Here's to 30 more and then some

So the car couldn't have broken at a worst time for our dreams of San Francisco, but you know what I ain't going to shed a tear. It's better it did what it did now than in the middle of the Nevada desert because you know I love the Proclaimers as much as the next Scotsman but walking 500 miles to a mechanic in that environment would make me one cranky butt. 

Let's just take all the goods from all the bads. I'm not going to worry about money, or the 'what could have been's' because birthday girl I have you lying next to me in the mornings and that makes me happy. With you there morning and night I'm happy and I don't much care for whatever else the universe may throw at us, certainly not that car that's always hated me anyway.

With you lying next to me, even when things aren't going right, I've got a good feeling. Its been just 2 years we have been together but the distance we have traveled this year alone feels like it could have been a lifetime. Today though you turn 30, we still have more than half a lifetime to write. Let's make it a story worth reading. Now put a smile on your face for freaks sake.

Headaches Are Made Of This

It's the good wife's 30th at the end of this month. So I was thinking I should organise a party.

Then I realised I'd never organised a party before.

Shit!

Nevermind I set forth with my planning.

Should be fairly simply to inform everyone of date, place, etc I thought.

Then I remembered we lived in a canyon with poor cell coverage.

Shit, Again.

Then I realised that every party needs a game. Preferably something frivolous, silly and with little point.

Bugger

I settled on a mass game of Subbuteo between the invited guests thinking that a knockout game would involve a few laughs but then I remembered that this party is going to consist largely of latinos and latinas, a combustible prospect at the best of times but factor in the fact that the only 2 guests who might enjoy such a game (the father and step father) don't exactly like spending time with one another and its probably not exactly going to be a great success.

This might be the only party I ever arrange.

I should probably just hope that the subbuteo gear doesn't turn up on time. Or that noone gets the invites.

Its probably just as well I wasn't in charge of our wedding.

This Is The Life!

Its been a while, almost 5 weeks since we moved. We had been looking for a new place to rent for a few months. Without having much luck. For various reasons none of the places that we were looking at felt right.

Then for some peculiar reason I decided to look outwith our agreed ideal areas. I came across one property that just seemed to suit our lifestyle. But it was right at the upper echelons of what we wanted to pay for a rented property, and it wasn't just outwith the areas that we were previously looking at, but way out, neither me, nor the wife had much hope that we had found the place to move to. Until we got there.

The drive into Emigration Canyon, with the wooded hillsides and narrow twisting roads is seriously beautiful. When we arrived at the property I think its safe to say that we both fell in love with the place. It had everything that we wanted and more, we had been expecting to have to make some compromises here and there, but then we found everything that we wanted in the one place. In it we found a decent sized kitchen, which as we are both foodies that was important to us. A spacious living room area in which we could entertain the wife's family and friends. Ceiling fans to make those hot August Utah nights comfortable. A wood burning fire to make those long months of winter cosy. A garden to call our own, one where we can grow our own potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, etc and yet more space to entertain in. A safe place for the kids to play, no traffic to worry about unless you include the cyclists that like use the canyon as their playground.

It even came with its own bomb shelter in case Al Qaeda took a dislike to the Mormons of Utah.

A 10 minute viewing and we were ready to sign up there and then. Unfortunately there were a lot of people interested in the property and so we had a one to two week wait where we dared not dream that we could get it, and yet were were sick to the stomach in case we didn't. Fortunately, here we are 6 weeks later, living the dream.

In the summer it feels like 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than elsewhere in the city, and for someone who comes from my part of the world that makes a world of difference. Its so peaceful and quiet and unlike the rest of the city that its a joy to come home from work. We finally have that place that we can be proud of, I love hearing my father in law say "I freakin' love this place", he's been here 3 weekends already despite the fact it takes him over an hour to get here.

I would go outside and take a picture of the paradise that we live in but its raining. I'm telling you, its just like home!

So here's one from 15 minutes down the road, taken a few weeks ago.