Moostachio Party

I mustache you a question,

but I'm shaving it for later!

Dark hair, fair skin, and a certain family member's mortifying resemblance to a gorilla necessitate a cautious amount of shaving.  It must be a Nebeker thing.  But what happens when we go all out for facial hair?  We are the envy of Tom Selleck wannabes everywhere!  Welcome to our virtual party!

Ring the bell, school's back in!

School's back in, and you know what that means- squish the adventures into the weekend!
The return to school was relatively tame this year- I kept my same two schools, my numbers are manageable (exactly 55, in case anyone was wondering what a speech caseload is supposed to look like), and the new staff members seem relatively competent and approachable.  Whew.  The kids are all over the place, but anything less would be disappointingly mundane.
First thing I did to celebrate the new school year:  Head back to Monterey!  I couldn't convince the Monterey people to join me for kayaking when I was there, but I did manage to join them for an afternoon on Elkhorn Slough when I should have been back on the other side of the state.  In honor of Elizabeth's birthday, she got the lucky purple kayak.  Trust me, no one in their right mind was going to stand between her and this particular purple boat.  Once we convinced her that she was not in danger from killer whales in the estuary, everyone had a good time.  It was gray and cool and and a great day to be on the water.  And a great day to eat Mexican at The Whole Enchilada.  But really, that's true of just about any day.

 

We even had church, with the slightly
odd addition of dogs running through
and people slapping bugs right and left.

Another week deserves another weekend.  In fact, a whopping 8 days of school deserves a 3-day weekend.This one was spent camping with some single friends at the ridiculously beautiful Buck's Lake in the Sierras. I heard there were snake bites and bee stings, people going home early and staying up late, and one night I slept in my car because I was too tired to put up the tent- but it was still a lovely time. 

 Saturday was spent- where else- on the water. This water was a day of white water rafting on the Lower Truckee River.  When I say day, I mean approximately 7 hours and 25 miles, ending well after dark with a paddle under a warm Blue Moon.  Sure, why not?  The guides were doing a trial run on that stretch of river, and anticipated a 3-4 hour run.  They had done their homework, but were given in/out information that didn't match the actual run.  So we just kept going, and going, and going- and no one uttered even a peep of complaint, not even my new friend Christine who got skewered as we went under a lethal porcupine of a tree blocking the width of the river, or either of the guides who spent as much time out of the boat as in, or Jeremy Larson, who was remarkably pleasant for a guy who didn't get lunch OR dinner.  The purpose of the trip was to see if this river or the regular run of the South Fork of the American River would be preferred.  It didn't take long before we figured it out.  Whenever the going was particularly rough, we would just yell- SOUTH FORK!!  

When we still hadn't reached our destination by 9pm, we pulled into shore where we could see people camping.  We decided to leave the hazy VW bus alone, but in the next campground we found a nice angel man with 3 kids, a fire, and tacos waiting for us.  He also had a truck, and moved all his tent and gear to give us a ride to our car.  Thank you, Dan the Angel Man!

So, kids, be sure to remember this lesson:  there's a lot to learn in life, and very little of it comes from a classroom.  Eat your veggies and say yes to adventures!

Flying- Falling, with style!

I'm not that good with heights. It's not the being up high that bothers me. Airplanes and roller coasters and nosebleed seats are great. It's the falling that I'm not so fond of. One little splat, and no more waterskiing for you! When such falling is a possibility, my head tries spinning the world around to make the danger go away. All that really accomplishes is that instead of one cliff to avoid, there is suddenly a continuously shifting collection of cliffs, and I panic because every direction appears to lead to my demise. Pretty soon I'm shaking and crawling 5 feet from the drop-off and pretending like that's perfectly normal in the world.

 So what am I doing here?

250 feet up a tree, swaying on a 2 foot wide platform

Honestly, I'm freaking out a little.  That was the order of the day at Sonoma Canopy Tours.

It's the fault and pleasure of my darling friend and traveling companion, Becca Johnson.  She usually lives in London, and we traveled Wales and Ireland together two years ago.  But she was in Cali for a visit, so we found a one day epic adventure.  She says she doesn't like heights either, but she sure loved the tour.



Fortunately, the people are pretty nice and they try not to lose anybody.  And they let you do this.

Actually, we did SEVEN different ziplines!  Up to 25 miles per hour, sailing over trees and scaring the onlookers.  And scaring me, a little.  It totally helps to holler as you go zooming along! We also tried the rope bridge, spiral staircase, and rappelling.

So, did facing my fears make them go away?  No.  If there had been a ladder on any of the platforms, I may have climbed down rather than stand there any longer.  But there was no ladder, and I know I can do hard things.  Like flying- or at least, falling with a lot of style!

Who knew there was more to Monterey?

I've worked for Monterey County Office of Education's summer school program 4 out of the last 6 years. Is there still anything to say, besides "Please get me to the ocean immediately?" Well, it turns out there is a bit more to know! Check out the slideshow for a glimpse into this year's visit.

Well, thanks for nuthin'!

An update for those of you following the story of the most dysfunctional person in my life.  Who is it? Ironically, the school psychologist.  We tend to not get along, because he dislikes communicating and children, and, well, that's all I do.  However, I recently realized that, in spite of our differences, I owe him some gratitude.  So here goes:

• Thank you for your completely insufficient 2 1/2-page reports.  The district-adopted standard report, which you are now required to use, is 16 pages long.  It kills a lot of trees, but now we get plenty of relevant information.
• Thank you for using a loud voice and disrupting the whole office when refusing to do your work.  Then there is no doubt what happened when it comes down to "he said, she said" later.
• Thank you for refusing to "drive across town" for IEPs on your one day at a different site.  I hit two schools in one day at least three times a week, and that keeps me from having to come back a fourth afternoon.
• Thank you for learning to email this year.  It was a momentous occasion when we received the first ever email initiated by you.  Imagine the possibilities- next year you may even double your output to 2!
• Thank you for refusing to provide social skills groups.  The resulting clarification of roles determined that school psychologists are responsible for them, saving the SLPs a lot of hassle.  
• Thanks for accepting a personal goal for "collaboration" this year.  You look so ridiculous, angrily getting signatures whenever you talked a teacher, that I don't even mind the teachers bringing their elevated concerns to me afterwards.
• Thank you for not making any teachers cry this year.  This is clearly a step forward.
• Thank you for making me look like a valuable resource, a team player, and a shining star.  In comparison to you, a avocado would be a great co-worker.
• Thanks for complete inactivity that first year.  When the principal needed to keep an eye on you and moved you to the former detention room because it was right across from his office, it freed up your old office for a much needed conference room.  Plus, the secretaries knew if you had arrived yet, so I didn't have to gather my courage in the morning for nothing!
• Thank you for repeatedly asking if an incoming report was done by your girlfriend.  The resulting spike in mental activity (me wondering "how can that possibly work?") will stave off Alzheimer's for at least two years.

Most of all, thank you for your sustained incompetence and incivility.  You have certainly earned an opportunity at a new assignment.  I hope you enjoy your mandatory transfer to a different school.  I'm sure you will have a lot to offer them- maybe even a semi-annual email.  I have sincerely enjoyed saying "hi" to you in the hallway, and I hope that your pained expression did not indicate actual pain.  Good-bye, good luck, and good riddance!

Indexing rocks!

Of Lemons and Cake

So I hosted book club at my house tonight.  I know, I know, more nerd hobbies.  Our book was The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.  I can't really recommend it- the ridiculously unresolved story telling and lack of quotation marks were unsettling- but it did spark some good conversation.  It's about a girl who can taste people's feelings in the food they cook. It did inspire some good cake.  I can happily recommend the easy lemon cake from Six Sisters' Stuff.  Although Miriam said chocolate on lemon cake is "just wrong," we found it to be tasty, although somewhat overpowered by the chocolate.  And since nobody complained of it tasting lonely or tired or relieved, we must all be lucky and just taste food in our food.  I'm particularly happy that I can at least appreciate the cake!

Um, was there a birthday in there somewhere?

Yes.  No.  Well, sort of.  It was my birthday.  But not in true birthday style.  A major perk or problem of having a birthday at the end of May is that it is often on Memorial Day weekend.  Mischievous Leap Year robbed me of the actual Monday Birthday, after I had been waiting for it since 2006.  Now I will have to keep waiting until 2017.  Boo.  And I will wait until at least 2013 to make a better showing for my birthday.
I could have done something, but picked quiet instead.  I didn't have a party or open presents or even eat cake.  I didn't go to Hawaii, although I had a friend getting married there.  I did a little shopping.  I let the smooth talking European girl at the mall kiosk polish my nails.  I blew out candles in my Birthday Fruit on Monday (thanks to my friend Michelle!).  On Tuesday, I went to a rare mandatory evening meeting for work- and was bored completely out of my mind.  Lame.  I opened a lot of cards (thanks to my lovely family and friends).  I was acknowledged by 62 Facebook friends. At other times, I went to two different movies with friends, tying my last summer total.  Not bad.

Fortunately, not being able to celebrate on Tuesday gave me the luxury of designating Thursday as the day to sleep in a bit, splurge on dinner, and do something special.  In an act of perfect timing, I got free tickets to my favorite theater, the ever delightful and unique California Shakespeare Theater.  Michelle and I were charmed with the clever ballet-trained spirits in an enchanting production of the Tempest.  And, whether I acknowledged it or not, there was a birthday in there somewhere.


p.s. In researching the last Monday, May 29, I found an astounding number of Americans who believed there actually was one this year.  Among my you-should-know-better favorites:  The Idaho Press-Tribune, a teacher's union, and an astrology website.  Come on people, JFK and I remind you that this is an important day, so get it straight!

Somebody's 60!!

Somebody's 60!  It's my dad.  In honor of his birthday, he got a surprise visit from Lindsey and kiddos.  Mark & Kristen drove over from Elko with their kids.  As a truly last minute surprise, Todd flew in without telling anyone and also showed up at the party!

We started with a picnic and a romp in the park by my house.

A bounce house appeared at R & R's house.
 They said it was for Grandpa's birthday, but it was the grandkids who used it non-stop!

Even at 60, you can try new things.  The boys took their Dad to RPM to race go carts.
Finally, a ride with Dad where he won't tell you to watch your speed!

It was also Asher's blessing on Sunday.  Isn't he a sweetie?
This dude has sleeping figured out.  He is even better than Grandpa at taking
naps in the middle of the chaos!

We wrapped it up with a video of all the kids and grandkids telling grandpa stories.  We missed Ashley, Alan, and Matt, but got a kick out of their video contributions!  Happy birthday, Grandpa, ya old guy!

The Flood of 2012

Normally, I'm a girl that likes water.  I like rain, swimming, splashing in puddles, looking at waterfalls,  finding rivers, and playing in lakes.  Normally, those activities are outside.  Normally.

Not on the morning of  Monday, April 23, 2012.  I heard a strange rushing sound and came downstairs to investigate.  Water sprayed with great force out from a pipe under the sink, careened directly off the fridge, and blasted sideways into the cabinets and the living area.  A half-inch deep lake had filled the living room, soaked the carpet, and was making a nice river out my front and back doors.  

My first impulse was to climb back in bed and cry, but I decided we had plenty of  waterworks already.  I shut off the water main, and I was then at a loss- what does one do when you have acquired enough water to fill a backyard pool, but have neglected to build such a structure first?

Call the landlord? Nope, I am the landlord.  

Call the insurance company?  Yes, that sounds right.  

The latest thing- a self-filling watering can!
Now if only it came with an automatic shut off valve.

Except I have a little problem.  I am in a desperate refi-or-die situation, and the refi required a different kind of Home Owner's insurance than what I previously had.  After jumping through many hoops, I had acquired the new insurance.  On Thursday night.  As in, one working day before said flood.  I didn't even have the paperwork yet.  I checked, and my policy wasn't available online yet.  This was not going to go over well with my new liability partners.  And if the policy were cancelled, and the re-fi fell through, I would lose the carpets for sure- along with the rest of the house.

2nd choice:  Call in "Flood" to work.  Call the plumber.  Move all the furniture out.  Check with my DIY consultant, Google.  Rent a carpet extractor (it's a carpet cleaner with no soap put in).  Start sucking.  Set up fans.  Keep at it for the next four days.

I estimate that I pulled 35-40 gallons of water out of the carpets.  Most of it was on the first day, but I repeated the process before and after work for several days as the carpet wicked moisture up from the pad.  Handy tip:  You can rent carpet fans and rug cleaners at Home Depot, which opens a lot earlier than the grocery store and is cheaper.  Also, you can rent for one day, one week, or 4 hours, and the 4 hours does not include time the store is closed.  However, the grocery store may be a better choice if you have no access to food because of the water and furniture in your kitchen!

I recently bought a box of Partylite candles to sponsor a fieldtrip.  When I found them, I was probably happier than the kid that sold them to me. I lit them everywhere.  Spice Market:  the scent of redemption!

 

Of course, on Wednesday, it rained.  All the furniture I put outside to dry, was now outside getting wet.  Boo!  But good weather returned, and with the windows open and the fans going 24/7, it doesn't smell so musty.  I think I have, at least temporarily, saved the carpets, which are now exceptionally clean.  The baseboards are not any uglier than their previous hideous state.  There does not appear to be any permanent damage, provided mildew doesn't set in.  And fortunately, neither of the computers were drenched in the deluge.  My dear friend Michelle brought over every fan in Arden Arcade.  My home teachers helped put all the furniture back.  The grand total:  $423 dollars, less than my deductible would have been and without blowing my cover as a responsible, non-complaining home owner.  And just to prove that someone up there has a sense of humor:  This is the only book ruined in the flood!

Boston- the Brief Virtual Tour

Boston is actually pretty intriguing- especially if someone else will drive.  Todd and I set out for two days of the best Boston has to offer.  Ashley stayed home with a sick baby- which is in itself an act of extreme hospitality.  For Ashley, and anyone else who hasn't seen it yet, here is the extremely abbreviated Best of Boston tour. Namely: what I considered amusing enough to bother typing.

First:  Accomplish a feat of extreme parking.  Ours involved two phones, a GPS, a bridge, and a lot of running.  Another, saner choice is public transit, which inexplicably requires a "charlie ticket."  Charlie must be a frugal guy, because he can also get you discounts in cool places around the city.

Next:  Head to Boston Common.  It's the oldest public park in America, and the only area of Boston that looks kind of like it did during the revolutionary war.  The kids with air horns and the churro vendors really helped set the mood.

Why not: Jump on a tour.  We picked the costumed tour guide version, which had its amusing moments.  When I wondered what demographic makes up the most tour guides, Todd guessed 'History majors in one of the three jobs available in their field' or '35 and unemployed.' 35 and unemployed is my specialty!  I must attract them because Todd was right on both counts.

Our tour guide was useful for a few things.  He clarified why people put pennies on Paul Revere's grave (he was a metal smith) and on the other gravestones (monkey see, monkey do).

I had heard before that Paul Revere didn't really deliver the message to Concord about the British coming by sea (he was captured and let go in Lexington), but I always wondered why he got the credit in the infamous poem.  The answer:  Longfellow was courting one of Revere's granddaughters and was trying to impress the family!

This large seal marking the site of the Boston Massacre is deceiving. First, it is situated on a sidewalk.  The real site would have been in the middle of the intersection, which would not be very convenient for a photo op.  Second, everybody knows that a couple of soldiers firing into a mob in self defense and killing 5 people is not really a massacre, but it makes the story more exciting.

Similarly, the Boston Tea Party location marker is also on a streetcorner.  Wait, wouldn't it be near the water?  Well, it would, but massive landfill projects in the 1800s leveled two of the three notable hills, and reclaimed that section of the harbor.

Boston is famous for its Freedom Trail, a red stripe on the sidewalk leading past many of the historical buildings.  This picture is for Gma Nebeker, who remembers her own trip to Boston almost two generations ago.  We saw Faneuil Hall and Old South Church, used as gathering places by the rebellious colonials, streets of pubs, and the justice building.  But this was one of my favorites:

The Omni Parker hotel, where Malcom X was once  bus boy and
Ho Chi Minh was once a pastry chef.  More importantly, it was here that Parker House Rolls and Boston Creme Pie were invented!

Fortunately, Todd is going into sports management.
He's a bit tall for a career as an 18th century  sailor.

Next:  Visit Old Ironsides, (the USS Constitution) the oldest commissioned ship in the Navy.  It was the first ship made specifically for the American navy, authorized by Congress and President George Washington in 1794.  She has a stellar record, with 24 captures without being boarded or taken.  Because she is still considered active duty, she is staffed by Navy sailors.  Hee hee- I'm imagining Old Ironsides as the flagship of Fleet week, and the historians and tour guides showing up in a navy bar....
Do not miss:  Cannoli in Little Italy- where you will still hear Italian on the streets and the food is authentically delicious.  We ate in a formal restaurant where the rather formidable looking proprietor was our server.  When he stiffly said "Have a happy Easter," it sounded like it might be followed by "or I'll have Vinny break your legs."  Yes, sir. I will be sure to, sir.

Before heading to the airport the next day, we made a trip to the Boston Temple, which is very beautiful inside.  I loved the intriguing multi-layer windows and the peaceful spirit.

Last: We headed to Plymouth, the original town site of the Puritans.   I had to put this in because it is so ridiculous. What could be less Puritan than this pseudo-Greek temple monument surrounding- wait for it- a rock.  The rock is stamped 1620.  Otherwise, there is nothing to distinguish it from any other coastal boulder.  I'm sure that's exactly what the Puritans would have wanted to mark their disembarkation in a land where they practiced austerity and a strict Christian faith!

We also stopped by the Mayflower II, a recreation of the Pilgrim's vessel.  It's bigger than I thought, but still not a place I would want to spend 66 days.  But I now understand the allure of coming to Massachusetts.  And since I can travel there in about 6 hours, it is certainly worth the trip.  Thanks, Todd and Ashley!

East for Easter

With pleasure!  In Portland, Maine.

"Welcome to Massachusetts," said my brother Todd at the Boston airport.  "Sorry we don't live in the interesting part of the state."
Are you kidding me?  They live in the quaint farm town of Sunderland, MA.  The main street is lined with farmhouses with their building dates proudly printed next to the front doors, ranging from 1760 to the late1800s.  Ashley summed up their charm, "It's so freakin' freezing, they attach the barns and the garages and the servant's quarters and the summer kitchen and the sheds and everything else right on to the house.  And then they invented LL Bean."

But the weather this week was mild and pleasant.  We found a way to make it even warmer by visiting the nearby tropical butterfly exhibit.

Can you find:  Newly emerged? Translucent wings? Beauty within? Cute as a bug!

The next butterfly we saw was in the Eric Carle museum, another local delight.  I had to make a pilgrimage to the museum to pay homage to Eric Carle and acknowledge the good he has done for preschool teachers and speech therapists everywhere!  The elegant but friendly space has one gallery dedicated to the genius of Eric Carle, another with beautiful artwork from another rotating children's book illustrator, a well-appointed bookstore, and an art room where readers can let their own imaginations soar.  It runs a colorful ribbon of fun connecting art to author, artist to reader, and reader to art.
Keeping with the theme, Ashley threw a very cute Very Hungry Caterpillar baby shower for a friend and made a darling cake.

Complete with Santa's workshop, the Black Forest, a castle,
  cattle,  a discount shop, a country store, 
a restaurant, and oh yeah, a few candles!

Yankee Candle Company
 - a universe to itself!

By the way, the center of the universe is also in their neighborhood. Who knew?

As if that wasn't enough to make it interesting, Ashley and I took a daytrip  through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.  Ashley is awesome and obtained this photographic proof while she was driving through a roundabout to spare us having to stop!  We did stop in New Hampshire, if only because I've wanted to see it in person since I learned all the boring facts for my 5th grade state report.  Fortunately, I no longer have to write state reports.  Well, except for this blog....


Maine was cold and windswept and rocky, just as it should be.  The lighthouse was a classic.  We checked out Portland, Maine, which made me miss Portland, Oregon.  I ate lobster and she ate a Philly cheesesteak.  I think one of us was a little confused about where we were, and for once it wasn't me!!

Todd was mostly in class while we were exploring.  He did reserve two days to spend in Boston and Plymouth with me, which deserve their own days.  Boston! Bah!  It may have more recognition, but other corners of the state definitely offer their own points of interest.  New England charmed me for sure- but the most charming aspect of a 400 year old Commonwealth was surely the 1-year-old recent arrival that I was really there to see.

Making sure the most important stuff
makes it into my suitcase!

50 by 50!

The concept is so obvious, so simple, that if I had ever acknowledged that I could possibly turn 50 myself, I would have thought of it. Instead, it was suggested by the garrulous volunteer grandma at my school, who is retired and looking back at things she should have looked forward to.  A well-traveled mark before I reach the well-worn mark:  50 states in 50 years.

Now, I'm not going to set out like my whack-a-lack friend RJ, who used two bee-line trips to visit highway in every state for at least two miles over the course of two weeks.  Highway tends to be the least interesting part of a state.  Nor will I be like the couple I met in Yosemite, who were well along their list of visiting every National Park.  I'm all for nature's beauty, but they rented a motor home and went park to park for a month.  After that many parks, how can you remember what is what?

No, I will keep with my philosophy of taking advantage of opportunities that come up and making opportunities when time permits.  I'm not even moving stateside travel above  foreign dreams on my wish list.  Still, I think it is doable.  As you can see from the new sidebar map, I already have 22 under my belt.  A cross country drive with Shannon Simmons and a church history trip with my family helped quite a bit.  I'm looking forward to Spring break with Todd & Ashley in New England, so there's another couple states down.  Obviously, I've never had much cause to go to the South, but I'm sure something will come up.  And (in spite of the impending birthday) I'm still a heck of a long way from 50- and apparently, from Florida.

Cheer me along!  Follow my adventures here on the blog, invite me to visit you, or join me on a trip!  Hawaii over Memorial Day, anyone?

Pi party!

Tiffany brought the runner up pie- a Pi puzzle.
  I  want one!

Where have I been between posts?  Let's just say- it's quiet around here and a kinda lame.  So what it's a girl to do?  Throw a party, of course!  3.14 comes around regularly like a good circular measure should- as does  March 14.  So I cleaned up, threw open the doors, and invited people to bring their sweet pies and their sweetie pies.  Along came the pies- chocolate, key lime, lemon, apple, even pizza.  And the sweet friends.  Maren brought the fan favorite- Kristen Nebeker's  key lime recipe. I was even able to show the Casita to two girls looking for a place to live- and that's two more than last month.  Happy Pi Day, people!

New Year! New Year! New Year!

Apparently New Year's is big this year.  At least, I managed to get a lot of mileage out of it.

The shortened basketball season meant the Kings started their year in December.  This is cool- I actually got to watch basketball with some of my bros.  We saw Jimmer strut his stuff.  It was the first pro game for my nephew Adam. And, best of all the Kings won!  (update:  best of all, the Kings are now staying in Sacramento!)

Next, there was the 8 miles of epic hiking on New Year's Eve.  Angie Tingey and I met up with 65 new hiking buddies and headed out to Feather Falls, near Oroville.  It's supposed to be the 6th tallest waterfall in the continental United States.  My mom assigned it to my waterfall life list, so I had to go.  It was certainly beautiful.

Our hiking buddies are actually a "Meet Up" group.  This has a couple of great advantages.  1) Most of them have been there before and I was not required to navigate.  2)  Wandering between groups of people we have never met makes for interesting conversation.  Apparently, a lot of hikers are disgruntled teachers.  One lady tried to recruit me for a rival SLP company.  And Angie won for wackiest walking story with her escapades in Spain!  3) They pack in a pretty awesome spread for lunch.  4) If you follow someone on a trail that is marked "closed", and for some strange reason a tree has destroyed a bridge on this trail, said person will help you climb over the tree if needed.  Those who decline help, provide extra entertainment value.

Look! Party sleeves!

Straight off the hike, we cleaned up, dressed up, gassed up, and headed out for the obligatory dance, this time in Danville.  When we accidentally arrived at the dance before 10 pm, the accepted start time for the under-60 crowd, we were both mortified.  We cut out for a YSA dance down the street, resulting in further mortification.  A return to the first dance at least allowed us to finish out the night with streamers, horns, grapes, and a late night milkshake run, even if it was less than satisfying.

Is that enough New Year?  Oh no!  Now we have Chinese New Year!  It fell on January 23rd this year, but in order to stretch the new year out further, San Fransicans decided to celebrate on February 11. We met up with some friends for the parade.  If you are having a parade, you should hire Angie, Nate, and I to cheer for it.  Our yelling scored more dragon dances, tai kwon do moves, waves from the floats, candy for the kiddos, smiles from the politicians, new best friends, and curious stares than any other block on the parade route.  As if the first 115 entries didn't make it worth while,  there was mochi and custard buns from Chinatown involved, and a TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOOT dragon.  Like the dragon, the parade seemed to go on forever- but, like the firecrackers, it sure was a blast!

2012 is off to an explosive start. Stay tuned to see what further adventures are in store!