East to Weston (the Original): September 2006

27 September 2006

support your local sheriff

Because I was raised by my father, I was raised with a deep and abiding appreciation for 60s Western humor. And so, I come from a family where every last one of us can quote a good portion of Support Your Local Sheriff. It stars James Garner as a cowboy just passing through town, "on his way to Australia," who ends up becoming the town sheriff. Its definitely a must-watch for anyone who's never seen it.

One of the great quotes of the movie is the very first line of the movie. The opening scene is a funeral and there are about 10 people out in the desert surrounding a grave. And one man gives this eulogy:

“We are gathered here today to consign the mortal remains of Millard Frymore... or whatever his name really was. I ain't really got a whole lot to say about Millard because he only rode amongst us two days ago, and was promptly struck down by whatever deadly disease it was struck him down. We can only hope that whatever deadly disease it was, it wasn't particularly contagious. And with that in mind, I suggest we all bow our heads in devout prayer.”

What follows is equally sacrilegious as gold is spotted by one of the mourners, and subsequently fought over, INSIDE poor Millard's grave.

You have to see it now, don't you?

Posted by hjw at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

25 September 2006

anza-borrego desert state park

On our way back to San Diego from Julian on Saturday, we stopped at a spot that overlooked the Anza-Borrego state park, a beautiful desert landscape. These are a few pictures we took. I know a lot of people don't find the desert beautiful, but Caleb and I love the desert (well, as my aunt pointed out is usually true, we love the right kind of desert). The desert is wide open space, its own big-sky country, with a wild and even harsh beauty all its own (if there is such a thing). We didn't head down into the desert on this day, but we enjoyed the view for a while.

Caleb and I with the desert behind us.

The desert, the view no longer blocked by Caleb and I.

I just thought this was a cool picture. There is a plaque at the bottom of the cross that reads

Desert View Park

Donated by

Mrs. Marshal D. Terry

Mosler Brothers

Col. Ed Fletcher

I don't know who they are, but they're probably desert lovers too.

Posted by hjw at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

jon the master builder

While in San Diego this weekend my brother Jon took us on a tour of the house he's been overseeing the remodel of for the past six months. Its really quite an amazing home, and I'm so impressed with Jon! (Not that he was unimpressive before.) He's done a lot of it himself, and it is truly master craftsmanship.

Now, in the pictures below however, you will see the style of the homeowner, which is ... different, we'll say. The house looks like something pulled straight off the plains of Mexico, with its bright colors and rounded architecture. But its really quite an amazing home, and I hope I get to see the finished product (they're hoping to finish by Thanksgiving).

This is the orange living room with a turquoise niche in the wall.

This is the master bedroom closet .... which I wish to high heaven was mine. I had Caleb stand in there so later, when we're filthy rich, we can refer to exactly the kind of closet size I was looking for.

This is a mosaic that is on the wall in the downstairs guest bathroom. The walls are painted in ocean hues and it literally feels like you're under water. Its actually very cool.

This is Jon in the back yard. He designed all the brickwork in the floor, which you can't really see from this picture, but its a very cool design.

This is Caleb and I standing in the framed doorway from the back yard to the side yard. Its very orange.

Posted by hjw at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

a day in julian, california

This last weekend Caleb and I went down to San Diego for a mini-vacation. We left after work on Friday and arrived at my Uncle Dave and Aunt Jean's house around 10. Their home would serve as our Bed & Breakfast for the weekend. And it actually kind of was! We slept in on Saturday morning and then just sat around and chatted with Jean and Dave. After we got ourselves showered and ready we spent the rest of the afternoon driving up to Julian and wandering its quaint Main Street. We ate at a soda fountain restaurant (see first picture below), where we were served GIANT meals. So we walked around town for a bit to work some of that off before we tried some world famous pie from the Julian Pie Company. It was definitely some of the best pie I'd ever eaten.

That night Jon and Julie came up to Jean and Dave's and we watched the USC game, during which we ate a fabulous dinner made by Jean (the boys were forced to leave the TV for the meal). Then it was back to the TV where we caught several other games, both football and baseball. It was quite the "game night."

On Sunday we spent time at Jon and Julie's hanging out, eating another huge meal (this time from a local BBQ place they love, and for good reason), and we saw the house remodel Jon's been working on for the past six months. It was really good to get some time with them. Then on our way back up home we stopped by Bob and Beth's in San Clemente for a couple hours (Caleb's aunt and uncle).

We didn't make it home until after 9:30 Sunday night, but the weekend was a good one. We got to see a host of people we've been meaning to see for a while, and had some good mini-vacation time of our own.

Enjoy the pictures below!

Caleb under the sign where we ate lunch.

Ah ... the famous Julian Pie Company.

Caleb eating his apple pie.

I had a piece of boysenberry apple crumb pie. Mmmmmmm.

Posted by hjw at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

22 September 2006

a night at the bowl

On Saturday evening, September 16, Caleb and I went to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. We had such a fun evening. We packed a picnic dinner in our new picnic backpack we got from Lucas and Christie for the wedding. It kept everything cold!After hitting more traffic than we thought we would, we finally arrived at the L.A. Zoo around 6. From there we were picked up by a Bowl shuttle that carried us the rest of the way up to the theater.

With blankets and picnic in hand we headed up toward our seats, found a spot just outside the entrance, and set up our dinner on the curb, among hundreds of other Bowl picnickers. Our dinner was complete with fancy sandwiches, potato salad, fruit, chips, homemade cookies and sparkling cider.

We got to our seats about 45 minutes before the actual concert started and enjoyed just people watching as the 18,000-person capacity theater slowly filled up.

The concert itself turned out to be one of the conductor's farewell concerts. John Mauceri has been the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra conductor for 16 years, but is leaving to take a post at a school back east. He talked quite a bit during the show, summing up what its been like to live in L.A. and conduct the orchestra for so long. He was extremely well spoken with a great sense of humor. Then, our show included a wide variety of numbers, including some new compositions never performed before. We heard an opera singer sing a couple songs from Candide (she was one of my favorite parts of the night). There was a ballet performed by members of the Joffrey Ballet. And of course, Miss Piggy and Kermit each did a couple songs. The show "ended" with a fireworks show. Only, as all great concerts are never really over when they end, there were several encores. The night was only over when he walked back on stage only to take the concertmaster backstage with him.

It was a fun night with great music, good food, and my favorite company. A night at the Hollywood Bowl has started to become a tradition for our summers (last summer we saw a John Williams concert), and I look forward to going again next summer!

Posted by hjw at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

they made us believe there was a chance

Here we are in our Angels red!

A couple weeks ago Caleb and I scored awesome first-base-line tickets to an Angels vs. Orioles game (see pict. #2 for proof of seat awesomeness). We had such a blast ... the seats were front row in the first balcony, and padded! There were menues and waitresses to take orders and bring us stuff! We personally didn't 'cause we'd eaten hot dogs at home before we left, but STILL. We could have if we'd wanted to.

What made this game an extra special one to have good seats for was that it was won by the Angels in the bottom of the 10th inning with a walk-off three-run homerun by my personal favorite, Adam Kennedy. In an instant the entire crowd was on their feet cheering and all the players ran on to the field to dog pile Kennedy. And our faith in the 2002 World Series champions was restored. It was one of the most exciting baseball games of the season, and we got to be there!

We're going to a game next week, Angels vs. A's. If the Angels had only CONTINUED to play well since that Orioles series, the game might have counted for something. But, since the A's are umpteen games ahead of the Angels in the race for the pennant, it looks like next week's game will probably be practice for next season. And, we'll be back in the nosebleed section, using oxygen tanks and a sherpa just to get to our seats. But there are six of us going, and we'll make it fun. There's just nothing more apple pie-American than going to a baseball game.

Posted by hjw at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments

21 September 2006

a new look

As you can see, I've been playing around with my blog, completely changing the look of it. I'm awfully sorry if you preferred the green and black "eden" design that I had before, but I thought this one suited me a little better. I love brown, and I love parchment paper (who doesn't?), and I love bookmarks (even though I rarely use a real one, often substituting a receipt or Kleenex instead). So this design seemed a more perfect way to go. Besides, I'm one of those people who would rearrange my furniture regularly if it were practical (and my husband were willing to help) ... I love to try new looks to things, rearrange and reorganize. However, and I'm sure my husband would agree, changing around the look of my blog is a much happier and less sweaty pursuit. Anyway, I hope you like the new look.

Posted by hjw at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

20 September 2006

my own eulogy

Last night my poor husband had to sit next to me on the couch while I cried through the entire one-hour memorial service for Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter. Even today I can't get it out of my head (of course, it doesn't help that the memorial service is headline news on every major news site this morning). Now, admittedly, I'm an emotional person, and crying is something that hits me pretty easily. On the wrong day I'll cry at a sad song on the radio or a silly TV commercial about a dad taking his daughter on a business trip.

Even so, I never knew Steve Irwin personally. I've never been to Australia or to his zoo. In fact, in the last couple years my dedication to his show has waned, and I've started finding other Animal Planet shows I prefer (please don't tell). And yet his death has been so sad. What was it about this particular man that touched the hearts of so many worldwide, and made me actually cry in sadness over his death? He was a lunatic: jumping into crocodile-infested waters head first, grabbing poisonous snakes by the tail, and chasing giant Komodo Dragons down the beach. His untimely death was something we should have expected on a daily basis, and yet somehow he seemed invincible. His antics were pure lunacy, and yet somehow endearing. Its so ironic that his death was caused by a usually docile and gentle creature, while filming a kids show, no less. And like Russell Crowe himself said last night in a tribute, its simply unfair.

But there's something more about who Steve Irwin was that touched the world. Yes, he was crazy. But his passion and his enthusiasm were centered. His lunacy was focused. He was exactly who he seemed to be: a passionate family man, a man truly fascinated by the world around him, and wholly interested in saving and building and preserving it. I'm not a big Kevin Costner fan (well, except for Dances with Wolves and Field of Dreams), but he summed it up pretty well in saying Steve Irwin was brave enough to show the world who he really was. And that is a hard thing to do in a day and age of microscopic scrutiny of our very beings. It was these qualities that helped him effect some real changes on an international scale. It was these qualities that endeared him to people on an international scale.

And so I wonder if each of us found in Steve Irwin a little bit of who we'd like to be. Enthusiastic, passionate, real, and a little bit crazy. He captured the imagination of the world while he taught us to love the crocodiles and the snakes and the lizards. He was truly a remarkable man. And even though I didn't know him, it still feels like we've lost a friend.

There is another side of Steve Irwin's death that has struck a chord within me. Steve's death was untimely, and really, it was unfair. Death from a stingray's sting is highly unusual; how ironic that it should kill a man who daily wrestled crocodiles and snakes. He was only 44, and left behind a wife and two young children (the ones for whom my heart truly grieves). For me, it's a reminder to live life well, and to live it well today, because we don't know what tomorrow might hold.

That's one of the things that made him unique ... he never wasted a day of his life. And maybe that's another quality he had that the rest of us envy a little. He DID live his life fully, he made every day count, and so even at just 44, he leaves behind an amazing worldwide legacy. Steve's family, his friends, will never have to wonder what he truly cared about or how he felt about them. And that is a blessing indeed. Wouldn't we all like to do the same? Today is the day to go after the thing we've only been dreaming about, today is the day to jump into the croc-infested waters head first. Yes, we might crack a rib or break a finger, but what if it's the last chance we have? (Please excuse my cheesy analogies.) Today is the day to go after the things we're passionate about, the things we believe in, the things we might be nervous about doing. Because there might not be a tomorrow.

The one main thing left nagging about all this is I have no idea if Steve ever wrestled with God. A friend of Amy's insists Terri is a Christian because she grew up at the same church in Oregon as he did. But a belief in God was never real evident, at least through the TV shows and interviews I've seen. Hopefully, Terri at least has that in the back of her head somewhere, and in her time of grief that somehow she can find and cling to Him. I only pray that through Steve's death, God does amazing things in the lives of his family, and all who knew him.

Posted by hjw at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

18 September 2006

the babies are here!

Caleb and I are are now Uncle Caleb and Aunt Heidi!

Friday night Lucas and Christie decided to go to the hospital when Christie's stomach ache seemed only to be getting worse. Well, her bad stomach ache turned out to be pre-eclempsia, and the doctors decided it was time for her babies to make their faces known to the world. Within just a couple hours of arriving at the hospital she'd been prepped for surgery and taken to the O.R. Both Lucas and Christie's mom were able to be in the operating room, and she gave birth to two healthy baby boys. Conrad Robert came first, weighing in at 5 lb 4 oz, and Burke Edward followed him just a minute later, weighing in at 5 lb 11 oz. The babies are technically premature, so they're being held in the NICU for now, just down the hall from Christie's room, where she's recovering from the C-section. Under the condition that we scrubbed our arms clean until they bled, we got to go in and see them for ourselves yesterday afternoon. What an honor. I can't wait to get to actually hold them for myself.

Conrad will most likely get to go home with mom when she's released on Thursday. Burke will spend a little more time in the hospital than Conrad, as he's still learning to breathe right, but that shouldn't take long and he'll be home in no time.

Congratulations Lucas and Christie! We're absolutely thrilled.

(I was a retard and didn't take pictures myself yesterday, but you can see the dublets for yourself at their website: http://www.dublets.blogspot.com/. Or you can click on the link at the right, The Dublets.)

Posted by hjw at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

10 September 2006

welcome to the family!

Well, we have another wedding on the way! Yesterday, my brother David proposed to his girlfriend Rachel, and she said yes! As we all knew she would. We got to sit last night and hear David tell the whole story of his own nervousness, which of course lasted up until the very moment he finally popped the question. They had a long day yesterday, but are living in lots of happiness now. The wedding is planned for next Summer.

What's so fun about this wedding, as so many weddings in this family before it, is that David and Rachel are MADE for each other. They're perfect for each other, and there isn't a doubt in anyone's mind that they belong together. She also fits into the family perfectly already, and I'm excited to add another sister to the fold. Its a great match and an exciting beginning. Congratulations David and Rachel!

Its been so fun to watch this family grow. First we added Julie when Jon got married, then Caleb when I got married, and now Rachel, all within just a couple years. I don't imagine it will be too long before Amy finds her own perfect match, and some of these other couples start bringing children of their own into the family. Its a fun new phase in the Hammer family world, and I'm loving watching it grow. For now, we'll focus on getting David and Rachel properly hitched. It should be a blast.

Posted by hjw at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

09 September 2006

yay for vacation!

This morning Caleb and I went to Long Beach to visit Amy, see her apartment and have breakfast. Something she and Esther said in passing this morning has kind of stuck with me. They've decided to treat weekends like vacation. Amy woke up this morning at 7 and the first thing she said to herself was, "Oooh, its vacation!" You do things differently when you're on vacation. You watch a movie first thing in the morning (like Amy did this morning), you read a book, wander through a book store or go to a museum. You relax more. You don't think so much about having to go back to work on Monday. And so I've decided to take to heart Esther and Amy's new take on weekends.

So again, today is Saturday, and tomorrow is Sunday, my own personal 2-day vacation. We went out to breakfast, took a nap, and now I'm sitting and watching Animal Planet in the middle of the day. Caleb's sitting beside me playing Warcraft. Later I'm going to a spa product party at Dorie's, and tonight we're having dessert at Mom and Dad's. Dad just got back from an 11-day backpack yesterday, so I'm looking forward to hearing his stories. Tomorrow we'll go to church, and then ... who knows? We're on vacation, we'll do whatever strikes our fancy at the time. I might even eat ice cream for lunch and then take another nap.

Yay for Vacation!

Posted by hjw at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments

06 September 2006

four-month anniversary

Caleb and I were married four months ago today. I realize that the word "anniversary" literally indicates the passing of an entire year. However, I am convinced that when you're talking about your first year of marriage, each month, in a way, is full of enough stuff to last most people a year. So we've decided that for the first year, we get to celebrate every month. The learning curve has been steep, with more changes than I'll probably experience each year of the rest of my life.

Don't believe me? Well, let me explain. Just two weeks before I got married I quit my job (a rather traumatic experience on its own) and started a new one. I put in five days before taking the two weeks off for the wedding and honeymoon. I concluded four months of hectic wedding planning, I got married, went on a honeymoon to Canada (where we were both sick), then on my return home, I moved. And I moved in with a man, no less. I'd never lived with a man before. Then, just a week after moving I went to the social security office and the DMV and changed my name. I was no longer a Hammer, but a Weston. Even four months later sometimes I forget. Those first couple months of marriage were filled with fixing up the condo, getting used to a new job, shopping and cooking for two, combining our finances and our DVDs, coordinating schedules between families and friends. And then to add to the flurry of change, Caleb's grandmother got sick. After six weeks in the hospital she finally succumbed to pancreatic cancer and a paralyzed stomach. I don't think I realized until it was over just how draining that was. And now, just as things seem to be settling a little, we're heading into October, a big birthday month, and then the holidays.

All the while we're getting used to living with each other, being in each other's business all the time, leaving our stuff out in the other person's way, dealing with way different sleeping schedules (he only needs about 6 hours and is a morning person, I do best on 9 and I ... well ... I don't do mornings), and we still don't know just what color to paint the study. We still need to finish combining our finances and knowing what bills the other person is paying, the study still isn't really usable, the guest toilet simply does not want to be fixed, and I think the bouganvilla is going to die. We've missed friends who've been in town for short times and there are people we haven't contacted since the wedding that I'm sure think we got married and MOVED to Canada. To each of you, and you know who you are, I promise the dust will settle .... eventually.

However, for all its stress and change and chaos, getting married has been the best thing I have ever done. First of all, I married my best friend, the man of my dreams. And with each month, week, even day, that passes, I find myself even more smitten by the man I now get to come home to every day. Overriding the challenges that newlywedhood has brought on is a love that truly surpasses everything. Its amazing. I don't want to get too mushy here in this public place, but Caleb is truly the best thing that's ever happened to me. I love and appreciate him more each day, and continue to be awed by his sincere care and love for me. Its the very love every girl dreams about her whole life. And here I get to have it, every day, for as long as God lets us walk this earth. I feel nothing but truly blessed. I am blessed far beyond anything I have ever earned or deserve. Ever. And yet here I am, living the fairy tale ... Yes, its a fairy tale, even though there are paint colors to be chosen and the plants are dying and I can't shop as frivolously as I used to. I wouldn't change a thing. I love being married to the right man at the right time.

I'm embarrassed to say the following quotation actually comes from Ann Landers, but its still very true of my life right now: "If you have love in your life it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don't have it, no matter what else there is, it's not enough." I know we've only been married four months, and the years ahead will teach us so much more, but I know that Caleb and I will always be there for each other, to help the other reach heights previously out of reach, to encourage each other to things we wouldn't have dared before. I look forward to my life with him. It will be a life full of love, and I am truly a believer that with love, we can accomplish anything.

Posted by hjw at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

03 September 2006

the crocodile hunter

By the time any of you read this blog entry, you'll probably have already learned about the death of the famed Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. My brother David first introduced us to Steve Irwin about 10 years ago, and our whole family has followed him ever since. He always seemed so invincible, tempting fate and flirting with death on a daily basis as he tackled crocodiles and handled deadly snakes. All the while we were more entertainted than we'd ever been by a guy explaining to us the formerly-boring world of reptiles. As it turns out his demise came about while filming an underwater documentary, by a stingray wound. I only learned about his death a few minutes ago, and that article was only written about 10 minutes before I read it, so we'll all be learning a lot more in the coming days. As crazy as he was, we never thought his antics would actually lead to his end. He was Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, invincible.

As we learn more, our hearts go out to his wife and kids. I don't doubt his loss will be felt the world over. And I know it sounds incredibly cheesy, but I'm actually going to miss him. And whether you admit it or not, you know you're going to miss him too.

Posted by hjw at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

02 September 2006

not-so-little miracles

This is Debbie and Ashya Marie Hupp, central characters in a recent miracle that took place right here in our hometown of Fullerton, California. This picture was taken the first week Ashya was at home, which was three months after she was born. Ashya was not content just hanging out in Debbie's womb, so she decided to make her presence known to the world about 3 months early, weighing in at just under 2 pounds. The tiniest premie diapers almost covered the entire lower half of her body. Soon after delivery she was ushered into an incubator in the NICU at St. Jude's Hospital, where she would spend the next 2 1/2 months. Maybe if Ashya had known that, she'd have stayed warm and cozy inside Deb a little longer. But I think her adventurous nature must have gotten the better of her. I only hope for Paul and Deb's sake, she's not as adventurous throughout life, or they've really got their work cut out for them.

This little, and yet no-so-little, hometown miracle leaves me in awe of God once again. The miracle of life is, in and of itself, a miracle. And yet Ashya decided to test things a little further, and make her start in life a little bit more ... dramatic. But she is no match for the mighty hand of God. And here she is, finally at home with Mom and Dad where she belongs. She weighs in at 5 pounds now, and has grown an inch in her first week at home!

God also took amazing care of Paul and Deb, first-time parents navigating a kind of parenthood most people don't experience in a lifetime. They were surrounded by friends and family who love them, and most importantly held up by a God who cares more deeply for them, and their little girl, than they can fathom. They weathered this storm with more grace and humility than most people handle getting caught in traffic.

We get to hang out withPaul and Deb this week, and I look forward to getting to hold this little miracle myself, and look full in the face of God's goodness, grace and love. It truly is an awesome God we serve.

Debbie has put together a video montage of Ashya's first few months. If you're interested in viewing, copy and paste the following link into your browser: http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=11d9ee4febe9eb0062b12c&skin_id=0&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=email

Posted by hjw at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

East to Weston (the Original)

You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles.