...forgot Strawberry Rhubarb

May is also the month of Strawberry-Rhubarb. Sorry to forget that, it is one of my favorite parts of May! We had 2 from-scratch pies this month and a crisp turned up at Saturday's BBQ, mmmmm. Someday I'll have my own rhubarb plant, but at least this year we found it in the market fresh and sorta cheap ($1/lb).

Eric packed the car this morning while I got in a quick run with the dog. Two bikes, three sets of wheels, a dog crate, clothes, shoes....how much can 1 couple take? This is why we never fly anywhere. And just wait for the day when we have kids! I guess that's when we will rent-a-car for trips, since I refuse to buy anything big enough for a trip when our day-to-day use will be so much less. We are "small car" people. Or at least "car that sips gas" people. Ultimately, we are "ride our bikes or scooter people" whenever possible. Maybe we'll get a diesel Jetta wagon and run it on bio-diesel when the time comes.....if VW is selling them again by then.

The trip car got left at home while we carpooled to work. Hopefully it wasn't dinged by any of today's hail. Same for the tomatoes.

Then tonight, we add dog and 2 people and hit the road. This will be the Subaru's umpteenth trip to MN. We bought it the May before OUR wedding, drove to MN and back for many Christmases, Erica and Ryan's wedding, family reunions, I-finally-turned-in-my- thesis-to-the-graduate-school-and-am-done-with- all-things-PhD trips, etc. This time it is loaded up with books-on-CD and tape, yummy (mostly health) snacks, peanut-butter M&Ms, and lots of stuff for the wedding/training/visiting times ahead.

I am excited to see everyone. I'm excited to be back in MN. I'm excited for a mini-break form work and a chance to relax. And to train, with quality efforts, when we can.

This next week is "life first," though, and family is such a big part of that. It is the hardest part about being so far away. This will probably be our only time "home" this year.

Bring it on!

Amber

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