'm not pleased. Part of the problem with the shoes is that I absolutely have to try shoes on, so I've found plenty online but none in local stores.
 

Help me choose! by reallywwwthinking

I'm not bringing too many extra clothes or shoes. I'll be better off if I don't have many options and I like to pack light. So light that I often forget something crucial.

Also, I don't like changing my clothes multiple times each day. I figure I'll be under-dressed for some of the events. I'll live.  I'm also not wearing pajamas to the "Girls Night In." I sleep in boxers & old t-shirts. Nobody needs to see that...not even my husband.  Sorry, Debi, you're out of luck since you are a sharing a room with me.

I keep dreaming that I pack everything but underwear. That has to mean something, right?

How do you pack for long weekends? All or nothing? Do you care what other people are wearing? Do you care what you are wearing? Will I remember to pack underwear?

I'm going to Blissdom 2012!

Tweet  What the heck is Blissdom? Basically, it's a conference for women bloggers in Nashville. I happen to be a woman who blogs, so I thought I might go.

Okay, it's a little more than that. 

There are several conferences held all over the country for bloggers but Blissdom sounded like it might be a good fit for me.  Blissdom 2012 will have sessions on Business, Life Development, Photography, & Writing.  I'm not so interested in Business or Photography but the Life Development & Writing tracks seem interesting to me.

Well, Meghan from The Tuckers Take Tennessee & Creative Kristi teamed up to host an online ice-breaker for attendees to use to introduce ourselves ahead of time.  I'm going to use this as an excuse to share a few facts about myself that haven't necessarily been covered by my "official" About Us page.

1 - I don't always wear sunglasses. This is is what I look like without them. Since I'll be inside at Blissdom, I probably won't have my sunglasses on all the time...like I do in most of my profile pictures.

2 - I generally like food. I really hope the food at Blissdom is good. I don't like buffets or any meat generally served on a buffet...partially because I don't eat a lot of meat. I also don't eat seafood when I'm inland and I may be allergic to shrimp, a buffet favorite.  I don't like overcooked vegetables or chocolate cake - also regularly found at conference buffets.  All of these things make it difficult for me to be fed when food is served in mass quantities. Anyways, if you see someone who keeps going back for more rolls, it's probably me. I tend to eat a lot of rolls at conferences...as long as they aren't sourdough or rye.

3 - I make lots of faces. Sometimes it's on purpose; sometimes it's because I'm thinking, "Really, what in the hell was he/she thinking? I wish I owned his/her mirror. DAYUM!"

 4 - I hope that I'll get some good tips on how to further use this blog to spread awareness about Klaw's VLCADD & mitochondrial diseases, in general. It never hurts to get some tips on better writing and time management, while I'm there.  I also hope I can connect with some other parents raising kids with special needs (hint, hint - don't be a stranger).

5 - Sometimes I have nose bleeds. It's nothing to be concerned about, I promise. Just hand me a tissue if I need one.

6 - Every once in a while, I get possessed*. If you see me looking like this:

RUN

Can't wait to meet a whole bunch of people at Blissdom!

Bonus - would anyone like to guest post for me during the last week of February & first week of March? Right after Blissdom, we are taking Klaw to a follow-up appointment with Dr. Vockley in Pittsburgh, so I'm going to be a bit distracted.  Topics could include a post about your special needs family member or rare disease close to your heart, "greener living" topics, or really, just about anything.  I'm open to ideas.  Pop me an email at ReallyWhatWereWeThinking (at) gmail (dot) com.

*I'm just kidding. I don't get possessed. We had just finished cleaning the garage.

Review: Virginia Living Museum #HRVA

Tweet I fell in love with the Virginia Living Museum the very first time I visited.  The entire museum is kid-friendly but packed with enough educational information to be interesting to adults, also.

The price per visit is pretty steep but the various membership packages are well-worth it and will save you a ton of money if you plan to visit the museum more than once or twice a year.

the "big" ocean life tank

Klaw is not reading at the moment and he has the attention span of a gnat, unless he has an iphone in his hands. The Virginia Living Museum offers indoor & outdoor space for him to have lots of visual stimuli without being overwhelmed by loud noises (okay, maybe I'm the one that doesn't like loud places).

running through one of the ecosystem exhibits

The Virginia Living Museum takes you through the various ecosystems found within Virginia, including plants, animals, topography, & a bit of history. They have several tanks that are made to be easily viewed by children & adults alike. They are always well-staffed with incredibly knowledgeable volunteers who are there to share tidbits about the animals and exhibits through the museum.

one of the smaller "river" tanks

There is a nice boardwalk that gives you access to view various mammals and birds in a more natural setting. I don't have any good pictures of the boardwalk because Klaw likes to run the whole way around. He does occasionally stop and call the wolves "Seh-sah," which is what he calls our dog, Samson.

an alligator

The Virginia Living Museum also has garden exhibits, a "green" house that explains different eco-friendly building techniques, and a planetarium. We have yet to take advantage of the planetarium because of Klaw's age and attention span.

I honestly love this place and we try to go at least twice a month.  School & daycare groups do visit a lot, so it is sometimes very crowded during the week but we've always managed to have a good time.  Another reason having a membership is so great is that if it is crowded or Klaw is having a tough day, we can always come back another time.

Klaw letting me know he was not happy.

Fall Fun = Football #VlogTalk

Tweet Look, we love football around here.

We LOVE football.

It's Saturday...you need to find us...just stop by our house.  We'll be watching football all day long.  We might even be eating some delicious Lime, Apricot, & Soy Sauce Wings.

Unless, of course, we are watching from the STADIUM!

1) What is your favorite fall tradition?

Review: Children's Museum of Virginia

Tweet I have to say, right off the bat, I love this place.

Shortly after we moved to Virginia, the Children's Museum in Portsmouth closed down for a remodel that was supposed to make it better than ever.

I have no idea what it used to be like because I don't hang out at places like Children's Museums or Chuckie Cheeses without kids.  However, I am impressed with what it is today.

There are two levels.  The entrance level contains the majority of the stuff that will be interesting to younger kids and toddlers.  Much of it will also be interesting to older kids because it's just neat.

There is a section and a half devoted to trains, complete with a running rail system with areas kids can crawl into & get a great view of the action.  Off to the side of the main train room is a Thomas the Tank Engine play area.  There are two train tables, one with attached tracks and the other left free for kids to build their own track system.  There are TONS of trains.  Klaw absolutely loves this area.

Klaw's other favorite area on the first floor is the toddler play area. It's a good place to hang out if your toddler is getting overwhelmed or if there are school groups/big kids running amuck.  It's kind of removed from the main area, so it's quieter.  It's also enclosed, so you can let your toddler play at will.  There is a conveniently located family restroom and a nursing room in the area.

You can also find a grocery store, veterinary hospital, loading dock, bank, doctor's office, HRT bus, fire truck, police motorcycle, plus a few other fun attractions down stairs.  If there are a lot of older kids, it can be loud and overwhelming for Klaw, which is why we spend a lot of time in the toddler area and the train area.

Upstairs, the activities become more geared towards older kids with science & art taking the stage. Younger kids can definitely enjoy the exhibits but older kids (and adults) can learn (or remember) physics & math while having fun.

 I really enjoy the house that demonstrates energy usage and ways to save & recycle. It meanders out to a "yard" showing different habitats and animals (not real!).  There are things to crawl through for the younger kids and interesting facts for those of us who don't crawl so much anymore.

The Children's Museum of Virginia really does have something for everyone.  We ended up buying an annual membership because it is something I can take Klaw to every couple of weeks and it doesn't get old for him.  The price per visit is a little steep if you plan to go more than a couple of times of year, so it's worth looking at a membership if you are local and your kids like it.

Are there any "go-to" museums or parks your kids enjoy?  What is your favorite place to take your kids that you enjoy, also?

Wine Tasting in the OBX -- #VlogTalk is #SummerSmashed

Tweet Yes, I'm a day late posting this & linking it up with #VlogTalk & #SummerSmashed...I have no excuses.  I just wanted to read a book.

Anyways, Carri at Mommy's Little Monster Blake and Jessica at My Time as Mom have a bonus blogging meme this week to celebrate the end of summer by sharing our favorite summer drink recipes (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and describing how we'd entertain our friends, you know, if anyone ever visited us.

For starters, here's my Summer Drink Recipe:

Have you heard of an "Arnie Palmer" (or Arnold Palmer)?  It's a delightful beverage consisting of 1/2 Iced Tea and 1/2 Lemonade.  My favorite summer drink is a distinctly Southern version of this refreshing classic.

Fill a tumbler with a few cubes of ice.
Add an ounce or four (I have no clue, I just pour) of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka.
Fill the rest of the glass with Simply Lemonade (I usually use their Raspberry Lemonade).
Mix well (you can shake or stir, it makes no difference to me).

This recipe is Mother-in-Law approved!

If you come to visit us, here's a peek at some of the excitement awaiting you:







*Bonus Drinking Game ::: Take a shot every time I say "so."
**We didn't taste many wines & Chris was pouring his out like a good driver.
***We really don't like Chardonnay that's been aged in American Oak.  Blech.

#VlogTalk party at our house

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This week's VlogTalk email included the following prompt:

1) Get your song on. Karaoke, rap, country, rock, whatever you want as long as you are performing in front of the camera.

Chris & I have a rather extensive karaoke collection. We are currently on our 2nd karaoke machine.  We bought our 1st when it became apparent that purchasing our own machine would be financially prudent.  Previously, we had been renting professional karaoke equipment for parties at our (rented) house in the boondocks of Poulsbo, WA.  Yes, we were party central.

Now that we are older and have a child and aren't renting, we are a bit more settled.  Most of our karaoke nights are just the two of us singing our little hearts out.  Here's a sampling of some of our greatest hits.

Enjoy.

Be sure to check out the other great VlogTalk vlogs!

Oh, do you want to see our VlogTalk Karaoke Bloopers?

VLCADD, the heat, & Klaw

Tweet I have been very nervous about exposing Klaw to too much heat, thanks to his VLCAD deficiency (very long-chain acyl-COA dehydrogenase defiency).  Any situation that causes his metabolism to crank up can potentially be dangerous.   Since the VLCAD deficiency prevents his body from metabolizing very long-chain fats into energy, it's extra important to make sure he remains hydrated and has enough carbohydrates and proteins in his system to burn for energy.

To facilitate keeping him cool in the hot summer south, we have annual memberships at both the Children's Museum of Virginia (Portsmouth) and the Virginia Living Museum (Newport News).  Both are great spots for kids and families and provide ample indoor space for Klaw to run.  Both places have lots of buttons to push, too.

I grew up running around on the beach all summer long and it's something I want Klaw to experience, too.  However, I've been fearful to attempt it, especially during the week when it would most likely just be the two of us.  Yes, his health has been good overall.  Even his hospitalizations were not caused by his VLCAD deficiency, even though VLCADD was the reason hospitalization was absolutely required.

It's still scary.

It's scary to have to always worry that your child might get too hot, go into metabolic crisis, and die.  I know that sounds melodramatic but it's what is always in the back of my mind.

However, I can't and I won't live in fear - at least, I won't let him live in fear.  He's a toddler and he needs to have fun.  We just need to prepare for any possibility and continue to stay one step ahead of his VLCADD.

Mom, KriKri (my niece), and I decided to go to Jekyll Island for a beach trip.  I packed a cooler full of water, Gatorade Prime, cut fruit, jarred food, & applesauce.  Yes, I gave Klaw Gatorade.  This particular one is full of glucose, sucrose, & b vitamins.  Although most moms of toddlers would like to avoid that much sugar with their toddlers, it's exactly the high carbohydrate solution that could help prevent a VLCADD related metabolic crisis.

Mom rented an umbrella, which is smart for anyone but it was a really good idea for Klaw so that he could have a shady spot to stay cool and out of the sun.  The water temperature was perfect and, thanks to some haze and a decent breeze, it wasn't too hot.

After he got over the initial 20 minute screamfest driving over there, we had a blast.  Klaw spent time digging in the sand under the umbrella and playing in the water.  I got a good reminder as to why I do not want a pool at my house when he dove face first into the ocean without hesitation. KriKri was a great big cousin and played with him the whole time.

I made sure he had his Gatorade available and that he snacked on some applesauce while we were there.  It was actually really difficult and I felt like he wasn't getting quite enough fluids or food for me to be comfortable.  He ate almost a pint of fresh fruit when we stopped for sandwiches on the way back & finished his Gatorade, so I'm afraid my instincts were right.  I'm not really sure what I can do because he just didn't want to be distracted from fun in order to stop & eat.  I know (hope) this will be easier when he's older and can understand why he has to stop playing and eat or drink.

However, he was no worse for the wear by the time we got home and he was worn out!

Have you ever had to make a toddler eat or drink?  Do you have any tips you can share?  Do any of my more experienced Mito Moms (mitochondrial disorders) have other tips for surviving the heat with our kids' special needs?

PHOTOBOMB: St. Simons Island

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Chicago Bound!

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Our epic cross country adventure starts here.

After getting up and getting on the road from Sioux City, SD our plan was to drive west across Iowa and stay in east Iowa at a KOA that is no longer a KOA, probably due to our comments. I will talk about that later.

It was a pretty easy drive across Iowa and not scenic, in my opinion. While we were driving down I-80, or across on I-80, I should say, Dana came across a sign for Elk Horn. We were caravanning, so we carried walkie-talkies to communicate with each other. When she saw the sign for Elk Horn, she radioed over and asked if I wanted to go. Maybe if it was Elk Cove, as in the Elk Cove from the movie Overboard, I would have shown a bit more excitement. I mean, who doesn't watch that movie when it comes on TBS every week? Ok, maybe just me. Anyways, I guess I didn't fully understand how much Dana wanted to go until we had driven ten miles past the exit and she wasn't responding to any of my radio calls. Well, we ended up turning around and headed to Elk Horn, Iowa, the center of Danish ethnicity and home to the Danish Immigrant Museum. If you didn't know, Dana is of Danish descent. The museum was brand new and I will admit, there was some pretty neat stuff inside. This ended up being a good place to stop and let the dogs stretch their legs. As for the town of Elk Horn; not a place you go to on the weekend to get your party on. That is unless your idea of a party is tractor racing down Main Street.

After the brief excursion to Danish America, we continued onward to West Liberty, a small town just outside of Iowa City, home to the Hawkeyes. Iowa City being home to the Hawkeyes, not West Liberty. As I mentioned earlier, we made arrangements to stay at a KOA there. Much like most of Iowa we had seen already, there wasn't much once you pass Iowa City. We get off at the exit for the KOA, follow the signs and end up pulling into a BP gas station. Well we continued to follow the signs that led to the back of the gas station and into the KOA. We could still hear the traffic from the interstate at the entrance (a stone's throw from I-80). We park and go into what was the KOA lodge. It did not resemble any of the lodges we had seen before and when our host (I think that's what they call them at KOA) came out, she was not dressed in the nice embroidered KOA shirts and I definitely knew that corporate KOA had not been out here in a while.

We checked in and pull around to our spot. The RV park was bound by a cow pasture, whose aroma permeated the air, and a mobile home park. We had not stopped to pick up any food for the night so we needed to go out after we got set up. We asked the host for the closest grocery store and she sent us down the highway to the booming metropolis of West Liberty. We drove through what was the downtown area, past what looked to be a business district, but no grocery store. We had plenty of people staring at us and I'm sure the thought that West Liberty might be our last stop EVER crossed both our minds at one point. We got the hell outta dodge and drove back the direction we came and ended up having to drive back to Iowa City to find a grocery store. I'm pretty sure that the cow pasture adjacent to our RV park was home to the cows that would become the West Liberty Saturday night special. I'm sure you don't need a grocery store if you kill your own animals. Talk about fresh.

Needless to say we got up early the next morning, skipped breakfast, and got on the road. If the saying were "give me West Liberty or give me death," we would most assuredly choose death. A bit into our drive that day we saw signs for the Presidential Library and Museum of President Hoover, located in West Branch, Iowa. We had some extra time since we expedited our exit from West Liberty (what's with all the "Wests" in Iowa?) so we decided to stop. The small town was actually pretty neat and the grounds where the museum and grave sites of President Hoover and his wife were very well kept. This was probably the nicest site in Iowa. No offense to anyone from Iowa who reads this. I'm sure our experience was jaded by the former West Liberty KOA.

We make it to Naperville, Illinois, a large suburb outside Chicago, early evening to see our friends Arynn and Dane. I met Dana through Arynn in Charleston, SC back in 2001 so it was certainly good to see her again. They had a Cocker Spaniel named Piper who our dogs enjoyed hanging out with. Dane and Arynn, who knew I was a big Cubs fan, surprised us with tickets to a Cubs game. I was thrilled! I had been to Wrigley back in college while on a road trip to see Georgia Tech play at Notre Dame. Tech lost that game and I honestly don't remember the score of the Cubs game or who they played, but I do remember where I sat and even have pictures of Harry Carey leaning out during the 7th inning stretch singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Dana and I had also seen the Cubs play in San Fran while stationed in Monterey. The Cubs lost that one but I won, seeing as how they had Lagunitas IPA on-tap at the stadium.

I digress. Well Dane and Arynn had to work the day we were going to the game but we had planned to go over to Chicago early to meet Aimster, a friend of Dana's, and a friend of mine from the submarine community, John Red-face, as he is known to us. Dana and I took the train in from Naperville and we all met at the Rock Bottom Brewery downtown. Dane and Arynn were planning on meeting us at the stadium before the game. It was noon when we arrived at Rock Bottom and we didn't leave for several hours.

 
Dana's friend had to go but John asked us if we wanted to go back to his place which was not far from Wrigley. We had nothing to do for a while so we hung out, maybe had some more beverages, and John escorted us to the stadium where we met up with Dane and Arynn. It was nuts around Wrigley. We found a bar to pre-game for a bit and finally made our way into the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Our seats were AWESOME! Ten rows up from the field on the 3rd base side. Carlos Zambrano had lost that day in San Fran when we last saw the Cubs play and he was back on the mound today. Long story short. The Olde Style flowed and the Cubs' homers flew and in the end, the Cubs destroyed their opponent. It had been a fun day. I could definitely live in Chicago.

After a few days with Arynn and Dane, who were great hosts, we departed and continued east.

Photobomb: Klaw's First Birthday!!!

Tweet I know, I know.  I'm a bit late in posting these pictures...

Klaw's new kitchen! His favorite activities are taking the shelf out of the fridge & eating puffs out of the sink.

Klaw's cake!  I used the Golden Yellow Cake Mix from Trader Joe's.  Instead of oil, I used applesauce & baked according to the directions on the box.  I made a simple glaze with powdered sugar & lime juice, poked holes in the top of the cake with a fork, & poured the glaze over it while everything was still hot so the lime-goodness would soak through.  The only fat was from the 3 eggs in the recipe, which put 13.5g of fat in the whole cake.  Great for a kid with an FaOD!

The birthday boy! (The t-shirt was made by our friend, Arynn!)

Idaho is AWESOME (in the likeness of DJ Lance)

Tweet Our epic cross country adventure starts here.

Yeah. So after driving through the misleadingly wide state of Nevada, our journeys turned a bit North; actually a lot North. Neither of us had been through Idaho at all and it happened to sit in between California and Glacier National Park, the first place we planned to spend two nights. There aren't too many campgrounds open this time of year in the Northwest so I had to take what I could find.

On the Road Again!

Tweet Ok. So we really aren't about to be on the road again unless I can see into the future and the Navy is planning something they're not telling me. This series of entries are in honor of the three year anniversary of our trip cross country from California to Connecticut. Why the three year anniversary? No good reason except that lately I've been reminiscing about all the places I've enjoyed living and many of the fun excursions I've, sorry we've, been able to take. So, appropriately, three years ago, we began that 21 day camping journey that, to me, was one of the best times of my life. I'd like to share that with you.

This trip was made in our 2000 Coleman Niagara Elite pop-up camper, thanks Wade and Karen. She's fully equipped with two king size beds, small fridge, small stove, toilet, shower, and dining room table. Oh yeah, she's got central heating and air, the latter of which we certainly didn't need on this trip.

Dana cautioned me not to get too lengthy and don't recreate every minute of every day of that trip because boredom would quickly set in to the reader. As much as I hate to say it, she's right. So I'll just pick out the highlights and every few days or so post a new entry. Enjoy!

Reno, NV

This was the first city we stayed in after we left Pacific Grove. Dana and I made an arrangement not to drive any more than 8 hours a day and Reno met that criteria. I had done a little bit of planning before we left so we had reservations for the first week or so. This night was spent at the Reno KOA at Boomtown. There honestly wasn't anything special about this particular day but I do want to mention that this was day one of seeing either snow on the ground or falling to the ground. Oh yeah, and it was here that we purchased our KOA Membership which saved us plenty of money along the way.

The epic adventure continues...

Three Dogs and a Baby

Tweet Well, it is official. Klaw's first camping trip is complete and if he could talk I'm sure that he would say that he had a terrific time. Ok, mostly a terrific time except when he was getting knocked around and down by three dogs.

Karaoke Photobomb!!!

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