LIVE from Coeur D'Alene

CHRISTMAS 08. LET IT SNOW. AND SNOW. AND SNOW.

2008-12-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

I really am astounded at the amount of snow on the ground right now. I arrived on Saturday afternoon, after re-arranging my flight to avoid flying in during the storm that ocouured on Friday, dumping record amounts of snow in a very short time. My husband an kids were supposed to be on the flight after mine. Due to certain circumstances (human error perhaps?) they missed their flight Saturday. The last 3 days have been a travel logistics nightmare. After missing the Delta flight Saturday (which was paid for with miles) Mark had to buy three tickets on Alaska for Sunday. We're on a "don't ask/don't tell" basis with that particular purchase as you can imagine. Their flight Sunday was cancelled due to the ridiculous storm in Portland. Tiffany and my mother made it into the airport safely last night, but are holed up at the Spokane Hilton because the road conditions are so bad. Mark and the kids are finally on their way (on Southwest - another 3 tickets, purchased on Sunday. Again, "don't ask/don't tell") and I am waiting for a break in the snow so I can go shovel the driveway and attempt to go get them. And make a run to the store. I have some food in the freezer, but a hamburger from the Fourth of July and a handful of chocolate covered raisins do not make for the best balanced diet.

The roads by my house have not been plowed in days. I took a test run to the dump yesterday to take the trash. I know GM is in trouble and behind the times, but I have never been more thankful to have a huge, 3 ton, 4 wheel drive Suburban. I have always loved driving a Suburban. It's my urban assault vehicle. I drove that thing through the babyhood and toddlerhood of both girls. It smelled like a wet dog and looked like a Jersey landfill, but I could strap those kids in, put on a movie, get a Starbucks and reclaim my sanity. Driving in traffic in Phoenix. Which should give you an idea of how nuts my kids are. So, now I drive a really nice, very politicially correct Toyota Highlander hybrid in Phoenix and moved my big Sally Suburban up to CDA where she belongs. She's just not made for the city. She's made for days like today when you need four wheel drive and serious power just to get up the hill from my house. I feel like a tough, resourceful, gimmie the elements -I-can-take-on-anything kinda gal plowing that thing through the snow. I do have seat heaters and XM radio though. I'm not crazy.

So I have been alone for three straight days. Everyone is calling me, worried, panicked, wondering if I'm surviving up here. I'm not camping y'all. I'm alone in a house that has a steam shower, soaking tub, internet, wii, books and a freezer and pantry full of food. And let's not forget the fully stocked wine room. I'm like a pig in you-know-what. There was a moment of panic yesterday morning when I looked in the coffee canister and saw three dry pale beans looking back at me. "OH HELL NO" was the thought running through my mind. Mark was up here in October and if he forgot to replenish the coffee...... I ran to the freezer and started digging through the fossilized chunks of meat when I saw it. A shiny white two pound bag of Starbucks espresso beans. A little powdered coffee mate (bought in error by someone who obviously doesn't drink coffee) and some vanilla syrup and I was back in business. I think at times I would rather run out of toilet paper than coffee. Luckily I have plenty of both. If it wasn't Christmas, I could be alone for weeks up here. I might start talking to the chairs and develop a tic, but what's a good hermit without a few eccentricities?

So here I am. Another foot of snow fell last night. I write, in my sweats and UGGs, looking out the windows at the snow. I can't even tell where it's coming from. Every time I look up it's coming from a different direction. It even seems like it's falling from the ground up sometimes. It's heartbreakingly beautiful. Everything is covered in huge slabs of thick white frosting. The snow on the deck is two inches below the railing now. I shoveled for 2 hours yesterday and only got through the driveway, walkway and half of the deck. I must have shoveled 200 lbs of snow off that deck yesterday. It was actually enjoyable. I geared up, turned on my ipod and sang at the top of my lungs while I shoveled. I had to stop every so often for some serious booty shaking in the snow. It's a good thing I don't have neighbors. Workout, schmourkout. Shovel snow for two hours. And dance and sing while doing so. You'll never go to the gym again. I saw our little deer family looking for food in the snow. I feel so bad. I'm going to pick up a salt lick in town for the poor little buggers. I don't care if they eat my flowers in the spring. I also looked up yesterday while I was on the deck and watched, in awe, as a huge bald eagle flew right by my house, sailed over the lake and dove into the water and flew off with a big squirmy fish in it's claw. It was what I call my "Sarah Palin" moment. I felt patriotic and wild at the same time. Just call me the Great White Booty Shaker of the Inland Northwest. The Bumble ain't got nothing on me.

So I'm off - to shovel and fetch my family in Spokane. I am really excited to have everyone here finally. I need some noise. I need the craziness of my kids and husband and parents. I need to cook. Fill the house with good smells and warmth. Put up the tree. Stop drinking alone. Just kidding. Maybe.

Merry Christmas.

Winding it Down and Wrapping it Up.

2008-08-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I posted anything. The last few weeks have been busy and have flown by at warp speed.

In those last weeks we said goodbye to the Kramers and Hello to the newly married Ast-Martins. That is by the way, one of the best last names going. It sounds like the chicest new cocktail or boutique hotel in London. "Good Evening Madame, welcome to the Ast-Martin. Allow me to take your bags" If it were a cocktail, it would be effervescent yet earthy, served neat and enjoyed in formalwear, drunk directly from tacky wineglasses whose stems depict a bald eagle perched upon a tall tree. The perfect blend of brains, beauty and fun just like the Ast-Martins themselves, Shari and Shad, our great friends. We had a activity filled weekend of outdoor yoga, the farmer's market, wakesurfing and plenty of good wine and food. Next year, make my Ast-Martin a double, for a single weekend (like the perfect cocktail) is never enough.

So that brings me to today. Another beautiful sunny morning, cool weather and a glass blue lake to look onto. A strong cup of coffee, occupied children and many many thoughts and feelings to address. Inside my heart is breaking a little and I find myself bursting into tears at the slightest provocation. My suitcase is open, on the floor of my bedroom and I am beginning to fill it. It's funny. Most of the clothes I am packing up I never wore this summer. They are Phoenix clothes. A little fancier. A little more expensive. Stylish. Shoes with heels on them. Worn to the office or out for a nice dinner with clients. Clothes that are appropriate for my other life. The life of a business mans wife. A frantic mother of two shuttling between schools, work, swimming lessons, storytime and a crammed calendar while getting up at 4 AM to train for an upcoming race.

My clothes up here are a little older, cheaper, worn, but comfortable in all the right places. A little more forgiving, as if they know that my time up here is destined to be filled with good food, wine and laughter. After every summer I leave a little more round and full. I'm a bear storing fat for the winter. I store the good stuff. The great meals Mark and I prepare together. The wine we drink every night on the deck while looking at the stars and listening to the sound of the lake. The extra sleep enjoyed in a room of open windows filled with clean air. The amazing food grown by farmers that have been here their whole lives. The flowers and the creatures and the trees. I eat it up. All of it. So while my jeans may be a bit snug, I am full of the good in the hopes that it will sustain me through the long desert and concrete autumn that lies in my near future.

It has been a great summer. Busy. There is always that moment that we have where Mark and I look at each other and say "I wish I .....had more time on the lake/did more fishing/went to the artwalk/ rode my bike/ cooked more..... There is always a list because there is never enough time. But the fact of the matter is we did so much and had so much fun the time went by too quickly. The things I am happiest about are pretty simple. The weather, which has been amazing this summer. More mild and wonderful than the last two summers combined. Having my family here for the fourth of July was really special. The wildflowers that have gone crazy in the front yard making the house so beautiful. Wakeboarding. The farmer's market- the perfect Saturday morning. Riding the Centennial Trail. Taco Tuesday. The Red Barn. Paddleboarding. The list is endless.

I don't want to leave. I know I have too. I am a little excited to get back to Phoenix and get the girls back in school and see all my friends. I have missed you all so much.

I am looking forward to a busy but exciting year. A trip to Venice in September. Another race. Fall festival. October birthdays. Halloween. Paella Party. Thanksgiving. Christmas. The great winter weather. The PHX Open. Superbowl. Valentine's Day. Bella's birthday. Spring Break. Easter. Anniversary. End of School. Back to Idaho. It will go fast. They always do.

Thanks to all for taking time to read about and share in our summer. This has been a fun way for me to remember all that we have done up here. I am signing off for now. I have a house to clean and packing to do. I return to Phoenix batteries charged and fired up for the year ahead. Goals set. Schedules in place. Diet begins Monday. (of course right? No one starts a diet on a Wednesday. Why is that?) School Supplies ordered. New fall handbag (got to LOVE Marc Jacobs - I swoon) Girls Wine night organized. I'm ready steady go.

Now if only my flight were cancelled.....................

2008-07-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

Good Times

2008-07-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how busy and wonderful the last two weeks have been. The 4th of July was a great holiday and I was lucky to have almost my entire family join us for an old fashioned parade and BBQ on the lake in beautiful CDA. I think the most fun was watching all the kids play and experience the holiday and the rare treat of us all being together. (When I say kids - that includes you Dick. :-) ) The weather was perfect, the parade was simaltaneously touching and celebratory and the cocktails - Huckleberry Vodka Lemonades - just made everything that much better. Thanks again to the staff at Gozzer for putting on another perfect fourth and a special thanks to our favorite bartender Nicole for the grown - up lemonades. Every corner should have a lemonade stand like that. But then we'd all be drunk.

I am currently writing from the road - technology is an amazing thing. All you need is a laptop, wireless mobile card and a car charger and viola! Mobile office. We are heading to Canada specifically Kelowna and Lake Louise. We are staying at Manteo Beach and Lake Resort and then heading to Chateau Lake Louise. Many photos and hotel reviews to come.

The weather in CDA could not be more gorgeous and we are excited to have Jeff Kramer, one of Mark's longtime architect partners and his family join us for the week. The Kramer's were kind enough to bring a haul of fresh seafood from Pikes Market in Seattle on Saturday. After picking up fresh produce and the last of the season's peonies at the Farmer's Market, we had a fantastic lobster boil on our deck Saturday night. Sunday was filled with golf, tubing, wakeboarding and many more activities at Gozzer Bay on Sunday. I managed to have 4 short but victorious wakeboard runs - what a blast. I think I have found my new favorite activity. I think I will even appreciate it more when the feeling returns to my arms and I can lift them over my head. I haven't been this sore in a while. Good stuff.

I hope all of you had an equally wonderful 4th! Summer is more than half over and the though of heading back to Phoenix has not yet become appealing. I do miss my girlfriends though and am looking forward to seeing you all for a glass of wine and some serious laughter. All the best!

Instructions for the Perfect Sunday

2008-06-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

I have always wondered if it was possible to have a perfect day. I think it would be safe to say that yesterday we tried as hard as we could, and came pretty close to success.

When you wake up to blue skies and sunshine overlooking a gorgeous lake, you know you have a pretty solid start. If you then follow it up with an amazing 30 mile bike ride on a paved trail that runs parallel to the Sopkane River it gets even better. Throw in breakfast on the deck, consisting of an assortment of pastries from the local bakery, fresh fruit and strong coffee. After that, grab your swimsuit and take a ride across the lake in a Stan Craft boat to Gozzer Bay. Once you get there, take the jet skis out or kayak for a while. I prefer the paddleboard (thanks Laird Hamilton- surf God) Take a break for a minute and have a cold beer. The lake water is perfect - because it's warm, it feels cool enough to be refreshing, but warm enough to be pleasant.

When you have had your fill of the lake activities, grab the shuttle and head up to the Big Red Barn for a swim in the heated saltwater pool at the top of the homestead. Enjoy the scenery, because you are surrounded by green grass and pine tree covered mountains as far as the eye can see. Lay for a while by the pool and soak up the sun. Maybe play a game of darts or ping pong. I have to say that Gozzer Ranch does an amazing job at thinking of everything you could possibly want or need. When you have had your fill, head back to Eddies in the shuttle and catch the next boat back home. Top off the day with grilled steak and caramelized onion paninis and I think you have it. Maybe not perfect, but as close as possible.

Repeat as often as necessary.

Spaghetti Night at Eddies

2008-06-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday night was our first Spaghetti Night of the season over at Eddies. It was a great way to wrap up another gorgeous, sunny 80 degree day on the lake. Nothing like a little jaunt across the lake in the StanCraft golf boat with cocktails in hand to start off an evening right. The great thing about Eddies is the view and the chill vibe. The kids take off right away for the beach to play and we adults can have a couple glasses of wine in peace. Add to that All You Can Eat Spaghetti and you've got yourself a hit.

Bring the Pain

2008-06-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

"Mrs. Candelaria, it's been two years since you have been to the dentist!" I've never actually been yelled at by a member of the medical profession until May of this year and it is not an experience I would like to repeat. Shamed and embarrased, I slunk my way into the dentists office just before I left town. After a couple quick x-rays and a peek inside my mouth, the situation was deemed grim.

4 cavities and two fillings that needed to be replaced. Being that I haven't had a cavity since the late 70's, the fillings are from a different era. They are some sort of silver metal and have, I am quite sure, contributed greatly to my ADD, short term memory loss and irrational behavior between 1991-96. They were cracking and apparently they are not the kind of thing you want to accidentally swallow while you are asleep, lest you could wake up with a third eye or the ability to pick up French radio stations. "But I'm leaving town.." I said, hoping to buy myself some time. "You need to find a dentist in Idaho. This can't wait."

So I found myself this morning at Lake View Dental Clinic, home of Dr. Bruce, DDS. A seven AM dental appointment is brutal enough but add to it that I was unable to have coffee and Donna Summer's "She Works Hard For The Money" blaring from the speakers and well, you get the picture. It was then that I remembered the magic phrase "I would like Nitrous Oxide please." "Of course!" One plastic nose attachment and some long deep breaths later and I was doing much better. I think it was kind of a bad sign that the other dentist, an older gentleman with white hair, still wearing safety glasses, walked in, leaned down by my ear and said in a voice a little too soft for comfort "Now this is the way to start a morning, right!?" Why yes, I thought to myself, especially if you're a crazy dentist with an addiction to laughing gas.

Nitrous Oxide is a wonderful thing. It's like a two cocktail buzz with no hangover. They should let you carry a personal tank of it wherever you go. It would come in handy on a daily basis. Meetings with your accountant. Before your brazilian bikini wax. Parent -Teacher conferences. A couple of deep breaths to take the edge off and make the day just a little bit sunnier. I was starting to feel really relaxed, not even flinching when the 12 inch gleaming silver needle was injected into my soft gum tissue.

Then they started the drilling. I made a little gesture that was meant to convey "you guys and all dentists should be required to have on hand and in stock those Bose noise-cancelling headphones because even if you cant feel a drill grinding away your enamel, the sound of it is enough to make your stomach turn" when the hygenist said "Would you like some headphones? Let me get you a pair and a CD." She darted away and quickly returned with my listening options. Country Music. She flipped through a case of CD's and I made my choice. The Steve Miller Band. Not a huge Steve Miller fan, but it beats the hell out of Toby Keith for 2 hours.

Headphones on, deep breaths, "I want to fly like an eagle...to the sea....." I chuckled slightly and thought to myself, "I haven't been high and listening to Steve Miller before 9 AM since Homecoming of 1993." (sorry mom) It was then that my relaxation gave way to panic. My mouth you see, is pried open, full of sharp instruments and rubber objects, drills and operating cloths. All I could think about, all I could imagine was "what would happen if I sneezed?" I pictured drills ricochetting and making holes in my front teeth. Metal pokers being flung and lodging in my thigh. "Don't sneeze. Don't sneeze. Don't sneeze." More deep breaths. My nose starts to itch and I think I'm done for when the Dentist pushes his chair away and says " OK that's good. We are done. With the top - we still have two more to fill on the bottom it should take about another HOUR"

Now, I'm a Steve Miller fan, but he doesn't have nearly enough hits to get me through another HOUR of drilling. I took off my rubber happy nose and managed to say something akin to "thanfs, bub I fink ib hab enouf fo today. ill comb baf neft week." And made a beeline for the appointment desk. Props to Dr. Bruce, and the lovely staff at Lake View Dental as the novicane is now wearing off and everything appears to be OK. See you next Tuesday at 7 AM sharp. I'll bring my own music.

New Kidd (Fawn actually) on the Block

2008-06-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

Mark and I were driving home Tuesday night after an amazing tasting dinner at Angelo's - our favorite restaurant in CDA. As we turned onto the street to our house, we both noticed some kind of small animal laying in the road. As we got closer, we realized it was a brand new baby fawn that had probably been born just hours before. I started to panic and wonder what to do - can we take it home? raise it in the backyard? when it got up and walked - wobbly - over to mom who was just off the street in the bushes. They have been in our yard and the adjoining property every day, making their way down to the beach for a quick drink. We also have a bird family in the birdhouse on the deck whose babies are just hatched. If you sit quietly and watch, you can see the mom and dad fly away and then return moments later with a squirming insect in their mouths. As soon as they peek into the birdhouse, the babies go nuts and you would not believe how loudly they yell for their share of whatever local grub (haha) mom is serving up. Fun times.

SOPHIA'S BIRTHDAY

2008-06-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend we had. Mark came back from a whirlwind week in Phoenix and a quick jump to the heartland of America for a wedding and a little target practice. (Who knew he had a touch of Dirty Harry in him?) After a quick flight out of Omaha Sunday morning, Mark was able to see his Dad on Father's Day during his layover at DIA -making his Father's Day extra special. After picking up Marky at the airport, we continued to celebrate and had a great father's day, wrapping it up with Mark's favorite thing - a steak dinner on the deck overlooking the lake. The sun is now out and temperatures have returned to normal. It was in the low 50's, raining and freezing for the past week. The house looks beautiful and all of the flowers are starting to pop. There are deer everywhere and we have a "outdoor pet" as you will - a Marmit whom the kids have lovingly named Marty. Cute little guy, but he tends to leave turds all over our firepit rocks. Where's that 45 Magnum when you need it? Kidding - only kidding...maybe.

Monday was Sophia's 3rd Birthday and we celebrated by spending the day at triple play - a sports park with go carts, bumper boats and an indoor water park. (water parks tend to freak me out, but after a Silkwood shower and full dose of antibiotics I feel like I can continue on - yuck. the things we do for our kids) We all had a good time and wrapped up the day with Birthday Cake. Happy B-Day Sophia. We have a busy week. Bella starts golf lessons Wednesday at Gozzer and Nana is coming up on Friday. Sunday is the Ironman Coeur D'Alene and I am volunteering downtown at the race. The lake is pretty chilly, checking in at a balmy 55 degrees. Good luck to the triathletes. Hopefully seeing them in action will give me some motivation to keep going with my training for the next race and next distance. Loving Life up here. How can you not??

SUMMER IN CDA 08

2008-06-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

Well, we arrived just shy of two weeks ago, but with the sun FINALLY out and temperatures where they should be it feels like Summer has arrived! We decided to create this blog to keep in touch with all our friends and family and let you know what's happening in the great Northwest. Enjoy!