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Goldbug Hot Springs

Posted by bern on 02 Jun 2008 | Tagged as: New life

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Memorial Day Hike: Holland Lake & Falls

Posted by bern on 02 Jun 2008 | Tagged as: New life

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Photo Update

Posted by bern on 25 May 2008 | Tagged as: New life

These photos range all the way from early April to mid-May.

On April 5th, Barack Obama held a campaign rally in Missoula. I started out the day by working the line and registering people to vote, then Jeremy and I snagged seats right behind the stage and even got to shake Obama’s hand! It was definitely a celebrity moment…the excitement that built up waiting for him to appear was like waiting for a rock concert to begin. The man’s on a roll!

Next, we have some pictures of Samson, whose gregarious personality and uproarious behavior make him a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, he now lives in Wyoming with his person, Arjun, and we miss him dearly. I also think he occupied such a special place in my heart because he reminds me of Solomon, the Gunn Family’s beloved Great Dane from 1984 until 1991.

Late April, I was thrilled to get 3 spontaneous visitors from every corner of this land: Karl from CA, Val from DC, and Erin from NM! The weather was crap, but we had a great time hanging out, cooking, shopping, and going on dangerous drives up snow-covered mountains. It was so nice to have a group together that hasn’t been together since 2004. Next reunion: Karl and Adam’s wedding!

After a busy few weeks, Jeremy and I opted for a quick getaway to Spokane, WA. Highlights were the hot tub (clearly), gondola ride over Spokane Falls, and strolling amongst (and taking pictures with) funky sculptures in the park.

The next photo documents something I’ve been doing a lot lately: meeting with community members/other nonprofit organizations across the state and holding Outreach Meetings to discuss my project, which aims to educate people on the benefits of the Food Stamp Program and inform people about their options for applying. I meet with local folks to get their advice, since I clearly have no idea where to begin. Each town is different and these meetings help me tailor my approach to their needs.

Finally, we’ve got a very handsome doggie named Doogie. He came from the Kalispell Animal Shelter and made Lani a mommy on her birthday, just 3 days before Mother’s Day! He’s cute as a button, very smart and so well-behaved that it’s impossible to fathom how his old family could have let him go. He has already fetched his way into our hearts and we look forward to much more fun to come!

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Montana-Made Meal

Posted by bern on 24 May 2008 | Tagged as: New life

Tonight, Jeremy and I cooked a meal from entirely local ingredients: Uncle Bill’s sausages and mustard greens bought at the Clark Fork River Market, Sauerkraut from a Hutterite colony near Great Falls, and cinnamon-apple bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. It was hippie-licious.

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At long last…our 100th post!

Posted by bern on 20 Mar 2008 | Tagged as: New life

Hello, loyal friends of the Rack!

We’ve been gone long time, but as Emily aptly puts it, no money = no travel = no blog posts.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t have lots to report…Emily, for one, has been plenty busy making a name for herself in the New Paltz/Kingston/Poughkeepsie graphic design scene. I should let her speak for herself, so all I’ll say is “Em rocks!” and “Shazaam!” I’m so proud of that girl.

There’s tons going on on the Western end, too…all good stuff. Job’s going really well, I’m doing community organizing across Montana, talking to lots of county officials and volunteers about the importance of food stamps to their communities. Did you know that every dollar spent with food stamps generates $1.73 in local economic activity? Increasing food stamp benefits is the #1 most effective way to stimulate the economy and possibly reduce the effects of the recession we’re headed into. But of course, food stamps are nowhere to be found in the government’s fancy new stimulus package (you know, where you’re getting that nice $600 refund from). Lunacy! http://money.cnn.hu/2008/01/29/news/economy/stimulus_analysis/index.htm

When I’m not busy morphing into a political activist, I enjoy playing intramural softball, spotting rare birds with Jeremy (a bald eagle and great grey owl, so far!) and fixing up a bike at Free Cycles Missoula http://www.strans.org/freecycles.html.

Another highlight of the past month that I simply must share was my encounter with a University of Montana student I shall refer to as Drug Rug Girl. I first met DRG at a hunger awareness panel discussion. She was the moderator, and president of the Association for Social and Economic Justice. She wore a drug rug, a.k.a. one of those Guatemalan woven hippie shirts, and a matching headband around her long, blond, wavy hair. She also wore sandals made out of rope. Still, her most defining characteristic was her voice. She spoke in the style of a stoned snowboarder (”Hey, braaah, check out the freshy fresh pow pow”), and ended every sentence like a question (”Sooo, we’re going to be learning about hunger tonight?”). After each speaker, she would say, “Okaaay, thanks for that?”, and the crowning moment came when she opened up the Q&A with “Okaaay, I’m gonna let you all maaaar-i-naaate on that for a while?” while never once changing her facial expression. She was a walking stereotype. Ah, Missoula, how you do delight me.

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SPAM is an ugly word.

Posted by Emily on 08 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: Uncategorized

Hi loyal Gunnrack readers & friends. We are getting spammed.

I know that’s an ugly word and I use it sparingly. But that’s the truth. I don’t think any of you loyal readers would be posting about Verizon ring tones and viagra, would you be? No I didn’t think so.

Unfortunately, for the time being I am making commenting a little more difficult (it will ask for you your name and email, and will hold the post in que until Bern or myself approves it). I think this needs to be done, if only for my own sanity.

Hopefully, we can open it back up by the summer when we are doing more traveling. If I get enough cash together I want go visit Bern in Missoula and Bern has a few trip coming her way. I’ll let her tell you more about them.

In the mean time, have safe travels.

Love!

Emily

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January Goings-On

Posted by bern on 15 Jan 2008 | Tagged as: New life

I’ve been told to write more about my job so it doesn’t look like all I do is drink beer. Well, that will have to wait. In the meantime, enjoy more pictures with pitchers in the background!

P.S. Sorry, Mrs. L. … I promise to post the job update soon!

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That’s Just The Way We Do It ‘Round Here

Posted by bern on 05 Jan 2008 | Tagged as: New life

Happy Redneck New Year! Lani and I, Radio Flyer’s two groupies, drove up to Quinn’s Hot Springs near Paradise, Montana (http://www.quinnshotsprings.com/site/index.php) to watch the boys play and revel in sulphuric warmth.

It started out well enough, with drinks in the pool with Keith and Becky, an adorable couple from Coeur d’Alene, and Joe, an impromptu visitor from Portland. Hilarity ensued when the band started playing…somehow, Radio Flyer is a magnet for stage-hungry drunk girls, and New Year’s Eve was no exception. Thus, we spent the greater portion of the evening being partly bemused, partly annoyed by the dirty-dancing, karaoke-singing shenanigans of blond Katie and her intoxicated, over-possessive would-be boyfriend.

Another highlight was when one of the waitresses interrupted the band mid-song to settle their tab because she was leaving for the night. Then after midnight, a fight broke out in front of the bar, resulting in several bloody lips and a call to the police, about which the owner, a large man named Beef, was none too pleased, since the perpetrator turned out to be his nephew. And with the cops on their way, they had to take away our drinks, although I’m not exactly sure why. 2008, off to a great start!

Memorable quotes:

Us: “Katie, how old are you?”
Katie: “Over 21.”

Katie: “Bye, guys!”
Becky: “Bye, Katie! Happy graduation!”
Katie: “F*** you, bitch.”

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Standard Saturday

Posted by bern on 29 Dec 2007 | Tagged as: New life

Got up at ten, ate grits, ran some errands, then headed to Glacier Ice Rink with Lani for some ice skating. Got drawn into the high school hockey fundraiser, bought raffle tickets and $1 chili, then watched the Missoula boys skate their hearts out against the Idaho Falls Golden Eagles. Thinking about joining a women’s hockey league.

Came home and stood by as Ruby was born again as a Montanan. What will her mother say?!