May 2008

Upon reflection, I realize that the month of May was a whirlwind of events that stimulated my entire range of emotions. Here's a summary:

Madrid, Spain
Mike went to Madrid, Spain for the IEEE international magnetics conference. After an entire day of travel - he flew from Missoula to Salt Lake City to NYC to Madrid - he arrived safe and sound in the heart of Spain. The conference and all the socializing (i.e., "networking") kept him busy and his body clock throughly confused. When he returned to Missoula five days later he had all sorts of stories to tell...and a present for me! While he was in Madrid Mike learned how to navigate the public transportation during rush hour - getting practically carried on and off the trains by the mass of people. He went to Museo del Prado and Museo Reina Sophia. He said he liked the Sophia best because they had the entire Picasso collection on loan from Paris. Since the Paris collection was adding to the Sophia's own staggering Picasso collection, Mike said that, "it was Picasso mania!" In the evening, as is typical at confereces, Mike went out for dinner and drinks, which in Spain was tapas and wine and Mike couldn't have been more satisfied with his food. Mike's favorite new food was the jamon. Jamon might be described as the Spanish version of salt-cured pig - like Italian prosciutto. The myth in Madrid is that the pigs swim in the ocean for a month before slaughter so their jamon tastes perfect. Of course, it is the nature of scientists, especially Mike, to question things. And after a boisterous meal they questioned, "do pigs swim?" After much deliberation, the physicists reasoned that pigs don't swim with their legs but they must float..and use their tails as propellers! The image conjured by this explanation (and the discussion that must have preceded it) makes me giggle and I hope it makes you giggle, too. When Mike returned to me in Missoula he was excited to give me a present. As you might imagine, I assumed that he had brought wine or cheese or jamon home for me to try. I was wrong. He brought me a beautiful pearl necklace and said, "because I've been delinquent on the flowers you requested." I thought he had forgotten! It turns out he was just busy with work. :)

Volunteering for Obama - Montana
While Mike was gone I kept busy with the end of the semester, volunteering for the Obama campaign, and painting the living room. On Saturday morning I went to the Missoula Farmer's Market to register voters for the primary. It turns out that most people in Missoula that I spoke with were already registered to vote and they just wanted stickers. So a decade after graduating high school where I passed out smiley face stickers on Fridays, I was passing out stickers again. I also worked the phone bank, calling people and inviting them to volunteer - note: we do not ask for money. My favorite instance from working the phones was when a woman introduced herself as a Jew and asked me to give Senator Obama a message for her. She was concerned that he was too lenient with things in Israel. She wanted to elect someone who would be able to help the leaders in Israel negotiate and end the violence. What really touched me about this story was that I believed that Senator Obama would hear her message. In my experience, I have written comments about Senator Obama's debates and speeches. I requested to hear more about education in the debates and in the next debate Senator Obama brought up education as an important aspect of democracy. After a speech Senator Obama made in Montana in which he commented that he might have to take up fishing just as an excuse to visit Montana more often, I recommended that he refrain from making that type of hollow claim to Montanans because it seemed to me that Montanans do what they want to do. In his next appearance in Montana, he didn't claim to want to move to Montana but that he wanted to preserve the way Montanans live by protecting the natural resources. I feel like my voice was heard in addition to the thousands of other people working to get him elected. I believe that by taking notes on this woman's comments about Israel and sending them via email to the Obama headquarters, that he will hear her voice and the voice of many Jewish Americans with concern for their holy land.

Painting the House
I also worked on the house. Before he left, Mike helped me move the furniture out of the living room, spackle holes, sand surfaces, and remove the light fixture and fan, all in preparation for me to paint. Taking the light fixture down revealed a previously dangerous situation. The light had been mounted improperly and the electricity was arcing between the bare wires long enough and frequently enough to oxidize the entire junction box. Whew! Close one. I worked like a mad woman each day, all the live long day. I primed, then I textured the walls with Behr smooth sand to give the severely damaged walls a "knock-down" look, primed again, and painted. The room looks beautiful...I love it! (And I'll post pictures ASAP.)

I wasn't alone all week. Calvin, Ryan, and Turner were around to work on the outside of the house.

Commencement
We both attended commencement ceremonies for our University of Montana students. Figuring out the hood was worth remembering. I stood in the living room, in front of the mirror, trying to figure out which side was up and how to coax the hood to hang just right. At first, I felt like a big fraud. Aren't hoods for Ph.D.s? Maybe that is why I couldn't figure the thing out! I started to question myself. Why did I think I should attend commencement in a hood of all things?! But when I walked up to the rest of the College of Technology faculty, including adjunct faculty, I realized that I was a part of the faculty and hoods are just what we wear. And, especially in Montana, people don't fret over the degrees you've earned. They want to know that you work hard at what you do and that you do it well. I guess I have found a good fit there.

The University-wide commencement service was cool. It was held in the Adam's Center, which was decorated with banner-style flags dating back to the first graduating class. Each class since designed and created a flag to commemorate their achievement. What surprised me the most was the invocation. Two things stood out to me: 1) the invocation had a clear religious bent to it, and 2) there were two invocations. The first invocation was what I would call rather new-age that referred to goodness and peace however we find it...with a hefty dose of Christianity. The second invocation was performed by a chief from the Blackfeet Indian Tribe...a war song/prayer that is sung at celebrations.

After the big commencement, each department held its own smaller ceremony. I was a little bummed that I missed the physics ceremony because each of the 13 graduates did a physics demonstration! So cool! The COT had no such thing. As a little aside...I heard one of the students address Mike as "Professor Schneider" and was taken aback. Of course he is Professor Schneider but seeing as how it was the first time I heard a young person call him that I couldn't help but giggle and remember when Mikey graduated in the rain from University of Michigan. As the last mark that Mike finished his first year as a tenure-track faculty member the rest of the faculty "hazed" him by "making" him return all the robes they had worn to the commencement ceremonies. So we walked together with our arms full of robes, hoods, and caps to the bookstore before heading to Jen and Honey's house for dinner with our new friends who welcomed us to Missoula with open arms (and kitchens).

Mother's Day
On Mother's Day my mom was in Arizona visiting Grandma and Mike's mom was in South Dakota en route to Missoula. Happy Mother's Day to those most important women in our lives. Happy Mother's Day to all our dear friends from coast to coast who are celebrating as mothers for the first time. Congratulations!

Welcome Alexander Hart
Happy Birthday Alexander Hart! Jayme is our friend from the University of Michigan. He and Mike became friends when they learned of their shared interest in high end audio and Scotch. We have known Jayme for more than ten years and we know that he's going to make a wonderful dad. We do not know much of his wife Lauren besides she has a wonderful sense of beauty (based on her lovely wedding) and she is a kindred spirit in the kitchen. She is someone who knows how wonderful it is to share the cooking and eating experience with someone you love.

Film/Books
Let's see. While I was doing my internet-based work I had The L Word playing in the background. The characters are addicting! I also went on a little Audrey Hepburn run and watched a handful of those classics: Funny Face, Sabrina, and Charade. Funny Face was by far my favorite for a few reasons. It was a great musical and I couldn't believe how true the song "On How to Be Lovely" is! Also, I wondered if Fred Astair was the first person to dance like a crazy person on the floor with a guitar, kicking his legs in the air like you see rock stars do. Did he start a trend or is it just a common involuntary physical action for musicians? I also enjoyred a Quentin Tarantino flick called Deathproof...although I would be reserved to recommend it to everyone because it has all the gore of a typical Tarantino flick. But the stunts were marvelous. I call this "Quentin's Take on Charlie's Angels".

I also joined Good reads.com to see what my friends say about different books. I'm always looking for good reads...especially stories about women.

Schneiders Visit Glacier
The Schneiders came to visit us in the middle of May. They drove from Michigan and did some site-seeing along the way in Wisconsin, South Dakota, and eastern Montana. We spent a couple days in Missoula. We took them to our favorite local cafe, Hob Nob, our favorite steakhouse in the Bitterroot valley, Guy's Lolo Creek Steakhouse, and had take-out from Thai Spicy. We also spent an afternoon walking from our house to the farmer's market, Brennan's wave, and the Carousel for Missoula. The second part of their visit was spent up north. We spent one night in Woods Bay, one of my favorite places in Montana, where we stayed at the Islander and spent the evening touring the local hangouts including the Flathead Lake Brewing Company and the Raven.

At Flathead Lake Brewing Company we heard an amazing little local band (bass, drums, keyboards) called Bluestone. It was pretty extraordinary music and I'm very excited to be a little bit of a groupie. Since there were so few people in Woods Bay that evening we managed to meet the band, a cute couple on vacation from Colorado, and a local Woods Bay man who was terribly friendly and happy. There were three things that stand out about that evening in Woods Bay to me. First, in true Schneider tradition we enjoyed some drinks in our rooms...or rather in the adirondack chairs just outside our rooms. As we sat and watched the sun set over the lake we noticed the parking lot outside the Raven restaurant across the street. Luxury cars came and went...Mercedes, Cadillac, Porsche, etc. They seemed out of place in this little Montana town parked next to the old pick-ups. Then we realized that the owners were probably coming down to Woods Bay from Big Fork, which is a much fancier town where millionaires(and Hollywood) come to vacation.

Second, we heard a funny story about the stuffed fish on the wall behind the bar at the Flathead Lake Brewing Company. The owner was at a conference when his friend said, "Hey, I have a couple stuffed fish that I did as my first try in a taxidermy class. Want them?" The owner said, "Sure! That would be great!" When the fish were delivered he got a call from his manager. "How are they?" the owner asked. "Well, they are smaller than I expected," said the manager. The two fish were each maybe 8 inches long...not exactly the wallpiece that they expected. None-the-less, the fish were mounted on the wall and make for a fun little story and a bunch of laughs.

Lastly, I had a peculiar conversation with someone who I suspect owned own of those fancy cars. We were sitting at the Raven on the porch, which overlooks the Flathead waves crashing on the shore and the boat docking for summer Raven-goers. I was snapping pictures of the scene, including the happy local who was sitting at the end of the dock, my family looking over the menus, and the sun setting over the nearby peninsula. A well-dressed man asked me what I was taking pictures of and I told him the lake, the local, and my family. He snuffed at me. Then I offered to take his picture in this lovely place and email it to him but he said gruffly, "I come here all the time." To which I responded, "All the more reason to have a photo taken," and continued to tell him that I've started to take pictures of the things that happen in my everyday life so that my memories don't become holiday-only and travel-centric. He responded, "I can have my wife take my picture," as if I was hitting on him and bothering him. I was flummoxed that this man had broken the ice with me and then had the nerve to blow me off and treat me like an unwelcome solicitor. I sat down and commented to my family, "What kind of man drinks white wine anyways." Rude, I know, and white wine is good. I think it bothered me so much that someone would invite me into a conversation and then blow me off immediately thereafter. It is socially inept behavior.

The remainder of our time together was spent in Glacier National Park. We checked in to a cabin in Apgar Village right on Lake MacDonald. We spent our time mostly site-seeing. We drove to the historic Lake MacDonald Lodge and the Trail of the Cedars through Glacier's rain forest. While we drove, we listened to my mom and dad's CD that provided commentary about the sites along the Going to the Sun Road. I think the most interesting thing is glacial flour that causes the water in Glacier National Park to be so blue. Evidently, there are teeny tiny little flecks of rock that float in the water and reflect light to us that looks like that special blue. Since the Going to the Sun Road was closed for through traffic, we spent an entire day driving the Roosevelt Highway along the south side of the Park. We saw Big Horn sheep near the salt lick, the Roosevelt Monument at the continental divide, and a myriad of vistas during our trip. It was remarkably empty from tourists and we were able to take our time and enjoy the open space. However, we didn't see any glaciers...maybe next time.

Farewell Dave Friend
On Thursday May 22 Dave Friend said farewell to his wife and son and fell asleep in his chair for the last time. Dave lost his battle with cancer and leaves behind dozens of people who were lucky to have known him. To us, Dave will always be the face of Missoula. He was the first person we met and he welcomed us to Missoula with a kind smile and a quirky sense of humor.

He will also be remembered by hundreds of students. Dave was an extraordinary professor of astronomy. In fact, when our AAA insurance agent learned that Mike was joining the faculty of the Physics and Astronomy department at the UM he exclaimed that Dave Friend was the best teacher he ever had...especially in a science class.

My First Mammogram
Have you ever been told that you have photogenic breasts? Those kind words were only mildly comforting as I had my first mammogram. The mammogram and the subsequent ultrasound revealed that I am fine. Thank goodness because I'm not done.

Yellowstone and Cody
Needless to say, our departure from Missoula was postponed due to a couple unexpected events. We canceled our camping trip in Yellowstone to attend Dave's memorial service. Then we postponed our departure due to my not-so-normal yearly exam. None-the-less we were able to enjoy the colors of the Grand Prismatic Spring, the odors of the Mud Pots, and the excitement of baby buffalo (and their parents) crossing our path during our driving tour in the late afternoon on Friday May 30.

We got to Cody, Wyoming at 9PM and decided to stay the night in The Cody, which is a new awesome hotel on the west side of town. By staying there we were able to scoot up to a fair and ride some (two) stomach-turning rides before returning to the comfort of our not-so-spinning bed. The Cody offered a delicious breakfast where we met the owner and gave our compliments. Then we took off for our second day of moving to Boulder. We stopped in Thermopolis to see the world's largest mineral hot springs and to stretch our legs. Since we didn't know how to get to our bathing suits, we didn't soak at all but decided that we should pack better next time so we can.

South of Casper the traffic got heavy and I remarked at how quickly I had acclimated to Montana...

Arrive in Boulder
We arrived in Boulder, Colorado around 6:30PM. We checked in to the Quality Inn on Arapahoe. It is the same place that the Schneiders used to stay when they visited us when we lived in Boulder. We knew it was a nice place and it has a great location. After washing the road off, we went to the Lazy Dog for beers, dinner, and to watch the Red Wings play for the Stanley Cup. After the game, Wendy, Katie, Joe, Dave, Hans, Amber, Eric, and Erin joined us for some rooftop drinks. It was a lovely welcome back to Boulder.

Pancakes

I don't cook with cookbooks/recipes on a daily basis...except when it comes to the best-ever pancakes. I'm blogging this recipe so I don't have to bring my cookbook to Boulder for the summer. :)

The recipe is modified from "Cook Something" by Mitchell Davis.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
additional butter for frying

Instructions:
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.
Combine dry and wet ingredients.
Make pancakes (preferably on cast iron).