3/27: Springtime

It's a beautiful SPRING! 

The most important thing: 

Dad is home, and is awesome. 

He came back several weeks ago and has been busy recovering (lots of cardiac rehab, playing electric guitars, walking, buying outrageously priced old coins on ebay, taking some adventures out to the ocean, and watching movies with the Yeti). He continues to get better, see better, walk further, have more energy, and it's been the best thing ever to be able to hang out with him and watch his amazing progress. Spending time with him since I've been staying back at home in SLO always reminds me just how lucky I am to have all of these extra days with Dad. 

He has inspired some of us (me, Yeti, Greg, Scott, and Laura - and anyone else who wants to join!) to get back in shape, so we're starting to train for a possible half marathon at the end of June. Nothing gets me out the door and running like my Dad saying "I wish I could go running today..." It really makes my whining sound pathetic. It's sad not having him run with us, but next year he'll be back at it. Until then, he's pretty good motivation to put my shoes on. 

Oh, this is the best: Two days ago I went for a run (saying "don't call my cell phone, just call 9-1-1 if anything happens" on my way out the door, which has become the norm), and mid-way through my out-and-back route it started raining on me. Running back, it was still coming down pretty hard, and about 1/2 mile from home I see this guy standing on the corner at the intersection ahead of me with an umbrella. My dad had walked out there by himself because he was worried about me out in the rain, so he was waiting on the corner for me to get back. We both walked back home together under one big umbrella. He's just the greatest. 

Dylan and Jessie have been coming down from Big Sur when they can (causing some heated board game sessions). They've relocated their trailer and are working on their own little compound, which Dylan is constructing, and have been grafting fruit trees like crazy for the orchard they're going to plant up there. They're coming down again this weekend.

And now, some pictures! 

Making his famous cookies. 

Celebrating the Wild Y's birthday.

Hanging out with Dylan and Jessie. 

Dylan and Jessie transporting Figly Junior ("Fig-Ju") - a fig tree that has been growing at Mom and Dad's in SLO -
up to his new home in Big Sur.

I got away for a short trip up to Reno to stay with all the crazies up there. It was great to see everyone, and we even got a garden planted in the backyard of their nice new house: 

Anni giving two thumbs ...up(?)... about the new garden. 

Anni and her snapdragons.

Emme and Sidney in the flower section. 

Greg ("Greggy," according to Anni), Anni and Sid discussing gardening plans. Or something.

Sassy gardeners. Two of my favorite people. 

I had a great time staying with Scott & co. up there (thanks guys!), and of course being up there with Greg (and climbing, and wandering around in the sagebrush for hours and hours, and camping in hurricane winds at the Washoe Boulders for a night), planting the garden, watching movies with the kids, and all kinds of fun stuff. I needed a little break, and it was good to get my mind cleared up a little after a rough two months.

But then I missed Dad and came home again to hang out some more. Since we spend quite a bit of time just being bums around the house, I've been grading, writing assignments, writing emails, and prepping for next quarter (that starts NEXT MONDAY...how did that happen so quickly?), while my Dad works on his French by watching cartoons of a little rat singing songs about "bonjour" and "au revoir."

Now, still work work work to get ready for the quarter. It's an amazing spring already.  We're probably heading back to Santa Barbara this weekend - it'll be weird leaving home after two and a half months, but Mattie and I are excited to get back to our cabin home in the hills to check on the turkeys and see the wildflowers on our little nature trail.

We hope everybody is having a sweet, happy, healthy, outdoor-filled spring!

With love from SLO (for just a few more days), 

Allison & Mattie the Equinox Dog

How it should be.