I'm dreamin' of a warm cabin...

So Yosemite at Christmas is amazing. And Cold. Cold like Canada...

We arrived Christmas Eve, and spent the night at the Wawona Hotel. We took a quick walk at dusk across the way from the hotel, in a meadow covered in snow, with a great big moon overhead. It was cold.


But inside it was fantastic- warm and cozy with a big fire roaring and crackling in the fireplace, Christmas carols being sung by the piano, and warm booze being consumed. Yum. After a great dinner, we hit the sack so as to get an early start Christmas morning, snowshoeing at Badger Pass.



After the drive to Badger Pass, we got on the snow around 9am, and took a walk with one of the Rangers, and learned a little bit about the area of the park where Badger Pass is located. We covered around 3-4 miles, mostly on trails, but took a detour towards Summit Meadow. We didn't make it. It was cold.

We left Badger Pass around 2pm, and headed to Yosemite Valley for dinner. And oh my freakin' crap what a dinner it was! It's called Bracebridge Dinner. Take the time to check out the website. This was one of the coolest things that we have ever done. Indescribable. 4 hours long. Never boring. 8 courses. 2 bottles of wine. Not a single partridge in a pear tree. And not cold.

So on the 26th (happy birthday to me!) we did some more snowshoeing, this time at Crane Flat, northwest of Yosemite Valley. We spent a few hours there, and were able to go to Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias.

Here we are at the Tunnel Tree. It was cold.

We spent that night in Curry Village, located in Yosemite Valley. We stayed in one of the heated canvas tents, which is really better described as a one-room wood cabin with canvas draped over the wood... It was actually pretty warm. Until we had to pee. Then it was cold.

So when we got up Sunday morning to head home, it was snowing like a sonofabitch. Apparently sonsofbitches snow like hell.


We took this photo of the Merced River as we were driving out. For reference, the snowflakes are as big as a baseball. Don't believe me? Just click on the photo. Told ya!



We left this guy behind.

Happy New Year everyone!

Hectic holidays

Things have been hopping around the Shiflett-Hall abode. Jay has been working doubly-hard to land some lucrative deals (we have some big travel plans for next year) and I've been writing a review that is due to the publisher in early January. And, of course, it's the holidays! I try to manage our holidays with a spreadsheet. I've been keeping a Christmas spreadsheet since 2004, and I find it's the best way to keep up with addresses and gift lists. I know exactly what everyone got last year, so that great gift idea doesn't get sent out two years in a row. This year Jay helped me do a mail-merge with Excel and Word, and I printed out all our Christmas card envelopes. We've managed to purchase, wrap, and ship all our gifts out, send out our Christmas cards (with pictures), and last weekend we hosted a holiday get-together at our place! It was a lot of fun, and this weekend marks our relaxing weekend. My friend Jenny and I are hitting up the spa, and that evening Jay and I are attending the ballet. I will of course have pictures! Today's picture is a poor exhausted cat, who has been expending a tremendous amount of effort to help us wrap gifts and address cards. She has been endlessly patient (except for the whining) while I ignore her to take care of all the extra things that I've needed to get done. She, for one, is especially glad to have her humans back to doing what they should do - pet and love her! Just look how lonely she is, napping in the sunshine in her recliner, no one there to give her any attention...

Pickling!

Ever since we started shopping at the Farmer's Markets, we've lamented how many lovely fruits and vegetables we DON'T get to eat. There is only so much fresh food we can consume in one week. During one trip I bought an enormous amount of basil for a $1.00. We have dried several bunches of herbs that we didn't get through during the week, but our dried herb collection was stuffed full. So I decided to make some pesto and freeze it. It worked out really well, and I mentioned to Jay that we should start buying lots of fresh stuff and canning it. Well, we decided to give it a whirl. This weekend, we made our first ever batch of pickles. Jay made spicy dill pickles, and we are anticipating how wonderful those pickles will be in just a few weeks time.

Here I am, helping Jay poor the pickling vinegar over the packed jars (those are to the right in the picture). They look beautiful; Jay put in onion, dill, peppercorns, and dried peppers. I bet they will taste as yummy as they look. We'll keep you posted!

Canada Got Me Drunk

Jay and I have been busy bees, and it's only December 2nd. We've gotten most of our Christmas shopping wrapped up, our annual Swiss Colony order has been placed, and we are doing our holiday cards this weekend. We're also hosting a Holiday Happening cocktail party this month with our friends here in Los Angeles.

Since we've been so busy, we decided to order dinner in tonight. We had sushi and watched an episode of the muppet show, as you can see.

This is one of our favorite ways to relax. Good food delivered to our door or picked up on our way home, giving ourselves a rare day off in the kitchen. Jay is an excellent cook, and I am passable. Every week we make our menu and buy our groceries. This is a great way both to eat healthfully, as well as to keep within our food budget. We save a lot of money by eating at home, and we rarely eat out. Cooking together is a great way to connect at the end of our busy days apart. But sometime we just want to crash, and today was one of those days. Los Angeles is home to some excellent sushi restaurants, and we love sushi. So we stopped on the way home. Our Muppet Show DVD was waiting in the mailbox. And as you can see, Jay was hoisting a glass of nice, dark Trader Joe's Special Ale. Which has a 9% alcohol content, and I ended up quite tipsy on less than a glass. Turns out it is made in Canada; those insalubrious Canadians. One of the many reasons I love them so (big I love you out to my family in Canada, Drew, Jo, Galen, and Raynham)!!!

If you ever get a chance to drink in Canada, I highly recommend several wineries in the Niagara Valley, and you should especially try the ice wines. I would love Jo and Drew just for introducing me to ice wine, but I love them for many other reasons besides. And now you all know that I get sappy when I drink.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick note to remind myself, and all of you, how fortunate we are. I know it's almost become cliche to post/email/text message a generic "we have so much to be thankful" message, and it's usually grandiose, how great our lives are compared to the rest of the universe, how thankful we are for our soldiers, etc.

Now don't for a second get me wrong. I agree very much with most of the "stock" commentary. There isn't a week that goes by where I don't think about our forces overseas in danger, or that I hear about children in poverty in a 3rd world country, and I am thankful for what I have. But to me it misses the point. It's easy to say how thankful you are for those kinds of things. You damn well better be.

What about the little, mundane things? Or the things we appreciate for a time, but then quickly forget? Or the ones that we really, really appreciate, but don't always remember just exactly how much?

My 85 year old grandmother gave me a photo album a few years ago- with photos from my childhood, as well as some of my dad and grandfather when they were young men. I scanned all of them just in case something ever happened to the album, and came across them on the computer the other day.

I had pushed it to the back of my mind, almost forgot about them. But I will likely run across them every year or two for the rest of my life. Generations of my family will have the chance to see them. That means a lot.

April and I were able to run in a 5k race Thanksgiving morning- it raises money for a local charity. I am lucky to be able to help, and not need to be the one in need. I am thankful that I can help others.

So many of you, friends and family alike, mean a tremendous amount to me, and to April. Our wealth of people that care for us is so very deep, and for that I am thankful. But if all of you turned your back on me today, I am thankful that April would still be at my side.

Now don't get me wrong- in private she would use any means necessary (really, anything...) to figure out what I managed to do to turn all of our friends and family away, and make me fix it, but she would absolutely stick by me.

For that I am thankful.

Now all of you need to stop and really, truthfully, take a hard look at the person in your life who fills that role for you. Here's a hint- you would walk through hell with them and share your canteen. Probably give them the last swallow.

Do they really know how much you value them?

Time to make sure...

Major projects

I just hit send on the email carrying my newly written draft article to my principal investigator. She has given me a great opportunity, but it required a lot of my energy and focus, and I'm not sure it will be enough. The joys of life as a scientist, I guess. At any rate, this is where I've been parked for the last few days; in front of my laptop surrounded by outlines and articles. It's a good life, and one I enjoy. I get paid to make discoveries and learn.

But Meow has been feeling ignored, and the laundry has most certainly been ignored! As have a lot of things. I'm glad to be getting back to normal. And that includes getting some pictures posted!

We visited Jay's mom and attended a wedding in early November. Those pictures are up next. And then this week we have the 2009 Long Beach Turkey Trot (no, I haven't been training) and Thanksgiving, all of which will be getting a post. Whew! I've missed you guys.

Long time, no post... sorry! Things have been busy, busy, busy around our Los Angeles casa. I'm writing a review article, a major draft of which is due on Wednesday. And Jay just can't be bothered to post. So we'll be back after Thanksgiving, with more pictures and exciting stories about how much we work. Till then, I leave you with this recent exchange:

Scene: Our living room, watching the AMAs. Enter Meow stage left. She starts crying and staring at the couch.

April: Meow, stop it. Just get up here!

Meow: Meow! Meow! Meow! Meow!

April: (Patting sofa) Meow, get on the couch if you want to!

Meow: Meow! Meow! (Hops up on sofa and curls up next to April.)

April: I don't understand why she has to be invited up on the sofa every time she wants to sit with me. She's a cat. Why doesn't she just get up here?

Jason: She's a vampire. She has to be invited. I don't understand why you never see the obvious.

Sequoia National Park

So the Sunday after Kings Canyon NP, we were in Sequoia NP.

Big. Ass. Trees.

Okay, so there's more to it than that, but it really begins and ends with the Giant Sequoias that dominate the northern end, and higher elevations, of the park.

To the left you see April standing in front of a small stand of the giants. She's the little blue speck at the bottom of the photo...

This was taken at General Grant Grove, which is at the northernmost point in the park.


In the photo below, I am standing on the trunk of a fallen tree. Most of the fallen trees have been down for 50-80 years or longer. The wood has a very high concentration of tannic acid, making it very resistant to the parasites that cause bad breath and gingivitis...er, that's not right, is it? I guess it's the parasites that would normally cause the wood to rot.






So after seeing the the Grant Grove Saturday morning on the way into Kings Canyon, we headed south to the Giant Forest, aptly named, on Sunday. This forest of over 1,600 acres, contains more than 8,000 of the giant trees, and has more than 40 miles of hiking trails. We will definitely be back to enjoy them!


So as soon as we arrived at the Giant forest and began the walk down to see the General Sherman tree, we encountered a mother Black Bear. See below as she high-tails it off the trail. They tend to get the heck out of dodge when the rangers show up...












Here is the General Sherman tree. The damn thing was too big to get in one shot- the photo to the right is a composite of four shots...

Just to emphasize how massive these trees are, here is an outline of the base of the General Sherman:










After checking out the General Sherman, we went to Crystal Cave. It's a 30-minute drive at 10-15mph to get there, and then a 1.5 mile hike to the cave, yet there is still a lot of visitors that make the trek. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot at the trail head, it began to flurry a little bit. It was very strange to see snow again after almost 4 years away from MA, but it wasn't cold enough (yet) to stick, and it made the hike to the cave feel a bit like hiking in the foothills of the Appalachians in the fall, back in Georgia.

From the trail:

Stellar Jay

The tour of the cave was about 45 minutes long, and was worth it- we are hoping to find a geologist or cave scientist that can maybe get us into one of the other 250+ caves in the park that are off-limits to the public...

Marble Hall

So as you can see from the photos, we had a great time and saw some cool stuff for such a short trip. We intend to get back there next spring for sure, and do some serious camping and hiking. It's less than 5 hours away, and is worth it for a weekend trip!

-j

King's Canyon National Park

For our anniversary, we decided to get out of L. A. for the weekend. We headed about 5 hours north to Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park. Jay had booked a room for us at Montecito-Sequoia Lodge in Sequoia National Forest. The lodge was a fun place. It is used as a summer camp for children part of the year, and still retains a lot of that atmosphere. Meals are included in the room rate and you eat in the dining room buffet-style. We met quite a few interesting people during our stay! The only downside to our trip was that we knew we wouldn't have enough time to do all the things we'd like - another spot to add to our list of places-we-must-return-to! That list is growing as quickly as our list of places-to-visit-someday. I'm going to break our trip into two parts, King's Canyon on Saturday and Sequoia on Sunday.

We left Los Angeles on Friday afternoon and headed north on the I-5 to Bakersfield, where we picked up CA-99. This is where our directions went bad... I knew there was a road the lodge had advised us not to take. That road is CA-245. But somehow, that's the road we ended up on. I know that the curviest road in the U. S. is supposed to be in San Francisco, but I wonder if they considered CA-245 for that designation. It is incredibly curvy, and climbs over 2000 feet during your ascent into the Sierre Nevada mountains. Jay was driving, and he got car sick. Not a good sign at all! It was late and very cold when we finally arrived at the Lodge. We headed right to bed to get an early start on our day. When we woke up that morning, deer were grazing next to the pool outside our window. It was cold at 6000 feet, so we wore our parkas and hats and headed further north into King's Canyon. Our first stop was to see the General Grant tree, pictured to the left. The Sequoias are not as tall as the Redwoods we saw in Yosemite, but they have much more mass. Their size is difficult to convey in words, and actually quite difficult to take in even when you are standing next to them. They are truly majestic trees.



We spent some time exploring the sequoia grove before we headed further upward to the top of King's Canyon. We stopped to get a quick picture of the two of us together:



The scenery descending into the canyon was amazing. The road takes you right between the sheer rock face of the cliffs. We stopped many times to enjoy the vista on the way down. Our first stop at the bottom of the canyon was Boyden Cavern where we stopped for a tour. There are many cave systems within the parks, and most of them, like Boyden, are marble caves. Most are also not accessible to the public, to retain their scientific and ecological value. Jay got lots of interesting shots in the cave. The little girl standing next to him we think was German; she LOVED the cave, especially when we shut the lights off to experience total darkness. We also had an excellent guide who told us all about the discovery of the cave, and the different formations inside the cave. Another nice aspect was that it was warmer inside the cave than outside!

We then headed off for a hike in the Zumwalt Meadow to Roaring River Falls. We covered around 6 miles or so to the falls then back, and headed out to do the meadow loop. That loop took us beside Roaring river, into a grove of trees ringing the meadow, then over a boulder field back to the bridge. The grass on the meadow was turning gold, and the only sounds we heard besides our foot fall was the wind in the trees and the flow of water. So peaceful, and a wonderful way to start our anniversary weekend. To the right is a view of the meadow from the boulder field we crossed.

We then headed up to Panoramic point for an amazing view of the Sierra Nevada mountains. We got back to the lodge just in time for our dinner, and collapsed into bed at 7:30. Whew!

I'll post more about our weekend once I get my hands on Jay's pictures! He always takes much better photos than me!

Happy 7th Anniversary!

Happy 7th anniversary! It's been a wonderful year for us both, full of friends, family, and national park vacations. In fact, we celebrated this weekend with a trip to King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Stay tuned for pictures later this week.

I still remember how happy I was the day I married you. That day was the beginning of a life together, and while I doubt we had any ideas about what really lay ahead, we've faced all of them together.

I love you, and I can't wait to see what our next year brings.

Tammy's California Adventure

Well, the blog has veered into the political lately, and I think it's time to get back to talking about what we've been up to. The big news around here, besides all the babies this year, is that my mom came for a visit! Tammy hasn't ever flown before, and my dad's illness kept them from making the trip to Massachusetts while I was getting my PhD. So she had her first plane ride, and her first vacation since before my dad was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away two years ago, and so it was really past time for her to have some fun. And I hope she did have a good time, because I know Jason and I really enjoyed her visit. She flew in on Monday afternoon and we spent that day making lasagna together and going to the mall. On Tuesday we headed down to the Santa Monica Pier and more shopping at the 3rd Street Promenade. This is my mom at the entrance to the Pier:You may notice the diet soda in her hand. She was absolutely appalled when she got to my house and found out that all we have to drink is water, and the only snacks we have are fruit and vegetables with some granola bars. She tried to make herself some sweet tea, but we didn't even have granulated sugar in the house. I guess we've really embraced the healthy lifestyle more than I realized! She was so happy to get to buy a soda. She was a good sport about taking the bus and walking everywhere too!

I took Thursday off of work and we spent the day in Hollywood. We visited Grauman's Chinese theatre (where you find the hand and foot prints of the famous in the sidewalk out front), we walked Hollywood Boulevard to see all the stars, and had lunch at the Disney Soda Fountain next to El Capitan theatre. We also visited the new Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. It was a blast, and honestly the figures are very lifelike. You are allowed to touch them, and they encourage lots of pictures. It's the closest I've come to spotting a star since I got here...
But Friday was the day my mom had been waiting for. Universal Studios. We were there when they opened, and we stayed till they closed. We rode pretty much everything in the park and took the studio tour. My mom wasn't crazy about the Simpson's ride, but she loved the Mummy. Here's my mom and I at the entrance:
We had a blast. Saturday was her last full day here as she flew out early Sunday morning, and we spent the entire day at Long Beach. Unfortunately, Jay's memory card for the Nikon D300 pooped out on us, and we have no pictures! I can tell you we did the Ghosts and Legends tour at the Queen Mary, and visited the Aquarium of the Pacific. We had dinner at Parker's Lighthouse where we saw a sea lion playing in the waves. It's really a shame about the pictures, because it was a lovely evening. And a great visit! My mom is an old pro at flying now, and we both hope to see her again soon.

Good-bye Patrick Swayze

When I was 11 years old, the movie Dirty Dancing was released. I didn't see it until I was 12, when my aunt gave me a video cassette tape of the movie. My mom didn't speak to my aunt for months after that; she complained that all I did that summer was watch Dirty Dancing. And I did. Every single day, I watched Dirty Dancing, practiced the steps, and wished I could dance that well. That was probably when I realized how much I enjoy dancing, and it's only been for short periods since then that I haven't been taking some form of dance class. I also developed an enormous crush on Patrick Swayze. I still love the movie, the music, the dancing, and I still have a crush on Patrick Swayze. Not because he's handsome and moves like magic, but because over time I think he showed himself to embody a lot of the ideals I held for a person. He was married to his wife, Lisa, for over 30 years. He seemed modest and idealistic, doing films he wanted to do because he liked them, not necessarily because he was trying to be the biggest movie star in Hollywood. He did the work because that was what he loved to do. I also admired how strong he stayed throughout his fight with cancer. I admired him, and I feel for his wife and mother, and I'm so sad that I've lost my first crush. I think Jay will be getting lots of extra love today, because I'm so grateful we've still got our 30 years ahead of us.

Photos from Jess & Tom's Wedding

So it's been nearly two months since Jess and Tom's wedding, and I have just now uploaded some of the photos that I took. How does that happen? Anyhow, here they are.

For those of you expecting prints and a DVD, it's in the mail. Seriously, it is. No, really!

From Jess & Tom Wedding

Jess and Tom exchange vows


Jess with her Dad walking down for wedding photos

From Jess & Tom Wedding

Jess with her Mom

From Jess & Tom Wedding

Fun with Cake

From Jess & Tom Wedding

The new bride & groom with Dad

So the wedding was a great time, and even though it means that Jess is now in Germany for a few years, we wish them both the very best. Starting a life together is tough, a lot of work, but the most rewarding thing you could ever do.

See you two in Germany next year!

-jh

Health care reform

I am someone who is lucky enough to have insurance. Despite this, insurance often refuses to pay for routine or necessary medical care, and I have to pay out of pocket. My husband has had to go without insurance, because we could not afford to pay private premiums. We had to hope that he didn't get hurt. My father's insurance was canceled as soon as he was diagnosed with cancer. My mother's insurance covered him briefly, then she was fired because she had to take time off work to care for him. Without the help of Emory University, we could not have paid for his care. In spite of this, my parents lost their home and could barely afford to pay their bills because of the overwhelming debt that ensued. THEY WERE BOTH EMPLOYED WITH INSURANCE COVERAGE WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED. My sister and her children cannot get health coverage. And I have had many friends who have been refused insurance because of "pre-existing conditions." As someone who has worked intimately inside the medical industry, while many doctors and nurses are very caring and do want to do the best they can for their patients, they often have to fight the insurance companies themselves to do what they know needs to be done. I have seen single-payer health care in action in Canada on many visits I have made, and IT WORKS. I am not afraid to pay more in taxes to get our country out of debt and provide assistance to those who need it. Our health system is broken, and badly. Why have the best doctors in the world, when none of us can afford to see them? For me, this a very personal issue. I believe that health care reform is critical for this country.

-April Shiflett

8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage

1. Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
2. Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
3. Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
4. Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
5. Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
6. Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
7. Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
8. Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

Learn more and get details: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/

8 common myths about health insurance reform

1. Reform will stop "rationing" - not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a "government takeover" of health care or lead to "rationing." To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
2. We can’t afford reform: It's the status quo we can't afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
3. Reform would encourage "euthanasia": It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions.
4. Vets' health care is safe and sound: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans' access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President's budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans.
5. Reform will benefit small business - not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
6. Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare "doughnut" hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
7. You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
8. No, government will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts. Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose. Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make.

Learn more and get details:
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq

8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now

1. Coverage Denied to Millions: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
2. Less Care for More Costs: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job. Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
3. Roadblocks to Care for Women: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
4. Hard Times in the Heartland: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes
5. Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline
6. The Tragedies are Personal: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction
7. Diminishing Access to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people - one in every three Americans under the age of 65 - were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
8. The Trends are Troubling: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance - projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf

Fine, just smoky

Just a quick update for everyone who hasn't called us. The fires have not reached us, and it's not likely they would! We can see the enormous wall of smoke from our place, and we can certainly smell it, but no fires are putting us in danger. We're just trying to keep our breathing healthy since the air quality is terrible right now. We will be helping with recovery efforts as soon as things are under control. But we are doing fine.

Venice Blvd. Farmers Market

One of our favorite things about living in Los Angeles is the ready access to local farmer's markets. Because California is mostly abundant farm land that supplies much of the agricultural needs of the U. S., we can get almost anything grown locally. One of the nearest farmer's markets to our apartment is held each Sunday on Venice Blvd. Pictured above is the scene this morning after we biked there from our apartment.


Jay is very careful about selecting our produce. He does a lot of the cooking for us, and he loves the fresh ingredients. We usually have to eat our goodies pretty quickly so they don't spoil, so Sunday evenings often finds us making casseroles, soups, and other dishes to eat during the week. Our food doesn't spoil, and we have something healthy waiting for us when we get home from work during our busy weeks.


I love how colorful all the vegetables are; it makes eating healthfully that much more fun! We try to make our dishes as colorful as possible, and often when something catches our eye we will try to find a way to incorporate that food into our dinner. The peppers and eggplants above were so beautiful we had to bring some home with us. We will be having a stir fry with those lovely peppers this week! Jay also brought home some fresh green beans that we steamed tonight with carrots to go with our Ahi tuna steaks. (Meow approved of the tuna; not so much the veggies.) Another fun thing is the number of new vegetables and even fruits we have tried. I have no idea what those things above are; they didn't make it home with us. But we will often be adventurous when we spot some new and interesting food. I'm not showing the entire market; there's a D.J., nut vendor, flower sellers, and fresh food stands dotting the entire street. We enjoyed a fresh-squeezed lemonade while we wandered the stalls and debated what we would have this week. It's a fun way to spend our Sunday mornings, and the bike ride there and home ensures we get some exercise! Now remember, eat your vegetables this week! We certainly will.

Glacier pictures, days two and three

The second day of our trip we started out by going fly-fishing on the Flathead river. Our guide's name was Rob. Luckily for us he was a very patient and knowledgeable guy! He showed us the ropes, and then took us to the best fishing spots. Jay managed to hook both me and a fish, so he was obviously getting the hang of setting his hook (Rob had to use the pliers to get the hook out of my hand, luckily it was NOT barbed). I, however, while getting plenty of nibbles, did not catch anything. But I really loved being out on the river and trying! Below is Jay about to back cast.


After spending the morning on the river, we headed into the west entrance of the park for more hiking. This time we headed down the Trail of the Cedars to Avalanche Lake. Below is a shot I took during the hike through the forest. The views were amazing, with enormous trees and mountains, and Avalanche Creek running busily next to us. On this hike we ran into a mule deer - almost literally!
We reached Avalanche Lake after about 3 miles or so. The lake is crystal clear with the beautiful green color provided by glacier flour carried by the melting snow from above. The lake is surrounded on all sides by steep mountains carved by a Pleistocene glacier long ago. Stunning. Jay took a panoramic of this one, maybe I can convince him to post it! We met a little chipmunk who found a bit of cracker at Jay's foot, decided he must be a god, and followed him around the lake while we explored. Cute little bugger. Jay got his picture, he was too fast for me! Below is the lake:
We headed east along Going to the Sun road this time, and stayed at the Rising Sun Motor Inn that night. The next morning, sadly, was our last in the park before we headed back to Great Falls for the wedding. We took a morning boat tour of St. Mary's Lake. Below is one of the pictures I took from the boat window:

Our boat captain was an avid hiker, and described many longer hikes we would like to take when we return one day. I highly recommend Glacier. Besides Yosemite, it is almost indescribable, and is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I'm a big National Park fan though, and I guess it shows!

Glacier pictures, day one

I finally got around to downloading the pictures from my Canon powershot SD790 IS. These are not nearly as good as the pictures that Jay takes with his Nikon D300 (he has a lot more resolution and skill than I do) but I thought they could convey some of the beauty of the park. The only problem I had with this particular trip was lack of time. I love long hikes and camping, and we didn't get to do either. Just short day hikes (5 - 10 miles) and fly fishing. The fly fishing was awesome, even though I didn't actually get any fish on my hook! Lots of nibbles, but setting the hook was something I was having trouble with. Here are a few shots below:

Jay at St. Mary's Lake just after we entered the park. We took a short 3 mile hike to Baring Falls, pictured below:
From there we took Going to the Sun road to Logan Pass. Here we hiked all the way through the alpine meadow to Hidden Lake. We hiked through the snow (Jay is below) and saw plenty of animals, including big horn sheep and mountain goats. The goats you could usually smell before you saw! That was a full day, and we headed back to Glacier Park Lodge where we stayed.

Another busy L. A. weekend

I had meant this weekend to be one where I got caught up on long-neglected housework and just rested, but that just doesn't seem to be a possibility in our lives! As soon as Friday approaches, about a dozen plans present themselves to us and the next thing I know our quiet weekend at home has turned into circus trips, museum visits, afternoons with friends, and enjoying a new restaurant. What a wonderful life! We really live a charmed life, and have made so many cool friends.

So, on to our weekend: Jay finally got a replacement printer for his photography work. He had an enormous wide-format high-quality photo printer that got trashed in the wreck. Our insurance was enough to cover a computer and our furniture, but that was it. Since we also had to buy a new car, there was no way we were going to be able to replace the printer. Now, 2 years later and after much hard work and planning, Jay has his new baby! It's so large (30 inch by 12 inch footprint) that we had to move our computer into the spare bedroom. We spent most of Saturday cleaning out and reorganizing, and now we have a functional office. We got rid of a lot of clutter in the process, and that makes me so happy! We even got to squeeze in a trip to the Container Store, and now my gift wrap and all my cards are perfectly organized. It's enough to give a girl with OCD like myself an organization orgasm. So happpyyyyy! Not that any of you were probably interested in hearing that, but darn it I just cannot contain my joy.

That evening we had dinner with several of Jay's friends from Ikon. Stephanie Wong, a sales rep that Jay often spent time with, is going to graduate school to become a high school guidance counselor. We wanted to give her a good send-off, and I think we succeeded. We met at their former boss's apartment off Le Brea Ave. The building was built in the 1920's, just before the depression hit. The architecture and art deco touches were conserved by the building's current owner, and the apartment is stunning with wood paneling, old tile work, preseved hard woods, even the old ice box is intact and used as storage in the kitchen. We walked from there to a restaurant called Amalfi. Another great restaurant here in L.A. We had shots there called chocolate cake (so yummy) and they had my favorite wine, a riesling from Gainey Vineyards. Jay had the gnocchi and I had smoked salmon fettucini. We had a lot of fun, and didn't get home until 3 am.

That meant we slept in, and got up just in time to make it to the 1 pm start of the Dodgers vs. Braves. Jay got to attend two of the Braves games here, which made his week. We enjoyed Dodger dogs and caramel popcorn, and I got sunburned BIG TIME. Good game, with the Braves winning the third out of four games. We ended our evening back home where we ordered in Indian food, watched True Blood, and swore to finally have a quiet weekend, "next week." Yeah, I'll believe it when it happens!

A big gap

Wow, I've let an entire month go past without a single post! Now that I've learned how to post pictures, I feel like I'm not living up to my potential to post without any. But we've been so busy we haven't been able to download any photos and process them yet!

This past month we have had quite a bit of travel, and I'm looking forward to telling and showing you all where we have been and what we have been up to. Our first trip was to Hamilton, Ontario in Canada to visit the wonderful McArthur - Wilson clan. Andrew and Joanna are among our most beloved friends, and it had been far too long between visits. Visiting with them is like visiting home, we always feel so relaxed and welcome. Galen and Raynham are both taller, cuter, smarter, and even more charming than ever. They hold such a special place in our hearts.

After this relaxing interlude, we headed to the wilds of Montana for a week. The first part of the week we got to enjoy Glacier National Park. It has been by far one of our favorite parks. It is full of stunning vistas, and we tried to take in as much as we could in three days. I got to fulfill one of my major life to-dos when we went fly fishing on the Flathead river. We hiked somewhere around 20 miles in 3 days, and there was still more we both wanted to do.

From Glacier we headed back to Great Falls, where Jay's family was awaiting us. We got to spend some time with our grandmother, dad, step-mom, and brother and sister-in-law when everyone gathered for our niece's wedding. Jay and I have been flying Jess (our niece) in for a week-long visit with us every summer for the past 7 years. This is the first summer we haven't had her with us. It has been exhilirating watching her grow into a beautiful young woman from a little girl. This year she graduated from high school, and decided to get married. She and her new husband Tom are moving to Germany as I type this post, where Tom is stationed with the Air Force. While we feel that she has grown up far too quickly to suit us, we love her and wish her much happiness. We have already decided that next summer we will be heading to Germany to see her. So watch out Jess, you haven't gotten rid of us yet!

Between all of this we have both been very busy with work. I got an NIH NRSA award that will fund the next 2 years of my post-doc, and Jay has been working some lucrative deals in the business world. At least I assume that's what all those phone calls, emails, business meetings, and so on mean. And then there is the usual work associated with travel, we are behind in laundry, house work, shopping, you name it!

In fact, some of our friends have had children in the last month without me getting a single baby gift in the mail! A big welcome to the world to Lily Fox and Amelia Lerch - I am looking forward to many pictures. But no worries, I still have another 5 children on the way to buy gifts for... wow, the world is really growing!!

Home Sweet Home

Jay just returned from a business trip to Georgia where he took a little extra time to visit friends and family. Meow and I missed him a great deal, and were so happy to have him back home with us! Our little apartment seemed very big and empty without him here.

When we first moved into our apartment, I had promised a post showing it off. Well, we've been here almost two years, so we'll call this better late than never! We live in UCLA housing in a neighborhood called Westdale. It's about 5 miles from UCLA, and is on 3 public bus lines. A very pricey neighborhood, and we probably couldn't live here if we didn't have the university to subsidize this complex. I'll have to ask you all to excuse the clutter and any messiness - I didn't clean up, I just snapped some shots while I was making dinner tonight!

Our apartment is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom just around 900 square feet. Since it is just Jay and I, it's actually a good size for us. A little tight perhaps since we were downsizing from a house in Massachusetts and a much roomier apartment in Athens, but still cozy rather than just too small! We live on the second floor. The kitchen, dining room, computer nook, and living room are just one large area with the two bedrooms and bathroom towards the back of the apartment off of a short hallway. Many people live in this complex upwards of 5 years, and they take the time to paint. We just left the walls the white they were painted when we moved - we'd had quite enough of home renovations by then, and needed the break! Below is our kitchen and dining areas:
The computer nook is tucked neatly on the other side of the sink in the above photo; the living room is where I took the picture of the dining room. A couch and chair separate the dining room and living room from one another, but I left them out of my shots. Below is the computer nook and living room:



That leaves the bathroom and two bedrooms. Well, I won't show the bathroom. It's pretty standard stuff :). One bedroom we use mainly for storage, and it has a desk though we never work there. Jay camps out in his recliner with his laptop, and I work at the computer nook or the dining room table. The other bedroom, of course, we use for sleeping. To the left is one view of our "office." We use it mostly as storage. The wall to the left of the desk is covered in shelves. In front of this I hung a closet rod (12 feet) and hung 4 curtains from IKEA to hide them.



Almost all the furniture is from IKEA. Since we lost most of our furniture when I overturned the truck, it was the most affordable option we had for a mass purchase. The shelving there is fantastic, we had tons of options that fit our spaces and budget.

Well, there you have it! Our little pad. Which, by the by, is always open to friends who wander out here to the west coast. We only have an inflatable bed, but the company is pretty good! And we have an excellent wine selection :)!

The Getty Villa

Whenever we have guests visit, we always, always take them to the Getty Center off the 405. It is one of the most amazing examples of architecture I have ever seen. The view of the city is absolutely incomparable. There is also, of course, the art. But this post is not about the Getty Center. It's about the Getty Villa. The Getty Villa is the original J. Paul Getty Museum. When the collection outgrew it's home, the Getty Center was built. The Villa was completed in 1974, and now houses the antiquities portion of the Getty collection. It is modeled after the partially-excavated Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, that had been buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. While it is free to get into both museums, for the Villa you must make a reservation ahead of time as admission is limited. Below is a photo of the entrance to the Getty Villa.
We arrived and had lunch, then dove head first into the collections. There are many pieces from the Greek, Roman, and Etruscan civilizations, some more than 5000 years old. They were all breathtaking. The artistry and craftsmanship is unbelievable, and we took hundreds of photos. Below is a photograph of one of the most famous statues in the collection, of Herakles (Hercules). The floor in this room is a recreation of one from the Villa dei Papiri, and is composed of over 7000 individual marble tiles.
The photo below is of a fountain that is based on one uncovered in the "House of the Large Fountain" in Pompeii. Any detail that couldn't come directly from the Villa dei Papiri was taken from other Roman villas of the time. This fountain is covered with colorful tiles and seashells, and on each side you can see the greek theatre masks.
J. Paul Getty was adamant that the gardens be as accurate as possible, right down to having a working herb garden as would be found in a true Roman villa. There are two main outdoor garden areas in the Getty Villa, the inner Peristyle and the outer Peristyle. Where you see a statue, there had been a statue found in that spot in the ruins of the original Villa in Italy. Truly remarkable! Here I am standing in front of the pool in the inner Peristyle. In the original villa, the pool in the outer Peristyle was 4 meters deep and likely contained fish that were raised for the household to consume.
We spent about 5 hours in total combing through the myraid collections and examining the gardens. There is so much more to learn! You can easily get overwhelmed in a single trip. Afterwards we drove to Ventura to have dinner with Jay's workmate Linda. Linda is a fascinating woman. She lived in Turkey for a little over 20 years, and has had so many experiences in life! Dinner with her was wonderful, we were incredibly well-entertained. As you can imagine, we were exhausted and enjoyed a Sunday of doing absolutely nothing at all. I leave you with a dark image of us in the Atrium of the Villa. Behind us is a little pool. In a true Roman Villa, the atrium was open to the sky and this small pool collected rain water that drained into a cistern below. This water was then pumped throughout the home, so that the Roman nobility could enjoy running water. Nice! I also ask my friends out there to note that my husband's hair is getting a little too out of control. Please feel free to mount an email campaign encouraging him to get his hair cut. I beg you.