Cold, Damp, and Beautiful

Another foggy night and it appears as if we will be shrouded in fog for the next week or so...weather more typical of January. And, the Leonid meteor shower is coming on the 19th...oh well at least the fog is soft and tranquil...kinda peaceful, ya know...vertu svalur

[Listening to: My Happy Ending - Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin (04:02)]

Soft, Peaceful Mornings

All of the celestial events occurring in the early morning hours and we are solidly fogged in, wouldn't that just figure? I really do love the fog though, it gives the day a soft and almost sensual beginning. Life is indeed a wonderful thing...vertu svalur og glaður allan tímann líka

[Listening to: Standing Still - Jewel - This Way (04:31)]

Ég

I found this on Kolla's page and thought that it was way cool:-)(I left the Icelandic responses as they applied to me, at least I think so...my Icelandic is still pretty weak!) Please feel free to copy, personalize and post to your page to share a bit about yourself...vertu svalur, y'all:-)

Á maður ekki að vera með?

ever had a song written about you? - nei
what song makes you cry? - Elton John - Your Song
what song makes you happy? - Sheryl Crow - Soak Up The Sun

height - 1.95
hair color - dökkbrúnt
eye color - blue
piercings - nei
tattoos - nei
what are you wearing? - blue jeans and a cut-off sweatshirt
what song are you listening to? - Evanescence - My Immortal
what taste is in your mouth? - peanuts and iced tea
whats the weather like? - blautt, kalt og ógeðslegt
how are you? - couldn't be any better if I tried
get motion sickness? - nei
have a bad habit? - nei
get along with your parents? - já
like to drive? - já
boyfriend - nei
girlfriend - nei
children? - já, two
had a hard time getting over somone? -Já
been hurt? - Já
your greatest regret? - not having the courage to take a chance on love
your cd player has in it right now? - my "Love Sick and Blue" re-mix
if you were a crayon what color would you be? - purple
what makes you happy? - life
whats the next cd you're gonna get? - Cat Power - You Are Free

seven things in your room?
Bed, chest of drawers, mirror, alarm clock, backpack, my two cats Ursula and Phoebe (aka Pinky and The Brain), a spider building a web in the corner

seven things to do before you die...
skydive, bungee jump, scuba dive, surf Waimea Bay, visit Australia, rail from Lisbon to Vladivostok (via Reykjavík of course;-), see one more total solar eclipse.

top seven things you say the most...
Hey, cool, take care, have fun, see ya, couldn't be any better if I tried, I love you

do you...
smoke? - nei
do drugs? - nei
pray? - já
have a job? - já
attend church? - nei

have you ever....
been in love? - já
had a medical emergency? - nei
had surgery? - já
swam in the dark? - já
been to a bonfire? - já
got drunk? - já
ran away from home? - nei
played strip poker? - nei
gotten beat up? - já
beaten someone up?- já
been onstage? - já
pulled and all nighter? - já
been on radio or tv? - nei
been in a mosh pit? - nei
do you have any gay or lesbian friends? - já
describe your first kiss - heaven on earth, with my first real love
wallet - já, but empty
coffee - já, já, já
shoes - hiking boots and Tevas
cologne - JS

in the last 24 hours you have...
cried - nei
bought anything - nei
gotten sick - nei
sang - já
been kissed - já
felt stupid - já
talked to an ex - nei
talked to someone you have a crush on - já
missed someone - já
hugged someone - já

[Listening to: Standing Still - Jewel - This Way (04:31)]

The Morning Stars Are Out

If you have not taken the opportunity to go out in the pre-dawn hours and observe the eastern sky, you might want to do so in the next couple of days. The Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and perhaps Mars (depending upon your location) will be visible near the horizon in close proximity to one another and it is quite a sight, especially if the sky is clear...vertu svalur

Now This Is Fit and Fun At The Same Time

There was an article in todays newspaper about the pastime of "geocaching" and we decided to check it out. A quick visit to www.geocaching.com resulted in our registration as "geocachers" and an immediate sortie out this afternoon to find our first geocache. Not only were we successful in finding, examining, and signing the logbook of our first geocache but we also hiked about five miles in doing so as well as enjoying a view of our town that we had not seen before. Considering how many years I have spent in the back country and the fact that hardly a week goes by without me finding myself somewhere off of the beaten path; I am surprised that I had not heard of this activity before. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think, but for me it is too much fun...vertu svalur og glaður allan tímann líka

[Listening to: How Do I Live [DVD] [*] - LeAnn Rimes - Greatest Hits [Bonus DVD] Disc 2 (04:26)]

Climb For Clean Air

Well I finally got signed up for this climb and next July I shall be summitting Mt. Rainier for a good cause; the American Lung Association. That is assuming that I can raise the $3,500 in pledges for ALA necessary to be included in the climb, but it certainly will be worth the effort either way. BTW, if anyone wants to contribute towards this effort then please check out www.alaw.org/morris;-) I can not think of a better excuse to put the time and training into this effort and I am sure that it will be a blast! So, now the work begins...vertu svalur

[Listening to: My Happy Ending - Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin (04:02)]

The Boys of Summer...Next Year

Tonight was our last softball games for the year and we finished on a high note. The weather was cool, rainy and windy but we had a good showing of our folks and one of the more fun teams to play against. We lost both games, but the last one we played them close. The umpire had a good sense of humor and everyone just had a great time. I can not think of a better way to end the year and have everyone look forward to playing next year. Now its time to get ready for snow boarding;-)...vertu svalur

[Listening to: I Want You - Savage Garden - Savage Garden (03:52)]

...But The Curtain Never Went Up

Three days of rain on the mountain pretty well shut down the Mt. St. Helens show, well at least the viewing of it;-) We did have three great days of camping and hiking up high on the mountain; I do so love the mountains in the rain. It was not cold enough to snow but that cannot be too far off...vertu svalur

Off to the Mt. St. Helens Show

I am off to spend three days on Mt. Rainier. With any luck, I shall be high up on the S/SE slope where the view of any activity in the crater of Mt. St. Helens ought to be just about perfect. Not that I am wishing anything unfortunate on anyone, but if it is going to erupt, why not while I have a front-row seat;-)...vertu svalur, y'all!

Fall Is In The Air

What a nice couple of mornings we have had recently. The air is crisp and it is down right chilly in the mornings. The maple trees in the neighborhood are starting to change color and the pumpkins are ready for picking and carving for Halloween. Winter is on its way, O ja!...vertu svalur (quite literally;-)

From the Boardroom to the Links...and Beyond

I must say that yesterday was quite the interesting day. It started early with me running out and helping the gang set up for our annual employee golf game and barbeque, then home for a wardrobe change and then off to the convention center for a "Technology Roundtable Discussion" withour US Senator Maria Cantwell. I was quite impressed with her ability to absorb information, process it and then relate it as first-hand knowledge shortly thereafter. I could actually watch her and see the process churning behind her blue eyes as we each briefed her in turn on our different areas of expertise. Them in a matter of less than an hour, she was in front of the cameras, answering detailed questions about these technical issues and answering them both completely as well as correctly. It kinda makes me proud that I voted for her, even if she is a Democrat;-) Then it was back to the house for another wardrobe change and then off to the park for the barbeque and games (I totally missed the golf game). We had a beautiful late-summer day, good food, great company, and lots of fun playing soccer, volleyball, and frisbee. We packed it all in late in the afternoon and called it quite the day...vertu svalur, y'all;-)

[Listening to: Walkin' on the Sun - Smash Mouth - Fush Yu Mang (03:27)]

Parade Pics!

For those who wanted to see what we were doing with all of our weekends, here ya go...enjoy!

[Listening to: The Boogie Bumper - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy [Interscope] (03:38)]

The Whole Parade Crew, Except Me

That's Me Driving;-) 

It Really Is About The Kids, After All 

Life Is a Ball...Game

We had a good practice tonight, but then we had better after our rather dismal softball game last Sunday. Of course, the whole point is to get together and have a little fun and we have done that. I do hope that we do a bit better this Sunday, at least well enough that folks won't get discouraged. With only five teams in our division, we will get to know each other quite well and it would be nice to at at least give them some competition. But, I guess as long as we continue to have fun and improve our game a bit each time then we should be happy, and I will be at that...vertu svalur

[Listening to: Tubthumping [Original Mix] - Chumbawamba - Tubthumping (04:39)]

101 Trombones Led The Big Parade...

It was the same old gang doing the parade circuit this morning, in Connell for their Fall Festival this time. Actually, Karen, Jeanne, Jake (Jeanne's 3-year old grandson), Laurel and I were there; with the addition of Jeanne's son, and Jake's father, Chad and Karen's daughter Crystal. Even though Sandy did not make it this time, we did coerce Laurel into being the "Educational Princess" and ride on the back of the convertible, with Jake in his usual place in the car seat and me driving. Chad carried the banner and the others worked the crowds handing out candy to the kids along the way. The weather cooperated and the early morning rain gave way to a cloudy, but pleasantly cool day that was perfect for the festivities. What fun!!! That makes three parades on three weekends in a row that we have put the good name of ESD 123 "on the road" in neighboring towns. What fun it is and why we have not done this before no one knows; who knows perhaps by next year we will be able to field a real float. Not that Karen's Mustang convertible, festooned with ESD banners, and all of us in our maroon and khaki company colors isn't all that shabby, after all we are a hit;-), but we know that we can do it up better with a little time to prepare. We try and remember that this was thrown together in just a couple of days and that we did not anticipate it going beyond the first parade. Anyway, there is a parade in Pomeroy on Friday and what a wonderful small town that is; I have always enjoyed spending time there and I am certain that this one will be the most fun of all...vertu svalur og glaður allan tímann líka

[Listening to: The Boogie Bumper - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy [Interscope] (03:38)]

Brrrrrrr!!!

I will echo my friend Marianna in this sentiment. The morning started off just gorgeous, even though a storm was forecast for the afternoon. So, you know me, I figured that I would climb up and meet the weather coming down, and that is exactly what happened. Between the dramatic drop in temperature and the howling wind and me in only my hiking shorts and boots and at about 9,500 feet up, I thought that I was going to freeze before I got off of the snowfields, but even worse was the rain down below Pebble Creek. It was a cold, stiff drive back to the house and I am now sitting at home trying to warm back up. Too much fun, ya know;-)...vertu svalur, O ja!

Salve For The Soul

I had forgotten just how beautiful and relaxing a gorgeous fall day in Seattle could be. I planned my trip so that I could catch the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle in the morning and it was just the perfect day! Great weather, smooth water, and no crowds. When I landed in Seattle, I parked and spent a couple of hours walking the waterfront, Pike St. Market and REI. It was an absolutely perfect day for just hanging out and enjoying the Seattle scene. Now, a day of meetings and then I am off to Mt. Rainier for a day or so of camping and hiking before I return home. Life is good and so...vertu svalur og glaður allan tímann líka

Morning Stars

I was out running in the pre-dawn hours this morning and chanced to see Venus and Saturn in conjunction before the clouds rolled in and hazed the sky over. What a beautiful sight, especially with Orion just to the right of the pair, beginning its rise to its usual place of prominence in the winter sky. I hope that y'all got the chance to see them also. Now off to work and another day of wrestling with the myriad amount of details associated with keeping the K-12 community connected and data flowing...vertu svalur

[Listening to: Good Woman - Cat Power - You Are Free (03:59)]