Day 894

In a break from the expected, dinner in Marsing tonight was not at Alejandra's but at the pizza place. Too bad hubby doesn't like au jus. If he actually dipped his sandwich he would have realized it would have made it oh-so-tasty. You can bet I would have dipped his delicious melted brisket sandwich! (He didn't give me the chance.)

Day 893

When hubby caught his salmon I knew he had a pink one and a silver one. Not being a salmon fisherman I didn't know the difference. Even when it arrived at the house I couldn't tell the difference. Last week he grilled the pink; today he grilled the silver.

I still can't tell the difference. Is it the meat or the scales that determine the type?

Here's what silver looks like. Doesn't look much different than the pink he made the other day (to my untrained eye).

Day 892

When hubby starts school Monday things will change. The biggie probably be dinner. He's been the chef around the house these last few weeks and I've been getting spoiled. He always makes sure he cooks something I'm interested in eating. Sometimes he'll add some type of side dish, or a condiment, or some sauce just for him - something special that fits his weird taste.

Like the apple cider sauerkraut. When we were in Leavenworth last month we ran across a restaurant that served cabbage cooked in apple cider. He fell in love with it and has been anxious to make his own batch. So when he decided we would have grilled sausages for dinner tonight, guess what he also made? He again loved it. And no, I did not try it.

Day 891

If you've been a reader for a while you know one of my passions is sewing and quilting for charities.

Turtle Pillows for Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Camp.
Stockings for Soldiers.
Quilts for children of servicemen and women.

Usually the quilts are for kids who have parents away fighting some war somewhere around the world. While I know who I'm making the quilt for, I don't usually know much about the families. (Remember back on Day 497 when I got to personally present quilts to kids when I went to Anchorage? That was certainly special.) But today's quilt is special, too. It's for a soldier's niece. She's been growing up with her uncle being a big part of her life, developed a very close bond with him, and loves him as much as anyone could. But she misses her uncle, the soldier, dearly.

When the military base in Alaska contacted me about the possibility of making this special quilt for a special little girl I was honored to be part of it.  I hope the bright colors and vivid pictures hold her uncle - the one who was killed on Christmas Day - close to her heart.

Day 890

I'm glad our daughter came home because we don't like sour cream.

On Day 657 we started an adventure at Alejandra's. An eat-through-the-menu adventure. It's now seven months later and we're getting close to the end. But there is a menu item we skip over again and again.

Enchiladas Blancas. White enchiladas made with sour cream.

It just so happens that daughter's favorite menu item at Alejandra's are those same enchiladas. So we finally got her home and got her to eat those for us. (To keep things honest I had a bite.)

That wasn't the only reason to get her home. It's hubby's birthday and he wanted Number 21, Camarones al Chipotle, again. He got it, she got her enchiladas. And Alejandra's surprised their loyal customer with deep fried ice cream. The taste of that put the German chocolate cake with extra pecans I made to shame.

Happy birthday, Ed!

Day 889

As we pulled in the driveway tonight I spotted something down the road. Something I have been wanting to find for a couple years now. Something that was the cutest thing I'd seen in a long time. Thank goodness kiddo was with us - she grabbed my camera and walked down the road just a bit for this special picture.

Those baby quail are so teeny tiny!

Day 888

Guess yesterday's fortune cookie held true.

Quilt for a 3 year old little boy. In Alaska.

Day 887

Sleep in.

Help hubby get his classroom ready.

Go to Chinese food.

Get groceries.

Best part of the day? My fortune.

Day 886

A sneak peek at the other kid's quilt top.

Day 885

Number 21 on Alejandra's menu is Camarones al Chipotle.
Shrimp with onions and mushrooms in red spicy sauce that will make you blush.

The red spicy sauce has made it onto hubby's The Best Thing I Ever Ate list. And just look at that jumbo shrimp.

Day 884

All that Suck the Marrow Tour confidence I had quickly dissipated once the infusion side effects hit. And to let it interfere with my job? Certainly something someone "living deep" wouldn't do. I'm thinking I need to get that tattoo of the quote as a reminder to continue living when things aren't so good.

In the meantime I decided to spend a big part of today doing what I did before - back in the first year or two of the blog - when I felt crappy.

Back to sewing. Finished one of the Alaska kids' quilt tops. Here's a sneak peak at a piece of it.

Day 883

While my mother and her tomatoes provided yesterday's picture, when I got home today I found that hubby was providing today's picture.

Just look what he made for dinner while I was in Boise. That would be a pink salmon he caught in Alaska.

Day 882

I've been searching for a description. A way to explain what goes on in my head after the infusion. It's like a headache, but not exactly. Like I'm dizzy, but not exactly. Like I'm about to pass out, but not exactly. Like there's too much adrenaline in my brain, but not exactly. Like my brain is vibrating, but not exactly.

But as I closed my eyes, resting that whatever-it's-called going on in my brain leaving me unable to focus/concentrate/drive safely/think clearly (and unable to attend another conference day), the answer appeared.

Magic 8 Ball.

Remember the Magic 8 Ball? You asked it a question, shook it up, turned it over, and it revealed the answer. Most likely. Without a doubt. Ask again later. Cannot predict now. Don't count on it. My sources say no.

It's like a Magic 8 Ball. But only the shaking-the-ball part. It's like my brain is being shaken inside my skull. Part headache, part dizziness, part lightheadedness, part adrenaline rush, part vibration. An infusion side effect - one that happens every time - one that I'm not yet skilled in managing. One that has interfered with yet another work-related responsibility.

So I stay here at our Boise place with my head on the pillow for the day.

Thank goodness my mom picked a couple of her pot tomatoes for today's picture.

Day 881

Even though the post-infusion side effects still linger, it's time to return to work. I was scheduled today but the icky-ness isn't letting that happen. I'll try again tomorrow.

In the meantime a nap sounds pretty good. But the only one lucky enough to get one is kiddo's cat.

Day 880

Only one way to tell that we're settling in back at home. The continuation of the eating-through-the-menu project at Alejandra's.

A steak served with a cheese enchilada in a dish called Tampiquena.

Day 879

Hubby and I are usually behind the times. It took us years to get hooked up to the Internet. And then it took us just as long to give up dial up. A debit card? Our daughter had one before we did. Online payments? Only started those in the past couple years. Online banking? We haven't yet made that leap.

So it should be no surprise that we've just started watching a show that came out in 2008. We've heard lots about it, but again we're behind the times in knowing what everyone is talking about.

Breaking Bad.

Watching season two is probably not the most romantic way for us to spend today - our 29th wedding anniversary - but neither is what I was doing while hubby was cooking dinner.

Another kids quilt in progress.

Day 878

No matter how much I love that we have a place in Boise close to everything, I still appreciate having a place near the river in Marsing. When I start to come across the bridge into Marsing I think about how many people pass through here and wonder what it would be like to live in such a small town.

I know first hand. I'm one of the lucky ones.

Day 877

I wouldn't necessarily consider sharing a margarita with my daughter over lunch as a suck the marrow activity. But on second thought... after my frustrating visit at the rheumatologist's today it would have been easy to go home and crawl into bed. Instead I met up with kiddo for a visit.

And a shared margarita at a Mexican restaurant in Boise.

Day 876

Thanks to hubby's help it's starting to look more like a sewing room.

Day 875

Have you ever seen such mess? Might as well feature my sewing room on the next episode of Hoarders.

Guess going on vacation when you're ready to start listing things on eBay is a bad idea. Also letting your daughter take one of your bookshelves right before you leave might not be the smartest thing to do. When you haven't a thought about where to put the bunches of stuff that came off that bookshelf? Especially stupid.

Maybe the better word is embarrassing.

Day 874

We may have a tiny cat (remember her bath?) but she sure has some long legs.

Curled up on the arm of the recliner, sleeping away, with one long front leg hanging down. Kind of like the way a teenager might sleep, don't you think?

Day 873

When I saw this sign by the gas station this morning I knew it was speaking to me. But my goal today is small. Get through my infusion. Period.

Day 872

Yep, Lisa, kitty was happy to see us.

Day 871

There is a reason we went out of our way to go through Walla Walla, Washington. It's because of their onions, of course. If you've never had a Walla Walla onion you're missing out. And it just so happens they have something going on this weekend.

How about a huge blooming onion made fresh as you look on? It was yummy.

As we were watching the onion eating contest hubby decided it would be a good time to try a caramel onion. A Walla Walla dipped in caramel. He thought it was delicious.

And Scooter came in handy when we bought a bag of onions to take home. Unfortunately home will be our destination tomorrow. Suck the Marrow Tour Part Two is coming to an end.

Day 870

I might be deemed crazy for taking pictures of elevator doors. But I couldn't resist when I saw the elevator in our Leavenworth hotel, The Bavarian Lodge.

First floor  elevator door

Second floor elevator door

Third floor elevator door

But to prove I'm not crazy I took a regular-type picture of the Columbia River on our way to Walla Walla, Washington.

Day 869 Leavenworth, Washington

Lyrics from a Zac Brown Band song:

I got my toes in the water, a** in the sand

Not a worry in the world, a cold beer drink in my hand

Life is good today, life is good today.

Since we started the Suck the Marrow Tour Part 2 hubby has been singing those lyrics. All the places we've been - Hood River, Mt. Hood, Portland, Cannon Beach, Mount St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Seattle, Alaska - I never could get Scooter close enough to the water to let me dip my toes.

Until today.

For behind the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, Washington, behind all the shops and restaurants, down a steep gravel road, across winding dirt paths through trees and forest, Scooter found her way. A few steps by me down a little sandy embankment, and bingo!

I even waded out a bit more to get some pictures of the Wenatchee River.

Then I found what I want to try next! But after watching a while I decided it might take too much lung capacity. Dang. 

Then as we were eating lunch at South, a Mexican restaurant (Delicious Mexican food in a German town? Go figure.) I saw what I really want to try next. But I imagine my screams would probably use up all the oxygen. Darn.

As I said to hubby after we walked  huffed and puffed Scooter back up the steep hills that had lead to the river when all else fails, I can take pictures.
The hotel.

 The village of Leavenworth.

Dinner at Muchen Haus.

 All the mustards to choose from.

Yep, life is good today, life is good today.

Day 868

We love the vacation movies with Chevy Chase -National Lampoon's Vacation, European Vacation, Vegas Vacation, and Christmas Vacation. We have the entire collection and quote movie lines frequently. One line hubby uses when things are boring comes from European Vacation. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to take a picture of his family in front of a fountain. His son Rusty says, The Griswolds in front of a fountain...major entertainment.

So today hubby said, Deb riding a bus on her birthday...major entertainment. And yep, it was boring. We spent 4+ hours riding on a bus from Vancouver, BC to Seattle. (Remember last year I swore I'd never drive in Vancouver again? This was the alternative way from the cruise ship.)

Add another couple hours waiting at the airport for the shuttle to pick us up and take us to our car, loading the car, driving to another town to find the pharmacy for hubby's prescription refill, a quick fast food lunch, and a full gas tank.

Technically we should now be officially heading home from our extended Suck the Marrow Tour Part Two. But:
A. I have another infusion coming up on Monday.
B. It's my birthday.
C. I'm just not ready to stop this adventure.
D. All of the above.

D. is correct. I want to squeeze every bit I can out of life right now. The infusion will knock me down for a week. Then the following week I return to work. Full time. So adventures will be over. But not yet.

So add another 3 hours of driving time today. I'm too pooped to go out to eat so it's pizza delivery. Pepperoni and garlic, with a breadstick and dipping sauce. Add in a mini lava cake the hotel sent my way. And I can't forget the nice little note hubby gave me. I love that he recognizes how important living large is to me right now. (Sorry, I hid the rest of what he wrote.)

And where is all this happening? Here.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings in this town.

Day 867

This time last year hubby didn't even wish me happy birthday. This year he had a card for me and
candles ready for the Princess cake. And my birthday isn't even until tomorrow!