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…
There’s a trickle down byproduct of inheritance that people like to avoid thinking about: acquiring someone…
Currently living/working: Justin joined me in NJ for a few weeks this month! Thank goodness for…
Dear Dad, Five years is both an eternity and a blink of an eye. I learned…
Confession and disclaimer: If you’ve been keeping up on my blog the last month, you probably…
Currently living/working: I took a leave of absence from my job … Wait, who am I…
You’d think my skin was as thick as Kevlar with as much rejection as I’ve endured…
Currently living/working: It’s been an eventful month, and I’m so grateful for the carefree time in…
In case you missed the several times that I might have mentioned it: we spent 27…
Currently living/working: We’ve done minimal work this month. We both wrapped up a few projects before…
As per our usual hello-goodbye tour we do at least once a year, we spent 10…
Hey U2 fans out there! Did you know there are real places reminiscent of the late…
Currently living/working: Writing while hibernating, as per the season. But we’ve also been regularly giving weekly…
I’ve mentioned this before, but my Uncle Fred has lived in Alaska for 40+ years, so…
We welcomed A LOT of friends/family this summer and fall, with the culmination being Justin’s mom…
Currently living/working: We survived another summer of wrangling what seems like a 30-gallon bucket worth of…
I have a penchant for exploring seldom-visited, off-the-beaten-path natural destinations, and since most of Alaska is…
Currently living/working: As the summer season draws its curtains, I would say we more than earned…
Aging is wild and messy, so as an obsessive introspector (not a word, I know) who…
We’ve had most of our immediate family for a visit over the last few years since…
Currently living/working: We are in the trenches of a very typical Alaskan life: juggling multiple jobs…
***This blog post is WAY delayed & was supposed to go up in May, but that…
Currently living/working: I guided 9 trips this month, which is almost as many as Justin’s 14.…
We have a limit on the number of visitors we can host during our work-heavy summers,…
***You may have noticed that my website got hacked for most of May into June. My…
I mentioned in previous blog posts that I went on a gear testing trip for Outdoor…
Currently living/working: Neither Justin nor I had any deadlines in April, nor any virtual presentations, nor…
I mentioned that Justin and I took separate getaways this month, him to Texas and I…
Currently living/working: I mentioned last month that winter freelance work has been busier than any other…
Justin & I spent March 9-12th in the tiny village of Shageluk volunteering as “trail crew”…
This blog post is selfish. It is more of a document for us to remind ourselves…
Currently living/working: I think it’s adequate to say Justin and I have established 2 distinct work…
Going from Maui to the commercialized capitol island of Oahu was a bit of whiplash, but…
Our 8 days in Hawai’i in mid January included 4 on Maui and 4 on Oahu,…
Currently living/working: Petsitting/Writing/Virtual Library Presentations/Cleaning. That’s basically the summary of our work this month—a little of…
I mentioned in my last Currently posts that we have a “temporary cat” (aka, cat sitting…
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Currently living/working: We’ve spent nearly the whole month in Alaska, and it’s been…
This quirky nontraditional life we built for ourselves has a model like no other. Our sources…
I mentioned in previous posts that I’ve been “outside” (AKA, outside Alaska) for most of the…
Currently living/working: Wandering in the lower 48, but writing! Justin & I joined forces on holiday…
My first book, Between Each Step: A Married Couple’s Thru Hike on New Zealand’s Te Araroa,…
(I’m catching on a past event!) I like when visitors trickle in during our off season,…
Currently living/working: We were kind of all over the place this month—Justin in Oregon for his…
We’ve always considered fall and winter to be our downtime since we have fewer jobs. We…
As hiking guides, Justin and I are always trying to expand our knowledge. It’s easy to…
Currently living/working: Our season came to an abrupt end on Sept. 5, when Justin ended up…
Many people are already aware about Justin’s Crohn’s disease, but we’ve been fairly quiet about it…
Currently living/working: Summer work (guiding, Airbnbs) will wrap up next month, but August was still bananas! …
As I celebrated another waltz around the sun this week (yeah 44!), I’m keeping to my…
When Justin & I purchased our cabin in Healy in August 2019, we had no idea…
Currently living/working: We are still in the go-go-go stage of the typical boom and bust arc…
Justin & I have collectively lived in 14 states, and every state—heck, every town—has a different…
Now that we’ve settled down for the first time in a decade and have actual space…
Currently living/working: Definitely in a topsy-turvy phase where Justin and I are passing ships. Justin is…
Earlier in June, the stars aligned and I was able to get on a flightseeing tour…
Currently living/working: We’ve started the summer chapter, where Justin & I will likely work for the…
Last August, when we bought our yurt, we thought about all the time we could spend…
I had this thought in my head for awhile: We needed to take a spring trip…
Currently living/working: April was another doozy of a month. It included a pet/housesitting gig in Healy,…
In honor of National Library Week (April 3-9), I thought I’d chime in about how libraries…
Currently living/working: This was QUITE a full month. It started with getting over Covid,…
Justin & I checked something off our bucket list that we didn’t even know we had…
I’ve written blog posts about the world of gear writing, and even though I’m doing less…
Currently living/working: I’m still in that scheming/pitching/planning groove for future freelance writing projects and working on…
Dear Dad, We still cry and we still grieve, but admittedly we moved forward in life…
Alaska leads the nation in homes without plumbing, which shouldn’t be a shock as the harsh…
Currently living/working: We returned to our cabin in Alaska 1/6, and it feels so good to…
As I previously posted, we took a side trip to Mexico after our post-Christmas flight back…
Ever hear of the 2008 movie, Four Christmases? The one where the child-less couple travels to everyone’s homes…
Currently living/working: It’s been a holiday whirlwind! We’ve been all over the map this month: Hawaii,…
Well, I might as well post our last Hawaii trip roundup as we are delayed getting…
Maui was our first stop on our November Hawaii tour … and sadly, we only planned…
I gave fair warning that I’d be posting all about our first-ever trip to Hawaii in…
Currently living/working: We spent the first half of November in Alaska, and the second half in…
My trail/travel memoir, Between Each Step: A Married Couple’s Thru Hike on New Zealand’s Te Araroa,…
You read that correctly: we now own a yurt! Even though we no longer live on…
Currently living/working: Alaska! Work-wise, our multiple income streams have slowed, but we squirreled away paychecks knowing…
Geographically speaking, Alaska beats any part of the Lower 48. With only so many roads connecting…
Guess who wrote this blog post??? JUSTIN! For my 45th birthday, I thought I would write about…
Currently living/working: As predicted, we’ve had a bit more time now that our summer gigs (e.g.…
I have a lot of blog posts backlogged, and I’m hoping to post regularly and catch…
Currently living/working: It’s been full-on gangbusters still this month, but summer tourists are dwindling down, which…
43 Augusts ago, I came into this world. My parents said I came out screaming and…
Currently living/working: We’re still maintaining a dizzying schedule of guiding (Justin), cleaning toilets/outhouses (mainly me) and…
Big news folks … We closed the “van life” chapter of our life, as we sold…
Currently living/working: We are still spinning A LOT of plates at once. Still cleaning 5 Airbnbs,…
How many of you thought “dipnetting” had something to do with chewing tobacco? As with so…
If we could have predicted anyone who would come to visit us in Alaska, it would…
Currently living/working: Most of you know we haven’t had “traditional” 9-5 jobs in years. Actually, a…
Well, for all the stressing, researching, calling Canadian government/public health and asking others’ advice, I can…
Wait, we’re already a few days into May?? I believe I’m fashionably late with my April…
Justin has been in Colorado since 4/8, but I joined him 4/21! It has been so…
I realized it’s been 15 days since my last blog post and I have a very…
Currently living/working: We’ve been consistently full with contract work all of March. And actually, we’re trying…
I blogged about the aurora borealis (northern lights) last winter, but I have a follow up!…
If you look at a relief map of Alaska, it’s clear it’s a massive land full…
Currently living/working: It’s still been quieter work-wise around these parts with a long lead out for…
Dear Dad, How can 2 years seem like forever and nothing at the same time? It’s…
***Fair warning. Our neighbor’s house burned down recently, so this could be sensitive material for someone…
Currently living/working: It was a quieter month, but I appreciated the balance of it. We have…
Most of you all know we are cat people. But in Alaska, it’s all about the…
Let’s talk about money! Well, kind of. There just isn’t enough transparency in publishing, so I…
I wrote a “Gear Testing 101” blog post back in 2018 about how we penetrated the…
Currently living/working: The grind of our multiple income streams continued in December with intense deadlines and…
Today is winter solstice, the first “official” day of winter. (Although, it’s very much been Jack…
My trail memoir, Between Each Step, released 11/15/20, which means today it turns 1 month old!…
Currently living/working: We are still wintering in Alaska, and November was a freakin busy month with…
My publisher was very clear on a few pieces of advices, one being: “Do not try…
Update: I’m still not comfortable with self marketing. I still can’t get my elevator pitch down.…
Let me tell you something you probably didn’t know. Publishing does not equal a feeling of…
Currently living/working in: We are happily in Alaska, where winter is in full swing. Work is…
Remember a few days ago when I announced I am a PUBLISHED AUTHOR?? Here’s the thing.…
On Feb. 5, 2016, I announced on the blog that I was getting serious about book…
I believe most people think we have a view of Denali from our cabin. Sadly, no.…
Currently living/working in: We are well passed the halfway point of our Leave No Trace contract—still…
Here’s one of the many truths about Alaska living: the standards for fresh fruits and veggies…
We’ve all been pretty grounded lately and sticking to local areas, but in the largest state…
Currently living/working in: We’re two months into our Leave No Trace contract—still from Alaska. It’s been…
We live about 15 minutes from the entrance of Denali National Park, which means we are…
Currently living/working in: We’re one month into our Leave No Trace job—from Alaska—and all is going…
As we mentioned, the previous owners left us a perfectly functional cabin, but as with anything,…
Being back on a specific work schedule sure does eat up a lot of time! I’m…
Currently living/working in: We started Leave No Trace work 6/29! It’s all based from Alaska and…
I’ve always stated spring is my least favorite season, if I had to rank them. With…
As I explained in past posts, our area is not experiencing the same flood of tourists…
Currently living/working in: We are still at our cabin in Healy, juggling multiple writing projects and…
I’m gonna guess one of the last things someone would associate with Alaska would be golf.…
Besides the river breakup, Alaska’s springtime arrives with a leap and a shout in many other…
At the beginning of April, we had close to 2 feet of snow, some fresh. By…
Currently living/working in: Well, we’re still in limbo job-wise, hanging in Healy and literally cannot conceptualize…
There’s no shortage of “only in Alaska.” But besides the most obvious national headlines, such as…
How is the hibernating going for everyone? While wearing the same clothes several days in a…
I feel a little silly blogging while the virus rages on, but if you’re like me,…
Current mood: I hope this blog post finds everyone healthy and in good spirits. I’m pretty…
I sure hope everyone is staying healthy & sane. We are still hunkering down here in…
Amongst the chaos and unchartered territories we are all navigating with the virus, I hope my…
When we decided we’d be spending our first winter in Alaska, we made the claim: no…
Oh hey faithful blog readers! I am THREE whole days late with my CURRENTLY post!! Did…
I’m not gonna lie. Without proper facilities, bathroom duty is not very glamorous at our dry…
I think people are still getting over the fact the average person living in a traditional…
I believe we ALL take modern conveniences for granted. For us personally, we’ve lived without XYZ…
Currently living/working in: As I said, we purposely planned to have a lighter workload while at…
The needle on the thermometer plunged back below zero—after a brief reprieve of temps hovering near…
Because we survived 16 consecutive days of below zero temps, I thought my next installment should…
I am working on lots of posts about the learning curve and experiences we’ve had trying…
I cannot believe another decade is comin’ in hot! The end of a decade is arbitrary,…
Currently living/working in: December was dedicated to catching up to life administrative tasks and full of…
I said I would do some posts about life in Alaska. We’ve spent plenty of summers…
Currently living/working in: We spent the first part of the month holed up in our cabin…
I did NOT mean to let 16 days to go by without blogging. It’s an understatement…
For the past few years, we’ve mainly “lived” on the West Coast, Colorado in particular. It…
Currently living/working in: Healy, Alaska!!! We finished up our Leave No Trace/Subaru contract and flew to…
I’m posting blogs in chronological order, so bear with me as I catch up to the…
We finished our Leave No Trace/Subaru Zero Landfill Tour on Sept. 30 in Yosemite National Park,…
Justin & I hit our 45th state high point on Oct. 1: Nevada’s Boundary Peak! Trip…
***Sorry for the delay! We were climbing to the top of Nevada (blog post forthcoming!)*** Currently…
Do you believe there are more than 800 miles of trails and 167 lakes in Yosemite…
We are already halfway through our last leg of the Zero Landfill Tour, in Yosemite National…
Last summer while we were working in Denali National Park for the Leave No Trace /…
Folks, take seat and a deep breath. We purchased a cabin in Healy, Alaska. They say,…
Currently living/working in: We are in route to our next Leave No Trace outreach destination: Yosemite…
I once read that the cost to visit all 8 national parks in Alaska would amount…
Because we drive around the country so much, we typically are visiting everyone in their homes,…
What now is a few weeks ago (I’m behind on posts!), we embarked on another backpacking…
Justin’s grandma, Barbara La Vigne, passed away this past week and I’d love to pay my…
Currently living/working in: Alaska!! We’re still doing outreach for the Subaru/Leave No Trace Zero Landfill Initiative,…
Hello from Alaska! Catching up on our drive through Canada first … When we found out…
We just made it to Alaska, but before I get too behind, let me recap our…
Our work time in the Tetons went so quickly, and honestly, we could spend years and…
Currently living/working in: We’re back on the road this summer (until Oct. 15) as the Subaru/Leave…
This blog post is overdue and happened what seems like months ago! We are currently back…
Welcome to the7-design.local demos. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!
Indiana Sand Dunes is the newest national park, designated as so in February. It used to…
It’s been a hot minute since we checked off any state highpoints, mainly because the 7…
Currently living/working in: We’ve been on the road (for ourselves) while making several pit stops up…
Guest post by Justin! Most of you know by now that I came off of Denali,…
Well folks, you can stop worrying, because Justin is off the mountain. He is not hurt…
Folks, the day is upon us. Justin and his 4 teammates have landed at Denali’s base…
First things first. There are now 61 designated National Parks. Last time we visited a National…
Currently living/working in: Most of April has been on the road in our van. Our Leave…
We returned from our Eastern Caribbean Holland America Cruise with our niece, Sarah, and we have…
Earlier this week, we returned the keys for the 2019 Subaru Ascent we lived and worked…
Currently living/working in: This last 2 months has been a whirlwind, as we’ve “lived” in 6…
Much of our time as Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers this winter has been spent setting…
It’s hard to believe this, but Justin’s Denali Climb (Take 2) is less than 2 months…
My dad passed away on Feb. 24. It was expected. He had been ill with a…
Justin & I have a goal of visiting all the national parks. Which, on a side…
Justin & I wrapped up a week’s worth of Leave No Trace work in northern Arizona/southern…
Currently living/working in: We are back on the road for Leave No Trace as one of…
Earlier this month, when we landed back in Denver from Baja, Mexico (sea level), we decided…
About a year ago, our nomadic/hiker friends, BJ and Clara (also known by their trail names…
Happy New Year everyone! We are definitely ready for 2019. 2018 was such a mixed bag…
Currently living/working in: Well, I’m still in NJ helping my parents with my dad’s medical ups/downs…
In case you missed it, Justin mentioned in his last post that he is planning to…
In 2016, Justin wrote extensively about Crohn’s disease, a disease he had since his teens (see…
Currently living/working in: I already referenced that November was a month of “professional development” in my…
I definitely have been silent on the blog lately. It was sort of intentional, as I…
Currently living/working in: Our Subaru/Leave No Trace contract ended Oct. 15 and we are in the midst…
We finished our Leave No Trace/Subaru contract on Oct. 15 and returned the car to the…
We’ve been back to Colorado and are just about wrapping up everything with our Subaru/Leave No…
Currently living/working in: We spent all of September in Yosemite National Park for our role as…
Justin & I do not like to boast, but when it comes to backpacking, we eat…
There are a 9 national parks in California (not to mention many more monuments, historic parks,…
Finally getting caught up on blog posts to our current location and happenings in California, so…
We’ve been in California (specifically, Yosemite area) for a week now (and will be here all…
***Yes, yes, I know I am late. Currently living/working in: Still working on the road as…
For my 40th birthday, we decided to celebrate in style by visiting one of the many…
***I just came out of the Alaska backcountry, celebrating my birthday with Justin and some grizzly…
Before I get into storytelling mode, here is the overall summary of our single backpacking trip…
I already boasted about day hiking in Denali National Park in my last blog post and…
Justin & I tried to balance our time while working Denali National Park in Alaska a little…
Currently living/working in: Still working on the road as the Subaru/Leave No Trace Zero Landfill Team.…
Warning: Picture-heavy post ahead! When you think of the whole United States, most people don’t realize…
We are *almost* to Alaska! Middle of nowhere Canada actually!! But, in an effort not to…
We wrapped up our 3 weeks in the Teton Valley of Wyoming (Jackson Hole and Grand…
Currently living/working in: Wait, has all of June really passed? Holy cannoli, we truly have been running…
Road life. I’ve forgotten how chaotic it is! Actually, the truth is we’ve been going 150…
2 years. It’s the longest we’ve spent in one place since we embarked on our life…
Currently living/working in: Enjoying our last few weeks at Fenton Ranch in New Mexico before we close…
This should be no surprise to anyone, but we bought another van (our “big purchase” referenced…
Currently living/working in: Nearly done with our 5-week spring teaching session at Fenton Ranch. The teaching…
Justin and I have thoroughly loved working at Fenton Ranch teaching kids K-5 about nature. We…
In addition to our bylines in Backpacker‘s Spring 2018 Gear Guide, there are also some full-page…
Currently living/working in: We are enjoying the quiet of Fenton Ranch for just a few more…
New Mexico is a darn big state. Even though we’ve been living here on and off…
Justin & I wear many different hats, and one large one is Gear Testers for Backpacker…
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking Fenton Ranch in New Mexico … nothing much to report…
I received the greatest gift. The gift of time with my mom. This hasn’t happened in…
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking Fenton Ranch in New Mexico! I believe our Jan. 21…
Native Americans have inhabited New Mexico for more than 2,500 years and thankfully, the state has…
For 7 days straight, we’ve hosted 3 different sets of back-to-back visitors! Hosting people is one…
Obviously, I’ve been procrastinating on blogging about any progress with my Te Araroa book. I sat…
GOODBYE 2017 AND HAPPY 2018 EVERYONE!!! I feel like this Currently post is a little long-winded,…
Our Christmas visits continued in Denver this week with Justin’s family. Some nice traditions have been…
Tis the season for crowded airports and long days of travel! At least for us. We…
I can’t say this enough. I LOVE hosting people! So given the fact we’ve stayed in…
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking the school’s property, Fenton Ranch, in the Jemez Mountains. More than…
We successfully hosted our first Thanksgiving at Fenton Ranch! J’s mom, sister, husband and 2 kids…
Currently living/working in: We finished teaching the kids at Fenton Ranch Oct. 12, so from now through…
We finished another environmental education session at Fenton Ranch Oct. 12 and now our main job…
Whenever someone poses the mountains versus beach question, we will always opt for mountains. But you…
We have always used travel to weddings as an excuse to explore a new area. And…
Currently living/working in: We’ve taught 4 fifth grade classes and 4 fourth grade classes for the private…
Thanks for all the new website love and sorry to neglect the blog this month a…
This post is way overdue and out of chronological order, but I never blogged about the…
Currently living/working in: We are back to caretaking Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico…
I turned 39 today at 3:37am EST. And while I truly stand by the fact that…
Over the years, we’ve spent A LOT of time in Colorado, but only I had been…
Dates: May 1- July 25 Distance Traveled: 14,240 miles *12,328 miles on the Superfeet Van…
Our summer nationwide speaking tour truly culminated when we turned the Sprinter van back over to…
Currently living/working in: Just last week, we reluctantly turned over the keys to the Superfeet Supervan!…
After our backpacking trip in Michigan, we continued to hug the Canadian line to drive into…
There’s a reason Isle Royale National Park is the least visited park in the lower 48.…
We’re making our way West after 3 very full weeks on the East Coast. We only…
If it seems like we are doing more visiting than presenting these days, you hit the…
We spent the long holiday weekend in the tristate area. Most of my family lives here,…
If I waited to do an entire East Coast tour recap, it would be way too…
Currently living/working in: The Superfeet Supervan!!! Only 6 stops left on our NZ speaking tour and…
Just in case you are wondering, it is NOT recommended to drive eastbound and jump 2…
Once again, we realized we could take a “short” side trip, “not too far out of…
Are you tired of hearing about California??? This is it … the last post with a…
As I said in my last post, we hit 2 national parks in northern California and…
California has SO many national parks, and even though we’ve been to many, we have not…
We spent 5 days in the Bay Area. IF we were city people, San Francisco might…
It is time to unveil the innards of our summer home on wheels. Reminder: this van…
Currently living/working in: The Superfeet Supervan!!! We are 1/3 of the way through our summer speaking…
First of all, can I just tell you how much I big puffy heart the Pacific…
Be warned: long post! Justin has a nemesis of a mountain. Its name is Mt. Hood…
Mt. St. Helens in southern Washington erupted on May 18, 1980. Thirty-seven years and one day…
I am so backlogged on blog posts about our epic adventures and tour fun. Bear with…
We are going to squeeze in microadventures throughout our summer speaking tour and it started last…
We’ve done 6 presentations–2 in New Mexico and 4 in Arizona–thus completing the Southwest leg of…
Currently living/working in: We just wrapped up our 5-week spring teaching session at Fenton! It went…
This guest post is brought to you by … Justin! This time last year, I was…
It’s been a whirlwind of vehicles for us this month. In case you didn’t hear about…
Currently living/working in: They’re back … Our quiet winter retreat at Fenton Ranch has been interrupted by…
Justin & I both read 1.5 books this past weekend. It was the kind of relaxation…
Proin id malesuada nunc. Nulla faucibus non felis quis ornare. Quisque tristique ac sapien eu tempor.…
Aliquam pharetra, sapien non egestas interdum, dolor odio suscipit risus, eu iaculis elit nisi ac lectus.…
Quisque a massa facilisis, pellentesque tellus sit amet, egestas ipsum. Mauris sodales convallis cursus. Fusce efficitur…
We all know the feeling. You apply for a job you think is so perfect and…
Sed volutpat dolor mauris, ut scelerisque justo tincidunt non. Morbi ut faucibus lectus, at rutrum lectus.…
Quisque a massa facilisis, pellentesque tellus sit amet, egestas ipsum. Mauris sodales convallis cursus. Fusce efficitur…
Well folks, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but we have a summer of adventure ahead…
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico … the…
FYI, if any fellow writers out there need an organized tracker, I downloaded this one from Writer’s…
Besides Justin’s mom, who visited in December, we’ve had 3 other brave souls venture into the…
Sed volutpat dolor mauris, ut scelerisque justo tincidunt non. Morbi ut faucibus lectus, at rutrum lectus.…
Currently living/working in: Still property caretaking of Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico ……
This is the third in a 3-part series chronicling Justin’s journey with Crohn’s disease so far.…
This is the second in a 3-part series chronicling Justin’s journey with Crohn’s disease so far.…
This post will finally bring our blog reader up to date on Justin’s health and recent…
J & I have some lofty money-saving goals this year. Much to our parents’ chagrin, our…
Praesent auctor nisi semper, rutrum nibh id, rutrum nunc. Donec semper, mi lobortis posuere malesuada, purus…
Happy New Year! Forgive me for being 1 day late with this … Currently living/working in: Still…
I love Christmas traditions and I love how every family has different ones. Growing up, there…
As I type this, I’m eating Cheerios for breakfast, it is 4 degrees out, and oh,…
It used to be, no matter where we lived, we would have a revolving door of…
The last time I worked on my travel memoir was May 30, 2016 and when I…
Thanksgiving is upon us and while the focus is rightfully on quality time with families and…
Currently living/working in: Property caretaking of Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico through the…
I have officially fallen into a stereotype. I am the woman who lives in the woods…
I’ve been reading a few blog posts about people reflecting about their former selves and how…
Disclaimer: This post will be a little vague, but someday, I will fill in all the…
Last Saturday was my 20th high school reunion. 20 years! I graduated high school 20 years…
Once upon a time, I told Justin that my 20-year high school reunion (more on that…
Today, Justin turns 40. My first impression of J was that he was “so cool.” His…
If there is one thing we’ve learned about living in New Mexico, it is that there…
Currently living/working in: Teaching kids environmental education at Fenton Ranch in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico.…
Sorry for the radio silence around here! Turns out this working thing is really, really time-consuming.…
We bagged our 40th state high point this past weekend: New Mexico’s Wheeler Peak at 13,161…
Currently living/working in: We roadtripped most of August, and are now settled back at Fenton Ranch in…
This week on August 25, 2016, the National Parks Service turned 100!! Visiting National Parks is…
I celebrated my 38th birthday this weekend. Typically I am not a “birthday” celebration kind of…
We hit another high point, this one 10,000 feet lower than our last on King’s Peak:…
J & I hit our 37th high point, King’s Peak in Utah, at 13,528 feet!! I’m…
J & I spent Wednesday through Saturday in Salt Lake City at the Outdoor Retailer Summer…
Guys, you came up with some incredible names for our 1995 Chevy G30 Roadtrek Popular 210.…
Currently living/working in: We roadtripped most of July, with a few days on either end in Denver.…
We took our new-to-us Roadtrek on its first 4,000-mile test trip from Colorado to the East…
Exciting news folks!!!!!! We said goodbye to Big Bird (our beloved yellow Subaru Baja) last week…
This past weekend, we explored the highly acclaimed Wind River Range in Bridger National Forest in…
My month-long writer residency at Elsewhere Studios wrapped up what seems to be ages ago (May…
I know the Denali and Alaska blog posts piqued a lot of interest here in May…
Currently living/working in: In limbo! We returned from Alaska June 16 and intended on only spending 1.5…
Another guest post from Justin (edited by Patrice of course)! My previous mountaineering experiences helped me…
This is a guest post written by Justin (okay, it was edited by Patrice)! It’s been…
We have wrapped up our time in Alaska–sadly. I have been here three times and all…
Justin badly needed some recovery time following his 23-day Denali expedition. So we went camping and…
So here’s the scoop. Justin did not summit, choosing to turn around about 400 feet from…
Currently living/working in: For the first time in a very long time, J & I have been…
Justin and his RMI team have been facing some not-so-ideal weather up on Denali (65 MPH…
Well, being I won’t have much of an update about Justin while they hunker down waiting…
I’m happy to report that Justin and his RMI team are plugging along up the mountain!! Weather…
After going through gear and National Park Service protocols, Justin, Bobby and his team flew from…
Fellow gear junkies, get excited. This post is all about gear!!! But first, a few other…
Here’s a blast from the past from J’s first visit to Alaska in 2003. Many people…
We have wrapped up our spring season at Fenton Ranch! Though we’ve only been here 6…
The spring weather in New Mexico has been more like fall into winter, derailing a lot…
Currently living/working in: We are finishing up our environmental educator job in New Mexico May 5! This…
Bandalier National Monument is not the only National Park Service property near us. In October 2015,…
One of the first things we did after we accepting this job in New Mexico was…
J & I are on a quest to hit all the national parks, but often times,…
One of the great things about this job is that we have a solid 2 days…
This is our dear friend, Vern. Vern died today of stupid cancer. We’d like to…
Have you heard the rumor is that New Mexico is a desert? Living in the heart…
When we arrived in Denver on Dec. 10, we didn’t really know how long we’d stay.…
Currently living/working in: One foot in Colorado and one foot in New Mexico. There has been a…
On March 28, J & I will add our 14th state to our growing list of…
This week has been very status quo because we’ve been playing the role of adults in…
J & I went for round 2 of winter camping 101 by hitting up Rocky Mountain…
Currently living/working in: Still “unjobbing” in Colorado!! We are very thankful we have lots of choices for…
Last weekend, J & I went on our fourth Colorado backcountry hut trip–the second for this…
When I was researching writing retreats for my book on Te Araroa, I was completely overwhelmed…
I have something a little different on the blog today … it is an interview with…
Sadly, I am bidding farewell to New Zealand today. I am extremely pleased with my book-writing…
Greetings from New Zealand! I am doing well … busy writing, practicing yoga, writing, writing, biking,…
Hello from New Zealand! I didn’t want to make any promises about posting, but I thought…
If you’ve been reading this blog for a long time, or if you are my “real-life”…
Our contest giveaway has ended and we have 2 winners!! The winner of the grand prize…
***Three days left!!! Don’t miss out on entering our giveaway contest three posts back*** Currently living/working in: “Unjobbing” in…
***Don’t miss out on entering our giveaway contest two posts back*** J & I did our third 10th…
***Don’t miss out on entering our giveaway contest one post back*** As we planned, we did…
We were so happy with the outcome of New Zealand’s Te Araroa Speaking Tour! We are…
We have wrapped up our Te Araroa Speaking Tour. I plan to do a full recap…
J & I took our first snowshoeing trip of the season on Saturday. We headed to…
Try to contain your excitement … our 8-stop New Zealand Te Araroa speaking tour is picking…
After tucking 2015 into bed, J & I realized we’ve had quite a year. If you…
For most of our 13 years together, J & I have spent Christmas mornings with my…
Before anyone freaks out with these pictures, know it is all makeup!! It was all part…
Currently living/working in: Well, we made it to Colorado! And right now, we are in the midst…
Our Te Araroa speaking tour took us through the Midwest, somehow magically without any winter weather.…
In this past week, we went from the serene quiet of the island to the organized…
We said goodbye to our 2-month caretaking gig on that secret island today, but want wholeheartedly…
During the past 5 months, I read 15 books and J read 10. It may not…
Currently living/working in: In the homestretch of island life … unbelievably, there are only 9 days left…
J & I have created what we like to call a “life less ordinary,” particularly since…
With less than 25 days left in our island gig, I’m already dreaming about how we…
Te Araroa is trending. While the Te Araroa Trust estimates there were 200 hikers on the…
Currently living/working in: Caretaking an island off the coast of New England and loving it! Current mood: Happy!…
All the islanders are gone. Well, 1-2 will come back here and there, but for the…
We have settled in for our 2-month caretaking job on an island off the coast of…
John Miller!!!!! John, please e-mail us your mailing address at gearandgo@hotmail.com so we can send you…
We start our new (secret) caretaking gig on Monday, so we’ve been bouncing all over the…
Who wants to win this lantern????????? We are partnering with Princeton Tec for a giveaway of…
Currently living/working in: transitioning from one caretaking gig to another!!! I know, I know, you are getting…
You might have heard the big news. President Obama changed the name of North America’s highest…
J & I used to always say, “someday, we will live off the grid.” Not because…
Currently living/working in: Maine. And not just Maine, but the North Maine woods off the grid, running…
Nearly every person we meet in the North Maine Woods spews off something along these lines:…
I turn 37 on Friday and thought it would be fun to pay respects to my…
Hope you enjoyed our first batch of pictures, because I have a second batch! Our life…
It’s been 1 week since we’ve been up here and we are getting more and more…
“The first time that you begin moving in an unconventional direction is the hardest beginning,” according…
Currently just departed from: New Jersey. We were in NJ from July 1-17, with a few brief…
Last weekend, J & I met 3 other couples and their kids in Beckley, West Virginia,…
Our goal of reaching all 50 high points has really taken a back seat to some…
The U.S. manufacturing sector may appear to be shrinking, but it’s making a comeback at the…
Currently spending time with/where: We are down to the wire with our time in Danville. We close…
J & I engage in plenty of outdoor sports–hiking, paddling, biking, rock climbing, XC skiing, etc.…
We stayed in 25+ different hostels/holiday parks along Te Araroa and most of them were great,…
We hopped over the state line this weekend to go camping and paddling with some Danville…
Not many extended families can really say they all get along, but J’s family can. As…
I am behind on blogging. I mean, I am blogging here for Big Agnes and Gregory,…
Currently spending time with/where: I added this “currently” label because we bounce around so much! This…
I promised I’d balance out my Debbie Downer posts, so here are some happy scenes from…
So it’s pretty suffice to say that since we returned from New Zealand, we’ve had a…
If this week were not emotional enough, we have other bad news. Mr. McKinley passed away…
We’ve been in Danville, VA, since May 6. Danville, for those who don’t know, is one…
Earlier this week, we left Colorado and landed on the East Coast, specifically in Virginia. I…
Current mood: missing New Zealand. Seriously, it is SO disappointing to be “back to life, back…
We made the most of our 5 days in Sydney, taking all modes of transportation to…
Well, our 5-month New Zealand grand adventure has come to an end. We flew out on…
Dunedin was never a planned destination for our post-Te Araroa travels. Dunedin was the Plan B…
We spent the weekend in Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. We…
We scheduled in a little R&R during our post Te Araroa weeks in New Zealand and…
I plan to write more about our overall impressions and feelings about the Te Araroa, as…
A second priority in our post-TA exploring was Mt. Cook National Park and we ended up…
Stewart Island (Rakiura) is New Zealand’s “third” largest island. Most of the island is protected as…
Before we leave for Stewart Island, I wanted to give you a few statistics. I will…
It is done. We have walked the entire length of New Zealand from Cape Reigna to…
Hello from Invercargill! We are at kilometer 2962, which means we are one single day and…
Hello from Te Anau, where we hitched 30K and are just resupplying quickly, then heading back…
We thoroughly enjoyed our zero day in Queenstown and will be hitting the trail Wednesday for…
Hello from Adventure Queenstown Hostel! Queenstown is a BIG town, and we are actually taking our…
Well, we finally did it. We took a zero day, which we haven’t done since we…
Hello from Wanaka! We are at kilometer 2579 and have traveled 141 kilometers (or 90 miles)…
It poured (and hailed) on us Friday morning as we were coming into Twizel to resupply,…
Hello from Lake Tekapo! We are enjoying a half day of rest with this beautiful view…
Hello from Mt. Hutt Hostel in Methven! We’ve only come 72 kilometers (46 miles) from Arthur’s…
Hello from Mountain House Hostel in Arthur’s Pass National Park! It’s been a long time (10…
Hello from St. Arnaud! We have trekked 159 kilometers, or 102 miles, from Havelock to St.…
We had hoped to get this up in Wellington as we finished the North Island, but…
Hello from the Blue Moon Backpackers in Havelock! We hiked the first 83 kilometers (53 miles)…
We have THOROUGHLY enjoyed our days off in Wellington, then Picton. It had been the perfect…
As I said in my last post, we have finished the North Island (NI) section of…
Hello from Windy Welly! Wellington is NZ’s capitol and at the very bottom of the North…
Hello from Whanganui! We left Taumarunui last Saturday and have come 322K, or 207 miles, to…
Hello from Taumarunui! We have traveled 158K, or 101 miles, from Waitomo to Taumarunui. We have…
We are still in Waitomo (btw pronounced Why-Toe-Mo meaning water hole). Yesterday we did our tour…
Hello from Waitomo Caves! We have traveled just 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, from Hamilton. It…
Hello from Te Awamutu, home of Crowded House. Who’s that you ask? Some 80s band, but…
Hello from Hamilton! We have traveled 200 kilometers, or 120 miles, from Auckland. We are 793K…
Today (Sunday), we took a planned zero day in Auckland. Besides our regular town chores (blog,…
Hello from the Brown Kiwi Hostel in Auckland! It feels like it was just yesterday when…
So, we are on an unplanned zero day. No one is hurt or sick. But remember…
Hello from Waipu (pronounced Why-poo, seriously), where we are staying at the Waipu Wanderers Hostel and…
Hello from KeriKeri, which means “dig dig.” 123K–or 73.8 miles for us Americans–in the books, bringing our…
New Zealand has 11,000 kilometers of coastline, and we have now walked along 1% of it.…
Hello from the future! To be precise, we are 18 hours ahead of you east coasters…
Greetings from San Francisco! We are just hours away from our flight to New Zealand–eeek!! We…
Current mood: a bit frantic, but I believe we got everything done on our to do…
Our base weights (without food and water) are: Justin 18 lbs Patrice 13.5 lbs Here’s the…
We secured another sponsor! And, once again, it is a company we have known and loved…
On the AT, we loved getting our mail drops. People sent us 40+ pieces of “mail…
After 11 nights–some very cold and snowy nights I might add–of sleeping in a tent, we…
J & I are now “master educators” for Leave No Trace (LNT). We spent 5 days…
Hello from the Grand Canyon, where J and I are becoming “master educators” for Leave No…
Anyone who knows me knows I am a planner and a worrier. These are my worst…
8 memorable, adventure-filled years married 7 times we’ve rented a moving truck (Penske rocks!) 6 cats…
Current mood: Excited! Anxious! Overwhelmed! NZ trip planning brings out a range of emotions! Currently thankful…
Tramp [verb]: to walk long and far, hike, march or trudge. to wander about as a…
First thing first. Happy birthday J!!!! Today he turns 38. This means, it’s just 2 years…
We may be leaving Oregon in a week, but we will be back. We have to…
Today is the last day RimRock is open. Let me start by saying we had a…
I skipped August, so this will be a catch-up edition! Current mood: at peace Currently thankful…
FYI, this is a guest blog post by hubby, so please excuse all typos, poor spelling…
The good news is J is doing well on his Shuksan expedition. He was actually able…
J left this morning for another harrowing adventure … he is taking a 6-day expedition skills…
Back in May, we did a little scouting on the hardly used Chico Trail down in…
J’s mom came to visit last week. Our visitors have been perfectly timed during our slower…
Back when babies were allowed to sleep with blankets, I was born. I’m at the age…
My sister and mom came to visit this past weekend and it was of course nice…
We haven’t been able to take a backpacking trip in awhile since we’ve been so busy,…
RR has been open for more than 2 months and it’s time for reflective thoughts. Of…
Current mood: Tired. We had a long, busy weekend Currently thankful for: Google Translate. We have…
We ventured back into the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and Eagle Cap Wilderness again and this time,…
I’ve been taking lots and lots of pictures of our time here, but few are shared.…
I am not going on a blog hiatus. I promise. Between hosting a wedding at RR…
On Monday, we squeezed away from RR for a half day and took out ‘yaks out…
This past weekend, J & I ventured to the mitten state for Jason (Hoss) and Adrienne’s…
The trails around these parts seem to have a common theme … steep, unmarked and no…
Current mood: Slowly getting in a groove here Currently thankful for: J making it off Mount…
This blog post is brought to you by my awesome and crazy husband, J. The above…
Well, this week has been going much better than last week in terms of breathing a…
Well, RR opened for business this weekend! Let me tell you, we were putting finishing…
My family seems to have this trend going on in that wedding anniversaries should be spent…
We have a *few* friends/family willing to make the long haul out to visit us this…
As soon as we saw a glimmer of good weather, we knew we needed to take…
Current mood: surprisingly content, with all that is going on Currently thankful for: Snail Mail Netflix…
J & I went down into Joseph Canyon this past weekend and this time, we turned…
“You can’t get anywhere from here,” J and I lamented the other day. By here, I…
J & I high-fived last Sunday as we entered Oregon, marking it as our 11th state…
We’ve been on the road since Feb. 24, but we will be completing the final leg…
We left Danville, VA, March 14 and are still in the Midwest. Those head winds, tail…
Voting is still open through the end of March for the Montana contest … come on…
Well, this shouldn’t surprise you, but J & I are entering a contest. And we need…
What’s that they say about certainty in life? There are two things you can count on:…
This weekend was our last one at the cabin in the mountains of CO before we…
I came across a “Currently” blog post from this Colorado blogger and I loved the idea.…
Let me tell you how that East Coast storm (Pax? Can’t keep track of these stupid…
You know those life experiences that you have once and then swear you’ll never do again?…
I suppose this could be in the interest of “Throwback Thursday,” but J & I are…
J has abandoned me for the first of TWO bachelor parties this month. Strange to be…
We are still enjoying our transition period at the cabin between one adventure to the next.…
You have to be wondering what we are doing these days since we don’t start our…
I have been dreading this post. You can probably tell I’ve been avoiding the blog, since…
Happy New Year from Colorado, our temporary “home” for the next 2 months. Lest you think…
We have spent a number of Christmases with my family, but with that niece and nephew…
Well, we survived our almost 2 months in NJ. I say “survived” because J should really…
I try to steer clear of opening any can of worms on this blog by talking…
Day 41 in New Jersey, but who’s counting? J was not counting and when I told…
Well, it’s that time of year. My favorite time of year, actually. Thanksgiving into Christmas, when…
Cliche or not, I would like to jump on the bandwagon (albeit a few days too…
On Monday, J & I hit 7 years of marriage. How do most people celebrate their…
Back when we started our contract with BP, we got an e-mail from our boss asking…
We’ve been in Colorado for 10 days now. And in no particular order, here are 10…
We now have Phil Keoghan on speed dial. Okay, that’s a little of a stretch, but…
All summer long, friends and family asked if we would be coming to a town near…
First of all, happy birthday to my old man!! For the many, many years, he would…
I love those stories about being in the right place at the right time. But this…
Our whole summer has been speckled with spur-of-the-moment decisions and seizing the opportunity because we’re there. …
We’ve traded in coniferous trees and high-alpine lakes in the Pacific Northwest high country for barren…
We knocked off 2 more high points as we have been making our way to the…
As I said in my last blog post, our time in the Pacific Northwest was wrapping…
I love Washington … always have. How could you not love a state with such diverse…
I’m going to switch gears from backpacking to pure road tripping in this post. In our…
… you have to stop and smell the roses, literally and figuratively. The last couple of…
We just spent the last week exploring Idaho. For those of you thinking Idaho is not…
I’ve always said it is about the journey, not the destination, and this is certainly true…
We are alive and well!!! J and Fire Marshall Mac beat the mountain and hit the…
We did a full day of training today with our RMI guides right under the shadow…
After stopping in Seattle for a brief overnighter (and seeing Rainier from a distance for days…
We are leaving Colorado tomorrow to head to Rainier!!!!!!!! Our summit climb attempt is July 25-29!!!!!!!!…
A lot of people have asked if J & I are still attempting to climb Mount…
We are slowly making our way west, not without a few pitstops and visiting of course!!! …
So I anticipate every post my wonderful wife puts up on this blog. Even when she…
My 10 days in dirty Jersey (with a brief 4-day stint in CT) is coming to…
For those who may be newer to this blog, this is Mr. McKinley. J & I…
In May, we spent 17 nights sleeping at friends’ or family’s houses, 7 nights in the…
I have set up “camp” at my parents’ house in New Jersey for the next 10…
Our tour took us on a detour to Midwest from the East coast this week, mainly…
We spent Memorial Day weekend in Virginia Beach. Though we ALWAYS have work to do, the…
10 days since my last post, but it feels more like 20 days because of everything…
We are now 2 presentations in with 6,000+ miles driven across 16 states, all in 2…
We gave our very first Gear & Go presentation for BP in Minneapolis and it was…
We are busier than a one-armed juggler these days. Even J, who never stresses about anything,…
Deal is really living up to his trail name these days. What started as a joke…
We’ve been to a lot of baptisms. Three godchildren each, plus a few others just to…
Steps 1-3: Dream big, live your passions and don’t ever stop believing. I am here to…
We’ve had a very busy week here with back-to-back-to-back personal visitors (3 sets to be exact),…
One of our favorite things about living in NH was the SNOW!!! Our first year living…
You probably don’t remember this, but in 2008, Deal & I set a goal to watch…
The point of this post is to tell you some exciting news … at the beginning…
I know y’all enjoyed my “What have we been up to?” post from a few weeks…
We ventured up to the Philly area for a quick overnight trip with 3 purposes. 1)…
It feels like it’s been forever since I blogged, but it’s only been 10 days. Still,…
Turns out BD is just as awesome of a place to visit in the winter as…
We have been called again. And we accepted the chosen path again. Julie/SILMeow and Russ/Napolean Dynamite…
I mentioned that Deal & I are doing the Insanity (NOW) workout to get in shape…
Our kindred spirits visited us. Yes, we have our very own kindred spirits, another couple who…
My sister has lived in Newtown for the last 10 peaceful years. We have spent Christmas…
We spent last week in Chi-town becoming acquainted with our new nephew! We did a lot…
In the dead of winter, I would like to talk about gardening. Fitting, right? This was…
Anytime Deal goes anywhere without me, I tell him to take pictures so I can blog…
Everett Hudson (courtesy of SILMeow/Julie and Napolean Dynamite/Russ) Born Nov. 30 at 9:30 am 6 lbs…
Deal and I spent Thanksgiving apart this year. Don’t gasp. We live and work together everyday,…
I used to joke that when Deal worked in parks and recreation, he went to all…
Everyone has a horror health insurance story. And everyone has a political view on health insurance.…
During the last week in October, my mother-in-law, MamaF, scheduled a 4-day trip. It turned into…
Today marks the one-year anniversary of finishing our thru hike of the AT!! This time last…
These days, there is a “group” for everything. Like-minded people get together and do their thing.…
My big sis (Janice/Quick Question) turned 40 last weekend! To celebrate, we ventured to sunny and…
What I love about BD is that no two days/nights are the same. Thursday night, we…
This weekend was eventful, very eventful. We left the confines of the hostel (I am going…
I love my new life. It’s funny how things never turn out as planned. I should…
We have been getting out and doing more and more hiking these days. Novel concept, you…
Jess Hi, my name is Jess and I spent just over 3 months living with Steadee…
We’ve created this dangerous tradition with Deal’s friend TheHoss/Jason and his girlfriend Accessory/Adrienne … going to…
The other day Deal stepped outside our front door and something caught his eye. Deal is…
I am happy to announce that Hallmark4Ever/Sara & GoodEgg/Rob (our friends from NJ) asked us to…
Almost immediately after my sister’s family left, Deal’s family arrived! First, his preggo sister (our third…
Quitting my job was timed perfectly for our oodles of back-to-back family visitors. First up, my…
Hi everyone, how are you? I quit my job. If you do not want to join…
We had more visitors roll through in July and now in August and they will continue…
Okay, not really, but a local TV station did a piece on the lodge/hostel for their…
There’s so much I want to write about, but so little time! For now, I wanted…
Dear Mr. McKinley, Your birthday was yesterday (Summer Solstice). You turned 8, which is 50 in…
This time last year, we set off on our greatest adventure of our lives (so far).
Aren’t you lucky? 2 posts in one weekend!!! My sister (QuickQuestion) traveled 376 miles by train,…
The weekend of May 18-20 (yes, I realize that was 2 weeks ago), Deal & I…
Well, so much for my “bonus post,” as it’s been almost 2 weeks! My “bonus post”…
Friday the 13th, an ominous day known for bad luck. Instead of just one day, though,…
Two weeks between my blog posts … not bad! But, I thought I better get another…
Exhale. So, it turns out that starting two new jobs, moving into a new place and…
BEEF!!!!AKA Casey! Thank you for all your entries! I had fun reading them. Oddly enough, most…
We are currently in New Hampshire, thoroughly enjoying our time and busy visiting with friends all…
We are just about done with our tour de U.S. and when all is said and…
We decided the 26 days we spent in Chicago after the trail with Deal’s mom, sister…
Deal got his name on the trail for a reason. He lives for deals and for…
RevKev came to visit us at the cabin (aka, paradise) this weekend and we had loads…
Fire is NOT something to joke about, which is why I am happy to report we…
So guess who else got a job besides Deal? MEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I am once again going to…
It’s good to be back in Colorado and at the cabin and we are waiting for…
Before this week, I had never been to South Dakota (4 states left on my list!!!),…
Greetings from paradise! We have been at the cabin for a 5 full days and there…
2012 is all about new adventures, right? Well, we had our first new adventure for New…
Since I know everyone is waiting with bated breath, I figured I couldn’t let 2011 slip…
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Festivus … All that good stuff. We had a wonderful…
Where in the world are Steadee & Deal??? That’s a good question. For the last two…
On Oct. 24, we finished our hike on the Appalachian Trail after 141 days, 14 states…
This weekend, we’ve been hanging out in Tampa with our good friend BEEF! (Casey). It was…
We spent 3 glorious days and 2 glorious nights exploring Big Bend National Park. For a…
We may be off the AT, but we are still making the most of being unemployed…
Since we reached our goal of thru hiking the AT, we needed a new goal. So…
Goodbye Chicago. You have been good to us for the past 3 weeks, but it is…
– Your grocery list contains foods invented solely to make people obese and you choose the…
No one seems to believe us, but we really liked Cleveland! Yes, I am talking about…
So post-trail life. Still going well. By all measures of success, we are on the right…
It’s a rainy day here in Chi-town. I appreciate being indoors so much more after doing…
As we trekked through the last 70ish miles in Georgia, we got a little bit of…
2,181 miles 14 states 141 days June 6 to October 24 Dream come true! Thank you…
We have reached our 14th and final state, Georgia! Theoretically, we have accomplished our goal: we…
Folks, we have walked 2,018.4 miles and have been out in the woods for 131 days…
Hello from Hot Springs, NC, at Mile 1909.2 on Day 125, where we took a nero…
Happy Birthday to my lovely husband!!!! I don’t have much service, but I had to send…
Remember how I said it was unseasonably cold here and we were about to climb to…
We are currently at a hostel in Elk Park, NC/Roan Mtn, TN at mile 1791.4 on…
Hello from Damascus, VA, a very hiker-friendly town we walk through. We are at mile 1716.6!!!…
Lots of people have been asking where they can send something (for example, home-baked goods) for…
We have completed Central VA, all 227 miles! It took us 12 days. We did stop…
We are in town tonight … Once again, our trail angel, Fire Chief (Fire Marshall’s dad)…
We have completed 154 miles of VA! 854 left of the whole trail! And we just…
Lots of people have been asking what that item is that I am holding up in…
We are actually 30 miles into Virginia now, but I have yet to give my report…
On Thursday, we conquered our eighth state and entered Maryland! Oh and we hit the halfway…
Hello everyone, this is Deal. Yesterday Steadee turned 33 and I do believe she had a…
We spent 3 wonderful zeros at my parents’ … Saw lots of friends and took care…
Guess what we have been doing the last few days?? NOT HIKING!! I’m excited to tell…
We entered NJ this evening and it started to downpour … you would think our home…
Hello from mile 791! We are almost done with NY and I will do an update…
Today we hiked into New York. This is our 6th state (out of 14)! Unbelievable! Connecticut…
Today, we got trail magic. This time, though, it wasn’t from a stranger, but from our…
We have entered CT! Which means we knocked another state off the list! Massachusetts was pretty…
My mom turned 66 today!! However, she has the energy of a 46-year-old! Maybe it’s from…
Greetings from Mt. Greylock at 3,491 feet, the highest point in Massachusetts, and mile 602.5. We…
Remember that whole list I put together for mail drops? Please disregard. Well, for now. Right…
Hello from Manchester Center, VT! We hiked 10 miles today to get here and are spending…
What an awesome ZERO day. We can’t thank our host and hostess Second Nature and Grateful…
Hello from Hanover, NH! This trail town is right on the border of Vermont, so that…
Hello from Glencliff, NH! I know it’s been awhile and you are all awaiting an update!…
So we’ve finished Maine! It was exactly 281.4 miles, the second longest state on the trail.…
Hello from Gorham, NH, where we are enjoying yet another wonderful hiker hostel! We have finished…
The trail has definitely beaten us up these past few days!! We have been with Fire…
Greetings from Rangeley, ME! We are in the process of receiving the best trail magic evah!…
The last update I gave you was from the Northern Outdoors Center, where we hobnobbed with…
Hello from the Northern Outdoors Center in The Forks, ME (population 31), where there is no…
The laundry is done and we are ready to hit the trail early tomorrow morning with…
We are currently in Monson, ME, taking a near-zero (nero) day at Shaw’s Lodging, an awesome…
I woke up next to this strange guy this morning …He looked like this yesterday until…
We are just days from starting our big hike and things are super busy, but I…
We spent 4 days in Phoenix. It was certainly nice to see the sun, since NH…
We’re still in Phoenix and it’s hot. We are getting ready to attend Sunshine’s wedding and…
We sold my car yesterday. It was bittersweet for me because Fernando & I have been…
Today is J’s last day of work. He decided to wear his favorite green shirt.Out of…
Our yard sale helped us get rid of some small stuff and we donated the rest.…
Last week with the family here, we took off from trail planning. It was a very…
A few months ago, my dad suggested we (us, my parents, my sister’s family) take a…
With 7 weeks until trail time, we are up to our eyeballs in gear for the…
Lots of people are asking us, “can I/we send you something on the trail?” The answer…
We did some major spring cleaning through our belongings this weekend to prepare for the arduous…
The town is talking … here’s an article in our local newspaper about J’s departure. Something…
I am switching up these weekly posts from week 43 of unemployment to 9 weeks until…
Here is our backyard on Thursday. Here is our backyard on Friday.It is spring!
Well, it’s official. We are planning to thru hike the AT this summer. J handed in…
Busy week again, which included J getting a root canal and an interview on Monday for…
In true New England fashion, most of our snow melted last week and this weekend, and…
Awhile back, probably somewhere around week 26 of unemployment, I resigned to the fact that my…
There’s a new study out from the CDC that says there’s a risk of transmission of…
You wouldn’t know the first day of spring is in less than 10 days here. Sure,…
First things first, my second interview went great. It’s hard to tell where they are in…
This weekend was pretty boring. Aside from J’s concerts (BTW, he got to Boston with no…
Not a bad week work-wise for me again. I like the new project I’m working on…
I know I already said our 27-inch flat-screen TV kicked the bucket, but J wanted to…
I’m happy to report another busy week between our houseguest, the magazine and my old company.…
Today is our first day without a houseguest since Feb. 11. Don’t get me wrong, we…
I tried to start a trend this indoor soccer season: wearing a skort to play. But…
My dear readers, this week was a good week in terms of my self-employment endeavors. Can…
We have wrapped up a wonderful visit with Mama Fashion. She was with us from Friday…
Of course I have no job update for you. Looked for work, not much out there,…
Happy Superbowl! We’re just sitting here watching the game and commercials (disappointing so far, no?) as…
I have nothing good to say about my pitiful job search this week, though I did…
Week 34 was really depressing and another roller coaster, but, by now, I’ve had such a…
If we are ever in the woods together, rest assure. I can save you!!! I may…
Not much to report here. Sent out more resumes to what seems like promising leads, but…
We are getting pounded with winter weather these past few days. It’s lovely, but not so…
This week was a little bit of a roller coaster, but with a good ending. It…
We finally got a good, blog-worthy snowstorm here. I was spoiled our first winter here in…
For those of you who have the Nat Geo channel (which I’m assuming includes all of…
Well hello there! This week marks my 31st week of being unemployed. I have not mentioned…
We left Topeka, Kansas, on Friday morning in an ice storm and 20 degrees. I always…
We have started our trip back east. It’s a little earlier than we originally planned. We…
Before I get into the Christmas festivities, I have a BIG announcement to make. SILMeow and…
J & I arrived to “paradise” on Thursday. Paradise is actually a cabin tucked in the…
The drive across the ENTIRE state of Nebraska on Wednesday was about as exciting as the…
On Tuesday, we crossed to the other side of the Mississippi on our drive. And the…
We drove another 675 miles today. Our final destination was New Albany, Ohio, but we took…
We’ve driven 670 miles so far, and this is what we’ve done. We packed up pretty…
I will most certainly be taking a break from my unemployment updates during the holidaze. Partly…
J has his annual Breakfast with Santa yesterday. J pretty much has the event down to…
There’s not much to report on the unemployment front. Pretty much the same as last week,…
I don’t really want to see another gingerbread house for a long time. J had the…
Sad news for the millions of unemployed adults out there. Congress failed to pass the federal…
We spent the day (weekend) of Thanks with J’s family, including his grandma, who flew in…
(This post is not about the Grateful Dead, although J would love it to be) Anyways,…
My conference in Milwaukee was GREAT. I took my required classes for the certificate (I am…
I’m uber pumped this week for unemployment because I am flying out tomorrow morning to Milwaukee.…
Job searching is tiring … at least Mr. McKinley thinks so. In all honesty, this was…
While I was on my unemployment “vacation” last week in NJ, I took a weekend road…
J had a very different experience in high school than I did. It’s no wonder since…
It’s a little depressing to think I’ve been unemployed for 20 weeks. I’m just about halfway…
I wasn’t really unemployed this week … My old company hired me as a freelancer to…
I really wanted to be brief. I did. But it’s just not me. You should know…
First of all, thank you Quick Question for updating the blog while we were on our…
Hi all! This blog entry is written by P’s sister, Quick Question. She asked me to…
John Muir said, “The mountains are calling and I must go.” We agree. So we are…
I’m not sure what to call it … a triathlon … a mini-adventure race … all…
So last night at about 11:30 pm, I was on the phone with my mom and…
What a boring week … no work and I did not find too many places to…
My favorite season of fall is definitely in the air, but we’ve had such an awesome…
I am no longer a contract graphic designer. I sent the auto repair magazine to print…
I saw this on another blog awhile ago and I thought it was an interesting post.…
I didn’t have any work to do this week. No magazine layout (that’s next week). No…
Well, there was not ANY traffic this past Labor Day weekend on our drive to Jersey.…
I survived my 3rd issue of the auto magazine!!! It IS getting easier, but it’s still…
Last week, J & I stayed in a Bed & Breakfast for free (my magazine assignment)…
I am a deadline-oriented person. I actually love deadlines and thrive on them, which is a…
This weekend was a big ‘ol family reunion of sorts. Mostly with J’s sisters and significant…
It is going to be very hard for me to describe our volunteer experience this weekend…
I have another volunteering gig from tomorrow through Sunday. This one is quite unique and I…
He is a triathlete, hear him roar. I asked J to blog about his triathlon today,…
This was a Very Hard week (with a capital V and H). I started some new…
ShortShorts has been very giving with the vegetables this summer! And we picked up some fresh…
And I’m not even doing it!!! This training schedule has me very tired, very tired. Today,…
I know you probably laugh when I say how busy I feel these days. Busy enough…
We didn’t stay inside on Sunday either, despite the continued heatwave. We returned to the Merrimack…
They say when it’s hot out, you really should stay inside and stay cool. Avoid exercise.…
When J & I finally thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (the AT), you all will get an…
I got up at 6am this morning. I never even got up that early when I…
NH is a state of lakes and rivers, that’s for sure. It’s one of the main…
This week I was on a little bit of a roller coaster. It could have to…
So hell kinda froze over guys and gals. Remember that house in Danville we own? The…
Last year for J’s big 4th of July event, it rained. This year, it was 90…
I had another unemployment workshop to attend on Wednesday. This time there were 25 of us.…
This past weekend, Charlotte & PA Dutch visited! They vacationed in Maine the week before, and…
Whenever I tell people I’m a writer, the first question is usually, “where can I read…
I thought for a day or two that I broke my pinkie toe.On Monday night, my…
I just returned from a trip to the Midwest where I attended the wedding of LilSis!…
I turned 6 today. I feel old. Just look at all the white hair I have.
I went to an unemployment workshop required by the state today. Apparently one of many I…
Unemployment is tough, but the jobs are coming in. That really is me. Unfortunately, I didn’t…
“Some people are thermometers, some are thermostats. You’re a thermostat. You don’t register the temp in…
J and I spent Memorial Day Weekend 2010 apart. Purposely. We do that sometimes. Take separate…
I think everyone knows that J loves Alaska. It’s in his top 3 (Me, Music &…
So the Hindu wedding this past weekend. OMG. So so awesome. I was holding off on…
I know, twice in one day, even one hour! But since I don’t have FB or…
Chicago was windy and chilly. J asked me the expected temps before we left and I…
Bones is growing up fast. I guess kids do that. He made his Communion this weekend!…
J & I love to be inspired. We are the type of people who are really…
When we have nice temps in NH in April, we take advantage of it. You just…
I’m not talking about Earth Day (which is next week). We went to another Carbon Leaf…
USING YEAST TO MAKE DOUGH … A few months back, I was talking to RedJeepTrvlr about…
I have more reviews of the Oscar winners! Go here for 1981-present (although, we have yet…
Besides our co-ed soccer team, I sub sometimes for a woman’s team on Wednesdays. Last night,…
J had his annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday! Another successful event with 5,000 eggs and about…
One of the things NH is known for is its maple syrup. This weekend, more than…
NHBound had her shower Friday night! J & I cannot wait for this wedding in June…
That’s how I feel about the health care reform bills this week. I waited up Sunday…
Well, it looks like our days of illegal cable are coming to an end. Lately, channels…
And I’m not talking about basketball … We bid Alaska3 goodbye as she wrapped up her…
It’s Spring Break! For some people … like my cousin, who I haven’t seen in, oh,…
I volunteered to make a variety of desserts for a fundraiser my woman’s club is having…
J has been hounding me all day to write a tribute to Corey Haim. “Because we…
I think I am the official “concert partner” for a lot of people. So it’s only…
You are seriously going to hate me for telling you this, but this has been a…
My Friday evening may have started off very quiet, but the rest of the weekend was…
I don’t like writing random posts, but today it’s necessary. I am extremely displeased with our…
J is ever so proud of Mr. McKinley and has a new goal in mind. He…
As I’ve mentioned before, J & I don’t frequent the movie theater. But we made plans…
I have to profess my love to the Sonicare toothbrush.* I had a wonderful experience at…
I’ve returned from my long-awaited and snow-delayed weekend in Philly and it was divine. Seriously, what’s…
J and I have been making our way through the list of Academy Award Best Picture…
I’m blogging from NH and I’m not happy about it. I’m supposed to be in Philly…
Lost is driving me bonkers. It’s one of the few TV shows I’ve stayed loyal to…
Shiver me buccaneers, J & I had a weekend full of pirates and cannons in Tampa.…
I just realized that not only did 2009 hand off the torch to 2010, but that…
Last week, J passed a test and became a certified recreation director.Not sure what that really…
Has anyone jumped on the Zumba bandwagon? As usual, I’m late. My kickboxing instructor convinced me…
This is a yurt. This is the most luxurious form of camping we have ever done.…
Well, friends, you didn’t beat last year’s record of 12 baby boys born, but you did…
We’re back in New Hampshire after a long 9 days and many miles in Jersey!
When people ask what I was doing during the blizzard of 2009 (Saturday, Dec. 19), I…
December is a busy month for recreation. Tonight, J is judging houses for the Holiday Lights…
I almost forgot to tell you, Internets, about the special town meeting J’s town had on…
OMG. This piece of news floored me. I was convinced we might be getting around in…
When J and I moved to NH, we donated our fake tree—the one I bought when…
I’ve often said that my office window faces the backyard. Well, I’ve had a hard time…
My car Fernando (or Isabella as J calls HIM) has been around the block once, twice,…
Watch as ShortonCoffee performs some magic. Now you see the food. Now you don’t. So now…
In keeping with J’s motto—will travel anywhere for a concert—J and I continued from Mohegan Sun…
While we’re experiencing a real Indian summer here in NH (of course the 50-degree temps will…
Disclaimer: Do NOT read this post if you are squeamish or if you love animals. I…
Step 1: Use casino-provided vouchers on your first bet. Place $10 down on #10 for the…
I came across this study from CareerBuilder.com and thought I’d share. They always have the funniest…
So those are the words I hear all the time when I (J) attend Phish or…
We had our first dance class last night. The dance studio said they missed us during…
I wasn’t sure if my camera would work, so I only took limited photos. I will…
Happy Halloween everyone! Most of you know our spooky, true-life ghost stories, but I figured today…
As the temps start dropping, J and I switch into “winter” mode. That means the start…
Try to contain your excitement. Here is J’s guest blog entry about his trip out West…
It was inevitable. J & I caved and upgraded our cell phone plans to include texting.…
Today is a sad day at work. Today is BFFcoworker’s last day. We have worked together…
I did something I never thought I’d do last month. Nooooo, I didn’t apply to work…
I’m back from my work trip to San Antonio. And I’m alone. J is away on…
So for the second year in a row, one of J’s friends had a baby on…
J may have chosen to “roast” me on my birthday, but I would like to toast…
J and I took a nice 18-mile bike ride Sunday. J had an event on Saturday,…
Remember my post at the beginning of August about the silly Vera Bradley contest? Yeah, I…
When J and I bought our bikes at the REI Garage Sale in August, I have…
J & I spent Saturday exploring Mt. Greylock State Reservation in Mass, which happens to be…
J and I spent the weekend at his dad’s on the coast of Mass. His Grandma…
For your viewing pleasure, I’ve updated this post with different pictures … I ran by many…
J’s thumbs have been replaced. Except they put his left thumb on the right. Anyways, he…
I had a conversation with my mom the other day and for 15 whole minutes, we…
Our trip to Danville this weekend was met with mixed emotions. It usually is. We own…
We generally smell a skunk here and there during the summer, but this week has been…
I think we need to rename our annual tradition of going down to the Chesapeake Bay…
Today is a very special day….. Not only is the first time I (J) have posted…
Like we often do, J and I overestimated our energy and our ability to do everything…
Today we drove to New York for a concert. Like they did 40 years ago. But…
More stories about ShortShorts, our infamous landlord, have been requested, so here’s one for you. Right…
Just call me selfish and greedy. I read about this Vera Bradley Most Remarkable Bridesmaid Dress…
Hallmark4Ever & GoodEgg left the babe at home for a quick jaunt to NH. Friday night:…
J really pushed our limits this time with the food shopping thing. If it weren’t for…
I’ve talked about the bells on the church across the street from us and how they…
Some people say Christmas is their favorite day of the year. Others say birthdays. Our favorite…
This week is British Soccer Week in J’s town. J has 8 coaches (some who are…
We’ve been teaching a lot of beginner classes in outdoor adventure lately … hehe. Good practice…
In addition to the tourist attractions, my sister’s visit to NH included a little of what…
How do you parents do it? Seriously? How? How? How? Am I asking too many questions?…
J & I just got back today from a 3-day kayak/camping trip to Squam Lake in…
37 times at 8am and 19 times at noon. Anyone know the significance of that? Back…
What did you do for Independence Day? Did you help your husband with his big community…
I survived the heat, and the best way to describe the visit is with a mosaic!…
Blogging from Phoenix for the next few days and I went from this: to this:Internet, don’t…
Our day started with a lobster hangover. With so much to do in NH, we wanted…
After J’s mom left on Tuesday, more visitors came on Wednesday! Seriously, this is great practice…
Despite the threat of rain all weekend, J and I decided we desperately needed some QT…
The Mr. is turning 5 this month! We don’t know his exact birth date, but we…
You ever feel like you make the same thing for dinner week after week? MamaF has…
Indoor soccer has ended for us until the fall. It’s bittersweet because I love playing, but…
The weather may not show it, but one thing that tells me it’s summer in New…
We expect Mother Nature to change around the furniture in her room once in awhile, but…
I’m sorry to report an epic fail at the Tricky Tray. It all started when we…
My list of the things I strongly dislike about NJ is far too long, so instead,…
I’m in the garden state this week. Been here since Sunday and will be here all…
I didn’t think anything could make me want to go back to high school. I hated…
Having visitors this past weekend and spending some time outdoors reminded me that summertime is here…
J is lucky enough to keep in touch with most of his high school buds from…
Uh, yeah, so in typical P & J fashion, we scored something for free. We thought…
We haven’t had cable since 2005. Mostly it was a cost decision. Before then, we had…
It has become our annual tradition to spend Mother’s Day with MamaF and GrandmaL in Chicago.…
I cried last night. J doesn’t like to see me cry and he tries everything to…
Cinco de Mayo is supposed to be a celebration of Mexican pride and heritage to recognize…
J got the high school seniors in his town to host a Senior Prom for the…
At Mass yesterday, the priest announced we would not exchange the sign of peace (which involves…
I have to rag on J once again, well because it’s one of my favorite things…
The mercury in the thermometer surged well into the 80s this weekend, so we did our…
Gather round kiddos, it’s story time. When we were in Danville this month, I had a…
I’m doing my part for Earth Day by sitting on the computer all day. How awesome…
I am the first to admit I am all of those things. I’ve always been and…
While on business in Orlando, I ran into two things: Gators. Did you know they are…
Last night, I had a little GNO with theAccountant and Hallmark4ever at Jose Tejas while I…
J checks the Danville paper every morning online all the while fearing that he will read…
For anyone who wants to understand what J does for a living, don’t watch the new…
It came and went and no one played any jokes! How disappointing. For those of you…
So I told you we had another dance on Saturday night. The theme was something along…
I went to Boston today to take another medical writing class toward my certification. I know,…
This is not a shameless plea or effort to persuade, because that’s just not me. Frankly,…
Most of J’s teenage years were spent in the hospital. He was a sickly boy and…
My sister just called me to tell me she was violated. She is a speech pathologist…
Hi, Unless you are calling my husband to talk about bracketology, or how the Huskies beat…
I know some people got our relief phone call or text, but for everyone else, J’s…
Crap. My least favorite time of year. And if you don’t live in NH, or wherever…
As if we didn’t spend enough money this weekend out at our pub crawl, J and…
Bolt made it home safely from his ice climbing expedition.So after one visitor left, two more…
On our drive home from the Great North Monday, I spotted a moose, but I’m not…
Our dance studio hosted another theme party (they do it every month), so it has just…
Democrat, Republican or Independent, the 2009 inauguration marked a very historic event. BossLady was one of…
For the 3rd year in a row, I am giving up iced tea for Lent. You…
For those of you who know me, you know I HATE shopping. Mainly it’s because I…
After nearly 2 months, we got our refurbished TV back. Although we survived and proved our…
Last night, my kickboxing partner laughed and told me that I look like I am riding…
McKinely has an appt. at the vet tomorrow to get his annual feline distemper vaccine and…
Well, Sunday was WARM. By our standards. 46 degrees!!!! We still have most of our snow,…
I owe my 5 blog readers some updates, so prepare for bullets on Friday! • I…
I had a great weekend down at my sister’s and we decided to take my niece…
I certainly don’t have the photography skills that some of my friends have, but I thought…
I was so busy wallowing in my “numbness” that I forgot to mention we attended a…
I had a follow-up appt. with my oral surgeon who assured me that the mild pain…
The biggest difference between J and I is our luck. He has it all. I have…
I admit I am a little behind the times when it comes to the technology age.…
I survived my surgery and my first anesthesia experience. I’m recovering slowly. Don’t really feel like…
I have probably the biggest sweet tooth, but I absolutely abhor going to the dentist and…
You had to know we were all over the ad I saw that a local ski…
Just wanted to share the latest money-saving offer, if you haven’t seen it on the news.…
Let me start by saying, I love being married. But, I still love my alone time…
I saw this on some other blogs and thought, why not? Did anyone close to you…
12 days off from work – very, very awesome returning to work after 12 days off…
Our 2-year-old flat-screen LCD TV (the one we bought with the gift card my bridesmaid gave…
We returned from our 1,100-mile+ road trip to the tri-state area, which seems to have become…
We were definitely snowed in today. In fact, it hasn’t stopped snowing since Friday. We were…
I’m getting there hopefully. But in the meantime, here’s proof that I can still smile during…
I’m still down in the dumps, but this gave me a chuckle! Guess our dance lessons…
If you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been blogging lately. I’ve definitely had the blues and there’s…
Crickets? Anyone else hear crickets around here? Sorry for my lack of blogging, but here’s a…
I blog as a way to procrastinate my writing assignments. Can you tell? So I just…
I’ve been in New Orleans too long … someone on the street asked ME for directions…
My ears tend to pop when I fly. Well, I feel like I’ve been flying everyday…
SILmeow called us last week and said she would be in Boston on business Friday. We…
Since I’m surrounded by cardiologists this week, I decided to get a blood workup health assessment.…
This post is to pat myself on my own back. I am covering the annual meeting…
One of my many quirks is that I secretly love certain commercials. I mean, there are…
What will you be doing at 10:30pm tonight? Probably getting ready for bed, or in bed…
Raise your hand if you know who this is! Friday night (Halloween), we were eating at…
Just wanted to share some pictures from J’s Haunted House that his Rec Dept. hosted for…
The saying is true. Time flies when you’re having fun! So two years ago, we had…
Hallmark4Ever’s baby finally decided to make HIS appearance. That’s right, she had a boy (Shadow, you…
… your friends and family members start calling you for medical advice. … someone gets a…
I have some crazy owners. One came home, the other left. I don’t know what to…
The next few weeks will be dotted with nothing but business trips for both J and…
Oooh, that rhymed. Well anyways, J’s childhood friend, theBuddha, had a baby yesterday. On J’s bday…
***total cheese warning. Stop reading if you don’t do mushy.***Today is a big day. Today is…
We became leaf peepers this weekend, the term New Englanders use for those who swarm to…
My favorite question of last night’s debate was when the moderator asked (paraphrased), “So, both of…
CareerBuilder.com released its list of the most unusual jobs in 2008. Here are some that made…
Surprise, surprise, no flight delays! I think that may be a first. We did hit some…
Do you think we could have picked a better weekend to fly down to North Cackalacki?…
What do all these things have in common? Well, they all represent Vermont!!! J and I…
I have to give kudos to the company, Hydrapak. Back before I was a gear addict,…
Thursday, J, theHoss (who was in town for a wedding) and I went to see Jimmy…
J and I went to NJ this weekend primarily for my friend Hallmark4Ever’s baby shower. It…
I always hated baseball until I went to my first Arizona Dbacks live game in 2001.…
Since I’m not the most computer-savvy, I find it easier to post pictures when there aren’t…
This has been quite an active two weeks! I promised a recap of my surprise party…
We are about to leave for a combined 4-day trip to Danville (to check on the…
I use ichat for work every day. It’s awesome. But that’s besides the point. We each…
J and I were stoked about a paddle-to camping trip we had planned for this past…
For a year now, J and I have rented a beautiful converted barn as our home…
Some of our friends call J and I active. Hiking. Running. Paddling. Rock Climbing. Sure, those…
… tailgating at a Bruce Springsteen concert! So J and I went to see the Boss…
So I was covering the results of this survey from CareerBuilder.com, and it seems 8 percent…
I am sad tomorrow is August 1st. The summer is coming to an end!!! We have…
No, not the burger joint. I wish. I’m talking about SILAdventure. She was here this week…
J and I babysat CurlyLocks and Bones this past weekend so QuickQuestion and Yankee could properly…
J has officially been in his big-boss job for 1 year. It has gone way fast.…
This past weekend served as one of our summer vacations. Yeah! But to the Midwest? That’s…
Chile’s husband will be taking the citizenship test and awhile ago, we were flipping through his…
That was always my most favorite piece of advice I learned from my schooling. So I…
In the blogosphere, people like to “tag” you to fill out surveys. Much like those floating…
The jury is still out on this guy, Charlie Vandergaw. In my opinion, he’s missing a…
… from 2004, that is. When I met J, he immediately expressed interest in learning to…
A ridiculously busy and tiring Friday and Saturday called for a day of rest on Sunday.…
we are in the middle of our daily thunderstorm. Actually, it only rained for about 3…
That’s right, we had more visitors this weekend. QuickQuestion, Yankee, Bones and CurlyLocks came from CT.…
I know I am seriously lacking in the blog arena and it seems this blog has…
Last weekend, we road tripped to the Adirondack Mountains. We actually met friends from NJ (DogLovers)…
we really are to blame for all the self-image problems that exist among females (and males…
This weekend, we headed to the coast of Massachusetts to visit J’s dad (MartiniShaker) and stepmom…
J took me on a date to see the new “Sex and the City” movie tonight!…
Rockstar, an old coworker from Phoenix, visited me over the Memorial Day weekend and when I…
My husband, the hero, got rid of a big headache I had last week. Ever since…
Before I begin my post, I’m going to put a disclaimer on it. I obviously don’t…
Yesterday was Thursday, so we got our free movie (Dances with Wolves) from the video store,…
First of all, Happy belated Mother’s Day to all the mommas out there. I don’t know…
I’m a little behind, but I wanted to share details about my trip to Nashville! My…
It’s been awhile since I last blogged. I have a good excuse. My grandma, Teofilia, or…
Greetings from San Francisco! My trip to Philly was fantabulous! I have a lot of girlfriends…
I’ve been super busy at work this week and every night, so my weekend update is…
There’s been a lot of shakeup in the airline business and the recent closure of several…
“The Lover.” That’s what J used to tell me when we first started dating. It’s actually…
You already know we’re nerds, so it shouldn’t surprise you that we participated in one hour…
Dear Mother Nature, You do realize it is March 28? Just checking. Regards,First time in NH…
We lost our game last night. I’m pretty bummed about it because it’s a team we…
My parental units departed this morning. It was really an awesome visit. My dad (Big on…
So my parental units are finally coming to NH for a visit. We’ll call them Short…
J and I had a unique experience today. We went to Town Meeting. As unexciting as…
The first igloo is a bust. We got another foot of snow Friday night into Saturday,…
Apparently there are only 200,000 people in this world with a birthday on Feb. 29! I…
After watching the Oscars last night, I realized how few movies we ever see. We often…
J and I have a history of trying news things. Isn’t that what life is about?…
Fernando, my car, has problems driving around these wintry roads in NH. First, there was my…
I meant to blog about our trip yesterday, but work is really busy for me right…
No time to rest this week … J and I are headed to Danville Thursday through…
So I finally got back Monday from Phoenix. I was supposed to take a red-eye Sunday…
For anyone who didn’t already know this, New Englanders are pretty intense about their sports teams.…
Time always flies, but this month seems like it was over in a blink! And it’s…
If you aren’t tired of hearing about the stereotypical antics of upper management, you’ll like this…
Today is Roid’s 30th birthday! For those who don’t know Roid, he was one of my…
Another weekend gone … why does it feel like they go so fast? Saturday was a…
Did I mention that J and I play indoor soccer? Well, for the first time since…
Fortune Magazine released its 11th annual list of the “Best Companies to Work For.” I actually…
I finally jumped on the bandwagon. After months of sheepishly reading random strangers’ blogs, I decided…