Yosemite

Haven't blogged in a while....just haven't found the time nor the energy. But Pam and I just returned from our summer vacation trip (actually our 10 year anniversary trip as well) to Yosemite and San Francisco and what better time to start "re-blogging" I'll start with the Yosemite part and post another for S.F.

Day 1: Our friends Nate and Sam from Portland, OR rented a car and met us at the airport after a very uneventful flight from Atlanta, GA. The car ride from S.F. to Yosemite was spent catching up with them since it had been 4 years since we had seen each other. We got into Yosemite fairly late after stopping a ton on the drive and taking our sweet time. We were staying in "Curry Village" in a tent-cabin (see picture). We checked in, watched the pretty cool video on Bear activity and crashed pretty early.

Food: Lunch at a Mexican restaurant on the road, Dinner was pizza at the Village.

Day 2: We woke up pretty early on Day 2 and planned a major hiking excursion to some Falls with a 2000 feet elevation gain from the valley. The four of us started about 9:45am up the trail to Vernal Falls (see pic 1). The trail to the falls viewpoint is paved all the way and was packed with people so we then took the arduous steps to the top of the falls. The views were awesome and we caught a sweet rainbow (see pic 2) at the base of the falls. This also cleared out a ton of people although there were still a good number. We continued up to the Nevada Falls and the junction with the trail to the top of Half Dome. This is where Nate and Jim courageously chose to continue their hike to the top of Half Dome (see pic 3) because it sounded pretty darn cool. Bear in mind that we had already hiked 4 miles or so pretty much vertical and the hike to Half Dome tacked on an extra 8 miles. Add on the 4 miles back and Nate and Jim are looking at a 16 mile hiking day!! No problem!! The ladies smartly decide to head back and relax. With strained muscles the boys plodded on and made it to the base of the Half Dome ascent only to notice a major storm heading their way. On the back saddle of the rock they spot a large bolt of lightning not too far away in the distance and decide to get back to the safety of the trees. On the 8 miles back Jim manages to tear up his feet hiking in his Chacos and also pull something in his left knee. But we finally made it back to the relieved ladies and some much deserved dinner.

Food: Breakfast buffet in the Village, Lunch is PB & J's and snacks on the trail, Dinner is ....pizza yet again! and some Beers.

Day 3: Everyone is pretty pooped the next day other than Nate who is a machine so we decide to take it easy and drive to most of the sites. We check out Yosemite Falls, the Mariposa Grove of huge friggin Sequoias and finally Glacier Point (see pic) and magnificent views of the valley. We also caught another afternoon storm (apparently common in the valley during the summer!) and took shelter under a gazebo with cliff-side views. We then drove back, had a awesome "splurge-dinner" and hung out a bit and chatted....Nice relaxing day in the park.

Food: Breakfast was bagels, muffins and coffee, of course, Lunch was more PB&Js and snacks on the road, Dinner was fine-dining at the Yosemite Lodge!!

Day 4: We had to pack and head out quickly to S.F. so another 1/2 day of driving. We caught Breakfast at a roadside place called Buck Forest Cafe(?) or something of the nature.

I'll check in with S.F. stuff tomorrow...enjoy the pics!!

Jim

The Little Brain that Could

Our daughter Lexie is very intelligent and observant, I'm not saying this is a bragging sort of fashion (although I'm a proud parent!) but in a straightforward kind of manner. At 3.5 yrs old she is in the "Can I ask a Question About Everything" phase. I've never in my lifetime heard so many What, Who, Why, How or Whens than I do in one day around my daughter. It can be cute at times and then disconcerting at others. From her perspective she is just trying to learn as much as she can, which is very cool.....however you have to watch what you talk about around her or risk having to come up with some unique explanations of life.

She has also become the word police...any slip of the tongue - darn, stupid, sucks, etc. gets a response of - "Daddy, that's a bad word". Feeling sheepish you can do nothing at that moment accept to offer an apology.

In one memorable dinner conversation I was talking to Pam about a difficult work situation and Lexie continually piped in - "Who did it Daddy?" "What's a referral?" "What did you say?"

Pam once tried to spell out a word that she didn't want Lexie to catch on to, however the first letter of the word sounded like the word itself and Lexie filled in the rest!......Got to love the brain of a 3-4 yr old!!

The Pursuit of Life?

Lexie and Jim Pursuing "Life"

Pam and I recent saw the movie - "The Pursuit of Happyness" with Will Smith about the real life Chris Gardner and man does it really put into perspective "having and not having". Makes you think about the times you complain because your cable bill is too high or your internet access is not functioning. Pam and I both gave it a 5-star Brice rating (see recent movies list).

The movie and other events got me thinking about the game of "Life" and here I mean the Milton-Bradley board game. From what I remember the goal was to accumulate wealth, children, assets, etc. He with the most stuff won the game! Kinda weird concept that MB taught us younguns. Isn't life about making the most of every moment? Those times when Lexie and I are playing together or making silly jokes and laughing....that's what I think "Life" is and its a heck of a lot rosier than worrying about how big my paycheck is or why I ever got rid of TiVO. Maybe the little cards in the game should have said - "You just spent a quality day with your kids!" rather than "You won 5000.00 in the lottery!"

Made in China

Nothing super exciting going on at the Brice household lately, just living life or lifin' it.

Lexie and I were in her room today and I began reading the tags on many of her toys........we both came to the realization that just about the entire contents in her room could be summed up in three words - MADE IN CHINA. In fact I had to search the entire room for a few minutes to find anything not made in China. We bought her dollhouse from a specialty store this Christmas and it was made in Thailand, but otherwise all we could find was a Reed and Barton piggy-bank(Japan), a shell (God) and thankfully one thing actually made in the good ol' USA - a box of Crayola crayons.....I love Crayola!

This got me thinking about our dependence on China, the lack of US industry jobs mainly because we Americans want our stuff cheap and lots of it. I thought if I could trade in half of Lexie's toys for a few quality made more pricey U.S. stuff, she'd be just as happy and so would our society........Sometimes we have to look at ourselves to see the issues behind our country's woes.

Starting Early

Eat Your Heart Out Mimi!!! (Notice the Hat)

Go SOX!!

Lifing It

Not much news here...but I came up with a new cool word "Lifing" like right now we are "Lifing it" meaning we are just living life as normal nothing super exciting going on. I'm copyrighting this term so anytime you say you are "lifing" it you must also say you got it from me.......or I'll cry.

Anywho.....just recently watched Blood Diamond.....very good movie, but deep and depressing at points. Acting was superb around although had a hard time with Leo's accent. Check it out if you have not seen it.

Back with more later

PS: Did you see the Clinton-Obama match from Myrtle Beach? I thought you needed pay-per-view for those fist-i-cuffs but we watched for free!!!

Winter Wonderland

Finally! We got some real snow in Asheville. Got up this morning (5:50am Lexie-time) after last night's storm and measured 3 inches on the back deck. School was called and Pam took the day off so the whole family has a Satur-Thurs-day to hang out. Check out the pics taken this morning.

New Old Music

So my entire musical collection is on my Zune (Microsoft's answer to the iPod) which among other cool things has led me to start listen to more of my "older" music. Bear in mind that I'm woefully out of the music scene since about 2000. While friends are playing me bits of Modest Mouse, Mngmt, and Arcade Fire...I'm still stuck on Jurassic 5 and Radiohead. Lately however I've been hittin' the "oldies" and re-finding gems. Here are a few

1. Big Country - The Crossing (album): These guys came out in the mid-80s with a debut album without much fanfare and are long considered one-hit-wonders with "In a Big Country". That's probably the worst song on the album and it plains rocks....the kind you used to leave in the tape player in your car back in the real old days. I remembered this album so fondly I went back and downloaded it the other day and it brought me back. Try a few clips like "Inwards", "Porroh Man" and "Angle Park".

2. Counting Crows - August and Everything After (album): The guys who brought you "Mr. Jones" in the early 90s actually put out a nice album that contains mellow work like "Perfect Blue Buildings" and "Sullivan Street" and the moving "Anna Begins". The band kinda sputtered to small-time fame in the late 90s but this album will always be a classic.

3. Depeche Mode - Violater (album): I remember the moody Depeche Mode from the Black Celebration days and the synth movement of which they were kings but this album runs straight through with great music. Some might remember "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" from MTV days but to me "Clean" is a masterpiece and "Halo" and "World in My Eye" are right up there.

4. Led Zepplin - Led Zepplin 1: This just might be the best initial release every made...just listen to it through and you'll get my drift. Blues influenced and emotional from a band that defined the late 60s early 70s rock arena style band rock movement. Can't name a bad tune on the album.

Speaking of good music never dies: I allow my students to play music in class every once in a while and a student on mine was playing stff with Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald singing together.....I found myself moved to ask what album it was from and where I could GET IT!!!!

Snowed Over?

Once again the prognosticators called for major snow. Reports varied from 1-2" to 4-6" in the Asheville area. We got about 1 cm. Even though it was kinda lame, the little bit of snow was a refreshing change from the unseasonably warm temps we have been experiencing so far this winter. I've included the view from our deck.

2007: A Look Back

2007 was a year that seemed to pass at break-neck speed. It had its highs and lows like any year and served to further cement the Brice family in the fabric that is Asheville. Below are some highlights:

Birthdays: Both Jim and Pam celebrated their 35th year on the planet whilst little Lexie turned 3 years old in July.

Jobs: Pam went through major job changes by retiring from the newspaper industry which was a full-time headache to take on a part-time job with Henderson County as the PIO (Public Information Officer). Jim finished up his first campaign as the Physics teacher at Asheville High School and embarked upon his second after a wondrous summer of relaxation.

Travel: The clan packed up the auto many times including trips to (a) Jim's Parents lake house, (b) North Myrtle Beach twice to spend time with Pam's folks and her sister Allie, (c) camping trips to Cosby Campground in the Smokies and Black Mountain campground near Mt. Mitchell.

Ultimate: Jim participated in the local Asheville scene, subsequently retired from the competitive scene and still managed to be on two squads that won off-season tournaments. It was a banner year for Jim and a great way to bow out by winning the annual "Mud-Bowl" tournament in Talladegha, AL in February and capping off 2007 with a win of the annual "Ultimax" held in Greenville, NC in December. Jim then broke his pinky at the local end of the season tournament (see prior blogs)

Running: Pam ran numerous 5k races around the Asheville area including one race where everyone wore tie-days. She also was very active in her running club and even helped one runner recover from a heart attack (he was in a coma for a week!)

Church: The family attended a few churches and finally at the end of the year have settled on Central United Methodist in downtown Asheville.

Looking forward to an even better year in 2008

Chillin'

Surrogate Cat Sandy........Just Chillin'

Just One More (Xmas 07)

6:30am.......I had placed a bet on 5:30am but Lex surprised me and "slept in" until 6:30....She still beat the Sun up and Santa had probably just wheeled his sleigh into the North Pole garage, but we still got some good sleep. Lex got downstairs, looked at the Santa horde and sat back down on the sofa to let it all sink in. At 3 1/2 years she's kinda mesmorized by the whole Santa process and a bit taken aback by it at the same time. Lexie scored a sweet wooden dollhouse that will be with her for many years of use as well as a "Radio Flyer" trike which is classic red & white and mighty classy! Both sets of G'Parents were in attendance for the event and many other gifts were opened....with Lexie stating between each package "I'm still really not hungry mommy!"...."Just one more".

That sums up Christmas ------- Just one more.

Looking forward to Santa's mighty return in 08

Going Under (Pinky Part Deux)

I had surgery on my pinky (see previous post) on Wednesday Dec 19th and it was my first opportunity to "go under". I've never had the pleasure of missing set moments of my life by a thoughtful choice (pause for the cough....ehem). Anyway last thing I remember was the OR and sliding my fanny over to the operating table then....PWOIP I'm drinking a Sprite in the recovery room.....Amazing.

So far the recovery has been tolerable apart from the nagging itching from the cast that ran down to my elbow. I've only had to pop the narcotics now and then mainly for ease of sleep.

I have come to find out over the course of these past few days that your pinky, an often overlooked digit in life, is actually very useful in the whole hand scheme of things.

Santa

On Saturday we went to the Asheville Track Club's Holiday Party. There was great food, beer and wine, an excellent band AND.... Santa Claus! Lexie was so excited, she got to dance with Santa and later, sat on his lap and told him she wanted "a Darby doll" and "a dollhouse." So Cute! Immediately after that party we stopped by the Asheville High School Science Department party at a teacher's home. This party was a bit more subdued but a nice way to end the evening. Unfortunately, there were no celebrity sitings (last year, one of the science teachers was dating Hollywood actress/model Andie McDowell and she actually came to the party!)

Broken Pinky

I suffered my third serious injury playing Ultimate this weekend when he went to block a throw. The thrower released the disc and in his follow-through got my finger and bent it away from the hand. At first I thought it was dislocated as my pinky was bent awkwardly out from the hand...so I had someone pop it back in, taped it up and finished playing the game. We lost so were done playing. That night the finger swelled to twice its size and turned whitish-purple. Pam suggested I get it looked at so today after church I went to the "Sister's of Mercy" Urgent Care center. After the X-ray I overheard a few docs oohing and aahing over my broken finger. I guess after numerous sick people...something broken on an x-ray is exciting (kinda like a traffic chase for the cops!) I overheard "..that's messed up pretty bad..." Anyway as you can see by the photo - double compound fracture and a trip to the hand specialist!!

So tallying it up over 17 years of Ultimate: 1 broken collar-bone, 1 separated shoulder, 1 broken pinky finger.....not too bad I'd say

Jim

Singing a Solo

On December 12 Lexie's pre-school class at West Asheville Baptist Church had it's Christmas Program where the 3-4 year olds rang bells and sang several songs at the Wednesday night service. Lexie was chosen to sing a solo! She stood in front, with the microphone and did it perfectly! In-tune and on key, too! (yes, we are PROUD parents!) She sang a song about the star of David called: Twinkle, Twinkle. It was such a joy to hear the children singing songs about Christ's coming and Christmas time, and for Lexie to do a solo!

Biltmore

Pam and I decided to give each other a unique gift this Christmas in the form of a Biltmore "membership". Yes, you can actually join the tourist mecca that is the Biltmore Estate!!
While many would automatically think that the house could only be interesting once or twice (they would be right by the way), the Estate has so much more to offer the more than casual visitor. Locals can join with a one year pass and have access to hiking trails, concerts, the winery, a farm and the house. While other visitors are forking out the $59.00 a pop to enter the estate, members can ride in free any day and have a picnic on the lawn, check out the new seasonal gardens or stroll the countless acres.

Pam scored a deal through AAA to get our initial tickets for $34.00 a piece (they are going for $59.00 right now during the holidays) and with a $20.00 upgrade we got full membership.....not a bad deal for unlimited access to what is one of the local treasures.

On Veteran's day we dropped Lexie off at school and went to check out the estate. We took a self-guided tour of the house, hit the winery for a tasting and took a long hike around the country-side.

Halloween

The Sunday prior to Halloween we held our annual Halloween block party, complete with costume awards, movies and good eating. We had about 5 or 6 families show along with 12-14 kids of various ages. "Jim Bob" the redneck cooked hot dogs and the "Wicked Witch" (Pam)organized prizes and did the pre-party fliers.

On Halloween the "Sharp-Toothed Dinosaur" (Lexie) made an appearance on our street as we visited neighbors to Trick-or-Treat. Lexie came back with a boat-load of candy and even a stuffed Scooby-doo halloween toy!!

"Colonel Sanders" (Jim) recycled his costume for the 4th or 5th year and went to play an Ultimate pick-up game in costume. On the way to the fields the Colonel swung by the local KFC to "check on business" and score a bucket of chicken for the costume. The Drive-Thru clerk took a picture of the colonel on his cell-phone because he thought it was so cool! The good colonel scored a 2nd place finish in the costume contest! (This after winning three parties in prior years).

We are already looking forward to NEXT Halloween.

Yurtin'

Last weekend, Pam and I traveled for an overnight trip to the Nantahala River Gorge area SE of Bryson City for a night away from Lexie for a belated 9th Anniversary celebration. We originally thought of either staying at a bed-n-breakfast or camping but instead I found an Adventure Camp called "Falling Waters" run by Whitewater Rafting Company that had a "Yurt Village". If you have never heard of a Yurt, it is a circular Mongolian tent that is built onto a wooden platform. The yurt we stayed in had a mini-fridge, heater and four-poster bed! On the premises was a hot tub and clean bathrooms and showers. So we kinda ended up in the middle of the hotel-camping experience. The Yurt was very nice so I highly recommend it to any looking to stay in the Outdoors mecca that is Nantahala. We will probably go back to enjoy some white-water rafting, horse-back riding and train-riding through the Smokies.

Pam and I took a hike to a finger at the Eastern end of Lake Fontana and were amazed by how low the lake was! We are in a drought in N.C. (about 11 inches below normal) and I swear the Lake was down 15-25 feet. So much so that we ended up hiking in the lake-bed and found old coke bottles and other interesting lake-bottom things like fish-bones.

Lexie had a nice stay with her Mima and Papa (Jim's parents).

Pumpkin Patch

This weekend the family took a trip to Hickory Nut Gap Farm where we gathered our halloween decor-- pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns.

First, though, we visited the horse and pigs. Then we walked across the creek to the corn maze, where we didn't get off track or lost once. Lexie enjoyed the "toddler maze" too. The only down side--75 degree weather is too sweaty for October!

When we were all done, we picked out 3 pumpkins in the "pumpkin patch," washed them in the creek, and brought them home. Oh, and don't forget, a half peck of locally grown Rome apples-- crunchy and sweet!