B'Ventures

Coyote nights

2011-10-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

The coyotes have been howling every night, aggressively confronting a rival pack across the valley. Lots of coyote drama recently, according to locals. Today we explored the neighborhood, climbing the giant badlands mound across the wash from our house near the appropriately named Andy's Loop Trail. Then we hiked to Devil's Kitchen on a desert canyon trail in the Monument to some of the most dramatic rockscape scenery I've seen since Canyon de Chelly in 2005. And we haven't even shown the kids Slickrock yet! Soon, though...

Grand Junction, Colorado

2011-10-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

We just arrived in Grand Junction for our stay at the home of a wonderful couple who donated this at a charitable fundraiser for the Playwright Center. Andrew has already decided that he and the architect are cosmic soulmates. It's an eco-house, with solar and geo-thermal power sources and a modest footprint in a pristine desert canyon gateway to Colorado National Monument. More pictures to follow.

Germany with Dana and Oliver

2010-06-22T12:43:00.001-07:00

Singer-songwriter of the moment

2010-03-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Shipwreck!

2009-09-07T18:37:00.001-07:00

A short paddle in a canoe and we were there: the site of the Amboy shipwreck of 1905. The platform wreckage underwater turns out to be from the SS Spencer, which was pulling the Amboy when the storm ran them both aground. We read about the shipwreck afterward at the Minnesota Historical Society's web site. Talk about making it real, though! Discovering a shipwreck on a dead calm day on Superior, in a canoe through a pirate's fog.... it doesn't get much better than that.

The New Arrivals

2009-09-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

Tanya and Jon's new baby Kai Noah and our new Golden Retriever puppy Shiloh helped us celebrate Jonas's 12th birthday on July 16.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

2009-09-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

We love the Fair. We've been twice already this year and already I'm getting the jitters. Just one more. I haven't even been to the horse barn!

Gem Force! New Talent! World Alert!

2009-06-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Opa's Memorial Service

2009-06-24T14:49:00.001-07:00

Brainerd "Jeff" Livingston, fondly remembered as Opa by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was born on January 14, 1914, and died on June 19, 2009. His memorial service was held at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Hastings, Minnesota on June 24, 2009.

Favorite Thing About Boca

2009-03-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

Impossible blue

2009-03-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

We're on our annual vacation in Boca Grande, Florida. The ocean, the sky, are impossibly blue. It is hot; I'd forgotten what it feels like to be hot outside without layers of winter clothing. It is the height of spring break, but the island is as sparsely populated as always. It's a tarpon fisherman's town now, with a sprinkling of lucky guests like us, plus the ultra wealthy, mostly absent vacation homeowners, and a colorful variety of locals whose living depends on the seasonal ebbs and flows of visitors' spending. Jonas likes to imagine the island's notorious past as a haven for pirates.

The beaches are wild. Dolphins, silver Ladyfish jumping clear out of the water, sea turtles, manatees, and all kinds of wild birds claim this island without much regard for the human occupants. My morning runs are measured by the wildlife I see (and the fire ants I avoid).

The ocean gave us a second island this year - a sand bar about 50 feet offshore that looks exactly like a frame shot from Pirates of the Caribbean. Birds, beachcombers, fish, and fishermen cram onto the little spit of sand, and so did we. It was a little unnerving crossing that stretch of watcher, with competing currents and the tide coming in. But it was just the sort of adventure sought on Day 1 of vacation.

Favorite Christmas moments

2008-12-25T20:33:00.000-08:00

I have decided that people can be grouped into two categories: Lego people and non-Lego people. Of the Lego people there are two subsets: the process-oriented types who love the 1500-piece Lego construction sets, and the freeform creative types who love to invent their own masterpieces.

Jonas represents both subsets of the Lego-lover. He might have trouble paying attention in school, but he can focus unwaveringly for several hours until the 592-piece pirate ship is built exactly according to specs. And send him to Sugarloaf for the weekend and he will invent all manner of crazy machinery from random Lego pieces.

His latest creation is, in his words, "pure awesomeness."

La Quinta, California (land of 10,000 earthquakes)

2008-10-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Vote!

2008-10-07T17:04:00.001-07:00

Kid passions

2008-09-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

It's true, there's nothing like a childhood obsession. For Jonas right now, it's Egyptology. Specifically, he's into the whole Moses-Pharoah dynamic, but that has flowed over to Tutankamen, Nefartiti, and a host of other ancients whose lives have captured his 11 year old imagination.

Loren is on hand to keep it real. Cats were revered by the Egyptians, she reminds us. So Oskar is cast as the noble Cat (although I think he has several pounds of hair in excess of any of the Egyptian cats I've seen depicted).

The kicker here is that the hat Jonas is wearing -- okay, War Helmet -- is something that Jonas dreamed up and desperately wanted after seeing something like it in a few different Egyptology books. He asked me to buy one (because, of course, that's what kids ask parents to do for them these days. You want it? Buy it!) I declined, not least because I have never seen such a thing for sale and abhor spending money on things I can make, but more because I think making something like that is Cool. Darn Cool.

So, with Melissa-the-art-teacher's help, we conjured up some paper mache materials and I tapped the bottomless pit that is my art studio. It took three days, a newspaper, Elmer's paper mache glue, wire mesh from Michael's, duct tape, a stapler, acrylic paint, and water. Together, Jonas and I completed our first, true, joint work of art: a Ramses II Pharoah War Helmet. Oh yeah. We are proud.

Oregon family vacation

2008-07-26T23:27:00.001-07:00

First Band Concert

2008-07-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

It's a summer ritual before 5th grade: you pick an instrument and go to band camp. Jonas chose clarinet. Loren is getting a head start with Mameaux on the flute. Now our house is daily filled with the honk-squawk-hoot of newly minted musicians.

I'll tell you what, though, you'd be surprised what kids accomplish in four weeks. On July 17, Jonas's band camp final concert was really impressive. And I'm not the only sap who got misty-eyed. As the band director said, "they're just as good as the Minnesota Orchestra....when they first started playing their instruments."

Jonas is 11!

2008-07-18T21:01:00.001-07:00

Oh, lordy

2008-04-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm forty. Notice: Only the wine is in focus.
Thanks to everyone for the truly surprising surprise party.

Adventures in Taxidermy

2008-04-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

This week has taken me (Andrew) to Elko, NV, for a tourism conference. We had a reception last night at the Northeastern Nevada Museum. Boy oh boy, if yer a fan of the stuffed critters, this is your stop! (We had a great time, btw.)

Lava Mama

2008-03-21T01:52:00.000-07:00

The view from our helicopter...

Sunny beaches, rainy beaches

2008-03-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the two beaches we've visited -- yesterday's black sand beach with amazing lava formations at the south end of the island, in rain and high winds, and today's sunny visit to a gorgeous beach on the northwest side overlooking the channel between the big island and Maui. We're told the water in that channel is 20,000 feet deep, making the island's volcanoes taller than Everest from top to bottom. The depth -- and volume of water -- also makes for 20 knot currents between Maui and Hawaii. Glad I'm a land lubber.

Pele and paniolo adventures

2008-03-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

Mel and I arrived Sunday afternoon and have spent two incredibly memorable days on Hawaii's big island. We spent St Patrick's day on the rim of Kilauwea's caldera, basking in her steam vents and looking out over the largest crater with its glowing hot bed from increased activity in the last few days. Today we took the horseback ride of a lifetime with a guide from a Native paniolo-owned Quarter Horse and cattle ranch on the lush, undulating slopes of Mauna Loa. It was like galloping through a cloud in the sky, suddenly opening up to the wild blue, with the great snow-covered peak in the distance.

Tomorrow we return to the volcano to see the current southeast flank eruption into the sea, first by helicopter, then by car.

Random note: I'm sitting outside in the early evening, and a mongoose just strolled by.

Trips for the life-list

2008-02-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

It's almost March and the kids are back in Boca mode. Here's where we're staying in '08.

And less than 12 hours after we get back on March 15, here's where I'm going with Mel.....

Sibling Sushi-doo

2008-01-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

New bedrooms

2007-12-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

So you're 10, and you are obsessed with the Titanic. What does your bedroom look like..? Maybe a ghost ship on the wall headed for an iceberg?

Likewise, if you're 7 and love princesses, Barbies, and anything PINK, your room will be -- well. Enough said.

Merry Christmas, kids. May your current obsessions (and color choices) last longer than it took to paint and carpet your bedrooms.

Good Food in San Francisco

2007-12-03T19:40:00.001-08:00

I ate my way through San Francisco a couple of weeks ago.

New Cats

2007-11-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

Senior Eduardo don Gato Mustacchio

and Oskar

Conversation at Breakfast

2007-10-08T13:21:00.001-07:00

Loren: Mom, when can we have a brother and a sister?

Jonas: Yeah, can you adopt them?

Me: I don't know, kids. Children are very expensive to raise. I don't know if we could afford two more.

Loren: Really? How much does it cost to buy one?

Nemo, South Dakota

2007-08-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

Our annual horse-camping trip to the Black Hills was another grand adventure this year. We were there in '04, 05, but missed '06.... we'll never miss another! Some highlights....

Days of summer

2007-07-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

Melissa and Jasper, KT in his element

The Great Colorado Delivery

2007-05-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago I delivered by H.S. buddy Lee to his new life in Salida, CO. I put 2500 miles on Allison's truck over a four day period. We took to "northern" route out through S. Dakota (Badlands, Black Hills) then Wyoming into Colorado. We camped the whole time -- in the Badlands, then Estes Park. Gorgeous scenery.

Then I high-tailed it home.

36 hours around ABQ

2007-04-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

So there I was, moping around on my birthday last Thursday because Andrew was in Albuquerque and I felt alone and abandoned on My Special Day. Andrew called with my birthday present: a frequent-flyer ticket to ABQ for the weekend, including a night at Santa Ana Pueblo's luxurious Hyatt Tamaya resort.
It was a 36 hour getaway without rival. We went horseback riding in the desert foothills above the Rio Grande. We ate like kings. We met a couple at the Hyatt's Corn Maiden adobe restaurant who own horses and a ranchette in the hills leading to Sandia Peak. They invited us to their home on Sunday, where I spent an hour and a half horseback riding and Andrew joined us for drinks and great conversation on their patio for the afternoon. Then on to Santa Fe, where we strolled the galleries on Canyon Road and ended up in culinary heaven at El Farol--a hip little tapas restaurant and bar with a long and glorious history. Andrew was so impressed he bought their cookbook.
Here are a few visuals.... thanks to New Friends Susan and Norbert in Albuquerque, and thanks especially to our loving parents for watching the grandkids all weekend. It was a perfect Birthday present.

Good times! Til next year....

2007-03-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here are the last of our Boca 07 pictures. Sunset at South Beach was memorable. This one of the four of us shows our favorite island spot, the Point, in the distance. Can we stand to wait another year?

The Point

2007-03-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from my run this morning along the wild north point of Gasparilla Island. It's easily one of my favorite places on the planet -- a dump-my-ashes-here kind of place. Between Sugarloaf and the Gasparilla north point at Boca..... tough call. Better sprinkle me a little bit in both.

Home on the Gulf

2007-03-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

After pleasing ourselves with our diplomacy in declining to purchase a timeshare after the mandatory 1.5 hour pitch, we headed west on I-4 toward Tampa, then south on I-75 toward our annual family vacation spot on the Gulf. We arrived Saturday in Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island just past sunset.

Ever since then, it's been the same routine as it has for the past 16 years. Wake up, coffee + newspapers, pool, I run while the kids play, lunch, drive to town, get ice cream or play at the park or shop, drive to South Beach, play on the sandy Gulf shore and maybe have some appetizers and a cocktail from the restaurant, drive home, back to the pool, grill out for dinner, kids play or watch a movie, then read before bed. The routine varies only slightly -- for example, with a hike to the north point of the island where we watch dolphins and osprey and hope to spot a manatee, and pretend we live in one of the multi-million dollar mansions that increasingly crowd the Gulf coast of the island.

Here are some pictures so far.

Popcorn stand of a few dozen dreams

2007-03-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

After a full day on Thursday of swimming, running (I'm keeping up my training plan and ran six miles that morning), walking around Downtown Disney and walking all over the Magic Kingdom til late at night, we decided that Friday would be best spent in repose. So we drove to Disney's Blizzard Beach water park, to the kids' chagrin at first ("Why would we go to a blizzard? We just came from a blizzard in Minnesota!"). That was easily the best time we had in Disney World, pirates and princesses aside. We floated in inner tubes in a river circling the park, slid on a family-sized tube down a giant white plastic-composite mountain, ate giant turkey drumsticks and had a cocktail while the kids floated in the Wave Pool. Now that's recreation.

Too bad everything in Disney World seems to cost at least $150. In fact it got so that we spent about $150 every time we left our condo. Dinner? $150. Pirate-Princess Party Passes? $142. Blizzard Beach admission? $160.

On Saturday morning, we decided to use our two complimentary adult admission tickets to any major Disney theme park by going to Animal Kingdom, which was Loren's request. We figured the kids' tickets couldn't be more than, oh, $30 a head. No way -- the price of the two kids? $120.

We did have fun in Animal Kingdom, though. Imagine a really great, expansive zoo with Hollywood-quality set design. The Tibetan temples and Hindu ruins look quite real, and the Bengal tigers lounging and frolicking about--yes! they really did frolic!--were especially picturesque against such an authentic backdrop. Loren took some excellent pictures in Animal Kingdom; most of the ones posted here are hers.

And what can I say? Those dreams, they just keep happening. Disney was true to its marketing campaign. When Andrew went to buy some popcorn for the kids in the Africa quadrant, the teenager sales kid said in a perfectly droll voice, "Today I'd like to make your dreams come true. Here's a free popcorn." No joke.

Parade of princesses

2007-03-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

After Jonas's piratical dreams came true it was time to address Loren's hope to find a real Sleeping Beauty. But the lines were long, the princesses elusive, and our patience wearing thin. Both children were weary of walking. After a couple of tumultuous roller coaster rides and a spooky trip through the Pirates of the Caribbean cave, we were all pretty well beat.

Respite came with the Pirate and Princess Parade. We had a front-row seat and watched each princess, necessarily adorned with her prince, pass by waving and gesticulating in repetitive paroxisms from their perch. Sleeping Beauty and Phillip floated by, but it was all too fleeting; I think Loren was a little disappointed.

I'm afraid Loren's ultimate dream of staying in the luxurious bedroom of Cenderella's Castle went unmet. Despite Jonas's pirate costume, Loren's Sleeping Beauty costume, my Cruella DeVille dress and dalmatian beeny-baby poking out of my backpack, we were not noticed by any Disney cast members charged with inviting a little princess and her family to stay in the Castle. In fact--much as I remembered--it was roped off, and even our approach was barred. It remained as in my imagination, just a colorful and ephemeral facade.

Loren did finally find a Sleeping Beauty as we waited at the Monorail station, after the Fireworks Spectacular and well after 10pm, to return to our car. She was about 3 years old, wearing the same pink dress as Loren and a sparkling tiara. She was draped serenely in her father's arms, fast asleep.

And Finally.... the Kingdom of Disney

2007-03-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

What can I say about the Magic Kingdom? It's packed. With people, with character-themed attractions, and basically just a lot of stuff to look at. We arrived in the late afternoon just as the masses were exiting. The Pirate and Princess festivities didn't technically start until 7pm, but we were allowed to enter as early as 4:30 and identified by orange wrist bands.

The Pirate and Princess party turned out to be a coup. We jumped onto many popular rides with little or no lines--which is especially impressive considering it's common to wait more than an hour for a single, one-minute-long ride. As the sky darkened, we saw the daily fireworks display signaling the end of the regular day and the beginning of the evening event.

I was impressed by the crowd size even considering it must have been a fraction of the daily average. We were not quite shoulder-to-shoulder but almost, and I imagine during the day it would be nearly impossible to move.

Some attractions did have long waits. Jonas wanted to meet Jack Sparrow. The line for that was estimated at 50 minutes. We skipped it, to Jonas's excruciating disappointment; but lo! Just around the corner was 'another' Jack Sparrow, surrounded by children dressed like he was, in full pirate garb. It was a crowd of mini-mees and their camera-laden parents pressing rudely to make sure their little pirates were noticed by Mr. Sparrow and noisily piping his shanty, "Yo ho ho, a pirate's life for me!"

Jonas squeezed right in there with his sword drawn. He sang and brandished and danced, and was rewarded with a certificate of Official Pirate's Apprentice. Jonas's needs were met. In the year of a million dreams, as Disney's most recent marketing campaign touts, this little pirate's dream came true.

Recreation in the central Florida swamps

2007-03-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

Whoever thought developers would put luxury resorts, theme parks, condominiums, and man-made lakes in the middle of central Florida scrubby swamp-land? Hmm. Well, thanks to Walter Disney and his Dream, Orlando is the vacation capital of the world. Just remember to read the signs outside the swimming pool at the edge of your watery vista: No Swimming, and Don't Feed the Alligators.

Here are a few pictures of what we did in a few of these central Florida swamps.

The four-day time-share wonder

2007-03-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

Living large: leisure in the Disney 'hood

2007-03-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

So! Here we are. We made it to Lake Buena Vista, the city near Orlando closest to Disney World. We are impressed by the ubiquity of all things Disney and the universality of the time-share model of vacation accommodations. Query: does anyone actually live here, or is everybody a tourist? Yes, that's a rhetorical question. But even Las Vegas cannot compare with the omnipresence of tourist attractions and accommodations here to the exclusion of ordinary residents.

We are here, like a few thousand others I imagine, to get a bargain price on Disney theme parks and five-star resort accommodations in exchange for our shameless willingness to listen to a one and a half hour timeshare sales presentation. We're perfect representatives of our target market: Our income could, on paper at least, justify timeshare ownership and we already have a demonstrated loyalty to the resort chain's brand. We have young children who think Disney is the center of the world. And in middle-age we are still young enough to think "perpetuity" is a heckuva long time to own something.

But more on that later. We arrived midday on Wednesday and immediately hit the pool nearest our two-bedroom condo unit. It's a nice pool. It has a waterfall pouring from a temple-like building containing a sauna that doesn't work but is quite nice in theory. Two hot tubs and a kiddie pool accompany the main pool, which is populated by an impressive cross section of grandparents, parents and children.

The pool is located next to a man-made lake. A walking bridge crosses it to yet another pool at the resort's main building. That pool is way cool. It has ceramic frogs spitting fountains of water. Jonas like that pool better, but Loren finds it too deep for her tentative taste.

In the evening we can no longer fight the kids' cries of Disney! Disney! So we drive to the only place in Disney World with free parking. It's Downtown Disney, with night clubs and various other attractions, plus a lakeside Marketplace where a few quality restaurants can justify a mortifying walk with children past (and into and around and through) all the toy stores and Disney-character stores they could imagine. Warning: do not EVER bring your children to this place unless and until you have perfected the art of the tantrum-free NO! YOU MAY NOT BUY THAT.

We had a nice dinner at Portobello's. It cost $150. This turns out to be the beginning of a disturbing pattern. But I'm signing off for now; next come some pictures.

Oh! What to wear

2007-03-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

Learning that we are planning our first trip to DW, many people have offered advice. Carry water! Wear comfortable shoes and a hat to keep off sun and unlikely rain. Arrive early, plan to wait in long lines and stay late.

But no, really..... what should we WEAR?

The question is more important now that I've read an article in Newsweek describing recent renovations to Cinderella's Castle. Yes, this is the same place I visited at age 8, in 1976, and suffered tragic disillusionment as I walked through the barren concrete tunnel realized that the castle, like the rest of Disney World, was just a facade. It was all hype and no guts. This disappointment was probably the biggest reason I had no wish to ever see DW again; what's the point? It's like Vegas -- visual fireworks everywhere, but if you try to enjoy anything the money-mongers will only steal your shirt.

But now, the wizards of wonder, the devils of mass marketing genius, have created a sense of magical possibility like never before. Cinderella's bedroom is now a five star hotel room. Sure, you can pay to stay there, but there's a chance -- a teensy tiny important chance -- that a roving gang of Disney finders will find you and invite you to spend a complementary night in the castle.

Well. This changes everything. On the one hand, DW is more like Vegas than ever. Spend your thousand greenbacks to get the family inside the Magic Kingdom and there's a slight chance you'll get your money's worth. But we can increase our chances! We can be sure we'll be noticed! Yeah, that's right.... COSTUMES!

When asked, the kids knew right away who they'll be. Jonas will be Jack Sparrow, fresh off the Black Pearl, ready for his next Caribbean skirmish. Loren will be Sleeping Beauty, her favorite princess, hard pressed to wear comfortable shoes.

Andrew didn't even flinch. "The Mad Hatter," he answered. "What else?"

But me? Hm. There's a problem. I don't have costumes, I seldom wear dresses, and I'd far prefer invisibility over subjecting myself to other people's people-watching.

But this is different. We have to be Noticed. I pawed through my wardrobe, and this is what I came up with. Oh yeah, baby, I'm evil. I'm a cruel oppressor of puppies everywhere. I'm Cruella DeVille.

Walter Disney

2007-03-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

The other night we watched a history of Disney World on the History Channel. Interesting factoids: The Magic Kingdom is built 14 feet above ground on top of a massive tunnel system connecting the theme parks. The swamp that was drained to build DW still poses the omnipresent challenge of a high water table. The tunnels contain an entire employees' subculture, from computers that run the rides to convenient stores and locker rooms for frequent costume changes.

Later I stayed up to watch a DVD about Walter Disney himself. He was a devoted family man, but I would not have wanted to work for him. Animator Chuck Jones was interviewed; he said he quit working for Disney to head up a competing animation studio because, as he told Walt directly, "there's only one job worth having in this shop, and that's yours." Walt agreed.

Great Expectations

2007-02-24T16:46:00.000-08:00

It's two weeks before Disney World. Outside it's blizzarding for the first time all winter. Tomorrow we'll play in the fluffy white stuff; today, all we can think about is Florida.

Loren is illustrating her expectations. So far she has three drawings and a list of Rules for Disney World. I suggested she write a book about our trip, starting with the picture above.

Here are her rules:
1. Get up early
2. Get on the rides on time
3. Be safe
4. Don't spend too much of your money
5. Ask to go inside the castle!

With that in mind, here is the preface to our travelblog: Disney World to Boca Grande, March 7-17, 2007. Or, How to enjoy a non-commercial, child-driven, slightly subversive vacation in America's most commercial child-oriented destination. With love, from Alli, Andy, Loren, and Jonas. Stay tuned.