Yes We Did!

Matt and I hooked up my computer to our 19" monitor at 7am this morning to watch the build up to and the actual swearing in of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. We wish we were with more people to share the moment, but the great thing about this campaign has been the feeling of inclusiveness, no matter where one is. The only thing left to say is, "Woo hoo!"



Since we couldn't be there, here are some Getty Images of the morning. (I love Michelle's color choice--her gloves are simple and classy. And Sasha's pink and orange palette is one of my favorites.)


Inauguration Photo from South Pole Antarctica!!!
Originally uploaded by Huffington Post

I love this photo from the South Pole.

Daisy Louise Magnolia Hanapepe McGavock (aka the Princess, the Peepstar, Dee Dee)

My sister and brother-in-law's dog, Daisy, whom they adopted from a rescue group in late 2003, passed away on 9 January. She had been quite sick, but happy and pain free, for a year. Without Carolyn and Adam's constant nurturing, she would not have made it these additional months. Adam sent out a sob inducing email of remembrance, and it was nothing less than this sweet lady deserved. Here's a short excerpt.

"We will always remember Daisy as our gentle princess, our spoiled girl, our little star. She was a licker of faces, a cozy companion, a friend to all people and dogs, and a constant presence in the kitchen."

The Holidays: Nature

Matt captured a beautiful sunset moment at Primehook National Wildlife Refuge, Broadkill Beach, Delaware.

On a nature walk in Kent Island, Maryland we spotted the reclusive decaying pick-up truck, Matt and my mom smell the gin-making Juniper berry, and red berries are a small dot of color in the brown and green landscape.


Great Blue Herons brave the winter in Delaware; it was the first time I'd seen one in a tree.


Typical sight around the Delaware shore in winter: migrating Snow Geese, bales of hay and Canadian Geese (click for more detail).


Matt and I bundled up for a sunset nature walk with my (crazy-eyed) dad and stepmom near their shore home. More Primehook landscape shots below.

The Holidays: Christmas

The McGavock Christmas Tree

We arrived in Virgina on 26 Dec. at 6am and, after a brief nap at my sister's, we celebrated Christmas the rest of the day. Though we had agreed on not exchanging gifts of much monetary value, we still found some fun items to bestow upon each other. Prime example, Carolyn and Adam found some 'vintage' glasses: Lando Calrissian from "The Empire Strikes Back" for Matt and Miss Piggy for me. Unfortunately, Matt's glass wasn't robust, and it broke seconds after opening.


Matt sad, Amy happy.

A Split, Croatia football club scarf from my dad was a big hit, as Matt's grandma is Croatian.


Carolyn thought my homemade bird portraits were professional, and she really liked the smell of her new hand lotion.


Mom showing off her new slipper socks, and Adam with the big gift of the night: Wii Fit.

Nintendo's Brain Age captivated my grandmother, and Adam's step-niece liked her penguin stuffed animal. After receiving a stack of books, she made it clear that she would have preferred more toys. However, my mom, Matt and I all took turns reading to Skyler, and we felt better when we caught her reading on her own later in the day.


Carla explains Brain Age to my grandma, and Skyler, less than enthusiastically, opens another book.


Entertaining Skyler: Matt reads "Where the Wild Thing Are" and my mom sings (in a way) Christmas songs.

The rest of the day was filled with food and family time. I think we did a good job of looking like we like each other in the photos--except for one of them.


Carolyn and I are all hugs, until a second after the posed shot. I love my unintentional, please get away from me, look.


Nan, Mom, Carolyn and Matt sit down for dinner, and my dad poses with his girls.


The weary travelers--I changed for bed even before the second round of gift opening.

The Holidays: Ramayani

Though sweaters and scarves seem distant memories on an 80 degree day in San Diego, it's time to begin the recapping of our holiday travels--and get back to more regular posts.

In December, Matt and I spent a few days up in the LA area before heading to the East Coast via a red-eye on Christmas. We stayed with Matt's folks and had good quality family time, including ingesting copious amounts of food. We also made it down to LA proper, where Matt got a massage, I met with my witchy-poo doctor, and we had dinner with our good friends.

Abe, Frank, Tyler, Shawn and Eric met us at Ramayani in Westwood for an Indonesian feast. The place was Frank's suggestion, and reminded Abe, Frank, Matt and me of our Indonesian dinner in Amsterdam way back in 2007. The dinner was chaotic with rapid repartees, inappropriate interruptions and concurrent conversations adding a schizophrenic soundtrack for the passing of the plates. At one point Tyler had to ask if he was going to be allowed to answer a question before someone else hijacked the conversation. We just looked at him in bewilderment and proceeded as usual. It was blissful. Tyler did, eventually, get his relaxation when a few of us went back to Abe and Frank's for after dinner drinks and Christmas cookies.

If these photos aren't enough, here are some more (and better) from Frank's album.


Frank, imbibing, and Abe, posing and pretty. Abe and Tyler conversing between spoonfuls of soup.


Love this photo, especially the family photos in the background and Abe's expression. Shawn quickly closing her mouth before the flash.


Eric and I sipping our vanilla lime sodas. Tyler ingesting and Matt receiving.


Some posed shots.


At Abe and Frank's festive condo, Abe spun tunes on the Victrola and Frank tempted us with his homemade treats.