Red's Blurbs

Introducing....

2011-10-23T22:37:00.001-06:00

...Sonya May Photography!! Take a look at my new little photography business website www.sonya-may.com! This should be an interesting endeavor!

First Day of October

2011-10-01T22:07:00.000-06:00

Today was beautiful! We welcomed the 90-degree weather knowing it won't be here much longer. I cleaned my camera in preparation for my mentoring session tomorrow and then took some photos in the yard of the dead sunflowers, turning leaves, and blooming perennials (not sure why they are blooming).

We ordered pizza for dinner and as I was driving to carryout I noticed a potential sunset opportunity. I called Tom and we decided to meet at Zimmerman Park atop the Rims for photos and pizza. We both took some decent photos of the sunset but I'm still kicking myself because we missed an even better sky yesterday night.

I hope you all are having a great weekend. I will post pics from my mentoring session tomorrow... if I don't get home too late!

Re-design

2011-10-01T01:32:00.001-06:00

At midnight I got a wild hair to change the template of my blog, which I did. I got irritated because I really wanted the photo below to be my background. Oh well, I'll have to bug Todd about my dilemma.

On tap this weekend are the last Farmer's Market, record breaking heat, and a photo mentoring session with Alissa Ferullo in Sheridan. I am excited to learn from Alissa, she is very talented!

I better head to bed!

Textured Grass

Sonya

9/11 Flyover

2011-09-12T20:25:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we hiked on the Rims to capture photos of the F-15's that were scheduled to flyover the 9/11 Memorial dedication at the MSU-College of Technology. They were about 16 minutes late and we just about bagged it when they flew in from the east. I snapped as many photos as I could in the 30-60 seconds they were in view. Below are a few of my best shots. (Click on the photo to open the larger view.)

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Facing southwest... too hazy to see the mountains.

Cropped View

Barely visible as they jet away.

Tom enjoying his camera!

Sonya

Banana "Ice Cream"

2011-09-10T16:58:00.003-06:00

I made this yummy today after running across the recipe somewhere... maybe Facebook. Here is a link with pictorial directions. The consistency is suprisingly close to custard -- smooth and creamy! What a great way to use up ripening bananas!

Sonya

Corncobs

2011-09-09T18:22:00.000-06:00

So Wednesday night I let the dogs gnaw on our discarded corn cobs. Later that night they were gone -- long gone! I thought perhaps Shorty had buried them, but I've walked the yard twice and found no freshly furrowed holes nor any incriminating evidence under his nails. So I think he ate both of them!

Here's the best shot I got of him enjoying the cob prior to ingesting the entire thing!

Sonya

Blogtap and Benefits of Exercise

2011-09-08T19:38:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

It's been way too long since my last post. Now as the Fall is approaching I find myself with more time to write again. But this time I've decided to use a Blog Topic Generator from blogtap when I am at a loss for a topic. To get things rolling I hit the Generate Topic button and viola, a topic spewed out.

So for my debut post of 2011, (Better late than never!?) my topic ended up being -- drumroll -- Benefits of Exercise. Well that may sound rather dull, however, I literally just completed Week 1, Day 2 of the popular c25k (couch to 5k) running app before sitting down to my computer. So the topic is fitting despite the randomness. To give you some history, I started the c25k program earlier this year and then fell ill with an "angry gallbladder," to quote the surgeon. So that little procedure waylaid my running aspirations and I fell off the wagon -- totally. I waifed around all summer and now I've started again, this time teaming up with my bestie and not pushing myself on speed as much. But I digress.

As you may or may not know, I underwent MAJOR back surgery a little over 17 years ago for severe scoliosis. The surgery calmed my pinched nerves and restored my health to as normal as possible. But I have noticed that as I age, my systemic symptoms (aching low back and radiculopathy) are more noticeable when I am not exercising. I literally feel less pain when I have been working out regularly. Other benefits of course include losing weight and improved self-confidence. Although working out can cause muscle aches, I would much rather have that type of pain than what I am currently feeling... now there is a Benefit of Exercise that is much more important than numbers on the scale or clothing labels!

Sonya

P.S. Sorry no pics today. However, I scored a sweet camera over the summer and have taken to photography. From now on I hope to only use my photos on the blog. If you haven't seen the photo website Tom and I share, check it out at http://sotohe.smugmug.com/!

Dead Blog

2010-01-30T18:15:00.006-07:00

Well I was told that my blog was dead, so I thought I would post a bit, to bring it back to life.

2010 is trucking along for us. Tom and I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in Wyoming, as usual, and then went to Denver to ring in the New Year and attend a Broncos game with some friends from Sheridan! It was a lot of fun and makes me wish I could buy a condo in Denver for weekend getaways! Although, that would be alot of driving over a weekend.

We recently traded the Jeep for a used Toyota truck. An 08 Tundra to be exact. I'll definitely miss the Jeep but the truck will be a better all around vehicle for us. However, I do see another Jeep in my future some day, just not my primary vehicle.

Otherwise, we both are super busy with work. Wishing we would win a lotto and do what really makes us happy. But I guess we should buy tickets if we expect to win.

I hope 2010 is treating you all well! And I'll try to keep my blog from dying again!

At the Impulse Theater for improv comedy!

After the improv comedy show!

At a Broncos football game!

10 Day Countdown

2009-10-19T22:19:00.005-06:00

In 10 short days Tom and I will be jetting off to sunny Phoenix for some trick-or-treating by the pool! The dog sitter is set, the plane tickets purchased (for a very good rate) and mental packing completed.

We hope to spend time with Todd and Ashlee in their new home and check out some local scenes. Tom is already loathing the cold weather and impending drop of snow, so he is chomping at the bit to go south. I just hope I can get him to head back home at the end of our trip...

Tuesday Group Therapy

2009-10-13T22:15:00.004-06:00

Tonight I started the watercolor "class" I mentioned in my prior post. The group is intended to be an easy-going, unstructured session for people to get together and paint.

We have four in the class besides the two instructors. My classmates include:
~ Rita, a talented artist who has taught local classes,
~ Debbie, a first time painter who seemed to enjoy jumping in, and
~ Tim, a funny fellow who creates welding sculptures for his day job.
We're quite the mash of skill level and personality! The Q Art Shop is a cozy space to escape and get lost in painting. In fact I think I'm going to refer to it as my Tuesday Group Therapy.

I'll keep you posted on my artwork and the antics of this odd group.

Canine Cognition

2009-10-11T11:04:00.006-06:00

I follow this blog about a very well-trained handsome Puggle. I found this post about the Canine Cognition Lab interesting. I hope to hear about any data they publish someday.

Preston's mug was used for the cover of this Puggle book he is posing with.

In other news Tom started RC car racing this weekend. So I'll be an RC widow about every other weekend until Spring.

Late Summer Update III: Watercolor

2009-10-03T20:04:00.008-06:00

As some of you might know, I enjoy watercolor painting. Since moving to Billings I've dabbled a bit and recently painted a landscape for my Mom's birthday gift. I sure could have used Grandma's help completing it. Today I was inspired to enroll in a watercolor "class" at Q's Art Shop and Gallery. It is an unstructured, affordable 3 hour session designed to be a weekly time to meet to paint. Occasionally instructors will join the session to mix it up. I'm excited but nervous since I haven't painted amongst real artists for a long time. I'll keep you posted.

Here is a photo of the painting I did for my Mom. I hope family members recognize the subject matter.

Here are some snowmen I painted for work Christmas presents in 2007.

Late Summer Update II: Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-10-03T19:41:00.005-06:00

For Mom's birthday she and my Dad came up to Billings on Friday evening to go out for dinner and then stayed the night. We had dinner at an upscale restaurant and then drove around looking at used trucks for my Dad. We ended the evening by enjoying a huge frosting laden cake for dessert.

I hope you had a fun birthday Mom!

Late Summer Update I: Phoenix Trip ~ August 26-30

2009-10-03T17:46:00.015-06:00

When Tom and I found out Todd and Ashlee were moving to Phoenix we knew we would be visiting frequently. We had no idea how soon and how frequently. When I mentioned the move to my friend Katie Culver she reminded me that her brother also lives in Phoenix. We quickly started brainstorming trip ideas and came up with an itinerary that worked for us, the Culver family and both of our brothers' families. The Culvers drove to AZ the weekend before our arrival on Wednesday and then we drove all the way home to Sheridan with them on the following weekend.

Here are some photo highlights of our trip:

Due to my paranoia we were there early... I was the first person through security and the coffee shop wasn't open yet to provide caffeine.

Yes the clock says 4:25AM, only 1 hour 35 minutes until our flight.

The Culvers picked us up from the airport at 9:30 local time and we did some shopping at a very upscale outdoor Scottsdale shopping area. Well it wasn't shopping exactly, as we felt under-dressed and under-funded for any purchases at the stores we looked in. So we jumped in the minivan and headed downtown to have lunch at Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. We had a lovely lunch at the Friday's Front Row restaurant.

After lunch we went a couple blocks over to the Science Center.

We were watching the pennies twirl.

Megan and Bobby "blending" in with the other people on the wall mural.

Magnetic flakes that danced in response to music, here they are dancing to Pump Up the Jam.

Megan having fun.

Playing with pulleys.

Megan on a bed of nails.

Making smoke signals.

Experiencing hurricane strength winds.

The Lego Exhibit

A life sized Lego knight!

Todd and Ashlee allowed us to stay at the RV unit they were living in while finding and purchasing their house. It is a gated community for senior citizens but Ashlee's Great Aunt and Uncle invited them to stay while the park was slow during the summer months.

The HUGE Brass Pro Shop!

Tom and Todd at the laser shooting range.

A Century Plant on the grounds outside of Kartchner Caverns.

The Culver kids with their cousin.

Bobby on the long ride home to Wyoming!

We had a great time and are looking forward to two trips coming up, a second trip to Phoenix over Halloween weekend and a trip with the Katie and James Culver to Denver over New Year's Weekend!

Little Known Facts: I love to sniff gum and I hourd it!

2009-09-13T19:51:00.007-06:00

So I decided to blog about this little know fact of mine. Tom always is laughing at me in the store when I buy gum. I'm often a sucker for any "new" gum flavor, package, mode of ingestion, etc. And not only do I inspect each new package to determine if it is really "new" I also have to sniff the package to tell if it is a good choice smell wise. This is the part that makes Tom giggle and not many other people witness on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. I just wanted to share this tidbit AND post a picture of my current gum choices. This doesn't include my work stash of mint variety... in the "gum section" of my desk drawer.

Gum flavors are:

Canister:

Trident Strawberry Lime

Left Column:

Orbit - Pina Colada

Orbit - Mint Mojito

Orbit Mist - Watermelon Spring

Orbit - Maui Melon Mint

Right Column:

Stride - Uber Bubble

Trident Layers - Greenapple + GoldenPineapple

Trident Layers - WildStrawberry + TangyCitrus

Bubblicious - Strawberry

Bubble Yum - Jolly Rancher Watermelon

I promise to post an update on our trip to visit Phoenix soon... I'm waiting for photos from Thomas!

July Birthdays!

2009-07-29T21:45:00.006-06:00

Well I just wanted to give a shout out to my July Birthday Boys!

Happy 60th Birthday Dad - sorry I'm late on this!

Happy 34th Birthday Thomas!

Sheridan WYO Rodeo Highlights 2009

2009-07-13T17:51:00.008-06:00

Tom and I ventured to Sheridan in the company of two Billings friends to enjoy Rodeo this past weekend. We enjoyed most of the usual festivities including the pancake breakfast, bed races, parade, Baker BBQ, rodeo/VIP room and street dance. Here are some photo highlights!

Bed Races - firemen in pink!

Walking to our parade location via the ATM and the handy dog handle statue!

Dad playing in the marching band!

Some "ladies"!

Megan Culver as a "Little Elvis"

The camel was new this year I think!

After the parade Dad "stashed" his tuba while we ate BBQ!

At the rodeo!

Packed stands, the show was sold out all 3 nights!

Bareback, Saddlebronc and Bullriding are my favorites, behind the Indian Horse Races (sorry no pics of them this year)!

At The Culver residence!

Regrouping before the street dance!

Katie and James!

Our boss from McDonalds!

Mom and me!

Some of my best high school friends!

My Billings buddy!

Blacks Hills Part III

2009-07-08T23:22:00.014-06:00

As promised here are our photos from the trip to the Black Hills in date order with some labeling!

JULY 3, 2009

View from the condo deck!

10th Anniversary Picture

On the 2 mile hike to Mt. Rushmore. The rain was a bummer but we tried to make the most of the situation... if we had only known how it would end up!

Bobby, followed by Tom, James, and Megan

Katie bringing up the rear!

We're almost there!

James and Katie - how cute!

Taking a break!

We noticed Washington's profile when we stopped at the "Hydration Station".

Entering the mob scene!

We picked a spot and started the long wait.

Good company makes the time go faster!

Our happy clan!

The presidents were snotting and crying.

Men preparing the fireworks!

The pavilion was packed!

A different view through a crevice.

B1 Bomber Flyover!

So we were there from about 12pm to 10:00pm. The fireworks were supposed to begin at about 9:15pm but fog blew in around 8:00pm and completely blocked a view of the show. It was a huge disappointment, but what can you do? We tried to enjoy the very noisy mood lighting.

The walk back to the vehicle, right down the middle of the highway. When we reached exiting vehicles it was cars in the right lane, people in the left lane.

Still smiling despite the rain and sad ending.

July 4, 2009

Crazy Horse Memorial

The size of the people give an idea of the true size of this monument.

A close up of the face which is finished.
Lunch in Hill City after old timey photos!

And some miniature golf at Gulches of Fun in Deadwood to finish the day!

Despite the fireworks show ending with only a bang our traveling companions, The Culver Family, were great sports and good company. Our trip was a blast and we are looking forward to traveling with them again in August when we visit Todd and Ashlee in Arizona. We'll also get to see them and my parents (and many other friends) this weekend for Rodeo 2009 in Sheridan. Lots of activities are planned and I am looking forward to another weekend of fun and friends!

Black Hills Part II

2009-07-04T22:56:00.007-06:00

Well our trip has been a whirlwind since my first update. Bottom line - our Mount Rushmore fireworks extravaganza ended in a heavy fog that blocked a true view of the fireworks. They lit them off despite the weather but the sky was like a giant mood light with some dramatic percussion. I'll do a full recap and post pictures after returning home tomorrow.

Oh and Happy 4th of July!!

Update and Black Hills Part I

2009-07-02T23:11:00.008-06:00

Last weekend Tom participated in the Armdrop Live races at Yellowstone Drag Strip. I had fun watching in the company of my friend Christy and other race friends. Boo also joined me! Tom raced his motorcycle and accomplished his personal best run of 10.51 @ 138mph.

To celebrate our 10th Anniversary tomorrow we decided to attend the Mount Rushmore fireworks display. We're in for a day of history, patriotism... and lots of people. They are expecting 20,000 - 30,000 people. Tomorrow I'll post about it.

We asked the Culver Family to join us and we were fortunate to stay at my parents' timeshare in Lead. So far we are very happy with our trip. Our drive to SD was uneventful and as we ascended to Lead we were shrouded in fog. When we arrived at the condo wood burning stove smoke was in the air. James mentioned how s'mores sounded like a good idea. Well it just so happened that the office had marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers for sale. The timeshare is perfect for our clan and after getting settled with roasted marshmallows in the fireplace and enjoyed the cheese and bread my parents gave us for an anniversary gift.

I better sign off since we have a LONG day tomorrow! Enjoy the pics below.

Hot Dogs and S'mores!

2009-06-24T21:20:00.005-06:00

At work Monday, my friend and co-worker, Christy, and I came up with the idea to roast hot dogs and marshmellows over her firepit for dinner. So she brought the metal monstrosity over to our house and we went to town. It was a nice evening until the wind kicked up and we decided it was time to move inside before we lit the house on fire.

Here are some photos of Tom, Rob (racing friend), Christy and myself!

And here is one of me eating dessert while sitting on my elliptical last night. I was hoping it would cancel some of the calories!

The Other Side

2009-06-20T09:16:00.005-06:00

Yesterday marked my first venture to the other side. Tom and I were accompanied by the Culver Family and my friend Christy as we headed out to the Yellowstone Drag Strip for Friday Night Street Legal races. Tom raced his motorcycle and I, yes me, raced our Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR! I've watched Tom run numerous times so I had a good idea of how the process worked but I hadn't been out on the track much myself. I'm glad he persuaded me to try my hand at it. My best time of the night was a 13.88 second quarter mile at 100mph. It was nerve wracking with all the people watching but also very fun to be in the driver's seat. Although I don't plan to race routinely in the future I can now see why Tom and his race buddies get addicted. Trying to get the reaction time and mechanical aspects of the car to align just perfectly to allow for a faster pass then the last one is frustratingly motivating. I just wanted to share my accomplishment!

Weekend Fun

2009-06-14T23:05:00.005-06:00

This weekend was full of fun activities.

Friday night was Street Legal Drags at the quarter-mile race track. Tom raced his motorcycle and improved his best time with a 10.999 at 133mph. He is pleased with the progress he's making in launching. I was accompanied by my friend and her husband and the new puppy. The weather was perfect until the very end when it got fairly chilly. We plan to go to the Street Legal Drags again this Friday night.

Saturday Tom headed up the Beartooth Mountain Pass with the Subaru Club. Although he's a Mitsubishi owner they have embraced his import and he has enjoyed meeting more people with similar interests. They tore up the mountain and encountered rain and chilly sub-40 degree weather. Despite the chill he had a good time, but admitted that he got a bit lonely. I'll go with him next year.

In the valley I was enjoying 80 degree temperatures at the Strawberry Fest with friends and both puggles.

I was pretty impressed by the amount and diversity of vendors. There were strawberry themed items and then regular food booths and several tents with everything from jewelry to candles to dog biscuits. I had a pretty good time and hope to attend again next year if possible.

Today we got a short motorcycle ride in before threatening rain clouds persuaded us to head home. We watched Gran Torino this afternoon, which was pretty darn good. I recommend seeing it if you haven't.

I better get to bed, I've got a very busy week in store.

Early Puppy Arrival!

2009-06-07T20:05:00.008-06:00

We were scheduled to get our Puggle puppy next weekend. But to my delight the breeder called on Thursday afternoon to let us know the puppies were fully weened and vaccinated and ready to go if we were ready. Although we were not fully prepared we were way too excited to pass up an early pick-up. So Thursday evening we drove to Laurel, MT to pick up Boo, the female we had picked out in April. She and Shorty have the same mother, so they are half brother and sister. She is a mere 6 weeks old, a full week younger then Shorty was when we brought him home. Although she is similar to Shorty as a puppy we've noticed she is much more outgoing and rambunctious. This could be good or bad. Here are some photos and a video we've taken this weekend:

Picking her up from the breeder. Their wrinkles always make them look so sad. Notice the pictures on the garage wall... pics of all the puppies they've had. She and Shorty were both first born of their litters.

Introducing Boo to Shorty.

Introducing Boo to Babe.

Feeding time!

Chillaxing with Tom!

Crashed out with her big brother.

Crashed out with me.

Crashing out every hour or so.

Lots of crashing, but also lots of play. The Puggles play pretty rough. It's a bit unnerving due to the size difference so we've only let them play while supervised. And although she is much smaller she goes right after him with her sharp puppy teeth and nails.

Update from MT...

2009-06-03T12:41:00.009-06:00

Prompted by the current and frequent updates by Todd and Ashlee I felt it was time for me to give an update from Montana. I see the last post I made was back in April. I'm trying to remember some of the highlights since then.

April marked 1 year for me at Billings Clinic and 2 years for Tom at Rocky Mountain Health network.

Our tulips have bloomed and gone.

We've had lots of visits from Sheridan friends!

Tom's best friend Jim, Jim's girlfriend Suzann and her daughter Kori. We were celebrating Kori's 2nd birthday!

May 9-10: Tom and I completed the Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety course and passed. Both days consisted of some book work and quite a bit of riding on the range. We both learned some good riding skills and it has definitely upped our riding confidence. After completing this course we were able to present our certificates to the MT DMV and received our motorcycle endorsements. Yes, we had been driving on learner's permits for over three riding seasons.

May 22: We refinanced our home and we're saving a healthy chunk in interest each month.

The top is off the Jeep for the summer!

Things we're looking forward to:

June 12: We're getting another Puggle. SHE can be picked up anytime next week and we've decided to get her on Friday after work.

She should look much like Shorty did, as they have the same momma!

June 18: We have tickets to see Jeff Dunham's show at the Metrapark. Friends from Sheridan are joining us so we'll have a full house!

July 3: For our 10 year anniversary we are going to Mount Rushmore to see their fireworks show. I've already booked lodging for us and kenneling of the dogs!

I'll try to be more diligent about posting in the future!

Easy as Taco Pie, Velvety as Chicken

2009-04-03T20:51:00.015-06:00

Well I survived a week back at work after being off all last week. I've determined a whole week off makes the return to reality very arduous. I really enjoyed living the retiree life for a week! I guess that's good incentive to keep saving.

This week Tom and I ate inhouse every meal since Sunday. We usually enjoy boneless wings at Buffalo Wild Wings on Thursday nights but I was inspired by Doris "Betty Crocker" Landerholm last week and I've been eager to cut our food spending. So Tom and I sat down and picked out 8 recipes from my Kraft Food magazines to try. I like these magazines because they are free and have recipes that are easy, fast, and often budget minded. This week I made Easy Layered Taco Pie and Stove Top Easy Turkey Bake.

Kraft's Easy Layered Taco Pie

I used a smaller dish, more cheese (to finish off my frozen stock) and didn't put lettuce on top since I knew we'd have leftovers and didn't want wilted lettuce when reheating. Instead I offered shredded lettuce and sour cream on the side.

The recipe gives directions for cooking the beef in the microwave, instead I panfried 4 lbs to use 1lb for this recipe and freeze the rest for future use. From that point I followed the microwave directions. It was SUPER easy and the shells were very moist but not too gummy. I should mention we also used the Mission Carb Balance tortillas to help keep the carb count down for Thomas; 10 net carbs vs. 30 in a normal flour tortilla! We determined this meal cost us approximately $6 total.

Kraft's Stove Top Easy Turkey Bake

Our turkey bake was actually chicken bake because I had frozen chicken to use. I also learned how to velvet chicken this week. Usually I fry chicken in a pan with some olive oil and it turns out tough and dry. I've always wondered how the chicken in chinese food is always so tender and juicy. As the link describes this method of pre-cooking keeps the chicken from becoming overcooked and dry during cooking. I was very pleased with the results after using the velvet method for the chicken in this recipe. As you can see from my photo we substituted frozen peas for the broccoli and it was still very good. To make this more homestyle you could make your stuffing recipe from scratch for the topping instead of using the box. I rounded out this meal with a baby spinach salad and an orange. We haven't figured a $ amount on this meal since some of the items were purchased long enough ago that I don't remember what I paid for them.

This post was awefully food oriented but I wanted to share my accomplishments this week! We are laying low this weekand as another storm has rolled in and we could get more snow.

Late Night Update

2009-03-26T23:46:00.003-06:00

Today I went to church exercise class with Grandma. Dad played his tuba in the sanctuary while we pranced around in the Great Hall. I was actually impressed with the workout and broke a sweat. Mom and Grandpa went to the window store to pick up their blind that had been in for repair. The store was closed Tuesday and Wednesday due to the flooding.

The flood waters have subsided some and people were able to return to their homes this afternoon. This meant that after lunch we finally were able to visit the mall. Mom had some gift certificates to use and we wanted to get some walking in since it's too slick outside to move fast.

Shopping was fast and furious as we had to return home to regroup for dinner at Ehrmantraut's. At 6pm we pulled into their driveway. We were treated to chicken with numerous casseroles and salads and dessert. Oh and of course coffee. This week I've kept remarking that drinking coffee at the Landerholm house is mandatory, which makes Grandma chuckle.

In between our outings Mom and I have been helping Grandma type up some reference phone and email lists. While doing this we discovered their printer has become very temperamental. So after dinner at about 10:30PM Mom and I got so frustrated we headed out to buy a new printer at Walmart. Grandma tagged along as we headed north in the Caddy on our mission. We came home and got the new printer installed and all the lists printed out. This printer works like a dream!

I'm the last one up, updating my blog, MySpace and Facebook. I better get to bed though as we plan to head out in the morning and I'm sure I'll be asked to drive for part of the trip home. As always I'll be sad to leave Bismarck and say goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma!

No pictures today!

Out and About

2009-03-25T20:18:00.007-06:00

North Dakota has been declared a Federal Disaster due to widespread flooding. Not only is Fargo experiencing high water, Mandan and South Bismarck are also threatened. The big, beautiful homes along the river are now surrounded by water. The next few days will be the most critical when the snow starts melting. In preparation people are filling sandbags at the landfill and civic center. Also for the first time in history the Garrison Dam outlet gates have been completely closed to reduce water levels. And why did we head north for our Spring Break?

Due to the flood concerns we stayed clear of the south end of town. Instead Mom, Grandma and I went to Kohl's, on high ground, for some shopping while my Dad played his tuba at McCabe church. After we purchased everything we had to have, we picked Grandpa up and headed to the church. We listened to Dad's last three tunes then swapped out the decor in the church library. That's right, more bunnies! Grandpa worked on a jigsaw puzzle while Mom and Grandma did the decorating.

After all these activities we were famished and headed to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch. Dad was disappointed that we wouldn't accompany him to Hooters for dessert. I suggested Cold Stone Creamery instead. There we enjoyed Signature Creations "Cookie Doughn't You Want Some," "Coffee Lover's Only," "Peanut Butter Cup Perfection," and more. The ice cream was great but Dad would have preferred the eye candy. We returned home feeling like we wouldn't need to eat anything the rest of the day.

This evening the Flecks from next door came over to visit. The Schmidts also stopped over long enough to say goodbye. They were headed to the airport to catch their flight to Phoenix. Their timing couldn't be better to escape wintery NoDak. And why did we head north for our Spring Break?

Dad is looking at weather maps and radars trying to decide if we can make it to Billings tomorrow. We'll make a final decision in the morning.

Pictures from today:

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail

2009-03-24T19:28:00.016-06:00

Today we woke up to snow covered slush with drifting and blizzard conditions. At times the capital building disappeared. About noon Dad, Mom, Grandma and I decided to venture out for a few items at the north Dan's Supervalue, Menards and a quick lube. Grandpa stayed home since he thought no sane person would be out in such terrible conditions. After pulling onto US 83 we began to doubt that our errands were worth the trouble. Dad drove us in the Caddy with Grandma navigating. The blinding snow disoriented her so badly that we missed turns even though she's lived here for 75 years! Slowly but surely we completed our tasks and headed back to 11th Street.

One of our errands was a replacement light switch for the big bathroom. Grandpa ventured to the basement to locate the fusebox. This was followed by hollaring between floors to establish if the correct breaker was flipped. The menfolk then changed out the switch without incident only to find out after that the correct breaker was not flipped and they had been dealing with live wires. Oops!

Meanwhile Grandma started swapping from St. Patrick's Day to Easter decor. She pulled out a huge plastic container with loads of bunnies and eggs of all pastel colors. Just like the Easter Bunny she skurried around depositing eggs and bunnies on all open surfaces and empty wall spaces. Grandma and I counted 47 bunnies in the kitchen and living room areas. I think they are multiplying!

While we were decorating we glanced in the kitchen sunroom and spotted Dad and Grandpa both dozed off with their heads hanging. I was able to snap a picture before our laughter woke them up.

While Grandma continued to decorate, Grandpa, Mom and I decided to play a hand of cribbage. I ended up winning the game (Mom got skunked!). Grandpa and I decided to play a second hand and I went on to win a again. I happened to be on a roll today for some reason. Maybe Tom's competiveness is wearing off on me.

Grandma prepared a fabulous spaghetti and meatball dinner. In usual Landerholm fashion we dined for almost two hours.

As I blog Dad is serenading us with the "Swiss Miss." Tomorrow we hope to get out of the house for some shopping activity. Dad hopes to play his "Swiss Miss" at the McCabe church santuary where he can really blow off some steam.

Pictures from today:

Welcome to North Dakota

2009-03-23T21:06:00.006-06:00

Today my parents and I ventured to North Dakota. We knew a storm was headed from the south and we awoke to a couple inches of wet snow. We left town by 8AM and encountered fairly poor road conditions until reaching Colstrip, MT. After that point it was very windy but the roads were dry until just past the state line when it started to rain. We pushed on to Bismarck arriving with a hard spring rain. It's still raining and we're expecting at least 8 inches of snow tonight.

Grandma prepared a fabulous fried chicken and mashed potato dinner for us. What a great comfort after a cold, stressful drive. She then topped it off with sour cream apple pie. Too much good in one setting. Bernard and Beverly joined us and it was a lovely time spent discussing current events. After dinner and dessert, my mother had my father show off his Swiss tuba.

The house is full of St. Patrick's Day decor but we are switching it over to Easter. I will post pics tomorrow of the 50 bazillion rabbits that will be unveiled tomorrow.

A dry portion of the roads we traveled.

Grandma's "Christmas" Cactus that blooms all year long.

March Madness

Yummy Pie

The Swiss Miss

Oohing and awing over the new baby!

Go Steelers!

2009-02-02T21:51:00.008-07:00

Last night we enjoyed watching the Superbowl at a friends' home. Sara prepared fabulous football food and we brought dessert. The game was very entertaining and we had good company. I'm not a big time football fanatic but Sara's following of the Steelers along with our Pittsburgh connection (Todd and Ashlee) has made me a bit of a fan! And it is always more fun when your team wins!

Feedburner me Seymour!

2009-02-02T21:26:00.005-07:00

Hi All!

Tonight I added the option to subscribe to my blog via email. It is located at the very bottom of the blog, below the posts on the footer.

To subscribe follow these steps:

1) Enter your email and hit the Subscribe button.

2) A window will open to verify the request. To do so enter the "wavy text" (I don't know the true name) and click on the Complete Subscription Request button.

3) You will then recieve an email in your inbox from FeedBurner. There will be a link to click to activate your subscription.

4) Once you click on the link a confirmation box window will then open to confirm that you have subscribed. You will recieve an email if there is any new content added to my blog.

I hope you will subscribe!

The form looks like this:

Ink

2009-01-26T18:24:00.004-07:00

In an attempt to post more regularly I am relying on a blog I follow for topics. One-Minute Writer poses some sort of prompt everyday. You are urged to spend 60 seconds writing about the topic.

Today's Writing Prompt: Ink
If you have tattoos, describe one of them. If you don't, what would your tattoo look like if you ever got one?

I do not have a tattoo. The only tattoo I have considered is a toe ring. I think it would be easily hidden, more comfortable then a real toe ring and less likely to stretch like other body areas. However, I have not proceeded due to the idea of how painful it would be. And the older I get, the more unlikely I am to proceed.

On the walls...

2009-01-24T18:10:00.007-07:00

Hi all! Recently Tom agreed to let me purchase a painting from the gallery at Billings Clinic under the condition that we hang this painting and all our other photos, paintings and prints as well. (Yes it has taken us a year and half to get this done.) That was an easy decison for me since I am such a sucker for beautiful paintings. I am especially drawn to art with vibrant color. I've decided that although I really enjoy watercolor painting, the washed out colors are no match for the vibrant color of oil or acrylic. Hmmm maybe I should take a class.

I decided to share a photo of the new artwork because I just adore it. This painting looks best from across the room because the light seems to shine through the trees onto the path and the shadows are more apparent; close up it becomes more blockish. The artist, Ken Cates, is a retired local man. When the Billings Clinic Gallery sells art such as this, a portion goes to the Healing Environment to maintain fountains and other areas on the grounds that provide a calming experience.

Let me know what you think!

Sorry Dad!

2009-01-21T21:12:00.007-07:00

So today I was scheduled for a hair cut and this morning I decided I was ready for more then a trim. I found a picture off the Internet that I liked and took it with me to the appointment. My awesome hair gal liked the idea and taylored a cut right for my hair and styling talents. Below is a picture, let's hope I can recreate at least half of the effect tomorrow. And I only say "Sorry Dad" because he always hates when I cut my hair short. Don't worry Dad, I'll grow it back out at some point!

So Saturday I lazed around while Tom was involved with RC car racing most of the weekend. But the awesome 64 degree weather finally got me out and about on Sunday. I decided to take the dogs down to the riverfront where we often walk them. Well it was quite muddy making the drive to the park fun for me and can be evidenced by the mud splatter Babe had all over her face from sticking her head out the window. Once we got to the riverfront we didn't stay long. I let the dogs run some but it was a gooey mess and I didn't have their leashes. They didn't seem to mind that it was a fast trip. Our fun is documented below.

After our drive... Shorty is still chilling in the window!

This angle makes Shorty look big!

Notice the muddy pawprints all over the mat... and top of the middle console.

That's not Babe's natural coloring, she's got mud splatters on her face!

I hope you all are having a great week! We are looking forward to The Culver family joining us for a Billings Bull's hockey game on Saturday night. I'll keep you posted on the fun!

Crayon Physics Deluxe

2009-01-18T21:49:00.005-07:00

This week Tom purchased a new computer game called Crayon Physics Deluxe. He showed me the demo and we decided it would be a great way to pass idle time (that we now create).

Here is the description from the Crayon Physics Deluxe website:

"Crayon Physics Deluxe is a 2D physics puzzle / sandbox game, in which you get to experience what it would be like if your drawings would be magically transformed into real physical objects. Solve puzzles with your artistic vision and creative use of physics."

The object of the game is to allow the red ball a way to pass over the yellow star. So it might mean drawing a platform for the ball to roll over a crevice or a swinging hammer to boot the ball over a crevice.

Here is an example puzzle that has been solved:

So far I find it pretty entertaining, I like to draw so that part of the game play appeals to me. Some of the harder levels cause me to burn out faster than Tom. He is content to really engage and figure out different solutions.

I urge you to download the demo if you don't want to commit to purchasing, it might be the highlight of your week!

The Holiday Recap

2009-01-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well as you can see my blog aspirations over Christmas and New Year's were not realized. I hope everyone had a Joyous Christmas. I was fortunate to be surrounded by my entire immediate family, which was the most important gift of the holiday season! So to recap here are several photos!

CHRISTMAS WEEKEND: Tom and I traveled to Sheridan on Christmas Eve and stayed until Sunday afternoon.

The family!

Just the kids!

O Christmas Tree!

Todd and Titus Kitty

Tom and his "Fun Fly Stick"

Margit and Eric

Preparation of the Christmas Day roast.

12.26.08 GUITAR HERO NIGHT AT THE CULVER RESIDENCE:

James and Bobby showing us how it's done!

The whole group!

Todd on vocals!

Eric and Margit on drums!

1.02.09 SKI TRIP TO RED LODGE MT WITH ERIC, MARGIT AND TRAVIS FACK:

The Fackman

Sporting some goggles!

Margit and Eric and sunrise seen through the window!

1.04.09 - 1.07.09 IN SHERIDAN: I took an additional 3 days off work to spend with family and friends in Sheridan.

Todd and I took the Culver kids sledding... Hoffmann style!

Megan and Bobby

Eric and Margit out for a drive!

Shorty loves the snow!

Warming up with hot cocoa! Smile Bobby!

Smile Megan!

PLAYING CARDS:

Mom being dramatic!

Eric and Margit having fun!

Awww, cute couple!

Todd and Ashlee also having fun!

Christmas and New Year's 2008 were good to us. I had a great time with family and friends!

Now it's back to the grindstone amidst this shaky economy. I think Tom and I have pretty much decided that we need to stay put in Billings for now, especially in light of the uncertainty. And athough the atmosphere is a bit depressing I have high hopes for 2009!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-21T23:13:00.004-07:00

Long time no post... sorry folks. This week is packed with Christmas plans. Tom and I work Monday and Tuesday. I have to work half day Wednesday and then we will head to Sheridan. Eric and Margit flew into Billings over the weekend. Both flights were delayed but they arrived safely. We enjoyed their company before meeting Mom at the Purple Cow in Hardin for the hand-off. It's hard to be here when I know the rest of my family is gathered in Sheridan. Oh well, we'll be there soon!

Besides family we hope to see some long time friends. Tom's best friend from high school will be in town so we hope to rendezvous with him.

I won't make any promises but intend to post while in Sheridan with updates on our fun.

Is it December already?

2008-12-05T17:49:00.010-07:00

As my friend Sara hinted yesterday, I'm way behind on updating the blog. So here's a recap since my last post.

11/25-11/29
Tom had to work Friday so my parents agreed to join us for Thanksgiving this year (which equated to Mom running the show from my kitchen instead of hers)! The padres arrived Tuesday due to an already scheduled dermatology appointment for Mom. Instead of driving back and forth in the next 24 hours they stayed the whole time.

Tom and I worked Wednesday while Mom and Dad baked two pies and did some shopping. Both Tuesday and Wednesday we went out to dinner and did some additional perusing of goods. More on the goods later.

Thursday while the turkey baked Mom and I took the dogs down to the riverfront of the Yellowstone and enjoyed the warm weather. We had decided to eat after our new Thanksgiving tradition, watching the National Dog Show. So at 2:30 the food was ready and delicious. We gorged as usual! After the table was cleared and food properly stored the guys crashed out while Mom and I played Wordspot. Eventually we took the dogs for another walk. Upon return we broke out the pie, Dutch Apple and Pumpkin! We retired for the evening fairly early since Tom had to work and I was catching a ride to Sheridan with Mom and Dad which was departing at 8AM.

Here are some pictures:

Friday Tom worked as normal and the rest of us headed to Sheridan. I was able to see some of my friends and attend the Christmas Stroll. Dad even was able to convince me to play my trombone at two locations in his low brass quartet.

Saturday I caught a ride back to Billings with friends. Tom and I ended up spending the day with them, again shopping was on the agenda.

Sunday Tom had RC car racing so I lazed around, went to Four Christmases with a friend and then watched Tom's races in the afternoon.

So as mentioned above we did some shopping. Our laziness was confirmed when Tom purchased us a Roomba. For those of you that don't know, it's one of those robot vacuums. All we have to do is keep it emptied and stuff picked up off the floor. Tom has it programmed for duty while we are at work. One person likened it to a rambling toddler. It just takes off and starts covering ground without any sign of organization or a plan. Eventually all area is covered if it doesn't get too full or run out of battery life. It even docks itself if running low on juice or stops if overfull. So far so good!

Here are some Roomba pictures:

It even fits under the bed!!

12/1-12/5
In other news we also purchased a new digital point & shoot camera for the holidays. Our former one bit the dust due to a broken battery door. So the pictures will keep coming!

Tonight one of my best friends from Sheridan is heading up to hang out with me and then will head home tomorrow. I donate plasma tomorrow afternoon, otherwise I have lots of laundry on the agenda.

That's all for now. Hope your turkey days were good and that you are all preparing for the magical Christmas Season!

Hallelujah!!

2008-11-17T22:00:00.002-07:00

So last night I was absently watching TV and browsing the Internet at the same time... while playing fetch with Shorty. Yeah that's talent... or being bored.

I had confiscated Shorty's boomerang and placed it on the coffee table because he started to eat it again. Unfortunately, while I concentrated on neither the dog nor the computer, Shorty leapt from the couch to the rescue of his boomerang. He ended up clothes lining himself at the same time projecting the boomerang across the table... knocking my water glass over and dousing my lappy.

It took a moment for the ramification of what had happened to set in. As soon as reality hit I unplugged the lappy and started triage. Tom heard my cries of alarm and I handed the lappy off to more capable hands. He removed the battery while I started sopping up Coffee Table Lake. We decided to set the now lifeless lappy aside and hope for the best.

Well this evening we plugged the battery back in and... it's alive!! I am very relieved and have renewed appreciation of my "extra" computer!

Take it from me, this is a bad combination!

TGIF!

2008-11-14T22:04:00.008-07:00

Hi Everybody!

I just wanted to give an update on our week. I forgot that I took pictures on our walk last weekend by the Yellowstone River. The dogs got to run free for most of the time and the weather was perfect for Fall.

Along with the stress of contemplating a move back to Sheridan we've had a busy week!

Tuesday I donated plasma at Biolife and made another $20 tax free - woohoo!

Wednesday we stayed up until 2AM on Wednesday night. We were at the mall at midnight for Tom to get the new release of his computer game and we weren't on our way home until 1:15AM. Between 150 and 200 people turned out to also get their release so it was not the quick trip we anticipated. But instead of coming back Thursday after work we decided to just wait. Had we known how long it would take we would have just gone back Thursday.

Thursday night we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner with my our friends Gil and Sara. It was a lively setting of loud football fans, but the food was delicious as always!

Tonight we went to Sante Fe Red's for some Mexican cuisine with my friend Christy and then went to Kohl's to spend $15 in coupons that I got in the mail. I was stoked to buy a sweater I have been eyeballing... originally $68 on sale for $27 minus my $15 in coupons resulted in an extra satisfying purchase of $12!

Tomorrow I have an appointment to donate plasma again and then I have to get some work done for work. Otherwise we'll just be chillin'!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Comments Please!

2008-11-12T20:41:00.007-07:00

So this week Tom and I have been in deliberations about moving back to Sheridan... recently ranked #3 in the nation for Best Western Town. So I am open for comments on the subject.

I have the opportunity to work at my beautiful old office but Tom would need to find a fabulous job (yeah, in this economic downturn) and we would have to sell our house here, etc. We have the ability to transition over time since WMM would allow me to split my time but it still would be a stressful ordeal.

A picture with one of my closest friends in Sheridan and my former co-worker at WMM that would REALLY like me to come back!

Me in my lovely corner office, kickin' it!

So people, I need some input!

Is it November already?

2008-11-06T22:33:00.003-07:00

Wow, time flies when you are living life! I was in Sheridan from Tuesday, October 28 thru Sunday, November 2! I got to see lots of friends, did some moonlighting at my old job (and now miss my corner office something fierce), hung out with the padres and helped with the 12th Annual Bonfire!

I had a wonderful time and came "home" even more homesick for Sheridan. Poor Tom is trying to keep me happy and offering ideas about moving home, but I'm not sure that's the right answer. I guess time will tell.

Last night I went to a concert with my best friend Katie from Sheridan. She left work early on Wednesday to enjoy the concert with me then drove home this morning and was back to work by 10AM! Thanks Katie for joining me for another great experience!

I don't even have any pictures to share from my trip or the concert, I was too busy having fun to snap some!

Well that's all for now, I'm off to bed for some much needed rest!

Sonya

Tagged!

2008-11-06T22:03:00.003-07:00

The rules are to write 5 things under each of the 5 headings, and then tag 5 others to do the same.

10 Years Ago...

1. I was engaged to be married.
2. I was in college.
3. I was also working full time.
4. I was living in Wyoming.
5. I wanted to have 3 kids.

5 Things on today's "to-do" list:

1. Pay the house payment!
2. Get free coffee from the Billings Clinic cafeteria.
3. Update my MySpace page.
4. Not have a melt down at work.
5. Get a good night's rest.

5 Snacks I enjoy:

1. Vanilla Ice Cream
2. Caramel Corn
3. Twizzlers
4. Mixed nuts
5. Banana and Peanut Butter

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Invest wisely to support my new lifestyle.
2. Open a pen/stationary store in Sheridan.
3. Travel all over, but for sure to the Egyptian Pyramids!
4. Buy a Lotus Exige and a Hemi for the Jeep.
5. Attend the Red Bull Air Races.

5 Places I have lived...

1. Rocksprings, Wy (birthplace)
2. Sheridan, Wy
3. Hamilton, Mt
4. Kemmerer, Wy
5. Billings, Mt

5 Jobs that I have had / or still have:

1. Babysitter
2. Sandwich Artist
3. HIM Clerk II
4. Medical Biller
5. Medical Coding Specialist

5 People I am tagging:

1. Katie - my best friend in Sheridan
2. Kimberly - my best bud in Sheridan
3. Tom - my hubby
4. Todd - my little bro
5. Chelle - my old co-worker from Rocky

And Relax....

2008-10-26T16:54:00.002-06:00

I just got done with the last odds and ends I had to complete before being gone on vacation next week. I became eligible to use my PTO on October 18th and I didn't wait long to take a full week off! I need it! November 1st I have a new supervisor and I have high hopes for her to help me figure out a better workload. I've been scrambling to try to get things done!

Tom took tomorrow off so we are going to hang out and get some house stuff done. I will be heading to Sheridan on Tuesday afternoon to hang out with my parents and friends. Halloween will be a fun night out with Katie and then my parents' annual bonfire is on Saturday night!

Tom has started RC car racing again and I'm thinking I need to start a new activity... maybe a watercolor class or something.

I'll keep you posted on my week!

Are your parents home?

2008-10-12T20:46:00.011-06:00

Today we were graced with more snow. It snowed off and on all night and continued today. Tom heard from the news that we have gotten 15 inches of accumulation, the most in almost 15 years for Billings. I heard another branch fall from our tree during the night but when I peeped out the window I was relieved to see that it didn't hit any power lines or structures.

The dogs seemed to really enjoy the snow. Even Shorty dove right in. Later in the morning we drove around looking at the carnage of the downed branches. The snow was the perfect sticky recipe for snowmen and sledding and many people were at the park.

I have more photos and some video of the dogs and carnage that I will post once Tom offloads them from the digicam. For now these are from our still camera and my cell phone.

The neighbors run a lawn and snow removal business but I guess they also do tree removal. So the neighbor kid stopped by to see if we wanted to pay them to get our branches out, which we declined, but the kicker was that when I answered the door he asked, "Are your parents home?" I was so stunned that I didn't know how to reply. Tom and I laughed our heads off!

And to finish here is a pic of Shorty watching himself on TV today. He's so funny!

Snow Frosted Trees

2008-10-11T11:48:00.005-06:00

This morning we woke up to more snow. As Tom and I were getting ready for the day we heard a strange ripping sound. In my peripheral vision I had spied movement in the front yard. When I looked out the window I saw that a tree in our front yard had lost a fairly substantial branch. So I got my garb on and went out to assess the damage.

The branch was partially in the street but not blocking traffic and fortunately didn't hit any power lines. After taking pictures Tom and I drug it out of the street and plan to take it to the dump when the storm passes.

Here are some pictures I took with my cell phone.

First Snow of Fall 2008

2008-10-10T19:33:00.006-06:00

Starting yesterday evening we've received our first snow of the Fall. The forecast is for up to an additional 18 inches over the weekend. Concerns about the late leaves and early snow were recognized this morning when some power outages plagued the city and cars/property were damaged by fallen tree branches. We got up early for work today to give extra time for our morning commute. The in town roads were only wet so we made it with no problem.

I scavenged a couple photos off the Internet of the Billings scenery today.

I am glad to be tucked in for the night with power and heat.

Escape Artist...

2008-09-28T13:31:00.003-06:00

So today when I returned from a dreaded trip to Costco. I was greeted by Tom who said, "I just noticed that Shorty isn't in the house." Well we searched around inside making sure he wasn't doing something naughty and just hiding. No Shorty. I took off up our back street where he has been venturing lately. Babe and I went all the way to the rimrocks whistling and listening for the little dog scurry. No Shorty. I then headed to the front of the house and asked the neighbor kids if they'd seen him. Still, no Shorty. I was trying to decide if I should go up the front street or down towards the busy road when I spotted a streak of brown at the top of the hill. So I walked almost to the top of Macona and the little escape artist came running from one of the yards. We were so relieved and disgusted at the same time.

Now we are just trying to figure out how he got out. We have two theories... A) he snuck out when I was leaving and headed off by himself while I drove away not noticing him or B) when Tom opened the door and was waiting for me to back in he snuck out and tore around until we caught up with him. We are both leaning towards A which is quite alarming for a few reasons. He probably was close to getting run over by my Jeep, he was out running around for almost 2 hours and Tom didn't notice he was missing for almost 2 hours.

All's well that ends well and we are going to breath a sigh of relief and eat some lunch.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-09-25T18:51:00.002-06:00

I hope you had a lovely day Mom, maybe we can work somthing out for a celebration later this weekend! We're all so proud of you and happy that you had such a great gift for this birthday!

More Pics!

2008-09-25T12:41:00.010-06:00

Here are more pics from our Labor Day outing and my Mom's "Celebrate Life" party!

A picture of the picture taker!

The whole group!

"Celebrate Life" Toast Time!

Mom and Dad with the meat!

Mom is ready to serve the sweet stuff!

Celebrate Life!

2008-09-23T19:34:00.015-06:00

This past weekend Tom and I traveled to Sheridan to attend the wedding of our friends Tye and Amanda and my Mom's "Celebrate Life" party.

The wedding was Saturday afternoon at the beautiful polo fields in Big Horn. The ceremony was charming and had a breathtaking backdrop of an Autumn leaf arch with mountains towering behind. After the nuptials guests moved into a huge white tent for dinner and dancing. It was great to celebrate with the bride and groom and to visit with some of our other friends left behind in Sheridan. It did make me a bit sad because it made me realize that things have changed. The "Sheridan" I miss is no longer the same and I think it finally hit me on this trip.

Tom and I out on the polo field!

Friends, Eric and Heather Comstock.

Randy Hyder and Eric Comstock

On Sunday the "Celebrate Life" party had almost a 100% turnout and the weather was quite delightful. The only pests were the wasps which we battled with zapper paddles. Mom and Dad prepared 40 pounds of beef and turkey in the roaster! The meat paired with salads, fruits, veggies, breads and cheese made for a huge spread that fed the 20+ people who attended. That topped with a sheet cake with "Celebrate Life" written in icing, made for a complete success.
Mom thanked everyone for coming to her party and explained that she had been party planning throughout her treatment. Early in her ordeal a friend gave her a book, written by another cancer survivor, which detailed a pity party the lady threw for herself after diagnosis. Although Mom didn't want anything to do with pity, she decided at that moment she was going to throw a party when she was cancer free.
Mom we were so glad to hear the great news of your cancer free status! And we were pleased to attend your "Celebrate Life" shin-dig!

Mom and all the flowers she received at her party! (I will post more pics that my Dad took when he emails them to me).

I spent Monday working at home for the first time. I got a lot of work done and after discussion with my supervisor it sounds like that will be the plan from now on. Exceptions would be for meetings or other conflicts that require me to be in office. It is a nice way to start the week - I don't have to dress up and I can get a huge jump on projects! I'm diggin' it!

That's about all for now! Stay tuned for further updates!

Back to Reality

2008-09-15T21:12:00.004-06:00

Hello All,

I enjoyed my break from the norm in Helena. But I was back at work Friday and as busy as ever. We have three jobs like mine open so any coder friends out there if you are interested give me a call!

This weekend Tom and I will be in Sheridan for a wedding and a party. The wedding is for Tye Bach a friend and owner of The Pony Grill and Bar in Sheridan. Tye is marrying Amanda Bomar, a classmate of mine that I've known since 6th grade. The party is my mom's "I Kicked Cancer" hurrah for her closest supporters! So it should be a great weekend with lots to celebrate!

I just wanted to give a super short update before another week flew by.

To close, here is a pic of our 8 month old, 20lb baby. After some running he pants and appears to be smiling for the camera.

State Capital

2008-09-09T21:08:00.024-06:00

I'm in Helena, Montana this week for work attending a conference Wednesday and Thursday. I'm smitten with this lovely mountain town. If only I could convince Tom that a higher elevation and being farther north are worth the beauty of this city. It definately feels more like Sheridan, but a bit larger. The capital building is gorgeous and the downtown is very much like Park City, Utah, trendy yet historic feeling. The houses are also very cute and architecturally unique. I have been told it isn't as expensive as Bozeman, Montana but I find it prettier due to the mountains in all directions.

For dinner we went to a grillhouse that was very good. I could get comfortable hanging out there.

I hope tomorrow we will try to go to the downtown street mall, which I've read has a manmade stream that winds through the walking area. If anything catches my eye I will post about it tomorrow.

Here are some photos I found on http://www.montanapictures.net/.

Scenic

View from the fire tower.

View from the fire tower in winter.

Spring

Late Summer

Downtown

Cathedral of St. Helena

These gorgeous houses are all over!

Another!

And two more!

Last one!

The capital building.

Follower Recruitment

2008-09-07T23:02:00.003-06:00

Oh and make sure to sign up as a follower of my blog! I added the app this weekend, it is on the right side of the screen at the bottom.

A Full Week!

2008-09-07T22:23:00.003-06:00

I had a very busy week at work and home. Labor Day Monday we lazed around and I worked on work. Between getting my hair cut Tuesday and my teeth cleaned Thursday we took the Corvette in for some work (that's not a good story). At work I presented three 2-hour teaching sessions with some of my providers, attended several meetings, read and wrote over 100 emails and have been training Ed, our newest clinic coder. But along with the busy, hectic details of the week came some great reasons to celebrate:

First, my mother was deemed cancer free this week after her PET scan on Wednesday! You've been a trooper Mom, you are a great role model and I am very proud of your grace and resolve the last 11 months!

Second, my Grandpa Ed celebrated his 92nd Birthday on Thursday! Grandpa you too are a wonderful role model and I feel so fortunate to have you in my life. We've had so many unforgettable moments with you that I will always cherish.

Third, Happy 33rd Birthday to my friend and co-worker Sara! Thanks Sara for welcoming me in at work and I hope I can add some fun and pizazz to your 33rd year!

Labor Day Outing Pics

2008-09-06T20:09:00.003-06:00

Last weekend Tom and I were in Sheridan to see my Grandpa and Grandma Landerholm from Bismarck, ND, my Uncle Kurt and Aunt Nancy from Ohio and my Uncle Kent and Aunt Patricia from Minnesota. While together we celebrated my Grandpa's 92nd Birthday and my Uncle Kent and Aunt Patricia's 25th Wedding Anniversary!

Here are some pics from our excursion to Burgess Junction in the Big Horn Mountains.

Picnic Time!

Tom and my Uncle Kent discussing photography.

Aunt Patricia enjoying the stream.

A veiw from the bottom.

And from the top, Uncle Kurt and Aunt Nancy.

My Grandpa and Grandma Landerholm.

It was great to see everyone and I'm glad Tom and I were able to make the trip down to Wyoming to join in. Thanks Landerholms for making the trek to Wyoming to visit!!

Update - Installment 2

2008-09-01T00:44:00.008-06:00

So after our Crazy Woman Canyon expedition we hung out Saturday night and then headed home Sunday. Tom had ridden his motorcycle to get some more riding in and to show some of his buddies in Sheridan. For the ride home we decided to take some back roads to go a slower pace and see a new view.

Well things were dandy from Ranchester, WY to Lodge Grass, MT, but I knew we needed to take a turn west and I couldn't remember what Highway we were taking. So I made my first call to Todd who used Google maps to guide us through Lodge Grass. Most of the street signs were missing and I was worried we were going to get ambushed at any second. We tore out of town and made our way another 40 minutes over bumpy cracked roads with a cattle guard at least every 5 miles - I kid you not.

When we got to a T in the road we had the choice to go south to Ft. Smith or north to Hardin, I was expecting Pryor to be listed. I knew we must be somewhere between the Interstate and a body of water because most of the traffic was trucks pulling boats. The road was nice, new, SMOOTH blacktop. I made my second call to Todd who again used Google maps to help me. Tom was sweaty and parched due to the heat.

So we set out across the prairie again and reached another T intersection. I knew we were taking the road less traveled as we turned off the recently paved black top onto more faded cracked road with... you guessed it, cattle guards at least every 5 miles. We passed some huge farm machinery and lots of prairie with the Pryor Mountains to the south. The scenery looked alot like this:

The isolation was almost unerving and was only interrupted by two cars and some crows on the road. I doubt we'll ever go that way again. Since traffic was nonexistant I could go as fast as the bumps and cattle guards would warrant.

We ended up at the Chief Plenty Coups Memorial State Park and again I was a bit disoriented. I tried to call for directions but we didn't have service. So, I let my internal compass guide us and we got back on track. The last 40 miles were smooth sailing and we rolled into town jarred and thirsty.

When we arrived home Tom mentioned that the roads were crawling with grasshoppers. I didn't notice them the whole trip. My Jeep was a mean, green grasshopper killin' machine.

Update - Installment 1

2008-08-27T12:22:00.006-06:00

Well I'm long overdue on posting some news so I've broken it down in installments. August 15-17 we went to Sheridan to see Todd and Ashlee while they were in town before heading back to college. We all stayed at my parent's home. We had planned an outing to Crazy Woman Canyon. Crazy Woman Canyon is in the mountains southwest of Buffalo, WY. It is an easy going trail that even cars can manage. We loaded up in the Jeep and my parents brought their Blazer with the Four-Wheeler in tow. It was a nice drive. The weather was lovely and the mountains are still green with flowers here and there. We stopped occasionally to take in the rock formations. After getting to the top of the trail we got on the Highway down the mountain back to Buffalo. We stopped at the Dash Inn in Buffalo for thier famous burgers. Of course Todd devoured a double dash. Dash = double cheese burger and Double Dash = quadruple cheese burger! It was a great outing with the family!

The four-wheeler is ready to roll and so is Babe (lounging in the back of the Jeep on the right side of the photo)!

Blurry picture I took while driving on the bumpy road.

Tom pointed out how the rocks look like arrowheads sticking out of the ground. Note the tiny sign on the fence just says "Canyon -->".

I love tree-lined roads with bridges!

Pit-stop to check out the water and the rocks!

Todd and Ashlee at a resting point.

Shorty in the driver's seat!

And of course a pic of the Jeep.

MontanaFair

2008-08-13T22:58:00.006-06:00

This week Billings is abuzz about MontanaFair. Starting last Friday there have been concerts or events almost every night at the Metra Park. Metra Park consists of a large indoor arena, an outdoor fairground arena, a pavilion and grounds that also feature a pond with fountain, grassy areas, pavement and outbuildings. The Mighty Thomas Carnival is in town and attractions include the usual Carnie offerings, it is a bit larger then the variety Sheridan pulls in. Next to the rides were row after row of booths that housed palm readers, hemp clothing, food, lotto tickets, artists, and more just ready and waiting to take your money.

Tonight we went to the Octane Addiction Big Air Bash where we got to see motorcycles, quads, and snowmobiles jump off of ramps. We were witness to simultaneous backflips by a motorcycle, quad, and snowmobile. Which they claim is the first time ever in the USA. I'm not convinced. Regardless it was pretty entertaining and a decent way to spend an evening. After the show we milled around the Carnival and booths to let the traffic clear. I caved for an ice cream bar but Tom was very restrained and passed up cheese curds, footlong corn dogs, funnel cakes, oh and deep fried twinkies. We decided to head home when we realized it was 10:30PM. Time flies when you're having fun!

A blurb about a blog...

2008-08-11T19:31:00.007-06:00

Today I did a Google search on Pilot FriXion pens, erasable gel ink pens. I was looking for the Pilot website so I could send a comment about how I love this new product. In my search I turned up a blog created by another pen nut. Kimberly and Sara, we are not alone! The Pen Addict has been added to my list of blogs and I'm sure I will frequent it often.

For those of you who don't know, I am a pen fanatic. I've always loved to write, scribble or doodle all over paper. In high school and college I started "collecting" pens. My collection has escalated from free drug company pens (hospital job era) to $3 Wal-mart pens to some rather expensive, high quality pens. In fact, when I got my Certified Professional Coder (CPC) credential my co-workers proclaimed that it actually stood for Certified Pen Crazy!

Paper is another addiction. When I was a kid, my mom bought me receipt books for my birthday. I was in heaven! I love, love, love college book stores and stationary stores. In recent years I've slowed down some but the move to Billings has exposed me to the stationary section of Target, Ross and Barnes & Noble... here we go again!

Now you see it, now you don't!

2008-08-09T16:28:00.003-06:00

On a whim Tom shaved off his goatee today. I managed to snap before and after shots; because what else do you do when it's 100 degrees out and you're not headed to the lake or the mountains?

It will take a little getting used to.

First Annual 29th Birthday!

2008-08-07T23:11:00.004-06:00

It's my 29th Birthday today. A co-worker and I were talking about the 29th Birthday and I mentioned it was my First Annual! We got a good chuckle.

Tonight Tom and I went to the HuHut Mongolian Grill for dinner. It was a good chance to persuade him to try something different and he actually enjoyed it. After dinner we did some casual shopping. I scored this awesome Rubbermaid ice cream scooper! It incorporates the collapsible design that's currently popular for measuring cups, bowls, etc. The outer ring edge is hard plastic and when you push the spoon part it ejects the ice cream. It works very well so I thought I would share.

For my birthday Tom purchased a staple-less stapler for me. (For those of you that don't know, I am an office supply junkie). He ordered it straight from Japan. When I opened it this evening we got a laugh from the packaging. Japanese ads for clothing, real estate and groceries were used to stuff the box. The clothing was extra funny because they featured some tees with poorly written English "sentences."

The yellow tee says, "Amazing Creature That Lives In Earth!" with "Watch over like a mother hawk..." inset next to that. To the bottom right the pink tee says, "Addict Latest Cool & Sexy."

This tee says, "clover 4 leaf earth lucky charm."

This tiny black shirt is my favorite. It states, "Life has no guarantees, but aliving can be assured."

Overall my birthday has been good. I received emails from many friends and phone calls from both of my parents and even from Eric despite the fact that he is in Munich right now. Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! I have high hopes for the last year of my 20's!

9 hours and 272 miles later...

2008-08-04T17:52:00.013-06:00

On Saturday Tom and I went for a "little" motorcycle ride with my friend and co-worker Sara, her husband Gil, and his co-worker Jesse. 9 hours and 272 miles later we had made a full loop from Billings through Red Lodge up the Beartooth Highway to Cooke City for lunch. We then headed south to the Chief Joseph Highway and looped back to Billings through the tiny towns of Belfry, Fromberg, and Edgar. By the end of the day we were exhausted but with a feeling of accomplishment! Prior to this trip our longest ride was about four hours.

Thankfully Gil and Sara like to stop often enough that we got some good photos and rested our sore tushes at least every 30 to 45 minutes.

First lookout stop on the Beartooth Highway!

Sara and Myself! Gil told us about a great trail ride for the Jeep that goes up the other side of the valley. I've pointed it out in this picture.

These cheeky chipmunks were all over, even running up on people's shoes and vehicles! There were some tiny buggers and some real porkers... a whole family!

At one of our stops very near "The Top of the World" we took in the view. If it looks chilly that's because it was. We were fairly cold at this point.

There was another local at this stop.

Sara and Gil said they usually stop at this location to see the mountain goats and sure enough there they were!

Descending from the top and Tom is enjoying the ride and the beauty of the surroundings.

The Beartooth straight ahead!

We stopped for lunch in Cooke City. It's a very cute town nestled among stunning mountains. My former boss would often frequent Cooke City in the winter months for outstanding snowmobiling. I can only imagine what it looks like dressed in white icing.

After lunch we backtracked a bit and then headed south to the Chief Joseph Highway. Here we were disrobing as it started to warm up. The orange cloud is actually smoke from a fire in Yellowstone National Park. Above Gil the highway switchbacks are visible.

Sara looks like she's having fun!

Looking west at the Beartooth Mountains. The highway that we had just traveled can be seen snaking around the right side of the photo.

As we made our way on the Chief Joseph the smoke from the fire became more apparent. Fortunately the smoke was high enough that we didn't have to breath it in. We did notice some ash in the sky and when we got home the evidence could be seen on our black coats and shoes.

From this point our ride consisted of prairie and heat until we reached the Yellowstone River. Our final stretch was a lovely back road that winds along the water and upon arrival we went our seperate ways.

Thanks Sara and Gil for inviting us on a wonderful ride. Although it was a test of our riding ability and stamina we had a great time and I hope you'll include us again in the future.

For those of you that have not taken this drive I would highly recommend it!

Eric requested a picture of the motorcycles! The first one in line is my 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R. Tom's new bike is a 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa.

Upgrade

2008-08-03T17:48:00.008-06:00

I started this blog to keep up with my brothers. I've maintained a page on MySpace and decided I needed an upgrade. Of course Eric's website is "real" and way out of my league so I followed suit with Todd and Ashlee to create a blog.

Here it is! My intent is to keep everyone updated on our whereabouts and what not. Plus it's a good place to practice my writing skills.

By the way, it's called Red's Blurbs because my high school nickname is "Red Sonya." My buds may have derived it from Red Sonja, the Mortal Combat video game character, but I think it fits me well since I think red is the best color ever.