Random on Purpose -- Part 3

Here again, is a your short and concise gathering of all things Ryan and Emma. And only short and concise because we can't devote enough time to writing dedicated posts on each of the topics. Not yet anyway.

• Eating healthy is expensive, but totally worth it. Between our quest for "food color" and all things organic (which has become easier thanks to Abundant Harvest), going to the market is a bit of a new adventure.
• In related, but hypocritical news, we bought tickets for the "all-you-can-eat" seating section at Dodger Stadium... All the processed hot dogs, high-in-sugar sodas and fattening nachos you could want...
• ...unfortunately, we're 0-for-2 in games we were planning to see but weren't able to actually attend. I guess that's what happens when Southern California is treated with springtime rain.
• We took a day yesterday and went to the Festival of Books at UCLA with the entire Barton clan. Thinking back, I think me and Em have gone every year for the last five years. Each year is a little bit more crowded, and fewer things surprise us. Like the guy with the pocket protector towing a stack of books in a kid-sized Radio Flyer, all while spilling his lemonade on your sandals as he passes... yeah, he's normal. Cole enjoyed the face painting/tattoos, spending time with his Auntie Em and seeing books galore. And Braydon liked running. He always likes running. ..who wouldn't?

• While at the Festival, I again realized what a huge fanboy I am for all things Dave Eggers and McSweeny's. Their publications exude creativity. And I can't get enough of them, even though I can't spot the time to give them the literary justice they deserve. And if you really want to know more about Eggers, watch his TED talk here.
• In 72 hours or so, Em and I take off for our trip to Central America. A little over two weeks of doing absolutely nothing... unless we want to do differently. So far, snorkeling in Aruba, enjoying an aerial view of the rain forest in Costa Rica and taking a trip to Los Arcos in Cabo are on the list. We'll be sailing on Island Princess, just like we did when we vacationed in Alaska. Many thanks to (Emma's) Sara and Ashley for taking care of the kids while we're away. If you'd like to watch us transit the Panama Canal in real time (and are keen on waking up around 3:00 AM), you can watch the ship's bridge cam here.

• When we do get back, we'll be covering each stop along the way with its own blog post. Last year's Alaska trip was a bit overwhelming -- one post covering 7 days with a 20-minute video. Not exactly easy to digest.

That's it for now...more when we return!