Alaska Adventure - Day 2 - July 3, 2010

Timeline:
[Day 1]

I could not face another day like yesterday, and luckily, so far today, I've not had to. This morning, based on a tip from yesterday's shuttle driver, we walked across the bridge to Granville Island. A brisk 30 minute scenic walk was just what we needed.

Delicious pastries and hot beverages were also just what we needed. We spent the right amount of time browsing and sampling the wonders of the Public Market and wishing we had something like it back in our zip code. A quick ferry ride took us back to the hotel where me made the final preparations before heading to the ship.

The first and only cruise I was on was 13 years ago. Though it was not unpleasant, I've had no strong desire to cruise again during the past bakers dozen years. Not to say I was not excited about this cruise, but I tend to prefer less structured ways of traveling. My opinion of cruising has improved during the time we've spent on the Zuiderdam.

Not sure if it because the ship and location are different or because I am, but we are having a great time on the ship. Other than losing at taxi bingo getting to the port, getting on the ship was a smooth and easy process. We went right to the Lido deck to begin the process of gaining 7-14 pounds.

Before long we were able to check into our cabin. Luckily someone cancelled thier reservation for a suite so we were able to snag it at a discount. Definitely money well spent, not only for the extra space but also for the veranda. After we explored the suite we then explored the ship until we discovered the pool, then the kids spent most of the afternoon exploring that. We did our lifeboat drill then set sail and bid au reviour to Vancouver.

Next: [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7] [Day 8]

Alaska Adventure - Day 1 - July 2, 2010

The beginning of a journey holds a special kind of magic. The waiting is over and all the possibilities are still ahead. We set out this morning for the biggest vacation we are taking together as a family. Our eventual destination is the 49th state - Alaska. This leg of the trip takes us from BWI airport to the Emerald City - Seattle.

I am very excited about this trip because we will be visiting a part of the world I've not yet explored. I am hoping to see and shoot (with my camera) lots of wildlife including bear, moose, elk, and the bonus animal - wolf. It will also be cool to make this trip with 12 other Roths - my wife, my son, my daughter, my dad, my brother, my other brother, my sisters-in-law Jennifer, 3 nieces, and 1 nephew. Talk about wildlife. But seriously, the seeds for this trip were planted by my mom years ago, so I'm sure she'll be with us, too.

The first surprise occurred as we boarded the plane. Who should be on the plane but The Traveling Roths from Mebane, NC? OK, this was not actually a surprise for Shelley or me, but it was for the kids. Not that you could tell from their reactions. I guess in their world it is a common thing to run into your cousins, aunt, and uncle anywhere you go.

We are currently 36,000 feet over the Midwest. From this altitude it sure does look flat. Any moment now my complimentary juice will arrive, so I will sign off for now...

Much Later That Same Day

As travel days go, today has not been terrible.  Even so, the last thing you want to do after a 5 hour flight is endure a 5 hour bus ride.  Especailly when it should only take 3 hours and especially when your traveling companions have had more than enough traveling.

We arrived at the hotel at 8:30 PM PDT low on steam but even lower on fuel.  We met up with 4 more Roths and found a pizza place nearby. I don't know it's actual name, so let's call it At Least It Was Close. Then it was back to the "Quality" Hotel to fight with kids until they gave up and went to sleep.

Next: [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7] [Day 8]

Letters to Santa 2009

As they did in 2006, 2007, and 2008 the kids have once again composed letters to that jolly old, red-suited, beard-faced man.

Dear Santa-

I have been very good this year. I hope you've had a good year and here is what I want. I want D-Rex, an Air Hog Switch Blade, a Raider CS-35 dart gun, a Nerf N-Force long sword, a DSi, a Republic Heroes DSi game and a Battlefront Elite Squadron DSi game.

I have helped my friends with their work when they were stuck and cheered them up. I have gotten good grades in school and good report cards. I'm sure I've done a lot of other good things this year, but that is all I can remember.

Thank you.

Alex Roth

---

Dear Santa-

Can I please have a puppy dog (I mean a stuffed animal puppy dog), Barbie dolls, more Littlest Pet Shop guys and then a DS, and some Legos, a D-Rex and a Nerf sword to fight my brother (when he tries to fight me, but he doesn't know that). Can I also have ice skates so I can ice skate. And one more thing - a doggie DS game.

I was very very good because I didn't hurt my brother too much this year. I helped my mommy do Christmas cards and I helped my dad pop bubble-wrap.

Love, Ella

2009 Christmas Letter

For those of you who missed reading our Christmas letter for the last few years, you will be happy to know that it is back. For those of you who figured we were done with Christmas letters, we're sorry to disappoint you.

Summing up a year in a few paragraphs is always an interesting challenge. Who is to say what should be included and what should be left out? Well, I am, since I am the one writing this. So there you go.

Since you are probably most interested to hear what the kids have been up to, I'll start by talking about myself. There is not much to say. I continue to work at a Web 2.0 startup, which is challenging and exciting. You can see what it is all about by looking at my profile on the site. Beyond work, I've been making an effort to become an awesome guitarist. I tell you this not because I am anywhere close to being successful at this goal, but because it makes it seem like I'm not spending all my time working.

But enough about me - what about those kids? Let me first tell you about Shelley. She continues to do statistical stuff that I don't understand. Beyond that she runs (another half marathon in May), teaches piano, sings with the NIH Chamber Singers, takes awesome pictures, write poems that sometimes rhyme, and has also discovered that she can draw.

Now for the kids. Ella started Kindergarten in August and turned 6 in October. She loves school and is not yet feeling any pressure about getting into a good college. She has a flair for fashion and can put together outfits that normal people could not even imagine.

Meanwhile, second grader Alex likes to read and play video games, but not usually at the same time. He has started taking piano lessons from the best piano teacher in the house, and is also working on his beat box skills. Basketball has just started, but I won't say anything about it so as not to jinx it.

We hope you have wonderful holidays and a brilliant 2010. We'll leave you with some random pictures from 2009.

Dear Santa - 2008 Edition

As they did in 2006 and 2007, the kids have once again composed a letter to their favorite fat guy.

Dear Santa-

Santa Claus, could you please bring me a princess bobble-head. And, Santa, could you please bring me some princess coloring books, too? And Santa, some feet pajamas, please. I would also like a furry i-Dog that is pink, please. A trumpet, please. I really want some more bath toys please. A box of M&M's that I'll share with Daddy. A hidden Mickey book for Daddy.

I have been very nice to my brother, Alex, this year. One time I gave Alex the controller to play Lego Batman even know I wanted to play it, but I just wanted to be nice. I love my dog better than any other dog in the whole wide world.

My house number is 2823. I love you, Santa Claus.

The end.

Love, Ella

---

Dear Santa-
May I please have a AT-TE Lego Walker thingee, an AT-AP, or Anikan's Starfighter for Christmas? May I please have an Imperial Walker and a General Grevious action figure that comes with his fighter? May I please have a green plastic light sabre with a hookey thing?

I have been very good this year. I helped my sister learn to read even though we didn't get very far because we needed to leave (it was a crazy Thursday or Wednesday). I also didn't bother my sister while she was writing her letter to you. I also gave her my hot chocolate when she spilled hers.

From, Alex

An A-maize-ing Time

Everybody should have a friend who runs a corn maze. One of our favorite fall traditions is to visit the Maize Quest Corn Maze, which is owned and operated by our fine friend Hugh. There are so many different attractions and other fun things to do that it is basically what Disney World would be like if it were on a farm in Pennsylvania. Our favorites this year were the Bamboo Maze, the Corn Box, the Pumkin express, and the Super Slide (I may be making these names up). We had more success with the actual corn maze this year, but ran out of time to finish. Maybe next time.

In addition to all the fun things to do, and the great weather (thanks be to Dave), it is also great to see a bunch of our friends, and their offspring. It is quite a group we've put together.

So thanks to Janie and Hugh for hosting what I would say is the best Corn Maze visit yet!

Here are some more shots. Click through for bigger versions.

A Parade, A Carnival, and a Sandwich

It is the time of year again when Adamstownians thoughts turn toward the Carroll Manor Fire Company Carnival. It is hard for me to believe that this is now the 5th year in a row that we've enjoyed the festivities. (See the reports for 2006 and 2007)

This year we went on parade night. The parade consists mainly of various shapes, sizes, and colors of fire trucks from Frederick and surrounding counties. The kids love the parade for the same reason they love Halloween - free candy from strangers. I think the parade is sorely lacking a marching band or three. I'm almost tempted to dust off the old saxophone and organizing a band. Maybe next year.

It was then down to the carnival itself. It was mostly the same rides from years past. The kids branched out a bit though, and went down the big slide thing that is named "Slide". They also rode some old favorites including the carousel and the bugs.

As for the sandwich, well, my favorite part of the carnival is officially the pit beef sandwich. Love me the pit beef.

Wordle Cloud

This is how all the tags from my Flickr photostream look in a Wordle. The bigger the font, the more the tag was used.

Click through to the picture for links to instructions on how to make your own.

Life in a Tent

Back in the day there was a Memorial Day camping tradition, the stories from which have grown into legends. Now many, many years and a week later, I found myself once again sleeping in a tent in the woods.

This time the cast of characters included we four Roths along with two neighbor families, totalling six adults and eight kids. The venue was Cunningham Falls State Park. On Friday night, we loaded our Outback to the brim, and made the short drive north on Route 15 to begin our adventure.

Despite nearly a decade in its bag, I was glad to discover my REI tent was complete and intact, as was my memory of how to set it up. It was not long before we were all settled around the campfire, roasting some dogs, and washing them down with some beer.

Saturday morning dawned with signs of ominous weather. I know this because I was awakened well before said dawn by my light sleeping son who was more anxious than I to begin the day. By the time the bacon was sizzling over the fire, it was clear the weather was not going to cooperate with our plans of outdoor fun and adventure.

We managed to wait out most of the storm in nearby Gettysburg, PA enjoying the adventure of Indiana Jones. It was then back to the campground where the last hour of the storm we spent in The Kingdom of the Crowded Tent - which was more than enough time.

Luckily, the weather broke, and we were able to hike up to the falls which were overflowing with water from the rains and rednecks from our campground. The kids enjoyed the hike, and the boy especially enjoyed the challenge of the river.





After this hike, one of the two families we were camping with, whose tent had not done so well at keeping the outside out, bugged out. The rest of us stuck around for another tasty meal cooked over the campfire. Then the other family also decided to call it a trip, leaving the Mighty Roths as the sole survivors of the expedition. We decided to stay the night, and so I was able to once again see the dawn, thanks to that same son I mentioned a couple paragraphs ago.

We struck camp, reloaded the Outback, and said goodbye to campsite 73. We stopped off at the lake to play for a bit, then headed back home. All in all, it was a good trip.

Previously...

So my grand intentions to keep this more up-to-date lasted about 1 week. Here are some of the things that have happened since last we left you:

• On May 17-18 we were in Pennsylvania for a family reunion, an AED dedication in memory of my mom at her church, and a wedding reception for my cousin in Philly.
• On May 24-26 we were in North Carolina for my brother's third annual Pig Pickin'. The traffic getting to and from NC was terrible, but the food more than made up for it. We even got bonus BBQ at Bullock's in Durham.
• Last night, Shelley and I saw Ben Folds in concert. It was a great show, and one of the best concert experiences I've ever had.
• If I take a good picture today, it will be 150 in a row for my photo-a-day odyssey.

So there is your brief synopsis of the last couple weeks. You can see some photos of some of these over on Flickr.

Let's Talk About Six

Another Saturday, another birthday. This time it was Alex celebrating the sixth anniversary of his birth (as my dad would say). Some number of kindergartners descended on our house for this Star Wars themed palooza. We armed each kid with a lightsaber, and surprisingly, no one was injured. I heard that Darth Vader even made an appearance, but I was not around at the time to verify this.

A good time seemed to be had by all, and since nothing was destroyed, we'll consider the force to have been with us.

Thirty Six, Twenty Six...

You may remember a year ago that Shelley celebrated her 35th birthday by running a half marathon. For a normal person, that would be enough. Not so for Shelley.

For this year's Shellebration, she decided to run a full marathon (that's 26.2 miles for those of you not up on the lingo). Despite her advancing years, she ran a good strong race and finished in the top third in her bracket. Here she is crossing the finish line:



So I guess the big question now is, when she turns 37, will she run 39.2 miles or 52.4?

What do Green and Yellow Make?

Wrapping up the final two weeks of the Color Theory Challenge, I present to you Green and Yellow:

The First 50

Here is an overview of the first 50 days of my photo a day odyssey sorted by awesomeness:



Beyond learning to spell "odyssey", this exercise has been a good challenge for me. I hope that forcing my self to shoot a good picture everyday, no matter what, is making me into a better photographer. I guess we'll see where things stand 316 days from now.

Thanks to everyone who has been following along, and especially to the two people who have left comments. Also thanks to my fine friends at Zooomr for providing inspiration and feedback.

Week O' Blue

Continuing the Color Theory Challenge for the month of February, this past week's color was blue:

Seeing Red

Trevor Carpenter, over at PhotoChallenge.org is have a Color Theory Challenge for the month of February. The idea is that:

What is Color Theory? Well, for our purposes it is basically making a concerted
effort to capture an image with one single color overwhelming the majority of
the image. Basically, your photo should be primarily one color. Be creative
though, I’d love to see photos that capture a color in a new and unorthodox way.

Since one the challenges I am finding in trying to shoot a good photo-a-day (going strong after 40 days) is finding ideas for subject matter, this challenge is a boon to my muse.
Here are my favorite three for the Week of Red:

Roth 365

Every day of our lives is precious in that each one will never come again. There should be at least one thing everyday that is worth seeing and worth remembering. Too often we don't see these things because we are too busy with other things or because we are simply not looking.

A few months ago, Thomas Hawk published his Principles and Guidelines for the Modern Photowalker. In this post Thomas said

I see more of the world when I have my camera with me. I notice things that I wouldn't otherwise. People's expressions, architecture, the sky...When I am out walking my eyes are open. I see the world in color. In all its splendor and
beauty. People are more real, more alive. The world is a far, far, more
beautiful place.

The second of his principles was "Shoot every day. You eat every day. You drink water every day. You breath every day don't you? So shoot every day too." Based on this advice, I've decided to take this challenge and shoot a good picture every day - no matter what.

I have two goals for doing this. The first is to improve my photography. I have to hope that putting time and effort into something every day will make me better at it. The second reason is that I want to change the way I see the world. I want to notice what would otherwise go unnoticed and appreciate it.

I'm only ten days into this odyssey, but so far so good. You can see and follow this effort at Roth365. Please visit when you have the chance, and if you feel compelled, leave me some comments for encouragement.

Fake New Year's Eve

Continuing a tradition that may be in its 16th year, a group of old friends got together to celebrate the new year. This time, New Park, PA was the venue, and for various reasons, we celebrated early, and in shifts.

As usual, much fun was had by all. It was also quite nice that Penn State scheduled its bowl win to coincide with the festivities, as did the New England Patriots and their record-breaking-palooza.

Special thanks to Janine and Hugh for taking good care of us and letting us stay in what I still think is the coolest house ever.

Here are some pictures (the complete set, now spanning 2 of the 16 years, can be found on Zooomr.

Dear Santa - 2007

Just like last year, the kids have written to the jolliest man at the North Pole to share their thoughts and requests.

Dear Santa-
Hello. How are you doing Santa Clause? I have been nice to Alex this year. I let other people eat the food I don’t like. I give my dog Charlie bones. I help my Daddy.

Could I please have a Princess kitchen? I’d also like a pink or purple MP3 player to listen to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (please say “Hi” to Rudolph for me). I’d also like an i-Dog that taps his paw. A Princess Jasmine doll and dress would be nice too. I want a bunch more stuff. I also want a princess movie without any little shows like my other two.

You know how to find our house because you’ve been here a hundred times. I’ll leave some of my toys that I don’t like so you can take them to poor children that don’t have toys.

Good-bye Santa Claus.
-Ella

Dear Santa-
I’ve been a good boy. I’ve let Charlie out. I help get movies started again because they are all messed up and paused in the middle. That’s a lot! I help clean the house. I help my mom and dad.

Can I please have an MP3 player? Can I please have an i-Dog? I would also like a Nintendo DS. I want some Star Wars toys – those things are cool – especially droids.

You can get to my house by looking at my house number which is 2823. I have nine wreaths on my house. There are some green decorations around my porch posts and they might light up when you come.

Love, Alex

Poetry In Motion?

The year was 1993. I was living in Altoona, PA. I had too much time on my hands in the evenings after work and I had a VHS-C camcorder that I'd received the previous Christmas. This is the result: