Moooove over

Bits and Pieces;

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- I ran 18 miles this weekend.  Farthest. Run. Ever.  Pretty proud of myself.  On this same run, however, my friend Beth and I were CHASED BY A HUGE, BELLOWING COW at about mile 9.  We sprinted, our heart rates soaring, with the huge black mama gaining on us until I turned around, grabbed some rocks, and started throwing them at her feet.  She bellowed once and then turned around.  We felt stupid for being so scared but...it was scary!  I'm not sure if she was mad (there were a couple calves there...maybe she felt threatened?), curious, or thought we were going to feed her...?



-A couple weekends ago, we went on a trip to South Dakota....Spearfish, specifically.  We had an amazing time!  The Mister KILLED it in a 50 mile mountain bike race, and Otto had a blast in the Strider World Cup.

"They're gonna put my face up there too, Mom."

-My little boy turns 4 in two weeks.  How have I been a mother for 4 years?

Weekend Update

Last weekend, we took advantage of a friend's timeshare and went with 4 others to Solvista Resort for a whirlwind couple of days.  It was amazingly fun EXCEPT for my Sunday morning 8 miler taken after a night of beer, lasagne, more beer, and very little sleep.   Beer/heavy food/tiredness + high altitude distance running = PAIN.  Lesson learned.  The hard way.

Other than that, we checked out a free music festival, went swimming, took advantage of the hot tub in the condo, hung out on the deck and enjoyed each other's company.  

Some besties and I checked out a  hippie music festival in Winter Park-beer! sun! hairy armpits!

The only black mark on the trip was a dead body on the side of the road between Winter Park and Granby- There was a cop car with blinking lights, a motorcycle on its side and a body with a sheet over it.  Couldn't help but think about all the lives that were just drastically altered in a split second...  Scary.  And we were seeing motorcycles zip up and down that stretch all weekend, weaving in and out of the traffic at high speeds...Those things scare me anyway, even without a such a somber reminder.  Wear helmets, folks.

My Favorite Things: Summer

The things that stop my heart, bring tears to my eyes, a smile to my face or just feel damn good right now:

1.  Ice cream.  So good after a long walk/run/car ride/sleep...YES, PLEASE.

Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone has the BEST ice cream.

2.  Finishing my 2nd half marathon.  Even though I was sick with sinus/ear problems, I busted out a 2:02:30 in my hometown's July 4th race.  It was a breathtakingly beautiful morning and the course took us over rolling hills through farmland and valleys with amazing mountain views.  Love.

Main Street, Lander, WY

 
3.  My better half.  He is my favorite person ever.

Sunset at the Madison river junction in Yellowstone

4.  Watching my son enjoy the same things I did when I was little. Like throwing rocks in a river with cousins and yelling so loud your own voice echoes off the mountains.

Love.

5.  Adding to my summertimelove soundtrack.  How is it that I JUST discovered the Wailin' Jennys?????  Beauty.



What's making your summer?

Ah been fixin' to...

As they would say in Texas, where I just spent the last five (hot, humid) days, I've been fixin' to update this here blog but ...sidetracked?  Let's just say that some semblance of Summer has FINALLY crept into our lives and suddenly there is so. much. to. do.

-At work, I got a new office.  Yay!  It's the first one I've ever had all to myself and I'm really enjoying the privacy.   (And the rockin' view of the parking lot.)  I don't have much up on the walls but I'm kind of enjoying the non-cluttered feel of it. 

I need some bobble-heads a'la The Office, no?

-Over Memorial Day weekend,  the Husband and I got a much needed weekend away thanks to his kind parents who stayed with the Kiddo.  We ran, biked, ate sushi and mexican (not at the same time) and drank WAY TOO MUCH tequila.  We got a nice hotel and just really enjoyed eachother's company if you know what I mean wink wink.  It was the first time we'd both been away from Otto overnight but everything went without a hitch.  It's all to easy to become disconnected from each other during the day-to-day grind and we needed some time to remember WHY we're in this crazy boat together.  Yes?

-And as I mentioned, Otto and I just got back from Cemetery Day in Texas.  The flight out was infinitely better than 2 years ago which was the last time we went.  There was food, visiting, lizards in coffee cans (see below), cousins in kiddie pools and general merriment.  It was HOT, though.  I busted out a 10K race on Saturday morning and it was 82 degrees when the gun went off at 7am.  Ouch.  (Got 3rd in my age group though- 52:35!!  Another medal for the rack!)

It's a REAL LIZARD, Mom!

And now, we're back, facing mounds of laundry and full in-boxes.  Fortunately, we've got another week off scheduled for around July 4th.  Summer, I love you!!

Ozark Otto Awesomeness

We just got back into town after visiting my folks in the Ozarks for several days.  We drove, we flew, rented a car and drove some more.  We saw a civil war battlefield, Bass Pro Shop (OMG, the red-neck-i-ness of it all), a cave, ate AMAZING BBQ , recreated near flowing rivers and deep, woodsy forests aand generally enjoyed ourselves.  It became apparent pretty quickly that we were starved for family together time without the distractions of home.

One thing that really stood out on the trip was Otto.  He was awesome.  Great in the car, great on the plane, agreeable, easily entertained and overall just pleasant.  He had maybe two small meltdowns the entire trip but I don't think you can blame him- his schedule was completely thrown out the window and there was A LOT of driving and sightseeing even for me.  And I'm 30 years older than him.  Each little meltdown was resolved with relative ease.

He really loved the bus that took us from the airport to our car.  "Mom!  Mom!  We're riding a bus!"  (He's doing this thing right now where every other sentence requires a nearly shouted "MOM!"  Just to make sure I'm still listening, I guess.  And even if I immediately answer, he'll sometimes do it multiple times as if vamping until his thought is formulated enough to say out loud.  "MOM!"  "Yes?"  "Mom!"  "Yes?"  "MOM!"  "YES???????"  (pause)  "We're on a BUS!!!"  I try to be patient with this but its so annoying, sometimes I find myself saying "Whaaaaaaaaat?!?" in an exasperated tone.  Hopefully he grows out of it soon.)

His other favorite thing was throwing rocks in the river by my folks house.  He (and really all the boys, including my dad) could have done that for hours on end.  A wonderful time was had and we got lots of pictures...but of course they're still on my camera.   Haven't quite had time to sit down and upload them all yet.

Oh! And no potty accidents at all.  So proud of him.

We got back late on Monday and then yesterday, Otto and I took the day off to regroup, pay the rent, get groceries, unpack, do laundry, etc.   He kept saying "Mom!  We have the DAY OFF!!!"   We got all our shit done with some time left over to play and make cabbage buns for dinner.

After getting to see him all day, everyday for so many days in a row, I was a little teary-eyed when leaving him at daycare this morning.  I miss his little silly butt.

Birdie Was Here

  Woods Landing, WY.  Population: 94. 

This week, my folks drove out from Missouri and rented a cabin in Woods Landing, by the river.  No cell phone signal, no internet...just us and the quiet beauty of the Snowy Range.  My dad and I went on a couple amazing runs that had my thighs begging for mercy due to extreme mountainous terrain.   We literally ran 2.5 miles UP A MOUNTAIN towards an observatory and then back down again.  At sunrise.  It was awesome and breathtaking and some of the hardest running I've ever done. 

We played in the water and hiked a bit and had a campfire complete with s'mores.   We picnicked out-of-doors and generally made merry. Otto collected rocks and bird feathers and pine cones and drank what might have been his first soda ever: a cold, sweating can of Sprite purchased at the little country store.  He held it gingerly with both hands, sipping at it reverently as though it were some rare, expensive single malt scotch.

And now we're home, with a pile of dirty clothes reeking of sunscreen and bug spray and woodsmoke and sore legs and light sunburns.  Otto had such a wonderful time, playing baseball with my dad, running through the woods in the sunshine, reading books with my mom, and being the center of attention for days on end.   

This morning, in fact, when it was time to say good-bye and go back to our lives, even though we'd talked (a lot) about how this morning we'd have to get up and say bye to Nana and Doodah and go back to school  he was completely inconsolable.  Wailing for his Nana and sobbing in this totally heartbreaking way.  It was fucking brutal.  I felt like a child abuser leaving him at school, he was so upset. 

Now we just gotta get through a partial workweek and piece some normalcy back together.  I love summer and I love vacations, but I also love my daily routine. 

But man, we had a wonderful time.

Old Glory

Just dragged ourselves back into town after 4 days spent in the absolute WAR ZONE that is Lander, Wyoming on July 4th. Fireworks are encouraged. Open container laws are lifted. In short, it is a huge, drunken free-for-all involving fire and explosions. What's not to like?

Even though our "real" purpose was to be at the party for mom-in-law's 60th birthday  (which was fun), we managed to squeeze in the parade and the husband and I even got out for a bluegrass show and a lawn party during which drunken 20-somethings were shooting off roman candles...at eachother.  The mother in me kinda wanted to call their parents.  But instead, I just grabbed another beer and got the hell out of their way.

Also, my dad was in town to run the half-marathon that takes place every year.  He lives in Missouri, so the altitude bothered him a bit.  But as you can see, he finished way strong.  He is my hero and he is awesome.  Maybe next year I'll be there with him...

And really, how cute is that little downtown?  This is the town in which I spent my last years of high school and where I met my husband.  So its always fun to go back and see how it hasn't changed at all.  Well, at least not in the ways that matter.

And now, I'm sitting here trying to get my head around an overflowing inbox. 

Viva la USA!!! And Viva la Vacation!!

Weekend Redux

We were SO overdue for a weekend like this:  sunny, warm(ish), 3 WHOLE DAYS LONG...sigh.  It was awesome.  We hiked, we biked, we grilled, we socialized, we cleaned...I even went to the movies.

On Saturday, we hiked  and it was probably Ruby's best day in her entire 10 month life.  We let her off the leash and you could tell at first she didn't really believe it.  She stayed very close and kept looking at her leash in my hand, like "This has to be a trick, right?  Well I'm not falling for it!"  After a while, though, she got more comfortable and by the end of the 3 miles, we were whistling for her every few minutes to come back in sight.

At the end of the trail, there's a little creek with a waterfall and we all stopped there for a snack and Otto and I even stuck our bare feet in the icy mountain water.  Bracing.  Ruby went nuts, especially when another family with another doodle joined us.  It was the dog version of Clash of the Titans as the two dorks played and wrestled in the creek and then up on the dusty hillside.

We were so glad Ruby's been recently shaved because the other doodle?  Who still had all its crazy hair?  A huge mess.  HUGE.  Once Ruby was dry, I was able to brush her out to where she looked pretty much clean.  
Right after the Epic Doodle Battle:

Other than that, we got a lot of chores done (washed both cars, and all our bikes, cleaned, did some planting), grilled some delicious food , (I know that recipe says to broil the chicken, but it was SO GOOD grilled.) and just generally enjoyed eachother's company.

As always, though, I didn't have enough time to do EVERYTHING I was hoping to get done (so sorry, picnic table that still needs to be sanded and sealed) but we did a pretty good job cramming a shit-ton of activities into three days.

ETA:  Oh! Oh!  I forgot the Breaking News from this weekend...my son now poops in the potty!!!  You're welcome.

Puck It!

We took Monday and Tuesday off this week and went down south for an indulgent little mini family vacation. It included our first NHL hockey game, a night spent in a sweltering hotel room, dinner and breakfast out and the zoo. Whew!

The game was great and the little guy stayed up, happy, for about an hour and a half past his regular bedtime. With the help of lemonade and soft pretzels and cotton candy. Go sugar!! It was doubly fun because we were all wearing Detroit Red Wings jerseys. In Denver.

The Red Wings won, though, so SUCK IT, Avalanche!! Heh. Just kidding. I like the Avs too, just not when they're playing the Wings.


The next morning, we had breakfast at the Denver Diner which is amazing. I, of course had a Denver Omelet. Because I am nothing if not completely predictable? Anyway, I made it about half way through the 4-egg masterpiece before crying Uncle and waddling carefully away from the table.

I'm pretty sure that Otto is yelling at some passersby in this picture but I'm not totally sure.


After breakfast, we hit the Denver Zoo. A piece of advice: A Tuesday in March is an EXCELLENT time to hit the zoo. It was warm (to us, anyway- around 50 degrees), sunny, and delightfully uncrowded. No lines, no hoards of people trying to get a glimpse of the tiger or whatever. Just space and really active animals. We even road the carousel. I know! Dorks!


You don't need me to tell you that all good things come to an end and so did our little mini-vacation. This is what a late night and a day running ahead of your parents after loose peacocks at the zoo will do to you:


It was a good trip.