Mr. Bacon, Chuck Norris, Mr. T and Batman! Merry Christmas!!!

What makes a Christmas great?  Mr. Bacon, Chuck Norris, Mr. T and Batman, of course!!  I think these were our favorite gifts, for sure!

Everett gave me some really cool tea that makes the whole house smell great.

We did some Christmas shopping at Little Five Points and stopped by to see Hodge at Outback Bikes.  Same old "golden" Hodge.  Love him!

Jansen is not good at sharing the couch at the bike shop.

We not only found a Jefferson Starship tshirt at a thrift store in L5P, but we also found the matching album!!!   What are the odds????  Best name for a mtb team ever, they just won't die!

The holidays were amazing.  Again, we are thankful every week for all the fun we get to have together as a family and the time we share with friends.

Rock Concerts and Family

Jansen and I had tickets to see a band I love, Local H playing at the Masquerade on Friday night.  We also wanted to visit Mom and Dad sometime this month before they headed to Yuma, AZ.  Time was running out, but both boys made it clear that seeing Mom and Dad was top priority and we would make it work.  So.......

We saw theses guys.....and they rocked it!!!!!!!!

And the mellow song that made it to the radio back in the day.....

We got home about 3am, threw clothes in a bag and headed out to the airport to fly to TX.  I sat next to an older gentleman on the plane that I could not hear due to the "cotton in my ears" from the jam a few hours before.  So, I smiled and nodded.  (stamp from Masquerade)

Mom and Dad picked us up from the airport and we had a really great day together visiting and catching up.

We walked around Boerne and picked out our Christmas cookies from Bear Moon Bakery.

The guys hung out and talked tools and projects.

The next day we stopped at the outdoor market in town and Jansen made a friends.  They talked for a long time about woods and finishes.  I see this guy and his really cool pens at the Saturday market every year, but this time we spent some time with him and bought two awesome pens.

Hey, Taco Cabana, of course!!!  Love hanging with my amazing parents and they are the best grandparents you could have!

Then, after flying in the previous morning, it was already time to fly back home.  Bummer, but we spent some really good time together and can't wait to see them again this spring!

**

Kari Lindner

Asheville in the Fall

 

Jansen and I drove to Asheville, NC this past weekend to pick up a new-to-me boat from Karen Masson.  We left early and met up with Zach for a late morning ride at Bent Creek.  Fun ride with lots of fall colors!

 

We haven't seen Zach in a while, so the guys had a lot of catching up to do. 



Z and J wanted to head into downtown to go to a shop that carries recovered exotic woods and cool wood working tools, but they closed early on Satudays and we couldn't make it there in time.  So, Jansen and I headed over to pick up my boat from the Masson's.  We got to hang out with Marv, Karen and the boys for a bit, which was nice since they are moving to Australia soon.  They will both be sorely missed in the outdoor community.  Karen had run the Shut-In race that morning and had finished with a great time, despite a bad fall near the finish.  We left with a boat, some cool power tools and I even got a great winter coat. 


When I sold my old Perception Dancer, we got a two person kayak so two of us could hang out together at a time when paddling.  However, the boat is super heavy and hard for me to lift by myself if I want to paddle alone, so I am jazzed to get a lighter boat, again.  Here is my new girl!

Karen at an old single speed race.  Pink t-shirt and skirt!

 

After we left the Masson's we were starving, so we hit Five Guys for yummy burgers, then headed out to Zach and Beth's cabin for the night.

 

Gracie, Pre and Toby kept us entertained all evening while we talked and got caught up with what eveyone had been up to the last couple years.

 

 

Gracie

 

Pre

We rolled out around 8am the next morning and headed to Brevard to ride with more friends.  Jansen would take off with Tristan and Cara was meeting me to explore the area.

J and T.

Cara climbing, climbing, climbing.

And crossing bridges, after dipping a foot in a few creeks.

 

 

The weather was amazing and the fall colors were great!  Jansen and I  had a lot of fun and my legs will be tired on my ride today, for sure.  I am so stoked to take the boat out this weekend....or sooner!

 

 

 

Big thanks to J for being a great guy to road trip with.  8 hours of constant entertainment!  I feel the need to get a 50cc moped........

 

 

**



Homecoming 2012

 

 **

Can you find the White Ninja? 

 

 How about now?

 

 

Jansen went to watch  his first football game (ever) this week for homecoming.  He is a cyclist/paddler/runner, so he had no idea the rules of the game, but he thought the band was pretty cool.   He dressed as a white ninja and his friend was a black ninja.  Shey and I went to dinner, then went for a walk and heard the band playing.  (haven't been to a football game in 20+ years and forgot they have marching bands there, too cool)  So, we headed over to listen to the music and as we are walking through the parking lot Shey spots the white ninja, big as day, sitting in the middle of the bleachers across the field.  Hilarious!

 

 

 

Jansen was voted on the homecoming court this year.   So, he needed to go to the homecoming dance and he asked Sandi to be his date.  Check out the cool green converse shoes!



 Jansen and Sandi.  I didn't get any good photos, but hopefully someone did.

 Awesome tie!

 

Some of the gang, before they head out for dinner.

 

 

 

 The white ninja!  Super sneaky!

**

Oregon Video

 

 

Many, many thanks to Alyce and Paul for their gracious hospitality on our visits over the years.  My Aunt Alyce has been a loving aunt/grandmother/friend to me for 40 years and I can't express how thankful I am to her.  My Uncle Paul is an amazing musician and hard working man who spent many hours taking my father, brothers and sons fishing and crabbing on the Oregon coast and he always finds the time to play/sing for us when we visit.

 

 

 

Mom, it never gets old does it?  Will we ever run out of things to talk about?  (I don't think so)  Thank you for being a wonderful role model, who set standards for us and lives life as you hoped we would.  Thank you for being a close friend and amazing grandparent.  My sons, nieces and nephews never have to wonder if you are thinking of them.  Love you tons and can't wait for our next trip!

 

 

 

Here is a video of our latest trip, set to Paul's acoustic music.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Tidal Pools

 

 

Jansen had Mo's clam chowder for breakfast, then met us at Mo's Annex for brunch.  You just can't get enough Mo's!!

 

Walking the bayfront.

My favorite bridge.

Jansen and I stayed in town all afternoon, then headed over to Seal Rock for low tide.

 

 

It was a good day to check out the tidal pools.  We saw at least 100 starfish.  The colors were amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After another full day of the Oregon coast, it is time to head to Portland for a morning flight across the country.  I carefully packed our seal in a large box to check as baggage.  This is what it looked like when we picked it up in Atlanta.  Not too shabby and the little guy was none the worse for wear.

 

Mundo's

 

 

Paul and Jansen made plans to spend the evening at Mundos on Thursday and we (girls)............. invited ourselves along.  Paul had canceled all his events for the next several months so he could spend time recording his CD, but Mundos has open mic night on Thursdays. 

 

 

 

It was great listening to him play and spend time talking around the table.  There were a few musicians and poets that played throughout the evening, but Paul is an amazing guitar player and he brought down the house. 

 

**

 

Later, I told him that Jansen had a guitar and he wanted to know what kind it was.  Paul and Alyce have some really amazing stories about the guitars he owns, including one by Dexter Johnson (who made guitars for Jerry Garcia).   Funny, because J can name every component (from cogs, shifters, cables, bb, etc)  by brand, model and significance on his bicycle, but we have no idea who made his guitar.  Anyway, he has some homework to do....learn to play before our next visit to OR!

 

 

 

Friday morning, Mom and I walked the bayfront before it was time for her haircut.  We kept seeing this van driving around all week. 

These guys are very talkative.

Mom, highlighted-short-curly!

 

Picking up Baby

 

After a great time at the science center we stopped across the bridge for lunch again - halibut, salmon, tuna, prawns and scallops.  Still not tired of the fresh seafood!

 



Then it was time to pick up our new carving by Brian.  He was stained and ready for the journey across the U.S.   Sue, Jansen and Brian

It's the law.  Cute, huh?

Then another walk on the beach.