TRAVELS WITH MATTIE

First day back, and we're already making new friends. The Santa Ynez River welcoming party. Must be spring on Paradise Road! It was a big day today - my first day back teaching since January, meetings and emails, grocery shopping, and generally trying to get back into the swing of things. It's pouring rain on the cabin skylights. God, it's beautiful here. Come visit us at the Laughing Place! Love, Allison and Mattie Dog (and Turtly Primero)

Mattie and I are about to take off for the cabin (ready for a long night of lecture prep and cleaning spiderwebs).  I just had to post this - a card that Sid made for my dad when he was coming home from Stanford. I think it's about the best card ever made.  FRONT:  When she was drawing this, she said "Grandpa always wears striped shirts." True.   INSIDE:  "Dear grandpa, I hope that you won't be sick any more. Because you shouldnt be stuck in the hospital all day. You should be having fun. I love you. Sincerely, Sidney" Love, Allison & Mattie the Southbound Dog

Hey! A great Saturday today, just made better by the sound of rain falling as I lay here in bed thinking about microbiology.  Dylan and Jessie are here. So: we saw a lot of new jade pieces (including silver jade), Yeti grafted her own apple tree, then we all watched Caddyshack, ate a delicious dinner that Yeti and Jessie made, chowed down on brownies, and tried to scare each other in the dark as everyone was getting in bed (including creepy Jessie, who won...by making a terrible squeal like a dying animal in the dark, and crawling on her hands and knees out of the room...).  Important news: Dad walked a total of 3 miles today! By far his biggest day of walking yet, including 2 miles straight to return a cell phone he found on the side of the road. He definitely has karma reserves. Now for something totally unrelated and unimportant!: This picture (from a not-so-recent Half Moon Bay weekend adventure with the puppies) just makes me so happy I had to post it som...

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 ...

Let me tell you about this guy. This guy is our miracle. Times 4 or 5. My dad is home, and playing music again. On January 12th, my dad ran 8 miles in the morning, then came to Santa Barbara and we spent the day hiking. That evening his chest hurt, and at 1:30 am on January 13th, he went into surgery for a dissected aorta. And he lived through that, against all odds.  Then he didn't wake for 30 hours after surgery, and that was terrifying. And then he woke up. Slowly. Then we were told he'd thrown clots in his brain during surgery and we didn't know what that meant for his genius mind. And then he was awake, and today he is still as weird and awesome and kind and brilliant as he always was. He said "thank you" to every nurse, doctor, visitor, family member, hospital and staff member who came into his room. I think that a true sign of character is how you treat strangers when you're drugged out of your mind and getting poked and prodded w...

Whoa you guys! I just found these on my camera from December. Total jackpot!  Some fun days at the park and Discovery Museum in Reno. Saw Mom at the airport. And the cabin feels like home.  Anni with the "giraffe" she made out of foam blocks at the Discovery Museum. It was abstract.  Two goobers at the Truckee River. Mattie looks REALLY pumped about this situation, right? Right?  She looks sweet. Then she steals your money and when you ask her about it she says "I'll buy you lunch at Taco Bell." That really happens. YETI AT THE AIRPORT!  Sometimes I can't even believe that we get to live in a Laughing Place. The warm cabin. A happy puppy. A calendar with a picture of the Eastern Sierras and the Alabama Hills. A map of the San Rafael Wilderness. This place is A-OK.  Our little home in the harsh Santa Barbara winter.  Love, again, Allison & Mattie (my little heartbeat)

Hi everybody (and ESPECIALLY Uncle Kevin!) --  We hope you're having a great 2014 so far!!! Mattie and I had a good/interesting/exhausting/beautiful Christmas break up around Reno, then a week in Utah for some skiing with Danielle and Cole (and we even got to see Hayley for New Year's Eve!).  Here's kind of how it went:  Mattie and I drove up some day around 12/10 after a nice night with Yeti and Dad. We got to Greg's after a freezing drive over Donner Pass. We got settled in and it was relaxing. We did some work, ate great food, and spaced out inside during a frigid week in Reno. We spent some time with Sid and Anni, picking them up from school and hanging out while Scott was at work. They're insane and I love them. We all went to paint ceramics together and did all kinds of arts and crafts. We tried a few walks outside with Mattie, but everyone quickly agreed it was too cold.  Total aside: one of Anni's new favorite phrases is "...I would...