Comin' Through

I was driving down Grand Ave. (a main road in Laramie - for those unfamiliar) yesterday afternoon when I saw a fire truck and ambulance coming up the road from several blocks down.

I was impressed with how quickly drivers got over even though it would be several moments before the emergency vehicles got close.

This doesn't happen around D.C. I know, I know, there's more traffic, the streets are narrower, yadda, yadda. But the attitude there is different. People don't seem concerned enough to even try to get over until they absolutely have to.

So, yesterday I joined a long line of cars that got over and parked it until they passed.

Just something that really stood out to me.

Novelty

Today I put a piece of mail...in a mailbox.

This is a real novelty! For the past eight years if I've wanted to send something I've had to either go to a Post Office, put it down a mail chute, or leave it at a front desk. I have not once left a piece of mail in a real, live mailbox complete with little red flag.

Neat!

"I'm Gonna Soak Up the Sun..."

I joined the Laramie rec center today - signed up for 20 visits.  I'm hoping to be out of here by the end of those, so I didn't spring for more.

Anyway, as I stepped outside of the gym there before me stood two little girls in their bikinis and flip-flops.  Nothing else.  

Now, it was a nice day, but I certainly wouldn't have thought to go galavanting around outside in my swimsuit like I was in the Caribbean or something.  

I guess an overcast upper sixties constitutes beach attire around here.  

It just struck me as so Wyoming.  Sun's out...wind's (slightly) warmer...break out the beach gear!  

Kim's Altitude Defying Banana Bread

Or, I might call this "Welcome to the West Banana Bread" since it was one of the first things I baked after getting here. It's really called "Mom's Banana Bread" and is from Cooking Light, but I like my names better. The recipe is delicious no matter what it's called, and what's even better is I didn't have to adjust it for altitude.

Enjoy!

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 2/3 cups mashed ripe banana

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup low-fat sour cream

2 large egg whites

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sugar and butter in a bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add banana, milk, sour cream, and egg whites; beat well and set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, beating until blended.

Spoon batter into either 4 (5 x 2 1/2 -inch) mini loaf pans or one 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes for mini loaves, or 1 hour and 10 minutes for larger loaf, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let bread cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely before cutting.

Serving size = 1 slice

Calories 147; Fat 2.2 g; Protein 2.5 g; Cholesterol 7 mg; Sodium 180 mg; Carbs 30.2 g

Cooking Light, Nov. 1996

Victory!

Yesterday was the much anticipated Boulder Boulder and, I'm proud to say, I ran the whole darn thing without stopping once - not even for water.

By my watch I ran it in 1 hour 5 minutes. This isn't the most stellar of times, but I could care less. My goal wasn't to finish with a certain time, it was just to finish without stopping. And without needing a respirator.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the outcome, especially since I tacked two miles on to my running yesterday cold. There was no building up, no slowly increasing mileage...I think I took my legs by surprise!

The race is fun too. It's the largest 10k in the country - this year alone we heard there was something like 56,000 people registered - and there are lots of bands and music along the way to keep you motivated. However, since it's Boulder the choices for musicians were sometimes a little folksy - not the Top 40 hip-hop stuff with a beat I need to keep me going.

My only real complaint is the giant two-tiered hill at the end. What's up with that?? Seriously. Just when you think you're home free the race planners throw you for a loop by making you climb to Folsom Field on the CU campus.

It's just mean. But, on the other hand, the race also ends in the middle of their football field, which you have to run around with hundreds of people watching you from the stands. It kind of makes you feel like a superstar athlete as you cross the finish line...which just happens to be at the base of another giant hill you must climb to get to the water stands and post-race snacks.

Regardless, I think I found me a new annual race. Next year that hill at the end is mine...

And Rocky Mountain Power Said...

Let there be light!

We officially got electricity back Friday night around 8:15 p.m.

Nate, Linds and I had bets on what time it might come back on - if that night at all.  We had heard reports that certain areas could be out for three to seven days!  Linds was closest with 9:15 p.m., I was second with 10:55 and Nate guessed 11:05.  J, the "Debbie Downer" of the night, guessed not at all!  Thanks heavens he wasn't right!  

We were in the middle of another candlelight dinner, and J and Nate were playing Cribbage while Linds and I watched with glasses of wine when all the sudden the lights flicked and came back on.

The looks on our faces were probably priceless!  Suddenly we were returned to heat, light, and importantly for Linds - t.v.  

Whew!  Now we can watch the So You Think You Can Dance rerun.  Linds is MUCH relieved.  

Blowin' In To Town - Literally

I got into Laramie Wednesday night - finally - after battling extreme winds from north of Denver on. I think these winds were the precursor to the tornadoes that hit in northern Colorado and Laramie yesterday.

Thursday morning was dreary and blah, but as the day went on the weather became increasingly weird. We had everything - rain, wind, hail, sleet, thunder, lightening, sun...

Then it just became rain, wind and hail, and emergency broadcast told us to go to the basement since tornadoes had been sighted in the county. A neighbor with no basement came over with her son and we waited. Eventually the power went out, we lost internet, and my phone died because I hadn't been able to find the charger. We used the light from our computers to find our way into the laundry room where one child (playing in a dryer), two dogs, three adults, some candles, and an old clock radio for news spent the better part of the afternoon.

After two touch downs we came up and decided to drive around to gawk at the damages. We weren't the only ones! The streets were so busy you'd have thought a UW/CSU game had just let out.

Come to find out at least one of the tornadoes hit two blocks from the house. The golf course, which L and Nate live near, had giant trees cracked in half throughout, and the Quadradangle, an historic community/square dance center was, as Nate put it, "dangled."

Other photos of the damage can be seen here.

Our electricity went out around 1:30 p.m. leaving us in a house with no heat or light, but we made the most of it. We had beer and Little Caesar's by candlelight and once L put her son to bed she, Nate and I stayed up to play Who Wants to be a Millionaire by candles and headlamps. Nate warmed some water for tea on a camp stove and we used what we started calling "The Sun" to get around the house. "The Sun" is a small, bug zapper-looking lamp that creates so much light you would think you were walking around in the middle of a sunny day.

We went to bed early with extra blankets and the dream of electricity, which from the sounds of it wouldn't come true any time soon.

Addendum

This was taken in Palisade a couple weekends ago during wine tasting.  I forgot to put it on the original post.  I want to shop for peaches and honey and cherries here.

On The Road - Here We Go Again

Well, I'm off again, packing all my crap into my car and driving off into the sunset.

I'm heading to Laramie to spend some time at Linds H.'s house. So, here are my thoughts as I drove from Vail to Laramie on Wednesday night...

- My car is packed to the roof - I can't see out - and I have mattresses strapped to my car. I look like Sanford & Son, or probably more like the Beverly Hillbillies.

- Around Frisco. The weather over the mountains is snowy looking. Oh, here it is. It's like...sleetballs. I'm sure there's a much more technical word for this. Or maybe I've just coined a new meteorological term. I'm on the phone with my sister Kelly and we're laughing about it.

- Kelly and I are also brainstorming the new name of the blog, since I won't be living in Colorado for the time being I need to change it. She suggests Westward Ho. Hmmm...would have been a good one for the move West. Home on the Range? Doesn't work either since I technically don't have a home...still thinking.

- My car Gwennie hates me. I keep forcing her up mountains lugging massive quantities of crap. I won't be one bit surprised if she decides to quit on me just out of spite.

- We're (Gwennie and I) rockin' out to Unskinny Bop by Poison. I hope the music motivates her up the mountain to the Eisenhower Tunnel.

- It's remarkably easy driving with the mattresses on top. I'm surprised.

- So...I have to live in Colorado. I just bought Colorado plates!!

- Something in my car smells like green onions.

- North of Denver: The wind is really picking up. This is the second time I will drive into Laramie with a vehicle situation where I could blow off the road.

- About 100 tumbleweeds have blown in front of me. I have the same reaction every time, like a rabbit or deer has popped out of the ditch at me.

- Wind is really bad now. And it's starting to rain some. I hope the mattresses don't get wet. The rope and straps are holding really well though!

- A gust of wind just about blew me off the road. Think I'll put two hands on the wheel.

- I can't WAIT to get to Cheyenne so I can get on 80 West! The wind will be mostly behind me then. Argh!

- Coming into town. Wind is better, but it's still raining. I'll just drop the mattresses at J and Jonna's tomorrow. I think they're fine.

It took five hours to drive to Laramie instead of the 3-3 1/2 it normally would. I pull in at 11:30 p.m., unload the food and some stuff to get me to bed and hit the hay.

Now to figure out what I'll do with myself...

One Last Nod

I saw this online during my last few days at the kitchen shop while I was doing some product research...I love it.

"According to culinary legend, if you dream of raspberries romance is on the way."  

Just thought I'd share.  

"And I Live In a Small Town..."

My finest example of small town mountain living was on Tuesday.

I needed plastic to wrap the mattresses I was buying from Carrie.  I called Penske moving and nothing.  I looked at Wal-Mart...nothing.  Then I tried Colorado Mattress Company in Minturn and ended up talking to the chattiest and ultimately most helpful man ever.

I told him what I needed and he launched into a long explanation of how he, "used to buy plastic for just these situations and would sell it for $15 a pop, BUT the plastic that came on the mattresses he brings in is much heavier and nicer so he decided to just start selling that for$5."  

Whew.

I said great and that I would stop by in the afternoon to pick some up.

To which he said, "Sounds good.  But I'm about to step out for lunch - I'm just going up the street though so it shouldn't be long, but call me before you come because you never know when I might pop out to deliver a mattress.  You know - here's what I'll do.  I'll just leave the plastic in the back with the door unlocked.  You just come by any time you can and leave the five dollars anywhere back there - no - you can just come on in and leave it on the desk.  That'll be just fine."

Wow.  

That's some trust and service (and information) you just don't get in the big city.

Western Wine

A lot of people think the only wines worth drinking from the U.S. come from California.  But I must say, I've had some darn good ones from several other states including colorful Colorado.

I spent last weekend in Napa and I really do love that place.  There's just something about the laid back lifestyle, the vines growing anywhere there's a patch of land to speak of, the pure gold fields that remind you of a Steinbeck novel, the amazing roses everywhere - along fences, at the ends of rows of grapes - and of course, the wines themselves.

However, I spent the weekend before Napa prepping in Colorado's own wine valley - Grand Junction.  The Unintentional Camper and I hopped from one tasting room to the next sampling wines I thought were quite good.

Though the UC and I discovered we have quite different tastes when it comes to wine, we compromised on a nice red (I suspect he was humoring me) that we sat outside and enjoyed with some bread and cheese.  It was a perfect, warm Napa-esq day.  And while the area might be lacking the fields drenched in gold, the mesas and rock walls are a nice backdrop too.

Overall, I was really impressed with the Colorado wines (which was evident in how many bottles I bought), and think the day was a good one.  I don't know that I'd fly to Grand Junction just for some wine, but I'd highly recommend a stop at a winery (or two).

A Change of Direction

So...it's been a while since I've posted.

I've kind of had a few things going on last week, making the blog back burner.  

One was Tyler's arrival.  Between hanging out and sharing computer time at the apartment it's been kind of hard to get on the site.

But bigger than that has been the work/life/finances/apartment dilemma I've constantly found myself in since moving from D.C., - and things kind of came to a head last week.  

In a nutshell, after many meltdowns over my ongoing struggle to figure out what I want to do with my life, I've decided it's time to get down to business and focus.

So, I'm moving to Laramie.  What will this do to the title of the blog?  Good question.  I haven't decided how to handle that yet...

But, with Carrie moving back to D.C., and me losing the girl I was going to live with in Carrie's apartment (also to the East Coast), discovering I won't be able to cover my bills on a kitchen shop salary once I have to start paying rent, being tired of not knowing what I want to do and where I'll be happy...I've decided Laramie just makes sense right now.  

Linds threw the idea out to me last Wednesday after some kitchen shop drama and stress from figuring out where I would live after Carrie and I leave her apartment this coming Friday.  At first I was hesitant.  The idea made me feel like that relative who bounces from one kinsfolk's house to another, stopping in for a quick visit and never really leaving until something happens to force them out, or they're just asked to go.  

However, as Linds said, all my stuff is already there.  In her garage.  I wouldn't have to worry about rent - saving me from a second job - and maybe this would give me some time to actually focus on figuring out what I want to do and where.  

So...I told her to expect me on Thursday (to which she replied she would let the neighbors know in case I decided to party it up and end up at one of their houses).  Surprisingly, I'm quite content with the idea.  For right now, anyway.  

But that still leaves the question of the blog.  Perhaps Kim's Colorado was turning out to be a little narrow in scope.  I mean, how can I limit myself to just one state?  Maybe I need to cover the entire West!  I'm open to ideas, if anyone has any thoughts.  

Until Wednesday, however, this will still be Kim's Colorado, and who knows?  Maybe when I get my act together it will be once again.

Tyler-In-A-Box

Ok, Tyler wasn't actually in a box, but a couple nights ago he popped up at the end of my bed like a Jack-In-A-Box, scaring the h-e-double hockey sticks out of me.

The room was pitch black and Carrie had just startled me by coming home from dinner without turning any lights on and suddenly showing up in my room.

She was laughing rather hysterically leaving me to think she'd enjoyed several glasses of wine with her meal. She denied this and continued to gasp for air through her laughter.

We chatted through her hysteria when suddenly someone said, "Hello, Kim."

I screamed, nearly kicked Carrie off the bed, and threw the covers up to my face. I found out then the cause of Carrie's laughter was Tyler slithering across the floor and peeping up periodically from the end of the bed. Yep, Carrie was in on the whole thing.

Tyler, Carrie and I have been hanging out since.

Your guess is as good as mine as to why I continue to spend time with them.

Cruel Trick

Mother Nature is a nasty prankster.

We've had a quite thick layer of snow over night.  

This was taken from my window this morning.  Ugh. 

A Monumental Day

I got my Colorado plates today!  I am officially a Greenie!  

I'm so excited and proud of my lil' green and white mountain plates. 

The remarkable thing?  The entire process, including a VIN inspection and driving time from the police department to the Eagle County Annex, was 40 minutes.  FORTY MINUTES!!  The whole experience was such an absolute, 100 percent different one than a visit to the D.C., DMV ever is.  

When I walked into the County Clerk's office I was confused.  There was no JumboTron displaying which number was next - crap - I didn't even see a place where you took a number!  So I walked hesitantly forward only to be called up by the next clerk before I could even sit down.  

The clerk took my info and my check and within 15 minutes she was sliding my new tags across the counter to me.  I was in awe.  I told her this was the most pleasant DMV experience I have had in eight years and thanked her profusely for her help.  

No anger, no cursing, no threatening to ruin the clerk and the entire DMV system...

I walked out to the parking lot with my blood pressure in check and was about to get in my car when I saw Bob's Place, a sports bar, next door.  I decided to go in and have a celebratory beer.  

The bartender looked at my license and commented on how he doesn't see many of those (D.C.) I.D.s , and I thought, "This might be your last one in a while too."

I ordered my beer and realized moments later the significance of the Coors Light he passed across the bar to me.  

I settled back with my Colorado brewed beer and watched some ESPN on one of the many televisions in the place - and some show on a few other screens where what looked like a baby badger was messily tearing into some fresh caught dinner.  

Oh, Colorado.

Rainin' and Runnin'

It has been pouring here.

I'm taking this as a sign that spring is here/near, since normally any precipitation we get is in the form of snow...lots and lots of snow. Another sign of spring, I'm

hoping, are the rather shockingly big, fat earthworms that are out. Colorado worms must live pretty high on the hog!

There is some snow, however. I went to the ranger station in Minturn this morning to pick up some trail maps, which is only about four miles down the road, and it was snowing there. Ahhh, crazy mountain weather. I love it.

On another note...I ran FOUR miles on the treadmill today without stop! I felt pretty good and contemplated running some more, but decided not to push it. I think I've left my three-mile days behind me. Boulder Boulder here I come!

Everything But the Kitchen Sink - 5

Some random thoughts from my day...

I don't understand why, when there is a perfectly wonderful, scenic bike route that precisely follows the road, bikers feel the need to ride in the gravelly, skinny shoulder.

In D.C., you have to watch out for bike messengers, here you have to be cognizant of everyone who wants to be Lance Armstrong.

Normally, I don't care, and I even find it Colorado-endearing to have bikers in their full-regalia flying along the side of the road.

But today, the biker who inspired this thought was weaving and causing cars to be extra cautious of his next move - intentional or not. I'm sorry, but wearing the requisite "bike gear" - spandex, a shirt that looks like you've got a sponsor, and a helmut - experienced biker does not make.

A girl came into the store today wearing a questionable outfit comprised of cropped pants, some random shirt and spiked heels. She looked pretty out of place in our laid-back environment here, and truth be told, I was pretty judgmental at first. It was all based on the fact she was wearing spiked heels, in a kitchen shop, on a Tuesday afternoon, for no apparent reason. Then I caught myself. I recalled that on some days *I* really want to wear spiked heels here for no apparent reason. It just doesn't fit the atmosphere here, but, by golly, sometimes I want to break that rule myself. So, I kept my thoughts in check and decided to admire her and not condemn her. You go girl! And besides, with what I was wearing today - green and white striped shirt, bright yellow pants and silver flats - I hardly think I am one to talk about fitting in. P.S. I love my yellow pants...

Roadside waterfalls: Have you ever been driving, particularly in the Colorado Rockies, and noticed the full-fledged waterfalls flowing down the rock beside the interstate and contemplated WHERE THAT WATER IS GOING?! Seriously. There is no creek, river, stream, or anything, for that matter, flowing along the road to direct that amount of water. It's like it comes from some magical stream above and disappears into a black hole at the base. I can't tell you how many times - since I was little - I have wanted to pull over and investigate just where that water is going. It's a total mystery. I guess I haven't done it for a couple reasons: first, I usually don't want to stop mid-hill going up a mountain, and second...I imagine I might be just as disappointed to learn where that water goes as I was when I found out how ships get inside bottles.

So I keep truckin'. But I am curious nonetheless.

A woman came in last week who bought a Vail Cooks for You cookbook - one I want very badly. She said her thing is to buy cookbooks from all the places she visits. I think this is great!! It's much better than the shot glasses I have collected since high school, but I guess this depends on perspective! I'm totally inspired and am totally going to steal her idea. How quaint!

I have eaten obnoxious amounts of Wheat Thins the past week. We have them sitting out almost every day at our food sample table and I have definitely been making a meal out of them. Oh, while we're on the subject of food obsessions, my new favorite sandwich is hummus and avocado on completely natural, whole wheat bread. I have had one every day for about a week now. Delicious. I'm sure I'll burn out on this soon.

That's all. Not many thoughts to share today...though I think some are quite deep! Haha.

Ain't No Hollaback Girl

That's me...a no hollaback girl.   

Since I've been in Colorado I have been really, really bad at keeping up with friends and family, which isn't very usual for me.  Normally, I AM a hollaback girl, and probably more so than some would like!   

I could give a pretty lengthy string of excuses like...I was trying to get settled in and find a job.  Or, I now have a job, but I'm still settling.  A really good one is the two hour time difference.  There have been plenty of times I've reached for my phone to call someone in D.C., only to realize it's midnight there.  (I know this hasn't stopped me before - you recipients of a few 4 a.m. calls know who you are!)  

Oh, and then there is the ol', "she/he is going through finals right now and I don't want to disturb them," excuse. 

I also feel since I have been so neglectful, the list of people I owe calls to and the amount of information we would need to catch up on is just overwhelming.  As a side note, this is why I started my blog and am keeping it up.  I can tell everyone at once about what's going on!  (Another excuse?)

Excuses, excuses.  They're real, but not acceptable.

So.  I am going to start trying very hard to be my old hollaback self.  Starting this week I am going to do as Gwen Stefani says and "put my pom poms down" and pick my cell phone up. 

Watch your phones...they're gonna start blowin' up!  haha...

Lazy Sunday (Kind of Like the SNL Skit...But Not)

I spent the weekend in Laramie again.  I have been there three times in the two months since I've been here versus maybe one visit a year.  It's so great!  For once, the girls and I can see each other nearly anytime we want.

And...I needed some stuff from my "life wall" in Linds H.'s garage.  I'm going to Napa in a couple weeks for a bachelorette weekend and the sweaters and long sleeve tees still required here won't likely cut it there.

I started the day off in Ft. Collins with Linds and her son watching her husband, Nate, cross the finish line for his marathon (great job, Nate!). As we passed the border rock between Laramie and Ft. Collins I had Linds take a picture.  For those who don't know, the rock sits outside Ft. Collins and is painted and repainted by CSU and UW students.  It's usually particularly interesting around Border War time, but I would say the current art isn't so much. 

After the race I took off to the Loveland outlets to pick up a cosmetic I can't get in the mountains. This took all of five minutes, leaving a lazy, open Sunday before me - my first in about a month.

I hauled out my atlas in the outlet parking lot and contemplated a couple different routes home.  I thought seriously about going through Estes Park and Central City, but in the end decided on I-70.

How boring, those of you who know the state might say!  But, I decided on the I-70 route because I had been wanting to stop in a couple towns I hadn't been to in YEARS.  And there were a couple antique stores along the route I was dying to check out.  Predictable, I know.

After a quick swing through an expensive and consequently disappointing antique mall outside Evergreen, I made my way to Idaho Springs.  The I.S. downtown is quaint and fun.  If I had been hungrier I would have stopped at Beau Jo's pizza, an old stomping ground with delicious pies you put honey on the crust of.  Sounds odd, but believe me...it is YUMMILICIOUS.  The antique store I wanted to hit was closed (two strikes!) so I hopped back on the interstate.

Next stop...Georgetown.  A long time ago my family and I would stop in

Georgetown pretty frequently, it seemed, for an ice cream cone at the downtown mercantile. We've done the GT loop, a train that goes around the mountain, and used to visit the giant Christmas tree they decorate each year outside the town hall.  Moreover, Georgetown is the beloved stomping grounds of John Denver.  My sisters and I used to watch The Christmas Gift over and over, which starred JD and took place in Georgetown.  I was going to have a beer at the bar with the JD chair in the window, but found out, much to my dismay, it is no longer there.  The ice cream shop has moved too, replaced by an antique store where I found a couple cheap Jadite plates - my new thing to hunt for at antique stores.  

I talked to one of the owners for quite some time too.  Turns out he was born in D.C. and used to work for an Attorney General several years ago.  And his daughter is a teacher, so overall it was a very interesting and pleasant conversation. 

I also visited the Canyon Wind Cellars wine tasting room, which is a cross between genuine Napa and old wild West.  The wine was quite good.  I chose a glass of the Syrah and sat back at a table watching other tasters come and go. 

Finally, I decided to get on up to Vail.

It was a really nice, lazy Sunday.  I thought a lot about turning this post into a rap like the SNL skit, but decided against it.  It would have taken too much time.  

Ok, here are a couple more random pics from the day:

I took this one because the point on the mountain is so oddly pronounced.  It reminds me of the pictures you draw of mountains when you're little.  

The name of this place - Nacho Mama's - cracked me up.  It made me think of Rob M. in his Nacho Libre costume.

National Karaoke Week EXTENDED

I wish I could have posted this article during National Karaoke Week - it would have been so appropriate! Unfortunately, it wasn't published until this week, but thanks to Elly we can extend the celebration a bit.

Meeting of the Mics

Faves Old and New

I am ashamed to say that tonight is the first night I've explored my friend "Artemisia's" blog Sagebrush and Serendipity.  It's so pretty!  And though I haven't delved very far into it I like it very, very much!

It was a quote from Artemisia's profile, and another from a link to a blog she reads, that inspired this post and makes it Kim's Colorado relevant.  

Artemisia says, "It was the sagebrush that led me back the the West, but it was serendipity that led my heart and my life to A."  I love that, Artie! 

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, is written by someone I don't know, but I think it just might be my new favorite blog.  I love that she, "Over a decade ago, gave up my pumps and the conveniences of city life, all for the love of a rugged cattle rancher."  That quote shores me up.  I was so, so ready to leave D.C. and don't regret the move at all, but struggling with covering my bills on a kitchen shop salary and not knowing the how's and when's of what I want to do with my life, makes a big, ideal move like this hard some days.  

Anyway, the Pioneer Woman's site is pretty darn cute and at first glimpse I just want to hunker down and explore every page.  Check out her photo site on the bottom right.  Awesome.  

I also want to acknowledge some of my old "Faves."  It's hard keeping up with blogs, both writing them and reading them, but the ones I have linked are there for a reason.  They make up me, or my experience in Colorado in some way, and I want to share them with my readers.   

There's my youngest sister who has Coffey Life - all about her life with my brother-in-law and three crazy cute nephews. And she keeps a blog about her daycare too!  With three kids and an in-home job (that means even more kids!), I don't know how she does it.  And there's Kelly's Languages, my middle sister's blog about her amazing language-learning ability.  What does she know now?  Something like nine different ones!  Including Serbian...who knows that except Serbians?

The Oracle of Iniquity is completely irreverent, but the author is the Will to my Grace, so I keep readin'.

And the Unintentional Camper is a mix for me of agreement, disagreement, not knowing what to think and liking it all in one.  And he's my new Colorado BFF.

The others - FactCheck.com and Citizen Jane Politics are great, political but non-partisan sites.   I want to share them on my blog because I think they're smart and informative - and they don't turn my site into a political rant.  

So, thanks to Artemisia and the Pioneer Woman who inspired this post.  I am so excited to read what they've got on their blogs and am hoping I will find some vein of familiarity.  

I also look forward to posts from my "old" faves and hope that you, reader, take a moment to check them out too!

Enjoy!  

It's Official

I am signed up for the Boulder Boulder, which takes places on Memorial Day.

That's exactly 26 days away. And 26 days for me to be running at least five miles without stop...

I'm doing better! Yesterday I ran OUTSIDE for a full 30 minutes. I was very proud of this kind of pathetic fact.

If I keep up with the treadmill, and my current intake of caffeine for that much needed boost (yes, I am relying on chemicals to enhance my performance!), I should be able to do it.

I will be able to do it. I have no choice at this point.