Wishing a wonderful holiday season to family and friends from Eugene. May 2009 see the many problems in our world replaced with blessings.
Despite the domestic and international crises, we'll remember this past year for a pair of positives. Both of the two highlights of our 2008 were connected to Washington DC. The first was the five weeks we spent there with Leah and Alex, Beth's brothers Lon and Bart's families and so many good friends. (Our post about that trip is below - for those with real stamina.)
And the second: the Presidential election, a proud moment for the US - whether you voted for Obama or not. We're hopeful of better times.
The election also gave us some of the lighter moments of the year. A New Yorker cartoon had a guy telling his companion, "I can't figure out if I'm a white man in a red state voting for a black candidate or a blue man in a white state voting for a green candidate." And Tina Fey's portrayal of Sara Palin was priceless.
Not necessarily connected to the election, Newsweek unintentionally amused us when, instead of just saying a source chooses to remain anonymous, they now add a reason like "discussing sensitive matters", "speaking about a private conversation", "for safety reasons", or even just "so he could speak freely". We were starting to make up ridiculous reasons ("because his hemorrhoids are inflamed" or "for fear talking about it would violate her parole") when in the Oct. 13 edition, Newsweek trumped all our fictitious attempts with this real one:
But, of course! Who would want to be cited telling the truth?
A few other things that made us laugh: naked and semi-nakedness from New Yorker
May you write 2009 on all your 2009 checks!
Love,
Beth and Jim
Here are a few photos that just scratch the surface of our September stay in DC.
Despite the domestic and international crises, we'll remember this past year for a pair of positives. Both of the two highlights of our 2008 were connected to Washington DC. The first was the five weeks we spent there with Leah and Alex, Beth's brothers Lon and Bart's families and so many good friends. (Our post about that trip is below - for those with real stamina.)
And the second: the Presidential election, a proud moment for the US - whether you voted for Obama or not. We're hopeful of better times.
The election also gave us some of the lighter moments of the year. A New Yorker cartoon had a guy telling his companion, "I can't figure out if I'm a white man in a red state voting for a black candidate or a blue man in a white state voting for a green candidate." And Tina Fey's portrayal of Sara Palin was priceless.
Not necessarily connected to the election, Newsweek unintentionally amused us when, instead of just saying a source chooses to remain anonymous, they now add a reason like "discussing sensitive matters", "speaking about a private conversation", "for safety reasons", or even just "so he could speak freely". We were starting to make up ridiculous reasons ("because his hemorrhoids are inflamed" or "for fear talking about it would violate her parole") when in the Oct. 13 edition, Newsweek trumped all our fictitious attempts with this real one:
A few other things that made us laugh: naked and semi-nakedness from New Yorker
May you write 2009 on all your 2009 checks!
Love,
Beth and Jim
Here are a few photos that just scratch the surface of our September stay in DC.
Greeted at the airport and escorted on the Metro by Leah, Alex, Jim E-B and Deb (who was the photographer.)
Deb (the photographer) toured the Silk Road much of the time we were in DC and while Jim E-B was in Eugene and Cyprus. 
Leah, Jim E-B, Debbie E-B and Beth.
First view of the Foggy Bottom apartment we're sharing with Deb and Jim.
Here's what the kitchen looked like before and after Debbie supervised the remodel by Adolfo and his crew. What an amazing transformation!!
Our workspaces and a bed test.
Leah, Jim E-B, Debbie E-B and Beth.
"Our" pigeons respect each others' personal space every morning on the apartment building across the street.
Beth on the roof of our apartment building with the Jefferson Memorial in the background and from the Jefferson Memorial back to the apartment.
Lon, Barb, Chris and Leah even brought a gourmet dinner to the apartment.
Nearly every day we connected with Leah at the apartment or near her office on F street.
Just a few blocks from the apartment, the Lincoln, Vietnam War, Korean War Memorials and a place to meet Nina (the lonely one), James and Bart for lunch at the WWII Memorial.
And later on the mall. They usually biked in from Arlington.
Za treated us to a wonderful dinner at Kinkeads in honor of Nina's birthday.
Nina and Bart hosted a Virghana party for the Virgo birthdays and Za's trip to Ghana.
Bart in his garden with Alex and in his greenhouse (aka Folly) with Jim.
Ginger, Kent and Owen added to the family on Sept. 10. Welcome to the Virgos Garrett (aka Turbo).
Leah, Alex, Hilda and Steve at our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Tonic. Thanks Alex!
At Bilbo Baggins in Alexandria with Alex, Hilda and Leah.
They saw the Eugene folks coming - and we really did have to use the only accessible entrance, the back delivery door.
Most days we went on some sort of explore - a museum, a neighborhood, etc. On this day we met Lon and Barb at the Newseum and Leah joined us for lunch.
We had welcome visits from great friends - Beth's University of Colorado buddies now living in Boston and New Jersey. And Jim's UNLV disk golf buddy, Neal, went to a Washington Nationals game with us.
Linda with her granddaughters Kelsey and Eleanor took great care of Kahlua and the Eugene house.
Eleanor loved Beth's food earrings.
Thanks to all who this a special trip and one we are determined to do again and again! You treated us like royalty and we can't tell you how much we appreciate it.
Nephew Marvin Naylor got married in November in North Dakota. We weren't able to make it but Beth put together her first blog in Marvin and Amy's honor. If you'd like to see it: http://bethnaylor.blogspot.com/
All the best,
Beth and Jim
All the best,
Beth and Jim
