summer loving, part 2: zion

Shortly after leaving Las Vegas we met up with the Swenson family in St. George and drove to Zion National Park in Utah where we experienced some of the following:

1. We learned about coloration and camouflage.

2. We became one with the park (note the road WAY down below) as Ross and I hiked the Hidden Canyon Trail.

3. We were awed.

4. We found some BIGHORN SHEEP, about which I was ridiculously excited. We also wrote the following song (sung to the tune of Three Blind Mice):

Bighorn Sheep, Bighorn Sheep

See how they run over the rocks

They run so fast 'cause they're light on their feet.

They're light on their feet 'cause they're Bighorn Sheep.

They're Bighorn Sheep 'cause that's how they were born.

They're Bighorn Sheep.

Fade out

Bighorn Sheep... Bighorn Sheep... Bighorn Sheep...

5. We lost a tooth (Ross) and experienced great anxiety and worry (Haylie).

6. We got to use the words "brother-in-law" and "sister-in-law." Whoa.

Good times, family. Let's do it again some time... maybe here?

ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh

Dear Jane Austen,

Thank you for always being there, in one form or another, when I need you.

Love always,

Haylie

P.S. Somehow, I can't get this video to conform to my blog's measly little size. Right click on it and hit "show all" to, well, show all. Love.

summer loving, part 1: vegas

So here's the deal: This summer the Ross and I have been able to do a ridiculous number of really fun things, all of which I have utterly failed to blog about. But no more! I hereby resolved to catch up. Starting with Vegas, June 26th.

Time for a true story? We hated Vegas. The exploitation, the environmental atrocity, the whole deal. Hated, hated, hated it...

...except for the Bellagio fountains (and yes, I know all about the wasted water, but they're so lovely) ...

...and the MGM Grand lions WHICH, I was happy to learn, are rotated out very often, which made me feel a little better about there being lions in a noisy, chaotic casino. Still, though, my Zoo brain was reeling at the lack of any educational naturalist-type person.
After Vegas we hightailed it to St. George, UT, where we ran into Ross' sister-in-law from DC in what was the single most bizarre coincidence of my life.

Hasta la vista, Vegas. See you never.

quick story

There's a group of guys who like to come and sing in front of my house. They're not busking, they're not selling CDs... as far as I can tell, they're simply doing it for the sheer joy of it (which I LOVE, no matter what the "it" is). They're each very different. One of them looks like a thirty-something hippy, and one of them looks like he does something technical at Intel. They sing old a capella standards and are very reminiscent of the Coats (formerly the Trench Coats). Anyway, as I was getting out of my car today I thought I'd let them know how much I appreciate them. I caught them in between songs and explained that I live right across the street and that every time they come to 23rd I open my window and sit and listen for a while. "You're the girl in the window," one of them said. "Yup," I said. "I'm the girl in the window. You guys are swell." As I walked away the big hippy said "Aww."

I love, love, love, love, LOVE this crazy, lovely life.

some reasons why deferring might actually be okay*

1. Red Ape Reserve at OZ

2. Miss Anna's opera

3. Jaws at Flicks on the Bricks

4. Amazing apartment

5. REALLY amazing neighbors

6. Potential, West Coast-centric trips here, here, or here (words cannot describe how much I loved Costanoa)

7. The sheer wonder and majesty that is our fair city

8. The Vaux's Swifts coming to roost in the Chapman school chimney in September

*Just as a note, we have not officially deferred yet. We're waiting until the absolute last second (and Ross has an interview). All I'm saying is that if we have to, there is compensation.**

**But we'd still rather go.

i'm totally going to this

July 24th. Be there and be square. We'll save you a seat.

oh say can you see

Happy Fourth, dear friends, and a very, VERY happy July.

Upcoming July highlights: Hiking and camping, 4th festivities, Bend weekend, and that most glorious of days, MY BIRTHDAY. Stay tuned.

and so it begins

As I write this, it's almost 10pm. For the last hour and a half Ross and I have been sleeping on the couch. Apparently, Tiger Camp (Haylie) + A continuing and mysterious cold (Ross) + One bowl macaroni-and-cheese (Annie's) = Enough to do us in entirely. And no wonder: today was the first day of summer camp, and it was both delightful and eventful. Favorite quote of the day:

Female Tiger camper, said with no trace of giggling or discomfort, in reference to the male Mandrill: I see his penis.

Could be.

This same camper, one of the most petite and ladylike girls in class, also sweetly and proudly announced when she was about to fart.

Could be.

In other news, I am HUGELY grateful for my incredibly amazing staff. I anticipate wonderfully mellow and easygoing things from Tiger B. BRING IT, summer camp. Tomorrow, though. Right now I'm going back to bed.

men, you know who you are

just in case your brain is spinning like mine

i want to go to there

Inspired by Iceland Video from Inspired By Iceland on Vimeo.

signs that maybe you're not meant to be a hipster biker

Remember that time I got in a bike accident and made such a big deal about it? Yeah... turns out that maybe wasn't as big of a deal as I thought. Full story when I can type with both hands (and please note that I'm okay). Bikes + Rain + Me = Double-Plus Ungood.

ross, mr. collins, and me

Two recent moments of perfect happiness:

1. Today, as I stood barefoot on the warm pavement of our deck with Ross, eating the very first harvest of snap peas in our "garden" while Creature jumped around chasing bugs.

2. Last night, as the previously mentioned Ross and I cuddled on the couch watching the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice and geeking out over Jane Austen's boundless comic genius.

a creature by any other name

Hello all. Quick update: last night's mystery date was to Dance United, a collaborative work featuring Oregon Ballet Theatre, the Miami City Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet, the Australian Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, and the San Francisco Ballet. It was delightful (particularly the pieces by Joffrey and San Francisco), although not quite as good as Dance United 2009. Thanks, Ross. You did good.

In other news, my dear friend Amanda mentioned me on her blog, and I thought I'd return the favor, by which I mean that her blog inspired a topic, and I decided to run with it. Amanda talked about the "illustrious triple spoon," a spoon involving herself, her boyfriend (whose name is emphatically not Greg--sorry about that, yet again) and their cat, Lily. Ross and I also enjoy the triple spoon, which has led to Creature receiving the nickname of "the littlest spoon," or the "teaspoon." Anyway, that was a very long introduction to the topic of this blog, which is the many (nick)names of Creature the Cat.

• Creet Because it sounds like Creature. Obviously.
• Goober, Nerd, Weirdo and Turkey Because sometimes she's a goober, a nerd, a weirdo or a turkey.
• Whore Cat This is Ross' favorite.
• Russian Satellite We like to call her Turkey (see above), which one day turned into Turkmenistan, which turned into Russian Satellite. It's really nerdy in here. You have no idea.
• Fetcher This is Ross' second favorite.
• Insert-word-here-Face Foodface. Hungryface. Sleepyface. Kissyface. Sometimes even cuteface.
• Lady Because that's what she is.

Creature, thanks for giving us (Haylie) so much joy and laughter and for not being hurt by all of the horrible things we (Ross) call (calls) you. You're the best. Stay forever.

mystery date

Ross is taking me on a mystery date tonight. This absolutely thrills me. I thought we were going to The Lion King, but lo and behold, it doesn't start for another two weeks (and besides, we have tickets for July). So I have NO IDEA. What could it be? Shuffleboard at the bar? A movie date at the Fox Tower Theater (Ross' favorite because of the pretzels, my favorite because it shows documentaries and artsy foreign films)? I have no idea!

Oh, surprises. What would life be without you?