Husker Highlights!

We went camping this weekend in Flagstaff with some friends of Travis' from work (Ed and Brian)- awesome views, COLD weather, and lots of humor from Brian. Brian is from Nebraska (pronounced BER-Naska), and graduated from UNL. Turned out to be a good thing, too. The first night we were there, the camp hosts decided to yell at us for doing everything wrong, and just when we thought they were going to throw us out, Brian mentioned he was from Nebraska, and suddenly they were our best friends. Bow down and worship the big red "N"!

We took a 5 mile hike up to 10,000 feet, through the Inner Basin of the San Francisco peaks. There were a lot of people on the trails, out enjoying the 60-something weather and sunshine. From the inner basin you get a great view of the Painted Desert - the Northeast corner of Arizona. After the hike, we headed down the mountain and Brian was excited to try four-wheeling in his new truck. Ed was not so sure this was a good idea, especially when Brian was driving with two wheels on the road and two wheels on the mountain!

We stayed in Bonito campground, just outside Sunset Crater National Monument, and other than the weirdness with the hosts on the first night, the place was great. Who knew flush toilets were such a great invention? We had a nice campfire, made friends with Frisbee, the local skunk, and enjoyed food prepared in dutch ovens. How can you go wrong? It certainly was nice to get out of Phoenix for a while...

Things are going to get busy from here - I am heading to Anaheim next weekend for the National Convention of the American Dieteic Association, and then I am heading to KC about 10 days after that. Travis' work has slowed down a bit, but we are starting to focus on the patio roof and other projects out in the yard. Still waiting for the weather to cool off --- though it got down to freezing in Flagstaff, it was 98 in Phoenix today. Sheesh.

I haven't finished my roll of film yet, but I'll post pictures when I get them. I guess this is why people have digital cameras, eh?

Keep the torch lit!

Silent J

You make the call...star doppelganger?

You be the judge - does this look like me? Are you sure? I've been told by a couple of people that I look like this person... Not that that would be a bad thing. :)

Take it easy in a Barcalounger...

And finally, this is the recliner we've purchased. The fabric will be a mixture of southwest colors, though. It should look pretty nice in our living room, I think.

That's about it on the home decorating front... we're still in the midst of planning our patio, calling the roof guys, and praying that the weather will cool off sooner rather than later. As for work, well, let's just say it was really hard to go back after a 3 day weekend. Travis' Critical Design Review is next Thursday - we're thinking about going camping in Flagstaff that following weekend. Getting out of the heat and relaxing for the weekend will be just the ticket.

My next blog will be better - I promise. I think I've got the publishing figured out. Keep cool and stay tuned!

Mood lighting for the patio...

We these sconces would look pretty sweet out on the patio. These are featured in the Cabaret at Taliesin West. This may be another construction project for us to hash out.

Still looking for that perfect chair...

This chair is the prototype for the Taliesin Wing Back or Origami chair. Wouldn't that look really cool on our new patio? We think so, too. However, we don't have $4000 to buy a new one, so we are reverse engineering our own version. We visited Taliesin West on Saturday to get a closer look and gather some design ideas for our own house. Frank Lloyd Wright had some really cool ideas that we hope to incorporate into our house. Um, so far, we have the same Target halogen torchiere.

In search of the perfect chair...

Great news! We've finally ordered furniture! In our typical style, we looked at different styles for about 8 months, shopped at countless stores, spent WAY too much time online, and decided on some very unusual pieces. We've picked out a loveseat, recliner, and chaise - I'll post pictures when we get them, but don't hold your breath. We're supposed to see the loveseat and chaise sometime in December... they're being crated over from Italy.