Arctic Blast 2008

Can I just say that I LOVE the snow? Have I mentioned that recently? I totally love it. Unlike the Portland area, our town is considered high desert, which means our snow is dry, fluffy and does not turn to ice. It also doesn't really make great snowmen as it's tough to get it to stick together. But you take what you can get.
Ryan has had one day off in the last 9, so we spent it having fun, finishing up our shopping, baking cookies and otherwise making merry. We took the kids up to the park and tried to use their pool toys from last year as innertubes. Didn't work. Every store in town was sold out of sleds of all kinds, so we had to make due. What we ended up doing was just jumping all over each other in 18" of snow. While not quite the same thrill as racing down a hill on a sled, it does inspire mass amounts of laughter and screaming, which are always fun.

(There's that open mouthed smile for ya, Jode. Notice I made sure Ryan didn't zoom in >:)

(Puzzles with Noah, who got a little frostbite on his cheeks and chin and had to stay inside :(

(Our adorable little street)

Small town Christmas's are absolutely the best. Several nights a week we see the local carriage company go by with their horse drawn sleigh, bells jingling and so forth. Summer, who is a bit horse crazy, LOVES this and wants to ride in it eventually. The shops on 2nd street are decked out with wreathes and garlands and lighted stars, which is kind of the city wide symbol of the holidays since my grandfather lit the first 40' star on his ranches highest point 25 years ago. Carolers are not unheard of, though we haven't yet done that ourselves, and now that there's this much snow, it feels like Christmas has finally arrived.
I'll be spending the next 2 days cleaning, organizing and otherwise preparing to have family in the house on Thursday for the annual prime rib Christmas dinner and trying to maintain some measure of control over children who are sick of being inside when it's too cold to go out.
So for those moms out there (especially the Portlanders) who are stuck with kids because they can't get out of their driveways...I feel for ya...and you have my word, I'll make a special trip downtown in your honor. heh heh heh. Maybe get a latte and scone from the bakery...

In all seriousness, please stay safe and may your holidays be warm and bright...which means I hope you have power and heat.

Happy day before xmas eve!

Yuletide Frolicking

Portland, November 28th, 2008

Pioneer Courthouse Square

This is a year of new traditions for our family, of reevaluating our priorities, of stopping to enjoy our children in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. I finished my Christmas shopping by the end of November and promised myself we'd have time to actually have FUN in December. But we went ahead and started early with a trip to Portland for the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Pioneer Courthouse Square. I picked Ryan up at work and we were lucky enough to get to the square with about thirty seconds to spare.
We made our way over to Starbucks after and stood in line with about 100 other caffeine seekers. It's embarrassing a little, but I have to tell you, even my kids love Starbucks and every time we go into one they order their little sugar-free vanilla, nonfat mocha steamer with whip. It's adorable. Here's a picture. Note the red cup. And yes, I know it's out of focus. We're having camera issues...just bear with me.


This was, no kidding, one of my best memories of all time. If you haven't been to the square on this occasion, I'm telling you, you're missing out. The kids had a blast drinking their 'coffee' and we loved wandering through the mall and shops that were still open for Black Friday shoppers.

The following Sunday my woodsy/hunting/outdoorsey brother conned us into hiking into the Mt Hood National Forest and cutting our own 'wild' tree. This is now a new tradition in the Kendall household as well, as we totally loved it! Plus, the tree permit costs $5. LOVE that. Here's a few pics of the tromp through the woods...

*well, no one can say he goes unprepared. I didn't ask what he had in that backpack.*

Ah, choices, choices.

Our tree.

It did NOT look this big a minute ago.

We ended up cutting two feet off the bottom of the tree as we'd slightly overshot the height of our ceilings when we chose the elected evergreen. Oops. But it looks nice now, see?

We have also visited Santa in Hood River, been to a Christmas parade, made dozens and dozens of cookies and batches and batches of holiday fudge and now we're practically ecstatic because we woke up this morning to several inches of snow! What could be more Christmasy than that? The kids had a snow day, during which I took the opportunity to make, you guessed it, more cookies. My waistline will not thank me, undoubtedly. But I'm telling you people, I have discovered (from an undisclosed source of course) the best sugar cookie recipe OF ALL TIME. I'll tell you honestly, I abhor sugar cookies. They're tasteless, sugary things with no texture or pride. bleck! However, I found this recipe which assured me they would turn out a lot like shortbread (which I love) and darn it if they weren't telling the absolute truth.I'll include the recipe at the bottom. It's amazingly versatile and works as a cut out cookie (if you do it between two pieces of wax paper there's virtually NO mess) or in a cookie press. Give it a go- it's truly simple, I promise you.

At any rate- thats a brief snapshot of the Kendall house this holiday season. There's more of course, but it's taken me HOURS to put this entry together in between batches of cookies, loads of laundry (did I mention the washer quit working last week and I had to have it repaired? I'll tell you about that later maybe.) and dressing and redressing and undressing and so forth, the children as they went in and out and back again to play in the snow. I'm heading off to my lovely sofa to collapse! Hope you're all having a truly merry Christmas and we wish you the best this season!!
Here's that recipe for ya:

Sugar Cookies

1/2 CP salted butter
1/2 CP sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 CP flour
1/8 tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on med. until smooth. Add sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occassionally. Beat in egg yolk until combined. Add vanilla. Beat until combined.

2. Add flour and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occassionally.

3. Between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4'' thickness. Cut out shapes until all dough is used.

4. Bake 8-10 minutes depending on your oven. Do Not Let Cookies Brown. Cool completely and decorate as desired.

*These cookies can be made through step three, wrapped well, and refridgerated up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months.

*consistency of cookie after step 2 will be very short and crumbly. This is normal. Using your hands, shape dough into a ball before rolling.

Merry Christmas!

Yucatan Wednesday's on a Monday...

Philadelphia Airport...

ok, it's been awhile, I know. Let's get back on track, shall we? Our journey brings us thus far to Philadelphia Airport. Our motel has offered us a free shuttle back there after our brief stay and our driver is absolutely hilarious. Just a note- be sure to talk to your tour guides/drivers. They're the one's who actually know something.
Anyway- we arrive in plenty of time and even score a quick, if horrible, breakfast in the airport before boarding (yes, boarding..an unusual occurance when flying standby) our flight. We're a bit surprised as the plane is almost totally EMPTY. Perhaps others have heard about the cat 4 hurricane going through the Yucatan and it has deterred them from traveling. But no, no. Not us. We chalk it up to good blog material and get on the plane anyway. What could possibly be more interesting than vacationing during a hurricane, we ask ourselves? But I'm getting ahead of myself. We were seated in the back with 2 other people and make our way to the runway. And stop. And wait. Bell dings.
" Ladies and gentlemen, we are experienceing severe thunderstorms and will wait a few minutes until this system moves through. Please be patient and we'll be up in the air in just a bit."
We wait. Thirty minutes goes by. Bell dings.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this system is very severe," (it's true, it was pretty bad), "And the tower has cancelled all take off's from the airport at this time. We're going to sit here for just a few minutes and see if they open it back up. Your flight attendants will be bringing around some water and snacks for your wait." Hm...this storm is pretty severe, kind of scary, shaking the plane and it's just a thunderstorm. We begin to think we're no match for a hurricane after all, but it's too late.
More waiting. Again with the bell.
" Alright folks, they've reopened and we're 8th in the lineup. We should be taking off in the next 30 minutes or so hopefully. Thank you for your patience."
This whole scene would have been much worse if we'd been crammed in the plane with 200 other people. As it was, we wandered the aisles and chatted with the guy across from us. He lived in upstate New York and he'd just bought property in Beliz. Apparently, he and a buddy were on their way to Cancun and were going to make their way down the coast to Beliz to view the property and see the sights. He'd been to Cancun many, many times and we shamelessly pumped him for information about what to do there and where to get the best deals. He was amazing! It was on his advice that we would later take the ferry to Isla Mujeres, but we'll get to that later. I will tell you it involves a goddess, a golf cart, a few turtles and a Mexican who soaked me for twenty five dollars...but anyway-
For now, we're just excited to be flying in the right direction. I busied myself by calculating the speed we were traveling (all figures are approximate) with the length of the US east coast from our point of departure to the south tip of Florida. Using the map in the back of the seat in front of me, I was able to make a game out of which state we were over. The fun of this lasted about five minutes before I was pulling out my trusty Danielle Steele novel and hunkering down in the cheap airplane blanket to do something that was actually enjoyable.
Ryan chatted it up with our Beliz bound neighbor while filling out the customs forms. There is no limit to what you can learn if you are just willing to ask every question that comes into your head, as Ryan discovered. We had lists of good restaurants, entertainment, tours and where to get things cheap and how to make a deal. The guy was a wealth of information, I tell ya, and Ryan spent the 4 hour flight interrogating him.
Just a few short hours after takoff, this came into view:



Nice huh?
We deboard the plane with our customs forms in hand and head for security. Ryan's ego gets a boost when all the passnegers (except for us and the guys in the back of the plane with us) get rerouted to a room where they have to fill out new customs forms because they made mistakes on the other ones. But no, not us. We are professionals.
We are out of the airport and comfortably seated in an air conditioned van within (no kidding) ten minutes. I still don't know how this happened. So, we're in the van, the driver is polite and personable and know's precisely where to take us. He rearranges our return schedule in light of the unplanned stay in Philly and within moments, we're off. Ryan and I are silent and frowning. There are storm clouds on the horizon the likes of which I've never seen, not even in Philadelphia, and that same feeling is mirrored in our faces. What's going on here? Where are the annoying, clammoring tour guides? The confusion? Where's the choas!? We don't know what to do and are fully expecting that we're in the wrong van, on the wrong continent, etc.
We look at each other. "What's going on?" I ask.
" I don't know, but I don't like it." He replies with a suspicious lift of the brow.
"This can't be good."
But the van is on it's way and soon we are, in spite of all odds, taken to our adorable little hotel in Puerto Juarez.
Here's something I did notice on the 30 minute drive up the coast to PJ- those thunderheads I mentioned?? They're actually...what's the word??...roiling? Is that right? My spellcheck hasn't highlighted it so it must be a real word. They are alive and moving. It was weird. There are also HUGE puddles in all the roads. Hmmm.
Upon arrival at our hotel, we are escorted into a beautiful lobby where we are greeted by a valet and escorted to the front desk where there is a small error...of course there's a small error. There's always an error. But I'm prepared.
"No, we do not have a "mountian view room". I say to the hostess, knowing full well that 'mountian view' is code for 'Alley View' if you're lucky. "I emailed with Laura earlier this month and she guaranteed me an ocean view room with a balcony at no charge." I pull out my email from Laura and hand it over to whatever-her-name-was. "See? It says so right here."
She speaks rapid spanish with her manager and I paste on a charming smile. I learned a few things from Daves tactics, you see. "We're on our second honeymoon." I clasp Ryan's hand lovingly. "We just knew you guys would be willing to help us make it a special time!" (I may have come off fake at this point, but it's hard to say because the manager guy grinned and said something back to her in spanish. Here's what we were upgraded to:

Pic on top is the downstairs, pic on bottom is the loft. Here's the view:

What you can't really see from this picture is that the wind is HOWLING and the sky isn't so much blue like sky blue- but blue like a bruise. Those are clouds on the horizon. Again, hmmm.
Our valet warns us not to leave our big sliding door open. When asked why, he assures us it's because of the heat- when we open it after he leaves we discover the REAL reason as approximately five thousand mosquitos swarmed into our room en masse. It's been raining there for the last 2 days, and I mean RAINING/flooding/hurricaning and the bugs are lovin' the humidity which is about 200%...well, ok- maybe not that high. At any rate, the minute we stepped out the door we were covered. They were everywhere.
We tried just leaving the door open a crack so that we could still hear the ocean and smell the tropical breezes and so forth, but even that wasn't a good idea as within about 10 minutes the floors were absolutely wet and puddling with condensation. They became dangerously slippery and we ended up putting towels down all over the apartment.
After two days of not-so-great food and endless flights, we collapsed. I had eaten part of a bad aiport breakfast that morning, but couldn't do much but drink milkshakes since the broken bracket in Philly. I was by this time, shaking and pretty grumpy. We'd arrived at 2 in the afternoon or so and still had a long ways to go until dinner. Lunch had already been served and there was no snack bar. Unless we wanted to get a cab and have him drive us into Cancun city, we were SOL on food until 5pm. We now discover why it's a good idea to get a hotel in the middle of the hotel strip.
My best buddy on the face of the planet, Chelsea, packed me an ultra rich, dark chocolate and espresso bar and I tell you- it saved my life. And Ryan's as I had enough sugar in me to keep from killing him until dinner could be served. Melissa's survival in the Wild tip #47- never be without a chocolate bar. It's a good idea.

We spent the afternoon lounging on the beach and swatting mosquitos. Neither of us wanted to pay ten dollars for a can of bug spray as we were on a mission to be as cheap as possible on this trip. It was an adventure in being broke in a foreign country. We made a pact not to spend one extra penny. No eating outside the hotel, no taxi's, no nothing. We break that rule later, don't worry. At this point, however, we're sticking to our guns and roughing it, so to speak.

Looks like a tough life, doesn't it? Yeah- I don't know how we survived the week. Oh, ps- the sand in Cancun feels like flour. It's powder instead of grit because it's made of crushed coral and not rocks. Just thought you'd like to know.

We did end the day with dinner FINALLY (though all I could eat was mashed potatoes) and then crashed by eight o'clock, exhausted with our books and my stash of chocolate. Later I would have a small panic attack when the maid moves my chocolate bar and I am briefly unable to find it. Also of note- when having orthodontic issues, chocolate melts and requires no chewing. Just another reason to always, always have chocolate in your purse.

And so ends our first day in the Yucatan. Hurricane Ike is still on the move North of Cancun but the weather report forecasts that one of the rain bands will move over Cancun the next day. Ever been in the rain band of a hurricane? I now understand the devastation in Cuba caused by this storm. But that's a whole day away...Tonight we fall asleep to the sound of, no- not the waves crashing and the beautiful calypso breezes...oh no- we fitfully fall asleep to the monstrous howling of 50 mph winds. Ahhh, the tropics.

Please join us next time for Yucatan Wednesday's- A day with Ike. :)

Noahisms

Noahisms

Just today, Noah appears behind me at my desk and leans over my shoulder. Examining the text of an email I'm working on, he notices all the lovely little places where spell-check has so kindly flagged my failures and asks,
"Mommy, did Jesus send you an email?!" (He's very excited)
"No, why?"
"Because Jesus always writes in red!"

Apparently, 'Words of Jesus in red' is true in all varieties of literature, at least in the estimation of a 4 year old.

Meganisms

MEGANISMS

On our way to Hood River, we come upon a very serious traffic accident in which one car has apparently rolled several times. The roof is caved in, the doors are buckling outwards, all the windows are shattered, and like all mothers everywhere, I am paralyzed with fear at the idea of answering the questions I know will be coming any second. Which they always do.

Megan- "Mommy! What happened to that car?!"
The Other Two- "Yeah! Woah! LOOK AT THAT!"
Me, trying to be serious, but not too serious,- "Well, they had an accident, honey. It looks like they rolled their car."
All children- "Rolled their car?! How did they do that!?"
Me, regretting I'd said anything- "Well, sometimes if you're going too fast and turn too sharply, the car can roll over and over." (I believe in truth at all times)
*There is silence in the backseat for a number of seconds..., finally, very matter-of-factly, Megan pipes up,
"Well, I bet those people are either dead or dizzy."

Summerisms

Summerisms

At dinnertime tonight-

Noah- "Mommy, I'm not going to have kids."
Me- "Really?"
Noah- "No, I'm not. It's true."
Me- " Ok"
Megan- " Well, ok, Noah. But you won't have anybody to play with."
Summer- "No, but he WILL have peace."

Fall Faves

Why is everyone doing these top ten lists now? What are we, Dave Letterman?
But ok- Far be it from me to go against the grain (ahem). So here it is.

#10. The frosty, clear mornings we get in the gorge. The windshield is coated, the grass is crunchy and my cup of coffee sends steam in a spiral rise upward as I walk to the car for the 1.25 minute drive up the hill to school.

#9. Children with backpacks bigger than they are.

#8. The way this sleepy, small town comes to life when school starts up again. Kids everywhere. Moms and sometimes dads walking back and forth in the early morning crispness or the warm afternoon haze of autumn.

#7.I hate to say it, it's so standard, but I have to. I live in an orchard town, orchards have tree's and tree's have leaves. And in the fall, when the orchardist's have harvested their apples and pears, the valley is a crimson carpet stretching to the east and south. Stout, white barns rise up in the center of the fields like stark stamps. It's charming and makes the leaves, if possible, appear even redder.

#6. The guy in town who sells fresh pressed apple cider from the back of his truck. I've never bought any as I have a strict policy about buying food products out of the back of pick-up trucks, but it's a nice thing to see anyhow.

#5. The stores in town decorating their old storefronts with leaves and pumpkins and hosting the annual halloween trick or treat fest. So fun.

#4. Mallow Creme Pumpkins. They speak for themselves.

#3. Six million turkey dishes made randomly and often from September to Thanksgiving. Tonight's favorite- Butternut-Turkey bake. Recipe below.

#2.Having an excuse to wear my super soft and squishy bathrobe in the mornings as I get the kids ready for school. I'm trying to devise a plan that will enable me to wear it throughout the day, but am still working out the kinks in that one.

#1.And my #1 favorite thing about fall? Mexican Pumpkin candles from World Market. If you don't own any- go get some. You won't be sorry.

ok- so for the Butternut-Turkey bake, here's what you do-

halve one ripe Butternut squash (the oranger in color, the riper and less watery) and rub with a little EVOO. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake at 375 - for an hour, or until tender. Scoop out pulp and place in mixing bowl and mash.
Sautee 1 cup onions in real butter until translucent and beginning to caramelize and add 1 cup cooked turkey. Cook until heated through.
Add 2 cups seasoned croutons, whatever flavor you like, and 2 cups (1 can) chicken broth. Heat to bubbling.
Add Squash.
Place mixture in casserole dish and bake at 375- for 20 - 25 minutes or until bubbling.
Sprinkle about 1/2 cp. shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top and bake until cheese is melted.
It's delicious and surprisingly low fat- as long as you don't count the cheese, which no one does. ;)

PS

At the request of a certain individual, I've gone back and posted some unseemly pictures of us at 3 am on the way to PDX. If you'd like to see them in context, scroll on down to chapter one of Yucatan Wednesday's. :)

Yucatan Wednesdays...A Travel Journal ch.2

Philadelphia. City of Brotherly Love and Broken Brackets-

Fact: Honeymooners are a pain in the arse. They can't help it, also fact. They honestly believe that they are possibly the most In-Love individuals on planet earth and feel desperately sorry for the poor 'older' couples who've let their love die in the gutter after assaulting it with dirty diapers, two year olds and shattered dreams of success.
And so, our story brings us to a bustling and overcrowded airplane flying somewhere over the midwestern United States and to a lovely young couple in seats 22 A and B. In seat 22 C sat an exhausted, frizzy haired woman of a few years more than they. Her once tidy pant suit is stained with airport coffee and she is perpetually raining acid-laden glances down on the smooching young couple next to her. And why, you might ask, is this woman being such a wet blanket on the paradise of their love??? Because they're a pain in the arse. We've discussed this.
The flight to Philadelphia was LONG and as I said, crowded. As you may have guessed, yours truly was seated next to a couple of Love birds.
"So, how long have you been married?" Asks the honeymooning girl to the obviously more mature woman next to her after spotting the ring on the appropriate finger.
"Oh, let's see. Eight and a half years, I guess."
"Oh my gosh- that's like, forever. Eight and a half years ago I was eleven!" She giggles at her funny and I raise an eyebrow. Part of my self discovery this past year is realizing that there's no need for me to be polite to absolute strangers once I've assessed that they're dumb. Case in point, Suzie Q in 22 B.
"Yep. It's been a very long eight and a half years. You'll see. Once the first year has come and gone you, too, will start asking yourself, 'What in God's name did I see in this imbecile? He's broke, uneducated and full of faults. On the hot scale, I'm a solid 8, while he remains firmly lodged in the 3's. By God, I'm gettin' outa here." This is said with a knowledgeable nod of wisdom and a conspiratorial wink to the guy across the aisle from me. Suzie does not see the wink or the man's grin. He is hiding behind his Star Wars novel in a heroic attempt to keep from laughing outright. Suzie flinches slightly and finally remembers to close her mouth. In the seat beside her, her new husband has fallen into a drooling snooze to the soothing sounds of Pink Floyd. The latest issue of Drummer's Monthly is laying open on his lap.
Having successfully stilled conversation with the twittering newlywed, I resume my in flight reading and happily pass the next three and a half hours in silence.
We arrive, still with lingering humor, to a cramped, narrow halled airport and proceed to the ticket agents in order to secure our flights for the following morning. A quick jaunt out to the arrivals zone and soon we are being loaded into an air conditioned shuttle and anticipating seeing this new city.
Ten minutes later and it's clear that Essington is in exactly the opposite direction from downtown Philadelphia and we are going to see NOTHING in the way of the city. Not one thing. We briefly glimpse the skyline before launching onto the freeway in the other direction. We find ourselves later in a somewhat run down district of steakhouses, factories and nightclubs. It looked a little like Powell Blvd back home. Not good.
In an effort to keep costs down, and also to see if we could do it just for the sake of principle, we have not eaten since the day before. It's six in the evening in Philly and we are pretty sure we're going to die of starvation seizures any moment. Next to our cheapo motel, sits mecca- or as it's known in the Northwest, Denny's. But we bypass this traditional choice and take to walking around industrial Philadelphia at dusk, certain we can find someplace to eat that's a little more interesting. We ask around.
"The best place to eat? Oh that's Mike's for sure. That little place on the cornuh, right there. See it? Best Philly Cheesesteak around." Thick Jersey accent.
"What place? Where are you pointing?"
"Right there. See it? With the screen door? Acrossah street."
"That place? really?"
"Yup."

Hm. 'That place' is a tiny, hole in the wall 'joint' with a broken screen door hanging by the top hinge. The diner inside is linoleum floored and looks sticky, even from here, all the way acrossah street. I know there are flies in there. I don't know how I know. I just do.
We ask, "Anything else in this neighborhood?"
"Um. Yeah- there's the tavern. Just go down that street a block or so. You'll see it."
We take a moment to wonder if we're being set up for a mugging, thank the man and keep walking.
Sure enough, a few blocks later, the charming tavern sits huddled in the dark, a few paces back from the road. It looks promising. It's dimly lit and noisy- the first is suspicious, but the second is a good sign.
Cedar paneled walls sport horse racing photo's, there are candles on the tables and the menu boasts pickled beets. What more could one want? I order a dark beer and look across the table at Ryan. This is perfect.
"You know, you were outright rude to that poor girl on the plane."
"I know. I feel bad."
"You do not."
"I know. I feel bad about not feeling bad."
"you do..." he starts to argue "...ok. you know what? just order."

I order the flank steak and he the spaghetti. Discussion with the waitress yields information and we learn that this restaurant has been in this neighborhood for over fifty years and that most of the waitstaff has been here since it opened. You can tell.
Our food arrives and it feels like years since we've eaten last. I am about five bites into the best steak I've ever eaten when I hear the snap. Ryan looks up from his pasta with a "What the?" look on his face. Delicately, with fear, I reach up and remove the wire from where it's stabbing me in the cheek. This has happened before. I was afraid of this. I've broken a bracket trying to chew the World's Best Steak. It's rattling around in my mouth and making it impossible to eat. The rest of my meal goes untouched and the oldest waitress on the planet is slightly annoyed.
"Maybe we should see if there's an orthodontist who can do emergency work." Suggests Ryan.
"I'll be ok." I insist. "It's nine o'clock at night, I'm exhausted. I was planning on drinking my meals on this trip anyway." He rolls his eyes and I wholeheartedly pray there will be no need for me to find an orthodontist in the tiny Mexican town of Puerto Juarez. That just sounds scary.
We pay and begin the walk back. It's fully dark now as we make our way to the main road that will take us back to our hotel. Cars streak by us and I have a moment to appreciate how pedestrian-conscious Portland driver's can be before I glance across the street at another couple making their way in our same direction. They're obviously having a great time and look a little unsteady on their feet. And then, as if it were the most natural thing to do on a Philadelphia streetside, the man drops his drawers and pee's.
Safely back in our hotel room, two miles and thirty seconds later, we collapse. I'm still starving, but have had enough humor to at least keep me occupied today and am rolling in a fit of laughter on the motel bed.
"Did you see that!?" I'm still laughing and Ryan's pulling off his t-shirt and chuckling.
"Yeah."
"Happy second honeymoon!" I guffaw. He looks disappointed.
"I feel bad about this." He says in his serious, discussing thermo-dynamics voice. "We never really took much of a real honeymoon, and when we finally do, your teeth fall apart and strange men are peeing on the sidewalks."
"Would you feel better if it had been someone we knew?" I ask, but barely get the words out.
I can't help it now, I'm hysterical. When I can talk again, have caught my breath, I shake my head.
"We're not newlyweds, thank God. Can you imagine? Nope. We're partners in crime, among other things, and those twittering honeymooning idiots ain't got nothin' on us."
I hold out my hand to him and he takes it. I flip on the T.V. and cruise the cable channels.
"Hey, look. Family Guy's on." He says, feeling better. We get comfortable with snacks for him and water for me and spend most of the night watching the inappropriate cartoon marathon in our jammies.
We fall asleep later to the sound of our own laughter. Our non- honeymoon has begun.

*Please stay tuned for next weeks episode of
Yucatan Wednesday's... Thunder From Down Under*

Yucatan Wednesday's...A Travel Journal

( 3 am)

Chapter 1.
Indecision, Maybe.

It came as no surprise to me to find myself rumpled, undressed and checking email the Sunday afternoon before our Monday morning departure. My suitcase sat empty on the bed in our room surrounded by a pile of shoes, styling irons and various warm weather attire, none of which was actually packed.
Hurricane Ike was making a run through the Yucatan and into the gulf at that very moment and I, with Ryan leaning over my shoulder every few minutes, was closely watching the projections for this cat 4 monster. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous.
"Do you think I should take the Teva's?" I ask Ryan as he goes back to packing after one of the over-the-shoulder checks on weather.com.
"Why? We're going to be at a resort."
"Well, because of the hurricane." Is my exasperated response.
"Because of the hurricane? How will Teva's help you in a hurricane?" Typical man question.
"Well, I'm not wearing Coach flip-flops in 20 feet of water! That's just ridiculous."
Ryan, appreciating my logic and having back packed through a large portion of the Philippines' tropical climate, shrugs his shoulders, "Yeah, take the Teva's. Better safe than sorry."
"Oh, who am I kidding!?" (I'm beginning to lose it now) "Teva's aren't going to help unless they can identify a body by footwear!"
"In that case, better wear the Coach flip flops. No one will believe you own Teva's." At the panic glazing my eyes, he changes his tone and raises a hand for peace, "Calm down, Honey. It probably won't even rain. You'll see." Ryan continues to put things in his bag and is now putting things in mine as well. For fear that he might actually try to pack for me, heaven forbid, I reluctantly leave the minute by minute updates and start the process myself, muttering about varying evacuation plans.
Ten minutes later, and having made zero progress on the packing situation, I am back on the computer, this time having printed a map of the city and am industriously highlighting 6 different evacuation routes, when I hear Ryan on the phone. From his end of the conversation I gather he is talking to a US Airways rep about the flight.
"Oversold? Tell me something..Kathy, is it?...Tell me something Kathy, why is it, do you think, that when there are 150 seats on a plane, the ticket agents sell 175. I know I'm not a rocket scientist, but tell me why that makes sense to you and not to me. I just don't get it."
I can hear only his side of the conversation, but I'm pretty sure I know what's happening and panic starts to rise up in my throat. I can't stop the questions even though I know it makes him crazy when I do this when he's on the phone. I find him in the next room and begin to frantically whisper in his ear.
"Oversold?! What does she mean they're oversold!? How can that happen? Is there another flight tomorrow? When's the next flight?!"
"Ssshhh!" He waves me off with a flick of his hand and marches into the living room. "No, not you Kathy. I was shushing someone else.." He shoots me an incriminating gaze. "Perhaps you'd be able to tell me when the next flight to Phoenix leaves Portland on Monday....Three in the afternoon? Nope. Not going to work. Our connecting flight leaves Phoenix at 9:20 am. Is there another flight from Phoenix to Cancun on Monday? Not till Wednesday?!"
At this point I'm following him around the house, literally biting my tongue and clasping my hands behind my back in a saintly effort to restrain myself from wrestling the cell phone from my husbands hands and ripping the illustrious Kathy a new one. I am repeating, "What are we going to do?" like the whispered mantra of the insane. The logical side of me is thinking it's convenient that I haven't packed yet.
"Ok, Kathy. Here's the deal. I'm taking a second honeymoon with my wife and on top of that, tomorrow's my birthday. I know that doesn't matter to you- but it matters to me. So if there's any way at all you can get us to Cancun tomorrow, we would really appreciate it."
I wait an unending beat while Kathy clicks what are probably ugly acrylic fingernails on her demon possessed keyboard.
Ryan responds with lifted brows, "Philadelphia? And there's a connecting flight? hm. ok, that's an option. Well, let me talk to my wife and I'll get back with you. Thanks." He hangs up the phone and looks at me. By this time I have made a plan. I'm very good at plans. I start talking even before he has relayed her words to me. I caught enough that I've been able to keep up to speed.
"A flight tonight."
"What?" He's looking at me, uncomprehending. "What flight tonight?"
"Is there a flight to Phoenix tonight that we could get on? Then we'd be there for the Cancun flight in the morning and we already know a cheap motel from last years trip." *see earlier post- The Phoenix Shenanigans*
His eyes light up. I can see his Smither's type scheming coming into them. "Yeeesssss....this could work."
He flips open the phone and rapid dials Kathy's associate, Darlene somethingorother to re- explain everything we've just discussed with Kathy. Soon he's hanging up and a panicked look is skirting around on his face.
"Ok. There's a flight that goes to Phoenix tonight and it's oversold by one. There's a good chance we could get on that flight. We'd be there in time for the Cancun flight in the morning IF there's room on that flight for us. The way it looks right now for that flight is pretty sketchy, there's already 6 people on the waiting list and the planes full, but it looks like our best shot."
"We're not going are we?" Despair settles in.
"Yes we are. We are." He insists. "But the issue is that the flight for Phoenix leaves in two and a half hours. The kids aren't packet yet. Your mother isn't expecting them until four. You haven't finished packing either." He holds up his hands, questioning. "What are we doing?"
"I don't know. Is it worth it to rush? I don't know."
"I don't know either." He looks at me for a minute, waits for the plan to formulate in my mind.
"So what are we doing?" He asks again.
"Running." Is my only answer as I speed dial my mother, send her into a panic of her own and begin throwing random articles of clothing into the suitcases. One high heeled white sandal, one parka, three umbrellas... Stop! I order myself. Pull yourself together! Only ONE white sandal?!
I throw the other in and continue on the rampage.
My mother shows up minutes later to finish packing for the kids and get my house ready to be empty for a week. We toss half packed bags into the back of the car, synchronize our watches and blaze into traffic for the eighty mile trip to the Portland airport with a heartfelt wave to the kids out the car window. Gone are the days when we linger over teary good bye's with the children. We wave. They wave back. And then it's back to business.
"We're not going to make it."
"I love how you always have a positive attitude."
"I'm just saying, we're not going to make it." I adjust my newly purchased Paris Hilton type sunglasses and check myself out in the side mirror.
"Would you stop? You look fine." He slaps at my hands that are reaching for the cosmetic bag in my purse.
With a huffing sigh I sit back, try to force myself to breathe. Fifteen minutes ago I was checking the weather on the computer.
"C'mon FedEx. You can do better than seventy, can't you? We're late here!"
"Don't start."
"I will start. Pretend you have late deliveries or something and use that handy pedal on the right."
"That's it. I'm slowing down."
"No! Ok, ok. Fine. I can't even look at how fast you're NOT going." In rebellion I reach for the cosmetic bag and fill the car with the fine dust of Covergirl, sending Ryan into the much anticipated fit of sneezing.

His parents meet us at Troutdale on the outskirts of Portland and his dad agrees to drive us the rest of the way and take our car back to their house. The last fifteen minutes of the drive prove to be the most grueling as Dave tries to get the feel of the Subaru's clutch. We arrive with minor whiplash and most of that covergirl smeared on the back of the seat in front of me. We jump from the still moving car, grab our bags and rush to the counter.
It is two hours later when we call his dad again for a ride back to the Sr. Kendall's. The flight was full.

"Are you telling me..." I begin as Ryan and I make our way out of the airport, "That we just did all of that for nothing? You know I only packed ONE pair of shorts? I'm probably going to have to go around butt naked the whole time thanks to this fiasco."
"Don't worry. The sunglasses cover most of the rest of you."
I slide him an impatient look.
"Give me something to be pleased about here. One thing. I'm begging."
"Well...we're going to Philly in the morning. That should be interesting."
"Doesn't count."
"And why not?"
"Because it's only a possibility. Not an absolute."
"There are millions of possibilities. You could have been struck by lightning walking into the airport tonight."
"Is that supposed to be the thing I'm glad about?"
"That's the spirit!" With a clap on the shoulder he breezes through the revolving doors to meet his dad, still trying to drive my subaru, who's waiting in the arrivals zone.
I have a moment to think, 'Happy Second Honeymoon to Us' before his dad rips into airport traffic and launches us down the freeway in first gear.
Either way, I think sunnily, I'm not driving kids to school or making peanut butter and jelly, taking phone calls or paying bills. I remember Cabo well and how misfortune often turned into adventure on that trip.
By the time we reach the small suburb of Gresham and his dad is cheerfully pulling into the KFC parking lot, I'm in a much better mood.
Philadelphia awaits. Maybe. Or Phoenix. Or possibly Charlotte. For now, we are falling onto the food like starving Ethiopian's and planning a rousing game of Pinochle. For now, I don't curse whoever it was who thought of 'stanby' tickets.
Ryan is chattering with his dad about trying to catch the 5:20 am flight to Phoenix even though it's oversold and there are several people on the waiting list with higher priority than us. I try to talk sense into him, like all good wives everywhere, but he's not listening so I give up.
Later, we crash onto the couches in the Sr. Kendall's living room and set the alarm for three a.m. We will have about three hours of sleep tonight and all for a flight I'm positive we won't make. But I let him entertain his delusions and when the alarm goes off a heartbeat after we've drifted off, I continue to let him have them.
It's Monday. Dave will drive us to the airport, again. Coffee in hand, we set out. Ryan is talking about the plan for Phoenix and I am going over the restaurants in the airport in my head, choosing one that will serve a decent breakfast since I know we'll be there at breakfast time as there's NO WAY we're making the Phoenix flight. I say nothing to Ryan, but am not happy as you can see. Note the contrast between his travel euphoria and my own sense of REALITY.


Little does he know, I also researched several Philadelphia hotels the night before and chosen one with a free shuttle and continental breakfast near the airport. I am nothing if not prepared, and sneakily so.
The drop off is smooth and we check in. It doesn't look good, says the ticket agent to Ryan. But Dave has already left and we're stuck. Through security and down the long corridor we go, lugging our suitcases and the giant carry on I intend to pass off as a purse regardless of the fact that you could fit a large purse, a laptop computer and a medium sized terrier breed dog in there.
We wait. Somewhere there is a TV blasting the Pink Panther theme song all over the terminal.
Ryan is making his eyebrows dance up and down with the music in an attempt at entertainment. It's not working.
Finally the crowd converges, the lines form. The plane is boarding AND (drumroll please) you guessed it. Full flight. No room for standby's.
Ryan looks dismayed. He was so sure.
"Alright you. You're buying me breakfast. Get up." I stand in front of him, hands on hips.
"I was so sure we'd get on." He looks confused.
"You can think about it over french toast and let me know what you come up with. Let's go."
We lug our baggage back down the unending corridor and flop into hard plastic chairs at the diner.
"So," he begins. "I suppose we're going to Philly."
"That's right." I say as I butter my toast, unperturbed.
"You knew all along, didn't you?"
"We have a reservation at the Comfort Inn in Essington for tonight."
"Essington...hm. What other sorts of things do you know?" He's interested now.
"Oh."I say, glancing up at him. "You wouldn't even believe..."

*************************************************************************************

*Please stay tuned for next week's episode of Yucatan Wednesdays,
City of Brotherly Love and Broken Brackets*

Something funny

Well, I just had to share this one-

It is a common occurrence in the Kendall household that when leaving the house, we will often get precisely one block from home and go, "Wait! I forgot my wallet." Or "Oh, jeez- you have to turn around. I forgot my sunglasses." or, often from the backseat. "I have to go potty!".
When I say this is common- I mean practically every time we leave the house. It's daily. There's just so much going on, a veritable hurricane of talking, directing, grabbing things to take (which inevitably are never the things we've forgotten as that would be too easy) that things are left behind. And not the small inconsequential things that you can live without- but the really important things...like going potty and remembering to take our phones or *forpetessake* our wallet/ purse, those are always the things we forget.
And so, now rushed at the thought of an extra 1.75 minutes spent retrieving the forgotten item, we speed around the block and swerve recklessly back in front of the house, where we slam out of the car and race through the front door in search of bathroom/wallet/sunglasses/whatever. Keys in hand, we zip through the house (because there's no way whatever it is that we're looking for is going to be wherever it's supposed to be (except the bathroom which, surprisingly, is, often enough, right where we left it)) scanning furniture surfaces, turning over couch cushions, digging through handy 'organizational' baskets (yeah right) until we've found said item.
We then grab it up and race out the front door, click the flimsy, Good-Thing-We-Live-In-A-Small-Town-That's-Relatively-Safe lock into place and race back to the car, where we clamber in, hastily buckle our seatbelt, look at our spouse (whoever's driving) and go, "C'mon! We're late! Let's go!" only to see aforementioned love of our respective life look at us in an also frustrated way and say, "Keys??"
Oh yeah. I took those in with me didn't I? Hm. Open the clenched fist. Nope, don't have 'em. Crap. Crap. Crap. House is locked. Door could be broken in, but really, what a shame.
Ah yes- the old standby. A skill we hope he will never use in criminal activity, we shout, "Noah! You're going in. Mom (it's usually me who does this) forgot the keys again."
At which point my valiant four-year-old who fancies himself a hero (and really, he kind of is) when pressed into this situation, flips his seatbelt off in much the same way as his hurried mother just did 2 minutes ago, leaps from the car and makes a bee line for the back yard, two steps in front of whatever adult happens to be going to give him the boost. This time it's his father.
Through the gate, down the walkway and to our bedroom windows.
My four year old deftly pops the screen and uses the flat of his hand as traction on the glass in order to slide up the unlocked window. (He's doing all of this while being held as the window's kind of high)
Once the window's up, he scoots a hip onto the sill, swings his legs into our bedroom, and this time (which was yesterday by the way) he slants a look at his father, lays a hand on Ryan's shoulder and with absolute manliness says, "It's ok dad. I do this for mom occasionally." (he seriously said 'occasionally) With that he jumps to the floor (only about 18') shuts the window in Ryan's laughing face and disappears. We know the routine. Ryan meets him at the front door, where our boy is on his way out having locked the door behind him and has the forgotten keys dangling from his fingertips. He climbs back in the car, buckles himself in and sighs a deep sigh of self-satisfaction combined with boredom. Ah, the hero again. The role gets so mundane.
Now, as I mentioned before, this skill could prove to be one we regret instilling in him when he's 25. But for the time being, my four-year-old is pretty handy to have around.

How we spent the summer

It feels weird to post a regular blog after a whole summer of Baja Tuesday's, but, while less funny, this will let everyone in on what the Kendall's have been doing with their 100 degree weather out here in the gorge.
enjoy:)

We did a lot of this....

An embarrassing amount of this....


Put in some time at Relay For Life
Specifically on the GIANT
slip N' slide






A LOT of work went into the electrical system of our house...


And into replacing the water heater that went out in the middle of the electrical project.
(That's my brother, Jimmie ;)


We did take some time off to enjoy the fair in Hood River...


I had braces put on in July... smiling hurt for awhile...

The carousel was the girls favorite ride.

Noah spent some time in solitary...that's the box from the water heater

He liked it....really.


We did a lot of picnicking...


And enjoyed some hiking...


This is Sahalie falls...






The kid's took golf lessons all summer...



...And were rewarded with trophies at the end.



Summer also won a set of golf clubs as a reward for Most Improved Player.

Hope you all had a wonderful summer!

Baja Tuesday's...A Journey Through Hilarity

The Long Road Home...or...Burning Up On Re-Entry

Ah, yes. That last day.

We met up with Dave and Eileen at breakfast on our last full day in Cabo and learned that Dave had been talking with Violet all morning and reporting about the 'romantic' cruise she'd sent us on for their anniversary. He had something planned, he told us. And Ryan and I were NOT invited. Well. So, fine then.
Whatever it was it would certainly not be as awesome as our own BIG plans for the day which included some pretty amazing....yeah, nothing. Nothing at all. We thought about snorkeling, but didn't want to sprint to the other side of the marina to catch the boat that left in an hour. We thought about another sunset cruise on Pepe's boat, but thought that might be overkill. In the end we decided to spend the entire day laying by the pool and drinking Pina Coladas, something, if you'll remember, I had been dreaming about since this trip started but had been too busy to do.
So we laid around, enjoyed the sun, baked a little, put our feet in the pool... and within mere moments, were OUT OF OUR MINDS WITH BOREDOM. We look at each other, take a deep inhalation of the relaxing vacation air, grab our towels and head for our room where dry clothes and a wad of cash await our arrival. We're outa there. Whatever Dave and Eileen are doing it's going to PALE in comparison to what we have to tell them tomorrow morning when we report the previous day's adventures!
We take our cash and hit the streets is search of trouble, two Americans on a mission, soaked now in this seedy southern social climate, we are prepared for ANYTHING!... In the real world, where we live most of the time, we were actually a couple of tourists looking to buy their kids maracas. But NO WAY were we getting hosed by these locals for a couple of shakers. No sir. We were on to 'em now.
"How much for these?" Ryan asked a man at the flea market.
"five dollar." The man replies.
"FIVE? For these??" is Ryan's question.
"Yeah. How much you pay?"
Ryan, seeing an opening, bids low.
"Two dollars."
The man looks up at us for the first time. "Two dollars?? No. Too low." He takes the maracas and walks away. We exchange a glance. Perhaps he does not realize that we are worldly American travelers who are onto him and his grimy capitalist ways.
Nevertheless, he is gone, and so are our maracas.
"What now?" I asked.
"Next booth." Instructs the skinflint.
The same delima occurs, this time with an irritated older lady. "Two dollars!? No!" And the maracas disappear again.
I keep thinking, For the love of all things Holy!, just pay the man/woman/overworked five year old the five pickin dollars!!! But no- because now he is a man on a quest and he's sure that someone somewhere will give him his maracas for two bucks. Have I mentioned yet that it is the hottest day of our trip so far? Yep- well over 90 and climbing. My feet, clad in fashionable Victoria's Secret flip flops are literally on fire and I am leaving a trail of turquoise colored flip flop material simmering behind me on the sidewalk. After about 15 minutes all that is left of my once cute sandals is the tiny strap between my toes. There are millions of zig zagging ocean blue footie prints all over Cabo San Lucas that remain to this day. Should you happen to visit the city, you can retrace the steps once taken by the two stupid tourists who made the first circuitous route through the low slung buildings in search of the Best Deal Possible on a pair of cheezy kid maracas. It's a regular pilgrimage now.
But anyway-
We storm into one shop after another, demanding that these people give us our maracas for our two pitiful dollars until FINALLY we come upon a relatively nice woman who offers them to us for three. Ryan struggles against the idea that he might have to compromise and finally agrees that my red, swollen feet are worth a one dollar concession on his part. Maracas in hand, we leave the sweltering flea market and point ourselves toward our hotel and refreshment.
We spent the rest of the day by the pool wishing time would just stop and leave us there, but eventually, the sun went down on our last evening in Cabo and we were forced to face reality, our trip was over. The next day, we had breakfast by the pool with Dave and Eileen, all of us looking completely exhausted, and then made the last 6 mile walk to our rooms to pack.
We met in the lobby at 9am.

The guys- not a great picture, but I was too tired to care


Eileen and I.

Reluctantly, we climb into the grayline shuttle that will take our now lazy, Mexico-lovin' selves back to the airport where we again wait for a plane. Dave does his thing and cracks a couple of jokes with the guy at the front of the ticket line and the guy returns the favor by making sure we're on the flight. This time, I'm not too happy that he's done that.
Our plane takes off and Cabo San Lucas becomes a strip of arid earth beneath us, the sea stretching forever. I watch the coastline out my window for as long as I can see it, which seems like a long time, until we make our descent back into Phoenix. It's lunchtime and we kill the two hour layover at a pub in the airport before making our way back to the gate where we are told we're NOT going to make the flight to Portland. Surprise, Surprise. None of us are talking, Dave, Eileen and Ryan because they're just too tired for words and myself because I am industriously planning a way to get myself back onto a Cabo bound plane.
I am busy hatching a plan involving three toothpicks and the one tampon I have left in my purse, all of which I will stealthfully employ in my mission to reboard Air Mexico, when the flight attendant informs us that they can get two of us on the flight after all. So now the question is: Do we want to split up?
Dave and Eileen encourage Ryan and I to take the flight, but we refuse. I'm not absolutely sure they'll get on the next flight if I'm not there to fuss about it and also- I have not completed plans for my escape and need more time to finish the identical 'Melissa look-alike' that I am constructing out of paperclips, playing cards and random things found in airport trash receptacles. Look-Alike Melissa will go with Dave and Eileen and my unsuspecting husband whilst I make my exit and head south of the border never to make gooey smiley faces in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches again!!! Bwah Ha Ha!!! This marvelous plan is disrupted by sanity eventually and we find a more realistic use for the playing cards...

We were able to make the delayed connection and found ourselves landing in Portland a short two hours after departure. It was 11 o'clock pm. Fourteen hours since we left the Tesoro Resort.
We step away from the gate into the long corridor of PDX and begin walking...

"Honey, keep walking. What are you stopping for?"
"I don't want to go home. I'm going to get back on the plane.."
"You can't get back on the plane. And even if you did, you'd still be in Portland."
"They might take me back."
"No they wouldn't"
"How do you know? I hate you." This is said with shoulders drooping, devastated resignation.
"You're right. You should get back on the plane. You never know. They might take you back."
Spurred now by his mockery, I retort, "Look, honey, a muffin counter! I think they might still be open!"
He has no response for this jagged riposte and I take the opportunity to turn on my heel and tackle the long corridor. Outside the windows of PDX, the city is dark, obscured by the sheets of rain that are dumping down from low hanging clouds. Selfless Brother Kyle will be waiting for us in the portico outside the main doors. The airport is quiet, abandoned almost, and the bustling atmosphere of Cabo seems very far away.
Ryan catches up to me, slings his arm around my shoulder.
"You know, I think it's a pretty good idea to take advantage of these company benefits on a more regular basis. We should plan another trip maybe. How do you feel about Jamaica??"
I look at him the same way I looked at that airport employee when we first landed in Cabo, skepticism and suspicion creeping around the edges of my expression. "Really?" One eyebrow raised.
"Why not? We can start planning for next year and see what we can do. Think about it and let me know where you want to go."
I smile because I know he means it. Kyle is waiting outside, just like we knew he would be. It's pouring, a cruel reminder from Mother nature that the week of fun has ended. Dave pops into the front seat of the minivan and I wonder if he has to force himself to speak English.
"Well, it looks like you're all tan!" Says Kyle from the front, which opens up the floodgates of story time and we tell him all the things we did that made us tan. I lay my head back against the seat and try not to fall asleep. Ryan is holding my hand and chanting the names of other exotic places that he promises to take me sometime in our lifetime. Just the promise is enough for now.
I make a mental note to buy muffin mix when we get home.
Cabo has been amazing, but it's time to look ahead- other adventures sit poised on the horizon, the golden eyes of sunsets yet unseen. I breathe. I preserve the wonder gained from a thousand experiences in 7 days. And finally, peace. There will be more.

*This has been the last post of Baja Tuesday's. Thanks to all who read and enjoyed the posts! Perhaps there will be Yucatan Wednesdays in our future ;0)*