Boise #1

Earlier this month I took a few days off work and headed up to Boise to visit KTKKC. It was so wonderful to get away and the visit was a million times better than the last quick trip I made up to see her - when in rained practically the entire time I was there.

I will say that the rather small plane that was to carry us there seemed an adventure in itself. The gent I sat next to owned his own plane and expounded to me all the joys of flying a plane like the one we were in. When we finally landed in Idaho he proceeded to point out the other types of planes parked around the tarmac. He was most thrilled to talk to me (notice its to and not with) about the anti-tank Air Force planes a few hundred feet from us - I seriously cannot go anywhere with out an AF plane popping up. 

I was so thrilled to see KT. She did have to head back to work right from the airport which worked out fine, as that meant I got to hang out at Cafe Ole and have a delish lunch. The refried beans you get with you chips & salsa really are to die for. The water in Boise was sadly metal tap tasting - I use a lot of lemons in CA - this is what my water looked like in Boise. How many lemon slices you ask?

Nine!

KT has been trying to describe the hideous mint green color of her house for many months, it did not disappoint. 

I still can't believe she owns a house - so grown up. 

She must have known I was coming because this tray had taken up residence on the side table in the living room. I did not take an after photo, it would have been too depressing. 

When we were making plans for what to eat during my visit I told her the only thing I had to have was brulee banana splits. KT was the first person I ever ate these with and it is seriously heaven. She cuts the banana in half lengthwise, sets is cur side down in sugar to coat it completely and then pulls out the kitchen torch and caramelizes the sugar on the banana. Combined with Cafe Ole's carmel and chocolate sauce over ice cream and it's divine. I believe we had one such sunday 3 out of 4 of the nights I was there. 

 Saturday we walked around downtown, visited the farmers market, and went to a street fair. I was impressed with all the little preserved vintage touches in many of the buildings.

This might be my most favorite fish tank ever! They took and old wooden TV, removed all the electronics and put a fish tank in - where do I get one?

 Color sorted candy heaven at Goody's Soda Fountain and Candy Shop.

C - if you can catch the size reference here - those "Extra Large" jawbreakers in the glass jar are the size you usually get, they are smaller than the jawbreakers to the far right, and you can see how much smaller those are in comparison to the "Mega". 

Goody's also happens to have fantastic ice cream - boysenberry and pink lemonade. 

Daddy J's Big Day

J has officially reached the ripe old age of 33.

Not this J,

this one. 

Here it comes...

Proud parents, watering their children.

On his Buzz cruiser

Chalk it Up!

The Saturday before Labor Day K&A and I spent the afternoon at Fremont Park. A band K heard and enjoyed on one of the small stages at the State Fair was playing in the park and I was thrilled to look at all the sidewalk art. Each year people sign up for a square of the sidewalk and have three days to complete their masterpiece on it. My co-worker A and her fiance both signed up for squares (it was their 8th year doing it). A lot of the squares were sponsored by different companies or organizations. Some of the art was amazing, some was ridiculous and I thought a lot of them were cheating as they were using the chalk as a pigment in water and painting with it - so a lot less skill was required, though it did look amazing when properly executed. Here are some scenes from the day. Monday I went back with J and the babes, it was fun to see the progress people made over the course of the weekend and the finished products.

CA State Fair

K really wanted to see the Neon Trees at the State Fair, I hadn't seen them since Provo, so K, C & I spent a lovely evening wandering around Cal Expo. As fate would have it I had sent them a brief news clip earlier regarding an exciting new phenomenon ripe for mockery. I don't know how this switch happens in boy's brains but one min they are making fun of something and the next saying how awesome it would be to do it. Hence the following are the only documentation of our trip to the fair. 

C Plank

K Plank - And that cow for the record was giant & I was a little terrified of it. Sadly the photographer did not get the right angle for viewing the close proximity to the beast. 

And best of all, the John Deere Jackson Plank

Not to be outdone by any Aussie's C & K decided to come up with their own less obvious activity - Posting. 

Monster Post

Smokey Post

SF

Way back J and I attended the Renegade Craft Fair in SF - it was amazing. I think we both were overcome with hundreds of good ideas for projects, and because I'm kind of a snob about these things I prevented her form making a lot of purchases because, let's be honest, she and I could make a lot of the stuff we liked ourselves and done it better.

A few weeks later we took G and the babes down for the Treasure Island Flea Market which was terribly overpriced and much smaller than expected, we did have a good time walking around. 

Afterward we headed to Golden Gate Park (picking up a delish spinach, feta, olive pizza a couple blocks from the park) for a picnic. 

The babes couldn't resist the park. I was slightly saddened to see that all the hazardous play structures I had loved so much had been replaced. I have fond memories of the Svz Grandparents taking us there. J and I had a hard time keeping up with the tykes - they were in heaven. Lil' J was also pretty thrilled to push Q on the swings. 

Her cheeks!

So fun.

I love J's pose, perfecting his swing snap.

I think it took her a while to figure out exactly who was pushing her.

Laughing hysterically at himself in the car.

I love how you can hear the J-Speak in this, "Garble, garble, garble. BIRDS! Where going? birds? Garble, Garble, Garble..."