Flying with the Nephew

Took the day off to go down to the Bay Area ...To IFLY...second time for Kris and I and Ian's first. The bastage is a natural...2 seconds into the gig he is sailing around like a bird... We all had a blast as evidenced by the silly grins. After flying we of course went out for Indian food,,,,duh,,, flying works up the appetite. Was great to spend time with Ian and looking forward to more fun in the future

RPM Superstars

Well after a few months of trying to find a date we could get together...we went to RPM last Friday and the fun was infectious,...Between Derek's shoes,the girls slow motion
laps,Tim's kids and Marks questioning the times...we had a blast. I highly recommend it if you haven't tried it...brings out the Mario Andretti in all of us.

Turk-tastic

The “T” bomb was dropped and we are on the other side of the Christmas holiday-holy crap! This year we enjoyed the Race to feed the Hungry...with Kris original hats..ok, one was made with a dog toy-but who's to blame me? When I'm on a roll...stay outta my way. The holiday was capped with Rich's rockin a Guy Fieri recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/mean-green-turkey-machine-recipe/index.html). We were joined by my Mom, Brother and Nephew and Rich's Brother (Greg's looking a little Hagrid...as normal for this time of the year). Much yummy food was consumed and stories traded. The next day we had a “play date” with a past co-worker from Kaiser...his wife and I had previously discussed similarities in our addiction to glass...so they came over and made ornaments with us. Then not quite ready to really start holiday shopping, Rich and I did a dry run at the Pavillions and came home empty handed. Rich is not a big fan of the holiday...thank goodness for “on line” shopping. Think the rest of the weekend was a mix of food, movies and hunkering down for some really cold days.
Our baby, Chiso goes in for leg surgery tomorrow and I am a worried Mom. But the end result is to give her the freedom to fly as only puppy's can. Bring on the holidays...I am accepting cuz I can't ignore them.

Aaaaallh aboard!

Scorpio Train Excursion
The Sacramento Posse boarded the California Zephyr “love” train to Reno to do some birthday celebrating. Mark and Edda, Anna and Troy, Sherrill and James (to follow Jessica and Kyle) and Rich and I...headed through the scenic Fall glory with a dash of snow here and there. Oh to live in Northern California, what a treat.
Well the train ride was sold to us as a party train but due to one majorly cranky dining car “soup Nazi” our party aspiration were only postponed and we “whooped” it up, in spite Mr. Crankypants! Up the hill, half the group played Scrabble and the other, Apples to Apples and the giggles and laughs could be heard on other cars, let alone floors! There were snacks, stories, sneeaky beers here and there and some lady who REALLLLLY wanted to talk about “Dancing with the Stars. ” It was only a 5 hour trip...thankfully we experienced no delays and found ourselves in Reno by early afternoon.

Now Sherril, donning her Conductor hat, led the way to our final destination: Silver Legacy. We all checked in and it wasn't long until Rich and I found the Penny machines. Yeah, I flippen rock the PENNNY MACHINESSSS...no wait a minute, I really didn't rock them...I enjoyed the hell outta them and Rich was the Rockstar, winning $100 bucks on a Penny machine. That was all she wrote, we were aboard the Crazy Train after that! Many free beers were consumed, Troy enjoyed his time playing Kitty Glitter and Mark gobbling while playing the Turkey game.

And Edda, well Edda did the smartest thang ever, she moved our party from the slot machines to Silver Legacy's Baron Bar. The band started off slowly only to have the lead singer in my lap talking to the entire bar, while she tried to convince me to sing...I hadn't drank “THAT” many free beers but her next victim was Mark, who CAN sing! He assisted her in singing “Girl, you really got me now” by Aerosmith. Within a half hour of awesome cover songs, Edda and I were on the dance floor. What a delight to be soooo surprised by a band and the lead singer was quite the entertainer. Plus she loved Rich playing pa-pa-parazzi, haming it up for the camera. We drank through those winnings before heading to our room.

Now all these tales from Friday night must be countered by the pounding of my head and churning of my tummy, Saturday morning. My husband was soooo kind, taking excellent care of me and allowing me the benefit of a day of rest....and a movie. Really, there's not much else to do in Reno, so I indulged the day away and prepped to do it all over Saturday night. Anna booked reservations at Roxy and all were in attendance (poor Kyle)...all I know is I ate a pound and a half of Bacon Cheese Bread with my Appletini :D We all enjoyed an excellent dinner and returned to the casino floor. But the difference was there were no big winners and funny the band just wasn't as good the next night.

Scorpio's you know how to have a great time and found your appropriate matches in love and friendship-This LOVE train is out!
ps. my fav picture is first of me yawning, then Troy making fun of me

I've been considering exactly how to go about a post to reflect the sad news of losing a tenant in the Marck family. Rich's brother, Jay passed away suddenly. The loss has rocked the family and extended family. Rich and I returned to New Jersey for his Memorial. Rich's sister, Cookie and husband, Tom joined us flying from California and staying at the same hotel. We bonded through tears and laughter, propping each other up, when necessary. Cookie adjusting to losing a younger brother and Rich, his older brother. I was amazed at the strength and grace of our nieces and nephews. They are all grown adults, some with children of their own. Jay loved his Parental role and relished in Grand-parental role! Adrienne and Jay didn't miss a holiday where they could lavish love and attention on all. Jay also was very close with his Dad and every holiday event included Dad and Dolores. Jay lived his life to the fullest and the way he wanted-not to be glib, but that's all I ask for from life. But don't get me wrong, his passing has rocked us to the core. It is sad that it took losing a sibling to get us back to New Jersey...but the banter and crap flinging started from minute one with the Nephews and Niece, as it runs strong in the Marck blood. I hoped Jay peeked in on us, felt all our love and loss and chuckled in the comfort we took in teasing each other. I will leave my post at that...Love to Jennifer, David, Daniel and also to Adrienne, Scott, Donna, Joan and the lovely grand nieces: Julia, Hazel and Cici.

Piloting the Golden Gate Open Water Swim

Are you ever amazed when you actually pull off a plan, you know, one of those plans that have like a thousand caveats, plan b's and hoops you have to jump through...well that was our day. So let me set the stage, Step 1...get up at 4am, 2...meet group in West Sacramento and wait for the Highway (yes highway) to open at 5am, 3...drive to SF and maneuver around road closures due to the Avon Woman's Marathon. 4 walk kayaks 8 blocks and that just brings us to the start of the adventure.

So...through gritted teeth, Rich asks me while standing on the beach...”um Kris, since we plan to take a fishing boat to the start of the open water swim...exactly how do you plan to launch our boats?” Frack...a valid question! If you've ever kayaked, you know the instability of sea kayaks but launching off the side of another boat, 3 feet out of the water was logistically “challenging” but REALLY...for uncoordinated me, a virtual impossibility...yes another hurdle...so we get to the boat, gingerly get out and into the bigger boat...and hoist our boats aboard. Well looky there...we could do it...How I doubt!

So the boat is filled with 40 swimmers and 10 pilots, like ourselves. The tension is palpable, shrouded in fog...radios blared, checking freighters paths, tide switched to ebb and time to dump kayaks back in. “Game on!” We were back out and the water went from rough to crazy, swells from 4 to 6 feet high with eddies that strip you of your paddle in an instant and freighters wake. Those who've been out there know about the "Potato patch" under the south end of the Bridge-its deadly on its worst day and highly technical on its best. The pictures don't show all the "crazy" going on, but trust me Capital K Crazy!!! We were in IT, down the face of one wave and up the face of the next-there is just nothing like it. Front and back but coming from side to side too...we now have the kayak to be topped. It was both scary and exhilarating...but the point of our trip was to pilot these crazy-ass swimmers from from the SF side of Golden Gate to the Marin side.

The horn blew and the swimmers jumped to swim to the start on the beach. Rich and I have piloted a number of times in the past and its like riding a bike...you know the “establishing” look...they all start out just adjusting to the freakin cold and the wait until they take their first look to gauge where they are going. Then after a few moments, some come up laughing and smiling and some come up looking like “what was I thinking? And how can I get back to the safety of the boat and warmth of a mere towel but then they settle in, focused on their goal. The Sacramento swimmers rocked it, in fact Stephanie won the entire race (but it wasn't a race...right!) In fact, Rick Bartels, one of the organizers and insane man who organized the Sac crew....after surviving Rich's strangulation - He made the passage with ease, a smile and a song in his heart. HOW DOES HE CONVINCE US-BOTH SWIMMERS AND PILOTS TO DO THESE THINGS???? (For those who remember, the Tahoe pilot trip-Rick, the Santa Cruz trip-Rick...he's a crazy mo fo) So before Rick touched Lime Rock, which was the finish line...I see this seal head pop up, 18 inches long...so a BIG seal...but these folks don't lose sight of the goal. All but one finished and two pilots dumped. Rich and I finished hearts full and so proud to add this to our list...check, kayaked under the Golden Gate bridge!

Great day capped with lunch with Cookie and Tom at Tres Agave where nephew Ian works.

While if you asked me if I could do, what I did today-I'd say no but through true adversity...the body carries us through. Here's to: Rick, Tim, Greg, Bob, Keith, Chris and Stephanie-you guys rocked and so glad there weren't any great white sightings....

The only thing to top the Lewbowski Fiesta is Oktoberfest

Zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke, hoi, hoi, hoi!

Sacramento's Turn Verein hosts their annual Oktoberfest and as in past years, this year was again well attended! Just to get in, we had to wait in line for over an hour because the hall was literally filled to capacity. You couldn't get in until someone else left. I chided my friend Sherril who got there at 4:30ish for getting there tooo early. But by that point, when she and daughter, Sara popped by to find us still in line one their way out....who was laughing then?

Once inside, surrounded by hundreds of crazy-German and faux German revelers, we bought sausages, beers and started the search for seats together. Now mind you, the hall holds 300 plus people...and most every chair was occupied or “saved.” Once our group of four split up...we could finally sit down and inhaled a beer and sausage.

Eins, Zwei, Drei, g'suffa(With Beer stein/glass in hand)

Buddy Brian and his daughter Elizabeth joined us. Honestly, you can take any ordinary event and “add Brian” to the equation and the end result is always more than you expected.
Eventually, we were able to all sit together, singing, toasting, chicken dancing and cup stacking...funny how all these activities all made perfect sense last night. Plus look at my face when Brian starts telling me about having Rich join him shark fishing in the Bay. The dance floor downstairs was packed with families and more of the older folk but upstairs, Upstairs was where the “young” were. It was like walking onto a movie set for a frat party minus the toga's, with the band playing “love her madly” from the Doors. This one guy was Djrunk...and decided to launch himself into my picture frame...see if you can find him. We stayed for one song, one was enough...it was pretty crazy.

It was a fast and furious event but we packed a lot of fun into the short time. The event could only to be capped with Appfelkorn....oh sweet Jesus, that's some Dangerous stuff cuz its like sour apple hard candy. Hope Bevmo sells that!!!