Wanderlust

Cody, welcome to the planet - we have been waiting for a long time to meet you!

Let's hope that you will be the answer to calming down your wild and crazy parents. hehe. No really, the truth is that they were born to be your parents. Jamie and Wendy, you guys are going to be wonderful family. We love you.

We had another great weekend of exploring with visitors - this time from Omaha. We wandered around the area here, and took in the Starved Rock State Park Lodge , as well as Washington Square - the site of the first Lincoln/Douglas debate (which Daniela had recently studied), and the Ottawa downtown area.

We made pizza, though it didn't necessarily rival Chicago style pizza, and went out for fish shaped steak. Not really, but doesn't it look like it, seriously? And too bad we didn't take any video of the cheese dance for the pizzas... next time, haha.

Of course, Charlie was paramount - and kept us all entertained - this is the new hairpulling/eating trick she learned (after the nose biting, dear god, ugh, sorry again Daniela), outside the window with g-paw Dennis and sitting like the queen she is... uhhh, *thinks* she is...

We made it to Chicago, and though short, we had a good time!

After a questionable arrival (according to the innocent almost-struck pedestrian and innocent slightly-bummped Beamer) we settled in to the hotel before setting out on the town.

Ventured out for Chicago-style pizza (not California Pizza, as the California tourists pointed us to) and found it - Pizzeria Uno. It had a full layer of sausage - like literally a full layer, like a big ole patty made special just to fit the pan. Hard to eat more than one slice if you can believe it, it's sooo filling.

It was a busy Friday night with a waitlist, so we headed over a block and played games until then. This is a place that you could hurt yourself - physically. Beer + active games = sore body but fun!

The next day was Operation Shopping as we wandered down the Magnificent Mile (great architecture) and around the Navy Pier.

Sad news, I'm sorry that I can't make it home for the funeral. Miyo was always very caring and sweet, and practically a professional bingo player. I've never seen anyone else so passionate about that bingo! She also loved going to Jackpot - I remember wandering around the casino after midnight one time and finding her on the dollar slots with buckets of coins around her. Always innocent, she obliged when I told her that we should cash all her (heavy) buckets in for something she could securely stick in her purse. And the funny thing was, when I returned with her paper winnings, she forcefully tipped me! Haha! She made the best teriyaki chips, and I regretfully never did learn from her exactly how to make them, though I luckily do still have the recipe. Hopefully I can decipher her handwriting. I'm also thankful for the beautiful rice bowls she gave us years ago, and will think of her fondly every time I use them.

Miyoko 'Miyo' Sumida Ota

POCATELLO - Miyoko "Miyo" Sumida Ota, 91, Pocatello, died Monday, January 28, 2008, at a local medical center. She was born May 9, 1916, at Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Wajiro and Yoshiko Ishii Sumida. She married Joseph Noboru Ota in September 2, 1944, and they were later divorced.

She had worked for food service and housekeeping for Idaho State University. She was an avid bingo player. She enjoyed going to Jackpot, fishing, playing cards with her very good friend, Carolyn Ray, and crocheting dish cloths. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church.

Miyo was an active member of the JACL. She was also active in association of Sister City. She is survived by a son, Philip (Connie) Ota of Pocatello; a daughter, Kathi Rivera of Pocatello; three grandchildren, Chris Harada, Hollie Ota and Cassie Ota; two great-grandchildren, Akima Harada and Tayvin Siebert; and a sister, Susie Okimoto of Gardena, California. She is preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Martha Shimamoto, a brother, George Sumida, and a grandson, Aaron Siebert.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 2, 2008, at 2 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church, corner of 15th Avenue and Clark Street, Pocatello, with the Rev. Eric Brown conducting. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday evening and one hour prior to services in the church Saturday. Interment will be in the Mountain View Cemetery, Pocatello.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Cornelison-Henderson Funeral Home, 431 N. 15th Ave., Pocatello.

Published in the Idaho State Journal on 1/30/2008.

Apparently Eagle Watching this weekend is a pretty big event here in the area - there were lots of folks out there, and they brought the big ole cameras. You know the kind, the size of a commercial tv cameras that look like they weigh more than a small child. Bird watching is a popular hobby - we even saw personalized license plates. Maybe I'll give that a try. My crochet attempts were pitiful. Any recommendations for a hobby, please send them my way! Back to bird or eagle watching, it was an event - the visitor's center was packed, and there were talks and food and face painting. The actual looking at them, however, was a bit anticlimactic. Maybe you do need those giant cameras to truly appreciate it. Or a bit of knowlege about the subject. Neither of which I have. Either way, it was a fun day to get out and explore the area.

There is a groovy little pub in Utica called Duffys - good Bloody Marys, lots of tap beer, and yummy fried veggies. In Irish fashion, they've got a year-round countdown to St Paddys day on the wall. 50 days left, my friends!

Along the Illinois River at Allen Park... where I spent a frustrating hour trying to heel Charlie, before calling it quits!

Well... until we get out exploring the new area, I will have numerous pictures of the dog. Actually, no matter what we do, I will most likely have lots of pictures of the dog. hehe. Like this one - I tell you, mom is right - she is like a cat. Not quite sure what exactly her goal is here, but she managed to just balance on the back of a chair for a while.

So, we are now in Ottawa, and it's quite the quaint small town outside the big city of Chicago that you would imagine. In fact, we live in a DRY COUNTY! No joke. But I suppose there's no harm - that only means we have to drive further to buy beer. Over the river - it's so perfectly stereotypical. We are directly across the street from a huge park, it couldn't have worked better for Charlie, despite the bitter cold and wind. It's getting warmer as the days pass - and now my cheeks and thighs don't become painfully hard and cold while on our walks.

And believe me, there really is a deer in this picture. This is but one of the many country roads around here.

And now, in other news - have you heard of the campaign called Beautiful Lengths? It's a program from Pantene to get donations for hair, which they use to make free wigs for chemo patients - pretty groovy, eh. So I did it. Yes, I admit I had a twinge of nerves, for a second. But hey, it's just hair.

I found a salon here and snip snip I now have short hair! Ha! Pretty funny Cujo's hair is MUCH longer than mine now. This salon was great - and guess what? They served alcohol! No joke - I had a beer during the appointment. It felt like I should've gone all shi shi and gotten wine, but you know me and my crush on beer. And I was really just so flabergasted when the offer came, I placed my standard order. But anyway how great is that?! You need at least eight inches to donate, so start growing now.