Badgering My Parents

Near our home is a hiking trail that is 1.4 miles up the side of what is named Badger Mountain. The first time I made Mom take the trek with me the wind was blowing 35 miles per hours. I'm pretty sure that she thought I was trying to kill her. I figured if she made it up once she could do it again. So this spring I have hauled my folks up there on weekend mornings to get our exercise in. Mom has several conditions on this ritual, it has to be cool, not hot, if this means getting up at 6:30 on a weekend morning to go, we do it. It also has to be calm, no more 35 mile per hour winds for her, no way. We also have to drive straight there once we leave the house, if we stop anywhere else it's possible her resolve will escape.

Then there's Dad. It really just makes him mad when Mom can beat him, so he comes too.

But, today was a good day on the trail! Mom had a goal that by the end of the summer she was going to make it the whole way up without stopping. Today Dad and I took off in the front and headed up the hill, Mom prefers her own slow and steady wins the race pace. Mom determined not to stop, Dad determined not to be beat by Mom, kept scurrying their way up the hill. Would you know that in fact they can both make the entire way without stopping? Heck, they both went fast than they ever had before. I think they've been holding out on me...

Now I'll start in on convincing them to hike the 2.2 miles of the backside, after all, we have a lot of nice weather months ahead and goals that have already been met.

You should check it out: http://www.friendsofbadger.org/

Out Takes

I just got back from a long weekend, and long awaited weekend, with my friend Steph in California. I always enjoy the time that we spend together. We always laugh a lot, eat copious amounts of amazing "California" food and end up driving down the hill about a bazillion times. This last trip down was with Mom. It was her birthday and we were going to Disneyland to celebrate! As a bonus Steph and I decided to have my talented friend Jessica, www.jessperkinsphotography.blogspot.com, to take some pictures for us as gift to our mom's for Mother's Day. Although all of the pictures turned out great, I'm going to post a few that didn't turn out so ...err, well, "great." These are the pictures that crack me up however because they show us how we really are; they are so true to form.

Enjoy!