St. George Extravaganza

Last weekend David and Peter, our San Francisco friends, came to visit. We went to St. George with Dave and Marisa Denison for a weekend of adventure, culture, food, friends, fatigue and suffering. What an odd and wonderful combination.

Friday morning started off fabulously well with Peter smashing his face and lacerating his leg during a mountain bike ride. Nature 1, us 0. Peter took it like a champ and finished the ride. Dave Galullo chickened out on some of hills though--he is kind of like a little girl. Nature 2, us 0. That being said, we all had great time.

Friday afternoon we climbed at the Green Valley gap where everyone got a crash course in rappelling and climbing. Marisa beat the boys soundly in the climbing and Galullo cried a little bit. That night we went to Tuacahn and watched a dance performance called "Thriller". It was spectacular and we all went home tired and satisfied.

Saturday morning drill sargeant John dragged everyone out of bed early and we went to Zion National Park. We rented wetsuits and then headed into the park to kill some time so that things could warm up a bit. We hiked to the top of Angels landing--Galullo made up for his girlie Friday by cruising the trail with ease. John was an absolute ass about time and continued to harp on people to hurry up. What a champ!

We then went to the Pine Creek Canyon trailhead, donned wetsuits, and started into the canyon. 6 rappels, 40 degree water, slippery rock, 45 minute hike to the car and beautiful scenery made for an epic adventure. Everyone did great and even attacked the final 100 foot free rappel with reckless abondon. Dave Denison did a great job documenting this final rappel from his little perch.

After it all was over we ate in Springdale at Oscars. Oh yeah! We ate like it was our last meal, went home, played the cursory game of spite and malice, and went to bed. We need to make this a tradition. Hooray for Utah and three cheers for Nielsen's Frozen Custard for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Sky diving

We won sky diving for two at the charity auction our company held in August. Last Friday we redeemed the voucher and went with one of our work buddies.

It was John's first jump and my third. I remember it being more scary and exciting than it was. My hypothesis is that we've done so many cool things and had so many crazy fun experiences since my last jump that it had a lot to compete with.

Minus both of us getting sick to our stomachs (John's tandem friend loved spinning and the plane ride up didn't sit well with me), we had a great time but are okay if we don't do it again. One less hobby that we need to fit in right?

Utah

This was our view as we drove to work last Tuesday...just one reason why we love Utah.

"the crush"

To celebrate being married for 5 years, Johnny and I came to San Francisco. We ate clam chowder in a fresh bread bowl on Fisherman's Wharf, walked the city, picked up some yummy cheese at the favorite cheese store, and had an ice cream cone from Swensen's before meeting up with our friends David and Peter. We then headed to their home in Sonoma for a weekend of "the crush".

We, along with 20 other people, helped them harvest their grapes and start the wine making process. It was a full day of work, food, and great people.

John's twin sister Laurie, who lives just 45 minutes away, came with her family to join in the fun. A perfect way to celebrate another fantastic year of marriage. I love you more each day babe!

Yay for a break!

Yesterday was our last Olympic tri of the year...YAY! We're pretty burned out and hadn't been training so our expectations weren't too high.
Kara finished 2nd overall for the women and John finished 3rd in his age group. We're ready for a nice long break!

Our New Addition

Meet the newest addition to our home...
























With John's mom moving to a smaller place, we were more than happy to "store" the Bankhead family piano at our house. It's gorgeous and sounds amazing.

The Sea Ranch, CA

We've been spending the labor day weekend in California at a place called The Sea Ranch.

I think we're staying in the best place of the area...a beautiful home at the edge of the ocean with a wall full of windows to see the magnificent views.

A dirt trail stretches the coastline for miles making for great runs and relaxing walks.

We're surrounded by animal life. The seals are probably a favorite to watch. I think they're just as curious about us as we are of them.

The highlight of each day is cooking and eating amazing food. In between meals we relax, explore, run, swim, play all kinds of card games, and enjoy good conversations and people. A great recipe for a refreshing weekend.