Whew!

Happy Holidays to everyone! Paul and I have been so busy with everything, and there is just so much to share I do not know where to start. How about I start with the fact that I think it has been about three months since my last posting. Sorry! So, I guess the best place to start is the beginning.

As you may or may not know I got a job as a receptionist at Minuteman Jet Center. It is a Fixed Based Operation located at the Missoula "International" Airport. (I use international in quotations because there are actually no international flights, unless you count Canada...but I feel like that is a stretch.) We fuel planes, charter flights, offer pilot lessons, I pretty much cater to the rich. Blah Blah Blah!

Paul's career search in Missoula has been a slow time coming, but I think he finally found his star in the sky. After two short stints working at a chain book store and then at a local software company, he landed his dream job as a Tours Specialist in the Guided Tours Department at Adventure Cycling Association. Needless to say I am super jealous of his awesome job out here. Headquartered here in Missoula, Adventure Cycling is a national non-profit organization that promotes bicycle travel here in the United States and throughout the world. He is excited to be back in a non-profit environment and will be helping ACA's members register, plan and prepare for guided bicycling tours around the US - from small, week-long sampler tours to full on, multiple-month, cross-country expeditions. Besides the obvious perks of a full-time position, Paul is happy to be working with such a rad group of people there, all of whom share his passion for bikes and the outdoors. We're hoping to take advantage of their travel offerings and do a small bicycle tour of our own sometime next year.

Paul and I have also been doing a lot of hiking. Well before all the snow hit the ground. In early November we both participated in the Leave No Trace Trainers Workshop here in Missoula in the Rattlesnake Wilderness. Leave No Trace is a non-profit organization that helps to educate the world in leaving the least amount of impact as possible on the environment while camping and spending time in the outdoors. For example, you can use any of the seven Leave No Trace Principles doing any number of outdoor activities not just backpacking. Paul can even use them in his bike tours while camping and enjoying the outdoors.


We have also celebrated two holidays out here in Missoula. Our friends Johnny and Marcie have been more than wonderful in allowing us to celebrate with them. For Halloween, Marcie and I made a meatloaf in the shape of a bloody zombie hand. We also had Swamp Water Mojitos, Potatoes A Gratin, and some wonderful soup made by a friend. We also made masks in the idea of saving money and not buying costumes. It was such a fun idea. I will hopefully try to post some pictures up shortly, but some may be inappropriate due to a good friend's creativity.

Thanksgiving was also spend at Marcie and Johnny's house. I made my first cheesecake which turned out delicious! It was a pumpkin and bourbon cheesecake. Marcie made a ruhbarb tart, and we had cranberries, mash potatoes, cauliflower gratin, turkey (obviously), and so much more. It was a feast fit for a king. And King Author's royal court could haven eaten all the food! Needless to say it was one of my favorite Thanksgivings to date. While Paul and I did miss our families deeply over the holiday we were thankful to be around such wonderful people. It even snowed!

Well, I guess that is all for now. I promise to keep more up to date with my blog. I plan on making that a New Year's Resolution! I will post pictures shortly.