Goodbye 2013: We'll miss you!

So, another year is coming to a close, and I'm sure you have seen that most of your social media posts, updates, etc. involve some talk of New Year's resolutions. Well, I'm no different, and this blog post is intended to address a couple of resolutions for me. First, my technology addiction. Despite the fact that I spent more years of my life somehow surviving without constant technical stimulation, I have fallen into the trap that most of us face where I find myself mindlessly on my phone and missing out on my actual life. To that end, I plan to curb social media in 2014. That balance is always tough, in that, when you live so far away from friends and family, Facebook and Instagram serve additional purposes. So, to that end, I plan to kick the blogging back up. For any friends and family who would like to stay in touch via this blog and/or email, please send me a note at brandirfox@hotmail.com, and I'll ensure I add you to my distribution list (and reach out via email to check in). Until I can get that list going, I'll post my blog links on Facebook to share, and folks can choose to check them out or not.

Second, I love writing, and I miss it. I am still trying to fit in finally finishing that novel, but since every time I pick it back up I basically re-write everything I've done, it's going slow. Blogging was a fun way to enjoy some quick wins on the writing front, and I hope to use it for more purposes than just its original theme. We'll see, but I like the idea and the fresh start in 2014.

Dave and I have many reasons to look back on 2013 fondly. We enjoyed our first year in our new home state and town, we took on several new activities, and we found a home we intend to be in until our golden years. Oh, and I also turned 40 somewhere in there. (No wonder I'm tired). Here's a little visual summary of our year. Happy New Year everyone, and here's to a peaceful 2014!

Not so sleepless in Seattle ...

In August of 2012, when the idea first popped up in the Fox Casa about our potential relocation plans, I didn't fully understand how crazy our life would get for the next several months. Between planning and selling a house, moving to a new state and then all the after-math, it's safe to say we've been feeling a little exhausted. SO, as soon as life settled down enough, we were anxious to plan a weekend getaway to one of our new, closer NW locations. Combine this desire with our love of baseball, and bam --- the Seattle weekend getaway was on!

Luckily for us, the Rangers were slated to head to Seattle soon after opening day, so we set our plans for mid-April. Neither of us had been to Seattle before, so even though we had a short few days, we also planned to add in some city touring and some winery visits. A hop, skip and a one hour flight later, we were in Seattle and ready for the weekend.

Our first welcome surprise was the Edgewater Hotel. WOW! What a place. We didn't learn until we got there how much history there was with famous visitors. We were struck by the modern lodge look and the location, literally, on the edge and over the water. These are just a few pics, and they don't do it justice. The trip was off to a great start.

For Day 1, we did a Sights and Bites of Seattle City tour. The tour ended up being private, and we had a very talkative Seattle native who had tons of stories built up in his 70+ years. Dave was thrilled to begin his seafood extravaganza, and the lunch break did not disappoint.

We got to check out all the famous landmarks, and we got to enjoy that famous Seattle weather. :)

We also got to see the very first Starbucks. Unfortunately, the line was just a wee bit long to partake.

After the tour and a little R&R, it was game time! Luckily they closed the roof due to sprinkles that were still around, but it was still a wee bit chillier than our usual baseball experience. The Rangers, unfortunately, didn't get a win for us. But, we got to enjoy seeing the boys and check out Safeco.

For our last full day in the city, we chose a winery/falls tour. We got to visit a boutique winery, then Chateau St. Michelle (the largest winery in the area), followed by a visit to Snoqualmie Falls and a gourmet chocolatier. These folks know their wine! We learned that Washington is only second to California in U.S. wine production, and we sampled some really fantastic wines. We also got to see our first big waterfall, and it didn't disappoint. Truly beautiful, and the chocolate on the way home rounded out a decadent day.

So, NW mini-vacay number one was a success. We can't wait to take advantage of the proximity of Portland, San Francisco, Yellowstone, and more. And, since all good getaways eventually must come to an end, the best part was coming home to Boise. 

50 Reasons We Love Idaho - Part 3 (The Nos)

Hi again, and Happy Easter to all! Sorry for the absence from blogging. The sun started shining here, and I have suddenly become very busy outside. But, I didn't want too much time to lapse before getting back to the list I started. So.... back to it.

When coming up with our 50 reasons we love Idaho list, we definitely came up with some reasons we love it here because of the absence of a few things. So, to keep the list interesting, here are "The Nos."

No Tornadoes
I know all you native Texans are with me on the muscle memory we all developed at a very young age for the good old "duck and cover." When I tell people here how, every Spring, Dave got the closet ready for the inevitable tornado warnings, they look at me like I have two heads. They think we occasionally got tornadoes (like a couple in a lifetime), but they didn't realize this was a yearly event (at least the hiding and waiting it out part). Luckily, there are no tornadoes in Idaho, and I'm pretty glad that I'm not yet familiar with the inner workings of the closet at our house.

No Fire Ants
I firmly believe that the last two houses we owned in Allen were sitting atop the world's largest fire ant mound. Seriously. Every single Spring when it came time to plant some new flowers and tidy up the garden, we inevitably had to wage war on the unwelcome visitors and tend to those stingy bumps for a day or two. Even poor Sydney couldn't escape them. Enjoy your new victims fire ants; you win!

No Traffic
This is definitely a weird one, especially since I've been back to Texas a few times and can already tell I'm getting used to not having to factor in traffic every time I get in the car. Going to a Rangers game... will that take 45 minutes? 90? More? Trying to head downtown to try out a different place to eat. Could be 30... oh wait, it's Friday... nevermind. That's just what I was used to after nearly 40 years in Texas. Boise is a "small town city." This means that everything I need is either 15 minutes or 30, and that's it. If we want to go into the mountains or on a day trip, the time suggested on the GPS is actually the time it's going to take to get there. No long stretches counting the cars, watching for brake lights, oh, and listening to Dave's colorful road rage language.

No Wind
I know I've already covered tornadoes, but luckily, the likelihood of having your property damaged by one isn't an every year occurrence. However, the crazy gale force winds are likely and did seem to plague us every year. Chaise lounges could be found sunk to the bottom of the pool, fences were downed around the neighborhood, pool floats took flight... this on an "average" Spring day. During the first month we lived here, there was actually a wind advisory as part of the weather forecast. We battened down the hatches; in this, we have experience! Wow... we walked outside, and Idaho's version of a wind advisory is a light breeze. Apparently, they aren't used to a lot of wind around here. That experience produced a nice chuckle and a little silent thank you.

No Celebration Park
Let me explain a little more on this one. Having Celebration Park (a large park and soccer field) less than 1 mile from my house in Allen was a truly welcome reprieve from the neighborhood running and dog walks we had before its existence. HOWEVER, that was my only reprieve! So, after 7 years, running the loop at Celebration became, shall we say, mind numbing. My big treat was to trek the 35 (or 90 -- see traffic item) minutes to White Rock Lake for a long run and a change of scenery. I believe I have only done the same running route 2 times since living here, and I run about 3 x a week. Definitely enjoying the variety.

No Interstate Highway Driving
This one sort of belongs under traffic, but at the same time, it deserved its own spot, since I've never ever lived in a place that didn't involve spending a ton of time on the highway. There is basically one highway going through Boise, Highway 84. And, we never take it. Other than an actual road trip to another city, we can get to all the shopping, eating, airport, even mountain destinations, without taking the highway. They do have to find ways to fill the space on news and radio programs, since the traffic segments are so short with only one highway to report on. They usually fill it with reports on herds crossing the roads and blocking traffic (but that's another post). :)

No "Chris Chris"
For those who listen to 1310 The Ticket, you know what the term Chris Chris means. :) If you don't, let's just say it's the 35K millionaire that some parts of Dallas are known for. It seems like every time a new restaurant or shopping area opened up, it was filled with over priced restaurants that were filled with cougars on the prowl, leased sports cars and an overall vibe that just didn't feel very genuine, especially since many of the suburbs (including Allen) used to have a more small town vibe. I can certainly enjoy a nice dinner out, and those restaurants exist in Boise for sure, but the culture is just a little different. The cougars tend to stick to the mountains around here.

No Heat Advisories
During my very first hair appt in Boise, the hairdresser was intrigued by the fact that we'd relocated and had tons of questions for me and was very happy to fill me in on the ins and outs of Boise. When we talked about weather and the seasons, she "warned" me that the summers can get "really hot." Apparently, during those months, people take a jaunt up to the mountains where it's about 20 degrees cooler at any given time. So, I asked... "what's hot?" Her response... "wow, on some days... not a lot mind you, just maybe 1 or 2 in August, it can reach 90." Enough said.

No Humidity
The last two items on the list go hand in hand with heat, but man, do they deserve their own spot, since they are so tough to get used to and live through in the summer. Humidity and heat combined certainly make for that "walking in hot soup" feeling I got very used to over the years, especially during summer runs. And, I recall many people who were not from Texas talking so much about the humidity, and how different a "dry" climate is. I really didn't get it at the time, but boy do I get it now. I haven't gone through a summer here yet, but just during the Winter, the lack of humidity made it so different to stay active during the colder months. Will the hair scene improve as well? That remains to be seen.

No Summer Shutdowns
And lastly, as so many of us from Texas are aware, now is the time that our "summer" starts... meaning the time to be outside and enjoy yourself starts about now through early July (if we're lucky). From there, it's time to head indoors, come out only in the early morning hours, and just generally stay safe. What we are experiencing in Boise is that many "summer" activities don't start until, can you believe it, June. The summer months are actually when the weather gets warm enough to be on the lake, float the river, and enjoy the high elevation hikes. I'll be interested to see what it's like to spend so much time outside in August. Poor Dave... he'll have to take me on some birthday hikes from now on, rather than shopping in the A/C. I wonder what's worse?

So, there's the no list. Since I know pics make blogs more fun to read, here are some of our recent activities. Dave's fishing, my hiking and our good times outdoors. Until next time!

Our first visitors!

If you're keeping up with the Why We Love Idaho list, hold that thought until next time. There's a more important topic to talk about this time ... we had our first visitors! This is going to be a good one, because I've even included a guest blogger.

Before we get into the details of the super fun weekend we had with the Andersons, let me start by looking back a little bit at our time in Texas. We never really had many overnight guests when we lived in Allen. This was due, in large part, to the fact that we had all our friends and family close by. Other than the occasional post-pool party sleepovers, there really wasn't much need. So, our guest room (and my desire to make yummy breakfasts for guests) pretty much languished. As we made plans for our big move, we certainly spread the word that we wanted visitors, and plenty of them, to come check out our new home town. When we unpacked the new house, we were sure to set up the guest room pronto. Well, my BFF Nancy and her hubs Steve stepped up to the plate. We learned in mid-February that they would be making a visit, so the planning began! With everyone so busy, February went by fast, and the visit was upon us. We were hoping for good weather and good times and we got that and much, much more. So, I'll tell you a little bit about it (and share some pics) from my perspective, and then I'll let you hear it from Nancy herself.

Our first order of business after airport pick up and a fun lunch in Hyde Park was to show Nancy and Steve the beauty of Idaho by taking them on a scenic drive. This drive starts in Eastern Boise, heads Northeast, then West, then back south to Eagle. We had really great, sunny weather (and we'd practiced the sometimes-harrowing drive once ourselves), so we set out on our adventure, and the views didn't disappoint. We got to take some fun breaks to get a closer look too.

And this was our reward... 

On Day 2, we decided to really experience the mountain with some fun tubing and lunch at the lodge. We had another sunny day, and we enjoyed feeling like kids again as we came up with new configurations for heading down the tubing hill. (I can't help it that I prefer to go down on a tube, as opposed to by the seat of my ski pants -- the outcome when I ski.)

It didn't take long before the boys decided skiing needed to be on the agenda. So, they got suited up and headed out together. I have to say major kudos to Steve for picking it up so easily and making me wonder why I have such skiing deficiencies. Go Steve!

While the boys skied; what did we do you say? BFF checklist: 1. Serious chatting and catch up - check. 2. Watching the skiers and taking in the beauty of the mountain - check. 3. Having a little hot cocoa - check. 4. Making our way into the bar for some vino - check. Well, you get the idea. We had some fun too!

As our last full day approached, we ignored the end of trip blues that were mounting and spent time exploring Boise, eating a yummy lunch downtown, and, Steve and I tackled Camel's Back park hill together. Let's just say that the reason for the lack of pics that day is due to the severe amount of recovery required after that fete, but we did it! Steve - I think there's still a cough or two lingering from that one. So glad we did it together.

After our fun weekend together, it wasn't goodbye, but until next time (hopefully this summer). I wanted you to hear someone else's perspective of Boise, so I asked my fabulous BFF if she would mind writing a few paragraphs. What you'll read below is the reason she's so special to me. So, here's to our guest blogger, Mrs. Anderson:

When Brandi and Dave told us they were moving to Idaho, we were about as excited as we get when we have to visit the DMV; not so much. But it’s a free world and hey, if that’s what these crazy kids wanted to do, then who were we to try to dissuade them? Besides, there were plenty of other people who were already working that angle.

Turns out that the crazy kids were actually onto something rather special. Ok, better than special. Snow-capped mountains: check. Romantic rolling hills, reminiscent of a Western movie: check. Great restaurants, nearby snow-skiing, caribou: check, check, check. I don’t mean to diss my beloved Texas, but I was kind of ready to move to Boise by the end of the second day.

I can’t say that there was one single aspect that I loved the best. For me, it was the combination of the amazing scenery and the convenience of nice restaurants and culture. Though we got only a small taste of everything that Brandi’s been going on-and-on about, I could tell there was plenty to keep a person busy. I don’t think it would be such a great place if you didn’t enjoy the outdoors, but if I lived there I would want to be hiking and soaking in the beauty as often as possible. Steve loved the skiing (so nice to be able to drive only 45 minutes to the ski area) and I know he’d love to go back and do some mountain biking.

Do I miss my best friend? Absolutely. But the upside is seeing how happy David and Brandi are in their new home and having an awesome place to visit. As long as the Foxes live in Boise, there will be a little piece of me that can call Idaho home.

50 Reasons We Love Idaho - Part 2

Welcome back! I'm glad I kept you interested enough to stay tuned for part 2 of the 50 Reasons We Love Idaho list. I'm sitting in my office chair with a knee wrap today, because, as usual, I had a very fun and active weekend and got some great ideas for the list. So, here we go ...

11. City hiking
So I know hiking has already been on the list, but for this mention, I want to talk about city hiking. City hiking meaning that we can go to downtown Boise and start a fairly advanced 2-mile hike, see breathtaking views at the summit, and then make our way down and to a nice, downtown lunch within minutes from the trail head. Of course, there are tons of hiking trails in some of the more remote areas outside of town, but the opportunity to hike right in the city has been a great, unexpected bonus that I plan to take serious advantage of (even if D protests).

12. Dog-friendly culture
Considering I like dogs more than most people, I have been pleased to see how dog friendly Idaho is. As the weather is warming up and folks are heading outside, there is pretty much at least one or more dog with every family, couple or individual we see. There were tons of sweet doggies enjoying the hike along with us last weekend (and doing a much better job at it, I might add), and there are dog treats, water dishes and goodies scattered around most stores and restaurants. It warms my heart to see all the four-legged love. This one is also Sydney approved!

13. Idaho wine
Having spent two weeks in Italy last summer, I have been pretty loyal to Italian wine of late, so when Dave and I made plans to hit up a local winery for our Val Day dinner last weekend, I wasn't sure what to expect. Our dinner included a tour of the winery, along with a four-course meal with wine pairings. Wow; I was in love about half-way through the tour! The quality of the wines, and the process by which this small winery harvests the grapes, ages in french oak barrels and prides itself on local sourcing was only topped by the straight from the barrel samplings. Oh my! I cannot wait to partake in more Idaho wine.

14. Mountain biking
As if skiing and hiking aren't enough to keep us challenged, we have noticed how prevalent mountain biking is in the area. Dave has been doing his research and bought his first mountain bike last weekend. We're both excited to get outfitted for a new hobby and try out some of the beginner hills to get our feet wet. If only I were about 20 years younger -- ouch.

15. Hot springs
You cannot have all this activity without the need for a little recuperation. So, when we heard about a new Hot Springs resort opening up in Idaho City, we jumped at the chance to rest our weary bones and check it out. There are several public and commercial hot springs on the outskirts of Boise, and this one definitely didn't disappoint.

16. State Parks
When we registered our Jeep, we learned of an additional park pass we could add for $10 a year that would get us into any Idaho State Park for free. We have learned that this is going to be quite a deal, because there are over 30 state parks. We actually have one, Eagle Island, about 7 miles from our house. Lucky Peak State Park is also nearby, located just outside of Boise.

17. Locally-owned restaurants
Well, we're almost at the end of part 2, so it's time to start mentioning the food. Since Boise is obviously small compared to the DFW area, we were wondering a bit whether we'd have a lot of good food choices. What we've learned is, not only are there great choices, but there are a ton of locally-owned restaurants. No more onslaught of chains! In Eagle, we have a very quaint downtown area with a few really good options. This one in particular has been a mainstay for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They serve up yummy food and have live music on the weekends.

18. Coffee hang outs
Anyone from the Northwest is probably well aware of how popular the coffee shop is for partaking just about any time of day. It warms you up on a cold day and is a great place to chill and listen to music or meet other people. We have three locally-owned shops just in Eagle, and they are plentiful around Boise. So far, Rembrandt's right here in Eagle is our favorite. The interior decor and vibe makes you want to get creative, and the Mexican Mocha Latte is to die for!

19. Lots of photo ops
When it's time for my phone upgrade, I definitely plan to do some research on the phone's camera, as the volume of picture taking has drastically increased since my move. Dave is really the photographer in the family, and I look forward to framing some of the landscape photos he's been taking. Here he is in action last weekend.

20. Boise National Forest
After our trip to the Hot Springs, Dave and I decided to take advantage of the fact that we were basically already at the edge of the Boise National Forest. There's actually a loop that takes you from Boise, Northeast into the forest, then West back out of the forest and south to Eagle. What a drive! The narrow, winding road was carved right into the forest and mountains. I don't think I blinked for almost two hours. The two main roads we took are aptly named: the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Route and The Payette River National Scenic Byway. Here's a little more data:

The Boise National Forest is a US national forest located north and east of the city of Boise, Idaho. It is about 2,654,000 acres (10,740 km²) in size, ranging in elevation from 2,600 to 9,800 feet (800 to 3000 m). 

So, there you have it, 10 more reasons we love Idaho. Stay tuned for part 3 of the list, which I'm titling "the No-s." It'll be a fun one.