When life throws you lemons...go ice skating!

Our holiday adventures have begun during my family's FAVORITE time of year.  And I mean FAVORITE.  We get our tree as early as possible, we put up as many lights as our circuits hold, our house inside would give the Grinch hives, we read Christmas stories, watch Christmas movies, and make Christmas food - sometimes at the same time.

So when life has thrown us a few curve balls lately I'm very glad it all happened during our FAVORITE time of year.  It's just easier to handle when we all have smiles from ear to ear.

So what have we been up to...well here are some videos for your viewing pleasure!

After the lighting of Union Station there was a delightful Handbell chorus!

We have fallen head over skate for ice skating...in fact that is what Ainslee wants santa to bring her.  This is a video of Kurt doing a "hockey slide."  Don't blink for this one.  Also, someone in the background has a really annoying laugh.

We have also attended school concerts and Winter Faires...Harp played his Bass and Clarinet and Ainslee sang with her class.

Much to do, so little time...

Thanksgiving at age 34 and age 20.

This was the first Thanksgiving in ten years I have not been with my or Kurt's family.  Not to mention the first in a few years we haven't had our annual Friend's Thanksgiving.  At first I was so depressed and melancholy I was having a hard time getting excited about the days off, the feast I had in store, and celebrating the best Holiday of the year (second only to Arbor Day).  I just couldn't get past the fact I would not be partaking of my friend's Sam's famous Chex Mix, my Mom's pies, or participating in the Madden Family Gala Talent Show (and I had worked up such an amazing knife throwing act).

The kids and I had the entire week off, so I had a lot of time to think about what I was missing. 

I was also remembering the first Thanksgiving I had as a married woman in Austin, Texas.  We had moved to Texas with our first born Aaron (he's actually one of our best friends and a lovely gentleman) days after getting married.  It was such an amazing adventure.  Traveling in an old bakery truck across the Western US for two weeks, sleeping in swap meet parking lots, running out of gas, told by the police to get out of Yellowstone, and watching our cat Slick walk around on his leash.  Yes, a journey that everyone takes sometime in their life.

I will never forget this trip and the time I spent with my two best friends.  

When we got to Austin we headed to an RV park, where the owner charged us only $5 a night (because did I mention it was just an old Bakery Truck).  Aaron slept outside on a huge pillow, our TV was hooked up to a pole and placed classily on the ice chest, and our spot was backed up to the parking lot of a pretty nice Italian place where people routinely gasped in disgust at our set up.  Yes we were living the good life.  We couldn't get into an apartment for two weeks.  Henceforth we rode the city buses all day long to enjoy the air conditioning, much needed tip to surviving the heat of Texas in August. 

We finally got our apartment in the hoity toity Sea Breeze complex that was placed right in front of a great little spot we called the "Drug House" and no where near a Sea.  The "Drug House" was a rundown home where people went in with TVs and came out hours later empty handed, with glazed eyes and singing versions of Bob Dylan songs.  (Mom, don't worry it was similar to Church).

We all got jobs:  Kurt - 7-Eleven, Aaron - Pizza delivery, Amanda - Drive through dry cleaning.  

It's amazing how little money we survived on.  We found furniture by dumpsters or garage sales, ate a lot of free pizza from Aaron's job, and swam in the pool.

Austin was a great city...it really was...the library was beautiful, the buses were free if going downtown, the people very friendly, food was amazing, and the music and movie scene was everything 3 twenty year olds could ever want.  We also made some great friends (especially after I got a job upgrade to baker at a Kosher Deli).

Months passed and we settled in to a life I now realize was extremely care free.  We built a distinguished record collection, and played a ton of Atari.

The holidays came upon us and I soon realized that I am unnaturally connected to my family.  I missed them so much I could hardly get up in the morning.  I had my two dearest friends with me, not to mention a husband I adored, yet I was so young.  I had never lived 5 minutes away from my mom and dad or my wonderful, wonderful, sweet baby brothers.  God I missed them.  I hadn't realized that my crazy, loud, much too talented brothers and sisters were such a part of me and who I was.  The holidays were so lonesome.  We invited a down on their luck family to a Christmas dinner.  I'm not even sure what I cooked.  We exchanged gifts...

We moved back to Portland 4 months later.

I've grown up a lot since then.  I am still connected to my family in ways most people can't understand.  I need them in my life...they are still a part of me and who I am.  Yet, I'm more me now.  I'm also a part of my own family.  I have two of the best kids in the world, and a husband that is my best friend and whom I adore.  So this holiday season it wasn't so bad being so far away...we cooked an amazing meal, truly epic, we played board games, we went ice skating, watched the Muppet movie, and just sat and enjoyed each other.

So I probably won't move back to the West Coast in 4 months this time.  We will make sure to fly home for Thanksgiving next year guaranteed.  I have my family and friends with me all the time in my laugh, in my songs, in my head, in my heart.  

But my little family now is my heart and soul, and the adventures have just begun.

Wet n Wild at a Colorado Hot Springs

Oh, Colorado, where have you been all my life.  Every time we jump in the car for an adventure we end up at something so fantabulous, so unexpected, so fun I have to blog it.  Which is the American thing to do.

This was such the case when we happened upon Hot Sulphur Springs.  I woke up Saturday wanting to hike somewhere, see some nature, get us all away from our technology and jobs (Kurt has been working so much and so hard-which a proper sugar daddy should be doing).  Anyway, we did some research and decided to head on up the mountain towards Estes Park and the Hanging Lakes.  However, we hit a wall of cars right off...stop and go traffic.  So we checked our GPS for a way around it, instead kind of took a wrong turn, and found a new destination...Hot Sulphur Springs.

Beaver pond is right behind this pool.

The ride was beautiful, up the mountain switch back style.  We went through Winter Park, past ski resorts, mountain pass, through small towns (much like the towns my dad moved us too over and over again), then to the "resort."  This resort was more a backhills lodge that happened to be surrounded by various spring filled baths and pools.

I think what was so amazing was the peace and tranquility.  The natural settings, waterfalls, duck pond complete with beaver and his dam, chipmunks running around, and the hippies just added to the serenity.  Thankfully the hippies left their bongo drums at the yurt and kept their clothes on.

It started to snow while we were there, which
just made the water feel warmer.

We soaked, floated, received a natural massage from the waterfalls in mineral rich 102-108 degree water.  There are a total of 23 pools that range from soaking tubs to pools.  We tried about 10 of them.
It was hard to come back to real life.

The only thing wrong with Colorado is that our friends and family can't join us on these adventures.  I can just imagine my Dad or our friend Jason soaking in these tubs, my nephews getting along with the ski bum hitchhikers we picked up while heading to the top of the pass, and my sister rubbing elbows with the dreadlock wearing greenies.

Flights now for only $159 from Priceline!  Reserve yours today.

I'd like to dedicate this post to R.E.M.

I would like to take this moment to share with you something very special.  Something that I care very deeply about.  Something that changed the way I view the world and myself.

Alpine Slides.

Kurt and Harper riding up the mountain.

I know, I know.  Amanda/ Mandy we already know all about Alpine Slides and the spiritualism of such a ride, where have you been.  I know, right!  For those very few who don't know it is a slide so high you take a ski lift to get to the top of the MOUNTAIN.  Then after you sign a waiver you get into a plastic "sled" with a brake between your legs, say a prayer, kiss the children one last time then hurl yourself down a track made of concrete.  We drove into the mountains on Saturday to see some fall foilage and beautiful scenery when we happened upon Heritage Square and their glorious claim to fame.

If there is a patch, I need one.  Cause baby, momma gonna find and ride every alpine slide available.
Seriously, when you come visit I will take you to my new chapel and you will be converted!


A video.

Sorry I would have recorded more but I had to hold the pee in and the brake at the same time, the video camera had to go.

9-11

9-11 by Harper Workman

Harper on 9-9-01

The date: September 6, 2001. My dad and I flew out from Portland, Oregon, to Billings, Montana, to visit my Grandpa, who lived in Casper, Wyoming. At the time, I was only two years old. Our flight back to Portland was scheduled on September 11, 2001. We were camping in Grandpa’s old camper, which was full with mice. On that Tuesday morning, I was fishing when Grandpa got the call. He had to go up onto a little hill, so he could get better reception. When his call was finished he said:

            “Well, Grandma says they blew up New York,” to which my dad replied,

            “What do you mean, they blew up New York? WHO blew up New York?”

            My grandpa had no idea, so we jumped into the car, and drove to a nearby town called Custer. Custer was a strange place. There was absolutely nobody outside. It was pretty early in the morning, but still, it was a bit creepy.

            We pulled into a gas station, and walked inside. Behind the counter stood a small green refrigerator, and on top was a TV with the news on it.  We sat down to watch as they played a recap of the second plane hitting, and the South Tower crumbling to the ground. We all sat, dumbfounded, even me, a tiny two year old. It seemed even I knew that something awful had happened.

            We drove over to my Great Grandma’s house, in Laurel, Montana. We called up our airline, United, but needless to say, our flight back home was, “canceled until further notice,” which was devastating to us. All we could do to entertain ourselves was watch the news. After four days of getting denied by United, we finally got a call saying that our flight was on Friday afternoon. That was on September 15, 2001.

            Our cousin, my dad’s first, and my second, drove us over to the airport. When we got there, it was a mad house. Everyone in the entire state, it seemed, was at the airport. We learned that our flight had been delayed for about three to four hours. After sitting in an overcrowded airport, our flight arrived, but the pilots (of course), had to rest because they had been on duty too long. So another three hours later, we finally got on our plane, and got back to Portland, but it was too late for Mom to pick us up. We had to take a taxi to get back home, and when we did, Mom burst into tears.

            Even though it such a huge ordeal for us, it was nothing compared to what others were feeling. We had to put ourselves in the shoes of the people who had died, and their families. And when we got home, we were just happy to be together, which was more then what 3,000 other families had. 

Summer Camp Part II - Future Smartasses of America at Camp Lotta Ha Ha

Lots of parents raise their kids with the hope, and maybe even expectation, that they'll be the future leaders of our nation. I guess I can see where they're coming from - we need politicians and captains of industry to keep this big ol' machine a humming. These parents use examples like Bill Gates and Barack Obama to illustrate to their kids that it doesn't matter where you come from, you can make a difference in the world.

These are fine examples to look up to - even if you're an Apple fanboy or a raging teabagger - who wouldn't want their kid to be the richest man in the world or the PUSA? Well, us for one. We tend to idolize a different sort in our house. We look up to John Stewart, Louis Black and George Carlin. Yes we need future leaders of America but we also need future smartasses to make fun of those future leaders.

Harper and Ainslee both are already world class ball-breakers and to tell you the truth, I couldn't be more proud. So when I saw the local comedy club, Comedy Works, offering a weeklong comedy camp for kids I couldn't register Harper fast enough.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, Harper studied his butt off learning how to write jokes and put a decent three-minute set together. Then on Saturday afternoon the kids performed their acts in front of a packed house of parents, friends and creepy adults who just seemed to want to watch little kids on stage.

The comedian in charge of the camp was a guy named Phil Palisoul, which you can watch here on "The Tonight Show", http://youtu.be/BSsyxxUs-48. He told us repeatedly what a great writer Harper was, but seemed worried about him "finding his voice." He kept telling us to watch comedians like Steven Wright and Mitch Hedberg. "See, they're also quiet but somehow managed to stand on stage and say stuff for a few minutes," he said.

Amanda and I were way more nervous than Harper and in the end he in fact did manage to stand on stage and say stuff for a few minutes. So here's the result of all the comedic hand-wringing. Enjoy!

Summer Camp...part 1

We made a bit of money on the sale of our house in Washington so we decided to spend some of it on the kids.  You know, instead of doing something mature and responsible like painting a General Lee flag on Kurt's truck ala Duke's of Hazard.

To be honest we are also still trying to bribe the kids into to thinking that moving was the best thing we could possibly do.  We aren't going to win any parent of the year contests, so we thought "hey how's a simple bribe gonna hurt our track record."
So we asked the kids what would their dream activity be?
Ainslee:  Horse riding camp
Harper:  Comedy camp
So Kurt, who although I'm the librarian in the house does the majority of the compulsive research, found both camps.  The cost was high, but the experience will be forever a great memory for both the kids and us.  I also think we found their true passions  We will continue to help them pursue it so that we may live vicariously through them.

I can't possibly explain to you how amazing it was to see my little baby girl up on that big horse named Blue.  I came back the first day of camp a bit early to see if I could  catch her riding.  On the FIRST DAY she was up on that horse like a natural.  I was giggling.  She was so happy, so brave, so not my baby but a little lady.

Kurt and I absolutely did NOT pressure our kids in these choices, but both of them were dreams of ours too.  It was so much fun to watch and participate as the doting parent.  She put on a horseshow with the other campers to show what they learned.  I love seeing her little feet kick that horse to trot.

Thanks Academy Stables!

Part 2...Harper's comedy genius!