All Right, Already!

Mark, it's not that we don't love you--but I'm tired of looking at that Antarctica post! Speaking of cold climes, Matt and I both highly recommend the book, "The Terror" by Dan Somebody (I just went to look at the author's name and can't find the book on our shelf). It is a fictionalized account of the Franklin Expedition to find the Northwest Passage in the 1840s. The real expedition disappeared and many, many rescue expeditions tried to find it but ultimately found very little clue to its passing. The Terror presents this author's somewhat mystical view of what got 'em out there on the ice. Anyway, literature aside, things are going pretty well in Idaho. Unless you're Freya, that is. She's had a bit of a cold for the last few days, but kind of crashed yesterday afternoon and slept for a really long time and woke up with a fever. This morning she had dried fluid around her ear and we took her in to the pediatrician who diagnosed her with a double ear infection. Poor kidlet. She's on antibiotics now and hopefully they'll knock the crud out. We're getting ready for a spring break trip to Santa Barbara. My grandmother lived in that area for 40 years, and my Aunt Sandy is still there. I'm really looking forward to seeing her and enjoying the Danish food from the nearby tourist trap/burg of Solvang. Anyone else here ever ate an aebleskiver? I can't recommend them enough! They're a round Danish pancake and sooo tasty. Matt is working on the next edition of the game warden magazine. I'm just doing the usual thing at work--nothing too exciting to report there. The job I keep talking about applying for still hasn't come out for applications yet, so I haven't got any news on that front to share. As Matt mentioned, Susan & Finn's monkey has been a huge hit with Freya. She sleeps with it every night and has taken it on a few outings, including to the zoo yesterday. I'm very glad something has replaced the fifty-nine cent Walgreens black plastic comb she'd been sleeping with (I am not making this up). The monkey is much more cuddly. Here's a picture of her relaxed with it--sorry it is a little fuzzy. Love to all! Casey, Matt and Freya