9/28/14

We have had a nice month here. The weather of course is shifting into fall. The air smells crispy and has that warm, on the cusp of cool feel to it. The leaves have just almost started turning, with some hitting the ground already.

We have done some fun things, one of which was watching the Vaux Swifts fly through the air as a group, finally funneling down into a chimney. We only got pooped on a couple of times, and none in the face. Lina, Bronek and Rayanna came with us last weekend and last night we went again, just us three. Tons of people show up for this, it's like a huge block party. People bring blankets and picnics, kids run around and sled down the hill on cardboard that is left for such purpose. It's so communal and warm. This is how it is here, always such things going on everyday all over town. And part of why we love it so.

The video I will put below is longish and sideways, stupid Iphone won't rotate picture/video anymore. Maybe you can turn your screen sideways so it's upright, if you choose to watch.

School is going well for Lydia. Ed too, of course. And I will start work Monday, yes you heard correctly. I will be joining the after school team in extended care. My group will be Pre-K through 3rd, and unlike when I had 15-20 5th and 6th graders, I will have a partner! I had to do a background check, fingerprints, drug test, and will need to do CPR, AED, and get my food handlers card. Ugh, a job in itself.

I will no longer have my afternoon walks with Ayla and Lydia which is sad. My hours are 2-6 and I will have all the same holidays as Ed. Lydia will walk over to the school on Mondays and Tuesdays, when school gets out, and join the 4th through 6th graders at OES for an hour or so. Weds-Fri she will ride the bus home with her buddy Brooklyn. 

Last night we went for dinner downtown at Mother's Bistro, where they make my favorite Bloody Mary, to celebrate my birthday/our 10th anniversary(it was only fitting that Lydia was there with us, as she was on the day we got married). 

First visit to the Swifts:

 Second visit:

Cardboard sledding:

9/8/14

School is into week two. All is well thus far. Lydia has guilted me into signing forms to volunteer. Ugh, I hope they don't call!

 Brooklyn, L, Angelina:

Friday night I took Lydia to see Brandi Carlile  play at our beautiful Arlene Schnitzer Auditorium. We had such a great time. Lydia really enjoyed it and I hope we will have a chance soon to do something similar. Here is a link to a little Brandi, you may recognize the first song, it was on Grey's Anatomy as well as some commercials. (Do you all know to double click on links like this one and paste into a new tab?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8pQLtHTPaI&list=RDo8pQLtHTPaI#t=0



Ed has a cousin from L.A. who moved from Portland to Georgia when we were out here on our cross country trip. He is a professor of music( I think that's his title, I could be wrong). Anyway, he took a job in Atlanta and has since moved just outside Allentown. His wife Jenny was here this summer visiting and invited us to her step father's birthday party, where she introduced us to her friend's Seairme and David. They live here across the river with Tilly and Benny, their kids. Tilly is the same age as Lydia, about a month apart, and they get along great! and we really like all of them.
David and Seairme (say ah me) play in the L.A. symphony, as well as others and background music for movies and commercials.  David texted Ed the other day to offer us tickets to a show he is playing with Bela Fleck and the symphony(Bela Fleck is a big name banjo player).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-zfiMLiizc&index=3&list=PLF3CB3C35904578AA

I can't imagine what he will do with a symphony behind him!
After the ticket offering we were invited to where they are pasturing their horses right now.
Wild mustangs that the government rounded up and sold.
They are so beautiful and sweet! We got a bit of education about them, Lydia got to help do a little training, then we hiked some of the property, ate some apples off the trees and went for lunch.
Lydia ended up going home with them to play with Tilly, so Ed and I got to ramble on our own.
We ended up at their house for dinner, and had gluten free pizza from a pizza place, and it was the best pizza ever!
Sunday we drove out to the river where Lydia and Ayla got to play with freighters along the banks.
Tonight Lydia went to her friends house and Ed and I went back to the Schnitz for the 30th anniversary of the Literary arts program here.
Colin Meloy of "The Decemberists" played a couple songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUCeHbg4afA

Calvin Triller who has written for The New Yorker as well as The Nation, spoke.
A local poet and a highschool senior both spoke and THEN Elizabeth Gilbert!!!
It was a good night. We had some yummy dinner out, then a beer in the park before the show.
Somewhere in conversation Saturday, David said that he was going to play a show Tuesday for some guy...um... Trey? We just laughed because it's the guy from the band Phish, who is VERY well known. Ed has seen his band many many times. We loved that he had no idea who he was.
David texted today and offered to put two tickets at will call, so tomorrow night, we are back at the Schnitz!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhlBKL69858

Enough excitement for today!