A somewhat different Thanksgiving

What comes to mind when the idea of "Thanksgiving" is tossed into a conversation? The essentials; turkey, sweet potato casserole, rolls, green bean casserole, numerous pies and ice cream. Oh....and most of the time family! But this year was a little different for the southern California Suhr household of two. Instead of spending the holiday fighting traffic driving somewhere or loads of moolah flying home, we decided to spend it camping in a tent in a little place called Yosemite. Lodging? A cabin with a nice bed, fridge full of food and hot showers, right? Nope. Not even that. We went for the camping experience and it turned out to be a good one. We had 3 nights of freezing (literally) temperatures, but thanks to our numerous ground mattresses, blankets, and queen size sleeping bag we slept like babies! And our food....was goooood! Beth suggested "pigs in a blanket" for thanksgiving dinner and so that's what we did. Here's how. Roast a hot dog over the fire. Once it is done cooking, take a thin slice of cheese and place it around the hot dog and then wrap it in croissant dough (from the can), and finally in aluminum foil. After you roast it over the fire some more it starts sizzlin' and boy does it taste great! Oh...and speaking of fires, we had roaring fires at night. They kept us nice and toasty as we cooked and ate out meals and waited for the uneventful sighting of a bear. They were supposed to be in camp every night but we didn't hear or see any sign of them. Beth's beginning to think that animals don't exist where people say they do. On our honeymoon in New Hampshire we looked and looked for a moose for a week and a half and never saw one. We were up in the Boundary Waters canoeing for a week and didn't see one up there either. Now, no bears in Yosemite?! She might me on to something.

The interesting part of camping though at this time of year in a deep valley, is that the sun sets around 4pm and it's dark by 5. The game then becomes, "what can we do to stay awake for like 4 more hours till it's bed time?". The answer was NOTHING! Ahh.....going to bed at 8pm was actually a treat. We got about 12 hours of sleep each night.

During the days we hiked to gorgeous water falls via hiking trails that were near vertical. I looked at the hikers guide and it said that the hikes would be strenuous and then very strenuous, but I didn't believe it. But let me tell you, it's not 3 days after the hikes and we are both still so sore from it! The people on the trails were very friendly and everyone was wishing each other "happy Thanksgiving!" and we even got to hike with a man from San Francisco for a while. His wife and girls were staying down in the valley for the day and so we some good company for a while. One thing that seems to happen on our hikes is some sort of miscommunication. Beth says something, I don't hear it right for some reason and then the aftermath leaves us trying to sort out what happened. Neither of us like it, but it happens each time we go out! Every couple I talk to says that communication is the hardest part of a relationship....and I'll agree whole-heartedly on that one. A constant tension that we'll be learning about for years to come.

Back to the end of the trip...we came home and relaxed friday evening after thanksgiving and it was so nice to be warm, clean and sleeping with a down comforter! Saturday ended up being a huge day for us as well. We made our first, all by ourselves, thanksgiving dinner for us and 6 others! It was a hit and the people that came loved it. We really enjoyed the evening with our friends and just wish it could have lasted for longer. The day ended with a slice of pumpkin roll and some sparkling cider and laughter in the living room!
That was a different thanksgiving, but one I'll remember for the rest of my life. I'm going to put a few pics up just so you can see where we were for our fall holiday!

Mismatched Skiing

I've always been that person. 

Winter time came around, and the Harrisons were just never prepared.

We were the kids without the snow boots. We wrapped plastic bags around our socked toes and then stuffed our feet into our regular tennis shoes. It worked ok, but boy, it wasn't very stylish. (I wish I had a picture of us as kids to upload here)

Or the snow pants. Those things have always been hideous. Hand me downs or a pair picked up at the local Goodwill store. Outdated and ugly.

Gloves, Hats, Jackets...all a mismatch. Whatever you could find you threw together.

And skiis? Yeah right. Never owned a pair of those. Looked at a couple pairs one time with Dad at the Gift and Thrift, but decided maybe skiis from the 70's were a tad outdated and a little unreliable.

It's a weird thing to be on a ski hill and feel self-conscious. No one can see an inch of your skin. And yet, you feel like you're sticking out like a sore thumb. You definitely don't look like you belong there. Just a weekend warrior.

It may sound silly, and slightly materialistic...but even in snow gear I still want to MATCH! Is it the girl in me? Possibly.

Fast forward to the present. 

So there's a Christmas ski trip coming up in about a month for Garrett and I. Now Garrett...he's the gear guy. He's got the outfit all together. He always looks like such a pro out there. And this year...I'll be standing next to him tall and proud!

We just got a gently used pair of skiis for me off of ebay, and they have purple flowers on them! I have a basic black ski jacket. I'm looking for a used pair of grey (gotta color coordinate) ski pants that fit (not too short, not too baggy...). And I'll probably compliment it with a purple scarf/hat and some nice goggles. Notice, I'm still pretty ok with the used idea, as long as it matches!

Friends, I'm pumped.

Pathological Picture Taker Wannabe

There is a button on my page that is a picture of a picture-taker.
The button, if clicked, will lead you directly to an online hosting site for pictures.
It's my online hosting site. It's my photobucket.
Are there any pictures in it?

Not a one.

Everytime I see the button on my page I feel like I am a Pathological Picture Taker Wannabe.

Because I am.

For the longest time, I have had the desire to become really really good at something. Not just any something, either. Picture taking, something.

I love to browse through pictures, think of other angles I would have shot, see the crispness in details and color. And I've always wanted to take those pictures myself, and not just watch other people take them.

And one day, I will. Whether it be after I take a class, or after I buy a camera, or after...whatever I feel is blocking my way...I will.

So for now, as a kind of...reminder, I will leave the Pathological Picture Taker button on my page. Though I may be a Wannabe, at least I'm not afraid to admit it.

Lace 'Em Up

Tonight is the night. My good friend Janae and I are signing up
for the Surf City Half Marathon on February 7th, 2010.

Huntington Beach

Early Morning Start Time

Sweet Finish Line

One-Of-A-Kind Medals

All with a great friend...

Training has begun!

Fall?

I'm makin' a pumpkin pie and lookin' at pictures from home.

At least I can pretend like it's fall, even if the weather strongly suggests otherwise.