Happy Birthday, Ryan!

Today is Ryan's 32nd birthday! He's probably not going to be that happy about me sharing his age with the world, but I think he needs to get over it. Turning 32 is something to celebrate and share with cyberspace! Besides, we all know that Ryan is -- and always will be -- young at heart.

I also think it's worth giving Ryan's mom a shout out. Let's face it, our mom's are the ones who really should be celebrated on our birthdays. They do all the hard work and get none of the glory. Moms put up with hours and hours of pain, years of sleep deprivation, and a lifetime of physical and mental sacrifice with little recognition. So, Patty, thank you for all of your love and hard work. That darling face in the upper left hand corner is the wonderful man you created.

When I asked Ryan what he wanted to do for his birthday, he only had three requests. First, he wanted a binge-fest at his favorite restaurant, Snappy Dragon. (Check!) Second, he wanted to have chocolate chip cookies instead of cake. (Check!) Finally, he wanted to share the special day with our good friends Amy and Byron. (Check!)

Make a wish!

Just like he did as a kid, Ryan tears into a birthday gift from Amy and Byron.
The gift was a very cool and swanky drill for our future house. Thanks A & B!

Everyone Loves Ryan!

Happy Birthday, Ryan! I'm excited to share another year of adventures and experiences with you!

My First Movie

Today we went snowshoeing in the Cascade mountains. It was amazing. We walked along the South Fork of the Stillaguamish river and enjoyed breathtaking views.

A few weeks ago, Ryan got a new MacBook laptop. The coolest part about his new toy is the iMovie program. I took a stab at my first movie--here it is, enjoy!

Long Live Southern Rock!

Last night, Ryan and I took the bus downtown to go to a Drive By Truckers show. Seattle has many great venues to watch live music, but the Show Box is one of my favorites. The Show Box is directly across the street from Pike Place Market, a fixture of Seattle history and an often-visited tourist attraction. The Show Box is also one of the few places to watch music that has seating -- although the seating is very limited and I've never arrived to a show early enough to snag a coveted chair.

Perhaps the best part of watching live music at the Show Box is the sound. I've never been disappointed with the acoustic experience at the Box, but I have had ringing ears days after a show. That's why Ryan and I brought earplugs to last night's concert. Yep, we are that old, but we figure we've done enough damage to our hearing through the years and we might as well try and save what we've got left. Just for the record, we didn't feel like we were missing anything during the live show but we were happy to hear when it was over.

For those who don't know about the Drive By Truckers, the band is originally from Alabama and currently resides in Athens, Georgia. Athens is a music haven with many famous bands either coming from or taking up residence in the town. REM, the B-52s, the Indigo Girls, Neutral Milk Hotel, and many others have strong ties to Athens.

The Drive By Truckers have been around for a long time. DBT's older albums had a more humorous, self-deprecating tone. For example, one of my favorite albums, Alabama Ass Whuppin, has a great song called 18 Wheels of Love, which is a true story of love and a trucker named Chester. The DBTs then released Southern Rock Opera, a fabulous two-disc album that chronicles the story of a young man who forms a southern rock band and ultimately dies in a plain crash, like his idols Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Later DBT albums are more serious and more political. The band squarely faces the issues of drug abuse, the exploitation of the working class, Alabama's segregation history, and many others tough social problems. Last night's show was a nice mix of serious and silly. The band passed around a bottle of whiskey and even let a roadie play guitar and sing with the band during the encore. It was a fun show. If you like southern rock and have a chance to see the Drive By Truckers, check them out. Be prepared for a show that mixes mellow ballads with good ol' fashioned rock and roll.

Caucus Mania

Today Ryan and I participated in our precinct caucus for the 2008 Presidential election. It was the first time both of us participated in a caucus and we enjoyed the experience. When we first showed up, the line for signing in was out the door of the church, through a parking lot, and around the corner. Thankfully, the line moved quickly and we shuffled through the crowd to get into a packed sanctuary.

People were energized and we met a few of our neighbors. The precinct chair tallied the votes and calculated how many delegates went to each candidate. In our precinct, Obama got 7 delegates and Hillary got 2. Then individuals got up to speak on behalf of their preferred candidate in an attempt to sway votes/delegates. Next, delegates were selected to represent each candidate at a state Democratic party meeting where national delegates are selected.

On my way to the caucus, I complained about the outdated nature of the caucus system. After going through a caucus, my opinion completely changed. It was a cool experience and a good way to meet our neighbors. Contemporary urban living often means that you don't talk to the people who live next to you and you get stuck in your own life. However, it's nice to challenge yourself to get together with your community to talk about something that matters.

Sorry I don't have any pictures to share. I wanted to take my camera but wasn't sure if that was allowed. A few highlights included a woman with a Hillary T-shirt that said, "Just vote for the bitch"; an "actor" who volunteered to read the instructions on behalf of the Democratic party representative; and extensive use of "spirit fingers" instead of clapping because the room was so packed with voters from other caucuses.

Happy Election Year!

DC and Me

I don't think I've talked much about my new job with American Rivers , a national environmental organization that works to protect rivers in various ways. I enjoy the challenge of learning the real world of water conservation in the west. If you've read Cadillac Desert or watched the movie Chinatown, you know how complicated and politically sensitive water issues are in the west. We all know that water is a finite resource and that it is a necessary ingredient in human survival. Despite the fact that water belongs to the public, people living in the western United States may acquire water rights that are protected as property rights. Over time, the water system is increasingly strained and tough decisions have to be made on how best to serve demand both human and ecological.

Anyway, the point is that I really like what I do. I just returned from a short trip to DC for our national board meeting. It has been a few years since I've been back to the nation's capitol -- a place Ryan and I used to call home. I stayed with my good friend from law school, Bonnie, and her husband, Joe. Check it out:

Congress on a Seattle-Like Day

My Generous Hosts
Bonnie is taking advantage of the wind tunnel effect as we enter a Metro station.

My Other Host, Simon

Yet Another Host, Maddy

The Architecture of the American Indian Museum
I thought it was pretty cool - the profile of a face incorporated into the building design.

The Washington Monument

Thanks to Lynn, Bonnie, Joe, Simon, and Maddy for a great weekend. Apologies to other friends and family that I couldn't visit during my brief stay. Ryan and I want to return to DC together for a longer visit to see everyone we love!

The In-Laws Are Coming! The In-Laws Are Coming!

This weekend, Ryan's folks flew into the Emerald City from Syracuse, New York. Since we live on opposite sides of the country, we don't get to see each other as much as we would like. We had a great time catching up with Ma and Pa Patrick and showing them some of the things we love about our city.

Huddled for Warmth at the Space Needle

Enjoying the View at the Arboretum

Ryan and Soma Relaxing Between Outings

Friends, Amy and Byron, After a Binge at Snappy Dragon

High Fashion Salmon Potholders

Tea Time!

The Real Queen Mum
(Actually, the tea house where we enjoyed breakfast on Sunday gives out tiaras to special guests like Patty.)

John and Patty: Thanks for coming to visit and treating us all weekend. We had a great time and hope to see you again soon!

Missed Opportunities

This post is inspired by the heartbreaking loss suffered yesterday by the Packers in the NFC championship game against the Giants. I know what you're thinking, "Get over it. It's a football game."

Before you close your browser window, hear me out:

The Packers lost the game because they didn't capitalize on missed opportunities. Lately, Ryan and I have been talking about missed opportunities in our own lives. For example, during the last two years of law school and puppy parenting, we failed go skiing or get outside much in the winter. Skiing is something that we loved to do together (ok, Ryan is a snowboarder not a skier), and we probably could have gone skiing during the last couple of years, but we let other excuses get in the way. Downhill skiing/snowboarding is expensive--our gear is out-of-date, we would have to board Soma, and lift tickets cost about $100 for the two of us.

So this year we are making a change. We bought snowshoes in order to get outside with no excuses. While the initial investment for snowshoes is a little steep, they require minimal maintenance and we can drive to any trail coated with the white stuff to enjoy a few hours of exercise and scenery.

I guess the bottom line is that excuses always result in missed opportunities, and missed opportunities always end in disappointment and regret. That's why we went to Mount Rainier National Park to snowshoe along the White River (a river I will probably be working to protect during the next year or two). It was a gorgeous day with clear skies and amazing visibility. During the drive, we saw Mount Rainier with large snow plumes blowing off the summit. The plumes were so large that we could see them all the way from Seattle, or about 2 hours north. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place!

We entered the Park on snowshoes, which allowed us to take a picture of the boundary sign.

A 90-foot ice fall just begging for an ice climber.
Ok, so I exaggerate -- this was just a trailside frozen trickle of water that was about 3-feet tall.

A family of stumps with snowy winter hats.

Action photo of Ryan and Soma on the trail.
Sorry that the poop bag is front and center in this shot!

The upper reach of the White River.
In case you didn't click on the link above, the White river gets its name from its cloudy appearance courtesy of the Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier.

Lunchtime!

More views of the White River.

The Trail.
Actually, this is a busy park road in the summer.

Icy Whiskers

Snow and ice cling to the bare branches of deciduous trees.