Thompson Family Vacation

Justin's parents treated us to a vacation in Brookings, Ore. in early July and we had a great time. It's always nice to get away, especially when you get to spend time with those you don't get to see often!

Justin and I left home early Friday morning and headed north on the 101, which took us all the way to Brookings.

I had packed a little cooler full of breakfast goodies, snacks, sandwiches and drinks so we wouldn't have to stop much, but we were no further north than Marin when I watched in silent, mortified horror as Justin took a bite of the banana muffin I'd just given him...the muffins had grown moldy :(. Good thing we both like Egg McMuffins and that there are bizzillion McDonald's between here and Brookings!

We got to Brookings mid afternoon and decided to get the oil in the car changed while we waited for Justin's parents and bro to arrive. While sitting at Oil Can Henry's we spotted what became a highlight of our trip: a Fred Meyer.

Ohh Fred Meyer. We've missed you so. We've missed your wonderous charm, expansive grocery department, your inexpensive Columbia fleece section, your picture frame aisles. As soon as the goofy Oil Can Henry crew was done with our car, Justin and I drove right over to Fred Meyer and promptly spend $70. Hey, there is no tax in Oregon, and as soon as we walked through the doors we found all sorts of things we needed.

Throughout the 4 day stay in Brookings (where 2 days were technically spent driving to or away from the town) we ventured to Fred Meyer a total of 5 times. It's sad when you break it down that way, but hey, the place had everything the boys needed to be sure their faces were cleanly shaven on Saturday AND it had everything we needed for s'mores Sunday night.

WHAT WENT DOWN

Friday:

• Checked in to the hotel that's RIGHT ON THE BEACH!
• Got the oil changed while we waited for the Thompsons to arrive in Brookings
  
• Spent the better part of a day's pay at Fred Meyer
  
• Greeted the rest of the Thompson clan with much rejoicing as it's been a very long time since we're all together
• Ate dinner at the Hungry Clam -- apparently a local fav
  
• Walked on the beach, climbed on rocks and waited for the sun to set while we chatted and caught up

Saturday:

• Enjoyed breakfast at the Salty Dog Coffee Bar
• Browsed the Brookings Farmers Market
• Drove to Crescent City, CA to check out the Ocean World aquarium where Karen petted a shark. A real shark. I didn't even get within 20 feet of it. Instead, I took pictures inside the giant, fake shark's jaws with the boys.
  
• Continued down 101 to the Trees of Mystery for a tour through the Redwood Forest and a ride up the tram to be as high up as the very tops of the tallest trees. We also walked back down from the top vs. taking the tram back down. When the signs say the trail is meant for experiences hikers, they really do mean it.
  
• Ate at the Forrest Cafe (we do not recommend it)
• Went to the Crescent City lighthouse at Battery Point to see the view and hop around the tide pools. We also saw a whale...well, we saw water shoot up as it blew air out its blowhole. All I can say is thank goodness we were on solid ground and not in a boat out there. Yikes.
• On the way back to Brookings we saw some Roosevelt elk from one of the largest herds around. There are so many elk in that part of WA/CA there is an AM radio station dedicated to elk migration updates. I'm not sure what to say about that.
  
• Dressed up for a fancy and delicious seafood dinner at Sebastian's
  
• The boys took a walk in the dark on the beach while Christine tried to read the new Twilight saga novella before falling asleep

Paul and Babe. Paul does the park commentary all day long, talking to visitors and guessing the flavors of their ice cream. I imagine it's an exciting gig, being Paul B. Thompsons by the Cathedral Tree
Trees growing on a tree. Look closely and you'll see.Trees and shrubbery are taken seriously in the Trees of Mystery.Curtis and Justin have a picture just like this from when they were little boys. Reenactment time!

Sunday:

• Justin and I walked along the pier through the beachy morning midst to the Salty Dog. It's now our favorite coffee shop. We almost bought shirts with the shop's logo, but they didn't have my size and Justin didn't want one that was pink.
• We headed north towards the Rogue River to see what there was to see along the shoreline.
• We stopped at various lookouts, spots with beach access and hiked along parts of the Oregon Coast Trail.
  
• We stopped in Gold Beach for lunch and gift shop shopping. The boys and I went to get ice cream where I was glared at for asking for a smaller scoop. To avoid a sticky situation I took the one scoop as it was offered, which equated to an entire pint of ice cream in a waffle cone. None of us felt very well after we ate our ice cream.
• Justin bought a trinket from the gift shop. It's orange, squishy and flashes lights when shaken. It's just the kind of thing my brothers would have begged for in a beach gift shop back in the day. It's now sitting on our bookshelf where I'm sure it'll stay for the rest of eternity.
• We stopped at Whiskey Creek beach on the way back to Brookings. The beach was empty, except for the kind gentleman who, we discovered, was living out of his car in the bushes near the trailhead.
  
• We spent at least an hour or two on the beach, jumping over rocks and driftwood to look for tide pools and other ocean secrets. We all agreed this was our favorite part of the trip.
• Back in Brookings we went to dinner at a funky place called The Onion Grill -- it features Cantonese, seafood and steak. They gave each of us two menus...one for the Cantonese food and another for the surf and turf. Our hostess was hilarious and our food was was pretty darn good.
• Before heading back to the hotel we drove to Fred Meyer for s'mores supplies. Justin got pulled over, but the officer let us go with a warning. Silly Californians and their bad blinker habits.
  
• After dinner Curtis, Lee and I combed the beach for driftwood so we could build a fire for s'mores. I'm learning I have bad luck with animals and the sea...what I thought was a nice pile of sticks was actually the boney remains of some animal that met its fate on the beach. I'm thinking it was a dog or a large bird. I wasn't happy about picking up its remains. It was just about as bad as nearly stepping on a dead, bloated seal in Santa Cruz.

Thompsons take a break for supermodel documentary hour.

Why the scarf? You wouldn't like it if your scalp burned easily in the sun, either.

Create your own caption.

Monday:

• Lee, Karen, Justin and I walked to the Salty Dog for one last latte
  
• We all packed up our rooms and headed to breakfast at the Blue Water restaurant. Definitely recommend this place for breakfast...for the next time you're in Brookings.
• We parted ways with Lee, Karen and Curtis after breakfast, thanking them for a fabulous time.
  
• Then we went to Fred Meyer to get a few more things. We're ridiculous.
  
• Justin and I spent more time exploring the attractions of HWY 101 on our way home. We took a detour through the Avenue of Giants to see huge Redwoods and drive through a tree. We also stopped at a Bigfoot memorabilia roadside set up that turned out to be the home of one of the fastest wood carvers in the west. His prize carving? Why Bigfoot, of course.
  
• We saw Bigfoot, or something/one like it.
  
• We stopped for dinner at Johnny Garlic's (Guy Fieri's restaurant) in Santa Rosa
• We hit traffic just outside of SF and cried all the way home

Tuesday:

• We cried about not being able to walk to the Salty Dog for a latte
• We cried about having to go to work
• We cried at work
• We had mac-n-cheese for dinner and felt better about being back

Thank you, Thompsons, for a fantastic vacation. We loved spending time with you and hope there isn't as much time in between full family visits next time.

Visitors

Talk about slacking...we had two visitors in town for quick visits in May and June and I'm finally getting around to letting the world know.

I bet the world knew I was withholding information...sorry about that, world.

Visitor #1: Normally I only see this guy about once or twice a year, but because of his business trip to California, I was able to see Drew twice in one month! We had seen each other earlier in May when we were all in Washington for Nanny's 90th birthday celebration.

Drew is married to my cousin Maggie and they live in Illinois. I love them dearly and wish we lived closer together.

Drew was brave enough to face the wicked traffic on the 101 and drove down from SF to meet us for dinner -- last time he was in town we went to the city to join him for dinner.

We prefer taking turns. It's the right thing to do. Right?

We took Drew to Tied House -- a great neighborhood pub in the heart of Mountain View that's within walking distance of our place. Drew had to get going after dinner -- he was in town on a business trip, after all, and when on a business trip you're expected to do some business -- so Drew had to get back up to SF for some shut eye.

Drew -- we hope your Achilles is healing quickly and that you're feeling ok. We need you to get better soon so you can take another business trip to California (and bring Maggie so we can have a "Chyterboks do Mountain View, Part Deux")! Get well soon!

Justin and Drew. The only picture I managed to snap during our time together. Not the best, but at least it's proof :)

Visitor #2: My longtime friend Jeff Myers, with his friends Anna and Eric, took a fun road trip to California in June to see a handful of baseball games at various California stadiums. They weren't following a certain team, the goal was to visit stadiums.

Jeff and I went to high school together and have remained good friends. Want to hear a funny story? I sat next to Jeff for the better part of a year-long (I think?!) sophomore year business class and neither of us spoke a word to each other. Never! An entire year! My home town may be small, but there are two elementary schools...all I knew of this Jeff character at that time was that, although we may have gone to the same middle school for three years, he was still from the other side of town and I really didn't have a reason to have a conversation with him. I was a shy one back in the day.

It wasn't until we realized we were both turning out for the tennis team that year that we started saying hello at the beginning of class. Turned out Jeff is hilarious and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet! He even worked a few summers of cherry harvest for my family. I have so many fun memories from tennis, cherries, summer internships, college and so on that involve Jeff...I'm sure at some point I'll write about them, but I don't feel right doing it now because Jeff won't ever read this blog...you have to have the internet to do that! :)

An oh-so-flattering picture of Jeff, my bro Matt and me in our grubbies during cherry harvest. Please keep in mind this was more than 10 years ago...when it was neat to wear a bandana. Thank you.

So, Jeff and friends were in our neck of the woods for a day so we met them at the Steelhead Brewery in Burlingame for dinner. We moved the party to Elephant Bar after dinner, but Justin and I couldn't stay long because we had to work the next day, but the three teachers on summer break were able to stay at Elephant Bar a while longer to live up their vacation.

Jeff, Eric and Anna are teachers near Las Vegas. I haven't seen Jeff since my own wedding, nearly two years ago now, so it was great to catch up in person. It's hard enough to see all of my friends in Washington, let along friends that moved to Vegas to teach a bunch of adorable first graders.

Jeff, Eric, Anna and me at Elephant Bar in Burlingame.

Remember, folks, you too can be featured on the Team Thompson blog...all you have to do is come visit us!

Team Thompson United

For the first time in nearly a year, Team Thompson United will gather in the same place at the same time.

Picture from Christmas 2007.

Look out, Brookings, Ore.! We’re coming and there’s no stopping us. You’ll have 5 Thompsons approaching the city on Friday…3 from the north and 2 from the south. It’ll be the ultimate convergence.

The countdown is on, Thompsons. 2 days! Can’t wait!

Team Thompson Against Achilles Tendons

Cousin Drew had surgery Monday to repair his Achilles tendon. Reports say the procedure went well and he’s home resting and recovering.

Silly Achilles.

We wish you a speedy and painless recovery, Drew!

My 68th visit

I went to the gym today. I generally go every Tuesday for a step interval class and at least once or twice more during the week. Yes, I could go more, but for now this works.

I went today after I had another conversation with myself about how it's just an hour and that when I get back I can have a box of mac and cheese and feel better about it.

Members of our gym have personal passcodes to check in. The check-in screen welcomes you and also displays the number of times you've checked in. I followed a dude in to the gym and made small talk with the trainers at the desk while I waited my turn to document my arrival. When he was done I approached the screen and my jaw dropped. The dude has checked in a total of 407 times.

Today was my 68th visit. (I believe a few botched passcode entries done in haste while I rushed to my class would bring my real total to at least 70 by now...)

With awe in my tone I said to the trainers, "that guy has been here 407 times! Kind of makes my piddly 68 look really sad."

They made sure my esteem wasn't lost, telling me the crazy guy comes at twice a day, every day.

Who has that kind of time?! There's a lot of mac and cheese to eat, people. Why waste all your time at the gym? By the way, did you know Kraft now makes a "cheese explosion" mac and cheese with extra cheese and bigger noodles...? They do. You should probably pick up a box or two so you're ready for the next time you don't want to go to the gym or for when your husband is out of town and the only way you'll be happy is to eat mac and cheese and stand in front of the heater.

Anyway...

My class just changed from a regular step & sculpt class to a step interval class. In this class we do a series of brief, intense aerobic sets involving a step, jumps, squats and jumping jacks, followed by a "recovery set" where we grab a weight bar and do different lifts. We do this for about 45 minutes and finish with ab exercises and a cool down. It's a really great workout and I love how I feel once I'm home and looking through the fridge for dinner.

The room where we have class is a room of mirrors, so there is no reason someone wouldn't be aware of their flushed cheeks...or that they're the only one on the wrong foot...or that they are one of the most uncoordinated people in the room when it comes to an aerobic set which involves counting and synchronized movements. I see quite clearly and am aware of all of this coming from my reflection. The red face is what I notice the most, not because it concerns me, but because as class goes on I can sense the instructor keeping a closer watch.

She's doing this because she's sure my red face is a sure sign of impending spontaneous combustion.

Anyone who played sports with me or talked me into running a 5k knows quite well that my face turns tomato red during a break-a-sweat activity. We're not talking my constant pink flush or even my embarrassed red (the one with which most of you are familiar). It's even more red than the red I turn after a day in the sun followed up by an ice cold beer. We're talking tomato red...beefsteak tomato red.

Source.

"I feel like we got in a great workout today, gang, I see a few pink cheeks" said the new instructor. "

Just so happens I left my water and keys next to the instructor's stuff. "You're one I saw with pink cheeks..." she said, with a truly worried look in her eye.

Putting on the same I-know-can-you-believe-how-red-I-get face I use when someone tells me I have a sunburn, I babbled, "Yeah...I've always been this way. I played soccer for years with the same coach and during each and every game coach would get my attention from the side lines to make sure I was ok because I was so red. Haha...ohh being fair-skinned...you know..."

Then she gave me some scientific reason about how the blood comes to the surface looking for oxygen. I just keep the reason simple: I'm Norwegian.

All I want to do after class keep my head down, walk through the gym as fast as possible and get in my car before other people - those who look perfect while they work out - start pointing and gasping. I know my face is red. It's just like when I know when I have a sunburn.

I often have to bite my tongue to keep from saying, "What?! Where?! Oh no!!!!!! Not again!!!! What a world, what a world!!!!" when people point out my sunburn. However, no matter how many times this happens to me, I can't help but point out when someone else has a sunburn. The words just come out before I can stop myself.

What a world, what a world.
(10 points to the first person who can name this movie)

To round out this random post, I'd like to tell you I did not have mac and cheese for dinner. I made one of the most fabulous pork dishes I've ever, EVER had. I made it up for a recent newsletter I put together for the store

The key is the searing the pork and the secret ingredient is cherry balsamic...it's something I'm sure you can find at a specialty store, but if you'd like a tip, we carry it at the store where I work. You know how to reach me.

You must try this as soon as possible. Serve it with creamy polenta and steamed or roasted asparagus. It's frickin' delicious.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with a Cherry Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
• Salt and pepper
• 2-3 TBL extra-virgin olive oil
• 2-3 TBL unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 TBL chopped fresh rosemary
• 3/4 lb. Bing cherries, halved and pitted
• 1/2 cup cherry balsamic

Directions: Rub pork with salt and pepper. Heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add pork to pan and cook 3 minutes, rotating to brown all sides. Roast pork in the oven at 400F for about 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155F (it will still be slightly pink). Set aside and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

When pork is done and resting, begin the cherry & balsamic sauce.

Add butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. When melted, stir in the shallots and rosemary and cook for one minute. Add the cherries and balsamic and increase heat to high. Cook another minute or so to reduce the balsamic (it’ll get a little thicker).

Drizzle the cherry and balsamic mixture over the sliced pork (about 1-2 inch thick medallions) and serve immediately.

Solid Gold

Hello again! In addition to Indy watching last weekend, we celebrated Justin's Golden Birthday...he turned 29 on May 29! Justin's always been lucky in that his birthday falls around Memorial Day so he has a nice three-day weekend to celebrate!
He was obviously more excited about turning 92.

We had gone to Windsor Friday night to visit my parents and our friends the Byes for a weekend of Indy and golden birthday excitement. I had plans to snap a picture of JT near the Golden Gate Bridge, but there was too much traffic on the way up and the bridge was completely covered in fog on the way back. However, I took full advantage of finding all things gold with which to decorate and even found a frozen yogurt shop called "The Golden Spoon" in Windsor!

On the morning of his birthday we opened some presents:
Then we all went out to explore the great town of Windsor and the road that lead to the coast:
It was really windy and a bit chilly, but it was a gorgeous day on the coast!

After lunch in Botega Bay we stopped by the old school house and church which were used in the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds. A family lives in the school (which they've since made into a house) and allow people to come in the front hall where they have a small gift shop. It was a fun little stop.

After that we went to play a round of mini golf where I was, coincidentally, pooped on by a bird. It landed right on top of my head. Blurg.

Haha, pictures of people golfing crack me up. Sorry, gang, I know they aren't that flattering :)

After golf we went back home so I could wash my hair before dinner.

We went to Johnny Garlic's for dinner - Johnny Garlic's is one of Guy Fieri's restaurants. It was a good pick and we definitely recommend it! They also offer a free delicious dessert for birthday folks, so I busted out a crown and some bling for JT to wear while we sang.
He loved it.
HAHAHAHAHA
Oh yeah...we all got sunburned during golf...but what's new there.

After dinner we went back to the condo for more birthday dessert.
Justin had such a great time celebrating, he couldn't keep his eyes open.

HAPPY GOLDEN BIRTHDAY, JUSTIN!

Start your engines!

Team Thompson joined my parents and our family friends, Gary and Kayleen Bye, last weekend up in Windsor, Calif. where they had rented out a timeshare/condo. The Emersons and the Byes get together each Memorial Day weekend to watch the Indy 500 -- now that both sets of parents are empty-nesters, they decided to take the annual gathering on the road each year and visit one of the kids in their new locations.

There are six children total and we're all one year apart. I'm the oldest (and the only girl). The order is as follows:

Christine E., Cody B., Joe E., Bryce B., Matt E., Tory B.

Last year they visited Cody and his family as it just so happens they lived in Indiana at the time and last year was the year the Emersons and the Byes attended their first Indy 500 all together.

Cody and I are the only ones that live out of state...Thus...this year, they came to California. I guess California sounded a little more tempting than Prosser, Wahluke or Pomeroy. Sorry Joe, Bryce and Tory!

The Emersons and the Byes have been getting together to watch the Indy 500 since before I was born...it all started in the 70s when my dad and Gary, who had been working for an agriculture publication in the D.C. area, snagged tickets to the actual race in Indianapolis from Tom Sneeva, an Indy racer at the time.

In the years that followed, they got together each Indy weekend to listen or watch the race. They'd rotate between each other's houses (the Byes live in Pomeroy. That's where my dad grew up farmin' wheat and raisin' cattle n' hogs) and they soon introduced ladies, who soon became wives, and eventually six children were added to their Indy madness.

Watching isn't all we do...the adults (a group into which I was finally inducted this year) draw names of drivers, tally up the starting positions, keep track of different events (first out, worst/best pit time, finishing positions, etc.) and have themselves a friendly competition. We even have a revolving trophy where we list a new winner each year. The losers also get trophies, because we're fair like that. The loser trophies are handsome, handmade creations made by the previous year's loser. Some of them are real gems.

I've actually been to a live Indy race! I went in 2005 with my friend Jen from Georgia whose family goes to the race each year. Jen's grandfather used to work at the track so the family has tickets they use each year and Jen, knowing my family has an annual Indy gathering, gave me a ticket for my birthday.

This was down on the track...through Gasoline Alley...we're not sure how we were able to make it in there because not "just anyone' is allowed. And, you're supposed to be wearing close-toed shoes and have some sort of a badge. We just walked in and were able to get this pic with a pit crew next to one of the cars!

Here is a team getting their driver ready. We were right near the start/finish line and directly across from pit stops for Dario Franchitti, Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan.
Go Tony!! Tony Kanaan is one of my favorite drivers.

I met Jen during my semester abroad in Australia. Jen had heard me say something about the Indy-style (the Nikon Indy 300) race coming to Surfers Paradise (near our Uni) and we soon discovered we were meant to be friends for life. Who else randomly meets another girl in Australia and discovers their families both have a random only-the-Indy-500-race obsession with formula 1 racing?

So...we went to the race, though those Aussies were good about closing off the streets and hiding any glimpse of the action from people who didn't buy tickets. We had fun anyway, even though we walked and walked and walked and narrowly missed getting stuck in a horrible thunder storm.

This year, Justin was able to get in on the Indy action. We all drew names the night before -- I had GREAT starters: 1. Helio Castroneves (3-time winner), 2. Will Power (ha), 4. Ryan Briscoe, 11. Justin Wilson, 33. Sebastian Saavedra (Rookie). No one drew Dario Franchitti, who actually won the race. There were three names left over, and Dario was one of them.

Our rookie player, Justin, actually won the contest -- though most of his racers had poor starting positions, they had managed to wiggle their way up to decent finishing positions. He's hooked on Indy now, too!

It was good to get back in on the Indy action...I haven't been to an Indy gathering in five years! I was the first of the kids to opt out for a weekend, but I had a good reason...I was going to the real race!

However, the following year, I decided to stay in the Seattle area so I could spend the weekend with [my then boyfriend] Justin because it was his birthday. A chain reaction followed: Cody got married, moved away and had two baby boys, and the other boys eventually went off to college and the army. Joe and Bryce have been away from home for a few years pursuing careers in teaching and Tory, who graduated just a few weeks ago, has already landed himself a sweet job that will take him around the state and elsewhere.

We hope to join in on the Indy weekend action again soon. I think we should coordinate a reunion weekend!