Happy Birthday Dad!

My dad is 79 today.  I wish I could be with him to celebrate with a big steak and a hot fudge sundae made with butter pecan ice cream.  But that'll have to wait until next time we're together.  But for today he is figuring loudly in my thoughts.

I love my dad.  He is a great man.  You've read about him here before but it never gets old to make sure your parents know how much you love and appreciate them.  My dad loves sports, is fiercely competitive, has a great sense of humor and loves people well.  I have inherited some of that and I am grateful.

My greatest regret in life remains not ever having had the chance to be a part of one of his teams.   He was a high school (American) football coach and was hugely successful.  

Coach Moon's smiling face after he won his first state championship, my senior year of high school, at my school.

He won two state championships and played in the final game 6 times.  He never lost a first round play-off game.  His players love him and many still keep in touch with him.  Sometimes I am envious of his players because they benefitted from his vast knowledge of the game they played and also were lucky enough to learn under his great leadership and teaching.  I never played on an extraordinary sports team, won championships, or benefitted from having a really fine coach.  Sometimes I wonder what kind of athlete I could've been if a Coach Mullen had been lurking in the wings of the women's volleyball teams I played on.  But when I feel most envious of the boys who have had this chance to know my father as a coach, I smile a little and feel sorry for them because while I missed out on playing for him, I get to be his daughter for life and nothing could ever be better than that.

We've grown even closer in these past 5 years as we've walked the road of grief after my brother died and as we've journeyed with my (also very courageous) mother through her fight against ovarian cancer.  I am grateful that my folks love my husband and embrace him so fully and that our times together in Palm Springs are always sprinkled with serious discussions, lots of humor, competitive card games (my parents always beat us much to our chagrin) and feelings of warmth and joy in the family we've been given.

So today I want to wish my dad the happiest of birthdays and make sure that not only he knows, but anyone who check in here knows, how much I love and respect him.  I'm so thankful that I get to share life's journey with you.  Happy Birthday Dad!

Swedish Diplomatic Sightings

Today I have suffered from my worst jet lag since arriving back from the US on Tuesday.  I was so tired this afternoon that I was tempted to skip walking Tanner in lieu of a much desired nap.  I am so happy that I didn't because when we walked out our front door, we practically ran right into Hans Blixt.  Stay with me even if you don't remember why you know that name!
We've known for quite some time that Mr. Blixt lived in our neighborhood because we've seen him coming and going quite often.  We have always wanted to talk with him, but never quite had the right circumstances or nerve.  But today, he was all alone and there was no one else on the street at the time and when our eyes met, he smiled a little smile and I just knew that I had to meet him.  I have been dying to give him a message for years and this was my chance.
Prior to the US decision to invade Iraq, Hans Blixt was called out of retirement by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to head up the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission in charge of monitoring Iraq.  You can read more about his life here.  (The Wikipedia article has his name wrong...it is Blixt, not Blix.)  Anyway, the long and the short of it is that Blixt's recommendations regarding Iraq having weapons of mass destruction (WMD) was ignored by then President George W. Bush and the US went to war against Iraq.  In my estimation, Blixt was right.  No WMD have ever been found and that invasion and subsequent war has cost the US and the world dearly.
So from the first time I ever saw this slight, unassuming man, I have been dying to apologize to him that my nation refused to listen to him.  Every time Doug and I see him wandering around our neighborhood we've always looked at one another and said how we wish Bush would've heeded his warning.
And so, on the sidewalk in front of my home in Stockholm, Sweden, I wistfully turned to this slight Swedish man for whom I have great respect and said with a smile, "Hello.  My name is Jodi, that is my husband Doug and we are Americans living in Sweden.  We would just like to say that we are very sorry that our president chose to not listen to you."  He shrugged and with a small smile, said, "That was a long time ago.  I'm surprised you still remember me."  And I said, "Oh, I will never forget you.  Your message needed to be listened to."  Then he asked what we are doing in Stockholm and we told him that we work at Immanuelskyrkan and he said that a very good friend of his is a member there and of course, we know that man!  He asked how we liked our neighborhood and mentioned that he's lived in the neighborhood since 1968.  Then he mentioned that he had just returned from Washington D.C. yesterday and felt the political climate was very tense.  We agreed.  He also said that Iran is a mess, but not because of Washington, but because of Tel Aviv.  Scary to hear him worried about that tense situation. This man knows the global political climate well.  Then he ended by sharing with us a funny cartoon he saw while he was in the US.  He said with a small chuckle, "Vote for Romney...he's only half as crazy as the rest of them!"  We enjoyed a good laugh and wished one another on to a nice weekend.
I was so pumped after meeting him!  My jet leg had vanished and Doug and I talked about this wonderful encounter as we walked our dog through our beautiful city.  I am so happy that I had the chance to speak with Mr. Hans Blixt.  I do wonder what our world would look like today if Washington had given him a little more credit back in the 2003.  

Our Final Day

As usual, when we face the end of our wonderful winter hiatus in the US, I am filled with a mixture of feelings that inevitably accompany me when we make the transition back to Sweden.  It's not that I hate returning to my life, not at all.  I am excited about seeing our friends, returning to our beloved church, nestling back into our beautiful home and hugging our darling dog.  But I must also admit that being in California awakens a deep part of my soul, my history, my childhood, and my love of all things warm and beautiful.  My folks don't live where I grew up anymore having traded the proximity to the amazing California coastline in the city of Orange for the wild and varied ecosystem of the desert in Palm Springs about 23 years ago.  And as much as I love the ocean and a sandy beach, the desert landscape has found its place deep within my heart.
For some reason I wake up extraordinarily early out here, which I love because there are fewer things that are finer than watching the day break over the mountains.  The park where my parents live is surrounded by mountains and towering palms and seeing the morning sun paint the horizon with splashes of color that defy the imagination is a breathtaking way to start the day.  Additionally, just outside the back door of the house, a prolific grapefruit tree yields its delicious crop in unending ways.  Every morning I simply walk out the back door, pick a good looking piece of fruit off the tree and eat it up.  What a gift it is to be able to pick and eat one's own fruit every day for a few months each winter!  
So today, our last full day in this desert paradise, I enjoyed seeing the day break one last time, I will sit in the sun seeking to lodge in my memory the incredible feeling of the sun hitting my skin, and savor the pleasure of hanging out with my mom and dad.  This trip has been a gift of refreshment, a total change of climate, a visual palette that differs so greatly from the also beautiful in a totally different way than our home town coupled with deep and abiding moments of family time that we treasure above all else.
The good news for us is a return to this area in June.  I just hope that once we land across the pond on Tuesday morning winter doesn't hang on too long.

The Final Celebration

We really had a great time on Doug's birthday.  Hotel stay, delicious dinner, and a round of golf.  We arrived home from our lovely golf outing and proceeded to enjoy an evening soak in the jacuzzi.  There are two times of day in desert that are quite breathtaking...dawn and dusk.  The palette of color that bursts forth during these special moments as day is beginning and day is ending are soothing to the soul.  After the wonderful soak in the hot tub, we enjoyed a junk food dinner from our favorite Mexican fast food place.  For dessert, as a joke, my dad stuck a candle in the leftover dessert from Ruth's Chris and we enjoyed a good laugh together.  Eventually, my parents surprised Doug with a gorgeous piece of carrot cake that all 4 of us enjoyed!  We sang in English and Swedish and I do believe that Doug felt celebrated.  We all affirmed how thankful we are that he was born and that we feel so blessed to have him in our family.
I feel very lucky to have Doug as my husband.  He is a thoughtful, wise, funny, caring individual and I am amazed that God saw it fit for him to be my life partner.  I love him dearly and feel incredibly blessed to share my life journey with him.
The day would've been absolutely perfect if we could have figured out a way to beat my parents in cribbage but they are just too tough for us.  Happy Birthday anyway sweetheart.  I hope you enjoyed these days of celebration!

Our Favorite Golf Course

The day of Doug's birthday we got to enjoy one of his favorite activities: Golf!  I like the game of golf but lack consistency and skill so go up and down in my interest in playing.  But we had the chance to play on one of favorite courses in the desert, Mission Lakes Country Club, so since it was Doug's birthday and all, as an act of love, I agreed to play!  We first came to know this course because my folks lived up here for 11 years when they first moved out to the desert.  It has remained at the top of our list of great places to enjoy a round of golf! We had a spectacularly beautiful day and in the end enjoyed every minute of being out.  We both played quite well with the exception of a few blow ups on a couple of holes and I was even putting for birdie twice and par a few times.  I ended up with one par on the 18th so finished strong!
The course is beautifully laid out and the views from almost every shot are dramatic.  Hole one is a tough par 5 that tests one's mettle right out of the tee box.  Doug birdied the hole and I had a bogey which was thrilling given that I can easily card a 10 ruining my round from the get go!  Hole 2 is a challenging par 3 over water and neither of got wet!  My favorite holes are 10, 11, and 12 which take you high above the course and along a ridge.  The entire housing complex and desert spreads out before you from the tee box on 11.Again, there are numerous ways to get in trouble by sailing the ball into the desert or simply being on the wrong side of the fairway, behind trees, in sand traps, etc.   11 was a disaster for me as I could not make a good second shot to get down to the green.  12 is a tough par 3 where you tee off from a hilltop and send the ball down to a green at the foot of the hill.  The club needed varies greatly depending on the wind.  It was still as could be yesterday so was a bonafide 140-150 yards down for me.  12 is my mom's favorite hole so as I stood on the tee with my 7 wood, I said to myself, "One time, for mom."  I smacked the ball and landed it square on the green!  A long birdie putt left me wanting and unfortunately I ended up with a 4!  It was still thrilling to land it on the green and not send it out into the desert!
The final hole is framed by palm trees and the gorgeous peaks of San Gorgonio rise up in front of you.   I smacked my tee shot, hit a good approach and made two putts for par!  That's what keeps you coming back...one good hole in golf convinces you that you do have what it takes and the next time around you just know you'll hit the ball like that all the time!

Celebrating Doug's Birthday Palm Spring Style

My beloved husband added another year to his life on February 17th and we had the opportunity to enjoy a very fine celebration together.  Isn't it great when the gift you give to your spouse also benefits you?!  We took advantage of a wonderful hotel deal that Travel Zoo was running on the Hyatt Suites in downtown Palm Springs.  This is a beautiful hotel with a lovely terrace that offers stay awhile lounge chairs around a nice pool in a fantastic setting.  The view from our room was out to a golf course and included the surrounding hills and mountains.  The only advantage to the bad weather was that the surrounding mountains got a lot of snow and that added to the dramatic beauty of the desert.  The day we checked into the hotel was blustery and cold so instead of sitting by the pool we wandered around downtown and found a nice happy hour.  We enjoyed the traditional chips and salsa along with mini-corn dogs which were absolutely delicious.  
The second portion of the celebration included dinner at the what was easily THE BEST STEAK restaurant I've ever been to: Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Palm Desert.  We had cashed in some old credit card points and obtained a nice gift card so we enjoyed a fabulous meal on Citibank! I had mentioned Doug's birthday when I made a reservation and from the moment we arrived, every person on staff offered warm congratulations for a wonderful birthday.  They even made our table look a bit festive by throwing happy birthday confetti on the table!  In case you haven't figured this out, Doug and I are carnivores of the most voracious type so Doug ordered up a ribeye while I went with the filet.   These steaks were truly memorable!  Huge in size, cooked to perfection, every bite was a taste sensation worth savoring!  The evening ended with the restaurant offering Doug a birthday dessert, one of his favorites, Creme Brûlée.  The chocolate cheesecake that I had was so rich I could only take two bites!  Suffice to say, we were quite full when we walked out the door! 
Upon arriving back to the hotel, the staff there had sent up a tray of desserts in honor of Doug's birthday as well.  We put it in the refrigerator and nibbled on it the next morning!   The following day broke beautifully so we grabbed a coffee and headed out to the hot tub to enjoy the lovely morning sunshine.  The celebration of Doug had really just begun.

Losing Money, Gaining Weight

These two things are easy to do in Las Vegas!  Lurking around every corner are numerous ways to lose money.  The only way to enjoy being in Las Vegas is set a strict budget ahead of time and stick to it.  If you want to gamble a little, decide ahead of time how much you are able to lose, then quit when you reach that limit.  Then it's like spending money on a movie or a day at Disneyland and you don't get into trouble.  The problem with Vegas however is that if you don't find other things to do, the temptations of the casino, especially the slot machines, are ever present.  So we decided that we'd spend one afternoon seeing a film.  The Descendants was showing at a hotel complex a short walk from our hotel so we ventured down there.  We were alone in the theater for a very long time and in the end, only about 5 other people joined us!  It was nice to watch a film with no one sitting in front of us while being able to rest our feet on the seat back in front of us!  The Descendants is a beautiful film, a real tear-jerker, and we all loved this wonderful film.
The other thing that is easy to do in Las Vegas is over eat!  You can spend a lot of money on food in Vegas but you can also get really good deals. We had stumbled on a Travel Zoo deal that offered a 4 course meal with a glass of wine for $30.00 a person in a lovely restaurant that was about a 15 minute drive from downtown.  What a meal we enjoyed!  The food was beautiful and abundant.  Our appetizers were meal size and we were all very happy with our choices: Flat bread covered in roasted chicken, melted cheese and caramelized onions for me, mini-hamburger sliders for my dad, mini-sloppy joe sliders for Doug and a huge plate of calamari for my mom!  Salads and main dishes followed and three of us had enormous steaks while my dad worked through a huge plate of shrimp scampi and pasta!  My mom's filet was the size of a softball and our ribeye steaks were melt in your mouth perfect.  At this point we were all stuffed to the gills but dessert awaited us!  This course was a total train wreck!  Classically American in their size and calorie count, we could not believe what the waiter set down before us!  Doug had the only civil dessert of the bunch, a beautifully prepared Creme Brûlée.  My mom ordered a deep fried peanut sandwich that you dipped into chocolate sauce.  It was the most decadent dessert I have ever seen!  My father and I indulged in deep fried oreos accompanied by a chocolate sundae!  I could not believe how crazy these desserts were!  I didn't quite finish mine but also could not believe how much I had eaten!  It is easy to understand why many Americans are overweight...too many people eat like this as a habit rather than as a special occasion.  Even the waiter was impressed that we "killed the entire meal"!  It was a real treat to enjoy such a dining extravaganza!  Good thing we ended the evening by heading downtown for a walk!