Our pre-Riley trip

We visited Lindy and Chris this week! Here are some of the things we did:

1. Got on airport bus to fly to Austin.

2. Saw cutest dog ever when we got there.

3. Ate fish tacos cooked by Chris. (Mmmmm. Lindy is a lucky girl.)

4. Ate fantastic chicken pot pie--every last bit of it--made by Jim.

5. Watched Sophie and Rick play tug-of-war at Cathy and Jim's.

6. Watched Rick do tricks. (Smart dog.)

7. Cuddled with Rick.

8. Spent time with Phyllis and Jessie.

9. Watched Riley stretch, exercise and hiccup--pretty amazing!

10. Saw Riley's bedroom and all the cool stuff Chris and Lindy have done to it. The next time we visit, Riley will be in it too! Sooooo exciting.

We had a great trip, and I can't wait to return to see Riley of Round Rock in March. Thanks for being such fabulous hosts/hostesses, Lin and Chris!

Utah Christmas, 2009

Here are a few quick comments on our wonderful Christmas this year. (Bob and I are headed to Austin tomorrow and we're both trying to get our Spring 2010 syllabi finished before we leave.)

After Logan and Jody arrived, Logies did a quick fuzziness check on Oscar, and Oscar passed! He (Oscar) has regrown all of the fur he lost when he was shaved at the animal shelter last February. We all agreed that Oscar has regained his feline gorgeousness.

More proof that Oscar Hammerpants is now "Oscar the Hairy."

We really enjoyed having Logan and Jody here for Christmas. As proof of their adorableness, I offer this:

Sean was here as well, and he too is adorable:

We played "guess baby Kincaid's name." Sean suggested that we create a list of names and vote on the winner. We all decided that baby Kincaid would be known as:

Logan made eggnog Christmas morning, whilst the rest of us watched.

I made a bunch of sugar cookies shaped like Christmas trees.

As usual, I cried after we dropped Logan and Jody off at the airport, and was reminded (once again) how lucky I am to have such an incredible family--immediate and extended. To borrow from a Sandra Bullock movie, my cup runneth over. Merry Christmas, everyone!

If I ever have another dog (or, if another dog has me)

I want it to be this dog.* Seriously.

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

* Photo credits: Sarah Ause, http://www.saussie.com/

Let's review

Okay, just to recap the last couple of days: As you all probably know by now, for weeks Chris, Dunc, Betsy and I have been plotting a surprise mini-party for Bob on his birthday. I cooked a nice dinner for just the two of us, and D & B were set arrive in SLC at 7:45 PM--unbeknownst to Bob. Earlier in the day I told Bob the bakery hadn't finished his cake and I would have to go back at 7:30 to pick it up. In actuality, I planned to head to the hairport, pick up D & B, and Chris was going to arrive at our house at about the same time we got home. It was a beautiful plan.

As it turned out, D & B were re-routed to Spokane, and their new flight was to arrive in SLC earlier than scheduled. I was a little worried about getting my butt out to the airport by 7:00, but I thought I would make it. But then, the flight from Spokane was delayed a couple of times due to mechanical problems, and after that, it was CANCELLED. Duncan, Betsy, Chris and I exchanged about 45 phone calls while all of this was happening, which required me to have to talk in a secret code, because Bob was sitting right there and I couldn't very well say, "Your flight was delayed? So I should pick you up at the airport at 9:00?" So instead I said intelligent things like, "Dang. Hmmm. Okay. See you later."

After about the 43rd call we decided we would have to spill the beans, since Dunc and Betsy weren't going to arrive in SLC until Sunday morning. See, the problem was that the birthday cake said "Happy Birthday Bob and Betsy," which would have been hard to 'splain.


So, Chris came over at about 7:15 and we told Bob. Then, we had some cake and champagne, Bob and Chris played pool, and the next day and got up early to pick up Dunc and Betsy at the hairport. Later that day, Betsy had the "Betsy" part of the birthday cake.

Meanwhile, Jane drank milk from her favorite cup.

In summary, Bob had an eventful birthday, and all is well. The end.

12-12: A very significant day

On 12-12 we celebrate all that is fantastic about Bob: amazing cook, loving parent, meticulous gardener, wonderful cat owner, helpful neighbor, hard working consultant, giving friend, excellent listener (an important skill for him to have these days) and of course, all-around best husband ever.

It was Bob's idea to bequeath our aging but faithful Protege to Dunc--who is carless after the passing of Joaquin--and buy a new-old car for me to drive to and from school. We are now the proud owners of a 2007 Corolla (which, by the way, has about the same mileage as the 1998 Protege). I think it's cool that Bob and I now have matching his-and-hers red Toyotas. I'll take a better photo when it's not so dang cold outside. (It was 12 degrees earlier this morning.)

Yesterday we had the Protege detailed, and it totally smells like a new car. Come and get it, Dunc and Betsy!

Plans for the day: mail Christmas packages, upload my students' feedback on their papers, build a big fire in the fireplace, and prepare for the winter storm that is scheduled to arrive at 1:00 today. And tonight I shall make a special candlelight dinner for Bob: prime rib with Bernaise sauce, asparagus, and new potatoes. I swear, life is grand!

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband!