The Rabbit is Dead

Pooor Wabbit.























ETA June 4, 2009.

Loving the Point

While we were in Monterey/Pacific Grove, we lived quite close to the beach--a ten minute walk, in fact. Lover's Point was our favorite for sandy sunbathing--very un-crowded and un-buggy (Monterey is home to copious kelp forests, which I hear is magnificent below the surface, but which brings a lot of seaweed to the beach, which brings a lot of bugs). Many blissfully toasty mornings and afternoons were spent on these sands. Just around the point were rockier beaches, ripe with skipping stones.

The Angels

Labor Day weekend found us enjoying the golden rays of Los Angeles with dear friends.

BEACH
Saturday, was, of course, spent at the beach. Luke and Chrissy have a little angel of their own, Naomi, who is just a little younger than Jonah. So between the two families, we had more than an adequate number of beach toys; but no amount of toys could help me build a sandcastle. My efforts were completely fruitless--each perfect rampart that emerged from my overturned bucket was immediately crushed by Jonahzilla. He did not seem to derive any pleasure from this activity, he just coldly and methodically decimated my every creative attempt. Eventually, I left him to his own devices, and he spent the next ten minutes moving water from one bucket to the other and back using a plastic shovel. He would have gone on longer in this very important endeavor had James not dragged him along to play in the surf.

This was when Jonah found out he loves the ocean. The water there was warmer than it is here in the North, additionally the weather was warmer, thus making the cool water a relief instead of a torture. He giggled and squealed, etc.. It was very cute.


TUB
Back at the house, Chrissy and I decided we were honor-bound to begin the motherly duty of creating and compiling embarrassing blackmail material on our offspring. So up to the tub with babies and cameras we headed.

Jonah was immediately enthralled by the wealth of bath toys (we didn't bring any with us to California, since he is usually quite content to just play with a cup), and promptly turned his back on Naomi. Naomi, however, was dismayed, nonplussed, aghast that there was an intruder in her tub, and that he seemed to be equipped with different parts, as it were. She spent the entire bathtime quietly observing Jonah and looking at us like, "What is this?"


ACCESSORIES
One evening Uncle Luke brought out a riding horse toy for Jonah to try out. Our little monkey hopped right on and thought that life just couldn't get any better. Then Luke plopped a cowboy hat on his head and it did. Jonah loves to wear things: hats, jackets, hoods, the kukui nut lei that James received from co-workers in Hawaii, and those brightly primary-colored plastic stacking rings always end up on his arms. When I told Luke this, he went and got an Angel's wrist sweatband and put on Jonah's arm. It didn't come off. Later, as we were preparing to return home, Uncle Luke said Jonah could keep it. It was the perfect end to our angel weekend.

The Life Aquatic...

September Summering

Vacationing in September rocks. My entire life (minus two years for my mission and last year) has been dictated by the schoolyear, so this fall has been particularly pleasant. Saturday was my birthday, so we went north to Santa Cruz.




MYSTERIOUS
Our first stop was at the Mystery Spot where we got sufficiently dizzified by optical illusions (Michael). Our tour guide was glib, adolescent, and wielded a handy pocket level, which she loaned to Jonah towards the end of the tour because he was so cute (but really so he'd shut up so she could finish her spiel). After our mysterious experience we loitered a while, finishing up lunch and letting Jonah scamper about the gift shop and surrounding areas. The forest was lovely, the hot dogs were tasty, and the bathrooms smelled of freshly-cut lumber.

SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK
The beach boardwalk of Santa Cruz was our main attraction for the day. First we found an adequately sunny spot upon which to lay our beach mats and set up camp. The ensuing activities allowed sufficient quantities of sand to ingratiate themselves in unmentionable places, which is where they stayed for the duration of the day due to a lack of adequately private showering facilities. BEACH! Jonah, of course, loves sand and water and rocks and before long had become the baby/sand equivalent of a snickerdoodle. Why bother with sunscreen when the child builds up such a protective coat on his own? He even had sand in his eyelashes.

As evening approached, it became necessary to search out victuals. So we packed up and moved out to scope the options along the boardwalk. After ascertaining there were no proper restaurants to be had, we settled upon an establishment that proffered BBQ chicken sandwich, hamburger, and corndog. So that's what we got, along with a side of fries.

After dinner we turned our attention to the various rides and immediately ruled out every one we actually wanted to go on due to the monkey on our backs (and sometimes in the stroller). We settled upon a dragon ride which inspired vehement vocalizations from said monkey. It was a go-in-a-circle-and-pull-the-lever-to-move-up-and-down ride that one of us could accompany him on. So James set off to procure tickets and returned having scored a deal off a departing patron of the park who was trying to unload his surplus. Sweet. I took Jonah, then we all went on the ferris wheel, and due to a lack of rides that all of us could enjoy together, James took Jonah on the aforementioned dragon ride once more.

To top off the evening, we stood in line for approximately 57 minutes to buy my birthday cake of the funnel variety. We ate the crispy outside nodes, and when James had the unhappy experience of biting into one that exploded fry oil all in his mouth and down his throat, we wrapped up and tossed the remains.

Back to the car and a sandy ride home brought our day to a close.

Where the air is clear

An official diagnosis is pending, but all symptoms point to chronic wanderlust.

After a mere four months spent getting settled in SLC, mid-August found the James Core contingent packed into a few suitcases and on the road yet again--and this time we didn't stop until we hit ocean. Well, we did stop once.

PAGING OFFICER DANGLE
We knew it to be impossible to reach our ultimate destination in one trip due to the one-year-old-monkey-in-the-car-seat-behind-me factor. So we scheduled a sleepover in Reno.

Due to some pretty fancy footwork, I scored us a sweet deal for a room on the 19th floor of the Silver Legacy Hotel & Casino with a pretty decent view--not that it really mattered, since we were there primarily to sleep. It was a small victory in my deal-scoring portfolio, though, and we felt properly savvy and smug. Despite the late hour, we dumped our luggage in the room, and after a brief scare wherein we thought we'd lost our computer bag, hit the casino floor to stretch our legs and scope out breakfast options for the next day. The lights were twinkling, the music was bouncing, and the air pulsed with the hopes of big wins and the stink of cheap air fresheners. Oh the stink. Is that honestly supposed to be better than stale smoke?

After we had adequately explored, we returned to the room for sleeptime. Silly Mom and Dad. Who wants to sleep when there's such an awesome view? And don't even think that closing the curtains will make me forget that it's there. What's that? I don't care if there are people trying to sleep next door! I want to see the lights outside! I'm not tired! I'm not tired! I'm not tired! Repeat. For two hours. Remember how the view wasn't supposed to matter and we were just supposed to sleep? *sigh*

So it was a rough night, but the breakfast buffet next morning was AWESOME and we were able to rip some tired balloons off of an unmanned timeshare trap to keep Jonah happy in the car. They did the job and stayed there for the next two weeks.

As we drove out of town, we passed approximately seventeen Reno PD cars surrounding one rusty Camero. It did look like a dangerous Camero, though.


ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The drive from Reno on was beautiful. From the quintessential vacationing of Lake Tahoe to the golden hills of Sacramento, and the lush vineyards of wine country. Northern California is stunning. We also passed a tractor-trailer engulfed in a roiling inferno on the side of the road. It was pretty intense.

Our first In-N-Out burgers of the trip were purchased and consumed in Salinas. Ah, the tasty.


STEINBECK COUNTRY
We hit Monterey Friday afternoon, picked up the keys to our rental, and headed over to Pacific Grove to unpack and get settled in for six weeks of California dreamin' while James takes a few classes at the Monterey Institute.

It's been great being back on the peninsula--we were here two years ago and adored our wintery summer. This time 'round, we're looking forward to summery days of fall.

Workin' it

I am a consultant. I consult. If ever you need a consult, please see me. But not a medical consult. Though I am quite willing and able to assess your mental capacity if you should choose to cut me off and cause an accident then drive away. If I were to see you again, I would have no problem offering a diagnosis.

At any rate, back to my consulting skills: I have recently joined forces with the School Improvement Network on a project aimed at closing the minority achievement gap. It feels so great to be back in the saddle again and contributing to the big world of education--all from the comfort of my own home (though I do so miss working with the kids directly.)

I stumbled into this, really. A friend from church is VP for the SINET and I offered to send him my resume should they need any help from a former English teacher. He contacted me a few weeks later, and we got started changing the world. I'm only working part-time, though, so it might take a few weeks.

CRASH

The past week has brought a number of scrapes and injuries to various members of our family.

Last Friday we were out with a few friends for the monthly Gallery Stroll. All was going well until Jonah decided to introduce his face to the sidewalk outside the Salt Lake Art Center. He must have felt it very important for the two to get well-acquainted, because he held the pose for a few seconds, grinding his nose into the concrete. This resulted in some pretty hefty scabs.

Saturday we spent an hour slip 'n' sliding at the Cores, then two at the InstaCare getting James x-rayed for a shoulder injury. Summer good times!

Finally, today as we drove to a BBQ at my parents', some genius decided to cut off the Acura in front of us which resulted in screeching brakes and THIS happening to our beloved and trusty wagon:
























*sigh*

The collisions seem to be escalating in scope, and I'm a little nervous that I've not personally been directly affected yet. My number is up, I guess...any day now.

Queue the Crickets

To Whom It May Concern:

The Core family issues its deepest regrets for so sadly neglecting our duty to blogdom. Clamoring hordes have assaulted our inboxes crying for more more more!!! Well, at first they did. Now the residents of the www have turned to greener blogstures and left us to our neverending real-life house project, which has been the culprit for our long neglect of this small garden of virtuality.

It is time, however, to machete back the weeds. Now we must redeem ourselves, and in this effort we offer this brief catch-up entry and promise to do better in the future.


FEBRUARY 2008
We continued to live lives of wanderment. Luckily, some dear and sainted friends asked us to house-sit while they would be away for several weeks. We hoped that by the time they returned we would have some clear path for our future (because three months of homelessness was getting to be slightly wearing). In their townhome, Jonah learned how to crawl down the stairs and took his first steps. He also discovered the supreme joy of swiffering.




By the end of the month, we finally received the word that we had been so desperately awaiting and not telling anyone about--our secret move to Salt Lake City had a departure date! On February 26 we hastily packed our bags to catch a last-minute flight to Utah for a house-hunting trip and to drop the news on our families.

Bugged-out eyes, hands clapped over mouths, squeals, chuckles, hugs, smiles, "Huh?" 's and "REALLY???" 's punctuated the next couple of days as we spontaneously showed up at people's homes and workplaces. It was a good time. Then the work began--to find a house.

After several days of hunting and searching, we stumbled upon a rental in Sugarhouse that didn't sound particularly promising, but we checked it out anyway. It was perfect--well, not in every sense, but the price was right, the neighborhood was darling, and the house itself packed enough charm to make the whole deal worth it. We signed on the dotted line and our souls breathed a massive sigh of relief: we had a home. Finally.

MARCH 2008
The following weeks were a whirlwind of activity consisting primarily of packing and bidding adieu to dear friends. Our last day in Virginia dawned a gorgeous, sunny day. We spent the morning cleaning house, then headed out to say good-bye to the city that had been our home for so long. We walked the Mall, got hot-dogs, rode on the carousel, visited the Hirshorn one more time, then headed over to the U-Street District to meet up with friends at Ben's. It was a fun night and we're grateful to all who made an effort to be there (hopefully we made a few converts to the chili half-smoke).

March 16 we hit the road to West Virginia to take our leave of James' sister and family, then the next day we were off with a week's worth of clothes, a broken camera, and a prayer for good weather and lots of cartime napping for our little bundle of eleven-month-old energy.

Highlights of the trip: fortuitous timing of hotels for night-time stopping, scoring of seriously sweet lamp at Kansas Goodwill, calling in to Bob's radio show in Kansas to tell him he was full of crap (but surprisingly never put through to Bob himself), listening to Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything and learning about geology whilst driving through some of the most amazing mountains and hills, visiting Core and Iverson graves in Grand Junction, putting in at Green River and hitting the local mart (complete with hand-written sale signs and cowgirl-booted owner/manager) for Ramen and pork & beans, landing on I-15 and passing familiar landmarks of Provo and Salt Lake City as we sailed on to the Legler home in Kaysville.

Immediately upon our arrival at my parents' home, Jonah got his first haircut. It took five of us to do it, but the kid looked much better. He totally rocked his Easter Sunday duds two days later.

Since arriving in Utah:
- Jonah turned one
- we vacationed in St. George with the Cores
- James got a scooter
- Jonah grew a chest hair
- we planted a garden
- James and Mejkin have been on a handful of dates--without the boy
- we've explored our new neighborhood
- fed the ducks (and ducklings) at Sugarhouse Park
- Jonah got a second haircut
- met lots and lots of super-great people

...but those are worthy of their own posts.

Stay tuned for more updates of Core adventures and developments.

Push it real good...

Get a Ben's Chili Bowl half-smoke and some chili fries in a 10-month old, turn on some Salt-n-Pepa, and then just try to stop the groovin'.

Last weekend.

Laurel

As we hotel-hopped in Laurel over the past couple of months, we had the unique opportunity to see America. Not the America that gets put on postcards, but the America that pulls itself along nonetheless. I knew that I wanted to capture it, and on January 16 I began my small project. After dropping James off at work and as the sun was streaking rays across the morning sky, I decided to take a few detours on the way "home." With Jonah asleep in the back, I wove my way through the morning streets and captured some of the classic mental images that I will always harbor as quintessential Laurel. A friend of mine who lived there said that when she first heard the name of the city before she moved there she thought it sounded a lovely place. Perhaps you will agree.

A Time of Sadness, A Time of Rejoicing

Sunday evening President Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, passed away. Those of us who are left behind will miss his leadership, love, and sense of humor. However, this is a time to rejoice in the knowledge of God's eternal plan--that death is not the end and we will be reunited with loved ones in the eternities.

Yesterday I learned that a friend just recently lost her mother to cancer, so understandably, I have spent some time reflecting on the imminent prospect of death that we all face. It struck me that when death happens, our existence in the afterlife is as real as it is right now. I think of all of the milestones I've passed through in my life: going from high school to college, serving a mission, starting a career, getting married, having a baby. Before I passed through these life-changing events, they seemed so romantic and far-off and unknowable--so completely out of my grasp. I felt that they would totally rock my world, and they did. But strangely each change when it came felt natural and real, and after a few adjustments life went on. I imagine that when it comes time to die, the experience will be similar. Right now it seems so strange and unfathomable, but when it happens, it will be real and possibly even strangely familiar.

My thoughts have also turned to that glorious reunion with our Father in Heaven that will occur as we transition to the next life. Again, I have been struck by how surprisingly natural that will feel--that when we stand before the Father and the Savior, they will be Real. President Ezra Taft Benson put it this way: "Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar his face is to us." We often hear about how much the Lord loves us and knows us, but we rarely discuss how clearly and intimately our spirits know Him. He is our Father, and we know Him as closely as we know our earthly parents. It's kind of mind-blowing to think that there is this whole other life that we've lived but have no memory of. How amazing it will be to be reunited with those memories.

So while we are sad when loved ones pass on, sometimes devastated by the suddenness with which they are taken, we can rejoice in the knowledge that we will see them again and that the Lord is orchestrating all of our lives to bring us the most joy possible in this life and in the eternities to come.

Back in the U.S.S.A.

We departed Cheltenham on a sunny Nov. 27, 2007, hearts a little heavy and a lot disbelieving that our time was really up.

Since our return we have indulged our wanderlust (because six months of touring the GB hasn't knocked it out of us) and relished the joys of living out of a suitcase pretty much constantly for the past almost two months. Our first two weeks back were spent with generous friends and family, then two weeks in an ex-smoking government rate hotel room in Laurel, MD (a.k.a. where stripmalls come to die), then off to Utah for The Holidays for a snowy-wondrous three weeks, and now back to Laurel in a slightly nicer part of town (a.k.a. where stripmalls are born) and a slightly less-smoker-stinky hotel room.

Why are we doing this to ourselves? Because we really really want to have free access to a slightly green pool. And now we have one. And daily maid service.

Since leaving the U.K. we desperately miss (a non-exhaustive list):

• rolling green hills speckled copiously with munching sheep, dotted with ancient stone cottages, and lined with winding hedgerows/stone walls
• dear friends
• our awesome primary kids
• English drivers (there are benefits to rigorous driver testing!)
• round-abouts
• country B-roads
• English talk (all of it: the accents, the completely different approach to the English language, the politeness, the charming, the everything!)
• smart school uniforms swarming all over town at 3:40
• queuing up at the bus stop...before the bus even arrives
• the stunning Regency and Georgian architecture
• history-infused everything
• toilet lids on all public toilets (making diaper changes possible in a land of very few baby changing stations, besides assuaging my irrational fear of experiencing a toilet geyser whilst trapped in a public bathroom stall)
• grocery shopping on Bath Road (the butcher, the baker, the fruit and veg shop)
• Cornish pasties
• cosy pubs
• sticky toffee pudding
• real chocolate
• public footpaths
• the pedestrian friendliness of city-, village-, and countryscapes
• ecologically-minded masses
• UK Television: Little Britain, QI, UKTV History, Sell this House, Saturday night countdowns on Channel 4
• mentally doubling all pricetags (maybe we don't miss that part)
  

At any rate, it is nice to be back home and get caught up with good friends and family. Here's to more adventures in 2008!