We're all a little Nutty

Sometimes our passions are a blessing, like how I am a go-getter and a problem solver and this enables me to accomplish great things. Sometimes they are a reprieve from the world, like how much I love wandering through Thanksgiving Point Gardens and soaking in the beauty, or how I love staring at the lush green rocky mountain range as I drive around the valley. Yet, other times I resent my passionate tendencies because they encourage me to say things with more emotion than I should...which inevitably I regret. Like what I said to the school principal today. It has been said of me, "That Lisa...you never know what she's thinking..." Said sarcastically, of course. Just once, I should surprise people and not let them know. But, then again, they might not recognize me without my words tumbling out before me!

I have been chuckling to myself this morning regarding the influence of a good story and how fast and wild it can spread. Good fortune awoke me at 6:15 and I realized the power was out -- which explained why Sam wasn't up yet. So, I quickly woke her up and she took a shower by candlelight. When I looked out my kitchen window, I could see that it was dark all the way to the center of town, but couldn't tell how far north or south it went. This meant that it was possible many people wouldn't wake up on time, and probable that the school busses would not come on time. Thanks to our fabulous internet phone service, however, there was no way to call anyone to verify. I knew Sam would be having a panic attack if she was late to the first official day of high school so Lee went to work VERY early to make sure she got there. And despite the candles and ban on opening the fridge, everyone else got out the door just fine. And the busses did come. As I walked with the kids to ...

So, I ran up to the high school with Sam this morning to quickly see a counselor about making a few minor schedule changes. The line was easily 100 yards long and I left Sam for 2 hours while running errands and checking on the other kids. Then went back to wait the last hour or so. Well, we ended up waiting 6 HOURS. Unbelievable that in today's computer age their process can be so inefficient. We tried to be cheerful and enjoyed visiting with other fellow sufferers. Thank heavens they were able to switch things around so we actually left happy. But, the coolest thing about today was what Sam found this morning when she went out to water our dying plant on the back porch. A BAT! That's not something you see every day!

Though I love a good adventure, I cannot deny that I love routine and predictable most of the time. So, now that the laundry has been done and the car has been vacuumed and the fridge has been restocked, I am ready to share the fun we had on our adventure in the Northwestern U.S. 2500 miles; 12 days; 12 long-lost friends; 2 long-lost relatives; 2 campgrounds, 3 hotels, and 3 houses; 3 lost teeth and oops, we need a chiropractor and some bandaids; lots of picnics, several delectable home-cooked meals, and still way too much fast food; 8 books on tape, Eragon DVD 3 times over, and one drive-in movie; 2 bags of Starburst and one bag of skittles; 4 dogs and 2 cats; and LOTS of fun memories. Here are some (OK, a lot) of my favorite pics: City of Rocks State Park in Idaho Drive-In Movie with Karen (Evans) and family I was fascinated by the fish ladder at the Bonneville Dam along the Columbia River. You can see the fish at the top of the ladder (on the left). Multnomah Falls Mt. Hood from a...