This picture is nearly a month old, and Kim is quite a bit bigger now.  We’ve had several nice showers thrown by generous friends, spent a lot of time getting things ready, and I’m starting to feel ready.  We’ve taken the classes.  We’ve read the books.  I know, full and well, that there is no way to be prepared fully for the life altering things that are about to happen, but I’m confident we’ll do well.  I can’t wait to meet my daughter.  10 days to the due date.  Wow.

My father, Malcolm, and step-mom Deborah invited Kim and I out to Utah for a long weekend. Unfortunately, Deborah wasn’t able to make the trip, she was missed, but we had a good time anyway.
We spent a fair bit of time wandering Salt Lake city, checking out the capital, downtown, and the temple. We sampled some good food, and enjoyed catching up. We also had a great day snowshoeing in the gorgeous mountains just outside the city. Good times!

I had a work trip to the Seattle area, and tacked on one day of paddling with my friends Arn and David , and a few days to explore with Kim. It was a very quick trip.   Gorgeous cities, some delicious food, and a chance to hang out with my Aunt Helen, Uncle Keith and Cousin Claire in Vancouver.  Way too short, but a really nice weekend.  Good times.

Kim’s Uncle Hoa was in town in January, and we decided to take him kayaking. Kim’s mom joined us, along with Kim’s brother Ton and sister in law Cecilia. Kim’s mom was a little nervous, so we put her in the tandem with me, and rented a single for Kim, while her uncle paddled my single sea kayak.
It was a gorgeous day, warm and sunny for January. We stuck to the Newport Harbor, but had a very nice paddle.

Holy crap, I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane today. Kim and I went skydiving today, to celebrate my having lost over 50 lbs.
It started with her friend Enrique, who had suggested it. Kim asked if I was interested, but I said that I’d looked into it before, but was too heavy and couldn’t go. Kim asked if that was still true with my weight loss, and I replied I wasn’t sure. She checked, and when we realized …

I was at a work event in Detroit, scheduled to leave at noon to fly to Texas to see my Grandma.  Her health had been failing, and I wanted desperately to see her one last time.  When I saw my mom’s cell number on my phone that morning, my heart sank. I knew I’d missed her.  Part of me was crushed.  It was more for me than her, I knew she was only barely aware, if at all, of her surroundings in the end.  A  part of me was relieved, …

Last weekend, Kim and I drove to Lake Tahoe, parked the car in Squaw Valley, and rode about 50 miles around the Lake to South Lake Tahoe on Saturday. The route included everything from bike paths to rolling hills to a LONG climb that led to a screaming fast downhill. Super fun. We stayed in an inexpensive motel in south lake tahoe…. then walked 6 miles roundtrip to get dinner. A great night of rest, and we woke sunday, and …

Kim and I celebrated our anniversary this weekend (April 9) with a weekend trip to Monterrey Bay, CA. We went paddling Sat morning off a point near Pacific Grove. It was windy, and big, and stormy, so we didn’t get far, but it was a lot of fun.
After-wards, we hung out in the tide-pools, then checked out a street fair in PG. Checked into our hotel, then had a nice dinner.
Sunday we went kayaking again, with amazing wildlife. Otters, seals and sea lions EVERYWHERE. Really, …

Just a few photos from some winter trips we took.  Lake Tahoe with Paula and Erol, and Mammoth with Helen and Scott.  good times….

My cousin had a 3 day visit this past weekend. We hadn’t seen each other in 20 years, so it was great to see each other and get to know each other better. Friday we spent a long day exploring LA, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Venice, including the Walk of Fame and La Brea Tar Pits, the Boardwalk, and more.
Saturday, we got up at 3:30 am, and by 9 am, we were pulling into Yosemite. Visited the giant Redwoods, then went to Glacier Point for the views. Stuart and I …