Corndogs + Avocados

This may be the best news I’ve ever heard from any airline. Ever. Southwest and WestJet have agreed to form an alliance that will finally offer low-cost flights between Canada (my homeland) and the US (my home). Cheap flights to Calgary here we come!

Southwest Airlines to Offer International Service Via Pact With Canadian Carrier WestJet, Service Scheduled for Late 2009

Southwest Airlines and WestJet Take First Step Toward Codeshare Partnership, Opening a New Gateway Between United States and Canada

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DALLAS—July 8, 2008—Southwest Airlines today announced its intention to build a codeshare partnership with Canadian carrier WestJet. The two airlines have completed the first step in creating a relationship that will eventually allow the carriers to offer Customers a seamless travel experience to a wide array of destinations. This initial agreement puts the two airlines on a path toward bringing more low fares and a better Customer experience across the U.S./Canadian border. The airlines plan to announce codeshare flight schedules and additional features regarding the partnership by late 2009. Certain details of the codeshare and elements of the partnership are subject to approvals by both the U.S. and Canadian governments.

[read the southwest press release] [read the westjet press release]

A miser is a person who is reluctant to spend money, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts. The term derives from the Latin miser, meaning “poor” or “wretched,” comparable to the modern word “miserable”. [from Wikipedia]

Our new landlord is an air conditioning miser. The new apartment has air—and it works really well—he just won’t turn it on. We don’t have a thermostat in our apartment which I’m discovering is a major oversight. I’ve spoken face to face with Mr. Miser Landlord once about keeping the air on, and I’ve emailed him once as well (to which he didn’t reply). Then today I came home from work to find a super heated apartment waiting for me. Arrrrrrrrgh!!!!!

We’ve moved to a new apartment. Logistically it works very well as it’s close to Liz’s work, the gym, our in-laws (a good thing), the train, and it’s in our ward. If you would like our new address simply contact us or send us an email.

All the offspring transported themselves to Gramma & Grampa’s house for a summer family fling two weeks ago. It was beyond awesome. Everyone, except for two very important exceptions, Darin & Garrett, caravanned down to Monterey where we divided our time between the beach, the aquarium, playing cards and the Dennis the Menace park. Nancy did a fabulous job of blogging about it here and Kim did a fabulous job here.

I’m just going to add a few more photos.

First, what stealthy Nancy didn’t say about this following shot is that she used her ninja powers to sneak into the frame.

The very next day ninja Kim sneaked herself into this one.

Sea otter. No, we were not this close - I used some zoom. I only mention this because it is important to me to follow the rules about keeping one’s distance from wildlife. Feel free to roll your eyes now.

Baby gulls.

Hermit crab.

Paul & Jenny with harbor seals in the background.

This bench was on our way to the aquarium.

I LOVED the aquarium. Dan & a leather sea star.

Auntie Liz and a bat ray.

Sea kelp forest tank.

An enthusiastic barnacle. There is a muuuuch better way to do this little slide show… but I don’t know what it is yet.

barnacle-ppt

And now a plethora of creatures. Those of you who know me know that I can’t help myself. I love creatures.

Otters playing.

Eels & cleaner shrimp. “Ouh la mère!”

And the jellies! I could watch these for hours. The first is a sea nettle.

Spotted jellies.

Comb jellies.

And finally, before departure, at the Dennis the Menace park Auntie Nancy provided some instruction about the zip-line.

Better late than never. I’ve been out of the country for the last 10 July 4ths, either in Japan or Canada, so when we went to our ward picnic Friday morning and stood together to recite the Pledge of Allegiance I got really quite emotional. Good heavens. Couldn’t make it through the Star Spangled Banner today either. I love my country! It’s a wonderful thing to love one’s place of origin. I hope you love the country you are from and the country you live in currently. There is so much to celebrate!