Kids Letters To Santa - 2012

Dear Santa,                                           12-19-12 

for Christmas I would like: Halo 4, a watch, the 39 clues Vesper Hunt and maybe a new full sized basketball. I deserve this stuff because I have, in my opinion, behaved this year. I first was just generally the one who settled arguments or cheered people up. Example: I read to Sick Ella the other night. I have also done stuff for people just because I felt like it. Example: I made Ella’s lunch for her on several occasions. Finally I did all of my homework and stuff, and got it handed in on time. Example: My 4 reports I all got finished and typed up by the due date. Merry Christmas!! :) 
From, 
Alex Roth 

Dear Santa, 
For Christmas I want the third and a half dork diaries book, makeup, socks, american girl doll pants, shirts, and red dress. I also want earrings, LPS (littlest pet shop), a santa outfit for kenzie, a new ipod touch, nail polish, and a puppy friend for kenzie :) I have earned this stuff because I got all A’s on my report card, I help out with the dog, and I was good every time daddy was in New York City. 

From the good little girl, 
Ella

See previous years letters.

You've Seen One Crown

Thursday 5 Apr 2012

After our Wicked awesome time the previous night, we needed to have a bit of a lie-in to recover. When we finally got up and had another leisurely breakfast at the flat, it was time to mind the gap twice more on our way to Tower Hill. This is where the famous Tower of London was built, which makes sense since they named it after the hill.

I remember being only mildly interested in The Tower on my other visit to London way back in 2000. When you realize that 12 years is but a blink in the history of this fortress, it is not surprising that little has changed. Halfway through the Jeweless Crown Room (which was before the Crown Jewels Room, both of which we had to queue for) Alex summed it up brilliantly when he said "You've seen one crown, you've seen them all."

After finally escaping The Tower, we followed a self guided tour which was led by a awesome bloke and walked across The Tower Bridge (also named after the hill) to the South Bank. This is definitely one of my top two banks in London, but maybe only because we didn't make it to Gringotts. We went to Hornis Hob Pub for some Southern British food. Ella got chicken off the kids menu, Alex got a beef rib pie that was way better than my Shepherd's pie, and Shelley probably got some kind of salad. Shelley is now telling me she did not get salad everywhere and at this meal she actually got chicken curry. I say if you want to know her version of events, you should read her log.

Since it was Thursday the nearby Borough's Market was running - this is a street/farmer's market with crazy wonderful random stuff including a great beer stand, a place that sold freshly dead rabbits, and an Indian tea guy. The latter was my favorite. Being a tea snob wannabe, he could have been a guru to me as we discussed topics including first flush vs second flush, the differences when you steep the same leaves once, twice, or thrice (yes, he used the word "thrice"), and what infusing is really all about. Unfortunately me talking tea with my new friend was somehow less interesting to everyone else then it was to me, and I was dragged away too soon to look at the freshly dead rabbits.

We crossed that river again, this time via the Millenium Bridge which led to St. Pauls. We saw the entire cathedral between where you go in and where you have to pay. It looked nice.

Later that evening we returned to the South Bank to overcome a disappointment from our previous trip to London. Back in 2000 The London Eye was extremely difficult to score tickets for because it was brand new and was only going to be around for five years. After waiting for a couple hours we gave up, and since that day I have regretted it. Luckily in 2012 there is still an Eye in London, and thanks to the internet you can book tickets ahead of time thus reducing your wait in line to less than an hour.

Was it worth a 12 year wait? Definitely. The views we saw of London as the sun was setting were brilliant - I don't think the many many photos we took can do them justice. I wish we could have gone around again. The "4D Experience" however was not worth the price of admission, and it was included for free. Boo, I say, and not just because it had 3 less D's than the thing in Iceland.

We took way too many more pictures of the clock tower which contains Big Ben (yes I was listening to the tour guide on the bus) before heading back to our neighborhood for dinner. This time we decided to go to a pub. Remembering lunch and trying to one-up my son, I ordered the slow cooked ox cheek and red wine pie. It was the best one I ever had. Love me some slow cooked ox cheek.

Kids Look - It's Big Ben!

Wednesday 4 April 2012

We started our first full day in London the same way the locals do when on holiday - we had a lie-in. Very nice. After enjoying a tasty breakfast of chocolate (British) croissants, fruit, cheese, and weird cereal we tubed to Victoria. There we hopped on the hop-on hop-off bus. Seemed appropriate what with Easter coming, and it is what non-locals do when on holiday.

From the upper decker we were able to do drive by shootings of many of the required sights - Big Ben, Parliament, London Eye, various bridges, Twinning shop, that palace place, some big old church type building(s), and more. All were more or less as expected.

We hopped off and went to our 2nd pub of the trip which had the disappointingly bland name of "The Clarence". Luckily the decor was more interesting then the name. The food and beer were also quite good. I had the fish and chips if you care, and if you don't care you should have skipped this sentence.  Shelley had some kind of salad.

We then did some foot touring of the local sites including:

• Trafalgar Square (not a square)
• St. Martin In The Field (not in the field)
• Picadily Circus (nothing like a circus)

We continued our tour of bizzaro London at the half-price ticket place where we bought full price tickets for Wicked, which I'll talk about in a paragraph or two. We then went to another pub with a name more bland then Clarence: "The Crown", where Shelley and I got pints of something and the kids got brownies and ice cream that did not have ice cream and Ella's was actually a lime tart.

It was time to hop back on the tour bus, which toured for about 5 min before stopping for a 20 minute break. So, off we hopped and walked to King's Cross Station. The Harry Potter fans in the audience will recognize this as the home of Platform 9 3/4 where Harry and the crew board the Hogwarts Express. Turns out there is an actual Platform 9 3/4 which is the most understated tourist thing I've experienced in quite some time.

Instead of going to Hogwarts we went back to the flat for another round of British Baguette sandwiches, then off to the Apollo Victoria Theater for the show. Wicked was brilliant! Everything was so well done, especially once you learned to ignore the fact that they don't speak British in Oz. The woman who played the Wicked Witch of the West End did an especially good job. It was lucky that they could find such a talented singer and performer who also happened to be green. It's not easy.

Today We Go To London

Tues 2 April 2012

We had been in Iceland long enough that 5:00 am did not feel like 1:00 AM, but it still was plenty early to be getting up, thank you very much. It was disappointing to not see any more of Keflavik, but we had 7:30 plane tickets to London with our names on them, so it was time to say goodbye to this wonderfully unique and uniquely wonderful country. Actually not "good-bye" but more likely "see you later" because this is definitely a place worth revisiting. Also they had Appelsin on the plane.

Before you knew it,  we were at Heathrow. England was now officially the first European country that I had been to more than once (not counting France). My first visit was with the Brocks way back in the year 2000. On that trip we only spent a couple days in London, so I was excited to get reacquainted with the city and to get to know it better.

The trip from the airport to our flat was more of an adventure than it should have been. Besides having more trouble getting our tube tickets that we should have, Ella nearly got ran over twice, and we got rained on. Perhaps London was upset with us for being away for so long. It was with relief that we finally made it to our flat near the Kensington section of town.

The rain had stopped by the time we'd gotten settled, so it was off in search of some food. Great Britain is not known for great cuisine, unless you really like British pub fare, which we do, and that will become clear if you keep reading. Pub #1 of this trip was Gloucester Arms where I had a meat pie (and a pint of some bitter), Alex got the roast of the day, Ella got fish and also chips, and Shelley probably got some kind of salad (and a pint or two). And the people say "Ahhh!"

Exploring the area was next. Right nearby was Kensington Gardens in which we saw a dog that looked almost exactly like our Kenzie (who we sometimes call Kensington at more formal dog occasions).  This park is also home to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground. I've since learned that is used to be the Peter Pan Playground, which explains the pirate ship. Anyway, the kids were able to collect some white sand while we relaxed on one of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Benches.

One of my favorite things to do in new places is to visit the local grocery store to see what is familiar and what is not. We went to Waitrose to stock on as much of the unfamiliar foods and beverages that we would need to avoid eating every meal in a pub. We also stopped by a local sandwich shop as it was closing and got a super deal on some tasty British baguette sandwiches.

The Full Monty

Monday 2 April 2012

Our last full day in Iceland was to be full of adventures and new experiences. I was navigated by Ella to a nearby bakery where we acquired three chocolate donuts and a latte (aka The Usual).  We were packing up our things when Jonas the owner came by to meet us, say hello, and collect our credit card number, which we hadn't had to provide before since this was Iceland. We really enjoyed staying at this place, and I will most certainly miss the heated floors and towel bars.

Siggi soon was by to collect us and take us to one of the many local geothermally  heated swimming pools. We had read up on Icelandic swimming pool etiquette, so were ready for the procedure of preparing to enter the pool, well at least as much as any American who is used to showering alone can be. I did have to tell Alex to put the kibosh on his go-to exclamation of "Nuts!"  At least the water wasn't cold. Ahem.

Once we were in our trunks we really enjoyed the pools, even though the air was just 35 degrees F. Besides the Olympic sized lap pool and three water slides, there were also a series of "hot pots" (aka hot tubs) heated to various degrees of boiling. The 40-42 degrees C was a bit too hot for me, but the 38-40 degrees C was just right.  Before long however it was time to go through the swim suit -> street clothes process. Soon enough I was trying to forget that part as we headed back to their house for lunch.

After lunch we stopped by the mall for a 7D movie. I was never clear on what all the D's were, but we got to shoot stuff so that was fun. Also I totally won, not that this matters and no, I am not too competitive.

After this, things took a turn for the bizarre.

Siggi, Jon, and Hannah took us to Hot Springs Land. Even after several days of seeing stuff like this, this place really stood out and not just because of the three Icelandic women dressed like Japanese Geishas vouging and doing crane kicks. I could not wait to hear Siggi's explanation for what part of Icelandic culture this represented, but he could just shrug his shoulder's and shake his head. I figure this was probably something they don't talk about and outsiders are not supposed to witness.

We pondered that mystery while driving to the famous Blue Lagoon. First let me assure you that The Creature From the Blue Lagoon is just a myth, and it is not at all a scary place other than the group showering. Anyway - at its simplest it is a hot spring with blue mineral water in which you can soak away your cares and ills. There are also vats of white mud that you cover your various parts with that cleans your skin. It is much more than that however. It is a place from a dream in which where you came before and where you are going next do not matter. All that matters is that moment and being in the now. Just as the warm steam filled my lungs, a zen-like appreciation for being able to share this moment with my family filled and rejuvenated my soul.

Bergiland joined us for one final dinner with our Icelandic friends. It was here that Siggi mentioned in an off-hand way that in Iceland they have thirteen different Santa Clauses!!

Tip: If I am visiting your country and you have some fantastically crazy holiday situation going on, do not wait until the very end to mention this to me

I've done some research since then and discovered that these Santas are also called Yule Lads. Each Lad has his own quirk, and traditionally they ranged from mere pranksters to homicidal monsters who eat children. According to Wikipedia it gets even better: "the Yule Lads are often depicted with the Yuletide Cat, a beast that, according to folklore, eats children that don't receive new clothes in time for Christmas." That's got to ruin your holiday: 

"Sorry Jimmy, but we were not able to make it to the store in time to get you those new sneakers you wanted. Also expect a cat beast to come by later and eat you." 

Now days the Lads (and presumably their cat) have gotten friendlier and just put a potato in your shoe if you are bad. I don't know where they put it if you are good. I'll be looking into this, believe you me!

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, dinner. It was a great way to end a very eventful day. It was so nice to be able to spend a bit more time with our friends over a good meal. We cannot thank Berglind, Siggi, and their family enough for being such wonderful hosts and making us feel so welcome in their country. The Lads will definitely not be eating you this Christmas!

Sight Seeing and Smell Smelling

Sunday 1 April 2012

Sleeping in was a much needed and very nice change of pace.  While Shelley went for a run, the rest of us took our time getting ready, then all headed out to see the city. First stop (once we found it) was The Gray Cat - a coffee shop founded by some Icelander after spending some time in New York City. The kids both got "The Truck" which was bacon, fried eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, and "American Style" pancakes. I got some egg and meat on toast thing and Shelley probably got some kind of salad. It was all very good.

We then did some photo-walking / shopping along the streets of Reykjavik and  also took the elevator to top of the tower at the Hallgrímskirkja church. The weather cooperated again and we were able to see and shoot some great views of the city. Reykjavik definitely has a hip vibe, not unlike Soho or The Village in New York.

Siggi, Jon, and Hannah came by after lunch to take us  along the Golden Circle. The partly cloudy weather was as nice as we'd seen, so we thought it would be a great day for it. Unfortunately as we travelled north over the mountains, the weather took a turn for the worse. By the time we got to Geysir it was 4 degrees C, windy, and raining. The good news was that I had brought a rain coat, hat, and gloves with me. The bad news was that I'd left them back at our apartment. Even so, Geysir was something to see and to smell. The original geyser which is named Geysir (from which all other geysers get their name one can assume) no longer geyses, but another one right by it now does instead. We waited in the warm sulphor smelling steam for 3-5 minutes to see it go.

Aside: One cool thing about Iceland is that they don't go out of their way to protect litigious stupid people from themselves. Anyone is free to put their hands in the 90 degrees C pool or stand directly next to the erupting geyser. Luckily we were not that cold, and also Siggi told us to not to.

Another Aside - I think on this excursion I was the furthest north I have ever been - over 65 degrees. I could nearly see the great wall of ice.

After some quick refreshments at Cafe Geysir (I am totally making this name up) it was on to Fourth Falls where it was just as cold but smelled a good bit better. During most any other month of my life this would have been the coolest falls I'd seen, but for this trip it just made it into the top three. Definitely. Also very nice and appreciated was that at no time on this trip were any of the four waterfalls we saw referred to as "The Niagara of Iceland". At Fourth Falls Shop of Gifts, I'd had enough of being cold so I bought a fake-fur trapper hat which Siggi assured me that Icelandic people actually wear. It kept my head snug and toasty all the way back to the truck, and I look forward to wearing it again in the next 9-12 months.

Cementing their candidacy for hosts of the year, Siggi took us back to their house where Berglind had prepared a succulent lamb dinner complete with more of that Icelandic Appelsin orange soda which I seem to have become addicted to. Then we got to enjoy a piano and/or cello recital from the three oldest kids which allowed me to once again ask my kids "See what happens when you practice?"  Also there were hot fudge sundaes and Easter Fortune Eggs.

Beyond Reykjavik (Part 2)

(in which we continue the "Iceland Excursion" from the previous post)
Saturday 30 March 2012
We turned down a long bumpy road through a desolate landscape that had been cleared by a Glacier which was our destination. I've seen glaciers before and even had a drink cooled by glacier ice-cubes, but this was the first time I was ever able to venture out on one. Stark, cold blue ice filled with fissures and chasms coupled with the real possibility of going ass over teakettle - that is what it was like.

Though our next stop was officially a museum, it would be more accurate to call it The Iceland History Experience. It all started many decades ago when a teenager named Thordur Tomasson started collecting things of historic interest and significance. Thordur is now 91 and still going strong - he showed us around and sang and placed Icelandic folk songs on the langspil. The things he has collected now number in the tens of thousands and range from a gravity powered mouse trap to a large fishing boat to a one room school house. A surprisingly good time was had by all.

The next waterfall we visited, or "Second Falls" as it was called by me was also very cool, but no so cool as we were after we walked behind it. This ended the part of the day in which we were dry, but was still a great thing to do because how often do you get to do that? There is also a legend of some missing gold back there somewhere, but we did not find it. We did get to refill our water bottles directly from the stream which seemed so wrong and so right at the same time.

We stopped at another waterfalls and a petrol station, and before too long we were back in Reykjavik and John dropped us off somewhat near our apartment. 

The awe and wonder we were filled with after this fantastic tour was only slightly diminished by the freezing walk home in our damp clothes. Too worn out for anything else, we picked up a pizza and a pizza box filled with lettuce and called it a night.

Beyond Reykjavik (Part 1)

Saturday 31 March 2012

After a quick breakfast at the Kornig bakery, we met up with John, our ex-patriot Canadian tour guide to see the sites outside of the city. Seven other tourists and we were on the road by 8:30, and it did not take long to see just how fantastic and non-Maryland like this country was.

After stops at an Icelandic Quickie Mart for candy and snacks, a black sand beach, and then a place where buildings were built into the volcanic rock of a hillside, we visited Skógafoss. This was an amazingly tall and powerful waterfall and since this was Iceland you could go right up to where the water crashed into the water, if you wanted to get dead. Alex went right near that spot because he only wanted to get soaked. There were also steps cut into the hillside so you could climb to the top. I discovered a side trail about 2/3 of the way up that led to an outcropping right by the falls. This was my favorite part of this stop and perhaps of the entire day.

Next up was the town of Vik. The small road to black sand beach  was covered over with black sand (Ella now tells me it was ash, and she might be right). I encouraged the driver to give it a go and told him I would push him out if he got stuck. After he got stuck and I could not push him out, we walked the rest of the way to the beach while he stayed behind to enjoy the scenery and await a tow truck.

The beach was quite a thing to see. In the ocean were several "drepcaslen" which are rock formations born of lava and shaped by the sea. The weather continued to cooperate so Shelley and I went picture crazy while the kids went play in black sand crazy.

We then walked to the nearby woolen outlet which our driver claimed was the best place to buy this kind of stuff. Maybe he only told that to hosers that get him stuck in sand (or is it ash?), or maybe it was that any store a tour bus takes you to will be overpriced, but this one was so we did not buy anything. Next door was the only restaurant available for lunch, so at least that was an easy decision. I had a little lamb and an Apelsin, the kids ordered fish and chips because who knows when they will have another chance for that, and Shelley probably had some kind of salad.

Tune in next time for the rest of this tour.

We Are In Iceland

Friday 30 March 2012

After collecting a new stamp in our passports and deciding not to stop in the duty free shop, we were officially in Iceland. One of the two people who was not a stranger in this strange land, hence forth called Berglind, soon picked us up. On our way to her house in Gardabaer (on the outskirts of Reykjavik) it was clear that Iceland was like no place we'd been before. This moss covered region was flat and treeless and strewn with random boulders. The buildings were low, sparse, and somewhat Scandinavian looking.

Things had become more urban (in a good way) as we approached her house. Their town overlooked Reykjavik, and their house was modern and nice, and unlike anything I've seen in Adamstown, MD. In this house were 3/4 of Beglind's children, 8/8 of her Tibetian Spaniels (5 adults and 3 puppies), and her cool husband Siggi who I soon realized is Iceland's answer to Batman (if Batman were a dentist). They offered to let us take naps, but I was sure I could not sleep - at least until my head hit the pillow and suddenly it was 3 hours later.

We enjoyed a mini-tour of Reykjavik on our way to the apartment we'd rented for our stay. One very interesting thing about Iceland is that their lawyers work in the same way as our drive-in waitresses from the 50's, minus the rollerskates. We also learned that you don't need to be able to read Icelandic to serve as legal witness for an Icelandic legal document about I have no idea what.

After some much needed freshening up, it was back to Berglind and Siggi's to drop off the kids, then back to Reykjavik for dinner at a very cool place called Grillmarkadurinn. Live moss growing on the walls was only interesting until our food arrived. I got a meat sampler (lamb, duck, and beef) and Shelley got the fish sampler (cod, salmon, and some other white fish). I can't tell you what Siggi and Berglind got since they ordered in Icelandic, but it sure looked good.

Next stop was the newly made awesome Harpa Music Hall for the Reykjavik Symphony Mozart Cover Band.

This was a great place to hear music, take several short naps, and drink Egils Appelsin Limonadi, which is Icelandic for "Awesome Orange Soda". It is what the natives (which is everyone else) drink, so you can see how it makes me blend in.

On The Way To Iceland

Thursday 29 March 2012

Two seats in the exit row, two seats not in the exit row.
Two people old enough to sit in the exit row, two people not old enough to sit in the exit row.
Result? Shelley and I got to sit together and have extra (aka nearly enough) leg room.

We were very excited to be going to Iceland. Partly because we have friends there who we've wanted to visit for a long while. Partly because this will be the first new country for Shelley and me in 11 years. Partly because we really want our kids to have a broad perspective on the world and life. Partly because it seems like a really cool place to visit. Partly because it is a place most people don't go to.

On this last point there is an interesting backstory which I may have made up but I don't think so. You may be wondering why the country is called Iceland even though it is not made of ice and is actually quite temperate most of they year. Apparently a long time ago when they were deciding on a name, they went with Iceland because they thought it would discourage people from visiting. This gives me respect for the country naming committee, and not just because it is also the main reason we got a cat.

With the kids nestled elsewhere, I popped in my earbuds and listened to the audio book of "Sh*t My Dad Says". Before I could get through a bag of Swedish (neighbor to Iceland) Fish and decide if I identified more with the author or his dad, I was somewhere between asleep and the moment when my head starts to fall over. I spent most of this trans-Atlantic in this state, so it did not seem like long until we were beginning our descent.

As we landed I felt the excitement one can only feel at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border.

2011 Christmas Letter

The yearly Christmas letter brings with it the challenge of summarizing a year in a way that might be considered somewhat interesting by some percentage of the people who actually read it. But what if it didn't? What if I did not bother to tell you the kids are doing fine in 4th and 2nd grade, that work goes well for both Shelley and me, that we got a new kitten and a new puppy? Those that care probably know these things anyway.

Now that my 41st Christmas is upon me, I've realized that a wonderful and fascinating part of Christmas is that every Christmas links back through the years to a wealth of special memories from Christmases of the past. This connection seems to go beyond nostalgia, tradition, gifts, and common memory and has a unique power that makes this time of year stand out in ways I don't really understand.

In that light, I'd like to present some random moments from Christmas Past. Some of you might remember some of these with me. Some of you will wish I had instead provided more details about the new puppy. Some of you probably gave up on this letter somewhere in the first paragraph. For those still with me, here they are:

- My dad tripping on the stairs in the front of the church during the Christmas Eve service and how quickly some old guy was at his side.

- Attending A Christmas Carol in Raleigh, NC with my fiancé Shelley and how we did not get any of the inside jokes

- Seeing the lights on High Street the first time each year.

- Staying up late putting together a train table because sometimes Santa does not assemble the gifts for you

- Trying to cajole a four month old Golden Retriever puppy and two cats to pose for the annual Christmas photo

- Attending A Christmas Carol on a fifth grade class field trip and being amazed at how the stage rotated.

- Hearing my friend Ross sing "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" as part of the Beaver Hall Christmas Tape (I wish I could forget this one)
- Being forced to wear an elf costume for the 2nd grade Christmas play that, lets face it, was a dress

- Taking the kids to feed the ducks in Baker Park on Christmas Eve

- Unwrapping gifts from my mom that she had prepared before she died

- The smell of the new guitar Shelley surprised me with

- Being at home with my mom and chicken pox on Christmas Eve while my dad slid the Plymouth Horizon down an icy hill into another car

- Taking jelly cookies each year to an old man who lived nearby 

- The various family photo combinations that were always part of Prizer Christmas with my cousins, back when we all lived relatively close by.

- Riding in the firetruck with my grandfather as part of the Fireman's Christmas party

- The new traditions of smoked turkey, lobster tail, and wearing paper crowns from Christmas crackers

- Forcing the kids to wait upstairs for a picture before coming down on Christmas morning

Thank you for indulging me with me this trip through the years. My wish for you is that this Christmas season brings with it happy memories that will be unlocked for you in Christmases yet to come.

Letters To Santa 2011

I wasn't sure if they would continue the tradition this year, but just as they did in in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 the kids have made an effort to be informative and persuasive in letters to Santa.

---

Letter To Santa 12\13\11


Dear Santa,


For Christmas I would like some new books, a big track Jr., a nerf shield,some new arrows, and a suprise gift(If you have time). I deserve all this because A:I've gotten good grades. B:I've saved a bunch of Ella's stuff from the dog. C: I got 0 think sheets.D: I've saved the cat from the dog.


From,


Alex

---

Dear santa,
For Christmas I would like a blue rubber iPod case. Also I would like some nail polish. May I have Christmas tree earrings for Christmas.


I should get these things because I take care of the dog. Also I was good because I practiced my songs. One more reason is because I get good grades at school. Thank you for all off the things you gave me.
love,
ella
P.S. can you bring mitten a new collar?

Charlie

It was a bright, crisp October Saturday in 1999 when we drove the Paseo to North Raleigh, NC to pick up our puppy. It had been a long two weeks since we had last been there to choose which one we wanted. Of the three females in the litter, one was bold and could climb the steps. One was so laid back and did not even try. One gave it a good effort but could not quite make it.

We chose the third one.

At the time Charlie joined us we were still newlyweds enjoying the life of a young married couple with no kids. She saw all that change when first one, then another baby joined the family. These were mixed blessings since they moved her out of the spotlight, but also became good sources of food and love. She was with us for two moves to eventually wind up in Maryland where she got to know a whole new set of people, and she loved them all. She survived two cats and left a kitten behind. She saw the Paseo replaced by a station wagon which was then replaced by a minivan.

Through all the changes, she was a constant source of companionship and love. It has been two weeks since she's been gone and no one here has totally gotten used to her absence. I doubt we will anytime soon.

When I started on this overly sentimental video my plan was to make it just look at her life. By the time I was done I realized that it was actually a look at all our lives through these past 11 years. This shows how much of a friend she was.

Letters To Santa 2010

As they did in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 the kids are making their cases to the man up north. This year they did their own typing.

Dear Santa.
For Christmas I would like a stuff dog and a barby doll. Could you please get mind flex for me and my borther Alex. Can you get me a pack of fake finger nails. Also can you get me a nekalas for chirstmas. This is why I should get any presents this year. I was a good girl in ALASkA even though some of it was very boring. I got a wonderful report card at school. I got hamsters and I am taking very good care of them. Most peaple think they are just going to die. But not in my house. I love animals so much that I went to the carnival and won a gold fish in June and yet she is still alive P.S. It is a girl! From Ella!

---

12\17\10
Dear Santa,
For Christmas I would like Minatourus lego game, Mind flex, ipet and an interesting book. I deseve all this becuase A: I've been very helpful this year.
B: I've behaved around other adults.And C:I've gotten along with other kids.
(Apart from my sister.)


From,
Alex

2010 Christmas Letter

It was midnight and the sun was shining when I thought to myself 'This would make a great opening sentence for the Christmas letter'. It's not every year that I start working on the letter in July or in Alaska, but then 2010 was not just any old year.

Sure it started out calmly enough with New Year's Day finding us sharing our house with 20 of our closest friends. The resounding quiet after they left lasted into February when we got all the snow that we could ever want, then got it all again a week later.

It only took a few weeks to dig out, then Shelley and I made a long weekend visit to New Orleans. We got to meet my favorite trumpet player, Leroy Jones, and learn how to make gumbo and jambalyaya. We got back in time to take the kids to Great Wolf Lodge in Pennsylvania in May for Alex's eighth birthday.

Our big adventure of the year was a cruise and tour through the Pacific Northwest with 13 Roths, courtesy of my dad (thanks, Dad!). We traveled by ship from Vancouver to Skagaway, then on a variety of trains, busses, and assorted watercraft through the Yukon and Alaska. This was such a once in a 39-year experience (for me at least). You can read about it in more detail and see  pictures here.

In August Alex (3rd grade) and Ella (1st grade) started at a new school. They both adjusted well and enjoy their new situations. Sadly, Shelley has not adjusted as well nor does she enjoy the new minivan that carpooling to the new school necessitates.

Not sure if it is because of some latent migratory instinct, but when Ella turned seven in October, back to Pennsylvania we went - this time to make some bears and other assorted creatures in Gettysburg. Luckily in November, my friend Joe brought his football team to Maryland to save us from going to PA one more time.

Along with these events, the year contained the regular ebbs and flows of life in the 21st century. Shelley continues to work at Westat, and will be going back to full time in January. Though she is not yet ready to give up her day job, she has become a recording artist and you can listen to some of her stylings here. Meanwhile, I continue with GetGlue where things have been going well and normal people have started hearing about us.

You can take a look at the virtual version of our 2010 photobook, or better yet, come visit us, see it in person, and maybe even make into the 2011 version.

Best wishes to all of our dear family and friends for the holidays and in the coming year!

Alaska Adventure - Day 9, 10, & 11 - July 10-12, 2010

Previously: [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7] [Day 8]

All my trip photos


"Bags Out" at 6:00 came all too soon, but it was well worth it when we boarded the McKinley Explorer bound for Denali National Park and Preserve. The only train ride I've ever had that comes close to the awe-inspiring scenery of this trip was years ago in Switzlerland (though the Amtrak through New Jersey is nice, too). Breakfast in the diner car was fun and tasty - the best salmon breakfast burrito I've ever had on a train. For the rest of the four hour trip we alternated between looking out the windows in the top deck of the dome car, and standing on the outdoor platform with the wind in our hair.

Random Observation: As the trip progressed it seems all the other members of the Mighty 7A Tour Group were slowly and completely replacing their wardrobes with clothing acquired along the way that advertised all the places we'd been.

Once at our destination, we grabbed lunch with my dad at a special Denali sandwhich place called Subway then visited a couple shops to gather supplies for our trek into the park. On the deck in front of one of the stores we saw a coin. When we went to pick it up (all the day to have good luck) we discovered it was permanently affixed. A good trick.

At 2:00 we boarded a modified school bus for the Denali Natural History Tour. Yes, it was a school bus, but part of what helps preserve the Preserve is they don't allow private vehicles into the park, so these school busses are actually a great way to go. Indeed we went up and down all through the town, but it was worth it.

Before the trip I predicted that Denali would be one of my favorite parts of the trip and we weren't too far into the park before I was congratulating myself on my prognostication skills. Even after many, many days of experiencing views that I could hardly imagine, Denali was something special. I wished I'd had eight more eyes to see all there was to see. The five hour tour was at least a week too short.

After the tour we returned to the Village Of Shops where we discovered Prospector's Pizza - a pizza place with 49 beers on tap. I did not make it through all 49, but the ones I did try were all wise choices, and the food and atmosphere were great too. It was definitely one of my favorite meals of the trip.

We only had a short time to spend in Denali the next morning, and it was raining, so we went to the visitor's center where the kids earned their second Junior Ranger badges of the trip. Sadly we had to be back on the train and gone for the trip to Anchorage. Maybe we had finally seen enough scenery, or maybe we were just tired and depressed becuase it was the end of the trip, but that train ride was not very memorable.

I could say the same thing about Anchorage, though we basically spent just one night there. In the morning we were up and on our way to the airport before I had time to notice. The flight back via Utah (another new state!) was fine, though I now have a theory that Mormons always recline their seats on airplane, which I don't like.

As I write this it is nearly 2 months later, and still I keep thinking about Alaska, the Yukon, and the things we saw and did on our odyssey. The scenes we experienced are burned into my brain and will continue to provide a backdrop to my dreams for a very long time. We feel very lucky to have made this trip, and very grateful to my dad for making it all possible.

All that is left now is to answer the question that has been repeatedly asked by my kids and by my soul: When will we go back?

Alaska Adventure - Day 8 - July 9, 2010

Previously: [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7]

All my trip photos (so far)


Another day in Fairbanks. This day in Fairbanks however was not actually spent in Fairbanks. Instead we met our new coach commander who commanded a slightly less comfortable coach, and bussed on out to the Riverboat Discovery. I discovered that this is a vessel designed to take tourists up and down the river while an ex-DJ narrates your trip in a way that most tourists seem to enjoy.

The "highlight" of this trip, according to them is a visit to a fake Chena Indian Village which may or may not also be a fake Athabascan fish camp. I guess these learning opportunities are not my cup of tea, because for me the highlights of the trip were spotting some beavers in the river, and the tasty salmon spread samples the boat people severed on the way back.

After some requisite time in the gift shop, our new Coach Commander, who lets call Mike, drove us to visit Gold Dredge #8 which apparently is "just the ticket for an authentic look at mining life in early Fairbanks". I cannot confrim this because after the tasty lunch they serverd us (beef stew and biscuits FTW!), instead of going on the tour I took an authentic look at a nice cold authentic Alaskan beer in the shade and some authentic Alaskan ice cream.

In case that did not cure our gold fever, the next stop was up in them thar hills at a gold mine where we got to mine for our own gold. After only an hour of touring the mine, watching a sluicing demonstation, and actual sluicing some pay-dirt of our very own, I had discovered gold flakes worth approximately $16. For an additional $30 I could have had these put these in to a keepsake locket in their giftshop.

Next up was my least favorite stop of the entire trip. It was a visit to the Alaskan Oil Pipeline. In case you've never seen one, picture a big line of pipe that carries oil. I was even able to touch it, and you will never guess what it felt like (wait for it...) a big pipe. I understand the connection between oil and money, and realize there was some amount of fine engineering in building the thing, but to me it just looked like a big scar across an otherwise scenic landscape.

Luckily they managed to somehow keep the pipeline stop to under an hour, so we made it back to the hotel in time to head out on an optional excursion - the inaccurately named yet still quite enjoyable Midnight Sun River Float. Our guide, who lets call John Zahn because he was a cross between John Denver and Steve Zahn picked us up in a really nice van and took us to dinner. The eight people on this tour (4 Roths and 4 not-Roths) accounted for 100% of the dining room customers in the restaurant. Not sure why though because the food was quite tasty. Best salmon I'd had since that morning.

We then traveled to the river for the midnight sun part of the adventure, though it was actually about 9:00. At least it was sunny. Well, sunny for the first 5 minutes or so, then we experienced enough of a downpour to get plenty wet. We probably would not have signed up for it if it was called The Late Evening Get Rained On Float Trip.

I'm glad it wasn't though, because even with the rain we had a really good time and enjoyed some relaxing time floating down the beautiful river. We also enjoyed the part where John Zahn left the raft to speak words to some guys who were shooting guns across the beautiful river.

Random Observation: The longer someone has lived in Alaska, the more compelled they are to tell you how long they have lived in Alaska.

When we got back to the Westmark, though very tired, we stayed up to see the actual midnight sun. Such a strange experience. Half my brain said "It is very late, you should be asleep." and the other half said "It is the middle of the evening - time to find some ice cream."


Next: [Days 9, 10, 11]

Alaska Adventure - Day 7 - July 8, 2010

Previously: [Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6]

All my trip photos (so far)


All too soon in was time to leave Beaver Creek. From there it was not too many kilometers before the neutral zone (which actually exists) and then the Alaskan border.

Let me take an aside here. Traveling with anyone can put a strain on a relationship. This is especially true when traveling with your kids, even more so when there are time zone changes, late nights, early mornings, and too much AIS (Bottom In Seat) time. Add to this (perhaps unrealistically) high expectations about your children's ability to cooperate, behave, and not annoy other people, and you may get to the point where you want to leave your kids in the previous country.

That is what happened here when Ella did not want me to take her picture crossing the border, which was right after we yelled at her for playing in the giant Welcome to Alaska pile of dirt.

Some more yelling and pleading and threats that she would never ever get a hamster finally got her to cooperate.

We had miles to go before we slept, but we did still make a few stops. One was for lunch at some place I don't recall - but I do recall there was reindeer sausage, two kinds of fish and an ear shaped piece of cornbread all served in an iron skillet. Not too shabby. We later stopped at Rika's Roadhouse which had some picturesque grounds, but more importantly - ice cream.

We stopped at North Pole, AK where the presence of Santa in his giant giftshop forced me to fabricate some story about how he spends his summers in Alaska so that good girls and boys can visit him.

When we finally found Fairbanks we were free to find some food and some fun. I don't have too much to say about Fairbanks. Even though we stayed there two nights, we really did not see much of Fairbanks. Either that, or there just wasn't too much of Fairbanks to see. But I digress.

We settled on dinner at Some Greek Place after not finding anywhere more compelling that was open. Little known fact - Greek children like very spicy ham on their pizza. I learned this when the pizza my kids were splitting had some very spicy ham on it. My kids are not Greek. Luckily they had previously consumed 2/3 of my steamed clam appetizer so they would survive.

We explored more of Fairbanks, including a walk along the river on the river walk. We also got to a enticing fudge store just after they closed, but the Fudgiers were cool enough to sell us some tasty fudge anyway.

Next: [Day 8] [Days 9, 10, 11]