Faeb's Fables

Absolutely necessary

2010-02-11T17:43:00.004-07:00

Yet again I've let technology get the best of me. I'm horribly behind on this blog. Let's see, here is a line by line update of our life in the past few months.

* Madeline turned 3 on the 18th of January !!! All day she asked when it was going to be her birthday. I think what she meant was, "If this is my birthday, where are my presents?"

*The very same day, Luke got laid off due to a significant decreased work load in his department. Shock, shock, shock. (Don't worry we've recovered nicely.)

* Two weeks later, I got a call from THE SILVERSTONE LIBRARY, the newest branch in Meridian, about an available position. Of course I responded with glee and amazement at the timing. I interviewed and waited a day for their decision.

I got it!!! I am now a library assistant 1. The work is perfect for me in amazing ways.
Good hours. Fantastic fellow staff. A daily sense of accomplishment and usefulness. Nice wages. A break from the house duties, (and a super husband who helps pick up the slack while I'm out.) I get to work with books and people at the same time, all while meeting a crucial community need, encouraging the love for learning. I love it!

*The only downside I can see is the significant reduction of time for crochet. But I get my crochet kicks in on my three days off. I have made since Christmas; one finished belt and two almost finished belts, a granny square scarf, two pairs of granny square slippers, a phone case, four hats, four headbands, and some flower adornments for one of my tank tops which will be sewed on sometime in the future. I'll talk to Luke about getting some pictures up here.

And now for a few cute side note.

I offer this as proof that he spends his time with nerd parents. On the way home the other night, Noah was imagining and wondering out loud what it would be like if there was a world made of books. According to him all the people would be made of books, including their feet and their shoes, and their hair, and they would eat books, and take book showers, and drive in book cars on book roads, and the clouds would send down books instead of rain. He was thrilled just thinking about it. We certainly encouraged him. As a final note to make it over the top cool he said, "And transformers would be real." There you have it.

Noah's story

2009-11-08T18:41:00.002-07:00

Noah wanted to post this story on our blog. He told it to me and I transcribed it.

Without further ado, here is Noah's story:

Firetrucks had a fire and the police came, too. Fire Department and one day the alarm set off and then they were speeding down the road. And then fire and they were speeding super fast. And then they had their siren on. And then the police, they think the house fire was started on purpose.

They came to see. And then the firemen shoot their water out. The house got put out.

-The End

Noah also wanted this picture to go with it:

Wedding pics!

2009-10-29T17:14:00.003-06:00

New Stuffs

2009-09-30T10:45:00.002-06:00

The other night in the car Noah said, "Can you tell me how the world works?" The kid is a hoot. He started preschool on Monday and loved it. The teacher reported that he repeatedly reminded her when she told him it was time for lessons, "I only came here to play." We had a good talk afterwards, mostly about how preschool was for work and play. Madeline is adjusting to having alone time with me. So far I think she likes it too but I can tell she wishes she could stay at preschool with Noah. Luke is staying afloat, barely, this week amidst deadlines and not enough time. And I, I am...trying to keep busy to pass the time. Wedding pictures are coming, I promise.

Back in the Swing of Things

2009-08-28T16:14:00.002-06:00

Don't look now, but I'm pretty sure life is just as chaotic post wedding glory. The school year for Luke has begun with a bang! Full time student, full time accounts payable clerk, fully time dad and new husband with a T.A. position on the side. I am back in the saddle as full time Danimum. Sure my title seems a lot simpler, but don't count me out of the madness and mayhem. Noah is attempting to grow up with out growing up and Madeline is enjoying the terror of being two. More to come at a later date...

NewlyWeds

2009-08-28T16:03:00.002-06:00

Its true! We're married. And the wedding week was a sensational recipe for exhaustion. We had so many friends and family in town to visit with; there was never a dull moment! Brittany, a mutual best friend of both Luke and I, and also the officiant at our wedding, flew in from Massachusetts especially for us. While here she waited for her luggage to arrive, made several late night trips to the store for essentials, got her "crook nook" rook pierced and did a fantabulous job making sure our special day was spectacular and smooth. We are forever grateful for her calming presence! Also in the line up of helpers was Ann, Crystal, and my sister, Alexis. We couldn't have done it with out you. Another special Eastern guest was Julie Z and her boyfriend Matt! They turned every party into a PAR-TAAAAAY!

There aren't any pictures with this post. If you haven't had your fill already, check out any of my friends' facebook albums. I promise to put the official ones on here once I have them in my own sweaty palms.

Tres Dias. Translation: Holy Cow, its finally here!

2009-08-17T11:05:00.002-06:00

I know we've neglected our readers, please don't judge us too harshly. We've been too awfully busy to post regularly. Rest assured, yet again, that when we get a chance we will post like crazy, pictures and all. We have a trip to the zoo, a 4th Birthday, and a wedding to share. Woo hoo. Whewww. Wiping of the brow.

There's No Place Like Home

2009-07-14T08:50:00.003-06:00

Just the like the Wizard of Oz, our trip was a journey full of ups and downs, including but not limited to our run in with the TSA, wake boarding attempts, trampoline time and a drum session, a bridal shower, (tiara included) ping pong, colder than cold Spokane nights in a camper, and a loss of all running water for a night and half a day. Woot! Three cheers for vacations from vacations! Hopefully down this yellow brick road there will be pictures to post from other sources because we forgot our memory card. :(

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My

2009-07-09T10:15:00.001-06:00

So this is it. Luke is about to meet the entire Staeb family at a reunion in Spokane. I've been looking forward to this for months and uber glad Luke has what it takes to come with me. Wish us luck. We'll have lots to share when we return, if we return that is.

I did it!

2009-06-30T11:27:00.004-06:00

I wanted something spectacular to report here. I wanted some event that would shake all my reader's boots. So I waited and waited for that spectacular boot shaking...and then I waited some more. Instead I have mildly amusing and informative report to give about the last month or so of the Faeb household.

1) Luke finished designing the invitations and we got a real steal when we had them printed at Kinko's. Here's a shout out to Tarrah's manager! She's great. Promptly following that escapade that really wasn't much of an escapade because they made it so easy for us, we celebrated at one of our habitual eateries, Raydean's. Shout out to the Turkey Melt and the Monte Cristo with the strawberry sauce! You never let us down.

2) I signed up for a six week ballet class for beginners on Monday evenings in July and August! Great work out and me time as the wedding approaches.

3) My girls, Ann and Caitlin, made a visit to Idaho and it was an extremely rejuvenating weekend full of butt gusting laughter, sharing time in our bathing suits basking pool side, and great food.

4) I realized I'm not ready to spend $70 on two cosmetic items. Buyer's remorse for sure. So I took them back and found the less expensive versions and I'm so happy with them.

5) Noah is showing signs of severe boredom. I can't wait for him to experience preschool this fall.

6) I'm growing more and more excited for the Staeb Family Reunion in Spokane. Less than 9 days!!!

7) The fun stuff of the wedding planning for me is definitely the DIY and getting things done and checked off my list. Current projects lined up are bouquets, bridal jewelry, table decorations, music equipment, and food reservations. Yay!

Well thats pretty much it. If I remember anything else exciting I'll be sure to post. Keep your eyes open for boots that wiggle with spectacular force.

Mic Check

2009-06-16T10:16:00.003-06:00

Testing...testing...is this thing on?

Turns out we haven't posted in a couple months (whose counting?). Here's a brief update from the eyes of Luke:

1. The wedding is in two months. Eeek. We'll have invitations out by this Saturday (Thanks for the help Kylie!)
2. Lack of school is starting to get to me. I feel antsy to be doing something.
3. Dani is going in for her dress fitting soon!
4. I still need a groomsman.
5. I entered a short story in the Mid-American Review's Fineline Competition. It's called "The New Place in Port Harbor." If you want to read it, look for an issue of the MAR in October or so. It'll be the winner :) (Or I'll get another rejection letter to add to my binder!)
6. I've been trying to record songs in Garageband. I love my Mac.
7. My ankle is healing well. I'd say I'm at about 95% range of motion.
8. Dani's ankles look spectacular in her purple flats. But they were never injured.

That's all for now. I'm the strong silent type. Perhaps I can get Dani to fill you in on the rest.

Of Geese and Men

2009-04-30T19:28:00.003-06:00

Its like we didn't know what a treasure we had in our neighborhood until the the snow melted. The Boise Greenbelt, we sing your praises. It was on this beautiful and friendly path, that we now try to walk at least once a day, that Madeline discovered the lipstick shade for her, Dandelion!! Tonight Noah declared "No goose poop in this town," which is the farthest from the truth that he could get. In our "pretty good adventures" as Noah likes to call them, we have also seen a fisherman, a man being pulled on a skateboard by two dogs, a drunken wanderer, two cats which could have also been the same cat twice, and a firetruck complete with firemen. This was a huge highlight! One of the men noticed our curiosity and came over and offered us three official fire fighter stickers. Noah gave one to Daddy as soon as he got home, and Luke wore it to class that night. Stay tuned for pictures and potty updates. That's right, Madeline wore her first pullup today and has gone on the potty four times in the last week. We're uber ecstatic!!

Keep Away the Cabin Fever Shenanigans in Four Acts

2009-04-24T11:28:00.006-06:00

Roll back the cruel curtain of winter, ladies and gents, and kindly make room for Noah the Great and Madeline the Marvelous. Here is a true account of their feats to date. First up are Chickens Daringly Defying Gravity!

Next up, Dashing Disguises. You may recognize the Hottie from TopGun and also Blue/White Collar Confusion Boy/Man.

Hot on their trail is Bunny Bellie!! (Special thanks to Gram Gram and Pop Pop, who made this trick possible.)

Please hold on to your hats for the fantastic finale, Puppets Galore!!!

That's All Folks!

Sew Delicious

2009-04-14T11:25:00.005-06:00

Some of you may know that I've had a lull in my sewing projects because of a non-functioning machine, but those days are finally over. Grandma B. was kind enough to lend me a machine she picked up at a garage sale a while back, and once I figured out through an online diagram how to load the front loading bobbin, (which took a sizable amount of tries) I was all set. So here are some photos of the finished projects. I've been focusing on grocery totes and bags so that I can reduce the amount of plastic that our household uses. PS. I still have tons of ideas in my head and material to reuse in my closet for more.

Front.

Back.

Video Update!

2009-03-27T08:21:00.003-06:00

Check out this awesome video of Noah and Madeline!

Noah, while usually very camera shy, was eager to sport his MC Hammer dance. Madeline, too, was eager to show off her pipes.

Its Here, For Real, No Taksies Backsies

2009-03-18T17:24:00.003-06:00

It felt like 70 degrees outside today. If you are one like me who had forgotten what that means, it means; it is warm enough to go outside without a jacket, or gloves or scarves, or boots. It is warm enough to go out in a skirt or shorts. It is warm enough to turn off the heat in the car and manually roll down all the windows. That also means its atmospherically pleasant enough to try and cross the monkey bars in order to impress certain toddleheads I know. Of course, my bones didn't get the memo so they're creaking now, particularly around the pulled section of my neck. Always warm up first. You'd think I would have thought of that.

Ohh the Woes of My Unrequited Love for a Product that is No Longer Available...Anywhere...

2009-03-15T12:14:00.002-06:00

I'm sick yet again. That's four times in the past 5 weeks.

The title pretty much covers the basis for this blog post, but in case any of you go searching for the perfect sore throat remedy, you won't find Get Better Bears. Not in stores. Not online.

Its been almost five years since I had my first grape flavored sore throat sucker that worked miracles for my laryngitis, but I have never forgotten. I will never forget. Come back Get Better Bears. Come back.

Top Five Things I'm Going to Try and Do This Week

2009-03-02T12:59:00.002-07:00

1. Sew. Sew an apron, sew a bag, sew placemats, sew homemade underwear from well loved t-shirts. Sew. Sew. Sew.

2. Not spend another penny on myself, or maybe I should limit that to anything that might add to my recently lavishly updated wardrobe. Yes that is specific enough.

3. Eat healthy balanced meals with a fruit and/or veggie in all of them. Banana chips count.

4. Play more with Noah and Madeline. More Lego house building. More dancing and puzzle doing.

5. Finish and or continue reading one of four books I've started in the past eight months.

On Salad: Two Points of Interest

2009-03-02T12:43:00.002-07:00

So to all of you who eat fresh produce; Wash! Wash! Wash! before eating. I more than urge you to do this simply because today I found a dead fly on my lettuce after removing it from its plastic packaging.

Also, how many of you knew that Caesar salad was my favorite salad dressing until just a few days ago? Oh yes, it was, (ok so it still mostly is,) but I certainly got the shock of my life when a former culinary art student informed me that the black specks in the dressing are not pepper, but are in fact, ground up anchovies. At first I believed he was simply trying to trick or disgust me, but no, I checked my personal stash at home and sure enough, the 8th ingredient is anchovies. This is another example of how it proves wise to Read before eating as well.

Wedding Update

2009-02-22T13:36:00.008-07:00

Well, its been a while since I've updated on the wedding plans, so I thought I would share what we've got so far. We have reserved a place and a date! We're planning an outdoor wedding at Woodriver Cellars in Eagle on the evening of August 20th. I have also bought the dress, which I will not reveal here on the blog, but rest assured its fabulous!
Oh and I thought I'd also post about how my ring finally arrived. For those of you who don't know, I've never wanted a diamond and so I told Luke to look for a sapphire. He sure did. Months of research lead him to GreenKarat.com. I am so pleased to have bought from a company that is eco-friendly and environmentally responsible. I encourage all of you to check out their site through this link (http://www.greenkarat.com/mykarat/mykarat.asp)

And here is the jewel!

Valentines Day Scavenge

2009-02-22T13:17:00.021-07:00

This year, I got to be in charge of Valentines Day. I decided to go the non traditional route. I spent the day with my friend Crystal, deceiving, driving, waiting, and watching. The two of us conspired against, or rather for, the love's of our lives in giving them a day of adventure and fun. Here are some pictures and samples from their scavenger hunt.

"Hooray, your V-day has begun.

V, of course, is for scaVenger fun.

Each place holds a clue to the next

All you have to do is read the text.

Today you'll have to use your smarts

Work together and follow these hearts."

They found their first clues and rules on the seats of the Neon. They managed to lose them from there too!

Apparently the clues were TOO EASY. They found them in no time.

They were lucky we didn't make them go swimming for this one.

These gentlemen helped our men by reading aloud.

Now Boarding!

2009-02-11T08:56:00.003-07:00

A toy to help the frustrated parent in the modern age. Sure, we can potty train, teach please and thank you, but how are we supposed to teach our children how to peacefully succumb to unwarranted, unnecessary, and unconstitutional searches by the TSA?

Answer: The Playmobil Security Checkpoint!
My favorite part is this review:

I was a little disappointed when I first bought this item, because the functionality is limited. My 5 year old son pointed out that the passenger's shoes cannot be removed. Then, we placed a deadly fingernail file underneath the passenger's scarf, and neither the detector doorway nor the security wand picked it up. My son said "that's the worst security ever!". But it turned out to be okay, because when the passenger got on the Playmobil B757 and tried to hijack it, she was mobbed by a couple of other heroic passengers, who only sustained minor injuries in the scuffle, which were treated at the Playmobil Hospital.
The best thing about this product is that it teaches kids about the realities of living in a high-surveillence society. My son said he wants the Playmobil Neighborhood Surveillence System set for Christmas. I've heard that the CC TV cameras on that thing are pretty worthless in terms of quality and motion detection, so I think I'll get him the Playmobil Abu-Gharib Interogation Set instead (it comes with a cute little memo from George Bush).

Madeline's Two-Old B-Day

2009-01-21T10:20:00.004-07:00

Sunday was Madeline's birthday. We had a small get together in her honor over at Grandma's house on Monday night, here are just a few pictures:

Cake by Grandma

Maddoh preparing to think about blowing out her two candles.

Frog Maddoh loves presents!

Noah acting interested.

Madeline likes this novel okay, but really prefers the Russian translation.

They Know Not

2009-01-19T10:49:00.002-07:00

So yesterday it was Madeline's birthday!!! Yay, we get to celebrate it tonight at Grandma Beaver's house with Aunt Sheryl and Jennifer!Don't worry, we'll take pictures and post them too, but this post is really about, you guessed it, the things those cutie patuties say.

Luke: Lewy, how old are you?
Lewy: (She held up her fingers and said,) Two old.

Darndest Things Continued...

2009-01-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

So today we were all enjoying playdoh time when Noah asked what lions do. I replied that they Rrroarrr and they chase animals.
"Do they bite?" he asked.
"Yes, they do."
A few moments later...
"Sometimes they don't bite," he declared.
"Like when, Noah?"
"On Tuesdays."

Fiction One Oh Bummed.

2009-01-07T10:03:00.003-07:00

The Fiction 101 results for the 2009 contest have been published. The judges had exceptionally poor choice this year and did not pick either Dani's story or Luke's for 1st or 2nd place. Or even 3rd.

In fact, the only story that we submitted that did get published was titled In Tongues, and was written by Luke. It snagged one of the two honorable mention prizes as well as $75 bucks.

It is reprinted here:

In Tongues

Inside Foursquare Pentecostal, our mother paces aisles, swallows hot coffee, and waits her turn to be knocked down by Jesus.

My kid brother spins this yarn about his birth: says the nurse on duty swears on a stack of bibles she's never seen a baby flail so much. Says she nearly fumbled the catch. He signs this story with whipping, exaggerated arm motions. He's mute, see? That's part of the joke.

Soon, we'll line up between pews with Mom. She'll stand, singing, raising her arms toward God. My brother will mouth silent hymns, praying, waiting his turn to be born again.

**
ARTICLE LINK.

I'll meet your resolutions and raise you two..

2009-01-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

Surely, you readers out there, know I won't be out done, not even by my hubby to be. So this is my recap of 2008 and my predictions of 2009.

2008
1. I fell in love for the second time with my first love.
2. We couldn't stand being apart so we found an apartment in Nampa and moved in.
3. I became a Danimum.
4. I bought my first sewing machine.
5. I wrote in a blog for the first time.
6. Out of desperation for adult interaction, I started watching Dr. Phil and Oprah.
7. We said "No More" to the smell and the commute. We found an apartment in Boise and moved in.
8. I found myself on Youtube. Singing lessons were suggested.
9. I discovered the fun in cheering for Bronco football.
10. The man I've wanted to be with since I was 16 asked me to marry him!!!!

2009
1. I'll finally exhibit my craftiness on Etsy.
2. Someone will pay me great sums of money for a pair of unique homemade earrings.
3. I'll get addicted to exercising instead of carbs.
4. I'll stay stress free while planning the most beautiful and creative wedding the world has ever seen.
5. Madeline and I will work together to get her potty trained.
6. I'll forgive myself for my shortcomings.
7. I'll enjoy more, fret less.
8. I'll bake more.
9. I'll become an official wife and Danimum.
10. I'll solve for world peace. Instead of war, how about a game of checkers? Anyone?

Luke's Year-End Recap and Look Ahead.

2009-01-05T12:20:00.006-07:00

After winning the Boise Weekly's Fiction 101 contest in early January of 2008, I boldly proclaimed 2008 as the year of Luke. How could it be anything else? Momentum was on my side; I was free from a bad marriage, I had just won the most prestigious literary contest in the state (just follow me here), and I had a whole new year in front of me. The world, as they say, was my oyster. I would be famous, I was sure, in just 12 months. I would meet the woman of my dreams, publish the great American novel, and settle into my vacation home in Maui to drink virgin margaritas for the rest of my stress-free days. Well, one of these things worked out for me, and I have yet to try a margarita.

In the year 2008, here is what I actually accomplished:

1. Finalized my divorce.
2. Re-met and proposed to my first love.
3. Moved back to Boise.
4. Got much better at Pictionary.
5. Met two, count em', two new friends.
6. Started a writing blog that is sparsely populated and infrequently visited by anyone.

An array of accomplishments, sure, but hardly enough to justify the renaming of an entire year.

However, this morning, while sulking in my own gloom, I came across a reassuring sign:

I was mistaken! 2009 is the year of Luke! NOT 2008! How could I have been more wrong?!

So this year, it is officially my new year's resolution to get published in a major literary outlet. This means Tin House. It means Ploughshares. It means Zoetrope. It does NOT mean the Boise Weekly. I know, I know, watch your step, you don't want to slip and fall in all that overflowing ambition.

Non-literarily, but just as (and probably more) importantly, these are my goals for 2009:

1. Meet my goal weight (yeah, right, me and the rest of the country).
2. Become a better father to two amazing toddlers.
3. Plan and execute the most beautiful and unique wedding the world has ever seen.
4. Learn to be an amazing husband and provider to my new wife, Dani.
5. Write a more entertaining end of year blog post for 2010.

Happy New Year, readers!

I will try to encourage Dani to write one of these annual recaps for you as well.

The Darndest Things

2008-12-29T11:35:00.001-07:00

I was enjoying a routine lunch with the kiddos when Noah says,
"What the heck? What is going on here?"
I of course, inquire as to where he learned that.
His reply ladies and gentlemen was "I have cable tv."

Merry Christmas

2008-12-17T14:56:00.009-07:00

Some of you might think we dropped the ball on this one, but I think we took the cake. That is if by cake I mean the time, money and energy we saved by being unique.

That's right. Forget buying a Christmas tree. Its perfectly acceptable to DIY the festive season. Prepare to have you mind blown by the ingenuity of our creativity and the spectacularity of our decorating skills.

Before.

After.

Happy holidays all.

The Story

2008-12-17T14:40:00.009-07:00

Once upon a time, Luke surprised Dani on a mundane Monday night with a phone call that went a little like this:

Luke: Get the kids ready and fed by five. Pack them a bag for overnight.
Dani: Ok?? (She doesn't want to ruin the surprise so she doesn't ask what's going on.)
Luke: You need to wear clothes you wouldn't mind being seen in public in and you need to pack, a hat, gloves and scarf.
Dani: What about my moon boots?
Luke: I love your moon boots. Wear them.
Dani: Will I really need them? I don't want to wear them if I'm going to be inside the whole night.

Folks, I wore the moon boots.

After dropping the kids off, and a suspicious stop at a dollar store, in which I was told I could stay in the car, we drove to downtown Boise. Arm in arm, he lead me to the Knitting Factory, a venue we've been lucky enough to listen and see Josh Ritter and Andrew Bird in. He walks us to the will call booth, signs for the tickets, being careful to keep them hidden from my view. We go inside and look for seats. All the tables are taken. I don't know what's going on. The next conversation goes as follows:

Luke: Dani, I'm sorry, I guess the concert isn't for another couple hours.
Dani: Well, I still don't know what's going on so we'll just have to try and have a good time until whatever happens happens. Did you bring ...
Luke:...the ipod is in the car. There is no re-entry.
Dani: Bummer.
Luke: I know I'll make something for you out of this program. What do you want?
Dani: (She thinks of something outragous and impossible.) A frog.
Luke: Laugh laugh. Mmm. No,

I visited the ladies room and when I returned, there was a paper rose waiting for me, stem and leaf and all. What a charmer. I'll keep it forever.

So we killed time by being gushy and in love, listening to a 13 year-old make political jokes on stage, a cowboy want-to-be singing with his pretty guitar, and then we migrated down from our bar stools to right in front of the stage. At this point, I still don't know who we're there to see. Then they have a live auction, that doesn't go very well. Finally, the announcer welcomes Ingrid Michaelson to the stage. I turn to Luke and say:

Dani: Who's Ingrid Michaelson?
Luke: Oh you'll like her. She plays the girlie music you like and wears thick framed glasses like you.

She gets a thumbs up from me. She came onto the stage with a flowy orange scarf, aqua fuzzy boots, a purple hat, and a head cold. She was very entertaining and super sweet. And it turns out that Luke had given me a foreshadowing of this, the day before. He had played one of her songs while studying and asked me if I liked it (I didn't remember this part) I said yes.

Anyway, the concert ended and I was very inspired by her talent and we walked back to our car in the chilly winter air, me in my moon boots, hands in our pockets. We got in the car but instead of driving down the parking garage, he starts to go up. At this point, I'm thinking, "Maybe he's taking me to blow bubbles again!" After driving to the very top, I proceed to put on my cold weather gear, his gloves, his scarf, and a silly hat. We do blow bubbles. The sky is foggy and beautifully lit up. At this point, my memory starts to faze out and my feelings start to take over. I remember he started telling me how important I was. And then we hugged. And before I know it, he is down on one knee.

Luke: Dani, will you be my wife?
Dani: Crying crying, nodding nodding, crying crying nodding nodding.

After I've slightly composed myself I ask him to put it on me. He opens up a 25 cent plastic bubble and then slides a ring onto my left hand. He says something like:

Luke: I looked everywhere for you for a vending machine ring. They don't make them anymore. I hope this will work. I found it at Salvation Army for $2.50.
Dani: Its PERFECT!!!!!

Promptly after some more hugging I get the urge to tell everyone how real this moment is, that my dream came true, that it happened to me. So I shouted from the proverbial mountain top, "I'M ENGAGED!!!" Luke later says that was his favorite part.

So there you have it. We are to be married. I'm going to be his wife. Cry, cry, nod nod.

Anagram.

2008-12-12T10:32:00.002-07:00

Did you know that Luke Felt is an anagram of Flute Elk? Me either! To think, all this time I've been using the phrase flute elk (Sir, your flute elk is un-tucked. No, the glue won't hold it, try using flute elk.) without the slightest clue.

So Scared. So Sleepy.

2008-12-12T08:57:00.002-07:00

So the ball has been in Dani's court for awhile now. She wrote a post, and saved a draft instead of posting it, hoping to add to it later I think. Either way, until she gets that post up (dealing with birthdays and such), I'm going to take a moment to advertise my new blog. So Scared So Sleepy. Having noticed that none of my posts about writing get commented on over here, I deduced that no one really cares. So I moved them into their own blog, where I will solicit a new, more expanded, audience.

In this blog, I will post something every weekday. I hope. Might be something new I've written just for the blog, or something old that no one has seen. Or something someone else wrote that I find to be exceptional.

Either way, if you care, you should follow it.

Love,
Luke

Another year older, certainly wiser...not!

2008-12-06T21:40:00.007-07:00

So both Luke and I celebrated our birthdays at the end of November and typical for us, they were awesome! Luke's not really into showboat celebrations, (he was totally the kid who opened his presents in the sly, taped them back up, and then feigned surprise when the time came) so his birthday was as low key as possible. Mine, however, was a classic, planned in advance sequence of coordinated surprises, an operation including breakfast made for me in my new cozy sky blue robe, dare devil ice skating, cake decorating (a childhood dream come true!) dinner at a fabulous chicken serving establishment, a dessert picnic party on the floor of our friend's new house and last but not least my favorite bottle of wine. Unfortunately, we didn't get pictures of anything but the finished product of the cake.

One Oh One.

2008-11-13T09:28:00.004-07:00

As we've posted about earlier, the deadline for this years Fiction 101 contest has been bumped up. I know, I post about it a lot, but it's a fairly big event in our lives this time of year. We love writing for it. I'm posting the call for entries here in case anyone else wants to try it out. You don't need to be from the area, and you'd never know it, but trying to pen a story in exactly 101 words is a blast. So I'm doing a call for entries, in addition to the BW's already adequate call for entries.

If you choose not to enter, then wish us luck. There are always some great stories published and competition should be fierce.

Quotes

2008-11-10T12:13:00.003-07:00

Transaction from last night's dinner:

Noah (from under the table): Hey! Your table is talking! You have a talking table!
Luke: My table is talking?
Table: Yeah!
Luke: Hey table, what is the meaning of life?
(pause)
Table: What did you say?!

Yes!

2008-11-05T12:57:00.002-07:00

We voted, did you?

No hassle, no lines, just helping to make history.

All Hallows Eve

2008-11-05T12:40:00.003-07:00

So, as planned, On Halloween night, we went to the NaNoWriMo Insanity All-Night Write-In (we didn't come up with the name). It was at this cool little independent book store in Boise. So we got all dressed up (an event in itself) and headed out.

Dani went as an environmentally friendly fairy. She made this entire costume out of grocery sacks (to be recycled later, of course):

I like my costumes to be a bit more on the traditionally scary side. I tore some holes, spilled some blood of the innocent, sliced a gash in my face, and went for the zombie look. Zombies are very in right now:

When we arrived at the party, we had missed most of the get-to-know-you games. That's good, neither Dani or myself liked kindergarten the first time. When midnight hit, we started writing. Two hours straight. As the name might imply, it was insanity.

Afterward, we hit up Merrit's country cafe for a world famous scone. The place was filled with the usual creepy Merrit's folk, only...you know...dressed up as horrifying ghouls and such. We downed a cinnamon sugar scone, and headed home. It wasn't much, but it's nice to be out sometimes and remember that we're not quite in our sixties yet.

Updates

2008-10-31T09:37:00.002-06:00

Tonight is the kickoff of NaNoWriMo, we'll be attending a kick off, halloween extravaganza this evening after I get out of class, and it should be a blast. If everything goes well, I'll be dressed as a McCain/Palin supporter, I find them terrifying. Once that gets out at 2 a.m., Dani and I have plans to be twenty-somethings again and find something rambunctious to do in Boise.

In other writing news, they bumped up the Fiction 101 deadline for submission by two weeks, so that only leaves us a couple more weeks to finish up our short short short stories. Look for Dani's story near the top of the page, her tale about Moses in Sin City is totally awesome.

This weekend we have nothing planned. That's exactly how we like it, I'd love to finally get some video editing done so I can show you guys all the excitement happening around the Faeb household.

In other news: We got moved. We have a few pictures and stories of stress and transmission failure. It's coming soon.

Goings On

2008-10-22T08:52:00.002-06:00

We're three days away from moving and the stress has hit level 11.

On Saturday morning, the Staeb family will be here to help us haul everything out (thanks!). On top of that, we have the following going on:
* Luke has a moderate length English paper on body image perceptions among undergraduate males due this week.
* Luke has a moderate length Anthropology paper on kinship rituals among the Omaha due this weekend.
* Packing! Oh, so much packing.
* Football game watching party on Friday night (Go Broncos!)
* Both Dani and Luke have 101 word stories to get finished. We're sweeping it this year. Count on it. Or don't. That's a lot of pressure.

Also, that last blog post is a link. We've had some trouble with our readers on that one, click on it. It's a cool word phenomena that is sure to tangle your brain in knots.

Bison from Buffalo are intimdated and bullied by other Bison from Buffalo whom intimdate other Bison from Buffalo. No Kidding.

2008-10-17T14:17:00.004-06:00

Buffalo.

Brrrr...Tis October

2008-10-08T15:01:00.003-06:00

Today, on our daily walk to the mailboxes, I wished I'd wore a scarf and gloves. It was sooo cold! So when we got back I put a hat on Sissie and put my winter coat on. They looked so cute in the crisp October air, I had to take pictures. But you can see by the look on their faces, I as the inspired photographer, was an unwanted interruption.

I finally found out I'm not alone

2008-10-07T18:18:00.003-06:00

Tonight, I took a break from the kidums and the kitchen clean up (Luke's the after-dinner-hero) and was perusing the web for interesting articles. When low and behold I came upon an article written about a man who read the Oxford English Dictionary, in a year, for fun. WALLLA! I said to myself, there are more like me. When I was 16 I attempted to devour the dictionary alphabetically and got to the letter D. I still hope that I have the time to finish it before I die. In the mean time, one of the words displayed in the article was psithurism. I'll give a million dollars to whoever can guess the correct definition of this word. No Cheating.

please no.

2008-10-06T15:31:00.004-06:00

I'm going to put this on a T-shirt.

COURIC: Why isn’t it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries? Allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy? Instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?

PALIN: That’s why I say, I like every American I’m speaking with were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the tax payers looking to bailout. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy– helping the — oh, it’s got to be about job creation too. Shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade -- we’ve got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive scary thing. But 1 in 5 jobs being created in the trade sector today, we’ve got to look at that as more opportunity -- all those things under the umbrella of job creation.

This bailout is a part of that.

I'm passing sleeping cities, falling by degrees.

2008-10-06T10:23:00.002-06:00

We're moving! No more Nampa! It's all going down on Oct. 25th.

We're headed to Boise. B-town. The C.O.T.

Our new home is the Reflections apartment complex. Full sized gymnasium! Work out facilities! Swimming pools! Free cable! And, the major selling point: free use of their tanning beds. Seriously.

Nano-what?

2008-10-06T10:05:00.003-06:00

Dani and I have decided to do NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year. I signed up a few years ago, but have never actually completed it. It should be a blast. For those that don't know about NaNoWriMo, I'd encourage you to check out http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/whatisnano.

Essentially, the idea is to write a novel (50,000 words) in a month's time. That month is November. You don't get anything for "winning" but a cool printable certificate and the pride of calling yourself a novelist.

I'm going to try to figure out how to put some cool widgets in the sidebar with our progress. If there are any aspiring writers in our presence (cough*Melanie*cough), perhaps they would like to try as well?

Ad Nauseum

2008-10-02T12:04:00.003-06:00

This past weekend was the Disc Golf Idaho State Doubles Championship. We were pretty pumped. We probably shouldn't have been. Look, we didn't care about placing, okay? We just wanted to have a good time, throw some frisbees, and make fun of some hairy backed dudes. We managed to pull this off with a 50% success rate.

This is Dani preparing for Day 1. She's foaming at the mouth, hungry for competition.

On Day one, there were two formats. First: Best Disc. Both team members play the hole, but only records the best score. Sounds easy enough, and it was. Dani and I both played quite well, and ended up twelve over par. This isn't too bad considering the course was made longer and much more difficult by the tournament director.

Second format: Worst shot. This sucked. I mean sucked. I mean really really sucked. It works like this; both team members tee off, and the opposing team gets to pick which shot you are forced to throw from next. Repeat this process every throw, ad nauseum. So you're always throwing from your worst shot, get it? Well, we had some really bad shots, and it got frustrating really fast. Dani was killing infants, seriously. Okay, well she would have if there were infants. We shot a 119, par for the course was 63. Ouch. Oh yeah, and I lost three discs to reeds and water hazards.

Us on hole thirteen, after Luke had just come out of the river, searching for his lost driver.

Okay, time to recuperate. So we didn't shoot so well, so what? We still have another days worth of action, we're still in this thing. Truth be told, neither of us wanted to come back for more pummeling, but we convinced each other it was for the best.

So day two. First format: Best shot. Same concept as worst shot, only instead of our opponents picking the worst shot, we were able to choose our best shot to throw from. It went very well, we improved on our previous score and shot a 73.

The player's table after the first format. The land of lost and found discs. Mine never made it here.

Last time 'round: Alternating shots. Plays like it says, we take turns throwing from the tee to the hole. Again, we sucked it up. Which all in all, wasn't bad, but then grumpy moods found their way onto hole 16, and our afternoon was all downhill from there.

Overall, I'm not sure Dani would ever do another competition that includes the worst shot format. I'm with her. But you'll hear more from us, or at least from me. We're frolfing maniacs. Besides, each evening was capped off with yummy food and beverage (thanks Stans! Best hot dogs in the northwest) and some episodes of The Office. There are worse fates.

What's a seven letter word for party?

2008-09-26T07:44:00.002-06:00

Dani and I (Team Word Nerd) will be competing in the annual Idaho State Doubles Disc Golf Championship this weekend at Ann Morrison Park. There will be water bottles, metal baskets, and shirtless hairy dudes galore.

Needless to say, it's a rockin' weekend. We will fully document our weekend flinging fantastic frisbees, frivolously on Faeb's Faebles.

Also expect muchos blogging action this weekend. Promise.

Operation: ReCon

2008-09-08T13:25:00.006-06:00

I'm big on DIY projects. Recycling tickles my creative fancy as well. So it's easy to see how I've been busy the last two months with an assortment of endeavors. First I pilfered through Luke's unworn t-shirts. Next, I feverishly began seam ripping, button borrowing, and the likes. Did I forget to mention that I finally got my sewing machine? It works charmingly. Here are a few examples of shirts that I gave new life to. (A great amount of credit should go to the book of inspiration and instruction, 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt.)

This was my first try. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, considering I never wore either of t-shirts before they combined for this tube top number.

Numero 2. Its a peel to get on and off and its much more formal then I was anticipating, but all the same. The sash and neck were cut from a pair of gray slacks with very thin blue stripes.

First game of the 2008 BSU football season required our presence and our support via Bronco gear. So I borrowed a thing or two and made my own. I also made a matching head band to go with it. It took the whole day before the game, (Luke never blamed me for us getting sky high seats, but it was I who made us late because of my project.)

Next I took two of his t-shirts and fused them into a comfy and stylish tote. The handles are crisscrossed (I'm not sure how I feel about that look, but oh well) and had to be reinforced to prevent excessive sagging. I sewed a t-shirt front pocket (not shown here) on the inside as a selective compartment.

Just two days ago I decided to turn a t-shirt into a skirt. And this is the result. Its very VERY fitting, but uber uber comfortable.

My favorite project yet. I found a pattern on the internet and then measured,drew, and cut it out myself. Again I used two of Luke's old dress shirts for the outside and lining fabric. The button is one that I covered myself and attaches to the bag via velcro. Very cute. Very cute. It attended the Bronco game with me too.

Also, Luke would like me to tell all you viewers out there, that he has not been slacking as you probably assumed, but instead has been working day in and day out on his new Mac, in iMOvie to share more delightful details of our most recent happenings. Please, be patient with him, for he knows not what he's doing. That's not true, he does, it just takes some poking and prodding around the new program to create a work of art. Did I mention that he refers to his computer by first name, and also cites it as his new best friend?

What the frolf?

2008-08-04T21:04:00.011-06:00

We play disc golf. We play a lot of disc golf. I think Dani has hinted at this obsession in a previous entry, but it's due time it got its full due. What is disc golf, you say? Well, it's just like normal (ball) golf, except that you throw specialized flying discs (can't say frisbee due to trademarks) toward metal baskets instead of balls toward holes.

The goal is the same, throw your disc from the tee to the hole in the fewest amount of strokes. How hard could that be? Harder than you'd think. Just like in ball golf, there is plenty of specialized equipment. There are drivers, mid-range, and put and approach discs. I know, right?

Anyway, it's a lot of fun, and our weekends have been consumed by its pleasures. I've decided to share some photographic evidence of our excitement.

Tee sign at Westpark Disc Golf Course.

Luke driving from the tee.

Dani sinking a long one at hole 9.

Stay tuned.

Hey look, there's a camel.

2008-08-04T21:00:00.002-06:00

While shopping at Albertson's on Saturday night, a camel pulled up next to our car. We decided it was necessary to take pictures.

Let me tell you, this camel was huge. Like 15 feet tall with his head up. Apparently even camels like great savings.

3 is the new 2.

2008-07-30T10:30:00.000-06:00

Last night was Noah’s birthday party! Our little monster is the big oh-three. We invited some of the younger crowd, but no one really showed up but my brother and sister (uncle and aunt) T.J. and Maya. We toyed with the idea of inviting the grandparents, but Noah doesn’t hang with the geriatric crowd.

No Noah! Don’t eat the candle! The cake, the cake!

Yes. Better.

eww! Danimum!

This is the cheese face. His – not mine.

Noah is convinced this is a book. It isn’t. It’s a CD. When he figures out what a CD is (Dani is stuck in the 70s and has our home stuffed full of old 45s), we’re positive he’ll love it. Thanks Gram and Pop-pop! Noah’s words, not mine.

Now he gets to rock out with Daddy. With annoying electronic beeps and boops and assorted distorted noises. Great idea, Daddy. Great idea.

Dani and I were convinced that this would be the highlight of the party. Noah got on, posed for a photo or two, and then promptly hopped off and started for the guitar. Someone needs to teach this kid about price tags.

We took some video, too, but I want to edit it and make it nice and presentable. When that happens (soon!) I’ll get it up here.

Eagle Temple

2008-07-30T10:14:00.003-06:00

There was a time in the not so distant past when Dani played Zuma. Lots and lots of Zuma. If it weren’t for the intervention close friends and family staged, it’s possible she’d still be glued to her mouse.

It’s a puzzle game. You control a frog that shoots colored balls from your mouth. You spin around and spit balls at other balls of the same color. When you get three in a row, they explode in sound effect happiness. Dani was stuck on level 9 for the longest time, we’re talking months. So I surprised her with a Zuma survival kit. I was determined to marathon it, all night video gaming.

Dani with fresh kit and celebration cider.

North American instruction manual and introductory letter.

Trying out the shades (that monitor glare can be harsh!)

So. How did it go? She didn’t need the kit at all, and beat it on her first run through. I like to think that at least I contributed to her moral support.

Once more into the breach...

2008-07-30T10:14:00.001-06:00

Here are a few shots of the Shakespeare festival that Dani and I went to awhile back. We had a splendid time. You’ll have to excuse the minuscule quantity, we weren’t allowed to have a camera and I had to get creative.

This outdoor amphitheater is truly beautiful. Be jealous.

For more description of the festival, Dani’s post has more info.

The cities only proof of life is a minefield of fallen stars.

2008-07-30T10:09:00.001-06:00

So, the undeniable truth is that Dani and I are horrible at blogging. We’re sorry. Here are some updates to make up for our lack of being here. I know this sudden burst of photographs and words will never be enough to fill the hole our absence has left in your hearts; for this we are remorseful. Nonetheless, the show must go on.

Without further ado, I present random photographs of the family that prove we are still alive. Or were at the time the pictures were taken.

Catch Up! Catsup? Ketchum?

2008-07-18T13:36:00.007-06:00

So much has gone on since I last contributed, so here goes.

A month ago, Luke, through much planning and aforethought, managed to surprise me with a cheesecake picnic on a hillside for opening night of "All's Well That Ends Well." It was the most delightful evening of this spring. There are pictures that will find their way here someday. Also in attempt to keep us hip and fresh we've taken each other on several "first dates." It is unusual and remarkable how acting as if you're on square one instead of month 10 can refresh your view and spark the attraction. Ok, who am kidding. It wasn't a spark, it was a wildfire.

On to other matters.

Also about a month ago, Luke sent in a short fiction piece to the Hemingway contest in Ketchum, Idaho. We have yet to to hear from anyone from the East side. Naturally, there is only one person in our house fit to pose inquiries about such matters and that is Noah.
He has discovered the question "Why" and thinks it is applicable to everything, i.e. "Why is the truck blue, Danimum?Why is it going bye bye? Why is it carrying hay? Why do cow's eat hay?" and so on and so forth. He loves a never ending conversation and stumping his Danimum. He also loves his owies. We're not sure why. Lets see, what else.Oh yes. In a matter of weeks he has mastered the art of "holding it." He's a potty pro.

Maddoh has discovered the power of her scream. It gets her in time out. She knows at least 20 more words from the last time I posted her vocabulary. She's sharp as a tack that one. Also she is very tan. Danimum feels very left out.

Luke and I have recently developed a weekend addiction to Frolfing (Frisbee golf.) Look forward to a visual hordourve of our ultra smooth skill. So far we've lost three discs, a pair of flip flops, and our dignity on several occasions, but we are resilient. For any one reading who dares to research this sport or goes so far as to try it, Westpark Swamp is a soul sucker. Beware!

So much else has happened, the catching case of child gastroenteritis, power outages, sneaking out of a Japanese Steak house, Battlestar Galactica, Season 2.5 and 3, my first sewing machine that came with a manual in three different languages, and several loud and obnoxious neighbor encounters at 4 in the morning. All in all, we are well. Thanks for catching up with the Faebs. Over and out.

Tag! Noah's it!

2008-06-23T08:19:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I guess Noah was tagged to provide 11 facts about himself for the entertainment of others. Unfortunately for Noah, he can't type (accurately), so he will have to accept the trivial facts that his father provides. I debated whether or not to actually do this favor for my (mostly) ungrateful son, but considering he was tagged by one of the two readers of this blog, I figured it's only courteous.

So here goes, 11 facts about Noah Jack Felt.

1. Last night, he slept through the whole night without wetting his diaper. Way to go Noah! Today, he is in big boy underwear. Credit here should go to Dani -- potty trainer extraordinaire.

2. Last summer, Noah was an aspiring botanist, requesting leaves from various plants and trees to add to his collection. This summer, he is an aspiring geologist, gathering interesting rocks for his rock jar.

3. Noah loves garage doors. He is always on the ready to point out various makes and models in passing. "Green garage door!," "Small garage door!" "TWO GARAGE DOORS!"

4. One of Noah's first sentences was "Check it out, holmes!"

5. Noah's favorite song is the ABCs. His favorite part is "L and O, P."

6. Noah's middle name, Jack, was his paternal grandfather's first name.

7. Every day at noon, Noah watches his favorite television show Caillou. Caillou is a four year old bald boy on PBS. Noah will do anything that Caillou approves of. We are constantly praying that Caillou never chooses to endorse a sugary breakfast cereal. He also watches Ellen.

8. Noah loves his Danimum. He enjoys stealing her cart in the grocery store and watching her give chase. Boy is she slow!

9. Noah is a mind reader. Often, when Dani is holding Madeline, Noah will proclaim (almost eerily!), "Sissie wants down!" If Daddy steals Noah's fish sticks, then, "Daddy doesn't want Noah's fish stick!"

10. Noah loves garbage trucks. He rushes to the window daily to catch site of the garbage man. He has told us, on more than one occasion, that he desires to be a garbage man when he grows up. Danimum and Daddy think this is fine, and they will support his dream, as long as he is a college educated garbage man.

11. Noah enjoys predicting car wrecks. Often, when passing intersections of busy streets, Noah will say, "We're gonna wreck!" We never do. Except for that time we did, but Noah missed the boat on that one, he was playing with a purple duck.

Okay, I have no one to tag. So the buck stops here. That's what you get for tagging someone without friends, Melanie. Think it through next time :)

Amazing Banjo Baby!

2008-06-13T10:12:00.003-06:00

Baby Loves Banjo, originally uploaded by Kamepyon.

Bluegrass baby will brighten anyone's day. If it needed brightening that is.

Jacosta

2008-06-11T07:29:00.002-06:00

I realize we've been a bit behind on our updating of the blog. I sort of figured no one would notice. No one did. So we're in the clear. Here are some status updates on the fam:

Dani: Is busy crafting. She just made us some radical new place mats, and now she's giving us wall art composed of flower silhouettes made of lines of text from magazines. She's also quite busy potty training Noah, who in turn is quite busy resisting.

Luke: Is joining a new literary writer's group that includes past placers from the Boise Weekly Fiction 101 contest. These are his peeps.

Noah: Is experiencing an Oedipus complex. He is in love with Dani, and sees her image in everything. He even calls his daddy Dani-mum. It is Luke's belief that Noah is also, in true Oedipus form, concocting a brilliant plot to murder him in his sleep to have her all to himself. Also, he's being a stinker about potty training.

Madeline: Is learning a new word every day. Yesterday it was "milk." Also, she's identifying various parts of her body upon request. Madeline is probably the most interesting of the Faeb clan at the moment.

I promise a more substantial update very soon. We have some great pictures, and we had a fabulous weekend. There ARE things going on, but there are a lot of them, and our blogging time is sucked.

No use crying over spilt milk.

2008-06-06T09:15:00.004-06:00

Noah has been sitting at the kitchen table for over an hour, mooing like a cow. He is steadfastly refusing to drink his milk, the prerequisite for getting down to play. A battle of the wills has begun.

Better than I can, pt. 2

2008-06-02T08:27:00.003-06:00

For the last two weeks, I've been working on a short story titled Hardboiled, in order to enter the Prose for Papa contest run by the Ernest Hemingway festival in Sun Valley. Well, on Friday, one day before the submission deadline, I decided that the story was no good, and I, being insane and all, decided to write another one.

Goal: At least 2,000 words in 12 hours.
Secondary Goal: Sleep for 8 of them.

After 30 or so Child Distraction Missions by Dani on Saturday morning, and lots of apple juice and stress, I'm proud to report that the story was completed.

The finished story is called The Big Time, and is 2,125 words long. It isn't good enough to win, it's not even good enough to place, and the version I submitted was essentially a rough draft considering the time limit (Dani! Come upstairs and read this! We have approximately 13 minutes to proofread and make edits!), but even so, I'm proud.

If you'd like to read it, please ask.

This little piggie went to...

2008-05-30T10:39:00.005-06:00

Today on our walk back from the mailbox, Noah was trailing a few yards behind Maddo and me, when I heard him say, "Oh hi truck. What you doing? Is you broken?"

Also, Maddo can pronounce the following words, not necessarily in this order: hot, shoe, nice, baby, bye bye, now, please, more, poo poo, daddy, mamo (grandma), Noah, (which is closely related to No,) and diddy, (kitty and/or anything with four legs) and last but not least pee -a-boo; we give her some slack for leaving out the "k".

I am oh so proud of these two growing munchkins! Something new everyday.

!!

2008-05-29T13:32:00.003-06:00

I AM DIVORCED!

Spring Forward

2008-05-29T08:25:00.007-06:00

Well, it's about time we got around to posting about our Memorial Day weekend trip to the vacation hot spot of St. Anthony, Idaho.

We made this trip for Dani's sister Alexis. I do believe she graduated high school last night, so if all three of you that read this blog clap really loud, maybe she'll feel the reverberations of your congratulations (Dani might like that one).

We took off early morning on Friday, and the drive down was largely without obstacle. First stop: Walmart.
We needed film for our instant camera. Did you know this stuff costs more than a dollar per exposure? Seriously. 13 bucks for 10 shots. Oh well, what's done is done. Now for the rules, this camera is only for use on candid shots. No posing, no prior knowledge of the picture. We'll get to those later.

Next comes some 9:00 a.m. truck-stop Taco Bell quesadillas. These were delicious, though my tummy hated me for it all weekend. If I may say so, however, the Staeb's got most of the wrath.

On the road once more, we saw a very gruesome car wreck that backed up traffic for several miles. How intense was it, you ask? There was a helicopter parked in the middle of the freeway. You be the judge.

Next stop: Idaho Falls because I needed a haircut before I saw Dani's fam. I mean, I needed one. I was sporting a pretty radical mullet. Before the haircut though, we bought books because Dani and I are compulsive bibliophiles. She picked up a copy of If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino, I snatched a copy of Demonology (stories) by Rick Moody. Judging from the small bit we've read, they both come highly recommended.

So after some navigational adventures in the mall, including a brief but influential encounter with a very rude hair stylist (Dani was quite proud that she didn't tip), we were off. The home stretch.

What follows is a recount of our four day vacation in photos. Largely from our Polaroid camera.

Ahh yes, Luke in athletic gear. This is me preparing to get my game on and straight up school some chumps in b-ball. Or, you know, play HORSE with the Staeb girls. Dani didn't like the name of the game, though, and changed it to PENGUIN. She still lost.

But she did so with such great form!

Laid back goodness. Longboarding. Street surfing. Feeling the concrete waves. By concrete waves I mean, of course, the parking lot of the local LDS ward. In our defense, it is sort of hilly.

Side note: Dani's dad decided to give this a shot, too. It goes without saying that the man is a pro.

Dani doing her best Mary Poppins impersonation. Lexi is somewhere behind her, but she's quite agile and difficult to capture in frame.

We didn't have any bread, but Dani was determined to feed the ducks at the park. What we did have: Pan-fried noodles. They did try one or two, but it's safe to say that pan-fried noodles are not in line with the fowl's diet. Occasionally, a couple would wander by to listen to Dani's rhythmic cries of Here Duckie! Here Duckie!

Just because I think we're adorable. Actually, Lexi took this one. So she thinks we're adorable.

We rocked the Scrabble board a bit.

I spelled Ion, Iota, and Twas in a furious late-game combination, but it was futile. Dani's friend Ryan won this game. And with words like Farted, Weenie, and Moron, why shouldn't he?

We ended the trip on a high note, literally, with Dani and My's rendition of Anyone Else But You by The Moldy Peaches. A family performance that will surely go viral. Listen at your own risk, our talent crushes eardrums. Or at least something does.

On the Road again...

2008-05-22T12:57:00.003-06:00

Homemade coolers, pit-stop missions, and 350 or so miles of road talk and tunes. Thats right, we're traveling Faeble style. For all you who check our blog, be safe this long weekend and be sure to have a good time. Adios amigos!
PS. Be sure to visit us for pictures and posts from our trip. I promise obscurity and excitement.

You and Me

2008-05-21T15:17:00.003-06:00

No One Belongs Here More Than You is exceptional. I have been reading stories from it for the last few months, and each one excites me to limitless ends. Please go buy it. It will be worth it, I promise. If it's not, let me know, and I'll buy it back from you at full price. I could use a few more copies.

Miranda July is also the co-creator of the unbelievably amazing site Learning to Love You More (link in sidebar).

Listen to an audio version of her story The Boy From Lam Kien here.

Better than I can.

2008-05-19T09:12:00.002-06:00

Ernest Hemingway once said, "Sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can." Let's all hope that is true for me this month:

(Boise Weekly excerpt)
As part the fourth annual Ernest Hemingway Festival, which runs September 25-28 in Sun Valley, a call for unpublished short fiction story submissions are being accepted for the Prose for Papa contest. Entries must be postmarked by May 31 and the winner will be awarded $500. Submit entries to Prose for Papa, SVKCVB, P.O. Box 2420, Sun Valley, ID 83353 along with a nonrefundable $10 entry fee. Stories should be a maximum 2,600 words or 10 pages, typewritten, double-spaced and available in Word format.

May 31st. Just about two weeks. So begins my journey.

We'll drive home backwards.

2008-05-19T08:41:00.001-06:00

Update: Divorce not final. Yet. As far as I know. But maybe it is? I'll keep you posted. All two of you who sometimes read this drivel.

Fish Lips

2008-05-15T15:16:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago, Dani and I did a writing exercise of my own creation. Just for fun, you know. It was this: Write a 101 word story (exactly!) using the first line, "I think that someday you will probably forgive me for drowning your goldfish."

I post, for your entertainment and our arrogant pleasure, the results.

Dani's Story:

I think that someday you will probably forgive me for drowning your goldfish. When you do, please send a postcard. I want you to know, that I know, that Fish forgot immediately about bobbing belly up in a cookie jar.

I will be waiting to hear from you on the porch I wish I had, the one with fading whitewash and silver slivers not even the dog I don't have can avoid.

The windowsill was a good place for him to see the real world; I had no idea he'd want to throw in the towel, too.

Luke's Story:

I think that someday you will probably forgive me for drowning your goldfish. You’ll wake one morning and recognize your face again, because it isn’t quite so bruised as maybe it used to be.

Someday will belong to you and all future days will belong to you and someday you will know this like the baby Koi fish knows that even though she is not so colorful, and even though she is only one of tens of thousands, she is loved; like the Turritopsis knows that there is still beauty in the world, no matter how many times he is reborn.

D.N.R.

2008-05-15T07:26:00.003-06:00

If all goes according to plan, there is a remarkably good chance that my divorce will be finalized by 9:30 this evening. If you have faith, pray. If you have fingers, cross them.

Alive

2008-05-14T11:08:00.004-06:00

If you're wondering, I'm proud to report that the kids are still alive. Here is proof of their (beautiful!) existence:

Amateur blogger

2008-05-14T10:27:00.004-06:00

I'm new at this whole "posting" and "hosting" a site all about us shenanigan. But I'm beginning to see the advantages. Luke always tells me, "when it comes to writing, show, NEVER tell." So that's what I'm going to do. Here is my life on a Popsicle stick (replacement for overused verbiage "in a nutshell").

Paper Hearts

2008-05-13T22:07:00.009-06:00

It's Tuesday. That means paper airplane races. At least it does this Tuesday, as Dani and I have just finished our inaugural Tuesday Paper Airplane Race (more of a distance contest really). Without further ado, here are your contenders:

Dani's (extra girly) Plane:
Polly Airheart

and...

Luke's (super manly and awesome) Plane:
Starfighter Pilot

Results below...

Dabbles

2008-05-12T21:45:00.000-06:00

I recently started dabbling in painting. Here is my first attempt at art. More meaningful posts coming later.

Fish Out of Water
Acrylic on Canvas

Words

2008-05-12T13:13:00.000-06:00

I wrote a poem last night. I don't usually do the poetry thing, that's Dani's bag of tricks (and oh! What a bag!), but when it comes out, it comes out, and it came out, so here. Take it. Don't look back, just take it and run.

#Saturdays

The trick is, I think, to
not let it go
to your head.
It can be hard, she says.
Saturday shack is selling sips.
Cheap!
Cold lemonade, hand full of nickels.
August pavement, and too much sunblock.
She says these things with a grin,
one tooth missing, but another not.
I think about smiling back,
this time it's easy not to.
Kindergarten entrepreneurs.
Sally sold seashells, now
sells sidewalk chalk
close-out specials.

Bios

2008-05-12T07:41:00.001-06:00

The Faeb Household:

Dani

Dani started her illustrious career in Broadway musicals at the age of 9. Though a child prodigy on the Kazoo, Dani grew bored of music entirely during adolescence and turned her attentions to her true love; jewelry making. Today, When not spending her time stringing her latest pearls, you can find Dani in Idaho, being Superwoman for three very grateful Felts.

Luke

While Luke received substantial media coverage in 1983 as a result of being the first Vietnamese boy both conceived and born under water, he has since ducked out of the lime light, and now spends his days in a very quiet, very dry, ghost town in Idaho. Every now and then, a stray reporter digs up his unique history and comes knocking; these precious few are rewarded with a unique tale of love lost and hidden treasures.

Madline

At 296, she is the oldest of the Felt clan. Due to a strange mixture of genetic abnormalities and modern science, Madeline ages backwards through time. She is a faithful disciple of the Church of Scientology, and has threatened me with the lord Xenu's fiery wrath if I take her off the grid.

Noah

Noah is two and a half years old. He enjoys horseback riding and using his patented belly sucker utensil for sucking bellies. Also, garage doors. He loves garage doors.