1/13/15: Fall Happened, and It's a New Year.

Hi Everyone! 

Sorry it's been forever. Mattie and I tend to get wrapped up with work during the fall quarter, and coming back from 3 months in the mountains it's always a little overwhelming. Fall is our blogging break-time. But we're BACK.

We had an amazing fall. We worked hard. We went on adventures. We saw the best concert ever (David Rawlings Machine at the Lobero...just...good God, insanity) and then more great music (like Willie Watson at SoHO). The weather was perfect and there have been a few wonderful rainstorms that brought rocks down on the road. Mostly, Mattie and I have been enjoying the relaxing days we spend wandering, working, drawing (new art coming soon!), reading, spacing out, cooking (that's right, you guys, I've been COOKING). I worked hard to get back in shape, and was repaid with a sickness that still has me down almost a month later. WTF. 

BIG NEWS: It's been exactly one year TODAY since Dad's aortic dissection, so we are PUMPED to celebrate his continued existence. Sometimes he will try to convince you that he's not so excited about it (his existence, that is), but I think he probably is. Oh well. YAAAAAY DAD! WE LOVE YOU! YOU ARE THE MAN. 

Since sometimes I think you forget how far you've come, here: 

And this was before two heart attacks...so you
were actually looking pretty decent at this point.
That really sucked.

And then this, just a couple months ago. 

This is the best.
We didn't know if it would happen again.
I just love you.

We were very sad to hear about the unexpected passing of sweet Stella Blue, kitty daughter of Kevin and Dawn. She was so lucky to have you guys for a family, and to have had such a great life of lizard-watching, gourmet food and sunshine! Mattie and I send our love out to you in San Diego, and know that she is waiting happily across the Rainbow Bridge until she sees you again. 

We spent a few weekends up in SLO, picked apples, played "Apple Core, Baltimore" and threw things at each other, celebrated Dylan's birthday, went on short runs and walks, and got to see these guys quite a few times:

Apple picking is serious.
And usually painful.

We've been going on nature walks, found old stagecoach ruts in the sandstone, and ate tri-tip sandwiches at Cold Spring Tavern.

Yeti found turkey feathers and got native.
Nature walk on the sweet nature trail.

We took some trips to the mountains to meet up with Greg and Milo. Climbing, hot chocolate, running at elevation, being cold, snow!, chili, cabins at Convict Lake. Mattie. Milo. Greg. Basically perfect. 

Buttermilks in November.

Oh, you know. 

 We shamelessly smother our dogs with love. 

Milo accepts it.

Mattie tolerates it. Mostly.

Then it was more school, statistics, awesome students, grading, writing assignments, reading reports, writing proposals, working on my website, and trying to relax in between. Greg came down for 10 whole days and we did all kinds of awesome things - beer tasting, climbing, wandering - and THEN surprised me with another four day trip down to be my date to the Bren faculty Christmas Party. We also almost got washed away in the little rental car during the torrential downpour that destroyed and flooded parts of the road, but made it safely home AND avoided a giant tree that fell over in the yard!

School was out in mid-December and Mattie and I headed north for a few days, then up to Reno on Christmas Day to surprise Greg and spend time with the rest of the Reno Gang. Imagine how happy he was when his sick, snotty girlfriend showed up! Yeah, kind of lame, but we were too excited to get up there.  Our plans of snowshoeing, climbing, hiking, and skiing were completely derailed when I only got sicker and spent most of the 10 days up there in bed. SO LAME. SOOOO SO LAME. But I'm finally feeling better, and once I can hear out of my left ear will be happy that it's all over.

Still, it was great to be up there. Yeti and Dad came up for 5 days. We missed Dylan and Jessie, and were bummed to miss everyone down in Santa Monica, but it was a pretty mellow post-Christmas hangout on the east side. We watched three different fireworks shows all from Scott's back window to bring in the New Year.

A few days later, Mattie and I took the long drive back to SLO where we got to visit with Sid and Anni. I'm teaching a really fun new course this quarter, so it's been exciting to prep materials and learn a ton of new stuff. Mostly, we love being back in our quiet little place, watching the turkeys wait awkwardly for handouts in the front yard and waking early to see deer looking through the bedroom windows.

On Saturday, we went to a great 90th birthday party for my Grandpa Dave down at Aunt Joanne's house. It was really fun seeing everyone, getting to talk with relatives I haven't seen in years, seeing all the new babies and little ones, eating really awesome food and THE BEST CAKES EVER FROM MADONNA INN, and having some time to spend with Scott on the drive back in the rain.

Anni, Scott, Grandpa Dave, Yeti and Me
at the big 90th birthday extravaganza.

Grandpa Dave with two big fans,
Annika and Sidney.

Now, I'm just finalizing tomorrow's lecture (it's a TWO HOUR AND 30 MINUTE LONG LECTURE -- YOU CAN'T REALLY WING IT) and getting ready for a crazy week of teaching, labs, assignments, and learning. Also this week, I will finally be picking up my printed Ph.D. diploma, which has been held hostage for the past two-and-a-half years after I didn't pay a $7.00 fine at some point during graduate school. So I guess that's exciting.

Now that the fall insanity is over, we'll be writing again. Sorry for the wait. Check back soon, and often -- Mattie is all fired up to tell you about what we're up to, upcoming adventures and artwork, etc.

With love,

Allison and Mattie the Winter Dog

Winter morning from the front porch to start 2015.