Salutations!

Greetings family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and strangers who managed to find this blog either by mistake or by intention...hopefully any of the former, since the latter would be downright creepy.

After a rousing bout weighing the pros and cons of becoming bloggers, we ultimately decided that this would be the most efficient way for us to let you all know what we're up to these days. Plus, it's relative easy for everyone else...you don't even have to email us to remind us that we're completely neglecting you (although we do love emails and we adore Skype chats, so keep them coming!)

But if you've got a jones for a little (Liddle) more Roche, then take this blog and read it. If not, then just carry on without us. It's all good.

Our only real news of late is this: we moved to South Africa. More about this to follow...





The Hair Cut: If there was one thing I learned from the often-speech-delayed (but entirely free, so we dealt with it), Skype-mediated chats Neil and I had between South Africa and Seattle it was this: South Africa is hot! And all of his raving about how much better his life had been since he shaved his head (#3 on the top, #2 on the sides) made me think: "I should definitely cut off all my hair before I go over there." So, I consulted the best hairstylist I know, Melissa Grace Eakins. (Sidebar: If you are ever in Salt Lake City, and think: "That was such a nice lunch and before I take my life in my hands by getting back on I-15 I wish I could get a great haircut", then get yourself over to Kami Hair on Highland Drive and ask for Grace. You won't be disappointed. She's phenomenal. A serious and exceptional artist. Even if you're not in SLC, you should go there anyway. Have the chicken sandwich at the Dodo Cafe (so savory) and then skip on over to Kami. You'll leave town beaming.) The result of my appointment with hair destiny: ease, freedom, and even style. Leave it to Grace.

I tell you this: it was one of my better decisions. It's just now getting to Spring and some days are in the high 30s (in Celsius, which is around 100 degrees Fahrenheit). There is nothing more refreshing then soaking your entire head with water in the middle of the day and not having to think about it afterwards. So cool (in more ways than one). Not to mention the time it has taken off my morning routine (kind of like my golf game...well, if I golfed, that is). I'm fairly certain I can get ready faster then Neil these days. Of course, being as handsome as is he does take time. So, with the hair gone (and no ridiculously affordable Seattle apartment to live in for another year) it was off to Africa...almost...


The Plane Essentials: Of course, before flying across the world (to rejoin Neil who I left there 2.5 months earlier) I had a lot of shopping to do. I mean, who knew if I could get basic daily essentials like Dove bar soap (for sensitive skin), shampoo that smells like cucumbers and melons, Tom's peppermint toothpaste, Samy's styling pomade, or Kroger's liquid hand sanitizer. Needless to say, I was at Fred Meyer twice a day the week before I left. (I really need to make better lists). And once I discovered that Bartell Drugs had Riesens on sale, I made it a priority to clean out the stock of every store within a 5 mile radius of the University district.

Now, amidst the insanity, panic, and sleep deprivation that (I assume) inevitably ensues before one moves halfway across the world for an extended period of time, I happened to pack all my said essentials in my carry-on bag. Two years ago, this wouldn't have been worth mentioning, but leave it to someone packing liquid explosives to ruin my carefully planned trip. Yes, I had completely neglected the Travel Security Adminstration's 3-1-1 rule. (FYI: 3-1-1 for carry-ons = 3 ounce bottle or less (by volume) ; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3 oz. container size is a security measure.)

But I didn't remember this little law until it was almost too late. In fact, I was feeling pretty relaxed as I approached the security gate. I had managed to get rid of my four other 50+ pound bags at the Delta Airlines check-in desk and was thinking about how nice it was to only be lugging around one 50 lb bag...yes, it's true, shampoo is quite heavy. Then I saw all those huge, flat screen TVs playing the 3-1-1 reminder over and over. Now, it slowly occurred to me that I was about to become the spectacle of the week at Sea-Tac airport. And wouldn't those TSA workers just love it when they opened up my bag for "further inspection" and found all that contraband inside...six non-travel-size tubes of toothpaste, eight 20-oz containers of hand sanitizer, four aerosol cans of odor-less hairspray...oh the horror! Or, the delight, rather.

I could see myself getting busted, escorted over to the little area with the plastic walls and footprint-stamped rugs, asked to spread my legs, lift up my arms ("palms up, please!") and patted down by a less-than-charming, middle-aged woman. "Are you sure you're not hiding any full-size bottles of deodorant in your back pockets?" A strong desire to avoid this complete and total public humiliation (although, it would have given the onlookers a good story to share with whomever picked them up from the airport) moved me to action. After getting my passport cleared by a surprising sullen individual (even for a TSA worker), I raced over to the line with the most people waiting in it, dropped to my knees by the nearest over-sized garbage bin, unzipped my bag, and proceeded to throw away all questionable items. Two minutes, twenty pounds, and one hundred dollars later I was in the clear. Granted, people witnessing this event probably thought I was psychotic, but hey, it's a lesson for the kids out there...if you've got any highly suspicious material, especially basic hygienic items, be sure to keep the airways safe by packing them in your checked bags. And let's all sing hallelujah that we can still carry full-size packs of dental floss on the plane.