The Swedish Fish

Somethin' New

2009-12-13T10:30:00.001-08:00

An announcement...

We are expecting a new baby girl the first week of March. My belly isn't as big as the one in the picture, but it's close.

Nothin' New

2009-12-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

Things are calm and happy around here, which in a lot of ways is better than exciting. Rocky and I were killing time by doing her favorite activity, looking at pictures of herself. I figured that if we think it is fun to see them for the 20th time, it might be good for everyone else to at least see them once.

Here she is enjoying her new favorite book.

Another new activity she enjoys is posing as a frog, saying 'Crra' like frogs do in Spanish. She's not that good at rolling her r's yet but I'm sure with practice it will come.

She also continues to experiment with style. The Babushka look is the new black.

Thanks Again

2009-11-27T11:48:00.001-08:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving that started with the parade.
Then the feasting began.

We were so lucky to spend the day with the Valverdes who prepared a beautiful dinner and always make us feel like we are part of the family.

I guess that I'm just a little emotional lately and with the holiday and everything I seem to get choked up every time I think about how lucky I am. I've been counting my blessings one by one and the list gets longer every year. Even though there are some ugly things in this world, there are a lot more that are beautiful.

Rescue Mission

2009-11-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

Rocky was taken for ransom by a couple of neighborhood ruffians. In order to get her back we had to hike all the way out into the mountains past Cottage Grove to this waterfall.

We were able to buy her back with a couple of cookies and a Cutie orange. In the end I think that the three of them planned it all out and split the booty. She seemed a little too calm during the whole thing. It was pretty good for us all because even though there was snow along the trail it was great to get outside.

Bonus Video
It is pretty common that kids who stay up past bedtime get into an ultra-hyper state of energy. My dad calls it the cat-crazies. This is what happened last night when Rocky had a pretty bad case of the cat-crazies.

Homecoming Parade

2009-11-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

I've been looking forward to this year's homecoming parade since the day after last year's. Although there weren't as many floats (or as much drunkenness for that matter) it was a success. While there were no togas, probably because of the freezing cold evening, there was a bunch of hippies.

This might not seem like much of a stretch for Eugene, but if you look closely, it is clear that these are the funny dressed-up hippies, not the real, we-dress-like-this-daily kind that are always outside of the library. This float sported more of a disco and tie-dyed type of hybrid - a 60s/70s mix.
It is kind of interesting to see so many hippies on campus because generally it seems that there is a big divide in this city between the university crowd and the drum-circle group that run the Saturday Market. The students are usually easily recognizable by their U of O paraphernalia and cell phones. The real hippies usually haven't showered for several weeks, and carry all their belongings on their backs. Also, the female U of O students are always either wearing skin-tight stretch pants with Ugg boots or little teeny shorts. (The short shorts are also donned by the hard-core runners who may or may not be students, but who are definitely not hippies.) The main bridge that covers the gap between the hippies and the college students is that they all agree on the legalization of marijuana.
This group went with a jungle theme.

The football players were giving out calendars and I was pretty excited with mine until I realized that it was for this year instead of next. If it takes 11 months to give them out for free, it doesn't seem to be that hot of a commodity.

Brandon worked hard to keep Rocky from getting frostbite. She took courage when the frat-boy dressed like a mermaid who was only wearing a clam-shell bra and some green butcher paper saluted her from the top of the truck he rode.
Rocky was one of the only kids around and really enjoyed the spoils. (And by that I mean that Brandon and I ate most the candy and she got to keep the beads.)

An Adventure in Mango Rice

2009-11-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

After an exciting, yet disappointing U of O game there is no better way to revitalize the spirit than with a bunch of friends crowded into a tiny kitchen. The first installment of the new cooking club turned out to be a success. Anu taught us how to cook Mango Rice which was delicious and Hema showed us her secret of perfect rice pudding. We were all amazed because they don't use any recipes in their cooking. I tried taking notes but in all the excitement I still don't think I have a decent list of directions to share.

Anu and I went to Sunrise Market which specializes in Asian foods earlier in the day to get the ingredients. I felt like I was in a completely different country. She was buying all this produce that looked like it should have come from a fantasy world and she could clearly explain how it was prepared. I recognized a few, like the mango we bought, but I had always thought that mangoes were supposed to be sweet. This time we were looking for the most green and sour one and we squeezed them to make sure that they were hard instead of soft.
She told me that when she was little her mother would make her go to the store and practice picking out the ripe vegetables so that she would be prepared when she had to cook for herself. It made me think a lot about what I am teaching Rocky. She does know that she should squeeze the avocados and that the green bananas don't taste as good as the yellow, but her real supermarket expertise comes in selecting the right kind of chocolate chips. (It is not as easy as it sounds. Nowadays there are like 20 different varieties. The last time we went we picked up the dark chocolate to try because Brandon said that they are healthy.)

You may notice the peppers in this picture. While she usually uses 5 when making this dish for herself, this time she only used 2 for our wimpy tongues. It was a good choice.

Everyone was leaning in to smell if the mustard seed had popped.

The best part, of course, was the sampling! We had the rice with Kimberly's pasta and the tomato soup recipe that I got from Cara. It actually turned out to be quite the feast.

...And in other Rigby family news...
Rocky is getting pretty tough while she does push-ups with her dad.

After all that working she likes to show off her svelte physique by adorning it with all kinds of accessories. This is what happens when she chooses her outfit.

BFFs

2009-11-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

Rocky's little friend Chloe comes over on Tuesdays and Thursdays while her mom and dad are in class. These two have become best buds and get into all sorts of shenanigans together.

So what if it isn't anyone's birthday. The hats are always a good idea.

In the car the two of them reach across and touch hands which sets them off into a stream of giggles. I think it is kind of a scary premonition of what we can expect to hear a lot of when Rocky is about 12. It reminds me of one time when I was a missionary and my companion Hna. Smith and I got a bad case of the giggles on a city bus. We got off at the same stop as a man who seemed to get a big kick out of it. He said, "When you have a friend that you can laugh with like that, life is good."
When I am driving and can hear those two girls laughing away I can't help but think that life really is good.

In this picture they were going over the nursery rhymes hoping to get some ideas for songs for their new band. They've been working on their Emo hairstyles but obviously Chloe is winning. Rocky's curls would probably do her more good in Nashville but they've discussed it and decided that country isn't really their scene.
It doesn't matter how nice their hair is when they start out because after the whirlwind of play they both usually look like they've been through a hurricane. But, if you think the hair looks like wild, you should see what they do to the house. It is worth it for the hours of entertainment. I clean when (if) they take their naps.

They are looking pretty guilty here. I actually made those magnets for them to play with (I know, just call me Martha Stewart) but they wouldn't think it was fun if they didn't think it was off limits.

Rocky was really sick on Tuesday so we are pretty excited to get Chloe back today.

Halloween in Eugene

2009-11-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

Rocky and Ron Burgundy, otherwise known as The Anchorman, were ready to broadcast the evening news. Brandon's costumes are always a big hit with the people who actually know who he is.
You may notice that she is wearing a Weber State shirt, but she's got a duck in her hand. She has mixed loyalties.

After dressing up for so many parties, Rocky felt that she needed a change of pace. The moose hat seemed a little bit like a safety hazard so we resurrected last years Ewok hood. Here is a blast from the past showing exactly how she looked one year ago, just in case you forgot that she used to be a baby.

Since she couldn't trick or treat at the houses of her grandmas she went to show off her costume to her adopted grandma in Eugene. They didn't have any treats at the restaurant so Rosi gave us a container of refried beans, which was even better.

Trick or treating was kind of a pickle. Not only was it raining, but the big U of O game was on. We went out during half time to our two neighbors, which are both pretty close considering we are in apartments. Some of you may be thinking that I am a mean and unfit mother, but I choose to believe that I was trying to protect my little Ewok from the evils of candy. Just to prove my point I'll have you know that of the three pieces of candy that she earned by knocking doors I only let her have one. Brandon and I unselfishly took the health risks upon ourselves and ate the other two. Just so you know, she got first pick and took the Butterfinger. She was also able to smooth talk her dad into about half of the Peanut Butter Cup but I wasn't going to fall for those big blue eyes and ate the Baby Ruth after she had gone to bed.
Another reason that we elected to mostly avoid the door-to-door begging is that the past week or so Rocky has gotten into the habit of running up and knocking on random doors. She thinks it is really funny and even more funny to go ahead and walk in if the door is open. I didn't think it would be very wise to let her know that if you knock on random doors that people will give you candy and tell you that you are cute.
Okay, mostly it was because I wanted to watch the game. I LOVE trick or treating and I love candy even more.

You wouldn't believe how excited she was with her Butterfinger, and we let her have all the refried beans she could eat.

I mean, look at that belly...it's not like we don't have enough treats already at this house.
In my constant pursuit of better eating habits I carefully selected the candy that seemed least appealing so that I wouldn't eat it all before the trick or treaters arrived. I picked out Nerds and a collection of Lemon-Heads "and friends." Little did I know that the friends were the new, improved, chewy Lemon Heads that are awesome. Because of the rain we had a few left that I was forced to sample. Now I guess I will have to eat the rest, so that they don't go to waste. The kind of better eating strategy that I was working on doesn't work if you are me and find that you love anything that is made of food. I ate most of the leftover Nerds too.
Maybe next year I should give out refried beans instead. I'd probably end up eating a lot of them, but at least they'd have some fiber.

Halloween in Eugene

2009-10-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

Don't miss Lil' Zombie's Graveyard Picnic.

She's a Maniac

2009-10-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Rocky's costume for the playgroup party went a little bit to her head. She tried to get the whole group to jazzercise.

There were a variety of characters that were interested in battles, but nobody really was in the mood for aerobics.
Instead she had to get her workout in at home.

The Monster Mash

2009-10-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Rocky and Bullwinkle

Six hundred crazy people, including me, lined up on Saturday morning wearing costumes and practically freezing to death to run the Monster Mash 5K. I've been looking forward to the race this whole month and was not let down. It was wild because adults, kids, dogs, and babies in strollers all participated. A guy dressed like a pirate pushing newborn twins in a double jogger passed me at the 2nd mile mark. It was okay though because I passed a couple of black cats, a fairy, and some mobsters during the third. I also passed a banana who had to stop and use a pooper scooper after her dog spoiled the trail, but once they were all cleaned up she ran right by me again. I have a tendency in these races to start out to fast and then kind of run out of gas and barely stumble across the finish line. This time I was determined to take it slowly and try to have a more consistent pace. But, I waited a little too long to speed up. This meant that although I didn't have a particularly fast time, I did have a lot of fun picking off zombies and clowns one by one during the last mile (that sounds more like a horror movie than a community event.)

I could almost hear them thinking, "Curse that moose!" I will admit that the Bullwinkle costume is not very flattering, but it was hilarious the way the antlers bounced up and down with each step. I've never really been able to pull off the 'cutesy' scene anyway. I usually fit better in the category of comic relief.

Laurie, who is my friend, and inspiration in all things running ran with me. When I say ran "with" me I mean that she was so far ahead that I couldn't even see her little bat antennea. She was, as the announcer said, 'The fastest pumpkin of the day." We met up at the finish and watched all the door prizes go to other people. I am glad to have this picture because without her diligent example, I probably wouldn't have been in any shape to be running at all.

Rocky the flying squirrel had a great time watching all the dogs and as a prize for her good behavior earned this pear. It kept her busy for about 45 minutes. In the end I think she ate the whole thing, stem and all.

More than a Hobby

2009-10-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

I enjoy food. I enjoy it way too much and it worries me a little bit that many of my childhood memories are centered on what I was eating. The only thing I remember about being in pre-school is the graham crackers and that when we would sing 'The Farmer in the Dell' and the cheese would always have to stand alone. Sometimes Brandon will bring up an event that we went to in the past and I will respond with something like, "Is that where we had that amazing spinach dip?" I usually can't recall who we talked to, but I have a detailed menu of the whole night stored in my brain. I know exactly what foods go with specific holidays or seasons and I have great memories of having delicious meals as a child and as an adult.
When I was 20 I went on a road trip that lasted over a month. I have a lot of memories about all the different places that we went, but the most vivid memory of all was the night I returned home. It was cold and dark and I was so hungry and when I walked in the kitchen was warm and smelled like spaghetti. It was like heaven.
It is no wonder that I spend a large part of my day playing with food. I check out the recipe books at the library that have full page photos of each dish and look through them over and over. I watch cooking shows, and read cooking blogs.
Cooking is a tricky hobby, especially for those of us who have a tendency to overeat. Too often I feel like I'm wasting time and wish that my guilty pleasure was rock climbing, playing soccer, or something else equally cool.
Preparing food just seems so house-wifey, old fashioned, and really un-hip.

I felt a little better after reading an article in the New York Times, "Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch" by Michael Pollan (who wrote The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food...Oh, by the way, I also like to read non-cookbooks that are related to food). He talks about how many Americans watch more cooking on T.V. than they actually do themselves. He brings up the idea that cooking is one of the things that only humans do. He made me feel that by putting in all those hours at the stove I was joining with generations of people who have lived and enjoyed food for thousands of years.
Then I heard an interview with Ruth Reichl who was the editor of Gourmet magazine. She used to be the food critic for the New York Times but gave up the job because she wanted to be able to cook dinner for her family. I couldn't believe that a woman with such a great gig would make that kind of sacrifice. Think about it...her job was to go to all the best restaurants in New York and get paid to eat.
But she said that those hours she spent in her own home preparing food for the people she loved was the best time of her life.
It helped me feel validated about the time that I spend chopping and mixing in my kitchen. I can let myself enjoy the smell of the ingredients and the feel of the heat from the oven and marvel at the way flavors can combine with texture in innumerable ways.
Even in our society of fast food and restaurants we still hold home cooking on a special pedestal. It represents peace, comfort, family and love. I guess it is because we know that if the food was cooked at home it was done by someone we love and who loves us.
I guess it's a pretty hip hobby after all.

A Perfect Fall Day

2009-10-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

While Brandon was gone Rocky and I had the opportunity to go to the pumpkin patch with a few of our good friends. Brenley also happens to be an amazing photographer and she used her skills to give us these treasures. I already knew that my little girl was beautiful, but now I've got some pretty undeniable proof.

Rocky was fascinated by the petting zoo.

She got to hang out with a couple of her best buds, McCoy and Chloe.

Thanks so much Brenley!

The Rigby's Bear their Souls

2009-10-14T21:33:00.001-07:00

During an interview on NPR I heard author Michael Chabon say that "A man's wallet is like his soul," while discussing the jump that he made as a father from carrying his wallet in his pocket to putting it in the diaper bag.
I have been thinking about this idea a lot, and as you know, Rocky has recently provided a reason for me to analyze what I've been carrying around in detail. I wonder what it has to say about my deepest
inner-being.
I'll start with the wallet itself. It is common in our society to receive hand-me-downs from older siblings, but with me and my younger sister, it is a system of hand-me-ups. She is always finding cool things at thrift stores and when the thing that she finds is cooler than the thing she already has, I usually get to reap the benefit. Almost always, the not as cool thing is still an upgrade for me.
My wallet is a treasure that I had coveted and it was a great day when it was bestowed upon me. It is the perfect wallet in every way.

It is the right size and shape. Everything fits in an organized clean pocket and I don't have to worry about dealing with a broken snap or a tri-fold that never really works right. Inside I have my license, temple recommend, two debit cards (one that coincides with my secret bank account that is still listed as Marci Howard just in case I need to go on the lam), and a phone card (which will also come in handy while evading the cops -- I've seen enough movies to know that I could be tracked if I used my cell.) I also have a Bi-Mart lifetime membership card that I take into the store every Tuesday to find out that I didn't win the lucky number prize, again.
There is an expired Barnes and Noble membership card that I used frequently in the luxury days before we renewed our relationship with poverty, but now I use the Eugene Library card instead. This system actually works much better because all of our bookshelves are currently filled with medieval Spanish novels and kids books. I was thinking, however, that I might be able to make room for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies if I squeeze everything together a little tighter. I've also got a
U of O recreation pass that could be converted into a membership to the school gym if I would get around to paying the money. It is tricky though because it I actually pay for it, I will be obligated to work out. Then I might accidentally get into shape, which would make it hard for me to fit into my clothes. Right now I'll continue to consider carrying the card around as all the weight lifting that I need.
I don't carry any pictures but I do have an old ticket stub from when Jill and I went to Portland to see the Mountain Goats. I have thought about throwing it away but I like knowing it is in there. There is also an emergency $20 bill in a secret compartment that Rocky doesn't know about.
I think that the time has come to part with the membership card. Rocky will enjoy it in her collection. She's also got Brandon's old Weber State IDs and a used up gift card from Target that she keeps in her purse with a package of flowery paper plates that she feels are necessary to tote around.

Her 'wallet' is also quite functional because it can be used as a hat in a pinch.

I don't think it would be fair if I went through Brandon's soul and spilled all the juicy details, but I will describe the wallet itself.

When we first got married he used to dig his cards out of an old coin purse that was hand-woven in Mexico. When the fraying turned into a hole and all his things fell out at a store one day he used a rubber band as a quick fix. After breaking several rubber bands he finally upgraded to a higher quality option, a ponytail holder. He's been using this system for about three years.

You really can learn a lot about a person from looking at a wallet, and it is probably more than you want to know.

Bonus Picture

2009-10-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

Since Brandon has been gone this is how much of our time has been spent.

I'm hoping that Rocky's newest hobby, having tantrums, is her way of saying that she is mad that she didn't get to go to Utah with her dad. I have a sinking feeling, however, that it is related the fact that everything that she wants to do is something I don't want her to do...play in the toilet, for example. I feel bad when she is crying, but I feel even worse when she is out of my direct line of sight and it gets quiet all of a sudden. Then I know there is some kind of trouble.

This time I caught her red-handed. It's a good thing for her that she is cute.

What to Do When There is Nothing to Do

2009-10-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

To keep myself entertained I put a cell in Rocky's shirt and then gave it a call.

What did I ever do before I had a kid?

After Conference Blues

2009-10-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

I really look forward to conference weekend and when it is over I get depressed. Now it is back to business as usual.

A New Look for a New Semester

2009-09-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it is time for Brandon to head back to classes and in honor of her dad, Rocky has decided it is time for a new look. She thinks the glasses make her seem more intellectual even though she doesn't need them. I told her just to hang on for a couple of years and the genes she inherited from us will make it so that glasses are a necessity whether she wants them or not.

The next option she has been experimenting with is a more direct imitation of her dad. She spent almost the whole ward party trying to win the cakewalk and on the final round came out victor with a cupcake that helped her create this stunning mustache.

We also gave the 'wet' look a try, but unfortunately, the hair only stays wet for about 5 minutes.

These Boots Were Sort of Made for Walkin'

2009-09-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Rocky strutted her new boots around church today. It is amazing how a new outfit can even please a kid who is too young for nursery. She looked pretty fly despite the fact that she could hardly walk.

Observations

2009-09-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the Barcelona train station which was buzzing with activity which seemed a little overwhelming after the long night. Brandon immediately insisted that we buy a Neopolitano, which is a pastry with a chocolate and hazelnut filling. It was a wise choice because I felt better almost immediately. I think part of his love for Barcelona can be directly traced to his feelings for their pastries.

We took the metro and another train to a community outside of the city called Sant Boi where we would be staying with the coolest family. Brandon had worked with Pilar at the beginning and end of his mission and she was baptized right before he left. Even though that was ten years ago, she opened up her house to us and welcomed us like we were family.
Her daughter, Elsa, and her son-in-law, Christian also lived there with their little boy, Roger (pronounced Roo-jay).

We stayed there for almost a week and it was like a little piece of paradise. We would spend all day out and about trying to see as much as possible and then as it got late we returned to a happy home with family and lots of fantastic food. It was a special opportunity to stay with them because at least part of the time we were there I didn't feel like a tourist. They also helped us out a lot with Brandon's study because nobody really wants to talk about the war with some American that they've never heard of before. On his own, Brandon was hardly able to get anyone to talk to him.

Pilar called in some connections and because her family is very well respected he was received with much more trust. We spent late nights laughing and discussing the pronunciation rules of Catalan.
While we were in Madrid I felt like my Spanish was improving pretty rapidly, but once we got to Barcelona it seemed like everything was in Catalan. Before Spain was a unified country it consisted of several kingdoms. Each kingdom had its own language and culture. When they combined the kingdoms became regions and all of the regions basically hung on to their roots. All of the different languages are considered official languages of Spain and that is why Spaniards will refer to what we consider 'Spanish' as Castellano. Some people think that Catalan and the other regional languages are dialects of Castellano but they are actually very different. They are different enough to be considered separate languages. One person told me that the difference between Catalan and Spanish are similar to the difference between Spanish and Portugese. They have a lot of similarities because they are Latin based but the Catalan includes a lot more of a French influence. After the Spanish Civil War when Franco took over as the dictator he banned all use of languages other than Castellano. In Catalonia all the street signs and textbooks for schools had to be changed. To the people this was a great insult and after Franco's death in the 70s there was a huge movement to change all the signs back. Everyone throughout the country speaks Castellano, but now they also proudly speak in their native tongues.
This sign is a good example to study because it is written first in Catalan, then in Castellano and then in English. There are so many tourists in some of the areas that English words are not that uncommon to see.

Brandon loves languages so much and talked to people all over the city to improve his pronunciation. The people were charmed to see an American trying to learn a language that is only spoken in their part of the world and would open up immediately.
While we were in touristy areas we hardly heard Castellano or Catalan. People were speaking German, French, Portugese, Italian and about a million other languages. Apparently because it gets so hot during the month of August all the Spaniards take off on vacations to cooler areas. We saw all kinds of businesses that were closed for a month while the owners were off enjoying the southern coasts. The streets during that time are filled with tourists from all over the world. Luckily we were able to enjoy the tourism, but we also had Sant Boi and Pilar's community that gave us a taste for the pure un-touristed life of the country. We also were able to walk around some of Brandon's areas which were more residential and I could get more of a feel for the daily life of the regular people. Although it was fun to see all the amazing buildings that bring the tourists by the millions, I think I enjoyed the quiet back streets even more.
In classes I had heard that the Spanish are known for taking a mid-day siesta. Still, I was surprised when around 2:00 it seemed that everything closed. People went home to enjoy a meal and a rest and returned at around 4:00. It is a strange feeling for someone who is used to seeing "Now open 24 hours" to see so many closed signs during such prime daytime hours. It was surprising, but I loved it. Because everything was closed there was really no choice except to go home to relax. Since we were only going to be there for a short time we didn't always take advantage of the break, but we did have a few days that we returned to Pilar's to savor a delicious meal and some great conversation. I admire the attitude that we should all slow down a little bit. Even the businesses that stayed open had shorter summer hours. Maybe those shopkeepers that took off for the whole month of August missed out on some money-making sales, but I bet they also made some great memories while vacationing with their families. This sign says 'closed for the vacation.'

We walked street after street as we moved from one part of the city to another and I enjoyed seeing the small bakeries, pharmacies, groceries, ice cream shops, hardware and fruit stores. The specialized businesses that are becoming extinct in the U.S. provide the income for thousands of independent shopkeepers. The idea of a Wal-Mart seems ridiculous because it is so convenient to walk around the corner to the Dia grocery or the pasteleria which take up such a small amount of space. A large shopping complex would have to be located outside of the residential area and be much more of a hassle.
For me it was also a treat to see all the beautiful types of breads. People were buying, selling and eating all kinds of bread everywhere you would look. It was delicious and probably one of the only things in the country that I would have considered a bargain.
Every single thing that we ate while we were there was amazing especially the meals that Pilar cooked. She always had the table set beautifully and would serve a meal with several courses. The meal not only tasted good, but was presented in such a visually appealing way. Once again I felt like I was being treated to luxury that was disproportionate to our situation.
The truth is that some people consider food as more of an art than something just to be gulped down. As you can see from this menu, presentation is key.

I, of course, also took note that there was a lot of really great candy.

I wanted to eat all day long every day, but I quickly noticed that I was already a lot bigger than almost everyone we would see on the streets. Not only are the people fit, but they are small in stature. I felt like a giant when we would be packed into the Metro and everyone around me would be an inch or two shorter. And speaking of short, I've never seen so many short skirts and shorts in my life. The women had beautiful legs and they weren't afraid to show them off. The styles of the 80s are in full force (and that includes mullets). At first I kind of felt like a nun walking around wearing long capris. That is until I actually saw a nun all decked out in a white robe with a black veil and I realized that my pants were probably a lot cooler than her getup.
I also observed a few other differences. One is that eggs in the grocery store are kept on the shelf and not refrigerated. By the time I had discovered this, I had already eaten several tortillas and figured that I didn't need to worry if it was safe or not.
The outlets are circular and even use a different frequency than those that we have here in the U.S. This contributed a lot to my beautiful pony-tailed hair during the entire trip. I had packed my straight iron but it proved to be nothing more than a dead-weight because it was impossible to use. We also had to buy a new camera battery. I share this as a warning, if you ever go to Europe, plan accordingly.

Road Trip Rocky

2009-09-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Question: What does Rocky do during trips from Utah to Oregon?
Answer:

There is also several long naps and the occasional pit-stop at classy trucker joints.

Rocky says thanks to both her grandmas for the treats and toys.

P.S. Today marks 4 years of marital bliss. It's been a good time.

The Sights

2009-09-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

We saw so many beautiful things in Spain beginning with the unforgettable work of Antoni Gaudi. I took a class at Weber State from the amazing Alicia Giralt who is from Catalonia and planted a seed of interest in the architectural movement that he helped create.
He is probably most known for the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia which most people just call the Sagrada Familia. I got that picture from the internet because from our perspective we couldn't get it all in the picture.

They started in the construction of this beautiful cathedral in 1882 and it is expected to be completed in 2026.

Unfortunately, after working on it for 15 years, Gaudi was killed in an accident. He didn't leave any plans behind so modern architects are doing their best to guess what he would have wanted.

Brandon said that in the ten years since he last saw it all the pillars have been finished.

Brandon really loved this sign, written in Catalan across the street that says, 'There are some works of art that only take 15 minutes.'

The Pedrera is also one of his great works.

His mosaics and intricate designs are clear from these pictures of Parq Guell. This park surrounded Gaudi's home.

This mosaic was one of many on the ceiling between the columns that held up the plaza surrounded by wiggly park benches.

It would take a million photos to be able to show how amazing his work is.

We were also able to see the Palau de la Musica which is another treasure of modernism designed by Lluis Domenech i Montaner.

I have studied about this concert hall but was completely taken off guard by how breathtaking it was in person.

It was surprising to me that it was nestled right in the middle of apartment buildings which made it a little tricky to get a picture, but luckily there are plenty online so you can get the basic idea.

This is the box office window.

During our trip I felt a little bit like Alice as she wanders through wonderland because it seemed like every time we turned a corner there was something amazing.
Like this, for example.

Barcelona is kind of nestled between two mountain peaks. One day Brandon and I spent the morning exploring one side and the afternoon on the other. The side we started with is called Mont Juic which means Jewish Mountain. This area is considered the artistic hub and also has most of the structures that were built for the 1992 Olympics.
This is where the opening ceremonies took place.

I was a little young during those games, but I do remember when the torch was lit by an arrow shot by an archer.

We found this lovely Flamenco dancer who has definitely put some definition in her arm muscles. Brandon couldn't help but ask for a dance.
From Mont Juic we had a great view of Barcelona. On the right is the Sagrada Familia which shows how big it is in comparison with everything around it. Straight across the city up on the mountain was our next destination.

The other peak, Tibidabo is crowned by a beautiful cathedral which is lit up at night and can be seen from anywhere in the city. The cathedral has a huge statue of Jesus on top and is surrounded, surprisingly enough, by an amusement park.

It has all kinds of interesting statues carved in the exterior.

The afternoon that we spent there was a bright day with a lovely breeze and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the view.

The road to the top caters to bicyclers who sweat up to the top, then enjoy the coast down. Brandon and I have used our bikes a lot more since we got to Eugene, but we weren't quite ready for that type of climb. Maybe that will be our next 'marathon'.

A Note

2009-09-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

I posted a bunch of entries today that cover our trip to Spain. I tended to be quite verbose and included a lot of pictures which may be boring to most. I don't want to be one of those people that corner their friends to make them look at the slides of their trips so feel free to skip them. I wanted to make a record of what we did for myself and I hope that it is interesting. If you think I put a lot of pictures up, you should see the hundreds that I left out.

A Mix

2009-09-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

These are pictures that I really liked but they didn't seem to fit anywhere else.

This is a very important work of Joan Miro, who is one of the most famous Catalan artists of all time. It is called Dona i Ocell or Woman and Bird. I've seen a lot of pictures, but I had no idea it would be so huge.

I thought that this ice cream looked beautiful, especially the blue which is called Pitufo -- the Spanish word for Smurf. I wonder how it tastes.

We took the next few pictures in Barrio Gotic or the Gothic quarter. It has all the oldest structures in the city and it makes you feel like you are walking through a mideival town.

This church was damaged by a bomb during the Civil War and they decided to leave the scars to remind everyone that war really hurts.

The Cathedral of Barcelona is under construction so we didn't get any great pictures. I did notice this sign on the door though, which basically banned 99.9% of the tourists and Spaniards that wanted to get in. Luckily it was on the honor system so everybody just ignored it and wore their skimpies in.

There is a big road that has one lane of traffic going each way and a big plaza that runs through the middle. The Ramblas is usually completely full of people and performers.
This man was dressed up as the Ronaldhino of the Ramblas. Ronaldhino is a Brazillian soccer player who used to play for Barcelona. He, unlike the street performer, is black. No problem for this guy though, he just painted his face black and nobody noticed the difference. I wonder what would happen to this guy if he tried to get a job in San Francisco.
This fountain has a sign that says that anyone who drinks from it will fall in love with Barcelona and will return someday. Brandon says he drank from it every chance he got on his mission.

This time he also filled a water bottle just to be sure. I drank too but I had already fallen for the city.

This vending machine was in the Metro station and it was the biggest I had ever seen. There were whole packages of cookies and big boxes of milk and juice. The milk always comes in boxes and doesn't have to be kept cold.

This man was a friend that still remembered Brandon as a missionary. He runs a souvenir shop by the Sagrada Familia and he always gave the missionaries a discount. He was one of the nicest people I've ever met.

We went to the Barcelona soccer game. The stadium holds 100,000 people and we barely were able to get tickets before it sold out. I've seen some pretty crazy fans in my day, but I've never seen anything like this.

This was the Barcelona airport, which concludes our tour of Spain.

Montserrat

2009-09-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

One of the places that we visited seemed to have a very special feeling. Montserrat is the highest peak in all of Catalonia and the Benedictine monks who built the monastery could feel a special spirit high in the cliffs.

We took a tram up to the top.

The cathedral is very famous because of the black Madonna who is the Virgin of Montserrat. She and St. George are considered the patron saints of Catalonia. The legend around this icon is that she was carved in Jerusalem during the 12th century and eventually was buried in the cliffs of Montserrat. The story says that the monks who were building the cathedral found her and because she couldn't be moved, decided to build the entire edifice around her. You can't even really see it in the picture but the statue is in the lighted window in the middle.

There are a few other black madonnas throughout Europe but this one by far is the most famous. She carries the Christ Child on her lap and is surrounded by gold.

I personally don't know very much about Catholic traditions, but I found this statue to be very intriguing. Although I don't believe in worshipping Saints or the Virgin Mary I found this statue amazingly beautiful. I even bought a medallion with her picture.
We waited in a long line in order to take our turn to peek at her and when we finally did I was really touched. Maybe it was because I was missing my little Rocky so much but when we were in that little room I started thinking about what it was that the statue was really representing. To me, it seemed a symbol of the beauty of motherhood.
In my life I have experienced a lot of really neat things, but they all pale in comparison to the enjoyment that I have found in being a mother. I also thought about how nice it is to have a mother. There is something very sacred about the opportunity to share that bond with a child.
So you can think I'm funny for carrying around a medallion with a symbol that comes from a religion that is not my own but I hope that whenever I look at it I will take a second to remember how blessed I am.

The cathedral was adorned with amazing pieces of craftsmanship inside and outside.
The twelve apostles stood above the door and each one carries a symbol of his job. Peter, for example, holds a set of keys which represent the priesthood. I guess that traditionally Judas carries a money purse because he sold his loyalty.

We spent the day exploring the cliffs and wandering along the many faith walk paths that surround the central structure.

During the reign of Franco Montserrat became a place of refuge for artists and students. It was a sanctuary where everyone was safe from the politics and danger of the day. Franco's men used to wait a few miles down the road to catch fugitives, but while they were on the mountain they were safe.

While we were hiking around and enjoying the natural beauty and traquility of the area I felt a special spirit.

Now, just to be sure that I don't have a completely smarmy post I will include the symbol of Montserrat which also just happens to look like a certain obscene gesture.

This mailbox was also very interesting and we used it to send a few postcards that didn't arrive until we'd been home about a week. Apparently the cliffs are great for views, but not for speedy delivery service.
We decided that we would walk down the path to the closest town where we could get the train. After looking at a map we figured it was about 2 kilometers to the bottom and should provide some amazing views. Somehow we got on the road and missed the unpaved path and ended up doing 12 kilometers instead. We ran about half of them because we didn't want to miss the last train that left at 6:30. Maybe it was because we were descending from a holy place but we miraculously made it. I swear, we can't do anything without having some sort of crazy adventure attached.