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Happy New Years... Here comes 2009

WOW, we are here. 2009. Despite all the horrific travesties and amazing events in 2008- time marched by and day by day we got closer, until ta da .... It's 2009.

A year in review is more daunting than a 20 page paper on the "Down regulation of cell reproduction, an overview of programed cell death". (which is an actual paper that I wrote in college and recently found- I even surprised myself on that one).

Here are some favorites!

a beautiful wedding of wonderful friends...

Trips to the bay area

Mom's surprise party!!

Our First anniversary

My neice

Tea Fire

What a hectic few days. I have never been so close to a wildfire and was actually concerned for our welfare. This fire, which the authorities believe to be arson, robbed the homes of 220 families as well as destroying a portion if the Westmont College Campus. One family, our close friends, we only able to grab their children (3 year old boy and 11 day old boy) and a few clothes as they ran out of their beautiful home.

We are all thankful that the fire has not taken any lives directly.

Most of all I am amazed by the FIREFIGHTERS. I know that they are the reason that we are all safe and that the fire did not spread more. They worked tirelessly for our safety.

For some pictures of the devastation here is the link: http://www.independent.com/photos/galleries/2008/nov/17/tea-fire-aftermath/

Where has the time gone?

Really, despite the nice chill in the air- fall sucks! Don;t get me wrong, the color on the trees is beautiful and the 80 degree highs are nice too, but why do we still have to obey daylight savings?? I am not sure about how the rest of the world feels, but leaving work in the complete darkness at 6 pm is horrible. I feel the need to go directly home, bypass dinner and crawl into bed.

The history of daylight savings is interesting... as quoted from Wikipedia- "Daylight saving has caused controversy since it began.[1] Winston Churchill argued that it enlarges "the opportunities for the pursuit of health and happiness among the millions of people who live in this country".[69] Robertson Davies, however, detected "the bony, blue-fingered hand of Puritanism, eager to push people into bed earlier, and get them up earlier, to make them healthy, wealthy and wise in spite of themselves",[70] and wags have dubbed it "Daylight Slaving Time".

Well, maybe I will move to a state that has decided against it- I hear Arizona is nice this time of year!

3:58

For those of you interested, this past weekend marked the 27th running of the Portland Marathon. A beautiful footrace through downtown, up to the St. John's bridge, through quaint neighborhoods and back again.
Portland was all I had expected it to be, complete with the brisk fall weather and RAIN! After obsessively checking the weather forecasts for the week previous and seeing a mere 30% chance of rain on race day, I thought that I would have a dry run.
Not only did it rain, but it rained and was windy and COLD (I think around a high of 40).

Really, in running a maraton, and all of you think that I am crazy for saying this, the hardest part is the last 6 miles.

Here's the proof:
https://www.runraceresults.com/secure/raceresults.cfm?id=rcag2008
bib# 2613

so fun!

Just a few pictures (taken with my new camera) of our trip to Pebble Beach

Neal and I at the 18th green at Pebble Beach (he shot an 82!)
Waiting for us when we arrived!
The lonesome golfer on the 17th fairway at Pebble.
One view of Spanish Bay

Celebrity Sighting

Not that I am at all obessed with seeing celebrities, but every once in a while, I wonder if I am the only one that misses every celebrity that comes to town. There are a few probable explanations as to why I never see celebrities: 1. they are not inside my office- which is where I spend all my free time and 2. I rarely go "out" to the hot spots.
Well, I am evidentally moving up in the world, last night at dinner I immediately recognized her. She is as beautiful in person as she is on screen.