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2011-01-09T15:55:00Z

'Tis the season to be jolly

2010-01-10T21:31:00Z

December, 2009

The holidays have come and gone. The season was such a whirlwind that we didn't have a breather to update the blog. So, here in one swoop, is December 2009 for the Porterpeople.

Above: Julia models a hat I made for her. No, I won't make you one. That pattern was a major pain.

Above: Newsflash! Emma is now old enough to babysit and this opens up a whole new world of date possibilities for us. Most excellent.

Above: Julia and I went to the Idaho Botanical Gardens on an extremely cold night (6 degrees) with our friends G&J. Despite trying to dress appropriately, we still froze. On the plus side, there were no crowds.

Above: Over at Dave and Sue's house for Mike's birthday party. This photo is unremarkable, except for the fact that it caught the exact moment Tucker's tail tipped over Julia's glass.

Above: Sue and me enjoying really pretty martinis after a theater performance.

Above: Cousins Julia and Ian on Christmas Eve at Nanny and Poppa's house in Salt Lake City.

Above: Julia helping Nanny bake her famous sweet rolls. I would like to point out that I was totally ooo-ing over Nanny's Kitchenaid mixer...and Santa brought me one the next day! He's psychic.

Above: Oblivious-to-the-humor Julia models Poppa's funny apron--"Practice safe cooking. Use a condiment." I don't know why, but I find that very funny.

Above: Travis (in a really really trendsetting hat) and Julia go sledding in Sugarhouse Park.

Above: Nanny and Ian.

Above: Stacie and I make some sugar cookies.

Above: the fruits of our labor. I want one now.

Above: Me and my favorite sister in law (named Stacie).

Above: Julia and one of her most favorite presents. Thanks, ABES!

Above: Ian opens a present. That hair...those PJs...oh my goodness, what a doll.

Above: I love me my new coffee press. It's AWESOME.

Above: Julia and Ian's note to Santa. I love the naughty (no...)/nice (check!) for Julia, and then the ambiguous naughty/medium/nice for Ian. It's like Julia finally has someone smaller in her life she can flex some power over. Like when I used to lure my little cousin TJ into empty garbage carts and wheel him around with the promise of candy I didn't have.

Above: Santa's response.

Above: Poppa passes out from all the excitement.

Above: Ian, Stacie, and Julia. This is a great picture.

Above: Ian and Julia.

Above: The Porterpeople.

Above: Julia lures cousin Rob into her "Guess Who" trap. {Evil laugh}

Above: Uncle Phil holds up the laptop so that the Seattle Porters can get a look at the Salt Lake Porters through Skype.

Above: The Porterpeople with dear friends we've known for 20 years. So nice to connect with them!

Above: Travis and me in the lobby of the Peery Hotel in SLC.

Above: We attended a taping of the weekly 1/2 hour music show of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the LSD Conference Center.

Above: Travis and Julia in the main entrance of the amazing "new" (not really) Salt Lake Public Library.

Above: the view from the floor of the Childrens' Department.

Above: Charlotte? Is that you?

Above: suspended animatronic butterflies on books that make up a human head. You have to see it in person, really.

Above: I thought this is cool.

Above: Julia poses with some perched turkeys at the Hogle Zoo. Turkeys don't look like they should even be able to perch.

Above: ...And we got a new puppy, Ruby, on New Year's Eve-eve!

The End.
Next up: 2010!

Let us introduce you to Ruby!

2009-12-31T02:55:00Z

December 30, 2009

It's...RUBY!

Well, now we've done it! We waited until our Christmas travels were over (20 hours, to be exact). Travis and I met at the Idaho Humane Society for lunch and looked at the dogs that were up for adoption. And, well, we fell in love.

This is Ruby, a 4-month-old lab mix. She is sooooo calm. It's weird. I know, I know, we have had her for only 6 hours but she seems like a very good dog. She is totally gentle, calm, snoozes in her crate, is pretty good on the leash already...pairing a good starting personality with our commitment to doggie classes and clicker training (Travis already has her sitting), I believe this is going to work out.

RIP to Brando the beagle (November 1996-July 2009). Now we have a new dog to love.
(P.S.--she has three siblings at the Idaho Humane Society in Boise right now.)

The End.
Or, really...The Beginning?

Christmas season begins! Gingerbread and Festival of Trees

2009-11-29T16:54:00Z

Now that Thanksgiving is out of the way, we now have the green (and red) light to
OBSESS ABOUT CHRISTMAS FOR THE NEXT 8% OF THE CALENDAR YEAR!!!

(...Not counting the 5 months I worked on Christmas stockings...)

I've been known to design and bake gingerbread houses, making my own royal icing and decorating the 25-pound structures painstakingly (even tried to make "stained glass" windows with crushed Life Savers--yeah, it was the thought that counts on that one). I even made the people to resemble family members. (Travis "fell off" the roof once. Really, there is no hidden meaning in that.)

Anyway...this is not one of those gingerbread houses. But Julia had fun nonetheless.

Above: Julia with her first gingerbread house.

Above: Julia acts out what every kid is really thinking when they decorate a gingerbread house.

Sophie and Julia's dance class performed at the Festival of Trees in Boise. Here are some highlights of what we saw.

Above: Julia (in pink skirt and white hair bow) and Sophie (blue skirt and ponytail) go onstage.

Above: Julia gets her dance-face on.

Note: if you'd like to see these wonderful tap and jazz performances and get a sappy teen starlet Christmas song stuck in your head, visit earlier posts on our blog...)

Above: Sophie, Julia, and Emma pose in front of the teddy bear wedding tree (illegal in most states, but we're making progress...)

Above: the beer tree. Note the lit Pabst Blue Ribbon tree toppers. Say it with me now, in your best Homer Simpson voice..."Mmmmm...beeeeer."

Above: one amazing tree was decorated with hundreds of small bud vases filled with fresh orchids and roses. They refresh the flowers and water each day. Points for effort, there!

Above: a "Recycle"-themed tree made entirely of green (as in the color) 2-liter plastic soda bottles and other items turned into ornaments and decorations. I hope they collected each one of these bottles and didn't BUY them!

Above: a Michael Jackson tribute tree. Sophie was thrilled!!! Julia, not so much, as she "doesn't really care for him, thanks".

Above: the Barbie tree! Again, Sophie was thrilled!!! Julia, not so much. I think Julia is missing the Barbie gene.

Above: super-cool tumbleweed snowman.

Above: Sophie and Julia make something crafty.

The End.

Stockings 2009

2009-11-29T16:43:00Z

Stockings for family, 2009~

Here are photos of the stockings I managed to finish before this holiday season. Each one takes about a month of my spare time, if I stay focused. So, they take a while. I have at least six more either started or planned for 2010!

Above: My mom's "Florida Santa" stocking.

Above: Travis' mom's "Partridge in a Pear Tree" stocking.

Above: Emma's "Snow Queen" stocking.

Above: Sophie's "Sugar Plum Fairy" stocking.

Above: Ian's "Bears Roasting Marshmallows" stocking.

Above: Nancy and Ian with their stockings.

Above: Sophie and Emma (with Julia) and their stockings.

The End.

Thanksgiving in Boise 2009

2009-11-29T16:21:00Z

Thanksgiving with the Raths!

There was something extra yummy about this year's meal. Was it because Mom's turkey was really moist? Maybe it was Breesha's addition of gourmet au gratin potatoes along with the mashed and the yams? Or Dad's foofy beer? Or apple pie AND pumpkin? Nope...must have been the extra salt in the stuffing.

Above: Sophie, Emma, and Julia

Above: Zac waits patiently for dinner cleanup and golden morsels of Thanksgiving-ness.

Above: Travis carves the turkey while Breesha and Emma look on.

Above: the kids' table.

Above: Travis, Breesha, and Dad

Above: Dad and me

Above: Mom and Andrew

Above: Julia and me

Above: Julia and me, Part II.

Above: Julia and Sophie

Above: Food coma/late night drive home.

The end.

Julia and Sophie's Jazz Dance

2009-11-29T01:29:00Z

Performance at the 2009 Boise Festival of Trees. This is the jazz performance - not the tap performance - as Julia pointed out quite emphatically.

...

Julia's First Tap Performance

2009-11-29T00:42:00Z

Julia (wearing pink skirt with white ribbons in her hair) and Sophie (blue skirt and glasses - behind and right of Julia) performing a Christmas jazz dance at the 2009 Boise Festival of Trees. This was one of two dances the troupe performed this morning.

They might be a really good band

2009-11-14T17:43:00Z

http://the.porter-reporter.com

November 8, 2009

Happy as clams in Porter World to be able to see They Might Be Giants live in Boise on a lovely fall afternoon, in a lovely restored theater, with our lovely niece Sophie.

Above: Travis, Julia, and Sophie pose under the marquise.

TMBG have had a long 20+ year career, totally entertaining my own Generation X during high school and college, but more recently they have been donating their quirk and talent to children's music. Intelligent children's music, no less. Yahoo!

Check it! It's them! I know it sounds weird, but I was...surprised? amused?... that John and John actually sound like themselves in real life while talking. They have very distinct nerdy voices. Viva nerds!

Above: there were not one, but TWO confetti cannon moments. Oooooooooo!

Above: Julia and Sophie having fun.

Above: "The Avatars of They" sing don't cross the street in the middle in the middle
in the middle in the middle in the middle of the block...

The concert lasted for a bit over an hour and was almost exclusively songs from their children's albums, except for the generous offerings of "Particle Man" and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" for the parents. I would have liked more of their old stuff...because, really. Couldn't most of TMBG music pass as kids' music?

Above: the full band, consisting of two Johns, two Dans, one Marty, and another guy I can't remember. Sorry, other guy.

How can you not love a band who's latest album is called "Here Comes Science" which has lyrics such as the following along with the most joyful catchy tunes:

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace
Where hydrogen is built into helium, at a temperature of millions of degrees
(From "Why Does the Sun Shine?")

or...

Hey, who let in all these elephants?
Did you know that elephants are made of elements?
Elephants are mostly made of four elements
And every living thing is mostly made of four elements
Plants, bugs, birds, fish, bacteria and men
Are mostly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen
(From "Meet the Elements")

or...

Could it be an herbivore, crushing plants with rounded teeth
Or perhaps she's carnivore, moves so quickly on its feet
It's like pieces of a puzzle, that I love to try and solve
It's so fun to think about how a species has evolved
(From "I Am a Paleontologist")

Above: Sophie and Julia at the after-show pizza joint.

The End.

Busy Fall Weekend

2009-10-25T15:30:00Z

October 24-25, 2009

This weekend was fun and busy.

Julia had her last game of the Fall 2009 season. The Blah Blah Blahs did great!

Above: A cold windy fall morning in Boise. A cloud bank looms not far away.

Above: Julia bundled up for the game.

Above: Julia runs to the goal.

Above: Action shot of Julia almost getting beaned in the noggin from the sideline kick.

Above: Julia's Halloween nails.

Above: This time of year, the Porter house color scheme really works with the season!

Saturday evening, we went to the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge for a Halloween event...crafts, nature education, owl hooting and coyote calling.

Above: Julia decorates a treat bag.

Above: Julia checks out the predator pelt station.

Above: Julia and her buddy Elyse make masks.

Above: I thought the mounting of this raccoon was odd. Do they really drape themselves on logs and just hang out?

Above: Travis likes badgers.

Above: Our trio of pumpkins about to be dismembered.

Above: Pumpkin carving 2009 commences.

Above: Almost done.

Above: The pumpkin trio's makeover.

The End.

Fall Soccer

2009-10-12T15:11:00Z

Behold: The Blah-Blah-Blahs!*

Above: The Blah-Blah-Blahs with their coaches Travis and Rob. September 2009.

Above: Julia poses for her fall 2009 soccer photo. Love the crinkle nose and freckle action.

*The girls picked the name. Not a sign of apathy, just a sign of 7-year-old humor. And you have to admit, "Rah-rah-rah, Blah-Blah-Blahs!" has a nice ring to it.

The end.

Loaner Dog

2009-10-04T19:41:00Z

We are happy to have Zac staying with us for a few days.

Julia and I took Zac down to the Idaho Humane Society "See Spot Walk" fundraiser. It was nice to have a loaner dog for the event.

Above: Zac, Tucker, and Tia--canine buds.

Above: Julia, Madi, and Teigan with Zac during the walk through downtown Boise.

Above: My view of the crowd. I was going to take a picture from Zac's point of view, but thought that might be a little rude.

Above: Zac (mid-yawn) has made himself at home. We came home from the movies to find him on our new sofa. This makes up for all the times Brando slept on mom and dad's sofa.

The End.

Late Summer

2009-09-19T16:52:00Z

http://the.porter-reporter.com

September 19, 2009

Somehow time has flown by and we are in the last days, literally, of summer 2009. Here are some highlights from the last month or so.

Above: Emma turned 12 and Zac the dog turned 13.

Above: Travis, Sophie, Julia, and Grandpa at Emma's birthday party.

Above: Emma and me. Emma is officially taller than Grandma but I still have an inch or so on her.

Above: A Western Screech Owl hung out in the backyard for a few hours.

Above: "Yes, Julia...you can play a little in the fountain but don't-wait!...don't get dren-...uh...nevermind."

Above: As we say, "She's sweet, but not made of sugar. She won't melt!"

Above: Nanny looks on at her two grandbabies playing in downtown Boise.

Above: Travis, Ian, and Julia bring out the train set.

Above: Ian doesn't realize he's being rabbit-eared.

Above: A boy (Grandpa) and his dog (Zac).

Above: The Rath/Porter grandkids line up. Emma, Sophie, Julia, and Ian (with Zac). All we are missing is Thomas and Lucy.

Above: Ian spent the weekend mimicking Julia.

Above: Nanny and the kids before a walk.

Above: Stacie and Travis with their offspring.

Above: Julia has become extremely fond of Zowie. Zowie, despite being 14, has been a good sport.

Above: Zowie broke her pose and sniffed the camera at the last moment.

Above: Fall Soccer 2009. Julia practices her kick before the game.

Above: Julia in a dash while Coach Travis referees in the background. Go Blah-Blah-Blahs! (Their team name.)

Above: Julia planning her next move (or thinking about treats).

The End.

Let There Be Bike!

2009-09-08T00:20:00Z

http://the.porter-reporter.com

September 7, 2009...Julia rides without assistance! Another milestone down!

Above: Julia and Travis, with our neighbor friend Liz in the background, who came out of her house at a perfect time to witness the good news.

Above: Clearly no handish assistantage from Travis.

Above: Off they go...

The End.

Teeth on the move

2009-08-24T00:31:00Z

This one's for the Grandparents!
Update: she lost the other front lower tooth yesterday.

Oregon! Oregon! Oregon!

2009-08-22T01:26:00Z

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August 12-18, 2009: The Porti Go Interstate

Travis, Michele, and Julia go on vacation alone together--just the 3 of them-- for the first time since...well, for the first time. Literally.

Above: Our route. Boise-Bonneville Dam-Portland-Tillamook-Newport-Yachats-Rock Creek Campground-Florence-Bend-Boise. 1,400 miles.

Above: We set out. Julia in her sedan backseat cave surrounded by gear and food.

Above: Our first destination--Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River to see the white sturgeon and trout. Herman the sturgeon, to be exact. There have been more than one Herman, just as there have been more than one Lassie. But that's not the point.

The point is, have you ever seen a 9+ foot sturgeon?! They are freeeaky and prehistoric looking! Check it:

Above: photo from the Bureau of Reclamation.

Above: Herman (or maybe his/her friend, who knows?) gets friendly with the viewing window.

OK. On to Portland. One of our favorite cities, evah.

Above: Weary Idahoans strolling along the Willamette in downtown Portland. (Note to self: dye hair ASAP!)

Above: Julia while waiting to be seated at dinner.

Above: A common dinnertime view of mine. Family members playing on their electronic gadgets and sorta ignoring me? Check.

Above: Julia and Travis in front of the Greek restaurant at which we ate. The purple octopus is a little hard to ignore. I know, it's a little gimmicky, but I've eaten there twice now and it's been pretty good.

Above: Julia and me *over* the world's smallest park--Mill Ends Park.

Above: It has something to do with leprechauns. Whatever. Hooray for creative human beings.

Above: A trip to Portland isn't complete without a visit to the seedy end of town and a 25 minute wait in line to buy Voodoo Doughnut donuts. (Pssst. Not really.)

Above: Their menu. It's pretty entertaining.

I suspect that Anthony Bourdain's spotlight on Voodoo Doughnuts in his No Reservations TV show added to crowdedness. Travis was a good sport.

The following clip is worth a look:

No Reservations' "Voodoo Doughnut" clip

Above: Our bounty. I wanted to get the maple bar with bacon, but they were sold out.

So, Voodoo Doughnuts is famous because they put random @$&*! on donuts? Well...yeah!

Above: Julia checks out the kids' ~~section~~ room at Powell's Books, the largest independent bookstore in the world. It takes up a full city block, and I'm not sure how many floors it has.

I love Powell's, but it's a bit overwhelming. I went there without a plan, and ended up wandering around for an hour and impulse-buying a used Dean Koontz book. Lame!

Fast-forward many hours, with a quick shout-out to the Tillamook Cheesemakers

(Go team! I love that mascot!), and we arrive at the Rock Creek Campground about 10 miles south of Yachats.

Above: Our campsite for ~~three~~ two nights (story later).

Above: Our first taste of the Oregon coast at a beach across Highway 101 from our campground.

Above: Julia mid-jump in the surf. About .47 seconds before she fell and got all wet, and about 2.32 seconds before I realized I didn't pack enough clothes for her.

Above: We had the nicest weather. Isn't that just...wow!

Above: In Newport, we bypassed the busy Oregon Coast Aquarium and instead hung out at the Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center.

Above: Travis pets a skate.

The OSU Marine Science Center has plenty of touch pools, tanks of critters, a noble cause, and no crowds. What more do you need?

Above: I swear that skate liked it.

Above: Julia and Mr. Walrus compare notes.

Next up--beach time at Yaquina Bay State Park!

Above: Julia approves. Whew!

Above: A pause before some surf walkin' and low-tide critter pokin'.

Above: Travis and Julia weren't as excited about critter pokin' as I was.

Above: A pile o' critters.

Above: Travis and Julia with the Newport Bridge in the distance.

Above: At the Newport Public Library, Julia checks out the reading material and deems it "boring".

Above: The moment Julia had been waiting for.

Above: Julia cold, shivering, and showing grim determination to build a sand castle.

Above: The remains of my dinner. Is that gross? I'm sorry.

Above: The view from the top of Cape Perpetua. It is probably in the top ten most beautiful views I can remember ever experiencing.

Above: Me holding on to Julia for dear life.

Above: Family photo with a little help from a kind passerby.

Above: I believe I have expressed my love of paths before. Don't you want to go down it too?

Above: Fern therapy! Seriously, if we all could lie down in ferny northwest forests periodically, the world would be a much better place.

Above: Julia gets it.

Above: Julia takes in the curvature of the earth. Well, maybe not. But I noted it.

At this point in the trip, we entered the "The Lost 24 Hours". We packed up camp one day early and traveled to Florence, Oregon so that a doctor could help us with the mysterious hives that Julia slowly developed over the previous day and that we weren't able to deal with. We got very familiar with the Florence hospital ER waiting room, the Florence Fred Meyer, the Florence pizza joint, and the Florence dive-of-a-motel-at-the-intersection-of-two-highways-with-a-25-cent-per-bucket-ice-machine-and-mismatched-sheets. It wasn't our best 24 hours.

Above: The Morning After. Anti-inflammatory meds have kicked in, appetite has built back up, and Julia treats everyone within earshot at the Florence Dunes Cafe to her fabulous rendition of "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by They Might Be Giants.

Above: Blissing out at Drake Park in Bend.

Above: Julia and I recreating (kinda) a photo of us in Drake Park taken 7 years earlier when Julia was 9 months old...

Above: This one. (September 2002)

Above: And now let's pause to ponder how cute duck bottoms are.

Above: Julia shows off her Shirley Temple at the Bend Brewing Company.

Above: Catching the sunset.

Above: The light was so warm that evening. Julia's green eyes just glowed.

To make up for "The Lost 24 Hours", we stayed in Bend for one extra day.

Above: Julia at the top of Pilot Butte with the Three Sisters volcanoes and Mt. Bachelor in the background. Hey, that's funny! I never thought of that...

Above: Julia dunking Travis.

Above: Go Beavs! (Hey, it's in my blood.)

Above: In downtown Bend. Such a cute city.

Above: Beer-eye view.

Above: Stealth view of Julia. She's such a good traveler and entertains herself well.

Above: Parting shot.

The End.

Michele's Adventure on the L ower S almon R iver

2009-08-06T23:44:00Z

August 1-4, 2009 L ower S almon R iver

I was very lucky to have a chance to accompany fellow B L Mers on their weekly river patrol of the L ower S almon R iver in western Idaho.

Above: My view for 3-1/2 days.

Above: The B L M river staff are great people and they have a big job to do. They float the stretch once a week. Their job is to check for river permits, firepans,and proper portable toilets, greet boaters and answer questions, help in emergencies, and clean the river and beaches. I am proud to be their colleague. They rock!

What We're Protecting

Check out this amazing scenery.

Above: Rattlesnake Ridge.

Above: Approaching a rapid.

The L ower S almon R iver portion runs for 73 miles from H ammer Creek (near Whitebird, Idaho) to H eller Bar (near Asotin, Washington).

It has many many many (hundreds?) of beautiful white sand beaches, which the B L M works hard to keep pristine for the public visitors.

The river is punctuated with several class 3 and 4 rapids (depending on time of year). At very high flow, the river is actually deemed unpassable in one place.

Above: Me, bobbing. The water in high summer is relatively warm, although it feels blissfully cool enough on a 100+ degree day!

Above: Fishing for sturgeon.

Above: Walking a beach.

Above: Tracks in the sand.

Above: Pictographs made by early human inhabitants.

Above: It is unknown exactly how old this rock art is.

Above: Tadpoles. Awww.

Above: Beautiful contrast with the water, mountains, and sky.

Above: One of the big sand beaches.

The Cast of Characters

Above: My B L M friends Jessica (left) and Antonia (middle) and I accompanied two B L M river dudes, Joe and Ryan.

Above: Ryan with Jessica and me.

Above: Joe with Antonia and me.

Beach Cleanup

My role was to help with the beach and river cleanup. So, what is involved with cleaning the beaches?

We pull up to a beach, hop out, and walk the beach looking for trash and "unnaturalness".

Repeat a couple dozen times a day.

Trash we hunted for included: Beer cans. Food bits and wrappers. Hair clips. Sunglasses. Tires. Rain flies for tents. Microtrash (such as cigarette butts and twist ties). Poo. Toilet paper. Lip balm and tubes of sunscreen. Clothing. Boat propellers. Wooden pallettes. Fire ashes and charred wood. And other stuff I'm sure I don't remember.

Above: For example, that rock is sticking out like a sore thumb and wouldn't naturally be there. So we moved it.

Above: Me moving a rock.

People drag rocks in from the sides of the beaches, to which they tie their boats. Which is fine, unless they fail to replace them. So we move them back. The rocks are usually really really hot, too.

Above: Joe moves a bunch of rocks that people left after...what? Weighing down a giant tarp? Participating in a Druid ceremony? Who knows.

Above: Ryan takes apart a rock cairn. It may be pretty, but it's not natural.

Above: A bunch of rocks that someone placed to shore up a sleeping area on a beach that wasn't flat.

After moving rocks all weekend, I definitely am more aware of "Leave No Trace" principles and know that minimal impact camping is more than just packing out your trash!

Above: Ryan scooping up poo. Dog poo in this case, I think. But we saw human poo, too. And used tampons, but I won't mention that. Whoops, I just did. People can be gross. Have I made my point?!?

Above: Bagging a muffin wrapper.

Above: Ryan scopes out a fully set up red tent that we found under the water. It must have blown off a beach. (They didn't use the rocks, ha ha!) We hoped to snag it and pull it to shore, but it hit a current and disappeared deep into the river. Now the sturgeon have a place to sleep.

Life on the River

I had never done a multi-day river trip. In fact, except fora few afternoons tubing the Boise River and one recent afternoon on another portion of the S almon R iver, I don't think I had been on a river since I was a kid floating the Beaverhead in southwest Montana in an aluminum boat with my Dad.

Above: Our camp on the second night.

Minimal impact camping along a river is pretty complex. You must pack out all trash and human waste. You must strain dishwater so that food particles end up in the packed-out trash and not in the sand, which would attract insects and smell bad. You bring very little clothing and gear.

I must say my biggest anxiety before the trip was the bathroom situation. I learned right away that river-folk are pretty blunt about bodily functions and you mustcheck your modesty at the door when you go on a river trip. Simply put, you pee in the river and poo in a special toilet. No exceptions. (Sorry for the gory details, but I suspect that there are those of you curious about the bathroom situation, as I was.)

The good news is that no one cares about your particular bathroom needs and I quickly got used to wading in the river up to my waist and taking a wee in front of everyone. And, by the end of the trip, the morning bellow of “Anyone needto use the crapper before I pack it up?” didn’t make me wince.

Above: When I first saw this ammo box unloaded from the raft, I feared that this was a "groover" I had heard about. Groover toilets are metal boxes like this that you poo in and is named that way because the metal edges leave grooves on your butt. I was happy to find out that this actually wasn't our toilet for the next few days. It contains, instead, toilet paper, enzyme stuff, and hand sanitizer. But maybe in its past life it was a genuine groover.

Above: The orange object was our portable toilet, set away from the camp area behind rocks or bushes. You always do a headcount before you head in the direction of the toilet...

Above: A firepan. Fires are allowed along the river but must be built in some sort of elevated firepan so it doesn't damage the sand. And you must pack out all ashes.

Above: Ryan makes us some wonderful salmon along the Salmon. Ryan shopped for our food and did a great job. Some very nice meals, including fruit smoothies in the morning made with a hand-cranked blender.

Above: Ryan sautes some asparagus.

Above: A great dinner in the outdoors.

Above: Jessica enjoys her meal.

Above: My bed at camp the first night. Joe laughed that I took a photo, but little does he know that I once took photos of nearly every hotel room I stayed in while in Europe for six weeks. It's a thing I do.

We didn't bring tents. We slept directly on the sand under the stars and hoped the rare rain would stay away. If it had rained, we would have just huddled under a tarp and endured. Happily, it didn't rain on us and the nights were warm and gorgeous. Shooting stars!

Above: Jessica ("Kitty") and Antonia ("Chola Thunder" or "Battle Axe"). Say those nicknames with either an exaggerated Spanish or Minnesotan accent, and you get the idea of how funny our four days with these chickadees were.

Above: Mesmerizing river bottom.

Above: Smoothed and scoured boulders along the river. A product of thousands of years of seasonal water volume 10+ times more than the amount present while I was there. I can't even imagine.

Above: Halfway through the trip I found a single perfect women's Chaco sandal in my size. (But not the pair--damn!) I was a little annoyed with the footwear I brought (water Merrills were good, but had some gritty rubbing spots, and the Crocs were a little loose)--so I began wearing the single Chaco.

50% better footwear is worth having, I say!

Above: My resulting 50% better tan line. But just wait...

Above: Now THERE'S some real river rat tan lines (Ryan).

Above: I love the green gradation of the water.

Above: Jessica, the charming spaz.

Above: Lunchtime picnic.

Above: I tried to get photos of rapids, but if they were the big ones, my camera was packed away to keep it safe. And my timing was terrible.

Above: I do know that the whitewater looks a lot smaller in the photos than they did in real life!

Above: Unloading the rafts at camp. With theatrics!

Above: Columnar basalt formations. I took tons of photos of geology, as usual for me.

Above: Idaho sky.

Above: Wild blackberries at our second camp, which were very yummy, by the way.

Above: Bliss.

Above: A 5-legged cricket that hung out at our third camping beach. I shall call him Skippy.

Antonia told me that there would be no mosquitos on the trip. I believed her, but I also didn't... How could there not be mosquitos?! But she was absolutely right. In fact, there were no mosquitos, horse flies, deer flies, or anything other than some yellowjackets and bees (mostly at heavily-used beaches, it seemed. Food particles, perhaps?). We slept on the sand in the open air and nothing ever gnawed on me. Amazing.

Above: Me, enjoying the ride.

Above: Our camp on the second night.

Above: On the last day, when we reached the confluence of the Salmon and Snake R ivers, we left our jurisdiction. We lashed the two rafts together, set up one outboard motor, and putted the last 20 miles to the takeout at a brisk pace.

Above: The confluence of two major rivers. On the left is the S almon and on the right is the Snake.

Above: Antonia, Jessica, and Ryan on the Snake River heading to the takeout.

Above: The only mammals we saw on the whole trip were deer browsing under the trees at the takeout.

I was a bit disappointed that we didn't see much wildlife. All we saw was fish (trout, bass, carp, and maybe some small salmon--it was hard to tell), frogs and tadpoles, one lizard, lots of chukars, a couple herons, lots of small birds (swallows and wrens), domestic goats, bats, and some bugs. I was really hoping to see Bighorn sheep (which are common in the canyons), river otters, and raptors. Oh well.

Above: Loading up the gear and garbage at the takeout at H eller B ar, near Asotin, Washington.

Above: What unworthy dishwashers are reincarnated as--S C A T machines. Look it up if you're curious.

Above: I do and I will! I promise!

The End.

Day Trip to the Craters of the Moon National Monument

2009-07-14T23:00:00Z

July 12, 2009: Michele takes a hike.

I decided to take leave from the Sun Valley shenanigans for a day trip to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in south-central Idaho. I couldn't quite convince anyone to join me.

This national monument and preserve is co-managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management (shoutout to my peeps!), and is approximately 1,000 square miles of lava fields, volcanic features, and sagebrush/grassland.

Above: NPS map.

Above: I love-a the lava.

Above: I also love paths to follow, lava or not. Very sharp Aa lava, actually.

Above: Syringa, the Idaho state flower, in bloom throughout the lava fields.

Above: A lava tube.

Above: Pahoehoe lava.

Above: More lava formations.

Above: Inside Indian Tunnel, a large lava tube. There were other caves to explore but you needed a flashlight, which I didn't have.

Above: The exit end of Indian Tunnel.

Above: I love the texture. It's difficult to tell which bits are convex and which bits are concave.

Above: A beautiful Idaho day. Big Southern Butte, a "young" volcano which was a major landmark for Oregon Trail pioneers and others, is in the far distance under the dramatic clouds.

Above: Big Cinder Butte volcano.

Above: A crater we hiked past, which was a lot steeper and more dramatic than the picture implies.

Above: Penstimon. There were a lot of wildflowers still in bloom. The summer temperatures so far in southern Idaho have been quite mild after a wet spring.

Above: Dwarf Monkeyflower. Summer soil and rock temperatures at Craters have been measured at 170 degrees F. Winter temperatures can get to -30 degrees F. The conditions are so extreme, I marvel that these little guys thrive--they were everywhere, flowering.

Above: A type of fern that the Native Americans would rub onto themselves as an insect repellent. It smelled nice to me. Reminded me of bergamot.

Above: Sulfer Flower Buckwheat, which Native Americans used as an eyewash.

Above: A cool old snag with the Big Cinder Butte cone in the background.

Above: Wolf lichen growing on a dead tree. Europeans knew that this lichen was toxic so they would mix it in with bait to kill wolves. Niiice...

Above: Freddie Fungus took a lichen to Alice Algae, but their marriage is on the rocks (and dead trees).

Above: Cool tip of a dead tree. What is with me and tree snags?

Above: Ranger Doug took us off-trail for a while to show us an old bison horn he found that is probably 100 years old.

Above: Shimmery blue colors in the lava. Some scientists think it's from titanium present in the lava, while others think it's from components that behave like a glaze on a pot.

Above: The Idaho state flower, syringa. It's a good choice. Lovely.

Above: Pahoehoe lava flows.

Above: Pahoehoe ropes.

Above: The Pioneer Mountains in the far distance still have visible snow on them.

Above: A small kipuka, which is an island of "old" lava surrounded by a "new" lava flow.

Above: That dark hole in the middle is a vertical tree mold, which forms when lava engulfs a tree which then incinerates and leaves an impression of the tree behind.

Above: A horizontal tree mold.

Above: Ranger Doug pokes at something.

Above: Yes. Another tree snag. Moving on.

Above: Inferno Cone.

Above: Hot tired feet happy to get into roomy holey ugly shoes.

The End.

Porters take over Ketchum and Sun Valley, Idaho!

2009-07-14T21:36:00Z

July 10-14, 2009
Sun Valley, Idaho

This past weekend, 65.38% of the Porters gathered in Ketchum Idaho at the Sun Valley Resort for bonding, eating, drinking, biking, hiking, swimming, Wii-ing, boating, swan-and-trout-feeding, reading, tanning, sleeping, shopping, and many other ing-ing.

Apparently, although there were 17 Porters present, the most important ones are under the age of eight. I have few photos of anyone unless they were with Julia and Ian. Sorry about that, folks!

Above: Julia in front of the famous Sun Valley Lodge. The proud swan family will make an appearance later.

Above: Nanny with Julia and Ian in back of the Sun Valley Lodge.

Above: Julia and me on the Lodge grounds.

Above: A pretty flower. I can't help myself.

Above: Ian and Julia, simply the cutest-kids-in-the-world-who-have-Jeff-and-Nancy-Porter-blood.

Above: The biggest group shot I managed to get. In the foreground, Poppa and Travis play with Julia and Ian.

Above: Julia plays keep-away from Poppa.

Above: Julia, waiting for the whiffle ball to come her way.

Above: Even Uncle Phil got in on the action.

Above: Although he didn't try very hard to get the ball.

Above: Julia with her favorite Auntie-named-Stacie.

Above: Julia, Stacie, and Ian.

Above: Travis is off-camera doing something incredibly silly, but the real action is Ian's adorable face and hearty laugh.

Above: Stacie, Nanny, and me.

Above: Julia was Very. Excited. to show Cousin Rob her soccer moves.

Above: A little raccoon joined the party later in the evening.

Above: Julia helps get pancakes ready.

Above: Ian and Julia bliss out at the yuppie toy store in Ketchum.

Above: An impromptu moment of Ring-Around-the-Rosie in downtown Ketchum.

Above: Uncle Andy, Nanny, Ian, Auntie Stacie, and Julia feed the trout and swans in front of the Sun Valley Lodge.

Above: Fat and happy trout.

Above: Really fat, happy, and pushy trout. The teenage swans had a hard time getting their share of the grub.

Above: Julia focuses on the feeding. She is dressed in a coat because she was feeling yucky. At least she felt this way on the last day!

Above: Wait for it.....wait for it........

Above: Aaiiigghh! Grumpy daddy swan protecting his turf.

Above: Nanny and Julia wander past the ice skating behind the Lodge.

Above: Julia next to the famous Sun Valley logo.

Above: Ski runs visible from downtown Ketchum.

Above: Sun Valley Ski Resort in summertime.

Above: Setting out for home, Julia tries to stay positive despite feeling really yucky at this point. And....

Above: ...about 10 minutes later.

The End.

Our Fourth of July Weekend

2009-07-08T01:19:00Z

So, we had a bad July 3rd.

But we dragged ourselves out into the sunshine on July 4th for some hot summer fun.

Above: Julia snubbs authority.

Above: the lure of the sprinklers is too much, even fully clothed.

Above: now nice and cool.

Later that day...

Above: Hey Julia! Are you ready to swim in the Clock Tower Pond along the Greenbelt?

Above: that's affirmative!

Above: Travis and Julia take the plunge.

Above: over and over and over and...

Above: Julia with something pale and beastly lurking behind her.

Above: Oh. It's just Dad.

Above: yes, I'm a dud. Not much of a swimming kind of person. If you can't see without glasses, you'd understand.

Above: peek!

Above: Porters in action.

Above: Travis and Julia enjoying the pond.

Above: the tag-along bike is a GREAT invention.

Above: crossing the Boise River on a former railroad bridge.

Above: 15 minutes after I hung up my new bird feeder.

Above: 24 hours later. See the big hole he chewed? And I once thought squirrels were cute and charming.

The end.

The story of Brando the beagle

2009-07-05T14:15:00Z

Above: Brando on July 3, 2009.

I am very sad to report that Brando the beagle passed away on July 3, 2009 at the ripe age of twelve and a half.

Brando was born on November 14, 1996 in Salt Lake City. Soon after Travis and I got married, we decided to go the next step and get a dog. For our first dog, our strategy was to get a purebred dog from a reputable breeder so we didn't get surprised later if we chose a pound puppy that has "emotional baggage". (We know that this theory is wrong, wrong, wrong and we'd adopt now. But that was our theory then.)

So we researched dog breeds and the small beagle size and gentle temperament appealed to us. We further researched good breeders in SLC and found him. My mom and dad went with us to pick him out in early January. I remember that Brando stood out because he kept coming over to us, while his siblings were busy playing with each other.

Above: Brando and us the day we picked him out.

Despite picking him out in January, we didn't bring him home until early February. I think he was around 10 weeks old. His official AKC name is "Bisoux Mutiny on the Beagle", which is a nod to many things: a movie by Travis' favorite actor at the time (Marlon Brando), a movie that Marlon Brando was in ("Mutiny on the Bounty"), Charles Darwin's ship ("The Beagle"), and of course the breed itself. "Bisoux" is the kennel/lineage from which Brando came.

Above: Brando, newly home.

We already had Zowie the cat (who was 1.5 years old), and she quickly established that she was the boss to the wee puppy and they've lived in harmony their whole lives.

Above: Brando and Zowie turf war on the sofa.

He was the cutest puppy EVER. I know you all think that YOUR dog was the cutest, but you are simply wrong. (Sorry. No offense.) Travis told me once that if we ever broke up, he got the dog because Brando was such a good Babe Magnet.

Above: Brando at five months.

Above: Babe Magnet!

We were totally the nerdy dog owners. He was our BABY. We did the whole Puppy Kindergarten and obedience school thing. He was such a scrappy little puppy in these dog classes, he earned the nickname "Joe Pesci" as he'd fearlessly tackle other huge dogs like Rottweilers.

Above: Brando playing with the neighborhood Rottie.

We did family portraits with him, too.

Above: The Porters and their new baby.

I dabbled in "tracking" with him. Tracking is a dog sport where the dog uses its nose to follow an unmarked (at least, not visually) scent trail through and across different landscapes. Think of what a bloodhound does.

Above: not Brando.

The first time we heard him bay (the classic "BAROOOOOO!" sound a houndmakes), he was playing with and chasing a golden retriever at theUniversity of Utah and we genuinely feared for a moment that he had severely injuredhimself. It was such a loud, agonizing, desperate racket; we thought,"Well, he couldn't have broken his leg because he's still running!?..."Then we realized that Brando had hit the highest emotional ecstasy abeagle can have, and that is the sound that erupts from within.

Above: Brando frolicking.

We knew that beagles could have some annoying habits, being hounds and all. He could have been a barker, a howler, a digger...but he wasn't any of those. He really was a "good beagle". (Yes, beagles have a lowered set of standards.) He was content in his yard and never tried to dig out or destroy property.

Above: Brando hanging out in the sunshine.

The only bad thing about Brando: his insane, unwaivering, compulsive, driven, maniacal (you get the idea) obsession with food and anything he felt smelled like food. He was legendary on this front, and has given us many stories and doctor bills.

We literally had to lock up the garbage can and cursed ourselves when we would walk in the door and see the garbage strewn all through the house, coffee grounds and who-knows-what leading out to the backyard doggie door.

Our guests learned to put their purses up or behind the closed bathroom door because he would root through their bags and eat chapstick, breathmints, medication, and gum.

He's eaten 16 of those sawdust-filled fake mice (Zowie's toys I bought in bulk) and a Costco-sized bottle of Rolaids (and then proceeded to "flock" the backyard).

My mom and dad had to construct a fence around their tomatoes and other produce whenever they were dogsitting him, and Nanny always cleaned up under the cherry and fruit trees before a Brando visit.

He knew where the neighbors kept their outdoor cat and dog food and would make a beeline for it if he got out. If we weren't fast enough to get him, he'd waddle home, belly greatly distended, and would spend the next 24 hours laying around, snoring and emitting odors.

Above: Brando, laying around, likely snoring and emitting odors.

I'm sure that Brando would say that Julia's arrival was the best thing that happened to him. Think of all the dropped and forgotten food a child generates! Once, when Travis was feeding Julia Cheerios at her high chair, Travis walked by and thought, "Hey! What's this crunch-crunch-crunch sound under my feet? Oh, it's Cheerios. On the floor. Wait a minute...doesn't compute....where's the dog?!" The presence of loose food on the floor alerted Travis that the dog had escaped into the neighborhood.

Above: Brando on his 12th birthday.

It was Brando's obsession with food that led to the sad events of this week. On Thursday July 2 we took him to the vet because he hadn't eaten in over a day (big red flag for Brando). After some blood work and xrays, we learned that he had a blockage of some (still unknown) sort in his belly and an infection. He stayed at the vet overnight for treatment, but nothing moved or changed. We had to make an educated decision on whether to pursue major surgery...or not.

Above: last photo of Brando.

We will miss you buddy. You were a good boy and gave us many funny "that's-SO-Brando" memories.

Sophie and Julia Belt Out Kelly Clarkson

2009-06-28T06:31:00Z

Sophie and Julia really dig Kelly Clarkson. Sophie figured out I was filming, but Julia stayed oblivious. I'm sure I used to do this with Duran Duran. But I was much, much older. Like, by at least a year. -Michele
...

Belated Father's Day Party

2009-06-28T05:27:00Z

June 27, 2009

Today the Boise chapter of the Rath/Porter/Gentry gene pool gathered for a belated Father's Day BBQ. Dad made his slow-cooked smoked ribs of which Julia had three servings. This must be one of her "grow" weeks.

My daddy and me:

My mommy and me (why didn't I get a photo with both of them? Duh.):

Dad got some good beer with a GREAT label:

Case in point:

Dogs and babies--you can mess with them in photos and they can't do anything about it:

The girls hover intently over Travis' iPod:

Watching Beastie Boys and Kelly Clarkson videos on YouTube:

My Snickerdoodle Cupcakes I made for dessert:

Happy Belated Father's Day!

Catching Up With The Porti

2009-06-27T22:25:00Z

June 27, 2009

Summer is here. It's been a while since we posted, so let's catch up a little.

Travis is half-way through his Master's Program at the University of Illinois and went to Chicago/Champagne/Urbana again. While there, he caught a game at Wrigley Field.

He was very excited to be there. Really nice weather!

The Cubs' jazz band section right behind Travis' seat:

The scoreboard:

Little kids are good tools for fetching foul balls:

Rain has fallen, and my rain barrel has overflowed (Mmmm. Yummy!):

And the rain has made my two tomato plants grow (there is one tiny tomato in there somewhere):

I'm really loving the petunia "wave" mutation:

This is the extent of our "garden", unfortunately. The two tomatoes and one strawberry has to stay in the front yard to avoid garbage-gut Brando. Baby steps--hopefully we'll find a place in our small, clay, mostly shady yard for more produce, someday...

Summer haircuts have begun. I'm happy to order the short cute "wedge" on Julia's hair until she has her own opinion (which she doesn't, yet):

Sammy the pig is getting some yard time in:

I'm so surprised she doesn't bolt. Good little pig.

Julia at Ann Morrison Park:

HAPPY SUMMER!

Do the funky chicken!

2009-06-01T03:17:00Z

May 30, 2009

Julia, Emma, and Sophie performed at the spring ballet recital for the dance studio that they all go to in Boise ("Dance Is Everything"). This was Julia's first year, but Emma and Sophie have been doing this for years.

Further entries in the blog have video of their performances, if you are interested...

Above: Cousin Sophie (8), cousin Emma (11), and Julia (7).

Above: a moment later. Yes, that is the real splits that Sophie is doing. I was quite impressed!

Above: Julia being told to "smile pretty" (a.k.a. "stop goofing off!")

Above: a moment later, when she resorted back to "goofing off". This picture reminds me of a still photo from Broadway or something!

Sophie "Wonka" Recital

2009-06-01T02:27:00Z

Sophie Rath dances to Willie Wonka

...

Emma Dances Olivia

2009-06-01T01:31:00Z

Emma Rath's Ballet Recital, May 2009
...

Sophie's "Piano" Ballet

2009-06-01T01:04:00Z

Sophie's first of two ballet performances May 30, 2009. Boise, Idaho.

...

Julia's First Ballet Recital

2009-05-31T05:02:00Z

...

One Year Later

2009-05-24T20:53:00Z

Memorial Day Weekend, May 2009

Time flies! This weekend last year, we were hosting a little party. A PAINTING party.

Above: our cute little abode, today.

Thank you, both sets of Moms and Dads, for coming to help us paint our house and design and install a rain barrel this time last year.

Above: not a great shot, but I wanted to show off our groovy lizard.

Hopefully over the next couple years, both the front and back yards will look much different. We need to completely rethink "grass" (which doesn't grow well in our clay soil anyway) and think "native plants". Especially in our back yard, which is so cute and cozy, and could easily be one of those amazing "outdoor rooms" you see in Sunset and stuff. We don't do it justice AT ALL.

Above: still curb appeal-ly after all these years.

And "they" (whoever "they" are) say that you should repaint stucco every five years. Egads.

Just Another Friday Night at the Porters

2009-05-23T04:58:00Z

...

Michele's Trip to Atlanta

2009-05-21T01:21:00Z

May 10-17, 2009
Atlanta, Georgia

I went to Atlanta for a week for work training! Here are some photos:

Above: View from my hotel window of the Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.

Above: Just a bit to the right from the previous photo. The CNN Center is visible, where they do all their programming. Except Anderson Cooper. And Larry King. And that old guy with the beard. But, hey, they got the doctor and that annoying legal lady!!!

Above: A view from the Olympic fountain (similar to the one in SLC) with my hotel in the background.

Above: The artwork hanging in the atrium of my hotel. It took me five days before I realized that the suspended bits made the image of a whale.

Above: A CNN hummer that was used in Iraq. It was there, so I took a photo. I took the CNN tour and would have taken photos but it was made very clear that that would be a massive copyrighted blah blah blah no-no.

Above: I went to an Atlanta Braves game! Super fun, but I had no idea that EVERYONE does that awful racist tomahawk chop thing and sing that "indian song". It actually made me uncomfortable. It was also ironic, as I was in town to become trained to counsel EEO discrimination complaints for the federal government.

Above: Turner Field, storm clouds brewing.

Above: At the Georgia Aquarium, where I completely dorked out. I attempted to take lots and lots of photos of various creatures under water. (No, they usually didn't turn out.) But, here are some awesome cuttlefish, which are so cute and weird--I want one.

Above: Except for the WHALE SHARKS (we'll get to them in a moment), the invertebrates stole the show for me. Floating art, there.

Above: And we have....WHALE SHARKS! I know I'm a little obsessed, but give me a break--I grew up living for Shark Week on Discovery Channel. The Georgia Aquarium has four--count 'em, four! I was literally moved to tears and I'm not ashamed to say that. And I think it's funny that UPS shipped them from Asia.

Above: The aquarium has three Beluga whales. This is the male, and he would just hang out upside down at the front of the tank. Our eyes met. We had a moment, I tell ya.

Above: A leafy sea dragon. This photo has already started Julia and me on a great conversation about evolution.

Above: On my way to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It was raining. Hard. I must put a plug in for my new waterproof Eddie Bauer raincoat, which did a great job!

Above: I had to take a photo of the red Georgia soil (mud). I just don't see this where I'm from.

Above:One of two Chihuly sculptures at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

Above: The second one. When I see these things unprotected, outside, I fear some vandalizing thug will come along and hurt them. But, I guess the Atlanta Botanical Gardens doesn't attract too many thugs. But downtown SLC....

Above: I liked this guy.

Above: And him.

Above: Him too. I kissed him. Nothing happened.

Above: The Atlanta Bonsai group happened to have an event the day I was there at the Botanical Gardens. This lady, Kathy, gave a demo on how to wrangle a juniper from scratch...

Above: And two hours later she was still at it.

Above: I thought of my cousin TJ while looking at the Bonsai.

Above: This maple had an interesting story. The owner started with a 14-foot tall maple tree and, by doing whatever-it-is-those-Bonsai-gurus-do, he manipulated it down over the years to a 3-foot tall pointy trunk with lovely branches.

Above: I liked how this one went up the rock.

Above: The Botanical Garden has a Henry Moore exhibit running all this summer. Amazing stuff!

Above: More Moore.

Above: The steamy conservatory and orchid house.

Above: This one is for my Mom and Aunt Kathy. 'Cause they love orchids. And they love me.

Above: I've tried to make a terrarium. They always rot.

Above: Simplicity.

Above: Beer-eyed view from midtown Atlanta. Cheers!

The end.

Happy Early Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T03:36:00Z

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Mother's Day Eve

Due to a work trip taking me out of town beginning at 8:00 am on Sunday, May 10 (a.k.a. Mother's Day), we celebrated Mom's Day today.

My own mom and dad came to watch Julia's soccer game, and then mom and I met Breesha for lunch and a movie ("The Soloist"--do you think I'm too old to learn to play the cello?).

When I arrived home from the movie, I had cards, flowers, and a big present waiting for me:

But before you go all "Oh no he di-int!", I actually wanted this. The reality is that I look forward to having the ability to mow my own lawn, as my problems previously were that a.) I could never get the damn gas mower started anyway, and b.) if I did, I always was laid up with massive allergies for the rest of the day due to all the crap that thing kicks up.

Plus, hey: it's green.

I also got a nice Eddie Bauer raincoat. I've never owned a raincoat. This shows the climate I've lived in my whole adult life (and the climate I'm headed to tomorrow morning).

In the evening, we went for a walk down the hill to the nature park to partake in cuteness:

That's some teenage geese, there.

I know I'm a little obsessed with the baby geese (see previous entry), but just look at 'em...

LOOK AT 'EM!

Awwwwwww.....and the human is pretty dang cute, too.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! TREAT YO MOMMA GOOD!

-Michele

The Julia Show - Episode 3: When Tulips Grow

2009-05-03T23:46:00Z

Julia shows why tulips should be treated like the stupid flowers they are.

...

The Julia Show - Episode 2: Julia's Spinning Bucket

2009-04-21T14:39:00Z

...

The Julia Show - Episode 1: The Doggie's Bath

2009-04-21T03:03:00Z

The first in a wave of original video content produced exclusively for The Porter Reporter.

Let's check in on the pets, shall we?

2009-04-19T21:52:00Z

April 19, 2009

What are the pets doing this fine Sunday?

Zowie's basking in the sun on the deck, but wouldn't stay still unless I was scratching her ears:

Brando's snoozing on the sofa, as usual:

"Whuuuuut?"

Sammy's hangin' out in her hay:

Bruno's just doing whatever goldfish do:

A rare sighting of the tank shrimp:

The pleco's working on the algae:

And the betta's happy it's not living in a cup:

When cats attack:

The End.
-m.

We have...BABIES! (And a bad case of Spring Fever.)

2009-04-19T20:57:00Z

A quick trip down the hill today to Kathryn Albertson Park revealed the first Canada goose goslings I've seen this season. This mama was on a nest quite a bit off the path:

I watched them in absolute silence for a while before my solitude was rudely interrupted by a large family who clamored over, getting way too close, all four kids shouting "MA! BABY DUCKS! MA! DUCKS!" Scared the poor goose. <Sigh> People! Kids!

Anyway, she had the only babies I saw in the park today. I'll pop down again in a few days.

Patient and SILENT observation rewarded me with another mama who got up and rearranged her eggs right in front of me:

I imagine this turtle saying, "OOF!" (he looks quite high-centered there):

I love this tree's curly branches:

A couple of red-winged blackbirds:

Lovely forsythia:

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

The End.
-m.

A beautiful Easter Sunday in Boise

2009-04-12T21:33:00Z

We couldn't get nicer weather today in Boise--blue skies, mid-60's. A perfect day to walk down the hill to see if there are any goose babies yet in Kathryn Albertson Nature Park.

No babies yet (we'll try again in a week), but we saw turtles sunning themselves...

A Great Blue Heron...

Lots of nesting Canada geese...

And cute little human offspring (Emma, Julia, and Sophie):

A quiet pond:

Cousins:

A lovely day in Les Bois.

Why-why-why don't we take advantage of the fact that we live just up the hill from this sanctuary and visit it more often?!

Map of the Porters and park proximity

The end.

Something we look forward to each spring

2009-04-12T21:22:00Z

This is the view from our front window looking at our neighbor's amazing magnolia tree:

I look forward to it blooming each spring.

The blooms are so fleeting; many buds haven't even opened yet, but some are starting to turn brown.

It bears repeating: happy spring!

This photo reminds me of another photo...

2009-03-29T15:37:00Z

March 28, 2009

This was Sophie (8) and Julia (7) yesterday:

And this was Sophie and Julia 2-1/2 years ago, in August 2006
while camping at St. Anthony Lake in Oregon:

Julia was 4 and Sophie was 5.

The Raths all in one place at the same time. Day One.

2009-03-29T14:40:00Z

March 28, 2009

Rob, Kathy, Lucy, and Thomas are visiting from Bozeman for a couple days. We Raths are all together once, maybe twice, a year. It's nice of RKLT to drive to Boise, where the family majority is located (GGABESTMJ).

We had lunch, went to the park, played Wii, watched NCAA basketball, played with the pig (guinea, that is), then went to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner to celebrate Grandma's actual birthday and Sophie and Travis' recent birthdays.

Above: The kids, in order of ~~age~~ height.
L to R: Julia (7), Thomas (5), Sophie (8), Lucy (9), Emma (11).

Above: The Other Kids--Rob, Andrew, and Michele. We won't mention age. Hint: we all have gray hair.

Above: More kids by association--Kathy and Travis make an appearance.

Above: Sophie and Julia

Above: Travis, Lucy, and Emma moments after Travis sat on them because they wouldn't move. But all's well now.

Above: Thomas and Julia, the two youngest.

Above: Thomas gets a splinter removed by Grandma and Kathy.

Above: Zac, apparently not bothered by the commotion of 11 additional humans in his house.

Above: Michele and Emma making dinner for Grandma's birthday.

Above: Emma closing in on Grandma's height.

Above: The kids' table.

Above: The kids helping Uncle Travis open his present. The kids love Uncle Travis.

Above: Sophie's turn.

Above: Grandma's turn.

Above: Kathy and Breesha look on, but I'm not sure what Grandma and Emma were doing.
I don't remember any sniffable gifts...

Let's all take a moment...

2009-03-28T22:18:00Z

...to notice how pretty these little guys are.

In a couple weeks, I'll show you something REALLY impressive.
Something I get to see out my front window every year.

Happy Spring!

Obama/Porter Reporter Smackdown Tonight!

2009-03-24T19:58:00Z

President Sits Down for an Exclusive Interview with The Porter Reporter
March, 24, 2009

In yet another dramatic Porter Reporter coup, President Barack Obama will sit down for an exclusive press conference with our famed journalism team. Find out how well the President responds to some big boy questions that pull no punches.? Tune in* tonight (6:00 p.m. MST) to the Porter Reporter web site to watch the entire press conference.

* Adobe Flash Player Required to View Press Conference - Get It Here if you have any trouble viewing.

Hotel for Dogs

2009-03-22T18:35:00Z

Julia with Tucker, our friend Mike's dog, who stayed with us for several days.

It's a Froggy World

2009-03-21T00:05:00Z

Today Julia's first grade class put on a riveting skit about the life cycle of frogs and the pond critter food chain.

Are you ready? Here we go!

above: The opening credits.

above: Julia and her class, warming up.

above: Julia and Megan's solo. Or is it duo?

above: A plot twist in the story--the frog now has front legs!

above: A happy girl surrounded by her friends Megan (in yellow), Kmu (in blue), and Elisa (in pink).

The end.

Kiss Us--We're Irish!

2009-03-17T21:57:00Z

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

above: Julia donned head-to-toe green and declared: "I'm protected!"
Took me a moment to realize she meant protected from pinches.

above: My beautiful baby's beautiful green eyes. Two shades of green, no less.

above: We're protected--matching green eyes, freckles, and all!
I would also like to point out the groovy hat, which my wonderful cousin TJ gave to Julia when she was born. She's still wearing it!

"Operation Move More, Eat Less" day 74 update

2009-03-15T15:49:00Z

Maybe you've noticed we haven't reported lately. We've been discouraged and unsuccessful.

I'm 2.3 pounds lighter than New Years Day. Travis is currently 3.3 pounds lighter than he was on New Years Day. Which is to say, pretty much the same.

The fate of "Operation Move More, Eat Less" is undetermined. It's embarrassing to report failure or mediocrity every week. We may continue to report, more on a monthly basis, but we may not, too. I also hope that when Spring gets here, we will have an easier time since we walk, bike, and play a lot more than in winter.

Bah!

Lazy Saturday Morning

2009-03-14T18:15:00Z

Dateline:
Porter household
Boise, ID
Saturday, March 14
12:17 pm

Nothing constructive has happened so far today. It was a crazy week. To make up for that, Travis and Julia are playing Wii Mario Kart and I'm watching my beloved Michael Palin's "Pole to Pole" series. For the fourth time. But it's been a while, so it's new again. (I forgot you see Michael nekkid!) Soon, I need to go to the store. I'm making Snickerdoodles and Good Eats Meatloaf today. And not feeling one bit guilty that we need to clean the house.

Breaking News!

2009-03-11T01:58:00Z

Julia has her first loose tooth!

Evil Grocery Store "Rewards Cards"--They Actually Serve a Purpose

2009-02-28T14:52:00Z

Years back, when the grocery stores (as well as everyone else, it seems) started pushing you to sign up for their "rewards cards", I was skeptical like everyone else. Why do they care to track what I buy? How are they even allowed to offer lower prices to some customers and not others? What about--gasp--my PRIVACY?

Well, considering that the most embarrassing information anyone could ever glean from my purchase history is my increased consumption of beer in high summer, the occasional box of tampons, and my admittedly unreasonable number of lipsticks, I quickly got over the indignation of signing up for the "rewards cards" and went along with it, looking forward to my "rewards" of paying still-too-high "lower prices" at Albertsons (wankers), and the quarterly $15 coupons from Fred Meyer (also known as "guilt free lipstick money").

Anyway. I have a point.

Three weeks ago Brando got very sick. He was doing something that we had NEVER seen him do before: refused to eat. Simply sniffed the food and walked away. Meanwhile, he was throwing up and having major problems at--ahem--the other end, too. He was lethargic, shaking, and generally pathetic.

Above: Brando doing his best impression of a Couch Potato.

We took him to the vet and they also noted that Brando's GI tract was very bloody. He assumed that Brando had gotten into something which made him sick (this dog gets in the garbage whenever he can, and actually had done that three days before).

So, it was antibiotics, anti-vomiting meds, and rice and ground beef for four days. Brando actually was good as new after 24 hours. He's a tough dog.

I didn't think much about it until a week later, when I looked at the bottom of the Fred Meyer receipt that was handed to me, and it told me in big letters about dog biscuits we bought there had been recalled because of the peanut butter/Salmonella recall.

Above: Samonella bacteria. They look kinda cute, don't they?

Now. We don't know if Brando had Salmonella poisoning. I did look up Salmonella symptoms in dogs and they are consistent with Brando's symptoms. Maybe he had Salmonella, maybe not. But I was appreciative that my store receipts would notify me if something I had purchased there had a problem.

An additional commentary:
Actually, the biscuits that were recalled on my Fred Meyer receipt were unopened but ready to be used as we were running low on our PRIOR box of biscuits that were the SAME biscuits, SAME brand and flavor, presumably using peanut product from the SAME tainted peanut plant, but were purchased from Albertsons. I have never been alerted by Albertsons about the biscuit recall.

So, kudos to Fred Meyer (which continues to be my favorite store).
And, Albertsons? I still avoid you when I can. And why are your receipts so damn long if you aren't notifying customers about anything useful? Harrumph.

Technology These Days...

2009-02-28T01:31:00Z

Above: Julia waves to her beloved Auntie Stacie and baby cousin Ian over Skype.

Julia shows off her birthday presents to relatives over Skype.
Travis plays golf remotely with my brother through the magic Wii-internet-ness.
I have found long-lost friends and family members through Facebook.
The Wii Fit cartoon guy shames us for not working out.
I have thousands of songs on a device that's the size of a cookie.

These aren't even the most interesting cutting-edge technologies, they are simply the ones I sort-of understand. I don't have the head for it.

What technology will be around when Julia is a teen? An adult? It boggles the mind.

I'm so happy that Travis is such the good porterpeople AV guy. Without him, I have no doubt that I would still be using dial-up, limping along with a cinder block of a PC, thinking that email was absolutely amazing, strapping a Discman to me for my walks, and spending a small fortune on the Geek Squad.

Skiing and Gourmet Dinner in Lovely McCall, Idaho!

2009-02-18T00:43:00Z

Antonia, Christa, and I went to McCall (about 2 hours north of Boise) for a night to enjoy an afternoon of cross-country skiing and a fabulous catered gourmet dinner in a yurt within Ponderosa State Park on the shore of Payette Lake.

Driving along in the winter wonderland.

The view from the skis. So peaceful!

Antonia and Christa.

Christa and me.

Me, trying to glide. Ha! (Actually, for not being on cross-country skis in 16 years, I did very well!)

Heading back (dinnertime!).

The yurt. Tikki torches lit the way in the dark for the one-mile ski to the yurt.
Payette Lake lies beyond.

The view from my seat. Candles everywhere (no electricity). The camera flash ruins it, really.

Anticipating a well-earned dinner. Sesame asparagus, mango brie and crackers, grilled shrimp with mango and basil on wontons, spring salad with berries, feta, cucumber, and mint vinaigrette, Cornish hens, potatoes, and Kahlua chocolate cake. Jealous???

Happy day!

Violence and Icy-ness on Valentine's Day

2009-02-18T00:38:00Z

This Valentine's Day we went to an Idaho Steelheads hockey game with friends. All three of us really like watching hockey live. Excellent people-watching opportunities, too.

Julia showing off her new Steelheads cowbell.

Group shot.

Julia with the action in the background.

Operation "Eat Less, Move More"--week 7 update

2009-02-18T00:28:00Z

This is just not fair.

Apparently, I (Michele) have lost 0.4 pounds, although I have done nothing to earn this. In fact, I'm certain that I am just dehydrated this weigh-in, that's all.

Travis, who has been working out for two straight weeks faithfully, has gained 0.9 pounds since last week. Maybe he's just really hydrated. Or, how soon do worked muscles show up in weight?

I almost wanted to lie on this report and say that Travis had lost weight. He certainly deserves it.

Operation "Eat Less, Move More"--Week 6 update

2009-02-08T16:47:00Z

Above: Travis' Mii kept falling asleep while I tried to take a photo. But this is not indicative of his efforts this past week! Read on!

SUCCESS!

This is the first week that something--anything--has happened to both Travis and me. It's not much, but we'll happily take it!

Travis and I have both lost 1.3 pounds this past week.

My "success" can only be attributed to the fact that I was sick this past week and ate sporadically (although I didn't necessarily eat healthily when I did, but whatever.)

Travis though, is a stud. He has worked out hard all 7 days this past week. Good for him!

Rest in peace, lil' Blue.

2009-02-08T16:36:00Z

In Memory of Blue Porter
2008-2009

Girls afternoon out/night in--featuring...LOBSTERS!

2009-02-08T16:02:00Z

Me and my 'ster.

Saturday, Sue and I attended the last play of the Boise Contemporary Theater 2008-2009 season. The play was called "I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Written by a Young Woman from Rwanda". (Or something real close to that.) It was great! It was my favorite of the season, which got cut short by one play due to the economy. (Bummer! Stupid economy permeates everything!)

Sue and I celebrated our last "play date" with lobsters at my house. We have done lobster dinners two previous times. We have come a long way since the first time, when we were nervous, squealing, running from the pots (and if I remember correctly, I had to dispatch Sue's lobster for her!) Now we are cold blooded lobster killers, no problem.

Lobsters are indeed a luxury, but when you buy them live, spook the kid, take silly photos, and get scientifically entertained by poking around in lobster biology, it's worth the $20.

Wave hello, boys! (Or girls...what are they, anyway?) I'm assuming boys are the only ones kept by fishermen?

Kissy kissy, argh!

Sharing a moment.

Ready to eat.

They sure are freaky-looking. Giant bugs...but tasty!
I still like dungeness crab better. (Hey mom and dad! Let's plan a family trip to the northwest coast and do crab pots again! Seriously!)

Operation "Eat Less, Move More"--Week 5 update

2009-02-01T17:04:00Z

Short and sweet:

I once again have gained/lost 0.0 pounds. I'm shocked. I crossed paths with cherry danishes, donuts, and brie this past week.

Travis has gained 1.1 pounds since last week.

We suck. We are neither "eating less", nor "moving more". Meanwhile, bring on the Super Bowl!

Julia's Birthday Plate (and Other Random Stuff at the Porter House)

2009-01-31T00:51:00Z

I wanted to share the result of Julia's really cute birthday plate. Especially to the people whose fingerprints are on it (you know who you are).

Then this caught my eye...our vintage JFK mask we found at a yard sale.

Then this...my Pope snow globe (for sale in Rome as legit souvenirs in the '90s).

Then...the Schlocky Award I won this past December for my half-completed Mermaid doll. (You had to be there, and some of you were!)

My really cool globe my brother painted on when I graduated in Geography...

And our original Monty Python and the Holy Grail poster (I think from the Tower Theater in SLC if I'm not mistaken)...

...a photo tour of just a few of the weird and wonderf--well, weird--stuff at Casa Porter!

(I'm bored and sick and waiting for my Golden Grahams and orange juice to arrive.)

Porter Committed (Literally) to Getting Into Shape

2009-01-28T17:19:00Z

Travis Porter Checks Himself into Rehab Facility

In a move that shocked no one, Travis Porter has checked himself into the Al Roker Center for Junk Food Dependence. People around Porter have clearly noticed his Belushi-like bloating over recent years and privately thought this was only a matter of time.

The move, according to eyewitnesses, was set in motion after an incident at a late-night drive-thru while riding out a nasty Pixie Stix binge. Porter stopped traffic demanding that he get a Steve Austin toy with his Happy Meal and refused to leave the window until the attendant delivered the toy from the long cancelled series "The Six-Million Dollar Man."

According to a spokesperson for the Porters, "Mr. Porter is an addict. He has a disease. This disease is called Lack of Self Control. Until he gets this lack of control under control, he will remain in the Roker Clinic. I want to remind everyone that this is a self-imposed action and is no way the result of any of the impending lawsuits leveled against him."

Porter was recently diagnosed as "overweight" by his Wii fit and had claimed to be doing something about it. Well, the reality is, nothing had been done until now. Porter, again through a spokesperson, promises to get better. "Travis promises to eat better, work out regularly, and eventually have abs that will put (Matt) McConaughey to shame. He thanks all of his fans for their support and knows that with your, and God's, help. He will get through this."

Stay tuned as this story develops.

Operation "Eat Less, Move More"--Week 4 update

2009-01-25T15:58:00Z

Travis and Michele during skinnier days, 1995.

January 25, 2009

Michele Update:
I have once again gained/lost 0.0 pounds. This is getting a little ridiculous.

I've thought a lot about food lately. I am not a mindless snacker or crazy eater. Travis would vouch for me on that. However, I do seem to think that portions and calories don't count when I'm eating/drinking with two or more people. And, since we're pretty social people and hardly a week goes by when we are not hanging with friends, I logically have a new theory:

I'm fat because of my friends.

See how that works? I can't help it. It's THEIR fault!

I'm going to have to be careful this week. I have Book Club at a wonderful restaurant on Monday night, and then Wednesday I'm going out to dinner and a basketball game with friends. And the Super Bowl...egads. How do you be social and not consume too much? That's a real question, not rhetorical!

Travis Update:
Travis has lost 1.8 pounds since last week, which is a net loss of 1.3 pounds since New Years Day. He reports that he's cut down on junk food and snacking. The Wii Fit also praised Travis for his "incredible" center of balance. Good for him-I'm proud of him!

Random Kid-ness and Pet-ness

2009-01-19T20:45:00Z

Well, make yourself comfortable there, Brando.
We apologize to our guests for our dog-hair covered futon. Now you know why we put clean covers on it when we have people over.

Brando was really happy (as far as we could tell) that there was a toddler back in the house to clean up after.

A porky pig, there.

Ian stayed suspicious of the pigs the whole weekend and wouldn't get close.
Maybe next time.

"Operation Eat Less, Move More"--Day 18 Update

2009-01-18T15:47:00Z

January 18, 2009

As soon as we leave January it's going to get a lot harder to figure out which "day" the "update" is for. Hmmm. But I digress...

Anyway, good news!

Travis has lost 1.1 pounds since the last weigh-in a week ago. This is a net change of only +0.4 pounds since New Years Day. Good for him! He must have done something right this week.

I (Michele) on the other hand, ONCE AGAIN have not changed since last week, nor since New Years Day. I have lost/gained 0.0 pounds, period. If Travis hadn't changed, then I would be suspicious that our Wii Fit thingy was defective. What are the odds of not even a tenth of a pound change over 18 days--even factoring in clothing? Anyway, don't get me wrong--I'll take it over gaining. But I'm neither doing anything wrong nor right, wallowing in mediocrity. Yaaaaaay.....

Does anyone know how soon a binge evening will show up on your weight results? Because last night, we went out to dinner for Julia's birthday, and I indulged in a gourmet hamburger and fries, and birthday cake and ice cream after a week of truly not eating anything I feel guilty about. Maybe that will show up next week. I better behave.

Travis is still a diet Coke fiend. And we should change the Category to "Lazy Tubby Porters" because I know darn well that neither of us have moved our a**es. At least I'm honest.

Julia Turns Seven Years Old!

2009-01-18T04:40:00Z

Julia had a great birthday. She and 7 of her friends painted ceramics and then we went to dinner at the place of her choice: Red Robin. Nanny, Poppa, Stacie, and Ian came up to Boise for the weekend from Salt Lake/Logan.

Sophie, Julia, Winnie, Carli, Marissa, and Emma painting.

Sophie, Nanny, and Emma.

Julia ready to blow out the candles.

Marissa, Winnie, Emma, Sophie, Teigan, Carli, Julia, and Madi anticipating cake!

Michele and Sue, wishing there was something more than fruit punch in those cups...

Yahoo--gifts!

Cousin Ian showed up in time for cake.
(1.5-year-olds and ceramic stores don't mix.)

Cousins Sophie, Julia, and Emma.

Ian wouldn't get near the pigs! He hadn't seen them before...

Stacie, Ian, Julia, Travis, Sammy the pig, and Brando's head.

Poppa and Julia at dinner.

Travis and Michele.

Second set of candles in one day. Yes, that is a Pepperidge Farm defrosted cake. What about it?!

Operation "Eat Less, Move More": DAY 11 UPDATE

2009-01-11T17:26:00Z

January 11, 2009

MICHELE UPDATE:

Well, I am going to claim that I have tried, and succeeded, to stay within the medical principle of "First, Do No Harm". I have not gained nor lost at all. Even down to the tenth of a pound, I am exactly the same weight as I was on New Years Day.

I had a birthday this week! So I am declaring it a twisted achievement that nothing has changed this week, which of course brought with it lunches out, two parties, pizza, pasta, desserts, and many "liquid calories" (if you get my drift).

I haven't done anything exercise-wise. I shall work on that. I have increased my consumption of fresh fruit, but not veggies. Still using half/half in my coffee, but at least not my tea!

Wii Fit review: many of you have asked us to report our opinion of Wii Fit. My opinion is that it is really cool for the Body Test stuff (weight and BMI charting, the "advice", the chastising for not checking in for days, and all the fun graphics). I think the "Aerobics" portion is pretty lame (running in place in your living room?), but the "Balance Games" (soccer ball noggin whacking, hula hoop, tightrope walking) are fun. The "Yoga" portion could be promising (it's so cute to see Julia doing yoga) but I so far have no interest in yoga so I wouldn't know. The "Strength Training" part I can't comment on, because I haven't gone into it.

For my birthday, Travis bought me the Wii "Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2" (which makes you think you need to add several !!! after typing the name). I think I could have some fun and burn some calories with that, but getting drunk first might negate any weight benefits, unfortunately.

TRAVIS UPDATE:

Travis has gained 1.5 pounds. He says that makes him want to go out and buy a bag of Snickers bars.

He admits he didn't do any exercise this week. He was "good" with eating until my birthday came along (pizza, clam dip, and beer. Beeeeeeer.) And he's still a Diet Coke addict.

Michele is Successful in Aging One More Year

2009-01-11T17:10:00Z

Michele has had another birthday. She is now 36, despite what her grey hair would imply (gee thanks, genetics). The birthday weekend was filled with good friends, loving family, food, bevs, games, and loot. The way birthdays should be.

Carrie, Jim, Genevra, Julia, and Travis on my birthday playing my favorite: Trivial Pursuit. I appreciate friends and family that can commit to the long haul of a full game of TP (...and it was a late night.) Julia was our lucky die-roller until her bedtime.

Carrie and moi.

Julia and her very entertaining Daddy.

Genevra sporting the latest in trendy camel headgear.

Breesha and me at Mom and Dad's house.

Travis, Sophie, Julia, Emma, and Grandma playing the new Littlest Pet Shop game.

Mr. President and me.

Operation "Eat Less, Move More" commences!

2009-01-02T00:32:00Z

Above: The Porters, as seen by our Wii Fit. (Note the Wii-gut action on the parents.)

January 1, 2009

NEWSFLASH: the Porters are overweight. The Wii Fit said so. And, um, it's kinda obvious just looking at us. (By the way, we are celebrating that the Wii didn't call us obese.)

We know that we are overweight. And, we have really bad self control. So, what is a better way to motivate ourselves into trying to get healthier and losing weight than to SHAME OURSELVES PUBLICLY ON THE INTERNET?

While we are brave enough to declare on our Blog that we're FAT and that we are going to try to do something about it, we are too big of weenies to admit how much we weigh. But, we will share a few statistics with you that the Wii told us:

Travis:
BMI: 29.97 (22 would be ideal)
"Wii fit" age: 30 (10 years less than actual age, good for him!)
Goals:

Lose 20 pounds in 6 months.
Cut the Diet Coke and donut habit.
Look like Michael Phelps by swimsuit season.

Michele:
BMI: 28.6 (22 would be ideal)
"Wii fit" age: 45 (9 years more than actual age. Man, that stings. What the hell are they measuring? I exercise more than Doughboy there!)
Goals:

Lose 15 pounds in 4 months.
Eat more plants.
Use less cream in my coffee.
Move more--walk at lunch, use the Wii Fit, start using my gym membership.
Run the NYC marathon in 2043.

In the coming weeks and months, we will post our progress: our BMI stats, and how much we've lost or gained, and various observations and rants.

Stay tuned! Comments are welcome. Encouragement is appreciated!

P.S. The homemade gourmet macaroni and cheese we had tonight isn't helping, is it? Whoops. Tomorrow is another day...

Bath Day for the Pigs

2008-12-29T03:51:00Z

Today we gave the pigs their first bath. We knew that guinea pigs are very bathe-able, we just hadn't done it yet. Sammy (the orange one) fought us and kept our hands full, but Blue (the black one) really liked it and was really calm and seemed to like the warm water. So we were able to take the time to snap a couple photos of Blue...

Porters are fat and happy after another successful holiday season

2008-12-27T00:15:00Z

Emma, Sophie, and Julia DS-ing. We didn't hear from them all night.

The last few weeks have been wonderful. First, I was honored (or should I be offended?) to win my first Schlocky Award* for my hideous, unfinished, and definitely not-appropriate-for-children crocheted mermaid doll (which itself became the 2nd place travelling Schlocky trophy).

I was bummed that I missed the Winter Solstice ceremony due to a snowstorm (I guess I'm a fair-weather Pagan), but Christmas was just around the corner and was filled with love, happiness, festivities, days off, and calories.

For gifts this Christmas, it was all about the Wii: Nanny and Poppa got us a Wii, and Santa got wind of that and followed up with the Fit board and Guitar Hero. I know exactly where to find Travis and Julia when I need either of them. Stock should be purchased in the company that makes Littlest Pet Shop items, which made a strong showing under the tree. I am very happy with my new funky brown boots and cookbooks (don't worry, I asked for those).

We had a lovely dinner with my parents and brother's family--yay ham!--and Grandma and Grandpa capped a great day by giving Julia the Apples to Apples game, which Julia really wanted and thought she wouldn't get. We have an overall appreciation of the fact that we don't have to travel anywhere this holiday because of all the storms blowing in and freeway closures.

Happy New Year!!!!

*Schlocky Award Party (trademark Jim and Genevra): a holiday party amongst a group of Boise friends who bring their worst creative work of the year to be judged, well, as the worst. While originally started for graphic design work, any creative endeavor can be entered (like really bad crochet projects and front-page Idaho Statesman photos with captions that incorrectly identify the genders of already miserable teenagers--first and second place Schlockys this year, respectively).

Cat Files Eviction Injunction - Vows to Fight Even If It Takes Nine Lives

2008-12-22T05:55:00Z

The Porter cat filed paperwork to block its removal from the Porter household. In the papers filed by the cat's attorney, the defendant "Zowie" has been an upstanding member of the Porter community who rarely is seen by guests, consumes food in accordance with a healthy but certainly not gluttonous manner (a non-too-veiled shot at the family dog, Brando, and generally isn't a constant pain in the ass (again a dig at the dog).

As you may have read, the Porters recently terminated their contract with the cat and have given said feline until December 24 to pack its desk, clean its litter box, and disavow any knowledge of the pet door. In a statement released by the Porter family last week, "We are ending our 13 year relationship with the cat. In these difficult economic times, hard choices had to be made. This certainly is one of the hardest choices we've had to make this week and one that will haunt us well through the weekend. We wish the cat continued success and again thank it for its many contributions."

The legal representative for the cat was outraged and called a press conference today to refute what she calls outrageous statements made by the Porter family. "This is the most blatant example of both ageism and speciesism I have witnessed in my more than 20 years as a interspecies attorney. The cat not only has seniority in the household but is also the most upstanding pet citizen. My god, the dwarf rats they have smell like a barnyard (a reference to the Porter family's newest addition, a pair of Guineau pigs) and the dog smells like, well something that can't be alive. Nothing can make those kind of odors and still be alive. This isnt the last you will hear of my client. This cat has claws!"

Stay tuned as for more on this story as it develops.

Julia Gets the Word from OIe' St. Nick

2008-12-21T19:30:21Z

It's looks as though Julia confirmed her status as a "good girl" this year as demonstrated by a video beamed directly from the North Pole from a certain Jolly Fat Man.

Click here to view Julia's Special Message!

Cuddle Pigs

2008-12-06T20:36:00Z

The pigs crawled up into a towel shelf in the bathroom while I cleaned their cage.

Thanksgiving in Utah 2008

2008-12-02T03:00:00Z

Please go into our Photo Gallery (look to the left) and click on Thanksgiving 2008 to see lots of pics! (Note: clicking the "Filmstrip" tab makes it easier to see the photos.)

Happy 12th Birthday, Brando

2008-11-15T02:41:00Z

Twelve years ago today, November 14 1996, Brando came into this world. Seven weeks after that, Travis and I were picking him out of the litter, and a few weeks after that we took him home.

L to R: Brando at 12 years, at 2 years, and at 6 months.

All together now... "Awwwwww!" Tiny pup not long after we brought him home in late January 1997.

The day we went to pick him out, early January 1997.

Julia's First Ballet Lesson

2008-11-12T04:12:00Z

So cute in her new outfit...

Ribbon dancing...

Practicing her fancy walking...

Veteran's Day Program at Julia's School

2008-11-11T19:07:00Z

Today Jefferson Elementary had a Veteran's Day Program and Grandpa (a Marine), Grandma, Travis, and I went to watch. Many teary eyes in the house (including mine). Julia was really hoping for Grandpa to come, and now we know why: all vets got a flower. After the program, Grandpa gave Julia his Marines Good Conduct Medal for her to keep. Good day.

Grandma, Julia, and Grandpa in her first grade classroom.

Julia with her classmates.

Julia, standing, second from left in front. (Aren't their uniforms so cute?)

Rob and Valerie Visit Boise

2008-11-03T02:15:00Z

Travis' cousin Rob and his lovely wife Val came to Boise for the weekend. They were so patient, as Julia really took to them and wanted to play with them the whole weekend! We had a great time.

1. Julia and Val

2. Rob and Julia

3. Julia was so excited to show them how to play video games.

4. (They were playing Frogger.)

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T00:17:00Z

Halloween 2008 consisted of a little trick-or-treating, a visit to Grandma and Grandpa's, and an appearance at Dave and Jessica's Halloween Party.

1. Julia in action.

2. At Grandma and Grandpa's we dressed Zac up with Julia's hat. He always gets embarrassing holiday crap put on him.

3. A Red Sox player, Dorothy, and a Jack-o-Lantern.

4. Michele and Sue (Dorothy and Sarah Palin).

5. Zonked out in the car after a late night.

Halloween Preparations at the Porter Household

2008-10-26T20:12:00Z

The air is crisp. The leaves are falling. The pumpkins have been chosen. Apple cider is bubbling away on the stove.
We are within the "one-week-to-rot" time frame, so what does that mean?

TIME TO BUTCHER SOME PUMPKINS!

1. Michele and Julia tackle the "Vampire Kitty" pumpkin. Julia looks a little too excited holding that knife!

2. For the second pumpkin, we chose the SCARIEST thing we could think of, but we feared the glasses and teeth would be too hard to carve.

3. So, instead, Travis and Julia begin work on the "Ghost" pumpkin. Julia, deeming the entire process "too icky", supervised the events while eating a bag of chips.

4. Even the pigs got a treat.

5. Finished 'kins.

6. Our newly-painted house color scheme is made for Halloween, yeah? Note the bats hanging from the awning.

7. The other pets just laid around. Brando knows that pumpkin isn't worth begging for.

8. Can I add that I think my cat has the prettiest eyes ever?

The end.

Icy Soccer

2008-10-12T00:09:00Z

Julia's latest soccer game the morning after the record was broken for "earliest snowfall" in Boise. Brrrrr! The kids are troopers though. I was the one whining.

Julia is wearing the groovy hat that cousin TJ gave her when she was born.

Julia trying to get the ball in the icy grass.

Travis and Julia walking down the hill toward the game.

Julia Can't Wait for Halloween

2008-10-08T00:39:00Z

Julia wears her new Halloween costume while doing her First Grade homework (First Grade homework?!? But I digress...) She declared a couple weeks ago that she wanted to be a pumpkin. I saw this costume, which is a size 2 toddler costume, and thought, "Well, Julia is small. So it won't be a pumpkin DRESS, but it can be a pumpkin SHIRT." And I was right! Tiny girl...

Brando Has Surgery, Gets Instant "Frankendog" Costume For Halloween

2008-10-06T01:22:00Z

Brando had surgery today to remove five major lumps (on his very lumpy 12-year old body) and have a dental while he was out. We went to the Idaho Humane Society's vet clinic. When Brando got home, he laid around for a while, dopey, but when we had dinner he was out begging as usual. Good sign!

Major 4-inch lump removed from his rump.

Hard to see, but he had a lump removed from his right eyelid.

Lump removed from side.

"Golf-ball" lump removed from his chest.

Q: What Does Julia Do When We're Not Looking?

2008-10-05T18:25:00Z

A: She plays with the Web Cam!

Julia Hangs With Her Peeps

2008-10-05T18:05:00Z

Julia with cousin Sophie. They are just 10 months apart in age. Many people think they are sisters.

Julia with Carli.

It's Getting Political--Arts and Crafts Edition

2008-09-28T20:17:00Z

I tried to get an Obama-Biden yard sign, but there are no more to be had in Boise (with a really long waitlist to boot!). So I took the issue into my own hands.

I wonder if this monstrosity will actually turn people off of Obama?

Wait a minute, what am I thinking? I'm in Idaho. It doesn't matter.

Interspecies Encounter

2008-09-28T20:11:00Z

Zac and Sammy check each other out. Zac, the "hunting dog", was completely blasé about the whole thing.

A little sniff...

A little lick...

And a pose.

Guinea Pigs Make Good Pillows

2008-09-13T22:41:00Z

No...actually, they don't. I was just kidding.

Go Lady Lions!

2008-09-13T20:08:00Z

Julia's fall soccer season has begun!

L: Julia on the sidelines. R: Julia in action.

L: The Rath Family came to cheer. R: Grandma and the girls (Sophie, Emma, and Julia).

L: Travis is co-coach. R: Julia exiting the human celebratory tunnel.

Travis is two major steps closer to his dream...

2008-09-07T20:52:00Z

...of becoming a sexy librarian, or at least working with them. (Note: there is no such thing as sexy male librarian images, I looked.)

STEP ONE:
Travis is officially a grad student at the University of Illinois (Champagne-Urbana campus) pursuing a Masters of Library Science degree! He does most of his coursework over the internet, but must travel to Illinois once per semester for facetime with the professors.

(L): Go Illini! Does this mean we will be watching more college sports and rooting for teams other than the Utes and BSU?
(R): The library building at the University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana campus. Where the magic happens when he's on campus.

STEP TWO:
Travis has been selected as a new part-time Librarian with the Boise Public Library. This will allow him to begin work in the field and also give him extra time to devote to his studies (ahem, and laundry.)

Things are falling into place for Travis and his entire family is exceedingly proud of him! GO TRAVIS!!!

Birthdays and Anniversaries in Salt Lake City

2008-09-07T18:59:00Z

Labor Day weekend 2008 was a big weekend for the Porter clan. On Friday, Nancy turned into the lovliest 61-year-old I know. On Sunday, Nancy and Jeff celebrated their 40th anniversary. Also on Sunday, Travis and I celebrated our 12th anniversary!

Michele, Julia, and Travis

Nancy and Jeff: 40 years and still going strong

Auntie Susan and Nancy

Travis and Michele up Millcreek Canyon for brunch LITERALLY 12 years-to-the-hour of when we got married!

Big Pigs

2008-09-07T18:57:00Z

Sammy (pictured) and Blue are getting big. They are now officially adult guinea pigs. They are also getting used to being held and are quite fun.

Public Service in Action

2008-09-07T18:46:00Z

Michele and the rest of the BLM Idaho State Office got a fun day in the field on Wednesday, September 3rd. We all went up to Hull's Gulch and picked up trash. Shows you how desperate we are to get outside if we were thrilled to go pick up broken glass and condoms.

Michele and Tanya

Christa, Michele, and Antonia

Michele and Julia Travel to SLC for Ian's First Birthday

2008-07-30T23:39:00Z

Compare the cousins!

Left: "Ian the Tank" devouring his cupcake.
Right: "Julia the Dainty" on her first birthday (5 years ago).

Porters: The Next Generation.

Julia, Ian, and Julien...
We spent the whole weekend tongue-tied. I tried to give Julien the nickname "Yoda", but it didn't take. Now the families are at war, both claiming the nickname "Jules" for their child. Stay tuned...

Nanny, Poppa, and Ian

Michele Digs Out Old Photos!

2008-07-19T22:31:00Z

I've been going through boxes of old photos (pre-digital camera days). I've posted a Photo Gallery of many of me as a kid, teen, and the "early Travis and Michele days". ENJOY!

See the photos by following the Photo Gallery link to the left and clicking on the "Blast from the Past" collection.

Michele and her brothers, 1977.

Travis and the hair that attracted Michele in the first place, 1994.

The Porter Pets Part Deux: THE YOUNG YEARS!

2008-07-19T22:26:00Z

To counterbalance the post about the Porter Pets Gettin' Old, I unearthed some photos of Brando and Zowie when they were young.

See the photos! (Follow the Photo Gallery link to the left and aim for the "young_brando_zowie" collection.)

The Porters Post a Variety of Photos for Your Viewing Pleasure (Fall 2007 - Spring 2008)

2008-07-14T17:12:00Z

We've been lazy about posting photos, sorry about that. Here are some from the past half-year or so. Enjoy!

See all the photos by clicking on the "Photo Gallery" link to the left...

The Porter Pets are Gettin' Old!

2008-07-14T05:09:00Z

Have you ever realized with a shock that your pets are getting up there in years? This recently happened to me. I thought I'd update the world on the mammals in our lives.

Zowie was our first pet as a couple that weighed more than a pound (there was a hamster early on). She was an impulse adoption, much to Travis' dismay. Her birthday is May 1, 1995, which makes her 13 years old. She looks really good for being an old cat. I don't even think of her as being old. She rules the roost and likes to sleep on Travis' head. We'll even try to switch sides of the bed but she follows his head, faithfully.

Brando was born November 14, 1996, and like his namesake came into this world a handsome trim good-lookin' man and has aged into a grey old grumpy fatboy. He is 12 years old. Poor Brando got grey early, and within the last few years has sprouted warts and growths, bumps and lumps ALL over his body from his forehead to his toes (vet says they are benign). We love you, Brando, and you will be legendary long after you're gone.

Sammy and Blue have added a squeaking happy presence in our front room. These girls were born in February 2008, so they are not really old, but it would be rude not to include the pigs.

The Porters Head for the Hills (well, mountains really)

2008-07-14T05:00:00Z

Fourth of July weekend, 2008.

Travis, Michele, Julia, Michele's parents, and Sophie and Emma (Julia's cousins) went camping outside of Featherville, ID (about 2-1/2 hours from Boise in south central Idaho).

Here, in the Boise National Forest alongside the roaring South Fork of the Boise River, mud was played in, books were read, turns were taken in the hammock, beverages and carbohydrates were consumed, few bugs were slapped, two fish were caught (both by Emma), S'mores were assembled...

...all happening out of the 106-degree heatwave left behind in Boise!

See all the photos by clicking on the "Photo Gallery" link to the left...

The Porters Finish Painting Their House!

2008-07-14T03:17:00Z

It started in late April, with the first frightening removal of the house numbers...

Travis and Michele did all the prep work, including large amounts of scraping loose paint, killing mildew, repairing stucco, and priming all through May.

Then Memorial Day weekend Nanny, Poppa, and Grandpa helped us paint the main body of the house (and, ahem, coats of the first trim and door colors).

June and half of July saw three different colors of doors (don't ask), a trim color change (darker), two different front step colors (one for each of the trim colors), and all the maddening final touches.

Behold...light and dark sage greens, black, and salmon!

Lovely color scheme thoughtfully inspired by a western wildflower (the Globe Mallow)? Check!

House color description that no longer requires the word "putty", nor ends with the phrase "You know, like an old computer?" Check!

New gutter and really cool rain barrel (a Grandpa original design) which collects all the runoff from the house and garage into one large 55 gallon barrel, complete with spigot and overflow tube? Check!

Bold choice to simply spray the green canvas awning with $15 worth of black outdoor spray paint instead of buying a new expensive awning? Check!

Happy neighbors who undoubtedly were wondering if we'd ever make up our minds? Check!

Awesome family who are willing to help us out? Check!

Marriage intact? Check!

See all the Photos!

(If the link doesn't work, see the photos by clicking on the "Photo Gallery" link to the left...)