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September 01 Rim to RimWhen I backpacked across the Grand Canyon a few years ago, it was such a great trip that I didn't think it could possibly be topped by a return visit. But when I went back to the ol' Bright Angel trail again this summer, the trip was even better... because this time Shawna came along! We trained all summer, but when the moment of truth was upon us we made the rim-to-rim trek without incident... and felt pretty dang good, to boot. It was a week-long trip so there's a lot more than I could describe in a single blog post without making your eyes glaze over, but I'll list some of the highlights and also leave you with some fun pics to give you a flavor of the trip. If you want more details or want to see more pics, just ask me! -Jas Highlights:
This is the canyon we traversed. We started at the north rim (in the distance, at the horizon), and camped four nights until exiting at the point where I took this pic. The trail that's visible in the lower left ends at Plateau Point.  This is the group, taken at the north rim around 6am before we started the descent. Look, we're still perky. Left to right: Kirk, Alex, Dave, Shawna, Mick, Li, Jim, Kim, Jason, Paul  Cooling off under one of the little waterfalls along Phantom Creek.  The first of two rattlers (this one a diamondback) we made friends with in the canyon. He only rattled a little ;)  One hundred and twenty degrees at Bright Angel campground. Good thing there's plenty of shade under the cottonwoods and plenty of icy water in the creek!  Me and Shawna hiking up "the Devil's Corkscrew".  Stepping aside for a supply train that's headed to Phantom Ranch.  Reconstituted freeze dried Mexican food, yummmmm.  Watching the sunset at Plateau Point.  August 31 Lavender Fest 2009I'm not really "into" lavender... I mean, sure, lavender soap is nice, as is lavender shampoo. And I suppose lavender honey and lavender cookies are both pretty tasty. And I'll admit that lavender ice cream is truly to die for. So although this red-blooded male clearly isn't drawn to such purple flowery niceties, I was more than willing to accompany Shawna to this year's annual Lavender Festival in Sequim, WA, especially since we were able to talk my mom into driving up and making the road trip with us! We were at the festival for a day, and much of that time consisted of waiting in line at the ferry terminal (apparently there were several thousand other north-westerners also jonesin' to get their lav on). Nonetheless, we managed to experience plenty of soothing fragrant goodness: we drank lavender-flavored lemonade and ate lavender-flavored baked goods, and we even hit several farms including a "u-pick" field where Shawna systematically pruned all the best stems for a little bouquet that's now drying upside-down in front of our fireplace. The weather was great, and the company was even better... we had plenty of time to discuss politics (which is always entertaining when it's between a staunch right-winger and an unabashed bleeding-heart liberal), and religion (which always makes for great conversation when it's between a Catholic, and SDA and an agnostic). It was a great trip for bonding between the three of us, and mom even scored some new plants for her already-enormous bird and butterfly garden -- a sure sign of a successful outing! Thanks for coming to visit, mom (see, driving in Seattle isn't all that crazy, is it?). We had a ton of fun at the festival, the beach, and the barbecue, and we're looking forward to having you up again soon! -Jas Mom enjoying the sun at a lavender farm  Mom and Shawna in the succulent tent, buying succulents  Shawna gathering some u-pick lavender  A bumblebee in some afternoon lavender  June 04 Summer Training We've got big backpacking plans for the summer. Namely, we're going to backpack into, across, and back out of ye olde Grand Canyon. The only problem is that we haven't been hiking much in the past two years, as our scrawny, pallid legs will testify. So to whip ourselves back into shape, we've been doing a lot of "training" hikes: hikes that are steep and hot, which we tackle while fully-ladden with weighted packs. So far it's working, because I can feel my legs getting stronger every week. Hopefully, by the time the trip rolls around, we'll have thighs like saguaro cacti and the traverse will be a breeze. Take a look below for some pics from our training hikes. Hike on, - Jas      May 19 Deck the Deck At long last, we've found some furniture for our backyard deck that "looks nice (but not too expensive)". Well, technically it was too expensive since Shawna has since found the same pieces at other stores for less... but not enough less to compel me to pack it up and return it. All together it's four comfy chairs, a fire pit that doubles as a table, a little buffet stand, and some stacking chairs to accommodate a few extra guests. We picked it up last Saturday night after an already full-day of activity, and it took multiple trips in multiple vehicles to get it home. We were already plenty sore and exhausted from the day, but we stubbornly remained out in the garage assembling the set until well after 1am. I'll tell you, though: it was totally worth it when we finally got to hang out on our deck the next evening to barbecue some kalbi-marinated steak and watch the sun set through the evergreens. Aaaaaaah. Now if only it would stop raining long enough for us to get out there a second time... - Jason Shawna enjoying our first dinner on the new chairs and fire pit/table.  February 14 Recalibration I'm significantly more weight-conscious than the average American. I
dread the thought of someday becoming overweight, but I also don't want
the issue to cause stress in my life and I never, ever, want to go on a
"diet". Without diets or any other strict rules governing our eating behavior, Shawna and I have found that over time, without fail, our eating habits balloon to the point that we're eating more than twice as much food as is healthy. That means twice as much fat and twice as many calories, and our waistlines start to expand. In order to get back in the habit of eating normal portions of healthy food without constant dieting, we've invented a tradition of "recalibrating" once a year by going on a WeightWatchers-style points-counting diet for one month. The basic concept behind WeightWatchers is that calories aren't bad as long as they're from healthy, low-fat foods. You're given a certain number of "points" per day, which you "spend" on food based on its calories, fat, fiber, and portion size. You're allowed extra points if you exercise, which is a great motivator. The month-long recalibration helps us return to normal portion sizes; I'm often eating over 40 points at the beginning of the month, and am back down to 22 points at the end. It also helps us eat more of the healthier foods that had slowly dropped out of our diets, since we maximize our daily points by seeking out low-fat foods and eating significantly more vegetables because those are "free". Some might say that, technically, we actually are dieting for one month out of the year. But the goal for that month isn't to lose weight, it's to re-teach ourselves how to eat healthy foods and to reestablish good eating habits. It's not a diet, it's a recalibration. And it's helping us to stay healthy and fit, so I plan to keep it up for a good long time. Bon appetit! - Jas November 08 Phoenix, AZTo be honest I've never thought of Phoenix as a must-see travel destination, but when Shawna's company scheduled her for a conference last month I tagged along and we made a 4-day weekend out of it. As it turns out, there's not much to do in Phoenix proper unless you're a golf enthusiast (I'm not), but the weather sure is amazing and there's plenty of great food. To top it all off, our uncle Ron and aunt Cuc live in the nearby desert oasis of Fountain Hills, so we hooked up with them and it ended up being a great time!
Shawna was engaged with business meetings all day Thursday, but I struck out through the 90° midday heat to climb a local mountain in my flip-flops. If that sounds kind of dumb, let me assure you that it was: it ended up being a 7-mile round trip walk between the hotel and the mountain, plus the 2.4-mile hike up and down Piestewa peak. It was an excellent workout and the view was great, but my feet were so blistered that I could barely stand on them by the time it was over. The flip-flops were the only shoes I had brought on the trip, so we had to go out and buy some comfy sneakers so I didn't have to hobble around for the remainder of the weekend.
Once Shawna was done with her meetings, we spent the rest of the time sight-seeing with Ron and Cuc. They were gracious tour guides, and drove us around to the unique local sights such as a commune that produces handmade bells in a strange village that looked like it should have housed hobbits instead of artists. Cuc even cooked us some authentic Vietnamese cuisine in their palatial (and at 6,000+ sq. ft., I do mean palatial) home. It was great to spend some time with them, especially since it's been so long.
Upon returning to Seattle I do have to say that the fall colors and crisp, clean PNW mornings have been amazing. But if the long gray winter starts to bring us down, I can't say for sure that we won't be keeping our eyes peeled for a cheap flight right back to Phoenix, AZ.
- Jas
Cooling down after hiking Piestewa Peak, 90° in the shade!
No that's not it in the background, Piestewa Peak is way bigger :/
Jason and Shawna in north-central Phoenix
View of Red Mountain from the country club
in Fountain Hills
Shawna happily raids Cuc's courtyard for a fresh lime
Ron, Cuc, Shawna, Jason, and sweet little Daisy
October 19 No Black TurtlenecksWhile we were driving to Seattle a few weeks ago, my mom called my cell. When I told her we were on our way to see a friend's art gallery opening, she said "Oooh... I can just picture you sipping wine in a black turtleneck with Shawna in a little black cocktail dress."
I laughed, because that stereotype is about as far as you could get from the hipster art scene that is Seattle... and because you couldn't pay me enough to wear a turtleneck. But I also promised to snap some photos so she could get an idea of what kind of art and what kind of people circulate around here, so take a peek at the pictures below to find out.
- Jas
The Place: "McLeod Residence" gallery, previously an old house in the middle of downtown and now a hip gallery complete with full bar.
The Art: "Stack: Heap: Loop" by Brent Watanabe (a long-time friend of ours), along with paintings of factories by Curtis Taylor and portraits by April Brimer. The video portion of Stack: Heap: Loop is extra cool because you can watch it for as long as you want and never see exactly the same thing twice -- the video images are composited on-the-fly by a computer program that Brent wrote to randomly control the layering of the art on screen.
Bill, Shawna and Katy in the "Stack: Heap: Loop" viewing room
Brent, graciously posing with his "Stack: Heap: Loop" projection
(his slack-jawed expression is because I clicked the shutter while he was in mid-sentence... oops)
The main gallery
Some spectators engrossed in Brent's video art
September 16 Meet Me HalfwayMy extended family is scattered clear across the Wild West. That's why I don't get to see my Uncle Kevin nearly enough -- he's way down in Boise, Idaho -- but luckily our "meet me halfway" camping trip has become an annual event.
This year we met at a little camp ground down in Oregon, situated on a little stream. It wasn't as removed from civilization as we would have liked, but luckily there was plenty of nearby high country for us to hike around in to get off the beaten path. And hike we did: we climbed an eastern ridge on Saturday, and then hiked again on Sunday to reach an interesting-looking western ridge that we had spotted from across the valley.
Much of the wildlife was holed up and hidden during the 80-degree days, but we did see a couple of deer and a hawk, and Kevin introduced me to "ant lions" which I thought were pretty cool. Frankly, though, the most interesting wildlife we spotted was long dead: a badger skeleton was the highlight of Sunday's biology lesson until we ran across an elk skeleton on the return trip. We also saw a fair amount of bear sign, which guaranteed we were alert and observant until we got out of the dense green valley and up onto the barren ridge.
The best part of these trips, though, is just hanging around the campfire, eating and chatting and nursing the coals beneath abundant stars. I'm always surprised at how much my uncle and I have in common -- the fact that we share even some atypical interests such as human factors engineering, proves that we come from the same DNA and guarantees the conversations never stall out.
As usual, it was a great time -- thanks Uncle Um!
- Jas
Jason hiking the east ridge
Kevin descending the west ridge
Back at camp with after-hike refreshments
September 02 CancelledOur deck is finally stained and sealed and all ready to go! But our online retailer emailed me this week to say they didn't actually have the furniture in stock, so they won't really be shipping it. Our order is cancelled. So since it's already getting cold and crappy outside, we probably won't be purchasing any deck furniture this year.
We have, however, spent some time working on landscaping: we filled two giant bronze-colored pots with a variety of plants and flowers, and I laid some natural rock paving stones at the base of the steps, so at least the place is starting to look cozy.
- Jas
The deck! Shawna working on a pot A finished pot August 29 All decked out... almostOur backyard deck has been constructed, and it looks great! Since it fills our entire lawn (the whole idea was to replace the grass that won't grow), it has two separate "rooms" at slightly different levels to break things up a bit.
Unfortunately we can't use it yet -- it's been raining just about every day since it was built, so the guy hasn't had enough dry weather to come out and stain and seal it. But we optimistically decided to start furnishing it anyway and ordered a sofa, some chairs, and a coffee table last night; let's hope we get some sunshine before the furniture arrives, or else we may be barbequeing and spending relaxing evenings hanging out in the garage :/
- Jas
P.S. Photos forthcoming. July 15 Chimps Ahoy!After just a few frantic months of designing, arting, and coding, my studio has released its first original and self-funded game: Chimps Ahoy! This is a big milesone for us because we usually make games for other companies to market and sell, but this time we're promoting and selling it ourselves. I'm extra excited because it's based on my own design, although (as with many games) it didn't end up looking a whole lot like the original design: it took on a life of its own, and my very talented coworkers built it into a super fun and exceptionally cute end product.
It's made exclusively for the Apple iPhone, so you can get it online at the Apple Store for a paltry $10 bucks. If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, go out and buy it right this minute -- I promise you won't be disappointed! More info at http://chimps-ahoy.com/.
Thanks for playing,
- Jas
The ninjas stole our bananas, but we'll get 'em back!
Use coconuts to break gems and collect loot!
Unlock rad gear to pirate yourself up!
June 17 Ear PiercingThey say body piercing is addictive, and if Shawna is any indication then I'd say they're right. Granted it's been eight full years since she got her belly button pierced, but last week she went under the needle again to make room for even more jewelry -- the result is a cute little silver hoop in her left helix (the upper part of the ear) that looks absolutely adorable!
I don't have any "after" photos to post yet, but here's a pic of the event in-progress. Note the professional piercer with full-sleeve tattoos and large "tunnel" ear piercings!
- Jas
Under the Needle Again May 21 Wifey's Coming HomeIt's been 16 days since my little wifey left the country to visit her family in Korea. She does that every couple of years and it's always a bizarre time for me -- on the one hand it's cool to be a bachelor again for a while, but on the other hand I really miss her and things aren't nearly as fun without her to share with.
It also reminds me how much of a grounding force she is in my life. Nothing really changes for the first couple of days after she leaves, but then things start going to hell in a handbasket: my sleep schedule gets kooky, I start eating cold cereal for dinner every night, and I work late because there's no real reason to come home. I'm not unproductive, though... when I get lonely I do things that I know she'll enjoy when she gets back, like pressure-washing the patio or cleaning out her car (I also replaced her headlights with SILVER STAR ULTRA bulbs, wheeeee!).
Her flight gets in tomorrow morning at 9:30am, and she will have been travelling for something like 20 hours. She'll be jetlagged, sore and tired from trying to sleep sitting upright, queasy from airsickness and multiple airplane "meals", and probably a bit cranky. But I'll be glad to have her back! I can't wait!
- Jas
P.S. Just for kicks, here's a pic of me, Shawna and my mother-in-law last time we were all in Korea together. It was taken at our overseas wedding reception, and we're wearing our traditional Korean "hambok" attire. Well, it wasn't completely traditional... tradition stated that my hambok was supposed to be pink, but they had mercy on this American boy and let me wear blue instead!
May 08 I Wanna Be A CowboyWithout getting into a political discussion, I just wanna say one thing: Guns are fun. They're big and loud, they're kind of scary, and they belch smoke and flame as they invisibly and instantaneously punch a neat little hole in a paper target several yards away. If you've never fired a gun, I highly recommend trying it out someday. It's an eye-opening experience.
Bill and I decided it was high time we and our little ladies paid a visit to the range. We all had some experience with the pistolas except for Katy, who was a complete newbie and not convinced this was something she was even remotely going to enjoy. She got spooked when we walked onto the range and saw a large man in a bulletproof vest firing an extremely loud large-caliber handgun, but it turned out to be an off-duty law enforcement officer working on his aim.
After warming up with a little .22 revolver, we moved up to a .357 magnum revolver ("just like the one used by General Custer", according to the rental staff) and also fired a box of rounds through my Makarov 9mm. I had beautiful groupings but low accuracy as usual and Shawna and Katy were strikingly good for beginners, while "Wild" Bill upheld his moniker by being the only one who broke the PVC piping that held the target, but also the only one who nailed the bull's eye in the dead center.
In a complete stroke of luck, I snapped a flash photo of Shawna at the exact instant she pulled the trigger and ended up with a neat pic of the .357's muzzle flash. How's that for high falutin' shootin'?
- Jas
P.S. Katy had so much fun that she wrote down the make/model of the .357 so she could bring a friend down to shoot it the following week :)
Shawna having a blast with .357
Bill and Katy lookin' sharp in ear and eye protection
High precision, low accuracy
Sun Lovin'Just as the relentlessly overcast Seattle skies had nearly smothered all my faith in the Sun, Hawaiian Airlines swooped in with bargain-basement prices and whisked Shawna and I off to the hot-hot beaches of Waikiki! It was just what the doctor ordered: warm sands, sunny skies and great food, topped with a sprinkling of hiking and snorkeling. Let me tell you, we perked up in a jiffy! Our hotel room was the size of a postage stamp, but it had a great view and was two blocks from the beach so nobody was complaining. Some folks have nothing good to say about the tourist-packed Waikiki neighborhood, but Shawna and I love the people-watching and the smorgasbord of great restaurants to chose from (one of which was, in fact, a smorgasbord). We spent a day snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, and part of the next day hiking up to the panoramic views at the top of Diamond Head (an old volcanic crater), but for the rest of the time we occupied ourselves squarely with outdoor dining, sun-tanning, swimming, and otherwise soaking up every drop of sun we could get. It really charged the ol' batteries... let's hope they last until we finally get a little Sun lovin' over here in the PNW. - Jas On the beach at Hanauma Bay Japanese seafood in Waikiki Lovin' the Sun on Waikiki Beach April 13 Backpacking Artist PointAlthough the hike-in was just a few short miles, our backpack trip to Artist Point this weekend offered sun, breathtaking panoramic views of the Cascades, and snow that was perfect for customizing the gorgeous and secluded meadow where we chose to establish our camp.
Nine of us made the trek, and it couldn't have been a better group. We built a community hang-out area by shoveling/carving snow into a 9-person bench and dining table, then spent the day chatting, hiking, napping and laughing. Fraser and Bill successfully built (and spent the night in!) a really impressive snow cave that was the envy of all. T Anne built a giant snow bunny up on the hill that apparently had a nice butt. Somebody carved a remote latrine whose throne offered a view of the valley fit for royalty. Fraser invented a way to carve the snow into a "faucet" that collected fresh runoff and funneled it directly into our awaiting water bottles.
Despite the fact that we were on dozens of feet of snow, it was oppressively hot and most of us ended up with sunburn; I'm pretty sure it was because we were in the center of a big snow bowl that collected and focused all the sun's rays directly onto our little camp like ants under a magnifying glass. I even got scorched through a layer of sunblock and a long-sleeve shirt, and Shawna will surely be lamenting her "racoon eyes" for the rest of the week.
If you're the type to shy away from snow camping because it's "too cold and miserable", maybe the attached photos will change your mind. Spring alpine camping is a treat that can be enjoyed by all!
Happy hiking,
- Jason
P.S. See more trip photos at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZuGTVy1bt2Lio.
Jason and Shawna
Our Camp (notice the snow cave at upper middle, and the snow furniture at lower right)
Shawna, Fraser and Jonathan in the snow cave
Shawna with a sunburn and pretty gross rehydrated eggs
March 31 Spring Has Sprung...?Officially, the "first day of spring" was over a week ago, so Shawna and I weren't especially surprised when we woke up last Saturday to blue skies and sunny weather. We even decided to put on our walkin' shoes and stroll down to Subway for lunch a few miles down the road.
But as we wolfed our chipotle steak foot-long and headed back home, the skies grew dark and it began raining. Buckets. As we finally arrived back home and sloshed dejectedly up our driveway, the rain turned to snow and it didn't stop until Sunday afternoon.
The folks in Seattle say the snow didn't "stick", but up here on Redmond Ridge we were singing a different tune. I even shoveled my driveway. Check out the pic to see the tulips blooming sadly in the snow on March 30th... ten days into "spring".
Talk to you soon,
- Jas
March 02 We ♥♥ SnowboardingThis year's snowboarding season started late, but once the fluff starting coming down it didn't let up. Record-breaking days were a dime a dozen, and closures due to too much snow were frequent -- I was even "trapped" at the summit for several hours one day because the DOT shut down the interstate for several hours of avalanche control (see pic).
Besides being a very fun season (so far... it ain't over yet!), this one will go down in history as the year Shawna really hit her "woo" on the snowboard: she's fast enough now to keep up with the guys, and I wish you could see the way she carves out those beautiful turns!
Although we've already started doing "summer-y" things like boating and taking long outdoor strolls, we're hoping for another month or two of boarding before we stash our snow gear and pull out the swimming suits. Keeping our fingers crossed...
Take care,
- Jas
Jason taking a break Shawna taking a break "ROAD CLOSED": Stuck at the Summit V is for Victory! December 30 Over the River and Through the WoodsThis winter, Shawna and I have been lucky enough to be able to "make the rounds" and visit several clusters of family that are scattered across the northwest. In December alone we've visited:
* Shawna's dad at the WA coast
* My dad and stepmom in Three Forks, MT
* My sister and aunts, uncles, and cousins in Dillon, MT
* Walla Walla, WA to see Shawna's mom and cousin
* Burbank, WA to visit my mom and stepdad.
I can't tell you how great it was to be able to see, laugh with, and hug such a wide swath of family, especially so close to Christmas. However, it did underline a complaint that Shawna quickly noted when she first arrived here from South Korea: America is TOO DAMN BIG.
My family is almost exclusively contained within three neighboring US states, yet they're still so far away that we only get to see some of them once or twice each year (it's a 10-hour drive to see my dad!). Shawna never had that sort of problem in Korea, and after a little research to compare stats between South Korea and the USA, it was fairly easy to understand why.
Even though South Korea is home to 49 million people, it's only half the land mass of Washington state. That might sound like a lot of people crammed into a tiny space, but when I visited it certainly didn't feel over-crowded or congested. The bottom line is that when a South Korean visits their family anywhere else in South Korea, it takes no more than a few hours.
Since the combined population of Montana, Washington and Idaho is a fraction of South Korea's, we could round up everybody living in those states and plop them into western Washington and we'd still have plenty of breathing room. We'd be a short jaunt from most everybody we know and we'd see each other all the time. We could have dinner with our parents on a whim, and the entire family would get together many times each year just for the heck of it. Wouldn't that be amazing?
But alas, that's not the way things are and so we still have three states and four mountain passes between Redmond and Three Forks. Some folks say the recent "erosion of family values" is due to things like working mothers, same-sex marriages, and rock n' roll, but I think it might be a lot simpler than that. Maybe it's because families are increasingly spread across the 3.7 million square miles of the USA, which makes it hard to get together for more than a handful of events in a decade. Maybe it's because America is TOO DAMN BIG!
Just some food for thought... please enjoy with a large helping of those Christmas dinner leftovers (yummmm)!
- Jas
Derek and Alicia in Dillon, MT
On the road with Dad, somewhere in Montana
Shawna, Rollie, Eric and Mom in Burbank, WA
December 10 Yakima Valley 2007Shawna and I aren't big wine drinkers (or big drinkers at all for that matter), but occasionally after Thanksgiving we go a little overboard and join some of our more "boozy" friends for a wild bus ride through the Yakima Valley to sample the many, many, many fine wineries that region has to offer.
We stay all weekend in a rental house at one of the wineries and travel the countryside in our very own "short bus" that comes complete with designated driver. It's a hoot and a holler, to be sure, and we even end up with a few bottles of great wine to take home and enjoy over the next year. But mainly it's just a good excuse to get out of town, bunk up with some of our best friends, and stay up late laughing and taking ice-cold November "night walkies" through the vineyards of eastern Washington.
See the video for a quick peek into the "short bus". Please view responsibly.
Bottoms up,
- Jas
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