Currently: April
Currently living/working: What are we doing for work this summer? Fair question! For summer 2026, my…
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Arctic Adventures: Volume 42 – 5th Year of Iditarod Volunteering
Justin went back for his 5th year volunteering on the Iditarod Sled Dog Race as trail…
Currently: March
Currently living/working: I returned from the East Coast 3/1 to a very demanding work schedule! I…
Currently: February (delayed)
Better late than never! I still wanted to encapsulate February … so let’s pretend like it’s…
Rest in Peace, Mom
My mom passed away on Feb. 20, 2026—6 years and 361 days after my dad passed…
Currently: January
Currently living/working: January has been a mix of work, winter dormancy & play. I actually clocked…
Thanksgiving in Colorado
I’m going to rewind 2 months to when we spent 8 days in Colorado with Justin’s…
Currently: December
Currently living/working: We returned from travels 12/3 right in time for what became the coldest December…
Exploring Panama – Part 2
After our 3 days in Panama City, Justin, Paul, Kristen & I traveled north to the…
Currently: November
Currently living/working: Neither of us have worked since leaving Alaska 11/10, so it feels like November…
Exploring Panama – Part 1
Whoa. Justin & I just wrapped up 11 days in Panama with 2 of our dearest…
Currently: October
Currently living/working: We bust our butts all summer so don’t have to work “much” in the…
Justin’s Kilimanjaro Climb
In September, I (Justin) summited Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet) and here’s the recap of the climb.
Currently: September
Currently living/working: We wrapped up so many jobs this month! Justin’s grand total was 90 hikes…
Exploring Alaska: Valdez
Given the fact that there are only about 5000 miles of “highways” across Alaska, you would…
Currently: August
Currently living/working: Most of our jobs are slowing down their pace, which is fortunate since Justin…
Exploring Alaska: MacLaren Glacier
I will never see all 600+ named glaciers in Alaska, but why not try??? The 13-mile…
Climbing Kilimanjaro…With a Wheelchair (Training Recap)
I’ve mentioned on the blog how Justin will be climbing 19,341-foot Mount Kilimanjaro—the tallest mountain in…
Currently: July
Currently living/working: How many times and ways can I explain that Alaskans operate on full throttle…
Currently: June
Currently living/working: The brief—yet psychotic—summer schedule continues. In June, Justin led 34 hikes & gave 4…
Currently: May
Currently living/working: It’s that magical time of year when conversations with neighbors shorten as everyone is…
Currently: April
Currently living/working: I had two shifts for the library this month, so clearly my winter work…
Exploring TN: Chattanooga
Through the years, everyone told us: you need to check out Chattanooga; it’s an outdoor hub…
Currently: March
Currently living/working: In typical winter routine for us, March was a combo of travel (Iditarod) &…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 41 – XC Skiing
In my opinion, winter is much more enjoyable (tolerable?) when you get outside and play in…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 40—Iditarod Volunteering (Year 3 for me, Year 4 for Justin)
Justin & I spent March 7-13 in Unalakleet volunteering as “trail crew” for the Iditarod Sled…
Currently: February
Currently living/working: February was a weird month. There was a blend of dog/housesitting (mostly me), press…
Currently: January
Currently living/working: We’re still in the winter season where we wake up & spend some time…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 39—Home Improvement Projects Take 4
In keeping with my annual recap of home improvement projects accomplished (really for my own record-keeping),…
Currently: December
Currently living/working: Uniquely this winter, we both actually have 1 job outside of the house; both…
2024: The Year of Cleaning Out & Selling My Childhood Home
In May 1974, my parents purchased a 700-square-foot house for $32,500, and 50 years later on…
A Colorado Thanksgiving!
When we visit Justin’s family in Colorado, it’s almost like we signed up for a triathlon…
Currently: November
Currently living/working: Most of this month was spent living on a cruise ship, while the second…
Exploring Southern Spain
I already publicized my infatuation of cruising, but beyond boat life, the cruise afforded us the…
A Gen Xer’s Ode to Cruising
Allegiances run strong when talking about cruises. Team anti-cruise might be against it because of the…
Currently: October
Currently living/working: We finished cleaning out my mom’s house in NJ & returned to Alaska’s heatless…
The Junk Whisperer: Decluttering a Hoarder’s House – Part III
Not to be overly dramatic, but I just finished erasing my parents’ lives. This year, I’ve been…
Currently: September
Currently living/working: We wrapped up our summer work in Alaska earlier this month with the last…
Alaska Geographic Explained
I mentioned in my currently posts that I took a last-minute “support staff” role at Alaska…
Currently: August
Currently living/working: Justin & I have made a habit of doing daily check-ins with each other…
Summer 2024 Family Visitors
Justin’s sister, Jamie, is trying to go for the record of being our most frequent visitor,…
Outdoor Life Gear Testing Trip: Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington
From July 13-19, I participated in the second annual gear-bashing extravaganza hosted by Outdoor Life. Justin…
Currently: July
Currently living/working: July sped by in what felt like a loop-de-loop of time. Somehow we both…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 38—Dipnetting Take 2
In the summer of 2021, Justin & I went dipnetting for salmon with my Uncle Fred…
Summer 2024 Friend Visitors
During the last week of June, one of my best friends that I’ve known for nearly…
Currently: June (late!)
Currently worried about: As many of you might have already heard, a fire broke out near…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 37—Home Improvement Projects Take 3
This might be a tiny bit boring to y’all, but I like to record our annual…
Currently: May
Currently living/working: Justin and I are up to 4 jobs each!! Many are shared roles, like…
Currently: April
Currently living/working: I’m ecstatic to say that I’m back in Alaska! TONS of big changes around…
The Junk Whisperer: Decluttering a Hoarder’s House – Part II
(1988 Note from Patrice to Mom) Please forgive me for all the times I talked fresh.…
Currently: March
Currently living/working: My time as the dutiful daughter in NJ will be winding down mid April…
A Day in the Life of a Caregiver
I sleep in fits, thinking I hear the floor creaking from my mom walking around. I…
The Junk Whisperer: Decluttering a Hoarder’s House
There’s a trickle down byproduct of inheritance that people like to avoid thinking about: acquiring someone…
Currently: February
Currently living/working: Justin joined me in NJ for a few weeks this month! Thank goodness for…
Dear Dad (5 Years)
Dear Dad, Five years is both an eternity and a blink of an eye. I learned…
Some Deep Thoughts About Mortality
Confession and disclaimer: If you’ve been keeping up on my blog the last month, you probably…
Currently: January
Currently living/working: I took a leave of absence from my job … Wait, who am I…
2023 Byline Roundup
You’d think my skin was as thick as Kevlar with as much rejection as I’ve endured…
Currently: December
Currently living/working: It’s been an eventful month, and I’m so grateful for the carefree time in…
27 Days in Baja, Mexico
In case you missed the several times that I might have mentioned it: we spent 27…
Currently: November
Currently living/working: We’ve done minimal work this month. We both wrapped up a few projects before…
10 Days in the Garden State, Constitution State & Bay State
As per our usual hello-goodbye tour we do at least once a year, we spent 10…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 36 —Street Signs and House Numbers
Hey U2 fans out there! Did you know there are real places reminiscent of the late…
Currently: October
Currently living/working: Writing while hibernating, as per the season. But we’ve also been regularly giving weekly…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 35—Spearfishing
I’ve mentioned this before, but my Uncle Fred has lived in Alaska for 40+ years, so…
Fall 2023 Visitors and Exploring Whittier, Alaska
We welcomed A LOT of friends/family this summer and fall, with the culmination being Justin’s mom…
Currently: September
Currently living/working: We survived another summer of wrangling what seems like a 30-gallon bucket worth of…
Exploring Alaska: Spencer Glacier
I have a penchant for exploring seldom-visited, off-the-beaten-path natural destinations, and since most of Alaska is…
Currently: August
Currently living/working: As the summer season draws its curtains, I would say we more than earned…
Birthday Reflections: 45
Aging is wild and messy, so as an obsessive introspector (not a word, I know) who…
Summer 2023 Friend Visitors
We’ve had most of our immediate family for a visit over the last few years since…
Currently: July
Currently living/working: We are in the trenches of a very typical Alaskan life: juggling multiple jobs…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 34—Biking Denali National Park and Preserve
***This blog post is WAY delayed & was supposed to go up in May, but that…
Currently: June
Currently living/working: I guided 9 trips this month, which is almost as many as Justin’s 14.…
Summer 2023 Visitors
We have a limit on the number of visitors we can host during our work-heavy summers,…
Currently: May
***You may have noticed that my website got hacked for most of May into June. My…
Outdoor Life Gear Testing Trip: Oregon Coast Trail
I mentioned in previous blog posts that I went on a gear testing trip for Outdoor…
Currently: April
Currently living/working: Neither Justin nor I had any deadlines in April, nor any virtual presentations, nor…
Separate Vacations: Texas and NJ
I mentioned that Justin and I took separate getaways this month, him to Texas and I…
Currently: March
Currently living/working: I mentioned last month that winter freelance work has been busier than any other…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 33—Iditarod Checkpoint Volunteering Year 2
Justin & I spent March 9-12th in the tiny village of Shageluk volunteering as “trail crew”…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 32—Home Improvement Projects Take 2
This blog post is selfish. It is more of a document for us to remind ourselves…
Currently: February
Currently living/working: I think it’s adequate to say Justin and I have established 2 distinct work…
Exploring Hawaii: Oahu
Going from Maui to the commercialized capitol island of Oahu was a bit of whiplash, but…
Exploring Hawaii: Maui
Our 8 days in Hawai’i in mid January included 4 on Maui and 4 on Oahu,…
Currently: January
Currently living/working: Petsitting/Writing/Virtual Library Presentations/Cleaning. That’s basically the summary of our work this month—a little of…
Ted, Our Temporary Cat
I mentioned in my last Currently posts that we have a “temporary cat” (aka, cat sitting…
Currently: December
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Currently living/working: We’ve spent nearly the whole month in Alaska, and it’s been…
2022 Freelance Writing Byline Roundup
This quirky nontraditional life we built for ourselves has a model like no other. Our sources…
From Sea Level to 10,000 Feet
I mentioned in previous posts that I’ve been “outside” (AKA, outside Alaska) for most of the…
Currently: November
Currently living/working: Wandering in the lower 48, but writing! Justin & I joined forces on holiday…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 15 – MY BOOK IS TWO YEARS OLD!
My first book, Between Each Step: A Married Couple’s Thru Hike on New Zealand’s Te Araroa,…
Off-Season Visitor
(I’m catching on a past event!) I like when visitors trickle in during our off season,…
Currently: October
Currently living/working: We were kind of all over the place this month—Justin in Oregon for his…
Separate Vacations: Tennessee and Oregon
We’ve always considered fall and winter to be our downtime since we have fewer jobs. We…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 31—Pretty Rocks Landslide
As hiking guides, Justin and I are always trying to expand our knowledge. It’s easy to…
Currently: September
Currently living/working: Our season came to an abrupt end on Sept. 5, when Justin ended up…
Inflamed, Yet Untamed: Justin’s Crohn’s Story Part V
Many people are already aware about Justin’s Crohn’s disease, but we’ve been fairly quiet about it…
Currently: August
Currently living/working: Summer work (guiding, Airbnbs) will wrap up next month, but August was still bananas! …
Birthday Reflections: 44
As I celebrated another waltz around the sun this week (yeah 44!), I’m keeping to my…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 30—Small Town Friendships
When Justin & I purchased our cabin in Healy in August 2019, we had no idea…
Currently: July
Currently living/working: We are still in the go-go-go stage of the typical boom and bust arc…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 29—Recycling Woes
Justin & I have collectively lived in 14 states, and every state—heck, every town—has a different…
Summer 2022 Visitors
Now that we’ve settled down for the first time in a decade and have actual space…
Currently: June
Currently living/working: Definitely in a topsy-turvy phase where Justin and I are passing ships. Justin is…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 28—Flightseeing Tours
Earlier in June, the stars aligned and I was able to get on a flightseeing tour…
Currently: May
Currently living/working: We’ve started the summer chapter, where Justin & I will likely work for the…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 27—Outhouse Woes
Last August, when we bought our yurt, we thought about all the time we could spend…
Exploring Southcentral Alaska: Homer and Kachemak Bay State Park
I had this thought in my head for awhile: We needed to take a spring trip…
Currently: April
Currently living/working: April was another doozy of a month. It included a pet/housesitting gig in Healy,…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 14 – Libraries are an author’s friend!
In honor of National Library Week (April 3-9), I thought I’d chime in about how libraries…
Currently: March
Currently living/working: This was QUITE a full month. It started with getting over Covid,…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 27—Iditarod Checkpoint Volunteering
Justin & I checked something off our bucket list that we didn’t even know we had…
Food Testing and a Giveaway!
I’ve written blog posts about the world of gear writing, and even though I’m doing less…
Currently: February
Currently living/working: I’m still in that scheming/pitching/planning groove for future freelance writing projects and working on…
Dear Dad (3 Years)
Dear Dad, We still cry and we still grieve, but admittedly we moved forward in life…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 26—Moist Cabin
Alaska leads the nation in homes without plumbing, which shouldn’t be a shock as the harsh…
Currently: January
Currently living/working: We returned to our cabin in Alaska 1/6, and it feels so good to…
Mexico is Always a Plan B
As I previously posted, we took a side trip to Mexico after our post-Christmas flight back…
Three Christmases
Ever hear of the 2008 movie, Four Christmases? The one where the child-less couple travels to everyone’s homes…
Currently: December
Currently living/working: It’s been a holiday whirlwind! We’ve been all over the map this month: Hawaii,…
Exploring Big Island: State Highpoint 46/50 AND National Park 58/63
Well, I might as well post our last Hawaii trip roundup as we are delayed getting…
Exploring Maui: National Park 57/63 – Haleakala
Maui was our first stop on our November Hawaii tour … and sadly, we only planned…
Exploring Hawaii: Family Vacation in Kauai
I gave fair warning that I’d be posting all about our first-ever trip to Hawaii in…
Currently: November
Currently living/working: We spent the first half of November in Alaska, and the second half in…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 13 – MY BOOK IS ONE YEAR OLD!
My trail/travel memoir, Between Each Step: A Married Couple’s Thru Hike on New Zealand’s Te Araroa,…
We Bought A Yurt!
You read that correctly: we now own a yurt! Even though we no longer live on…
Currently: October
Currently living/working: Alaska! Work-wise, our multiple income streams have slowed, but we squirreled away paychecks knowing…
Exploring Southeast Alaska: Sitka
Geographically speaking, Alaska beats any part of the Lower 48. With only so many roads connecting…
Happy 45th Justin!
Guess who wrote this blog post??? JUSTIN! For my 45th birthday, I thought I would write about…
Currently: September
Currently living/working: As predicted, we’ve had a bit more time now that our summer gigs (e.g.…
National Park 56/63: Kenai Fjords NP, Alaska
I have a lot of blog posts backlogged, and I’m hoping to post regularly and catch…
Currently: August
Currently living/working: It’s been full-on gangbusters still this month, but summer tourists are dwindling down, which…
Happy 43rd to Me!
43 Augusts ago, I came into this world. My parents said I came out screaming and…
Currently: July
Currently living/working: We’re still maintaining a dizzying schedule of guiding (Justin), cleaning toilets/outhouses (mainly me) and…
Ode To Van Life
Big news folks … We closed the “van life” chapter of our life, as we sold…
Currently: June
Currently living/working: We are still spinning A LOT of plates at once. Still cleaning 5 Airbnbs,…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 25 – Dipnetting
How many of you thought “dipnetting” had something to do with chewing tobacco? As with so…
Summer 2021 Visitors
If we could have predicted anyone who would come to visit us in Alaska, it would…
Currently: May
Currently living/working: Most of you know we haven’t had “traditional” 9-5 jobs in years. Actually, a…
Oh Canada!
Well, for all the stressing, researching, calling Canadian government/public health and asking others’ advice, I can…
Currently: April
Wait, we’re already a few days into May?? I believe I’m fashionably late with my April…
Post-Vaccination Family Reunion – Part 2
Justin has been in Colorado since 4/8, but I joined him 4/21! It has been so…
Post-Vaccination Family Reunion – Part 1
I realized it’s been 15 days since my last blog post and I have a very…
Currently: March
Currently living/working: We’ve been consistently full with contract work all of March. And actually, we’re trying…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 24 – Auroras Part 2
I blogged about the aurora borealis (northern lights) last winter, but I have a follow up!…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 23 – Glaciers & Mountain Ranges
If you look at a relief map of Alaska, it’s clear it’s a massive land full…
Currently: February
Currently living/working: It’s still been quieter work-wise around these parts with a long lead out for…
Dear Dad (2 Years)
Dear Dad, How can 2 years seem like forever and nothing at the same time? It’s…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 22 – Fire
***Fair warning. Our neighbor’s house burned down recently, so this could be sensitive material for someone…
Currently: January
Currently living/working: It was a quieter month, but I appreciated the balance of it. We have…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 21 – Dog Sledding
Most of you all know we are cat people. But in Alaska, it’s all about the…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 12 – Royalty Checks
Let’s talk about money! Well, kind of. There just isn’t enough transparency in publishing, so I…
Gear Testing 202
I wrote a “Gear Testing 101” blog post back in 2018 about how we penetrated the…
Currently: December
Currently living/working: The grind of our multiple income streams continued in December with intense deadlines and…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 20 – Happy Solstice!
Today is winter solstice, the first “official” day of winter. (Although, it’s very much been Jack…
Happy 1 Month to Between Each Step!
My trail memoir, Between Each Step, released 11/15/20, which means today it turns 1 month old!…
Currently: November
Currently living/working: We are still wintering in Alaska, and November was a freakin busy month with…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 11 – Reviews & Endorsements
My publisher was very clear on a few pieces of advices, one being: “Do not try…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 10 – Book Signings and Mailings
Update: I’m still not comfortable with self marketing. I still can’t get my elevator pitch down.…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 9 – Marketing
Let me tell you something you probably didn’t know. Publishing does not equal a feeling of…
Currently: October
Currently living/working in: We are happily in Alaska, where winter is in full swing. Work is…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 8 – The Long Haul
Remember a few days ago when I announced I am a PUBLISHED AUTHOR?? Here’s the thing.…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 7 – PUBLISHED!!
On Feb. 5, 2016, I announced on the blog that I was getting serious about book…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 19—Denali
I believe most people think we have a view of Denali from our cabin. Sadly, no.…
Currently: September
Currently living/working in: We are well passed the halfway point of our Leave No Trace contract—still…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 18—Gardening Fruits & Veggies
Here’s one of the many truths about Alaska living: the standards for fresh fruits and veggies…
Exploring Alaska: Dalton Highway
We’ve all been pretty grounded lately and sticking to local areas, but in the largest state…
Currently: August
Currently living/working in: We’re two months into our Leave No Trace contract—still from Alaska. It’s been…
Hiking Alaska: The Canyon Between Healy and Denali National Park
We live about 15 minutes from the entrance of Denali National Park, which means we are…
Currently: July
Currently living/working in: We’re one month into our Leave No Trace job—from Alaska—and all is going…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 17—Cabin Improvement Projects
As we mentioned, the previous owners left us a perfectly functional cabin, but as with anything,…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 16—Wildlife Camera
Being back on a specific work schedule sure does eat up a lot of time! I’m…
Currently: June
Currently living/working in: We started Leave No Trace work 6/29! It’s all based from Alaska and…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 15—Wildflowers
I’ve always stated spring is my least favorite season, if I had to rank them. With…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 14—Driving Denali National Park Road
As I explained in past posts, our area is not experiencing the same flood of tourists…
Currently: May
Currently living/working in: We are still at our cabin in Healy, juggling multiple writing projects and…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 13—Golf in Alaska???
I’m gonna guess one of the last things someone would associate with Alaska would be golf.…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 12—Breakup—Part 2
Besides the river breakup, Alaska’s springtime arrives with a leap and a shout in many other…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 12—Breakup—Part 1
At the beginning of April, we had close to 2 feet of snow, some fresh. By…
Currently: April
Currently living/working in: Well, we’re still in limbo job-wise, hanging in Healy and literally cannot conceptualize…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 11—Only in Alaska
There’s no shortage of “only in Alaska.” But besides the most obvious national headlines, such as…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 10—Inside the Cabin
How is the hibernating going for everyone? While wearing the same clothes several days in a…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 9—Wildlife
I feel a little silly blogging while the virus rages on, but if you’re like me,…
Currently: March
Current mood: I hope this blog post finds everyone healthy and in good spirits. I’m pretty…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 8—Auroras
I sure hope everyone is staying healthy & sane. We are still hunkering down here in…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 7 — Winter Activities
Amongst the chaos and unchartered territories we are all navigating with the virus, I hope my…
Arctic Adventures – Volume 6—Visitors
When we decided we’d be spending our first winter in Alaska, we made the claim: no…
Currently: February
Oh hey faithful blog readers! I am THREE whole days late with my CURRENTLY post!! Did…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 5 – Living Without Water – Part 3
I’m not gonna lie. Without proper facilities, bathroom duty is not very glamorous at our dry…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 5 – Living Without Water – Part 2
I think people are still getting over the fact the average person living in a traditional…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 5 – Living Without Water – Part 1
I believe we ALL take modern conveniences for granted. For us personally, we’ve lived without XYZ…
Currently: January
Currently living/working in: As I said, we purposely planned to have a lighter workload while at…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 4—Darkness
The needle on the thermometer plunged back below zero—after a brief reprieve of temps hovering near…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 3—The Cold
Because we survived 16 consecutive days of below zero temps, I thought my next installment should…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 2—Around Town
I am working on lots of posts about the learning curve and experiences we’ve had trying…
Decade in Review – Welcome to the 20s
I cannot believe another decade is comin’ in hot! The end of a decade is arbitrary,…
Currently: December
Currently living/working in: December was dedicated to catching up to life administrative tasks and full of…
Arctic Adventures: Volume 1—Vehicles
I said I would do some posts about life in Alaska. We’ve spent plenty of summers…
Currently: November
Currently living/working in: We spent the first part of the month holed up in our cabin…
Our First Month in Alaska
I did NOT mean to let 16 days to go by without blogging. It’s an understatement…
Family Time in CO
For the past few years, we’ve mainly “lived” on the West Coast, Colorado in particular. It…
Currently: October
Currently living/working in: Healy, Alaska!!! We finished up our Leave No Trace/Subaru contract and flew to…
Zero Landfill Summer Tour Wrap Up
I’m posting blogs in chronological order, so bear with me as I catch up to the…
Yosemite Wrap Up
We finished our Leave No Trace/Subaru Zero Landfill Tour on Sept. 30 in Yosemite National Park,…
High Point #45: Nevada
Justin & I hit our 45th state high point on Oct. 1: Nevada’s Boundary Peak! Trip…
Currently: September
***Sorry for the delay! We were climbing to the top of Nevada (blog post forthcoming!)*** Currently…
Backpacking California: Yosemite National Park – Young Lakes
Do you believe there are more than 800 miles of trails and 167 lakes in Yosemite…
Alaska Wrap Up
We are already halfway through our last leg of the Zero Landfill Tour, in Yosemite National…
1:39 of Fame: Growing A Greener World
Last summer while we were working in Denali National Park for the Leave No Trace /…
Tiny Cabin, Big Alaska
Folks, take seat and a deep breath. We purchased a cabin in Healy, Alaska. They say,…
Currently: August
Currently living/working in: We are in route to our next Leave No Trace outreach destination: Yosemite…
National Park 53/61: Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
I once read that the cost to visit all 8 national parks in Alaska would amount…
Alaska Visitor!
Because we drive around the country so much, we typically are visiting everyone in their homes,…
Backpacking Denali National Park: Unit 6
What now is a few weeks ago (I’m behind on posts!), we embarked on another backpacking…
RIP Grandma La Vigne
Justin’s grandma, Barbara La Vigne, passed away this past week and I’d love to pay my…
Currently: July
Currently living/working in: Alaska!! We’re still doing outreach for the Subaru/Leave No Trace Zero Landfill Initiative,…
Backpacking Canada: Yoho National Park
Hello from Alaska! Catching up on our drive through Canada first … When we found out…
Teton Valley Wrap Up
We just made it to Alaska, but before I get too behind, let me recap our…
Hiking Wyoming: Grand Teton National Park
Our work time in the Tetons went so quickly, and honestly, we could spend years and…
Currently: June
Currently living/working in: We’re back on the road this summer (until Oct. 15) as the Subaru/Leave…
Spring Road Trip Wrap Up
This blog post is overdue and happened what seems like months ago! We are currently back…
Hello world!
Welcome to the7-design.local demos. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!
National Park 52/61: Indiana Sand Dunes
Indiana Sand Dunes is the newest national park, designated as so in February. It used to…
Highpoint #44: Illinois
It’s been a hot minute since we checked off any state highpoints, mainly because the 7…
Currently: May
Currently living/working in: We’ve been on the road (for ourselves) while making several pit stops up…
Always Listen To Your Gut
Guest post by Justin! Most of you know by now that I came off of Denali,…
Denali Days 1-2: The End
Well folks, you can stop worrying, because Justin is off the mountain. He is not hurt…
Denali Climb Gear List & Day 1
Folks, the day is upon us. Justin and his 4 teammates have landed at Denali’s base…
National Parks 48-51/61
First things first. There are now 61 designated National Parks. Last time we visited a National…
Currently: April
Currently living/working in: Most of April has been on the road in our van. Our Leave…
Eastern Caribbean Cruise
We returned from our Eastern Caribbean Holland America Cruise with our niece, Sarah, and we have…
Zero Landfill Initiative Tour 2.0
Earlier this week, we returned the keys for the 2019 Subaru Ascent we lived and worked…
Currently: March
Currently living/working in: This last 2 months has been a whirlwind, as we’ve “lived” in 6…
Subaru Winterfests
Much of our time as Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers this winter has been spent setting…
Denali Training
It’s hard to believe this, but Justin’s Denali Climb (Take 2) is less than 2 months…
Rest In Peace, Dad
My dad passed away on Feb. 24. It was expected. He had been ill with a…
Dinosaur National Monument, CO/UT
Justin & I have a goal of visiting all the national parks. Which, on a side…
Arizona/Southern Utah Leave No Trace Wrap Up
Justin & I wrapped up a week’s worth of Leave No Trace work in northern Arizona/southern…
Currently: January
Currently living/working in: We are back on the road for Leave No Trace as one of…
From Beach to Mountains
Earlier this month, when we landed back in Denver from Baja, Mexico (sea level), we decided…
Escape to Baja, Mexico
About a year ago, our nomadic/hiker friends, BJ and Clara (also known by their trail names…
Best of 2018
Happy New Year everyone! We are definitely ready for 2019. 2018 was such a mixed bag…
Currently: December
Currently living/working in: Well, I’m still in NJ helping my parents with my dad’s medical ups/downs…
Denali Gear Check: SPOT X
In case you missed it, Justin mentioned in his last post that he is planning to…
Inflamed, Yet Untamed: My Crohn’s Story Part IV
In 2016, Justin wrote extensively about Crohn’s disease, a disease he had since his teens (see…
Currently: November
Currently living/working in: I already referenced that November was a month of “professional development” in my…
Professional Development
I definitely have been silent on the blog lately. It was sort of intentional, as I…
Currently: October
Currently living/working in: Our Subaru/Leave No Trace contract ended Oct. 15 and we are in the midst…
Summer Tour Wrap Up And Future Plans
We finished our Leave No Trace/Subaru contract on Oct. 15 and returned the car to the…
California Wrap Up
We’ve been back to Colorado and are just about wrapping up everything with our Subaru/Leave No…
Currently: September
Currently living/working in: We spent all of September in Yosemite National Park for our role as…
Backpacking California: Boundary Lake in Emigrant Wilderness/Yosemite National Park
Justin & I do not like to boast, but when it comes to backpacking, we eat…
National Parks 45 & 46/59: Sequoia and Kings Canyon in California
There are a 9 national parks in California (not to mention many more monuments, historic parks,…
Southbound Drive From Alaska
Finally getting caught up on blog posts to our current location and happenings in California, so…
Alaska Wrap Up
We’ve been in California (specifically, Yosemite area) for a week now (and will be here all…
Currently: August
***Yes, yes, I know I am late. Currently living/working in: Still working on the road as…
National Park 44/59: Katmai National Park in Alaska
For my 40th birthday, we decided to celebrate in style by visiting one of the many…
40 Years Young
***I just came out of the Alaska backcountry, celebrating my birthday with Justin and some grizzly…
Backpacking Denali National Park: Unit 9
Before I get into storytelling mode, here is the overall summary of our single backpacking trip…
Hiking Alaska: Denali State Park
I already boasted about day hiking in Denali National Park in my last blog post and…
Hiking Alaska: Denali National Park
Justin & I tried to balance our time while working Denali National Park in Alaska a little…
Currently: July
Currently living/working in: Still working on the road as the Subaru/Leave No Trace Zero Landfill Team.…
Northbound Drive To Alaska
Warning: Picture-heavy post ahead! When you think of the whole United States, most people don’t realize…
Exploring Wyoming: Grand Teton National Park
We are *almost* to Alaska! Middle of nowhere Canada actually!! But, in an effort not to…
Wyoming Wrap Up!
We wrapped up our 3 weeks in the Teton Valley of Wyoming (Jackson Hole and Grand…
Currently: June
Currently living/working in: Wait, has all of June really passed? Holy cannoli, we truly have been running…
Zero Landfill Team in Wyoming!
Road life. I’ve forgotten how chaotic it is! Actually, the truth is we’ve been going 150…
Saying Goodbye to Fenton Ranch
2 years. It’s the longest we’ve spent in one place since we embarked on our life…
Currently: May
Currently living/working in: Enjoying our last few weeks at Fenton Ranch in New Mexico before we close…
Van Life: The Wanderer II
This should be no surprise to anyone, but we bought another van (our “big purchase” referenced…
Currently: April
Currently living/working in: Nearly done with our 5-week spring teaching session at Fenton Ranch. The teaching…
Summer 2018: Zero Landfill Initiative Team
Justin and I have thoroughly loved working at Fenton Ranch teaching kids K-5 about nature. We…
Behind the Scenes of a Photo Shoot
In addition to our bylines in Backpacker‘s Spring 2018 Gear Guide, there are also some full-page…
Currently: March
Currently living/working in: We are enjoying the quiet of Fenton Ranch for just a few more…
Exploring Southern New Mexico
New Mexico is a darn big state. Even though we’ve been living here on and off…
Gear Testing 101
Justin & I wear many different hats, and one large one is Gear Testers for Backpacker…
Currently: February
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking Fenton Ranch in New Mexico … nothing much to report…
Fenton Ranch Visitor: My Mom!
I received the greatest gift. The gift of time with my mom. This hasn’t happened in…
Currently: January
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking Fenton Ranch in New Mexico! I believe our Jan. 21…
Exploring New Mexico: Guadalupe Mesa
Native Americans have inhabited New Mexico for more than 2,500 years and thankfully, the state has…
Revolving Door of Visitors
For 7 days straight, we’ve hosted 3 different sets of back-to-back visitors! Hosting people is one…
Te Araroa Book Progress: Volume 6 – Reconsidering
Obviously, I’ve been procrastinating on blogging about any progress with my Te Araroa book. I sat…
Currently: December
GOODBYE 2017 AND HAPPY 2018 EVERYONE!!! I feel like this Currently post is a little long-winded,…
Christmas Festivities – Part II
Our Christmas visits continued in Denver this week with Justin’s family. Some nice traditions have been…
Christmas Festivities – Part I
Tis the season for crowded airports and long days of travel! At least for us. We…
More Visitors at Fenton!
I can’t say this enough. I LOVE hosting people! So given the fact we’ve stayed in…
Currently: November
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking the school’s property, Fenton Ranch, in the Jemez Mountains. More than…
Thanksgiving at Fenton Ranch
We successfully hosted our first Thanksgiving at Fenton Ranch! J’s mom, sister, husband and 2 kids…
Currently: October
Currently living/working in: We finished teaching the kids at Fenton Ranch Oct. 12, so from now through…
Fall in New Mexico
We finished another environmental education session at Fenton Ranch Oct. 12 and now our main job…
Island Wedding
Whenever someone poses the mountains versus beach question, we will always opt for mountains. But you…
National Park 43/59: Congaree National Park in South Carolina
We have always used travel to weddings as an excuse to explore a new area. And…
Currently: September
Currently living/working in: We’ve taught 4 fifth grade classes and 4 fourth grade classes for the private…
Backpacking Colorado: Highland Mary Lakes
Thanks for all the new website love and sorry to neglect the blog this month a…
Highpoints #41, 42 and 43: Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota
This post is way overdue and out of chronological order, but I never blogged about the…
Currently: August
Currently living/working in: We are back to caretaking Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico…
Birthday Reflections at 39
I turned 39 today at 3:37am EST. And while I truly stand by the fact that…
National Park 42/59: Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Over the years, we’ve spent A LOT of time in Colorado, but only I had been…
Summer 2017 Speaking Tour Road Trip Statistics
Dates: May 1- July 25 Distance Traveled: 14,240 miles *12,328 miles on the Superfeet Van…
Outdoor Retailer
Our summer nationwide speaking tour truly culminated when we turned the Sprinter van back over to…
Currently: July
Currently living/working in: Just last week, we reluctantly turned over the keys to the Superfeet Supervan!…
Exploring Minnesota: Voyageurs National Park
After our backpacking trip in Michigan, we continued to hug the Canadian line to drive into…
Backpacking Michigan: Isle Royale National Park
There’s a reason Isle Royale National Park is the least visited park in the lower 48.…
Virginia: Family, Friends and Storage Units
We’re making our way West after 3 very full weeks on the East Coast. We only…
Pennsylvania/Maryland/DC
If it seems like we are doing more visiting than presenting these days, you hit the…
Family Time in Connecticut/New Jersey
We spent the long holiday weekend in the tristate area. Most of my family lives here,…
New York State of Mind
If I waited to do an entire East Coast tour recap, it would be way too…
Currently: June
Currently living/working in: The Superfeet Supervan!!! Only 6 stops left on our NZ speaking tour and…
Middle America Tour Recap
Just in case you are wondering, it is NOT recommended to drive eastbound and jump 2…
Exploring Nevada: Great Basin National Park
Once again, we realized we could take a “short” side trip, “not too far out of…
California Tour Recap
Are you tired of hearing about California??? This is it … the last post with a…
Exploring California: Pinnacles and Channel Islands National Parks
As I said in my last post, we hit 2 national parks in northern California and…
Exploring California: Redwoods and Lassen Volcanic National Parks
California has SO many national parks, and even though we’ve been to many, we have not…
Exploring California: San Francisco
We spent 5 days in the Bay Area. IF we were city people, San Francisco might…
Meet the SuperVan!!
It is time to unveil the innards of our summer home on wheels. Reminder: this van…
Currently: May
Currently living/working in: The Superfeet Supervan!!! We are 1/3 of the way through our summer speaking…
Pacific Northwest Tour Recap
First of all, can I just tell you how much I big puffy heart the Pacific…
Exploring Oregon: Mt. Hood and Beyond
Be warned: long post! Justin has a nemesis of a mountain. Its name is Mt. Hood…
Exploring Washington: Climbing Mt. St. Helens
Mt. St. Helens in southern Washington erupted on May 18, 1980. Thirty-seven years and one day…
Exploring Washington: North Cascades National Park
I am so backlogged on blog posts about our epic adventures and tour fun. Bear with…
Exploring Arizona: Saguaro National Park
We are going to squeeze in microadventures throughout our summer speaking tour and it started last…
Southwest Tour Recap
We’ve done 6 presentations–2 in New Mexico and 4 in Arizona–thus completing the Southwest leg of…
Currently: April
Currently living/working in: We just wrapped up our 5-week spring teaching session at Fenton! It went…
Denali Mountaineering Gear Review
This guest post is brought to you by … Justin! This time last year, I was…
Cars Vans Cars Vans.
It’s been a whirlwind of vehicles for us this month. In case you didn’t hear about…
Currently: March
Currently living/working in: They’re back … Our quiet winter retreat at Fenton Ranch has been interrupted by…
Florida: The Sunshine State
Justin & I both read 1.5 books this past weekend. It was the kind of relaxation…
Quisque tristique ac sapien eu tempor
Proin id malesuada nunc. Nulla faucibus non felis quis ornare. Quisque tristique ac sapien eu tempor.…
Cras vulputate – arcu sit amet cursus malesuada!
Aliquam pharetra, sapien non egestas interdum, dolor odio suscipit risus, eu iaculis elit nisi ac lectus.…
Aenean tempor orci eget augue placerat lobortis
Quisque a massa facilisis, pellentesque tellus sit amet, egestas ipsum. Mauris sodales convallis cursus. Fusce efficitur…
Te Araroa Book Progress Volume 5: The Waiting
We all know the feeling. You apply for a job you think is so perfect and…
Aliquam nec interdum augue
Sed volutpat dolor mauris, ut scelerisque justo tincidunt non. Morbi ut faucibus lectus, at rutrum lectus.…
In vitae aliquet mauris – vel malesuada justo
Quisque a massa facilisis, pellentesque tellus sit amet, egestas ipsum. Mauris sodales convallis cursus. Fusce efficitur…
Summer Speaking Tour 2017!!!!
Well folks, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but we have a summer of adventure ahead…
Currently: February
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico … the…
Te Araroa Book Progress Volume 4: Rejections
FYI, if any fellow writers out there need an organized tracker, I downloaded this one from Writer’s…
Visitors in New Mexico
Besides Justin’s mom, who visited in December, we’ve had 3 other brave souls venture into the…
Quisque a massa facilisis cooking
Sed volutpat dolor mauris, ut scelerisque justo tincidunt non. Morbi ut faucibus lectus, at rutrum lectus.…
Currently: January
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking of Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico ……
Inflamed, Yet Untamed: My Crohn’s Story Part III
This is the third in a 3-part series chronicling Justin’s journey with Crohn’s disease so far.…
Inflamed, Yet Untamed: My Crohn’s Story Part II
This is the second in a 3-part series chronicling Justin’s journey with Crohn’s disease so far.…
Inflamed, Yet Untamed: My Crohn’s Story Part I
This post will finally bring our blog reader up to date on Justin’s health and recent…
Five Unconventional Money-Saving Tips
J & I have some lofty money-saving goals this year. Much to our parents’ chagrin, our…
Cras vulputate – arcu sit amet cursus malesuada
Praesent auctor nisi semper, rutrum nibh id, rutrum nunc. Donec semper, mi lobortis posuere malesuada, purus…
Currently: December
Happy New Year! Forgive me for being 1 day late with this … Currently living/working in: Still…
Christmas Traditions
I love Christmas traditions and I love how every family has different ones. Growing up, there…
Te Araroa Book Progress Volume 3: Book Proposal
As I type this, I’m eating Cheerios for breakfast, it is 4 degrees out, and oh,…
Fenton Ranch Visitors
It used to be, no matter where we lived, we would have a revolving door of…
Te Araroa Book Progress Volume 2: Writing Complete!
The last time I worked on my travel memoir was May 30, 2016 and when I…
Opt Outside
Thanksgiving is upon us and while the focus is rightfully on quality time with families and…
Currently: November
Currently living/working in: Property caretaking of Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico through the…
The Cat Lady Who Lives In The Woods And Writes
I have officially fallen into a stereotype. I am the woman who lives in the woods…
The Former PK
I’ve been reading a few blog posts about people reflecting about their former selves and how…
Currently: October
Disclaimer: This post will be a little vague, but someday, I will fill in all the…
Class of 1996
Last Saturday was my 20th high school reunion. 20 years! I graduated high school 20 years…
Birthday Celebrations
Once upon a time, I told Justin that my 20-year high school reunion (more on that…
Happy 40th Birthday Justin!
Today, Justin turns 40. My first impression of J was that he was “so cool.” His…
Backpacking New Mexico: Calaveras Canyon
If there is one thing we’ve learned about living in New Mexico, it is that there…
Currently: September
Currently living/working in: Teaching kids environmental education at Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico.…
Fall Scenes From Fenton Ranch
Sorry for the radio silence around here! Turns out this working thing is really, really time-consuming.…
High Point #40: Wheeler Peak, New Mexico
We bagged our 40th state high point this past weekend: New Mexico’s Wheeler Peak at 13,161…
Currently: August
Currently living/working in: We roadtripped most of August, and are now settled back at Fenton Ranch in…
Happy Anniversary National Park Service!
This week on August 25, 2016, the National Parks Service turned 100!! Visiting National Parks is…
High Point #39 For My 38th Birthday
I celebrated my 38th birthday this weekend. Typically I am not a “birthday” celebration kind of…
High Point #38: White Butte, North Dakota
We hit another high point, this one 10,000 feet lower than our last on King’s Peak:…
High Point #37: King’s Peak, Utah
J & I hit our 37th high point, King’s Peak in Utah, at 13,528 feet!! I’m…
Outdoor Retailer
J & I spent Wednesday through Saturday in Salt Lake City at the Outdoor Retailer Summer…
Van Life: Naming and Interior Pictures
Guys, you came up with some incredible names for our 1995 Chevy G30 Roadtrek Popular 210.…
Currently: July
Currently living/working in: We roadtripped most of July, with a few days on either end in Denver.…
Eastbound-Westbound
We took our new-to-us Roadtrek on its first 4,000-mile test trip from Colorado to the East…
Van Life: Home Is Where You Park It
Exciting news folks!!!!!! We said goodbye to Big Bird (our beloved yellow Subaru Baja) last week…
Backpacking Wyoming: Wind River Range
This past weekend, we explored the highly acclaimed Wind River Range in Bridger National Forest in…
Te Araroa Book Progress Volume 1
My month-long writer residency at Elsewhere Studios wrapped up what seems to be ages ago (May…
Southwest Colorado Spring Adventures
I know the Denali and Alaska blog posts piqued a lot of interest here in May…
Currently: June
Currently living/working in: In limbo! We returned from Alaska June 16 and intended on only spending 1.5…
Denali Top Ten List
Another guest post from Justin (edited by Patrice of course)! My previous mountaineering experiences helped me…
Justin’s Reflection on Denali
This is a guest post written by Justin (okay, it was edited by Patrice)! It’s been…
Alaska Adventures – Part 2
We have wrapped up our time in Alaska–sadly. I have been here three times and all…
Alaska Adventures – Part 1
Justin badly needed some recovery time following his 23-day Denali expedition. So we went camping and…
Denali Update: Days 19-23 And The Almost Summit!
So here’s the scoop. Justin did not summit, choosing to turn around about 400 feet from…
Currently: May
Currently living/working in: For the first time in a very long time, J & I have been…
Denali Update: Days 10-18
Justin and his RMI team have been facing some not-so-ideal weather up on Denali (65 MPH…
Writer Residency: Elsewhere Studios
Well, being I won’t have much of an update about Justin while they hunker down waiting…
Denali Update: Days 3-9
I’m happy to report that Justin and his RMI team are plugging along up the mountain!! Weather…
Denali Update: Days 1 and 2
After going through gear and National Park Service protocols, Justin, Bobby and his team flew from…
Denali Gear List
Fellow gear junkies, get excited. This post is all about gear!!! But first, a few other…
Training For Denali
Here’s a blast from the past from J’s first visit to Alaska in 2003. Many people…
Fenton Ranch Wrap Up
We have wrapped up our spring season at Fenton Ranch! Though we’ve only been here 6…
New Mexico Adventures: El Malpais National Monument
The spring weather in New Mexico has been more like fall into winter, derailing a lot…
Currently: April
Currently living/working in: We are finishing up our environmental educator job in New Mexico May 5! This…
New Mexico Adventures: Valles Caldera National Preserve
Bandalier National Monument is not the only National Park Service property near us. In October 2015,…
New Mexico Adventures: San Pedro Peaks Wilderness
One of the first things we did after we accepting this job in New Mexico was…
Backpacking New Mexico: Bandelier National Monument
J & I are on a quest to hit all the national parks, but often times,…
New Mexico Adventures: San Antonio Hot Springs
One of the great things about this job is that we have a solid 2 days…
RIP Vernon Miller
This is our dear friend, Vern. Vern died today of stupid cancer. We’d like to…
Scenes from Fenton Ranch
Have you heard the rumor is that New Mexico is a desert? Living in the heart…
Hasta Luego, Colorado
When we arrived in Denver on Dec. 10, we didn’t really know how long we’d stay.…
Currently: March
Currently living/working in: One foot in Colorado and one foot in New Mexico. There has been a…
The Land of Enchantment
On March 28, J & I will add our 14th state to our growing list of…
Colorado Winter Adventures: James Peak Wilderness
This week has been very status quo because we’ve been playing the role of adults in…
Colorado Winter Adventures: Rocky Mountain National Park
J & I went for round 2 of winter camping 101 by hitting up Rocky Mountain…
Currently: February
Currently living/working in: Still “unjobbing” in Colorado!! We are very thankful we have lots of choices for…
Colorado Hut Trip: Point Breeze
Last weekend, J & I went on our fourth Colorado backcountry hut trip–the second for this…
Writing Retreat Review
When I was researching writing retreats for my book on Te Araroa, I was completely overwhelmed…
America’s Impression
I have something a little different on the blog today … it is an interview with…
New Zealand: Adventures in Milford Sound
Sadly, I am bidding farewell to New Zealand today. I am extremely pleased with my book-writing…
New Zealand: Adventures in Wanaka
Greetings from New Zealand! I am doing well … busy writing, practicing yoga, writing, writing, biking,…
New Zealand: Adventures in Queenstown
Hello from New Zealand! I didn’t want to make any promises about posting, but I thought…
Patrice, The Writer?
If you’ve been reading this blog for a long time, or if you are my “real-life”…
Contest Winners!!!
Our contest giveaway has ended and we have 2 winners!! The winner of the grand prize…
Currently: January
***Three days left!!! Don’t miss out on entering our giveaway contest three posts back*** Currently living/working in: “Unjobbing” in…
Colorado Hut Trip: Section House
***Don’t miss out on entering our giveaway contest two posts back*** J & I did our third 10th…
Winter Microadventures: Pike and Arapaho National Forest, Colorado
***Don’t miss out on entering our giveaway contest one post back*** As we planned, we did…
Te Araroa Speaking Tour Wrap-Up and CONTEST!!!
We were so happy with the outcome of New Zealand’s Te Araroa Speaking Tour! We are…
10 Days At 10,000 Feet
We have wrapped up our Te Araroa Speaking Tour. I plan to do a full recap…
Snowshoeing Colorado: Chicago Lakes
J & I took our first snowshoeing trip of the season on Saturday. We headed to…
Back On Tour
Try to contain your excitement … our 8-stop New Zealand Te Araroa speaking tour is picking…
2015 – It's So Last Year
After tucking 2015 into bed, J & I realized we’ve had quite a year. If you…
Merry Merry
For most of our 13 years together, J & I have spent Christmas mornings with my…
Wilderness First Responder
Before anyone freaks out with these pictures, know it is all makeup!! It was all part…
Currently: December
Currently living/working in: Well, we made it to Colorado! And right now, we are in the midst…
Midwest Tour Recap/Visits
Our Te Araroa speaking tour took us through the Midwest, somehow magically without any winter weather.…
Westbound With A Purpose
In this past week, we went from the serene quiet of the island to the organized…
Island Life Wrap-up
We said goodbye to our 2-month caretaking gig on that secret island today, but want wholeheartedly…
Need A New Book? Here Are 20 Possibilities!
During the past 5 months, I read 15 books and J read 10. It may not…
Currently: November
Currently living/working in: In the homestretch of island life … unbelievably, there are only 9 days left…
Caretaking 101: 5 Tips for Becoming a Professional Nomad
J & I have created what we like to call a “life less ordinary,” particularly since…
Island Life – Part 3
With less than 25 days left in our island gig, I’m already dreaming about how we…
New Zealand’s Te Araroa – A Speaking Tour
Te Araroa is trending. While the Te Araroa Trust estimates there were 200 hikers on the…
Currently: October
Currently living/working in: Caretaking an island off the coast of New England and loving it! Current mood: Happy!…
Island Life – Part 2
All the islanders are gone. Well, 1-2 will come back here and there, but for the…
Island Life
We have settled in for our 2-month caretaking job on an island off the coast of…
And The Winner Is …
John Miller!!!!! John, please e-mail us your mailing address at gearandgo@hotmail.com so we can send you…
Interim Visits
We start our new (secret) caretaking gig on Monday, so we’ve been bouncing all over the…
Princeton Tec Helix Basecamp Lantern Giveaway!
Who wants to win this lantern????????? We are partnering with Princeton Tec for a giveaway of…
Currently: September
Currently living/working in: transitioning from one caretaking gig to another!!! I know, I know, you are getting…
Denali Bid 2016
You might have heard the big news. President Obama changed the name of North America’s highest…
Scenes From Chesuncook – Week 7
J & I used to always say, “someday, we will live off the grid.” Not because…
Currently: August
Currently living/working in: Maine. And not just Maine, but the North Maine woods off the grid, running…
Human-Powered Shuttles
Nearly every person we meet in the North Maine Woods spews off something along these lines:…
Currently: Birthday Edition at 37
I turn 37 on Friday and thought it would be fun to pay respects to my…
Scenes From Chesuncook – Week 2
Hope you enjoyed our first batch of pictures, because I have a second batch! Our life…
Scenes From Chesuncook
It’s been 1 week since we’ve been up here and we are getting more and more…
Our New Home in Maine
“The first time that you begin moving in an unconventional direction is the hardest beginning,” according…
Currently: July
Currently just departed from: New Jersey. We were in NJ from July 1-17, with a few brief…
Why I Once Lived in Phoenix: My HCA Story
Last weekend, J & I met 3 other couples and their kids in Beckley, West Virginia,…
High Points #35 and #36: Maryland and Kentucky
Our goal of reaching all 50 high points has really taken a back seat to some…
Made in the USA
The U.S. manufacturing sector may appear to be shrinking, but it’s making a comeback at the…
Currently: June
Currently spending time with/where: We are down to the wire with our time in Danville. We close…
Mountain Biking – CHECK
J & I engage in plenty of outdoor sports–hiking, paddling, biking, rock climbing, XC skiing, etc.…
New Zealand Accommodations
We stayed in 25+ different hostels/holiday parks along Te Araroa and most of them were great,…
Camping and Paddling in North Carolina
We hopped over the state line this weekend to go camping and paddling with some Danville…
Virginia Beach
Not many extended families can really say they all get along, but J’s family can. As…
Summer Suggestions
I am behind on blogging. I mean, I am blogging here for Big Agnes and Gregory,…
Currently: May
Currently spending time with/where: I added this “currently” label because we bounce around so much! This…
Scenes From Danville
I promised I’d balance out my Debbie Downer posts, so here are some happy scenes from…
Post-Trail Blues
So it’s pretty suffice to say that since we returned from New Zealand, we’ve had a…
RIP Mr. McKinley
If this week were not emotional enough, we have other bad news. Mr. McKinley passed away…
Our Danville Story
We’ve been in Danville, VA, since May 6. Danville, for those who don’t know, is one…
Bye Bye Colorado … Again
Earlier this week, we left Colorado and landed on the East Coast, specifically in Virginia. I…
Currently: April
Current mood: missing New Zealand. Seriously, it is SO disappointing to be “back to life, back…
Epilogue 7: Sydney, Australia
We made the most of our 5 days in Sydney, taking all modes of transportation to…
Epilogue 6: Christchurch
Well, our 5-month New Zealand grand adventure has come to an end. We flew out on…
Epilogue 5: Dunedin
Dunedin was never a planned destination for our post-Te Araroa travels. Dunedin was the Plan B…
Epilogue 4: Milford Sound
We spent the weekend in Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. We…
Epilogue 3: Queenstown
We scheduled in a little R&R during our post Te Araroa weeks in New Zealand and…
Te Araroa Stats
I plan to write more about our overall impressions and feelings about the Te Araroa, as…
Epilogue 2: Mt. Cook National Park
A second priority in our post-TA exploring was Mt. Cook National Park and we ended up…
Epilogue 1: Stewart Island/Rakiura National Park
Stewart Island (Rakiura) is New Zealand’s “third” largest island. Most of the island is protected as…
The South Island Stats
Before we leave for Stewart Island, I wanted to give you a few statistics. I will…
Day 123: 35 Kilometers From Invercargill To Stirling Point In Bluff (THE END)
It is done. We have walked the entire length of New Zealand from Cape Reigna to…
Days 116-122: 200 Kilometers From Te Anau to Invercargill
Hello from Invercargill! We are at kilometer 2962, which means we are one single day and…
Days 112-115: 100 Kilometers From Queenstown to Te Anau
Hello from Te Anau, where we hitched 30K and are just resupplying quickly, then heading back…
Day 111: Zero Day in Queenstown
We thoroughly enjoyed our zero day in Queenstown and will be hitting the trail Wednesday for…
Days 107-110: 100 Kilometers From Wanaka to Queenstown
Hello from Adventure Queenstown Hostel! Queenstown is a BIG town, and we are actually taking our…
Day 106: ZERO Day in Wanaka
Well, we finally did it. We took a zero day, which we haven’t done since we…
Days 101-105: 141 Kilometers From Twizel to Wanaka
Hello from Wanaka! We are at kilometer 2579 and have traveled 141 kilometers (or 90 miles)…
Days 98-100: 68 Kilometers From Lake Tekapo to Twizel
It poured (and hailed) on us Friday morning as we were coming into Twizel to resupply,…
Days 92-97: 140 Kilometers From Rakaia River to Lake Tekapo
Hello from Lake Tekapo! We are enjoying a half day of rest with this beautiful view…
Days 89-91: 72 Kilometers From Arthur's Pass to Lake Coleridge
Hello from Mt. Hutt Hostel in Methven! We’ve only come 72 kilometers (46 miles) from Arthur’s…
Days 79-88: 230 Kilometers From St. Arnaud to Arthur's Pass
Hello from Mountain House Hostel in Arthur’s Pass National Park! It’s been a long time (10…
Days 72-78: 159 Kilometers From Havelock To St. Arnaud
Hello from St. Arnaud! We have trekked 159 kilometers, or 102 miles, from Havelock to St.…
Midpoint Gear Review
We had hoped to get this up in Wellington as we finished the North Island, but…
Days 69-71: 83K From Picton to Havelock
Hello from the Blue Moon Backpackers in Havelock! We hiked the first 83 kilometers (53 miles)…
Day 66-68: Zero Days
We have THOROUGHLY enjoyed our days off in Wellington, then Picton. It had been the perfect…
Ode To The North Island
As I said in my last post, we have finished the North Island (NI) section of…
Days 55-65: 340K From Whanganui to Wellington
Hello from Windy Welly! Wellington is NZ’s capitol and at the very bottom of the North…
Days 45-54: 322K From Taumarunui to Whanganui
Hello from Whanganui! We left Taumarunui last Saturday and have come 322K, or 207 miles, to…
Days 39-44: 158K From Waitomo To Taumarunui
Hello from Taumarunui! We have traveled 158K, or 101 miles, from Waitomo to Taumarunui. We have…
Day 38: Zero Day and Playing Tourists Again
We are still in Waitomo (btw pronounced Why-Toe-Mo meaning water hole). Yesterday we did our tour…
Days 33-37: 100K From Hamilton to Waitomo Caves
Hello from Waitomo Caves! We have traveled just 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, from Hamilton. It…
Hobbits in New Zealand
Hello from Te Awamutu, home of Crowded House. Who’s that you ask? Some 80s band, but…
Days 25-32: 200K From Auckland to Hamilton
Hello from Hamilton! We have traveled 200 kilometers, or 120 miles, from Auckland. We are 793K…
Day 25 (Zero Day) and Northland Stats
Today (Sunday), we took a planned zero day in Auckland. Besides our regular town chores (blog,…
Days 19-24: 193K From Waipu to Auckland
Hello from the Brown Kiwi Hostel in Auckland! It feels like it was just yesterday when…
Day 18: ZERO Day
So, we are on an unplanned zero day. No one is hurt or sick. But remember…
Days 10-17: 200K From KeriKeri To Waipu
Hello from Waipu (pronounced Why-poo, seriously), where we are staying at the Waipu Wanderers Hostel and…
Days 5-9: 120K from Ahipara to KeriKeri
Hello from KeriKeri, which means “dig dig.” 123K–or 73.8 miles for us Americans–in the books, bringing our…
Days 1-4: 100 Kilometers From Cape Reinga to Ahipara
New Zealand has 11,000 kilometers of coastline, and we have now walked along 1% of it.…
First 3 Days in New Zealand
Hello from the future! To be precise, we are 18 hours ahead of you east coasters…
Bye Bye Colorado
Greetings from San Francisco! We are just hours away from our flight to New Zealand–eeek!! We…
Currently: November
Current mood: a bit frantic, but I believe we got everything done on our to do…
What’s In Our Bags?
Our base weights (without food and water) are: Justin 18 lbs Patrice 13.5 lbs Here’s the…
One More Sponsor!
We secured another sponsor! And, once again, it is a company we have known and loved…
TA Mail Drops
On the AT, we loved getting our mail drops. People sent us 40+ pieces of “mail…
More on Hiking Utah
After 11 nights–some very cold and snowy nights I might add–of sleeping in a tent, we…
Leave No Trace Master Educators
J & I are now “master educators” for Leave No Trace (LNT). We spent 5 days…
Hiking Utah: Arches National Park
Hello from the Grand Canyon, where J and I are becoming “master educators” for Leave No…
Planning and Prep
Anyone who knows me knows I am a planner and a worrier. These are my worst…
Marriage By Numbers – The 8th Anniversary Edition
8 memorable, adventure-filled years married 7 times we’ve rented a moving truck (Penske rocks!) 6 cats…
Currently: October
Current mood: Excited! Anxious! Overwhelmed! NZ trip planning brings out a range of emotions! Currently thankful…
Our Next Adventure: Going Tramping in Middle Earth
Tramp [verb]: to walk long and far, hike, march or trudge. to wander about as a…
Backpacking Oregon: Eagle Cap Wilderness – Lakes Basin
First thing first. Happy birthday J!!!! Today he turns 38. This means, it’s just 2 years…
Backpacking Oregon: Timberline Trail
We may be leaving Oregon in a week, but we will be back. We have to…
End-of-Season Review
Today is the last day RimRock is open. Let me start by saying we had a…
Currently: Catching Up To September
I skipped August, so this will be a catch-up edition! Current mood: at peace Currently thankful…
Mountain Man???
FYI, this is a guest blog post by hubby, so please excuse all typos, poor spelling…
Life is Qualitative
The good news is J is doing well on his Shuksan expedition. He was actually able…
My Mountain Man
J left this morning for another harrowing adventure … he is taking a 6-day expedition skills…
Backpacking Oregon: Chico Trail – Take 2
Back in May, we did a little scouting on the hardly used Chico Trail down in…
Happily Sharing Paradise With Our Family
J’s mom came to visit last week. Our visitors have been perfectly timed during our slower…
Birthday Reflections at 36
Back when babies were allowed to sleep with blankets, I was born. I’m at the age…
East Coast Meets West Coast
My sister and mom came to visit this past weekend and it was of course nice…
Backpacking Oregon: Eagle Cap Wilderness – Aneroid Lake
We haven’t been able to take a backpacking trip in awhile since we’ve been so busy,…
Mid-Season Review
RR has been open for more than 2 months and it’s time for reflective thoughts. Of…
Currently: July
Current mood: Tired. We had a long, busy weekend Currently thankful for: Google Translate. We have…
Backpacking Oregon: Eagle Cap Wilderness – Ice Lake
We ventured back into the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and Eagle Cap Wilderness again and this time,…
Scenes from our life
I’ve been taking lots and lots of pictures of our time here, but few are shared.…
Backpacking Oregon: Eagle Cap Wilderness – Mirror Lake
I am not going on a blog hiatus. I promise. Between hosting a wedding at RR…
Kayaking Oregon: Wallowa Lake
On Monday, we squeezed away from RR for a half day and took out ‘yaks out…
Visiting America’s High Five – Michigan
This past weekend, J & I ventured to the mitten state for Jason (Hoss) and Adrienne’s…
Backpacking Oregon: Chico Trail
The trails around these parts seem to have a common theme … steep, unmarked and no…
Currently: May … okay, June
Current mood: Slowly getting in a groove here Currently thankful for: J making it off Mount…
“The Mountains Win Again …”
This blog post is brought to you by my awesome and crazy husband, J. The above…
High Points and Low Points
Well, this week has been going much better than last week in terms of breathing a…
Open for Business
Well, RR opened for business this weekend! Let me tell you, we were putting finishing…
Anniversaries in the Hospital
My family seems to have this trend going on in that wedding anniversaries should be spent…
Meet Us in Spokane
We have a *few* friends/family willing to make the long haul out to visit us this…
Kayaking Oregon and Washington: Grande Ronde River
As soon as we saw a glimmer of good weather, we knew we needed to take…
Currently: April
Current mood: surprisingly content, with all that is going on Currently thankful for: Snail Mail Netflix…
Backpacking Oregon: Warm Springs Trail
J & I went down into Joseph Canyon this past weekend and this time, we turned…
“You can’t get anywhere from here.”
“You can’t get anywhere from here,” J and I lamented the other day. By here, I…
Living on the Edge
J & I high-fived last Sunday as we entered Oregon, marking it as our 11th state…
Currently: March
We’ve been on the road since Feb. 24, but we will be completing the final leg…
Midway Through America
We left Danville, VA, March 14 and are still in the Midwest. Those head winds, tail…
In Search of Some Spring
Voting is still open through the end of March for the Montana contest … come on…
Vote for us!
Well, this shouldn’t surprise you, but J & I are entering a contest. And we need…
Funerals=Unexpected Family Reunions
What’s that they say about certainty in life? There are two things you can count on:…
Good Weekend Turned Bad Weekend
This weekend was our last one at the cabin in the mountains of CO before we…
Currently …
I came across a “Currently” blog post from this Colorado blogger and I loved the idea.…
That Mother Nature, She’s Crazy
Let me tell you how that East Coast storm (Pax? Can’t keep track of these stupid…
Shred the Gnar!
You know those life experiences that you have once and then swear you’ll never do again?…
Driving ‘Murica
I suppose this could be in the interest of “Throwback Thursday,” but J & I are…
Before Matrimony Comes Bachelor Parties
J has abandoned me for the first of TWO bachelor parties this month. Strange to be…
Happy Vagrants
We are still enjoying our transition period at the cabin between one adventure to the next.…
Retired Life at the Cabin at 10,000 Feet.
You have to be wondering what we are doing these days since we don’t start our…
A Twist of Fate
I have been dreading this post. You can probably tell I’ve been avoiding the blog, since…
Hello, 2014
Happy New Year from Colorado, our temporary “home” for the next 2 months. Lest you think…
Christmas in Chicago
We have spent a number of Christmases with my family, but with that niece and nephew…
Fare the Well, New Jersey
Well, we survived our almost 2 months in NJ. I say “survived” because J should really…
Health “insurance”
I try to steer clear of opening any can of worms on this blog by talking…
More Jersey Deliciousness
Day 41 in New Jersey, but who’s counting? J was not counting and when I told…
Save $0.46 on us!
Well, it’s that time of year. My favorite time of year, actually. Thanksgiving into Christmas, when…
Thanks and giving
Cliche or not, I would like to jump on the bandwagon (albeit a few days too…
We are celebrating our 7-year itch in a unique way
On Monday, J & I hit 7 years of marriage. How do most people celebrate their…
Strike a pose!
Back when we started our contract with BP, we got an e-mail from our boss asking…
10 days in Colorado … 10 things we have done
We’ve been in Colorado for 10 days now. And in no particular order, here are 10…
Bucket List Item Checked …
We now have Phil Keoghan on speed dial. Okay, that’s a little of a stretch, but…
You TOO can see our presentation!
All summer long, friends and family asked if we would be coming to a town near…
Happy birthday J!!!
First of all, happy birthday to my old man!! For the many, many years, he would…
Saying Goodbye to the “Bu”
I love those stories about being in the right place at the right time. But this…
Highpoint #34 – Mount Whitney in California
Our whole summer has been speckled with spur-of-the-moment decisions and seizing the opportunity because we’re there. …
From the Northwest to the Southwest
We’ve traded in coniferous trees and high-alpine lakes in the Pacific Northwest high country for barren…
High Points #32 & #33
We knocked off 2 more high points as we have been making our way to the…
One Last Shout Out to the Pac NW!
As I said in my last blog post, our time in the Pacific Northwest was wrapping…
Washington: An Education in Ecosystems
I love Washington … always have. How could you not love a state with such diverse…
Visiting Film Locations
I’m going to switch gears from backpacking to pure road tripping in this post. In our…
When in Oregon …
… you have to stop and smell the roses, literally and figuratively. The last couple of…
Adventures in Idaho
We just spent the last week exploring Idaho. For those of you thinking Idaho is not…
It’s not easy to get to the top of the world
I’ve always said it is about the journey, not the destination, and this is certainly true…
Quick Rainier Update
We are alive and well!!! J and Fire Marshall Mac beat the mountain and hit the…
Mountaineering Training Complete!
We did a full day of training today with our RMI guides right under the shadow…
Rainier is upon us!
After stopping in Seattle for a brief overnighter (and seeing Rainier from a distance for days…
Rainier or Bust
We are leaving Colorado tomorrow to head to Rainier!!!!!!!! Our summit climb attempt is July 25-29!!!!!!!!…
Rainier Training Hike #1
A lot of people have asked if J & I are still attempting to climb Mount…
Adios East Coast
We are slowly making our way west, not without a few pitstops and visiting of course!!! …
Guest Blog by Hubby … the music guru
So I anticipate every post my wonderful wife puts up on this blog. Even when she…
Dirty Jersey and Connecticut
My 10 days in dirty Jersey (with a brief 4-day stint in CT) is coming to…
Happy 9th Birthday Mr. McKinley!
For those who may be newer to this blog, this is Mr. McKinley. J & I…
There’s No Place Like Roam
In May, we spent 17 nights sleeping at friends’ or family’s houses, 7 nights in the…
Staying Put For A Bit
I have set up “camp” at my parents’ house in New Jersey for the next 10…
The Midwest
Our tour took us on a detour to Midwest from the East coast this week, mainly…
Memorial Day Wknd in VA Beach
We spent Memorial Day weekend in Virginia Beach. Though we ALWAYS have work to do, the…
It’s Not Your 9 to 5 Job
10 days since my last post, but it feels more like 20 days because of everything…
Coast to Coast Celebrations
We are now 2 presentations in with 6,000+ miles driven across 16 states, all in 2…
On the road again …
We gave our very first Gear & Go presentation for BP in Minneapolis and it was…
Closing one chapter and starting another
We are busier than a one-armed juggler these days. Even J, who never stresses about anything,…
What it means to be sponsored
Deal is really living up to his trail name these days. What started as a joke…
Our Godson’s Reaction to Getting Baptized
We’ve been to a lot of baptisms. Three godchildren each, plus a few others just to…
How to live a life less ordinary according the wanderinglavignes.
Steps 1-3: Dream big, live your passions and don’t ever stop believing. I am here to…
Converting Visitors Into Bean Farmers
We’ve had a very busy week here with back-to-back-to-back personal visitors (3 sets to be exact),…
A little bit of NH in NoVa
One of our favorite things about living in NH was the SNOW!!! Our first year living…
Goal Completed!
You probably don’t remember this, but in 2008, Deal & I set a goal to watch…
A New Job! A New Job! A New Job!
The point of this post is to tell you some exciting news … at the beginning…
What have we been up to? – Part Dos
I know y’all enjoyed my “What have we been up to?” post from a few weeks…
Party Like A One-Month Old
We ventured up to the Philly area for a quick overnight trip with 3 purposes. 1)…
What have we been up to?
It feels like it’s been forever since I blogged, but it’s only been 10 days. Still,…
The Southerners Come North For The Winter
Turns out BD is just as awesome of a place to visit in the winter as…
The Godfather (and Godmother) Part III
We have been called again. And we accepted the chosen path again. Julie/SILMeow and Russ/Napolean Dynamite…
Insanity is Insane
I mentioned that Deal & I are doing the Insanity (NOW) workout to get in shape…
Ringing in 2013
Our kindred spirits visited us. Yes, we have our very own kindred spirits, another couple who…
Christmas in Newtown
My sister has lived in Newtown for the last 10 peaceful years. We have spent Christmas…
Like Uncle, Like Nephew
We spent last week in Chi-town becoming acquainted with our new nephew! We did a lot…
My Garden Groweth
In the dead of winter, I would like to talk about gardening. Fitting, right? This was…
Columbus & Cleveland, Two Months Ago
Anytime Deal goes anywhere without me, I tell him to take pictures so I can blog…
Introducing our newest nephew!
Everett Hudson (courtesy of SILMeow/Julie and Napolean Dynamite/Russ) Born Nov. 30 at 9:30 am 6 lbs…
The Tale of Two Thanksgivings
Deal and I spent Thanksgiving apart this year. Don’t gasp. We live and work together everyday,…
Who wants to be a sawyer when they grow up????
I used to joke that when Deal worked in parks and recreation, he went to all…
Bottom Line: Don’t Get Sick.
Everyone has a horror health insurance story. And everyone has a political view on health insurance.…
An Extended Visit
During the last week in October, my mother-in-law, MamaF, scheduled a 4-day trip. It turned into…
Happy AT Anniversary and Adventure 2013
Today marks the one-year anniversary of finishing our thru hike of the AT!! This time last…
West Virginia Motto – Mountaineers Are Always Free
These days, there is a “group” for everything. Like-minded people get together and do their thing.…
40 is the new 20.
My big sis (Janice/Quick Question) turned 40 last weekend! To celebrate, we ventured to sunny and…
Welcome Fall
What I love about BD is that no two days/nights are the same. Thursday night, we…
7 Years, 25 Years, 54 Years and 200+ Years. If you don’t get this title, no worries, I was just trying to be creative.
This weekend was eventful, very eventful. We left the confines of the hostel (I am going…
Life Unexpected
I love my new life. It’s funny how things never turn out as planned. I should…
Hiking, then and now
We have been getting out and doing more and more hiking these days. Novel concept, you…
Foster Kitties
Jess Hi, my name is Jess and I spent just over 3 months living with Steadee…
Fins to the left … take 3
We’ve created this dangerous tradition with Deal’s friend TheHoss/Jason and his girlfriend Accessory/Adrienne … going to…
Knock, Knock. Who’s There. A Little Black Snake.
The other day Deal stepped outside our front door and something caught his eye. Deal is…
Godfather Part II, but not the movie
I am happy to announce that Hallmark4Ever/Sara & GoodEgg/Rob (our friends from NJ) asked us to…
Deal’s Family
Almost immediately after my sister’s family left, Deal’s family arrived! First, his preggo sister (our third…
Steadee’s Family
Quitting my job was timed perfectly for our oodles of back-to-back family visitors. First up, my…
Take this job and shove it.
Hi everyone, how are you? I quit my job. If you do not want to join…
Visitations Continue …
We had more visitors roll through in July and now in August and they will continue…
We are famous!
Okay, not really, but a local TV station did a piece on the lodge/hostel for their…
Let the visitations begin!
There’s so much I want to write about, but so little time! For now, I wanted…
Happy 50th Birthday To Our Son … 1 Day Late
Dear Mr. McKinley, Your birthday was yesterday (Summer Solstice). You turned 8, which is 50 in…
Happy 1-Year Anniversary!
This time last year, we set off on our greatest adventure of our lives (so far).
SURPRISE!!
Aren’t you lucky? 2 posts in one weekend!!! My sister (QuickQuestion) traveled 376 miles by train,…
Celebrating 75 Years of the AT …
The weekend of May 18-20 (yes, I realize that was 2 weeks ago), Deal & I…
Where we live
Well, so much for my “bonus post,” as it’s been almost 2 weeks! My “bonus post”…
FridayS the 13th
Friday the 13th, an ominous day known for bad luck. Instead of just one day, though,…
April Fools Without A Practical Joke
Two weeks between my blog posts … not bad! But, I thought I better get another…
Please Standby As I Try To Revive This Blog.
Exhale. So, it turns out that starting two new jobs, moving into a new place and…
And the winner is …
BEEF!!!!AKA Casey! Thank you for all your entries! I had fun reading them. Oddly enough, most…
500th Blog Post Giveaway!
We are currently in New Hampshire, thoroughly enjoying our time and busy visiting with friends all…
Eastbound and Loaded Down
We are just about done with our tour de U.S. and when all is said and…
Scenes from Chicago … Round 2
We decided the 26 days we spent in Chicago after the trail with Deal’s mom, sister…
Deal Steadee Deal
Deal got his name on the trail for a reason. He lives for deals and for…
In the Name of the Father …
RevKev came to visit us at the cabin (aka, paradise) this weekend and we had loads…
Fire Safety 101
Fire is NOT something to joke about, which is why I am happy to report we…
Work It, Girl
So guess who else got a job besides Deal? MEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I am once again going to…
Retirement is oh so good
It’s good to be back in Colorado and at the cabin and we are waiting for…
South Dakota, Great Faces, Great Places
Before this week, I had never been to South Dakota (4 states left on my list!!!),…
The Cabin Life
Greetings from paradise! We have been at the cabin for a 5 full days and there…
Hut, Hut, Hut
2012 is all about new adventures, right? Well, we had our first new adventure for New…
Twenty Twelve … here we come!
Since I know everyone is waiting with bated breath, I figured I couldn’t let 2011 slip…
On the road again …
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Festivus … All that good stuff. We had a wonderful…
Tis the Season
Where in the world are Steadee & Deal??? That’s a good question. For the last two…
42 days, 17 states & 7,100 miles
On Oct. 24, we finished our hike on the Appalachian Trail after 141 days, 14 states…
Tour de the Lowest High Points
This weekend, we’ve been hanging out in Tampa with our good friend BEEF! (Casey). It was…
Goodbye Texas
We spent 3 glorious days and 2 glorious nights exploring Big Bend National Park. For a…
National Parks and High Points
We may be off the AT, but we are still making the most of being unemployed…
High Pointing and Road Tripping
Since we reached our goal of thru hiking the AT, we needed a new goal. So…
Fare Thee Well, Chicago
Goodbye Chicago. You have been good to us for the past 3 weeks, but it is…
You Might Be A Thru-Hiker If …
– Your grocery list contains foods invented solely to make people obese and you choose the…
Cleveland ROCKS!
No one seems to believe us, but we really liked Cleveland! Yes, I am talking about…
More EpiBLOG
So post-trail life. Still going well. By all measures of success, we are on the right…
Rainy Days
It’s a rainy day here in Chi-town. I appreciate being indoors so much more after doing…
Georgia off my mind
As we trekked through the last 70ish miles in Georgia, we got a little bit of…
We did it!!
2,181 miles 14 states 141 days June 6 to October 24 Dream come true! Thank you…
Springer Mountain, Here We Come!
We have reached our 14th and final state, Georgia! Theoretically, we have accomplished our goal: we…
Mile 2,018.4 – Recap of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Folks, we have walked 2,018.4 miles and have been out in the woods for 131 days…
Mile 1909!!!!
Hello from Hot Springs, NC, at Mile 1909.2 on Day 125, where we took a nero…
Happy 35th Birthday Deal!
Happy Birthday to my lovely husband!!!! I don’t have much service, but I had to send…
An Unexpected Zero!
Remember how I said it was unseasonably cold here and we were about to climb to…
Snow in TN, Mail Magic & Last Mail Drop
We are currently at a hostel in Elk Park, NC/Roan Mtn, TN at mile 1791.4 on…
Mile 1716.6 – Day 114
Hello from Damascus, VA, a very hiker-friendly town we walk through. We are at mile 1716.6!!!…
Deal's Bday Maildrop
Lots of people have been asking where they can send something (for example, home-baked goods) for…
Days 95-106/Central VA
We have completed Central VA, all 227 miles! It took us 12 days. We did stop…
Small Update, Next Maildrop and Medical Mishap
We are in town tonight … Once again, our trail angel, Fire Chief (Fire Marshall’s dad)…
Mile 1327 – Part 1 of VA
We have completed 154 miles of VA! 854 left of the whole trail! And we just…
The story behind the believe rock
Lots of people have been asking what that item is that I am holding up in…
Mile 1204.7 – Recap of MD/WV
We are actually 30 miles into Virginia now, but I have yet to give my report…
Mile 1,130! PA is finished!
On Thursday, we conquered our eighth state and entered Maryland! Oh and we hit the halfway…
My 33 year old thru hiker
Hello everyone, this is Deal. Yesterday Steadee turned 33 and I do believe she had a…
Onto Rocksylvania
We spent 3 wonderful zeros at my parents’ … Saw lots of friends and took care…
Mile 895.5 – New Jersey is DONE
Guess what we have been doing the last few days?? NOT HIKING!! I’m excited to tell…
Mile 823.4 New York is DONE!
We entered NJ this evening and it started to downpour … you would think our home…
Small Update and Next Maildrop
Hello from mile 791! We are almost done with NY and I will do an update…
Mile 740.9 – Connecticut is done!
Today we hiked into New York. This is our 6th state (out of 14)! Unbelievable! Connecticut…
Mile 722.6 – Kent, CT
Today, we got trail magic. This time, though, it wasn’t from a stranger, but from our…
Mile 693.3 and another state done!
We have entered CT! Which means we knocked another state off the list! Massachusetts was pretty…
Happy birthday Mama K/Short-on-Coffee
My mom turned 66 today!! However, she has the energy of a 46-year-old! Maybe it’s from…
Three states down! 11 to go!
Greetings from Mt. Greylock at 3,491 feet, the highest point in Massachusetts, and mile 602.5. We…
Mail Drop Update
Remember that whole list I put together for mail drops? Please disregard. Well, for now. Right…
Mile 537.7 – Days 40-45 – Vermont
Hello from Manchester Center, VT! We hiked 10 miles today to get here and are spending…
Two states down!!
What an awesome ZERO day. We can’t thank our host and hostess Second Nature and Grateful…
Mile 442.3 – Days 36-38
Hello from Hanover, NH! This trail town is right on the border of Vermont, so that…
Mile 398.5 – Days 27-35
Hello from Glencliff, NH! I know it’s been awhile and you are all awaiting an update!…
MAINE – 1 state down, 13 to go!
So we’ve finished Maine! It was exactly 281.4 miles, the second longest state on the trail.…
Mile 297.9 – Days 23-26
Hello from Gorham, NH, where we are enjoying yet another wonderful hiker hostel! We have finished…
Mile 256.5 – Days 20 – 22
The trail has definitely beaten us up these past few days!! We have been with Fire…
Mile 220 – Days 17 – 19
Greetings from Rangeley, ME! We are in the process of receiving the best trail magic evah!…
Mile 187.8 – Days 13-16
The last update I gave you was from the Northern Outdoors Center, where we hobnobbed with…
Mile 151.2 – Days 11-13
Hello from the Northern Outdoors Center in The Forks, ME (population 31), where there is no…
Mile 114.5 – Days 1-10 Part Dos
The laundry is done and we are ready to hit the trail early tomorrow morning with…
AT Mile 114.5 – Days 1-10
We are currently in Monson, ME, taking a near-zero (nero) day at Shaw’s Lodging, an awesome…
Have You Seen My Husband?
I woke up next to this strange guy this morning …He looked like this yesterday until…
One Week from the AT!
We are just days from starting our big hike and things are super busy, but I…
Valley of the SUN
We spent 4 days in Phoenix. It was certainly nice to see the sun, since NH…
Chop, Chop
We’re still in Phoenix and it’s hot. We are getting ready to attend Sunshine’s wedding and…
Adios Fernando
We sold my car yesterday. It was bittersweet for me because Fernando & I have been…
Friday the 13th
Today is J’s last day of work. He decided to wear his favorite green shirt.Out of…
More QT with Friends
Our yard sale helped us get rid of some small stuff and we donated the rest.…
Just over 5 weeks to go!
Last week with the family here, we took off from trail planning. It was a very…
Spring (not really) Vacay
A few months ago, my dad suggested we (us, my parents, my sister’s family) take a…
Gear, Gear and More Gear!
With 7 weeks until trail time, we are up to our eyeballs in gear for the…
You’ve Got Mail!
Lots of people are asking us, “can I/we send you something on the trail?” The answer…
Cross Training
We did some major spring cleaning through our belongings this weekend to prepare for the arduous…
Local Celebrity Status for a Day
The town is talking … here’s an article in our local newspaper about J’s departure. Something…
9 Weeks until the AT!
I am switching up these weekly posts from week 43 of unemployment to 9 weeks until…
Mother Nature’s April Fool’s Joke
Here is our backyard on Thursday. Here is our backyard on Friday.It is spring!
It’s on like Donkey Kong
Well, it’s official. We are planning to thru hike the AT this summer. J handed in…
Week 42 of Unemployment
Busy week again, which included J getting a root canal and an interview on Monday for…
Happy First Day of Spring??
In true New England fashion, most of our snow melted last week and this weekend, and…
Week 41 of Unemployment
Awhile back, probably somewhere around week 26 of unemployment, I resigned to the fact that my…
Could the Mister give us the plague?
There’s a new study out from the CDC that says there’s a risk of transmission of…
A Mini Tour of the Upper Valley
You wouldn’t know the first day of spring is in less than 10 days here. Sure,…
Week 40 of Unemployment
First things first, my second interview went great. It’s hard to tell where they are in…
Learning to Cook Gourmet Meals
This weekend was pretty boring. Aside from J’s concerts (BTW, he got to Boston with no…
Week 39 of Unemployment
Not a bad week work-wise for me again. I like the new project I’m working on…
From 27 inches to 13 inches to 32 inches
I know I already said our 27-inch flat-screen TV kicked the bucket, but J wanted to…
Week 38 of Unemployment
I’m happy to report another busy week between our houseguest, the magazine and my old company.…
Our little ski resort
Today is our first day without a houseguest since Feb. 11. Don’t get me wrong, we…
I’m retiring my skort
I tried to start a trend this indoor soccer season: wearing a skort to play. But…
Week 37 of Unemployment
My dear readers, this week was a good week in terms of my self-employment endeavors. Can…
Business Combined with Pleasure
We have wrapped up a wonderful visit with Mama Fashion. She was with us from Friday…
Week 36 of Unemployment
Of course I have no job update for you. Looked for work, not much out there,…
Superbowl Sunday!
Happy Superbowl! We’re just sitting here watching the game and commercials (disappointing so far, no?) as…
Week 35 of Unemployment
I have nothing good to say about my pitiful job search this week, though I did…
Week 34 of Unemployment
Week 34 was really depressing and another roller coaster, but, by now, I’ve had such a…
911 in da woods
If we are ever in the woods together, rest assure. I can save you!!! I may…
Week 33 of Unemployment
Not much to report here. Sent out more resumes to what seems like promising leads, but…
J, the good samaritan
We are getting pounded with winter weather these past few days. It’s lovely, but not so…
Week 32 of Unemployment
This week was a little bit of a roller coaster, but with a good ending. It…
Now that’s what I’m talking about
We finally got a good, blog-worthy snowstorm here. I was spoiled our first winter here in…
Set Your DVR
For those of you who have the Nat Geo channel (which I’m assuming includes all of…
Week 31 of Unemployment
Well hello there! This week marks my 31st week of being unemployed. I have not mentioned…
Part VII – Twenty Eleven
We left Topeka, Kansas, on Friday morning in an ice storm and 20 degrees. I always…
Part VI – CO-KS
We have started our trip back east. It’s a little earlier than we originally planned. We…
A Colorado Christmas
Before I get into the Christmas festivities, I have a BIG announcement to make. SILMeow and…
Part V – CO
J & I arrived to “paradise” on Thursday. Paradise is actually a cabin tucked in the…
Part IV – IA, NE, WY & CO
The drive across the ENTIRE state of Nebraska on Wednesday was about as exciting as the…
Part III – OH, IN, IL & IA
On Tuesday, we crossed to the other side of the Mississippi on our drive. And the…
Part II – PA & OH
We drove another 675 miles today. Our final destination was New Albany, Ohio, but we took…
Part I – NJ & CT
We’ve driven 670 miles so far, and this is what we’ve done. We packed up pretty…
Week 28 of Unemployment
I will most certainly be taking a break from my unemployment updates during the holidaze. Partly…
And in this edition of Volunteer of the Year, I play an elf
J has his annual Breakfast with Santa yesterday. J pretty much has the event down to…
Week 27 of Unemployment
There’s not much to report on the unemployment front. Pretty much the same as last week,…
Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads
I don’t really want to see another gingerbread house for a long time. J had the…
Week 26 of Unemployment
Sad news for the millions of unemployed adults out there. Congress failed to pass the federal…
Dia de Turducken
We spent the day (weekend) of Thanks with J’s family, including his grandma, who flew in…
Grateful …
(This post is not about the Grateful Dead, although J would love it to be) Anyways,…
Week 24 of Unemployment
My conference in Milwaukee was GREAT. I took my required classes for the certificate (I am…
Week 23 of Unemployment
I’m uber pumped this week for unemployment because I am flying out tomorrow morning to Milwaukee.…
Week 22 of Unemployment
Job searching is tiring … at least Mr. McKinley thinks so. In all honesty, this was…
College Friends
While I was on my unemployment “vacation” last week in NJ, I took a weekend road…
High School Friends
J had a very different experience in high school than I did. It’s no wonder since…
Week 20 of Unemployment
It’s a little depressing to think I’ve been unemployed for 20 weeks. I’m just about halfway…
Week 19 of Unemployment
I wasn’t really unemployed this week … My old company hired me as a freelancer to…
The ABCs of The Rugged, Wet, VerMUD, I mean VerMONT, Long Trail
I really wanted to be brief. I did. But it’s just not me. You should know…
We are home safe!
First of all, thank you Quick Question for updating the blog while we were on our…
“It’s kicking our butts!”
Hi all! This blog entry is written by P’s sister, Quick Question. She asked me to…
Weeks 17 and 18 of Unemployment
John Muir said, “The mountains are calling and I must go.” We agree. So we are…
Just a basic Sunday
I’m not sure what to call it … a triathlon … a mini-adventure race … all…
My first earthquake!!!!
So last night at about 11:30 pm, I was on the phone with my mom and…
Week 16 of Unemployment
What a boring week … no work and I did not find too many places to…
Enjoying the last of the summer
My favorite season of fall is definitely in the air, but we’ve had such an awesome…
Week 15 of Unemployment/Self-Employment
I am no longer a contract graphic designer. I sent the auto repair magazine to print…
How I spend my (our) money
I saw this on another blog awhile ago and I thought it was an interesting post.…
Week 14 of Unemployment/Self-Employment
I didn’t have any work to do this week. No magazine layout (that’s next week). No…
To NJ and back again
Well, there was not ANY traffic this past Labor Day weekend on our drive to Jersey.…
Week 13 of Unemployment/Self-Employment
I survived my 3rd issue of the auto magazine!!! It IS getting easier, but it’s still…
Battle of the Free Lodging
Last week, J & I stayed in a Bed & Breakfast for free (my magazine assignment)…
Weeks 11 and 12 of Unemployment/Self-employment: Deadlines
I am a deadline-oriented person. I actually love deadlines and thrive on them, which is a…
Family Reunion
This weekend was a big ‘ol family reunion of sorts. Mostly with J’s sisters and significant…
Just a 200-mile jaunt in the woods
It is going to be very hard for me to describe our volunteer experience this weekend…
Week 10 of Unemployment: Volunteering Again
I have another volunteering gig from tomorrow through Sunday. This one is quite unique and I…
Triathlete
He is a triathlete, hear him roar. I asked J to blog about his triathlon today,…
Week 9 of Unemployment: Internal Struggle
This was a Very Hard week (with a capital V and H). I started some new…
Our own little Farmer’s Market
ShortShorts has been very giving with the vegetables this summer! And we picked up some fresh…
I can’t wait for this triathlon to be over …
And I’m not even doing it!!! This training schedule has me very tired, very tired. Today,…
Weeks 7 and 8 of Unemployment: Overdrive
I know you probably laugh when I say how busy I feel these days. Busy enough…
Merrimack Part II
We didn’t stay inside on Sunday either, despite the continued heatwave. We returned to the Merrimack…
Hot Hot Hot, Free Free Free
They say when it’s hot out, you really should stay inside and stay cool. Avoid exercise.…
Trail Magic
When J & I finally thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (the AT), you all will get an…
Week 6 of Unemployment: Volunteering and Testing
I got up at 6am this morning. I never even got up that early when I…
Discovering the Merrimack River
NH is a state of lakes and rivers, that’s for sure. It’s one of the main…
Week 5 of Unemployment: Interviewing
This week I was on a little bit of a roller coaster. It could have to…
We are landlords
So hell kinda froze over guys and gals. Remember that house in Danville we own? The…
Happy Independence Day!
Last year for J’s big 4th of July event, it rained. This year, it was 90…
Week 4 of Unemployment: Profiling
I had another unemployment workshop to attend on Wednesday. This time there were 25 of us.…
Visitors #495 and 496
This past weekend, Charlotte & PA Dutch visited! They vacationed in Maine the week before, and…
My name in print
Whenever I tell people I’m a writer, the first question is usually, “where can I read…
Week 3 of Unemployment: (Almost) Broken Toe and World Cup Soccer
I thought for a day or two that I broke my pinkie toe.On Monday night, my…
This wedding makes me feel old
I just returned from a trip to the Midwest where I attended the wedding of LilSis!…
Happy 6th Birthday Mr. McKinley!
I turned 6 today. I feel old. Just look at all the white hair I have.
Week 2 of Unemployment: Scared
I went to an unemployment workshop required by the state today. Apparently one of many I…
I am for hire, call me
Unemployment is tough, but the jobs are coming in. That really is me. Unfortunately, I didn’t…
Still recovering from the wedding weekend!
“Some people are thermometers, some are thermostats. You’re a thermostat. You don’t register the temp in…
New England, Take 2
J and I spent Memorial Day Weekend 2010 apart. Purposely. We do that sometimes. Take separate…
North to Alaska
I think everyone knows that J loves Alaska. It’s in his top 3 (Me, Music &…
In the running for best wedding (for someone else) ever, definitely most memorable
So the Hindu wedding this past weekend. OMG. So so awesome. I was holding off on…
I’m making up for the loss
I know, twice in one day, even one hour! But since I don’t have FB or…
How the WINDY city got its name
Chicago was windy and chilly. J asked me the expected temps before we left and I…
Take this bread …
Bones is growing up fast. I guess kids do that. He made his Communion this weekend!…
When life hands you lemons …
J & I love to be inspired. We are the type of people who are really…
Biking season begins
When we have nice temps in NH in April, we take advantage of it. You just…
Oh how we love the Leaf
I’m not talking about Earth Day (which is next week). We went to another Carbon Leaf…
At first I was afraid, I was petrified
USING YEAST TO MAKE DOUGH … A few months back, I was talking to RedJeepTrvlr about…
More movie reviews
I have more reviews of the Oscar winners! Go here for 1981-present (although, we have yet…
Just call me Pele …
Besides our co-ed soccer team, I sub sometimes for a woman’s team on Wednesdays. Last night,…
Oh that Recreation Department
J had his annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday! Another successful event with 5,000 eggs and about…
Spring sweetness
One of the things NH is known for is its maple syrup. This weekend, more than…
Bride-to-be
NHBound had her shower Friday night! J & I cannot wait for this wedding in June…
Like watching paint dry and then realizing you have to change the color
That’s how I feel about the health care reform bills this week. I waited up Sunday…
Just a tease …
Well, it looks like our days of illegal cable are coming to an end. Lately, channels…
March Madness
And I’m not talking about basketball … We bid Alaska3 goodbye as she wrapped up her…
The Ides of March
It’s Spring Break! For some people … like my cousin, who I haven’t seen in, oh,…
Baking up a storm
I volunteered to make a variety of desserts for a fundraiser my woman’s club is having…
Children of the 80s
J has been hounding me all day to write a tribute to Corey Haim. “Because we…
More concerts …
I think I am the official “concert partner” for a lot of people. So it’s only…
Good things happen in 3s
You are seriously going to hate me for telling you this, but this has been a…
A few moguls make for a fun weekend
My Friday evening may have started off very quiet, but the rest of the weekend was…
Friday Randomness
I don’t like writing random posts, but today it’s necessary. I am extremely displeased with our…
Training the Mister – EDITED
J is ever so proud of Mr. McKinley and has a new goal in mind. He…
The Movie Theater
As I’ve mentioned before, J & I don’t frequent the movie theater. But we made plans…
Things I Love Thursday
I have to profess my love to the Sonicare toothbrush.* I had a wonderful experience at…
City of Sisterly Love
I’ve returned from my long-awaited and snow-delayed weekend in Philly and it was divine. Seriously, what’s…
And the Oscar goes to …
J and I have been making our way through the list of Academy Award Best Picture…
Snowpocalypse
I’m blogging from NH and I’m not happy about it. I’m supposed to be in Philly…
Well, that was disappointing
Lost is driving me bonkers. It’s one of the few TV shows I’ve stayed loyal to…
Thawing out in Florida
Shiver me buccaneers, J & I had a weekend full of pirates and cannons in Tampa.…
Decade in Review
I just realized that not only did 2009 hand off the torch to 2010, but that…
Got recreation?
Last week, J passed a test and became a certified recreation director.Not sure what that really…
Zumba craze
Has anyone jumped on the Zumba bandwagon? As usual, I’m late. My kickboxing instructor convinced me…
Camping is so 2009, yurting is so 2010
This is a yurt. This is the most luxurious form of camping we have ever done.…
Babies in 2009
Well, friends, you didn’t beat last year’s record of 12 baby boys born, but you did…
The rest of our 1500-mile road trip in pictures
We’re back in New Hampshire after a long 9 days and many miles in Jersey!
Blizzard of 2009
When people ask what I was doing during the blizzard of 2009 (Saturday, Dec. 19), I…
Ho Ho Who?
December is a busy month for recreation. Tonight, J is judging houses for the Holiday Lights…
Old McDonald had a …
I almost forgot to tell you, Internets, about the special town meeting J’s town had on…
Bye bye Marlboro
OMG. This piece of news floored me. I was convinced we might be getting around in…
O Christmas Tree
When J and I moved to NH, we donated our fake tree—the one I bought when…
Tree hugger
I’ve often said that my office window faces the backyard. Well, I’ve had a hard time…
Fernando hit 100,000 miles!
My car Fernando (or Isabella as J calls HIM) has been around the block once, twice,…
Thanksgiving feast
Watch as ShortonCoffee performs some magic. Now you see the food. Now you don’t. So now…
To the Cuse we went
In keeping with J’s motto—will travel anywhere for a concert—J and I continued from Mohegan Sun…
Wastin’ Away in Margaritaville
While we’re experiencing a real Indian summer here in NH (of course the 50-degree temps will…
Gobble, Gobble, Croak
Disclaimer: Do NOT read this post if you are squeamish or if you love animals. I…
How to not spend any money in a casino
Step 1: Use casino-provided vouchers on your first bet. Place $10 down on #10 for the…
Can I make a suggestion?
I came across this study from CareerBuilder.com and thought I’d share. They always have the funniest…
Whose Got My Extra????
So those are the words I hear all the time when I (J) attend Phish or…
Shake what your momma gave you
We had our first dance class last night. The dance studio said they missed us during…
NJ in a nutshell
I wasn’t sure if my camera would work, so I only took limited photos. I will…
A spooky tale for Halloween
Happy Halloween everyone! Most of you know our spooky, true-life ghost stories, but I figured today…
Don’t argue with the ref
As the temps start dropping, J and I switch into “winter” mode. That means the start…
What a Long Strange trip it was……..
Try to contain your excitement. Here is J’s guest blog entry about his trip out West…
Send me a text!
It was inevitable. J & I caved and upgraded our cell phone plans to include texting.…
Good luck, my friend
Today is a sad day at work. Today is BFFcoworker’s last day. We have worked together…
Sayonara SallieMae!
I did something I never thought I’d do last month. Nooooo, I didn’t apply to work…
Everything is bigger in Texas
I’m back from my work trip to San Antonio. And I’m alone. J is away on…
Coincidence, or all part of the master plan?
So for the second year in a row, one of J’s friends had a baby on…
33 Things I love about J
J may have chosen to “roast” me on my birthday, but I would like to toast…
Miles and miles of country road riding
J and I took a nice 18-mile bike ride Sunday. J had an event on Saturday,…
Not going to Florida
Remember my post at the beginning of August about the silly Vera Bradley contest? Yeah, I…
Meet me on Bog Road
When J and I bought our bikes at the REI Garage Sale in August, I have…
Welcome fall
J & I spent Saturday exploring Mt. Greylock State Reservation in Mass, which happens to be…
Boats, Booze & Block Party
J and I spent the weekend at his dad’s on the coast of Mass. His Grandma…
On school bus stops
For your viewing pleasure, I’ve updated this post with different pictures … I ran by many…
Thumbs, gums
J’s thumbs have been replaced. Except they put his left thumb on the right. Anyways, he…
The Telephone Game
I had a conversation with my mom the other day and for 15 whole minutes, we…
Anyone want a house in Danville?
Our trip to Danville this weekend was met with mixed emotions. It usually is. We own…
What’s that foul stench?
We generally smell a skunk here and there during the summer, but this week has been…
Crabfest, err, Meatfest
I think we need to rename our annual tradition of going down to the Chesapeake Bay…
Guest blog for the birthday girl
Today is a very special day….. Not only is the first time I (J) have posted…
Whatever you do, take care of your shoes
Like we often do, J and I overestimated our energy and our ability to do everything…
Destination New York
Today we drove to New York for a concert. Like they did 40 years ago. But…
The Garden
More stories about ShortShorts, our infamous landlord, have been requested, so here’s one for you. Right…
Vera Bradley Bridesmaid Contest
Just call me selfish and greedy. I read about this Vera Bradley Most Remarkable Bridesmaid Dress…
Jam-packed weekend
Hallmark4Ever & GoodEgg left the babe at home for a quick jaunt to NH. Friday night:…
Before and After
J really pushed our limits this time with the food shopping thing. If it weren’t for…
Bell mystery solved
I’ve talked about the bells on the church across the street from us and how they…
Like we need more toys …
Some people say Christmas is their favorite day of the year. Others say birthdays. Our favorite…
Great Scot! Great Brit!
This week is British Soccer Week in J’s town. J has 8 coaches (some who are…
Kayaking 101
We’ve been teaching a lot of beginner classes in outdoor adventure lately … hehe. Good practice…
Camping/Hiking 101
In addition to the tourist attractions, my sister’s visit to NH included a little of what…
The Perfect Form of BC
How do you parents do it? Seriously? How? How? How? Am I asking too many questions?…
Now this is summer …
J & I just got back today from a 3-day kayak/camping trip to Squam Lake in…
The bell tolls …
37 times at 8am and 19 times at noon. Anyone know the significance of that? Back…
Hell froze over
What did you do for Independence Day? Did you help your husband with his big community…
Phoenix Wrap-up
I survived the heat, and the best way to describe the visit is with a mosaic!…
30+ degrees of separation
Blogging from Phoenix for the next few days and I went from this: to this:Internet, don’t…
Olde New England Brewfest
Our day started with a lobster hangover. With so much to do in NH, we wanted…
J & P’s B&B
After J’s mom left on Tuesday, more visitors came on Wednesday! Seriously, this is great practice…
Who needs sunshine?
Despite the threat of rain all weekend, J and I decided we desperately needed some QT…
Happy 5th birthday Mr. McKinley!
The Mr. is turning 5 this month! We don’t know his exact birth date, but we…
Gee wiz, lobsters for dinner again?
You ever feel like you make the same thing for dinner week after week? MamaF has…
Until next season …
Indoor soccer has ended for us until the fall. It’s bittersweet because I love playing, but…
Summer indeed
The weather may not show it, but one thing that tells me it’s summer in New…
Paradise Lost
We expect Mother Nature to change around the furniture in her room once in awhile, but…
The Sucky Tray
I’m sorry to report an epic fail at the Tricky Tray. It all started when we…
Tricky Trays
My list of the things I strongly dislike about NJ is far too long, so instead,…
Living in my rents’ basement
I’m in the garden state this week. Been here since Sunday and will be here all…
I’m such a girl. A teenage girl that is.
I didn’t think anything could make me want to go back to high school. I hated…
Summertime
Having visitors this past weekend and spending some time outdoors reminded me that summertime is here…
Live Free or Die Fest I
J is lucky enough to keep in touch with most of his high school buds from…
Scratch the cable question
Uh, yeah, so in typical P & J fashion, we scored something for free. We thought…
To get cable or not?
We haven’t had cable since 2005. Mostly it was a cost decision. Before then, we had…
Chi-town revisited
It has become our annual tradition to spend Mother’s Day with MamaF and GrandmaL in Chicago.…
The pursuit of happiness
I cried last night. J doesn’t like to see me cry and he tries everything to…
The 5th of May
Cinco de Mayo is supposed to be a celebration of Mexican pride and heritage to recognize…
Class of 2009 vs. Class of 1950
J got the high school seniors in his town to host a Senior Prom for the…
Because of swine, no wine
At Mass yesterday, the priest announced we would not exchange the sign of peace (which involves…
Don’t be late, recreate.
I have to rag on J once again, well because it’s one of my favorite things…
A beautiful summer weekend … in April
The mercury in the thermometer surged well into the 80s this weekend, so we did our…
Restitution checks
Gather round kiddos, it’s story time. When we were in Danville this month, I had a…
Love your planet
I’m doing my part for Earth Day by sitting on the computer all day. How awesome…
Cheap, stingy, thrifty …
I am the first to admit I am all of those things. I’ve always been and…
Home Sweet Home
While on business in Orlando, I ran into two things: Gators. Did you know they are…
Sex in the Suburbs
Last night, I had a little GNO with theAccountant and Hallmark4ever at Jose Tejas while I…
Arson, robbery and moonshine—Just Easter in Danville
J checks the Danville paper every morning online all the while fearing that he will read…
Parks and Rec and pipes
For anyone who wants to understand what J does for a living, don’t watch the new…
April Foolishness
It came and went and no one played any jokes! How disappointing. For those of you…
Buzz Buzz Buzz
So I told you we had another dance on Saturday night. The theme was something along…
Lightening strikes twice?
I went to Boston today to take another medical writing class toward my certification. I know,…
Earth Hour 2009
This is not a shameless plea or effort to persuade, because that’s just not me. Frankly,…
I gave blood today, but J was the one who almost fainted
Most of J’s teenage years were spent in the hospital. He was a sickly boy and…
A different kind of spring fever
My sister just called me to tell me she was violated. She is a speech pathologist…
The Madness starts today
Hi, Unless you are calling my husband to talk about bracketology, or how the Huskies beat…
Looks like we’re staying in NH at least one more year …
I know some people got our relief phone call or text, but for everyone else, J’s…
Town Meeting Time
Crap. My least favorite time of year. And if you don’t live in NH, or wherever…
A fun Tuesday night out
As if we didn’t spend enough money this weekend out at our pub crawl, J and…
Pub Crawl 2009
Bolt made it home safely from his ice climbing expedition.So after one visitor left, two more…
I thawt I saw a putty cat …
On our drive home from the Great North Monday, I spotted a moose, but I’m not…
Mardi Gras!
Our dance studio hosted another theme party (they do it every month), so it has just…
Guest Blogger
Democrat, Republican or Independent, the 2009 inauguration marked a very historic event. BossLady was one of…
Trying to be a good (cough) Catholic girl
For the 3rd year in a row, I am giving up iced tea for Lent. You…
These boots are made for walking … in the snow
For those of you who know me, you know I HATE shopping. Mainly it’s because I…
Size never mattered so much
After nearly 2 months, we got our refurbished TV back. Although we survived and proved our…
I don’t purposely try to embarrass myself
Last night, my kickboxing partner laughed and told me that I look like I am riding…
Thank goodness we don’t have children
McKinely has an appt. at the vet tomorrow to get his annual feline distemper vaccine and…
Deathcicles
Well, Sunday was WARM. By our standards. 46 degrees!!!! We still have most of our snow,…
Friday randomness
I owe my 5 blog readers some updates, so prepare for bullets on Friday! • I…
A blast from the past
I had a great weekend down at my sister’s and we decided to take my niece…
Winter is half over
I certainly don’t have the photography skills that some of my friends have, but I thought…
Congrats are in order!
I was so busy wallowing in my “numbness” that I forgot to mention we attended a…
The things I took for granted
I had a follow-up appt. with my oral surgeon who assured me that the mild pain…
What are the odds?
The biggest difference between J and I is our luck. He has it all. I have…
Generation I can only communicate electronically
I admit I am a little behind the times when it comes to the technology age.…
Life below zero
I survived my surgery and my first anesthesia experience. I’m recovering slowly. Don’t really feel like…
Crunch, yank, blood.
I have probably the biggest sweet tooth, but I absolutely abhor going to the dentist and…
Yes, Beef, we do love FREE
You had to know we were all over the ad I saw that a local ski…
Prescription alert!
Just wanted to share the latest money-saving offer, if you haven’t seen it on the news.…
Single-self behavior
Let me start by saying, I love being married. But, I still love my alone time…
2008 in review
I saw this on some other blogs and thought, why not? Did anyone close to you…
Back to work
12 days off from work – very, very awesome returning to work after 12 days off…
Shock to the heart …
Our 2-year-old flat-screen LCD TV (the one we bought with the gift card my bridesmaid gave…
Happy 2009!
We returned from our 1,100-mile+ road trip to the tri-state area, which seems to have become…
The snow is coming down on this quaint New England town
We were definitely snowed in today. In fact, it hasn’t stopped snowing since Friday. We were…
Another dose of holiday spirit
I’m getting there hopefully. But in the meantime, here’s proof that I can still smile during…
A wee bit of holiday spirit …
I’m still down in the dumps, but this gave me a chuckle! Guess our dance lessons…
Music Therapy
If you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been blogging lately. I’ve definitely had the blues and there’s…
The dishes are done, dude
Crickets? Anyone else hear crickets around here? Sorry for my lack of blogging, but here’s a…
One more thing …
I blog as a way to procrastinate my writing assignments. Can you tell? So I just…
It’s time to go home
I’ve been in New Orleans too long … someone on the street asked ME for directions…
Pop goes my ears
My ears tend to pop when I fly. Well, I feel like I’ve been flying everyday…
An unexpected visit
SILmeow called us last week and said she would be in Boston on business Friday. We…
A picture of health
Since I’m surrounded by cardiologists this week, I decided to get a blood workup health assessment.…
Feeling a little nostalgic
This post is to pat myself on my own back. I am covering the annual meeting…
Catchy commercials
One of my many quirks is that I secretly love certain commercials. I mean, there are…
10:30 in the PM
What will you be doing at 10:30pm tonight? Probably getting ready for bed, or in bed…
Celebrity Sighting
Raise your hand if you know who this is! Friday night (Halloween), we were eating at…
Happy Halloweenie!
Just wanted to share some pictures from J’s Haunted House that his Rec Dept. hosted for…
We’ve hit the 2-year mark. We are no longer newlyweds!
The saying is true. Time flies when you’re having fun! So two years ago, we had…
Let’s hear it for the boys!!
Hallmark4Ever’s baby finally decided to make HIS appearance. That’s right, she had a boy (Shadow, you…
You know you’re a medical writer when
… your friends and family members start calling you for medical advice. … someone gets a…
A message from the “mister” of the house
I have some crazy owners. One came home, the other left. I don’t know what to…
Business Tripping
The next few weeks will be dotted with nothing but business trips for both J and…
J has a protege
Oooh, that rhymed. Well anyways, J’s childhood friend, theBuddha, had a baby yesterday. On J’s bday…
Someone is getting older …
***total cheese warning. Stop reading if you don’t do mushy.***Today is a big day. Today is…
Leaf Peepin’
We became leaf peepers this weekend, the term New Englanders use for those who swarm to…
I don’t talk politics with just anyone
My favorite question of last night’s debate was when the moderator asked (paraphrased), “So, both of…
I guess anything can count as a job
CareerBuilder.com released its list of the most unusual jobs in 2008. Here are some that made…
He was a neat and organized man, that much we knew
Surprise, surprise, no flight delays! I think that may be a first. We did hit some…
Off to Dville
Do you think we could have picked a better weekend to fly down to North Cackalacki?…
Ethan Allen, Ben & Jerry, Beer
What do all these things have in common? Well, they all represent Vermont!!! J and I…
No, they aren’t paying me
I have to give kudos to the company, Hydrapak. Back before I was a gear addict,…
Wastin’ Away in Margaritaville
Thursday, J, theHoss (who was in town for a wedding) and I went to see Jimmy…
Babies in NJ
J and I went to NJ this weekend primarily for my friend Hallmark4Ever’s baby shower. It…
Double play, switch hitter, third-base rule
I always hated baseball until I went to my first Arizona Dbacks live game in 2001.…
Festivities cont.
Since I’m not the most computer-savvy, I find it easier to post pictures when there aren’t…
Festivities
This has been quite an active two weeks! I promised a recap of my surprise party…
Feliz cumpleanos at mi!
We are about to leave for a combined 4-day trip to Danville (to check on the…
Fun with imaging
I use ichat for work every day. It’s awesome. But that’s besides the point. We each…
The camping trip that almost wasn’t
J and I were stoked about a paddle-to camping trip we had planned for this past…
Do they all wear short shorts and shoot squirrels in Hungary?
For a year now, J and I have rented a beautiful converted barn as our home…
Say wha now?
Some of our friends call J and I active. Hiking. Running. Paddling. Rock Climbing. Sure, those…
When it’s good to be 29 going on 30 …
… tailgating at a Bruce Springsteen concert! So J and I went to see the Boss…
Some people are ballsy
So I was covering the results of this survey from CareerBuilder.com, and it seems 8 percent…
The glass is half empty.
I am sad tomorrow is August 1st. The summer is coming to an end!!! We have…
In and Out
No, not the burger joint. I wish. I’m talking about SILAdventure. She was here this week…
We avoided kidnappings and hospitalizations; now that deserves a star
J and I babysat CurlyLocks and Bones this past weekend so QuickQuestion and Yankee could properly…
Happy 1-year anniversary to J!
J has officially been in his big-boss job for 1 year. It has gone way fast.…
Vacay to the … cornfields?
This past weekend served as one of our summer vacations. Yeah! But to the Midwest? That’s…
US citizenship
Chile’s husband will be taking the citizenship test and awhile ago, we were flipping through his…
The best way to improve your writing is to read
That was always my most favorite piece of advice I learned from my schooling. So I…
Tag, you’re it.
In the blogosphere, people like to “tag” you to fill out surveys. Much like those floating…
Bear haven
The jury is still out on this guy, Charlie Vandergaw. In my opinion, he’s missing a…
Newsflash: J completes New Year’s resolution …
… from 2004, that is. When I met J, he immediately expressed interest in learning to…
Weekend Update
A ridiculously busy and tiring Friday and Saturday called for a day of rest on Sunday.…
And like clockwork …
we are in the middle of our daily thunderstorm. Actually, it only rained for about 3…
More boarders, err, visitors
That’s right, we had more visitors this weekend. QuickQuestion, Yankee, Bones and CurlyLocks came from CT.…
Is/Was Family Adventure in Acadia National Park
I know I am seriously lacking in the blog arena and it seems this blog has…
First camping trip of the season!
Last weekend, we road tripped to the Adirondack Mountains. We actually met friends from NJ (DogLovers)…
Well, when you put it like this …
we really are to blame for all the self-image problems that exist among females (and males…
The High Life at the Seashore
This weekend, we headed to the coast of Massachusetts to visit J’s dad (MartiniShaker) and stepmom…
Sex in the City=greatness
J took me on a date to see the new “Sex and the City” movie tonight!…
Rockstar rocks New England!
Rockstar, an old coworker from Phoenix, visited me over the Memorial Day weekend and when I…
Fernando lost some of his manhood
My husband, the hero, got rid of a big headache I had last week. Ever since…
Where do your children play?
Before I begin my post, I’m going to put a disclaimer on it. I obviously don’t…
Just so we’re clear just how frugal we are …
Yesterday was Thursday, so we got our free movie (Dances with Wolves) from the video store,…
Back from the windy city
First of all, Happy belated Mother’s Day to all the mommas out there. I don’t know…
Delayed recap of trip to Music Capitol of the Country
I’m a little behind, but I wanted to share details about my trip to Nashville! My…
RIP Babchi
It’s been awhile since I last blogged. I have a good excuse. My grandma, Teofilia, or…
From the City of Brotherly Love to the City of Google workers
Greetings from San Francisco! My trip to Philly was fantabulous! I have a lot of girlfriends…
Last weekend, this weekend
I’ve been super busy at work this week and every night, so my weekend update is…
Fly no more?
There’s been a lot of shakeup in the airline business and the recent closure of several…
La Vigne is French for …
“The Lover.” That’s what J used to tell me when we first started dating. It’s actually…
Green Nerds
You already know we’re nerds, so it shouldn’t surprise you that we participated in one hour…
NH’s idea of Spring
Dear Mother Nature, You do realize it is March 28? Just checking. Regards,First time in NH…
We ran out of luck
We lost our game last night. I’m pretty bummed about it because it’s a team we…
Coffee, lotto anyone?
My parental units departed this morning. It was really an awesome visit. My dad (Big on…
Snow Delay
So my parental units are finally coming to NH for a visit. We’ll call them Short…
Cut summer camp, cut snow plowing, cut everything!
J and I had a unique experience today. We went to Town Meeting. As unexciting as…
Igloo update, Beantown, popping hips
The first igloo is a bust. We got another foot of snow Friday night into Saturday,…
Happy Leap Year!!
Apparently there are only 200,000 people in this world with a birthday on Feb. 29! I…
I have my popcorn ready to go
After watching the Oscars last night, I realized how few movies we ever see. We often…
Igloo-making and dressing like 1920s ganstas … aren’t those normal weekend activities?
J and I have a history of trying news things. Isn’t that what life is about?…
Fernando clearly should not drive in NH during the winter
Fernando, my car, has problems driving around these wintry roads in NH. First, there was my…
Back from Dville
I meant to blog about our trip yesterday, but work is really busy for me right…
Next stop: Dan Vegas
No time to rest this week … J and I are headed to Danville Thursday through…
Trip to the Valley of the Sun
So I finally got back Monday from Phoenix. I was supposed to take a red-eye Sunday…
Superbowl Sunday
For anyone who didn’t already know this, New Englanders are pretty intense about their sports teams.…
Where in the world did January go?
Time always flies, but this month seems like it was over in a blink! And it’s…
And we wonder why health care is so expensive …
If you aren’t tired of hearing about the stereotypical antics of upper management, you’ll like this…
Birthday Shout Out
Today is Roid’s 30th birthday! For those who don’t know Roid, he was one of my…
Weekend in Review
Another weekend gone … why does it feel like they go so fast? Saturday was a…
Final Score: 7-2
Did I mention that J and I play indoor soccer? Well, for the first time since…
Wouldn’t you like to work for Google??
Fortune Magazine released its 11th annual list of the “Best Companies to Work For.” I actually…
No turning back now!
I finally jumped on the bandwagon. After months of sheepishly reading random strangers’ blogs, I decided…