Home Sweet Home

Here's my post Thanksgiving post finally. Enjoy.


We are back home after the Thanksgiving festivities. It was great. We had a lot of fun. Shelley mentioned some of this stuff already but I'll just start from the start.

On Thursday we left Boise around 11am and headed west. The drive was beautiful. Up in the mountains there was a generous layer of snow covering everything, but the roads were in great condition. THis was really cool because we hadn't really gotten any snow in Boise. The foothills got a little bit but before we had time to drive up and check it out it melted. Anyway, after the mountains end Hermiston is only an hour and a half further on. So in total about 4 hours from Boise depending on road conditions and speed. We got there about 3pm and checked into the hotel. Sam, my mom and dad, and Alex were already there. It was really great to see everyone again after such a long time. Mom and Dad had gotten a suite with a kitchenette so we could actually cook a meal. When we arrived Mom was just finishing up the turkey and yams. We brought ingredients for the green bean cassarole and garlic potatoes. As Mom and I got started on the last 2 dishes Shelley, Alex, Sam, and Dad sat around the small sitting area and got caught up. I eventually got distracted from cooking and went to join them. We started playing cribbage while the potatoes finished baking. Shelley and I just bought a cribbage board (would you call it a board?) and taught ourselves how to play. And as is the case with a lot of boardgames we play Shelley constantly beat me (Chess for example, which I taught her how to play!). However, I actually won the first game! So, FACE! MUHAHAHAH!

Anyway.........We played a few more rounds and then dinner was ready. We pulled the bedside table over next to the small dining table and spread out our small feast. We had turkey, yams, garlic potatoes, green bean cassarole, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Not bad for a Thanksgiving dinner in a hotel room. Everything was delicious. It was great to have a home cooked meal, especially after a long drive in the cold. After dinner and clean-up Sam, Shelley, Alex, and I went on a walk and ended up at Wal-Mart. I'm always amazed at how busy places like Wal-mart are on holiday evenings. Maybe everyone was there for the same reason we were, to get the good version of Trivial Pursuit. The version Shelley and I have (20th Anniversary edition) is ridiculously obscure and difficult. Unfortunately they didn't have the good one. However, Shelley was able to engage in another round of competetition with her nemesis, the hand-held 20 questions game. I don't know if any of you out there have played the little digital 20 questions game at all, but it is eerily accurate. So far it has figured out: towel, oven, and receipt! I don't know if I would have gotten receipt. We did find out that it can't guess itself. But I'm not sure if you can think of the questioner in regular 20 questions either. Actually you probably can. I don't know. Anyway, Shelley has taken it upon herself to try and stump the game whenever we happen to wander by the game section of a department store.

Sorely disappointed that we wouldn't be able to play the fun Trivial Pursuit we left Wal-Mart and headed back to the hotel. When we got back we realized that no one really wanted to play cribbage much so all that was really left to play was our Trivial Pursuit and Risk(we'll get to that later). No one wanted to play Risk except Alex and me so we started Trivial Pursuit. It turned out to be really fun. However, with this version to actually be able to get a lot of the questions we made up a rule that you got one hint per question. That actually got the game going and didn't make us all feel midly retarded. The teams were Shelley and me, Alex and Sam, and Mom and Dad. It was a heated game but in the end Shelley and I prevailed. Alex and Sam leaned heavily on the newly inducted 'hint rule' and Mom and Dad gave an impressive performance. It was a close game, though. Right at the end each team had all the pie pieces but one. After the game we decided to head to our room and let Mom and Dad relax.

We got back to the room and hung out for a while talking and watching some funny YouTube videos (Sam brought his laptop). Soon, however we all started to get tired, the drive and food taking its toll. Sam went off to his room and Shelley got ready for bed. Alex and I decided to try and play a game of Risk. Now, I had bought Risk just before we came because I really wanted to try it. I'd never actually played it mind you. I'd seen it played. It just sounds fun right? I mean read the box, 'the classic game of world domination', how can you not want to play it?! I knew games usually lasted a long time but I was blinded by visions of great times being had over a Risk board. Alex, had been reading the directions intensely throughout the afternoon, which in itself worries me, but nonetheless we set up the board and tried a game. Because Alex only read the directions for 3 or more players we didn't know how to play with just 2 and didn't want to take the time to learn. So, we improvised a system and started the game. 10 minutes of setup later we actually started playing the game. I was roundly destroyed. Thankfully the game itself didn't last too long as I started getting a headache some reason and was really tired. After the game we both went to bed. Our room was a single (they didn't have doubles apparently) and when we tried to call down to get a pull-out they said 'sure it'll be $10', then they called back and said, ' actually we don't really have pull-out beds'. So, Alex was forced to arrange various chairs from the rooms into a make-shift bed. He says it was actually pretty comfortable.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING

The next day we all got up and got ready to head out for breakfast. Mom and Dad had the idea that we could go to Pendleton and eat breakfast and then see the wool plant. Pendleton being so famous for its wool clothing and caps and all. We all piled into Alex's Pontiac Bonneville which protested slightly and headed onto the highway to Pendleton which was 20 miles away. At the entrance to Pendleton we spotted a Denny's and pulled in for breakfast. The bonneville leaving behind some metal as we scraped over the rather sharp incline at the entrance to the Denny's parking lot. Food, eats, coffee. After breakfast we were off to the wool factory!! But wait we don't have directions, let's just ask the waitress. What's that? There is no factory here anymore? In fact the wool doesn't even come through here anymore? Pendleton has just become a brand now! Oh......well......back to Hermiston! Woo! 20 miles to go to Denny's which is actually only a few blocks from the hotel. Oh well, rumor has it that the Pendleton Denny's is the best around. Right? Well that's the rumor we are going to start at least.

Back at the hotel the diaspora had begun. Sam had to get back home because he was moving into a new place, and Mom and Dad were his ride. Shelley and I had planned on staying a couple extra days so we weren't sure what to do. Alex also had some free time. We debated all going back to Boise but after a look at the weather we saw that there was a storm coming into the mountains which had just started. That didn't seem appealing. We decided to go back to Portland and hang out at Alex's for a day or two..............

Next Post:

Alex's House

Holiday & Class Update

Well, the luxury of having a few days off from classes has given me some time to actually contribute to this blog again.

As a student, I had the entire week of Thanksgiving off of class and my graduate assistant work. However, it wasn't exactly a free week, because I ended up picking up several hours for my second part-time job (developing e-learning programs).

The holiday itself was nice. Kaz and I met his parents in Hermiston, Oregon...a small town in Eastern Oregon, just beyond the mountains. Driving through the mountains was REALLY scenic. Part of it was through a national forest, and a light snow had recently come through, so there was a powdery white coating on all the evergreens. And there were some really great views too.

On Friday, we headed to Portland to stay with Alex. Again, great views along the way. And we saw The Departed that night...good movie.

Our plan is to head back toward the mountains this afternoon, spend the night in Hermiston again, and then make the rest of the trip back to Boise tomorrow morning.

As far as my classes go...

Monday Night - Intro to Instructional & Performance Technology
There are officially two weeks left of class, but my work for the course is pretty much done. All the readings and papers for the class were due right before Thanksgiving week, so all that's left are final presentations...which I'm pretty much set for.

Tuesday Night - Learning Styles Theory
No more tests in this class. Just a reading assignment and a paper to finish up...both of which I'm nearly done with...so not much to worry about with this class either.

Saturday Class - Performance Consulting
This class has been done since October, so no worries here!

And then I'll be in Wisconsin by mid-December!

And then, a more intense semester. Four classes:
--- Monday Night - Research Methodology & Statistics
--- Tuesday Night - Adult Learning Theory
--- Thursday Night - Evaluation Methodology
--- Saturdays - Project Management

I doubt I'll have a chance to contribute anything else to this before heading to Wisconsin. Take care everyone!

FFFZZZZZZZZZ!@!@#

here are some of my favorite Chuck Norris facts. Some of you may have heard of the Chuck Norris Facts website. If not, you should have. Shame on you. Get with the program. Anyway, here are some of my favorites:

Chuck Norris cannot love, he can only not kill.

Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because Chuck Norris only recognizes the element of surprise.

As President Roosevelt said: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself. And Chuck Norris."

Since 1940, the year Chuck Norris was born, roundhouse-kick related deaths have increased 13,000 percent.

Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

Chuck Norris once kicked a horse in the chin. Its decendants are known today as Giraffes.

In a fight between Batman and Darth Vader, the winner would be Chuck Norris.

The phrase 'dead ringer' refers to someone who sits behind Chuck Norris in a movie theater and forgets to
turn their cell phone off.

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

A man once asked Chuck Norris if his real name is "Charles". Chuck Norris did not respond, he simply stared at him until he exploded.

Every time someone uses the word "intense", Chuck Norris always replies "you know what else is intense?" followed by a roundhouse kick to the face.

There is no chin under Chuck Norris' Beard. There is only another fist.

Two wrongs don't make a right. Unless you're Chuck Norris. Then two wrongs make a roundhouse kick to the face.

Chuck Norris has never won an Academy Award for acting... because he's not acting.

Count from one to ten. That's how long it would take Chuck Norris to kill you...Fourty seven times.

Crop circles are Chuck Norris' way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie down.

If you ask Chuck Norris what time it is, he always says, "Two seconds 'til." After you ask, "Two seconds 'til
what?" he roundhouse kicks you in the face.

Chuck Norris can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.

In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Chuck Norris could use to kill you, including the room itself.

The best part of waking up, is not Folgers in your cup, but knowing that Chuck Norris didn't kill you in your sleep.

Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

Hahahaha. ah yes. that was hilarious. Such fun, such fun.......

Tomorrow is the last day of work for me. Shelley is already out of school. We'll be heading to Hermiston, OR bright and early Thanksgiving day. I can't wait. It's going to be a really fun to drive.

Woo! Excitement! woo!

ahhh November

yes it's November already. Out here in Boise we haven't seen any snow yet in the valley. However, the caps of the surrounding mountains are have been steadily getting whiter. What we have been getting is rain, which is a nice break from the normal dryness.

Work is going well. And it seems my string of bad luck has turned around finally.

The holidays are coming and both Shelley and I are really looking forward to seeing everyone for Christmas. For Thanksgiving Shelley and I are going to connect with Sam, Mom and Dad, and my friend Alex. We're meeting in a small town which is equi-distant from Sam and us. I'm really psyched. I can't wait to go on a roadtrip. It's been a while since we've been able to do any travelling. This isn't exactly a european vacation but it'll be nice to have a little adventure.

On another note. Have you ever wondered how long it takes for your teeth to fall out if you don't brush them? Lately I've been kind of curious about this because one of my coworkers doesn't seem to brush his teeth. When you were younger did you ever go without brushing for a few days? Then you get this kinda crusty white stuff on your teeth(what is that anyway?). Anyway, my coworker Cody has clumps of this stuff on his teeth. Right at the gum line. Sometimes when we're working in close proximity I want to reach over and scrape it off. It is really disgusting. His breath is pretty bad as well. I mean he's not an unattractive person. His other grooming habits seem to be perfectly in order it's just this one thing that he can't seem to get into. Brushing the old toofers.

Which brings me to another of my coworkers. Todd. Or , Toddly Woddly as Shelley calls him. This nickname is amazingly spot on. If Todd were in a line-up of other Todds and you had to point to the one who would be Toddly Woddly. That would be the Todd I work with. He's kinda chubby, but he wears his weight well. Seriously, 'woddly' is the best way to describe him. Todd's shortcoming is basic general hygene. He's a smoker and another intermittent if at all tooth-brusher which is a powerful combination. I often find myself holding my breath when we are talking to each other. This is a problem because Todd likes to talk. Sometimes I have to pretend I see something really interesting and turn my head to the side to get a quick breath of air. That's how awe inspiring his breath can be. He has a lackadasical attitude about showering and you get the feeling he doesn't quite understand the attraction. Thankfully now that it's winter Todd doesn't get quite as ripe towards the end of the day.

Ah my colorful companions. Each day is a new experience.


well,
talk to ya soon.

Tomorrow's my birthday and Shelley and I are going out for dinner. Not sure where yet.

-kaz