The Oregonians

Last week my nonsalestaxpaying friends Lorin, Katrina, and Whitney came to visit us. By us I mean Tess and me since Sara was visiting family in Washington. Unfortunately, due to those blasted snow days, our school got out three days later than usual so I was not the most present of hosts.

On Tuesday, while I was finishing up graduation in Rochester, they arrived in Batavia. Fortunately, they found our favorite Pizza spot, Pontillo’s, and I met them there as they were finishing up(it’s about a 50 minute drive between work and home). Even more fortunately for me, they let me mooch a piece of Pontillo’s delicious white pizza and some fried dough.

Wednesday was the last day of school, but it was a half day. After doing a few errands around the school, I headed back and then we drove out to Letchworth State Park. If you ever come to visit us we will almost certainly take you to the LSP. Holla if you like parks that were donated by philanthropists and later made public-friendly by the WPA and CCC!

Picture 1: Even though T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chilli told us not to, we persist in chasing waterfalls

Picture 2: Team KLW tries to talk me down after one of several post-traumatic stress meltdowns caused by this school year

Picture 3: This is a picture that illustrates the power of friendship and nature. So why am I focusing on our mismatched orange shirts?

On Thursday, we decided to chase even more impressive waterfalls in the Niagara region. But before we did that, I had to flex some domestic skill by cooking up breakfast. It was actually an apology of a meal–trying to make up for the fact that they missed out on Sara’s cooking for the week. So I fried up a storm because that is simply how I do. The end result was a veggie frittata for the ovo-eaters, scrambled tofu for the vegans, and tater tots for everyone. Obviously healthy is not how I do. You like that heart attack?

After a bit of a late start that was totally my fault, we headed over to Niagara Falls. On the drive over, I realized I forgot my passport. Doh! No Canada for me. On the American side, we took in some viewpoints and then Lorin, Katrina, and Whitney got in line for the Maid of the Mist. Whitney happened to open up a blister on her foot, so I lent her my Croc sandals and sat barefoot on the bench while silently trying to make it very clear to passers-by that the girl shoes laying near me were definitely not mine. As I waited, I saw a huge group of school kids approach the gate. This made me think of three things:

1) Wow, I am so happy I am not in charge of that group of kids right now.

2) I hope that my friends make it on a different boat.

3) Do I really sound like that when I’m trying to manage my kids on field trips?

When the MotM voyagers returned, they were significantly drenched. They were also on the same boat as the field trip crew. Fortunately, they weren’t exhibiting any signs of PTSD.

After the falls, I dropped them off at the airport and then headed off to work. A very pleasant visit with good friends. It was nice timing in a way too, because it gave me some company while Sara was gone. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many of our friends and family have made it out to Batavia while we’ve been out here. If you haven’t made it, come on over sometime. If you have, come again.

Free at last…free at last

Thank God almighty.  Yesterday was the last day of school.

Killing them not so softly

Living in Western New York is not an easy thing.   There’s the miserable winters, the humid summers, the sports teams that can’t win, and the roadkill.  Lots and lots of roadkill.  The first two years living here in Roadkillville, I managed to maintain my record of never having hit one of God’s creatures(well, if you don’t count the 637,200 bugs that have died over the years in the name of windshield art).  But earlier this year, I hit a little birdie and today I did a very bad thing.  I hit a marmot.  I have loved marmots  since the age of nine, when I saw them running around Yellowstone.  Today, I killed one.  It was a very sad morning.

I don’t like being a killer.  It’s very different than just being a passenger.  Up until this year, I’ve merely been a witness to incidents of vehicular critterslaughter.  A brief roadkill history:

1) While driving to or from our friend amber’s house, my brother hit a skunk.  It was late at night, and though we did not see the skunk, we surely smelled the odor of death.

2) On the way back from a backpacking trip in the Wallowas, we came across some quail.  They panicked and one smashed into my friend Rudy’s windshield.  It was a hard impact that fortunately didn’t shatter the glass.

3) While coming back from a wedding in Moscow, Idaho,  an unidentified flying birdie collided with my friend Lorin’s windshield.  It was a rather spectacular crash and the bird bounced up high in the air and then sailed over the car.

Here’s hoping for no more fatalities. Rest in peace my little marmot amigo.  I am truly sorry.

Wife goes on

What she did: Kicked serious booty and took names

What she did…seriously: Passed her oral exams (aka resident evil) for her doctoral program

How she did it: “With distinction” according to the professor types

How she feels: Relieved + Elated = Related?

How I feel: Giddy + Elated = G-lated

Who she will become now: The doctor in the house

Why I’m writing #1: Because my wife is awesome and brilliant

Why I’m writing #2 Because Ms. Smarty Pants won’t open up her own personal can of BLOG.

Where she will go next Part 1: On to Washington for her brother’s college graduation

Where she will go next Part 2: To Hawaii for some much deserved relaxing

Where she will go next Part 3: To infinity and beyond

When she passed: June 6, around 3:00 pm

When this post was written: Way too late

He, Robot

This guy is the ubermensch. Check him out. Seriously.

This inspired me to make a list of three things I wish I could do.

1) Do a wickedawesome robot

2) Dunk a basketball on a regulation rim

3) Make soft pretzels that taste as good as Auntie Anne’s so I could eat them every day with processed cheese product

A change will do you good

Today, for the first time ever, I changed a tire. It happened on the side of highway 33 while heading to work this morning.  But of all the traumatic things that have happened to us auto-wise this year, it was the least traumatic. In fact, in was rather satisfying. True, it took me a very long time and I may have ruined my second pair of khakis within a week, but I made it to work on time and the price of one tire felt like a bargain compared to everything else we’ve been paying for.

Changing a tire is really not the equivalent of receiving an Academy Award, but a few thank yous are in order:

Thank you Kevin for leaving a jack and workable spare tire in the car you passed down to me.

Thank you Mom and Dad for most likely purchasing said jack and tire (the car which I now roll in is the ‘89 Camry my parents bought when I was in 6th grade).

Thank you Mom and Dad in-law for equipping me with emergency road kit and appropriate tool for removing lug nuts.

Thank you Sara for offering consoling words and for lauding my manly tire-changing self.

Thank you Western New York drivers for not stopping to help me on the side of the road. If you had, I probably would have become all dependent on you and I would still be a 29-year-old tire-changing virgin.

I think having only 9 days of school left allows me to approach things from a healthier point of view.