Back in the saddle

After a decade-long hiatus I decided to begin taking riding lessons again last spring. I've been wanting to get back to them all along, but finding a stable within an hour of the metro has been challenging. Then I did a story on a woman who started her own equine accessories company, and she told me she takes lessons at a stable that turned out to be only 10 minutes from my house. I was thrilled - the stable doesn't advertise, so you can only get in with a recommendation.

So now, every Friday, I head to the stable and attempt to improve my dressage skills under the expert tutelage of my instructor, Roxanne. My first love is jumping, and I would love to get back into that someday, but this stable doesn't offer it. So I figure I'll continue to try and master dressage, then see if I still have the guts for jumping.

The horse I ride is named Jake - he's a big lug of a guy who injured himself on a barbed wire fence last summer trying to get into a paddock full of lady horses. He's fine now, but a bit lazy. Though Roxanne tells me that he's quite spry when his owner rides him, so I clearly must be the problem.

Against my better judgment, Roxanne talked me into competing in a horse show at the stable last October. Jake and I competed in the walk/trot category, where the judge watches how well you make transitions, control your horse and maintain your form. Amazingly, we walked away with a third-place ribbon! And yes, there actually were more than three competitors.

Here are some photos from the big day:

Me and Jake after our big win

This little horse is expressing his humiliation to Bob after being forced to participate in a costume contest as a pea to his young owner's princess.

Here's Bob with Andrew, a truly ginormous horse. He's very sweet, if a bit naughty. He always seems to be getting into trouble for something. He's often just running loose around the ranch, and let me tell you, the sight of Andrew coming at you, with hooves the size of bowling balls, can give you pause. But he always stops in time.

Here's a perspective shot with me:

Like I said, ginormous. This picture doesn't really even do him justice. Poor guy - he posed very patiently for several pictures and then, when he realized I didn't have a treat for him, walked away in disappointment.

Happy New Year!

Bob and I rang in the New Year (and our third anniversary) cozied up in front of the fireplace with a smorgasbord of food (crab cakes, stuffed mushrooms, baked artichoke Parmesan dip and crackers, etc.), wine, champagne, and even a small version of our wedding cake (raspberry filling and buttercream frosting - yum!!).

And, of course, a new Playstation 3 game. We're such romantics.

Here's wishing you and yours a healthy, happy, prosperous 2009!!

A different kind of Christmas

In reaction to this country's increasing culture of mass consumption and thoughtless waste, my family decided to change things up a bit this Christmas. Instead of buying each other "stuff," we chose instead to give gifts that give back. The only rule was the gift had to benefit someone or something.

When all was said and done, my little family: helped save seals in Canada and elephants in Sri Lanka; sent two girls to school in Afghanistan and educated 100 girls in Africa; donated to the U.N.'s World Food Program; gave a family a beehive for their livelihood; started two youth-soccer leagues in Mexico; supported services for the homeless; contributed to the education of a girl in Thailand in danger of being trafficked; contributed to the Courage Center and a veteran's organization; helped plant trees; supported an equine-therapy program for disabled children; and more.

My mom gave me this sweet little elephant family to represent a contribution to a conservation organization that actually makes paper out of elephant pooh. :)

We had a truly wonderful Christmas, and will probably continue this giving tradition next Christmas. It was actually much more satisfying than getting stuff. We spent the day at my sister's house and had a delicious dinner, played games, and visited with my Aunt Maureen and her husband Jean Paul who came all the way from Ottawa.

We spent Christmas Eve with Bob's family, which was also lovely. His mom makes the best lefse, and after we stuffed ourselves with all sorts of goodies we all headed over to his Aunt Paula and Uncle Bernie's house for more food and merriment. It's always so much fun catching up with everybody. The gift exchange was ... um, a bit surprising this year (I'm trying to be diplomatic so his family won't disown me), but we somehow ended up getting a frozen turkey (we're vegetarians), a stoneware cappuccino station for me (I don't drink coffee); and a garden-motif platter and salt and pepper shaker for Bob (?).

Each year we pick names and are asked for a gift list (this year's list: slippers for me, a cozy throw for Bob). But much like children on Christmas morning, we are sometimes still surprised by what we get.

So continuing the spirit of gifts that give back, we donated the turkey to a local food shelf.

Merry Christmas!

This is Whistlepig

You may recall an earlier post where I mentioned that woodchucks are also inexplicably called whistlepigs.

Well, after that post, Bob's new band – inexplicably – decided to name itself Whistlepig. The band formed last year and consists of four members, two of whom are former colleagues of mine at the newspaper. They made their public debut at a Halloween party throw by Dan, their bassist. Bob is the lead guitarist, and he sounded pretty damn impressive, even if I didn't recognize any of the songs they played. And more importantly, he looked hot while playing.

We both went as characters from "Kill Bill." He was a Crazy 88 and I was Elle Driver, member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (played by Darryl Hannah in the movie). I was pretty happy with our costumes, which were very last minute.

Here are images from the movie:

And this is us:

And this is our friend (and drummer) John Sucansky as a frighteningly accurate version of the bad guy from "No Country for Old Men" and his wife, Sarah, as Mrs. Lovett from "Sweeny Todd:"

Happiness is ...

A running baby rhino.
(Photo from rhinoark.org)

Hot action cop

Check out the new poster boy for the State Patrol. Look familiar?

That's right, it's your favorite trooper and mine, our very own Roberto. I guess his pretty face stood out among the trooper crowd (you didn't hear it from me, but he actually had to wear makeup during this photo shoot). Anyway, back off, ladies - he's all mine.

We're back!

Back to blogging, that is, after an unplanned hiatus brought on by a distinct lack of blog-worthy happenings in our life. I've also discovered that, because I write for a living, writing is often the last thing I want to do when I come home at night. But I vow to be better, to those of you - if any? - who still have enough faith to keep checking in.

Anyway, we just returned from a road trip to Ottawa, Canada, where we went with my family to celebrate my Aunt Maureen's 70th birthday. Bob and I drove up with my mom, while my sister and her family drove up together. Here are some photos of the trip:

Bob attempting to fit in with the locals.




A cat on Parliament Hill. I know, I know... I just can't seem to help myself.

Like the cat, this falls under the "animals we have here at home but still felt the need to photograph while in Canada" file. A woodchuck - otherwise known as a groundhog, marmot and (inexplicably) whistlepig - forages outside of Parliament. Even though our neighborhood is crawling with these guys, ours won't let us get within 20 feet. This guy let me get close enough to touch him (I didn't). It was quite a big moment for me.

Out on the town, watching the chef perform at a hibachi restaurant.

Maureen and Jean Paul celebrate her birthday hibachi-style.

Mom and Maureen

A fabulous spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois named "Maman" stands guard outside Ottawa's art museum. Her belly is filled with large eggs made of solid white marble.

A super creepy sculpture in downtown Ottawa called "Nature Girls" that curiously purports to depict "the innocent joy of girls playing in the wood, and the bleakness of children gone missing." It's what I like to call an "all-around" sculpture.

This is "Bush Girl."

Bob proves there's truth in advertising.

The War Memorial and Chateau Laurier at twilight.

Parliament at night.

Natives take to the streets. Mothers, lock up your daughters.

Filming of "Public Enemies"

Johnny and Marion filming their "Hotel Congress" scene. Please forgive the shaky camera!

Heeeeere's Johnny!

VIDEO COMING SOON!! SEE SLIDESHOW TO THE RIGHT FOR MORE PHOTOS

I was hoping for Christian Bale, but I guess Johnny Depp will do in a pinch.

Bob and I spent yesterday in Beaver Dam, Wis. on the film set of "Public Enemies," a movie about John Dillinger (played by Depp) and Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the FBI agent who led the manhunt against him. The movie also stars Marion Cotillard, who won the Acadamy Award for best actress this year. It's supposed to be released next summer.

Sadly, Bale has proven far too elusive. But Depp sightings have been rampant, so we decided to take a chance and drive to Columbus for the day, where filming was supposed to take place Tuesday afternoon. We left at 8:30 a.m. and arrived in Columbus around 1 p.m. Parts of downtown have been converted for the movie, so many of the store fronts look like they're right out of the 1930s. They even covered the street with a carpet of foam cobblestones that look like the real thing.

When we got to Columbus we found out filming there was delayed and they were actually filming in Beaver Dam about 15 miles away. They were filming a scene outside of downtown's Hotel Rogers, which had been converted to Hotel Congress in Arizona for the day, complete with cacti. We watched the filming from about half a block away. It took hours to set the scene up, so Johnny didn't appear until about 4:30 p.m. He filmed take after take of the scene, which involved driving a vintage car up to the front of the hotel, getting out, and escorting Cotillard into the hotel (we'll post the video soon). He waved to the spectators a few times, inspiring ear-piercing screams from fans.

At about 6:30 p.m. they moved filming inside the hotel, so we reluctantly headed back home, with stars in our eyes. It was so cool being there, and so hard to come back down to earth today and actually work! That was supposedly their last day of shooting in Wisconsin, but if they do come back, we've decided we're taking off of work and going back to 'Sconi.

Bangkok … or Des Moines? Tough call

Our "Where should we go next?" poll has officially closed, and what we've learned is that: 1. It's a toss up between Southeast Asia and Iowa; and 2. We clearly need new friends and/or family members.

So I guess it's up to us to decide: Would we rather visit the temples of Thailand or the Giant Pitchfork of Ames? The beaches of Phuket or the Matchstick Marvels of Gladbrook?

Hmmm … stay tuned!