Happy MMXI!

I can't believe another year has come and gone! Life seems to stream through rather than trickle by as it once did, but I guess that's how life works. A brief 2010 in review...I have successfully finished my first semester of entry classes to Grad school and did rather well. Kim is feverishly working on her book idea and doing so well. I am very proud of her efforts, her strive to think outside the box and get more kids interested in math. I have started running and have somehow been able to maintain on some semblance of a schedule, this is a miracle in and of itself. Other than that, I turned forty and I have been forced to address some life lessons, comes with the territory. I'm actually more thankful for it.

Kim and I returned from our Christmas excursion to Madison a few days ago and are now trying to catch up on rest and relaxation and all the other things we need to get done before the next school sessions start, but I think we're ready. Happy New Year everyone! Make 2011 what you want of it and may this year be more prosperous and bountiful then the last.

30 Second wrap-up after a long pregnant pause

I realized I hadn't blogged in a long while, so I thought I'd check in and give a brief update.

Kim and I are crazily busy. Kim is working on her book project and between work and school, personal time is a bit of a luxury for me. Graduate school is fascinating and challenging, but rewarding and I just need to learn how to budget my time. So far the professors are intelligent and judicious and sometimes eccentric, but they keep my interest most of the time. I really believe I've made the right decision and all I have to do now is see it through.

I think I'm going through a life change and it's not an altogether comfortable, but a necessity nonetheless. I think I'll come out the other side wiser, stronger and better equip to face life's challenges. Who knows where this journey will take me too huh?

Love to you all and know that I think of you often. I'll try to post more often and keep you abreast of life's little goings on.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Wisconsin Pictorial Highlights

Kim, TK, Cris, Shawn & I after Squeeze @ the Barrymore in Madison

Kim, Kristen, Jaime & I @ the Mermaid Cafe in Madison

Beautiful Shawn and Cris @ Squeeze in Madison

Kim and the Stordahl's in Lake Geneva

"More ketchup please" says Ivy @ the Harmony in Madison

Kim, Randy & Cris @ the Wind Point Lighthouse near Racine

The gang @ Summerfest '10 in Milwaukee

Kim and Kevin @ the Harmony in Madison

Kim and TK @ Squeeze in Madison

So it's official...

I received a letter in the mail yesterday from California State University Northridge officially welcoming me to the Graduate Program! I'm thrilled and yet scared to death. I told myself for way too long that this was an unattainable goal and I was wrong. What I need to remind myself is that this is a process and it will take me as long as it's going to take, hence the term gradual student.

I wanted to thank everyone for their encouragement and support along the way. I especially want to thank Shawnie and Kevin for their input on my Graduate essay...thanks guys. I couldn't have done it without your help ;-) Also I am grateful to family and friends for their unwavering belief in me. Your unfaltering confidence in me has been inspiring and I'm working very hard to believe the same.

I'm sure I will experience moments of varying emotions: cries of frustration, screams in exasperation, boisterous squeals of glee when praised and pangs of self-doubt with the inevitable critiques, but it will be worth every minute.

Running up that road...

So I just finished the first 9 weeks of running today. Now 9 weeks actually fell over 4 months, but eh who's counting. I know I have a long way to go and about 30 pounds to go with it, but I wanted to thank a few people for getting me here.

First and foremost I have to thank the GetRunning app which has supported me the whole way. It was perfect for someone like me who has no real experience with running and is completely out of shape. So thank you for making running possible and thanks for suggesting Run Keeper Pro for the next step!

I also want to thank my aunt Eileen & uncle Chuck for running with me at my first 5K and Steve & Maren for running with me on the second. It was great to have moral support along the way. I look forward to my next 5K, then 10K and then who knows maybe even a marathon.

Thanks to my Facebook friends for encouraging me, my wife and my Dad for cheering me on and a little pat on the back to myself for seeing this through. Here's to the next leg of my running journey...cheers! (Forgive the puns)

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Poppies! Poppies!

This past weekend we had our friend Mary at our place. It was great catching up with her and laughing all weekend long. On Sunday, Mary's last day, we decided to drive down to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, which is minutes from our home, to take pictures. Due to the amount of rain and frost we received this year we are experiencing a gorgeous poppy and wildflower bloom. It would have been a shame not to have captured this on film so we didn't let the moment got to waste. This makes living out in the middle of the desert all worth while. Truly breathtaking...

So I did it....

Yesterday I finished the Graduate essay I've been threatening to do for well over a year. I read, reviewed and tweaked the application and finally I pressed the button which turned it in. Graduate school is something that I've always wanted to accomplish, but was never sure I would be able to do. I determined that I wouldn't know until I tried and now is as good a time as any. I want to thank everyone that has encouraged me and helped along the way. I may have baulked, self-doubted and procrastinated, but I always listened. So thanks!

Now the waiting game begins. Keep a few fingers crossed, if you believe in such things ;-) ... and I'll keep you posted.

And they're off..

To those who didn't already know, I finished my first 5K this past Sunday. It was the Glendale Downtown Dash fundraiser to raise money for stroke victims. It also, just so happens, marks the one year anniversary of my quitting smoking. I've gained to some weight in the process and started running to counter the weight gain and besides it's healthy for me. I ran with my aunt Eileen (who ran by my side), uncle Chuck (too damn fast for me) and my Dad was there too to show moral support. It felt great, wasn't easy but well worth it. I celebrated with a bowl of oatmeal with the Los Feliz Flyers then purchased some new Asics running shoes which are a lovely shade of pink and silver. Kim would have made it down with me too, but Daylight Savings time screwed up our alarm clocks...erg!

My goal is to to a 1oK next with Eileen, but I may add a few more 5Ks in there for good measure. Thanks for the support everyone, via FaceBook and Twitter...happy running!

This running stuff really isn't so bad

So I've been run/jog/walking for the past three weeks and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I really do prefer to run outside in the fresh air and it gives me time to clear my head. I've even signed up for the Glendale Dash 5K in March with Chuck and Eileen. I'm not quite sure I know what I've gotten myself into, but it's a short term goal I think/hope I can achieve.

Hat's off to the GetRunning app from iTunes for $2.99. I highly recommend it for anyone who has an iPhone or an iPod Touch. It's not cheesy nor is it preachy. This little gem has helped me keep going and if it can help me then it can help almost anyone. It is just the right amount of encouragement and prompting to keep you on track. I'll let you know how I fared in the race...if I can finish I'll be happy.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu

So for the past 2 to 3 weeks, we've had Kim's folks here for the holidays. Cris arrived a little later on Christmas Eve and now they all leave tomorrow. We went on some mini trips to Ventura, Long Beach and into the Antelope Valley, but for the most part we've been enjoying the pellet stove and watching movies indoors. I've really enjoyed having them here, but it will be nice to have our house to ourselves again.

I need to get back to work and prepare for the coming semester...eek! I'll be teaching the linguistic aspects of American Sign Language again at Antelope Valley College and this time around I'll have a full house of 31. This is why I'm trying to get my act together, get a PowerPoint ready and not do anything last minute related to this class. I just can't afford to!

I also am ready to pick up interpreting gigs at the colleges and elsewhere. This Christmas depleted any reserves I had. But we had fun in the process. What I really need to do is get in shape and start focusing on my health. So I'm going to start running. I will take baby steps at first, but my goal is to be able to run 3 miles within a few months. I downloaded an app for my iPhone called Get Running to help me achieve this goal. This coupled with better eating habits and maybe some yoga classes I'm looking forward to feeling and looking better...I'm optimistic. Let's ring in the new year!

I heart New York

Kim and I recently returned from visiting our friend Meg in New York City. I must say that I love this city. I don't think I could live there now, but it definitely warrants more frequent visits. Of course Meg was the ultimate hostess and took us where ever we wanted to roam. We enjoyed fine food, great shopping and superb company. This was Kim's first trip to the Big Apple and my return after a much too-long hiatus. Here are some pictures from the excursion...

View in Battery Park

Kim and I in Battery Park

South Street Seaport view

View of Ground Zero from St Paul's Chapel

The Sphere by Franz Koenig in Battery Park

Ice skating in Central Park

Meg, Withnail and I at the South Street Seaport

Meg, Kim and Withnail at the South Street Seaport

A view of Brooklyn at dusk

A view of the South Street Seaport at dusk

Kim and I in Time Square

A view of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge

Thanks for everything Meg: for your company, hospitality and most of all your friendship.

Patty's visit and the giant pumpkin

Patti Gotrik came to town,not too long ago, and spent a long weekend with us. We went out to eat, a lot: Malhi's Indian Cuisine, Casa Gutiuerrez etc. I swear Patty's taste buds are on fire. I coaxed into eating everything possible spicy and when I waited for her to gasp or cough she simple replied, "eh that's not that hot." Then one nice cool afternoon we took Patty down to Ventura Beach.

We walked along historic Main Street, ate breakfast at the Cajun Kitchen Cafe and sat on the rocks at Emma Wood State Beach. Kim and I even had Patty take a picture where Kim proposed in 2007. It was great to get a candid shot to relive the moment. Thanks Patty!

Our final stop put us at a local farmer's market near the town of Santa Paula, CA. Anytime we are in the area, we always stop at Francisco's Fruit Stand for fruit, nuts or fresh local salsas. This time we were on the hunt for a great pumpkin and Kim had the final say. The sucker weighed in at 35-36 pounds and cost a whopping $30. It was well worth this face.

It took 2 hours of scooping through hefty pumpkin guts and carving tough skin out of this 35-36 pounder. This ghoulish, creepy tree sat on Rowdy and Dan's front lawn as we passed out candy to the kiddies. One of my all time favorite activities.

Here's hoping everyone had a great Halloween!

Marsh-Mellow Acres

The last weekend Kim and I were in Wisconsin we took a trip to "the land" near Sauk City. Always a much anticipated part of journeying to Wisconsin, this mini camping excursion to meet Kim's college gang, for a yearly reunion, and hang out with family and friends is always a blast. This year the weather was peculiarly cool with temperatures in the 60's and 70's, so swimming wasn't particularly inviting. We spent most of our short time sitting around the campfire sharing stories.

Here are some photographic highlights of the trip...

View of the Wisconsin River

Snapping turtles

Dad with the naughties Linus and Spencer

The big top tent in the woods

Randy off to inspect the troops ;-)

When is spaghetti night?

Hey Linda nice catch!

Mid summer storm is coming...unseasonably cool

Sunset camping, need I say more? Beautiful

Until next year friends, we think of you often and can't wait to see you again!

Wisconsin brood

Family snapshot potpourri from Madison.

Jordon

Garry - Pop

Kim & Cris

David - Dad

Janet - Mom & Cris

Aunt Patti & Kim

Uncle Don

The Elskamp's (Janet, Mary Ann, Eddie, Elaine, Patti & Tari)

Shelly & Jordan

Aunt Patti & Jennifer