Fuzzy Fur Feet

So we have a cat. Shandy came home with us last Saturday as an early present for Sidney. Of course she has to love Kimber the most. She is at least mostly Siamese and extremely sweet. We looked at 4 cats, 3 boys and Shandy. The boys were all a little older and two were pretty sedate. Kirk had an opportunity to balance the power in the house and he passed it up. We choose Shandy. She was really shy and unhappy at Pets-mart and it took several hours and much coaxing to get her out from under the bed. But she is out now. Running up and down the stairs and chasing the tiniest bits of stuff.

She is about 6 months old and is a little lover kitty. She must sleep on a body part, preferably your head, but we are working on that. She has recently had fleas and worms so we are nursing her to health and trying to get her to over 5 pounds. She is a little thing.

She is also very tolerant of Sidney. They seem to be getting along great and no one has bled or cried yet. Sidney seems very happy to have her. Shandy doesn't scratch or bite and she is completely litter trained. With the love and care we have given this week, her coat has softened and she is cleaning up. I do have to wonder where she came from and how she wasn't adopted because she is quite lovely. And she is already fixed and chipped.

Kimber and Sidney to Wyoming

First an update on Kimber's foot. It is doing much better. The pain is fine, now just dealing with swelling and lack of energy. I am hoping to go back to work for at least part days Wednesday and Thursday. I see the doctor tomorrow for the first follow-up. I can get around the house without a crutch but I still use the crutch when I am out of the house. Helps me keep my balance and gives me a break.


Sidney and Kimber went to visit Jinni in Cody in July. We flew up on Monday and unfortunately ran into delays leaving Houston so we missed the connection in Denver and spent 5 quality hours in the Denver airport. Sidney fell asleep on the Denver to Cody flight and I had to carry her off the plane, to he car, to the bed, etc. We stayed with Jinni most of the time in Wyoming.


Tuesday we went over to Yellowstone. We spent the day driving around Yellowstone, making the big loop. The first thing I noticed were the number of wild flowers and amount of water. It was amazing. It has been so hot and dry in Houston and it was just lovely in Yellowstone. Here is a picture of Sidney in front of Yellowstone Lake.



We found bison right away and saw elk shortly after. We also spotted some white pelicans which were also a surprise. Here is a picture of some bison hanging out at the picnic area and the elk we saw later.


We ate a picnic lunch and pushed on in our driving knowing we would have some time to revisit some areas on Wednesday. We stopped to look at a petrified tree and got to see a little black bear. He is in the very center of this picture.




That was a nice treat. We also walked around many springs and small geysers. We drove through a nice thunderstorm and then onto our lodge arriving at about 7 pm. Below are some pictures of the springs and geysers (which Sidney keeps calling geezers). The geography of Yellowstone is amazing.



















Wednesday found us back tracking to Old Faithful. We made it in time to watch an eruption and walk around a bit. Here is a before and during eruption.







This helped keep our day from getting too long. After Old Faithful, we went back to some waterfalls we had seen the day before. Hayden Falls were full and lovely. They are a prime trout area where the trout are swimming upstream. If you look closely in the center you can see a trout.















There has been so much water that the river as up to the trail and spotting the fish was quite easy. We ate another picnic lunch and completed Sidney's Junior Ranger work. She is quite proud of having a Junior Ranger Badge from Carlsbad and Yellowstone.



We did more driving mixed with hiking, looking at a number of waterfalls and scenic overlooks. Sidney was a trooper. She would wear out then recharge. This is a picture of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

















Here is also a waterfall we took many walks to look at from different views. One walk involved 340 steps. The same viewing area is on the right in both pictures.

















We drove out of the northeast entrance so Sidney could go to Montana. On our way out, we saw a grizzly bear, a bison swim across the river, and a grey wolf. So I think we did quite well on the animal front. The pictures of the grizzly, swimming bison and grey wolf are below.





We stopped for gas in Montana so Sidney could put her feet on Montana soil. When we got out of the car it was concrete around the pump. I was tired and trying to rush and told her to get back in. Sidney told me that she hadn't stepped on Montana soil yet, only concrete. So we walked over to a bit of gravel and then moved on. We made the lovely drive back from Montana to Cody and fell exhausted into bed.


Here are two more pictures from Yellowstone. One is another spring and the other is the Mud Pots. Though they look different, they both smelled like "eggs with salt" according to Sidney.
















Thursday was a more relaxing day at the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum. It is a fantastic museum and we spent the entire ay there. They have a large gun exhibit, Native American History exhibit, western art exhibit, Buffalo Bill exhibit and and great Yellowstone exhibit. The Yellowstone exhibit was Sidney's favorite and where we spent most of our time. In the afternoon, they have a children's activity outside. Wednesday was historic games like jacks, water bucket carry, a little bear to practice milking, and many other historic games. We played for a good hour. Below is a picture of Sidney trying to carry the buckets of water.


Friday found us White Water Rafting. We had a blast. It was so relaxing and fun and our guide was extremely competent and careful. He answered my many questions and brought us safely down the river. Here is Sidney on the raft. This picture was taken with a waterproof film camera so it is a bit grainy.


Unfortunately Sidney had been ill the night before. She was fine for the rafting but it burned her out. She fell asleep as we walked out of Jinni's office but she was wonderful while we were there meeting the people Jinni works with.

On Saturday, we went into town and enjoyed the day with Jinni and Dakota. We walked around and ate a nice lunch of bison burgers. Did a little grocery shopping and then went home and relaxed. Sidney and I went to the park and played a while. Then we had a pleasant girls night.

We walked back into town on Sunday, trying out a new jogging stroller Jinni had been given. It is all down hill into town and uphill back. We were hot and tired. And Dakota asleep. Here is a picture of Dakota after our walk.

We went out in the backyard in the evening and cut back many of the plants int he yard that had grown out of control. We also pushed down a small dead tree. Sidney did a great job keeping Dakota entertained. Jinni and I filled four huge yard bags of trimmings. But you could actually see out the windows.

Sidney and I were going to go on another white water rafting trip Monday but I woke up really sick. I was nauseated and vomiting and dizzy. Sidney fortunately went to Dakota's daycare for a few hours so I could rest. She was doing a great job taking care of me but I needed to sleep if we were going to get home that night. It was awesome that the daycare would let her come and more awesome that Sidney is so outgoing that she can have a blast anywhere and deal with such changes. I was really disappointed that we couldn't go rafting though. We were going to go on a more scenic and rapid trip with lunch. But oh well. We will try again sometime. Finally one more picture of Sidney from in Yellowstone.


Fortunately I felt well enough by the afternoon that I could get us home. But all I ate that day was 4 saltines. We finally made it home at a little after midnight on Tuesday. I left for Africa then at 1 pm Tuesday but those details will be in another post.

One other thing from our trip. Sidney and I wrote new words to one of Sidney's favorite songs from Norway. The tune is "If I Were a Butterfly" and the words are below about the things we saw at Yellowstone. Any one of us can sing it for you if you would like.

If I were a wildflower, I's thank you Lord for Your plentiful showers,
And If I were a White Pelican, I'd thank you Lord for the fish in my chin,
An if I were a grazing bison, I'd thank you Lord for my thick skin,
But I just thank you Father for making me me.

For You gave me a heart and You gave me a smile,
You gave me sunshine and You made me Your child,
And I just thank you Father for making me me.

If I were the Yellowstone River, I'd thank you Lord for my raging water,
And if I were a trumpeter swan, I'd thank you Lord for my beautiful song,
And if I were a little black bear, I'd thank you Lord I can play without care,
But I just thank you Father for making me me.

If I were a a Grizzly Bear, I'd thank you Lord for salmon jumping in the air,
And if I were the least chipmunk, I'd thank you Lord for my tasty lunch,
And if I were a hunting bald eagle, I'd thank you Lord that I am so regal,
But I just thank you Father for making me me.

We still have a verse or two to write. We need elk, raven, and grey wolf.

Kimber's Foot

Well life can't stay dull with the Hamilton's for long. Especially for Kimber. I had surgery on my left foot Tuesday to make some minor repairs. I am doing OK with it now. Tuesday and the anesthesia were tough. It took until Wednesday afternoon for the anesthesia to wear off. I am also down to a half dose of the pain medicine with Tylenol which has helped clear my brain. I don't think I am quite ready to switch to all Tylenol.

So what did they do. Well I am the proud new owner of two screws. Somehow in the preparation for the surgery I missed that part. I knew they would do some bone cuts and rearrangements but I didn't expect screws. Now I am not convinced that someone can run, jump, bike, etc with two screws in their foot. I have been assured that they won't say come out or poke through my foot. I am not convinced.

I have inserted the x-ray below. They look like deck screws to me. Kirk calls orthopedists carpenters who's preferred tools are Black and Decker. Ha Ha. Should be his foot.



I am gimping along on one crutch. Mostly to keep me from falling over. Will keep you posted on how I progress. This has been an easier recovery than my ankle in Norway. I think because I have this awesome boot that protects my foot and ankle and offers great support.

Sidney comes home from Grandma's tomorrow so we will put up a post with all of her adventures. I am ready to have her home. I am lonely and haven't seen her for almost three weeks as I was in EG until Monday of this week. More details on EG to come.

MS 150

So Kimber completed the BP MS 150 for the first time. The MS 150 is a charitable bike ride from Houston to Austin over two days. The overnight stop is La Grange Texas. Depending on the route you choose, total mileage can be from 150 miles to around 180 miles. The ride raises money for research to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis and to improve treatment and care for those who have multiple sclerosis. About 130 people from Marathon ride each year and a total of 13,000 people ride. Marathon riders raised $150,000 for the National MS Society. Here is a picture of Kimber on the first day. She wore her only short sleeve jersey from Norway.


It is a challenging ride. You can start in Houston, Katy or Waller. Katy is the most popular start. Waller second. Houston is the longest day for the those who start there. They ride 100 miles to get to La Grange. The start was nice, well controlled and the ride in general was well supported. Most riders were courteous and friendly. There were some who were exhibiting dangerous behavior. One of the main challenges was the volume of traffic at rest stops. And some of the entries and exits to the rest stops were scary to me, consisting of loose rocks and gravel. But there was plenty of food, water, facilities, and bike repair if needed. Also the road on the first day was not in very good shape. It was very rough in many places so I was completely worn out when I finally got to La Grange. But my awesome support team (Kirk and Sidney) were there cheering me on. We stayed at a hotel in Bastrop overnight. Most people sleep at the campgrounds in group tents in La Grange. But I simply don’t camp. Plus with Kirk and Sidney, we really needed beds. It worked out well because then I could relax a little the next morning and get on my bike right at the hotel to continue my ride. Below is a picture from the second day. I am actually feeling really good.

I was early so I had most of the road mostly to myself, seeing only the fastest riders pass me by. It was a lovely flat and smooth road up to about 5 miles out of Austin. Then it got hilly and windy. But it was such an amazing feeling to ride into Austin. Both personally to know you completed something like this, and as something you could give. The ride isn’t about speed or racing. It is a ride to support a cause that affects many people. Most riders ride in honor of or in memory of someone with MS. Below is one of the professional photos taken during the ride. What a great picture. Congratulations to all the riders for whom this was a challenge. It was a worthy challenge for a great cause. Someone's life will be a little better because you rode!


Kirk and Sidney were up to well, what Kirk and Sidney do. Play, eat and take pictures. An occasional cheer for mom and taking care of her when she is finished. Sidney managed to find some fun.








Kirk and I are talking about doing it together next year. We can’t take Sidney until she is 12 though so she will have to say with a friend. But it would be a nice chance for Kirk and I to do something good together.








And for the funny bit which accompanies many of our posts. First a picture iconic of Texas. A lost boot.






After the ride is a big party. And no one wants to stink for the party so they bring in shower trucks. I had never seen such a thing before. But my eye caught this sign of course.

The New Norway Office

Kimber has been to Norway twice this year and she thought it might be fun to show the progress of the new building Marathon will be moving into in less than a year. When we moved to Norway, the office was in the center of Stavanger. However, a new office building was being completed basically next door to our apartment in Hinna. Below are two pictures of the first Hinna building. We have posted other pictures but these two are unique. They are taken from our back patio and from the terrace above the shared area of our apartment in Norway. These are views we will never have again!



In October 2009, Marathon announced they would be moving to the building being completed near our apartment. This meant Kimber’s commute was 2 minutes, even underground if needed due to bad weather starting in January 2010. The working environment required some adjustment as we all went from offices to open floor plan, and nearly quadrupled in number over the next 5 months as we took over operation of Alvheim from Maersk. Below is the aerial view of the area where our apartment was located. Take note of the pier on the lower left of the photograph. It becomes the subject of the rest of the story.



This new building is temporary however. Right after this building was finished, construction began on a building that would be located on the pier close to our apartment and near the Condeep. The picture below shows the pier as it was used prior to construction. These are ferrys offloading for a soccer game.



The next picture shows the pier as construction began. The entire interior of the pier was jack-hammered or dug out.

A structure of concrete walls was built on the interior, then clean fill placed inside the vaults created by the walls. Then the combination of walls and fill was overlayed with concrete. Finally the basement (garage) and first floor went down. All of the buildings floors are poured concrete much like the building we are in now.

Next building construction began. The next series of pictures shows progress of the building by floors and overall completion. You are only seeing a small part of the building in these pictures. It is the part that is over the pier. But always in the background is the Condeep to provide perspective. The building actually extends over the pier as well as the length of the three apartment blocks it is beside. But I can't capture all of that in one shot. The pictures below are from October and December 2010.


The building is on the other side of our former apartment from the current office building. Still a nice commute if we were still living there. It will have a great view as well from some sides, overlooking the Fjord. The last two pictures are from this year. They are March and June of 2011. So here is the comprehensive history of the Marathon Hinna Offices.

First Long Ride as a Family

So we purchased a tandem bike. It isn’t high end but it shifts and rides well. We attach the trail-a-bike to the back under my seat and away we go. Now the other problem we had was transporting this bike around. A tandem is longer than a car is wide so we couldn’t really carry it on a traditional bike carrier. It would fit in the Prius with the wheels removed and handle bar turned and Sidney’s seat and the passenger seat down. But then what good is the bike without the riders. So we found this neat contraption that you mount on the top of the car. It has a pull out U shaped mechanism that extends off the back of the roof of the car. The front wheel is removed from the bike and the y thing attached to the front of the U shaped piece and bolted in place. Then you extend the back as far as you need to and lift the back wheel into the trough. A strap secures the back wheel. Kirk can basically load the bike himself although it is easier with two. Sidney’s trail-a-bike goes on the other side in the rack on top and the wheel in the middle. It leaves plenty of room for us and all the things we need inside. We have used it to haul the bike to the park and up to Whaler.

So we took the tandem out the first time to George Bush Park. We rode about 22 miles that day just testing out how the bike felt and making sure Sidney did OK. George Bush Park is a great park here in Houston with baseball fields, soccer fields, shooting range, equestrian center and maybe 15 miles of paved bike trails. It connects into another park called… which offers several more miles of bikeway off of the roads and in some pleasant areas. We have seen turkey, deer, cardinals and many bugs and other birds. It is a real treat to have such a space available in the city and just a few minutes from home.


Our next adventure on the tandem with trail-a-bike was a 55 mile ride to see the wild flowers that bloom here in the spring. We did that ride at the end of March. The flowers weren’t spectacular because we have been in a severe drought. But it was still lovely. The ride was well supported with stops every 8 to 10 miles. The day was rather windy but stayed cloudy so it wasn’t hot. I don’t think Sidney pedaled much but she managed to stay on the bike all day. Oh and she has her own little pair of bike shorts. She received tons of encouragement from the other riders around her. The most wonderful part of the ride was the support and encouragement she received but also that she gave back. She would always cheer the bike riders around us or sing for them. She was the youngest participant that we saw. I am proud of her both that she did such a long ride with us but that she is such a positive person. Hopefully these are the things that will keep her wanting to ride and do healthy and fun activities.

Sorry It Has Been So Long

So we haven’t been very good at maintaining the blog. It isn’t because we don’t want to, but we are crazy busy. The fact that we are both working full time and Sidney is in school has taken a hit on our free time. Add maintaining the house, commuting, swim lessons, and Kimber’s travel and we can barely keep our head above water.

So Kimber has a number of blog posts to put up. There is one about Norway and describing the progress of the new office building and the other latest Norway Adventures. There is one about our first long ride as a family on our "new to us" tandem. Another is about Kimber’s general travel. One will be about the MS150 and finally one about the house, our new furniture, and our adventures around Houston.