It’s been raining on and off in Arizona for a week now. I sure hope that’s not why I’ve got this vicious cold. Ugh. These last two Saturdays SwimKids USA’s parking lot has been flooded. I bet some kids are really confused and think they moved lessons outside. It is the desert after all. Claire rocked her lesson today, and I really wish someone had been evaluating her since it was a private lesson in a mostly empty pool. Afterward Amanda said she’d forgotten we wanted out kid evaluated. Oh well. Next week. Seriously though. If she can do it, then she should be able to do it with loud kids all around.

Got a quote on the fence stucco & house painting this morning. We really liked the guy and found the quote reasonable. We mentioned we had to wait until we tore down the porch roof, and he asked if wanted that built into the quote! Yeah! This is what we want. A company who’ll do it all for us. I even told him that.

Ok off to do the Christmas cards I am two weeks late doing!

I had a relatively nice birthday but the next day I didn’t feel like anything was missing. I guess 33 isn’t such a big deal. My mother asked me to if I’d buy myself an alarm clock I wanted for her so she would not need to ship it, and my mother and father-in-law called me later that night. It was a nice conversation.
    Later in the week Donna wanted to attend a few holiday boutiques locally, and she seemed eager for Saturday morning. After hitting the boutiques, she decided we were going to lunch somewhere north. I was worried since I had to be far south by 1:30PM to see Beowulf with a group of former students and another teacher. But I didn’t really say anything and amused my wife by going along with it. Eventually we pulled into a pastry cafe called Europa Pastry Cafe. I’d been there before, and before last summer, it was the closest we really came to real Polish food.
    I shrugged since most of what I could find inside would in no way be on my diet, and I was looking around the store when I heard Donna talking to the owner. She sad something about PIttsburgh and Cheese Babka. Let me tell you about Babka. I love it! My mother-in-law, who is 100% Polish, gets it from her mother who lives in Philly. Danny, my brother-in-law, and I fight over it and could eat entire loafs in one sitting. So when Donna mentioned it to this guy, my ears perked up. It turns out that my mother-in-law ordered me TWO Cheese Babkas and also paid extra so we could pick up a few other thins while we were there. It was a pretty cool surprise. We had some nice meat filled cabbage, pierogies, and then babka for lunch. I was pretty excited, and I did, in fact, make it back in time for my movie. Happy Bday to me.

No matter how often I fly to San Francisco I cannot believe how much I love that city. The first time I flew there was in late 1996 for New Year’s. Dan and I visited there and stayed in San Bruno. Somewhere on my laptop I have pages and pages of entries from when we were there and the rain and the youth hostels. I loved that trip and have gone back 4 more times since then. I went back for a few days to hit the aquarium and the city in 1998, then I took Donna up there a few summers ago. Last April I was up there for a conference and got together with my friends for dinner. Now this past weekend I was able to take Claire to California. We have wonderful friends who have lived there for over 20 years who went to high school with my mother. Actually, they knew each other since diapers. MaryAnne & Susan have been there for 25 & 20 years respectively. MaryAnne & Susan have begged us to bring Claire up since last year, so we decided to take Claire up for Spring Break.

We were staying back at MaryAnne & Bill’s house where they have a nice sized house with a guest wing in Redwood City, CA about 20 miles from the City. MaryAnne had asked us what we wanted to do while we were there, and I really had no real clue. I’ve done the really touristy stuff, and this trip was balancing friend time with sight seeing time. We never had to fly with a car seat before so we bought this fancy schmancy bag and everything, but when we got to the gate Southwest told us we could stick Claire and her seat in a plane seat since there was a ton of room. That was cool, and even though she didn’t sleep, we still didn’t have to hold her while she squirmed for two hours.

The first day was to the Monterey Aquarium where we’d show Claire all the Otters, Sea Lions, and fish. I was there in 1998 for a few hours by myself, but it was nothing like it was this time. There was interaction and games, and we were armed with our new free Babies R Us stroller, so we were set. We beelined it for the tide pools where Claire could stick her hands in the tanks to touch starfish and maybe a Bat Ray. Daddy got to touch the Bat Ray but it wouldn’t go close enough to Claire. It was as if it knew she may over eagerly jump into the water and ride it around giggling. The other thing she began doing about this time (or a few days earlier) is saying "What that?" "What doing?" She will point and point and point at things and scream "What that!?" at the top of her lungs, and MaryAnne pointed out that the answers are as vast as the universe. If the door green, or is it a door, or is it a portal from space to space. What is it? That’s a good question, Claire.

Friday we spent with Susan, Maryanne’s sister. I’d not been to the Haight since 1997 and Golden Gate Park the same winter. Susan has been in California for 20 years and never went there either, so we piled into her Monterey and took off. Claire fell asleep along the way, so the two of them sat in the car outside the Japanese Tea Garden while Donna and I went to explore. We found a cool botanical gardens on several acres. Each part was a different part of the world and the plants that grew there were indicative of that region. When Claire finally got up, the four of us tramped into the Tea Gardens and looked around for a couple hours before dropping into a couple wooden stools to have some green tea. Next we hit the Haight, where the hippies and everyone else gather on the corners to sell their wares or to buy someone’s Else’s. There was some story I once knew about everyone living with Jerry Garcia down the street from that very corner, but I couldn’t remember the whole thing. But even without the story, Donna was excited about the shopping and spent too much money on jewelry and a jewelry holder in the shape of a model’s dress from a hip-hop guy who had no idea how much to charge. We walked the Upper Haight for another two hours before hitting the Fish Market in SanMateo for dinner. I was adventurous and had Muscles, Oysters, Squid, Clams, Scallops, and Halibut. All of which was over priced and good (for $25 I had probably 4 oz of fish!). We had a yummy dinner before Claire crashed on the way home. It was a long day.

Saturday Bill and MaryAnne acquiesced to humor the internal tourist in me and agreed to take Claire to see the Sea Lions on Pier 39. We stopped by a ~100 year old apartment building Bill’s family owns in Cow’s Hollow where we dropped off some sinks for upgrades, before parking out near Ghiradelli Square. MaryAnne wondered why we were parking so far up the coast, but I though nothing of it until later. We stopped in the coolest shoe store that sold Merrel’s & Keen’s, but Donna didn’t find anything for her trip to Europe this summer and MaryAnne had been looking for a shirt to buy Claire. There was a cute pink hoodie that looked like it would fit a three year old. The lady wanted $7.99 for it, and the fog had rolled in, so Claire got it. We rolled the sleeves and she was cute as a bear. We loved it on her. We were hungry and wanted to get some chowder. I’d remembered going to Boudin’s last spring, so we searching and Donna was worried we’d never find it. I finally called and it was another block down along Fisherman’s Wharf. Everyone wanted to sit down, but the restaurant was about $10 more than just eating in the cafe line on the first floor. Claire was crashing soon, but we still had to see those sea lions. MaryAnne was cold and tired, so she said she’d sit with the truck that Bill had now trudged back a mile to get. MaryAnne parked their ’92 huge ass Suburban that was a big as Moby Dick (which was cool since she parked near a Wyland Wall) in a bus lane while we walked to the pier. The pier has gotten even more and more touristy since I was there 10 years ago, but it was still cool. Claire slept part of the way, but then woke to see the "puppies!" which is what she calls every animal she doesn’t know. The sea lions weren’t close to us, and that sucked, but the view was nice. Sail boats adorned the bay from Pier 39 to Alcatraz and out towards the Golden Gate. By this time we were all worn out, and were ready to head out of the city. We took a short drive up Telegraph Hill to Coit Tower for a photo op and then headed out of town.

Today we sat around did very little. We did go to the farmer’s market this morning, and I really wish I lived somewhere less southwest-y and cooler. Ryan and Laura moved to Oregon & North California is beautiful but God-awful expensive. Donna reiterated not wanting to be in the desert forever, and I agree. We’re not going anywhere anytime soon, but it’s something to consider. Somewhere with rain, green foliage, trees, hills. Somewhere we can sit out on the porch and just enjoy where we live so much more than all of this. It’s March, and before I go out tomorrow I need to find shorts somewhere stored away. We’re back now from our trip, and it was wonderful. Everyone already misses us, and Claire did get her own seat on the plane. Daddy & Claire slept all the way home, and we’re looking forward a quiet week around the house.

Happy Birthday, Donna! Another year, and given that this is her 29th, Donna’s last birthday ever. Her birthday plans began Friday when Claire and I went to Barnes & Noble to buy her Prada lady’s new book, a couple cards, and then lunch. The babysitter spent the evening with Claire, while Donna and I had dinner at Tanked Fish, which was really yummy. Then we saw The Queen with Helen Mirren, which was totally rad. She was so good, and Donna said that the critics are saying that anyone who votes against her next month for the Oscars will be wrong.

Saturday we went to Penney’s where she tried on suits while I drove Claire and the stroller in circles through the store to get her to fall asleep, which she finally did with her face on the drink holder. In the evening several friends came over, and Donna picked the menu.

I thought she was crazy for having sushi, baked brie, and chocolate fondue all together, but her reasoning was that it was her birthday and she could eat whatever the hell she wanted. It actually turned out really well.

Happy Birthday, sweetheart.

My latest post on DadBloggers went up last week. Here you go.

Yesterday was our last day in Pittsburgh, and my in-laws wanted to take Claire to South Park to play. South Park is … well, it’s a park. A huge park near my parent’s house in Pittsburgh. There are ponds, paths, and playgrounds. They have a "duck pond" which is a Game Reserve in the park, and you know when you return to something years later and it looks littler? Well, the duck pond was smaller, but it really was. It looks like they cleaned it all out, filled the bottom with rock and then made a new pond. They also put in a huge filter with a fountain in the middle. It was cleaner and had a guard rail around it, so you could no longer go down to the water to get attacked by the geese like Jaime did 15 years ago. And the chicken coop? Well, there was nothing there. Just an old beat up building boarded with nails. There were still a few sickly-looking peacocks, too. The deer were still there, but they were now through two fences and we could not get very close. Ducks & rabbits use to chase us around as children, but they were mostly gone, too.

Donna will tell you how proud she is that she got buffalo to come down to the fence to see her. She threw graham crackers at these 1/4 ton animals who slurped them up out of mud around the trough. Claire was most impressed by the geese who moved and flew and quacked. The buffalo bored her and she couldn’t see the deer and turkey well.

Today we flew home and Southwest was good to us, as usual. There were some rude ladies on the plane, and Claire didn’t want to sleep AT ALL but we made it. Ho ho ho…

Below you will see that we watched Superman Returns the other night, and you know what… IT SUCKED. I just wasn’t it to it, and yes, I did fall asleep. And yes, when I asked my dad if he liked it, he said "it sucked. I fell asleep after 20 minutes." Other than that it was horrible.

Now onto other stuff. Look for my post on dadbloggers in a few days here. It’s about Claire who is talking more and more in complete sentences (albeit incomprehensible sentences).

As for me, I’ve been sitting at this table for two days now on my laptop. Danny and Donna want to exchange music for Christmas, and we’ve been working on that. I am done, though. I am finished. Stick a fork in me. When I important a couple hundred songs, after a while my computer cries. So now I am working on my English 102 class that I am teaching online. I have several pages of developed curriculum to modify, so here I sit. I made a few new accounts recently on sites like pageflakes, del.icio.us and furl. Web2.0 sites are fun.

Merry Christmas everyone. The 25th is almost over. We have another hour left before we move on into the middle of another last holiday week of the year. It’s been a good one, but it’s uneventful. We spent yesterday over at Grandma Adams’ house eating Babalki and other yummy Slovak foods. And Sean came with Aunt Nancy, Uncle Ernie and Daniel this year. It’s so good to see him after 4 years. He looks so much like his father, too! He’s really talented and will go far. He just needs to work at it and keep the dream alive. He has written a book and I asked him to send it to me so I can edit his book.

Claire saw a picture of Great Grandpap Adams who died in October and she looked up at it, and she said "Bye bye, Pap pap." Wow. Kids really know what’s up, eh?

We spent Christmas morning at my parent’s house and Claire had fun opening presents. She got a few dolls including a Dora and a Cabbage Patch. I got Greatest American Hero on DVD from my mum! Donna got a cool dust buster, and we also got several other thoughtful gifts.

In true technophile fashion, I texted a "Merry Christmas" to about 30 people all at once today! Very cool.

Ok, we’re going to watch Superman Returns now!

Claire – Dec 15, originally uploaded by nooccar.

This weekend we hit several Christmas parties and also fought illnesses the entire time. Claire enjoyed the lights Saturday night at the same party where Julie and Patrick announced their engagement! We are thrilled.

Last week I started writing our Christmas cards because it always takes me a long time to finish.  In contrast, Devon usually can finish his in two hours.  To prepare, I looked for Christmas labels, found the Christmas cards, picked a nice pen, setup a little writing area near my indented couch cushion, retrieved my address book and got a roll of stamps.  Throughout the week, I wrote nice little messages in many of the cards, systematically going through the alphabetized list in my address book.  On Saturday, after setting up the Christmas tree, putting other decorations around the house, hanging the stockings and stapling lights to our house, Devon and I sat down together to work on the Christmas cards.  I started a related – not to be mentioned at this time – project; Devon wrote cards according to a convenient computer spreadsheet I found listing the people we sent cards to last year.  About three hours later, we finally finished.  Well, not quite, since we ran out of cards.  But we finished for the day.

On Monday, I showed up at work with cards in hand, expecting to find a card and pack of peanut brittle on my chair.  That might sound funny to you, but this is an expecting tradition that my co-worker began years ago.  She has always been the first to distribute Christmas cards.  I looked around other people’s desk, then contacted her assistant.  My co-worker was not coming to work Monday. I win!  Not that I was competing, but she had always been first and I expected this as fact.  It was a nice feeling of pride to accomplish the goal in a timely manner.