I've been thinking a lot the last few days about all that has transpired in the last year. It was my first full year in Colorado. Mike and I both feel like we've lived here all of our lives. I have a new and better relationship with my mother-in-law, an old and degenerating relationship with my own mother... I have my sisters, all of whom I've come to appreciate in the last year for their strength, their weakness and their individuality. I have my friendships. There's much to be said about my friendships but this probably isn't the best forum. We'll just say that, because of my friends, over the last year I have experienced many emotions. I've been inspired and disheartened, filled with joy and sorrow, been encompassed by both bliss and anger... sometimes on the same day. I've lost a lot this year. My career as I've known it has gone the way of the dinosaurs. I lost another year to time... 33 used to seem so old to me. I wish I could feel older than 26 but, somehow, I think I got stuck there. I cut off ALL OF MY HAIR! (See how I make that all drama filled? *grins* It's only because I love it short.) I guess, really, I've been taking stock. I feel myself on a precipice. I can sense some of the changes the next year is going to bring and I can't help but wonder where it will take me. I can only hope that I'll be as... blessed. I hope each of you are, too.

Good luck.

My Week In Review...

Sushi with Jenny and Bee was an experience. In a good way. As usual. Fantastic chopsticks from Jenny and much laughter. And much sushi. Raw fish is my favorite EVAR!

I cut seventeen inches off of my hair. I feel wonderful. Free.

Dinner was yummy. I didn't get the ghastly food poisoning that half of our group managed to get. Thank all that is holy. I really like my sister's friend, Matt. He's awesome.

I had latkes. They make my belly happy.

Date night was great. I ate way too much steak and just couldn't manage to convince my brain that my stomach was full in time to stop the pain of over-eating. Gah. Pain. It was SO GOOD though!

Christmas was really... special. My mother made me upset. Really, really upset. It's all okay now, though, and dinner turned out so fabulous that I was blushing with the compliments that came rolling my way. Always the best kind of holiday dinner, right?

Then off home...

Do you ever get the feeling, when leaving someone(s) you love, that you're making a horrible decision? I was so ready to come home... but driving out of town I could almost feel my very cells screaming "NO!"

I miss so much.

I haven't posted in so long... I wonder if anyone even reads it anymore. I've just been so busy. Which is good. With Christmas fast on the approach, a new show going up in the gallery and finding a new home for my bird, I have been swamped to the point of exhaustion.

So, I leave today for Cedar City. The first leg of my trip. I'll be there for a couple of days, celebrating an early holiday with my in-laws. Pagan is getting groomed and my bird, Suki, is getting a new home. Saturday morning we'll be leaving Cedar City for Las Vegas. We've got a hotel room this time around and Mike and I have a scheduled DATE. Just the two of us. I'm so excited. David is feeding me latkes (I've never had them and he makes them from scratch because he's so fucking cool) and I'm having sushi with my Bee and JennyBot. Group dinner on Saturday is going to be freaking HUGE. 20 people. Jeez.

I'll post more when I get back!

I was just sitting here thinking about Michael and how he's always laughing the hardest when he's doing something that makes me laugh. Like over the summer when we were at the park and I'd get on the see-saw (which is my most favorite thing in the whole world) and he'd make me bounce on one end, always cracking up at my hysterical giggles, which I (OF COURSE) burst into each and every time I landed. I love him for loving my happiness that much.

That's all.

Pretty

Gah. Been too busy for words. Thanksgiving was fantastic. My sister and Hannah came to dinner... stuffed turkey breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, candied yams, glazed carrots and dinner rolls, pumpkin pie and cherry cheesecake. Just listing it all makes me feel vaguely sick... which is exactly how I've felt the last few days. Too much food, too small a belly. Anyway, Rusty (Megan's boyfriend) came by in time for dessert and, thankfully, took a plate of food home. I also have to give thanks to Megan. She ran away with all of the leftover yams. It was my first time making them, and eating them, and it was love at first bite. Thank god they're gone.

Now it's prepping for Christmas. I still have so much shopping to do! And there are two or three parties I'm signed up for just next week!! The hotel for the Vegas trip is paid for... just getting the dinner plans all finalized and stuff now. Still, crazy busy.

I totally ripped this off from Jenny... but she understands.

I still cry sometimes when I read it.

PostSecret

It's been snowing all day. We woke up to a white landscape that has only gotten whiter. Once the snow slowed down we sent the boys outside where they quickly decided NOT to make a snowman. No. My children went out and made a snow fort. They made these ginormous snow blocks and... yeah. Pagan was out with them the majority of the morning. When he finally came inside his feet and belly were so coated in ice that I had to give him a bath so he could walk. Poor guy. I, being the culinary mom that I am, made homemade mexican hot chocolate for the boys and the neighbor kids... and myself. :) I love winter.

I saw two different herds of big horn sheep this morning.

My home is so cool.

we carved pumpkins last night. then i toasted pumpkin seeds. i can't stop eating them, they're so yummy.

i feel sick now, though. blech.

Stupidness. I've been trying to upload some pictures on here for a few days now. Bah. Anyway, these are from the big snowfall a couple of days back. Schools in Denver closed, blahblahblah... yeah.

Here they are....

Finally.







These are from tonight. We took the kids up to BC to hang out for HalloweenFest. It was pretty awesome. Sorry, no pics of Ian. I was a bad mom and by the time he was ready we were in such a hurry that I forgot to snap him. :\ I'll get him on Halloween, though.

Matt was dressed up as a Downsized Employee. He's wearing all of Mike's clothes, including his pants and shoes. He had more than one person tell him that he should totally win the costume contest... though he didn't. :) He still looked very cool.

Zach is a zombie... Hannah is a belly-dancer... though it was way too cold for bare bellies. She's wearing a turtle neck under her costume that caused many an unhappy moan while she argued with me about it (and then later a look of gratitude while her fingers were freezing) Ian, though not pictured here, was an alien.

I'm on the computer posting a comment on someone's site...

Mike: "blahblahblahblahblah"
Kyria: "Okay!"
Mike: "that sounded amazingly like 'oh, shit! he's talking'"
Kyria: *giggles*

20 minutes or so go by... We're sitting on the couch watching Frasier. I have just finished eating a 100 calorie pack of fudge stripes and I get up to throw away my wrapper and I look down...

Kyria: "Why are you only wearing one sock?"
I'm looking at him like he's crazy.
Mike: "You are a BAD wife!!"
Kyria: "Why am I a bad wife???"
Mike "Let me replay this for you. "Honey, I have to throw away another sock." you: "Okay!" me: "that sounded amazingly like 'oh, shit! he's talking!'"
Kyria: *laughing hysterically*

This is what I woke up to this morning....


















Stop acting like you're not jealous.

I love my dog. This is Pagan... waiting for me to finish my cereal because he knows I'll give him the rest of my milk. Why is this so cute? Well, because he's figured out he can use my toes as a chin rest. Plus, I love that damn underbite.

I forgot!

Yesterday morning, when I went outside to meet Danielle for work, there was this sweet little girl out there. She was all bundled up in her hat and scarf with little mittens on... it's cold in the morning. Anyway, the geese are migrating now, making a lot of noise as they pass overhead. I'm sitting there I start to hear them. HONK! HONK HONK! and then I look up and there they are. Two flocks of geese, in the classic arrow formation. This little girl starts screaming at them...

"BYE! BYE BIRDS! BYE!!!! I'LL SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER!!!! BYE BIRDS!"

It was the cutest thing ever and I needed to share.

Autumn is drawing to a close. While the snow isn't on the ground yet, the trees have nearly all lost their leaves. Walking through Beaver Creek has a different charm now. Instead of a sea of yellow aspens on the hillsides there are barren branches and evergreens... it's amazing, nonetheless. While you walk all of those fallen yellow leaves pad your feet or, on a breezy day, float around you like so many yellow snowflakes. We don't get the reds here, like in the north east. We just get varying shades of yellow and sometimes you'll catch sight of some tree that wound up with brilliant oranges speckled through its golden branches. When I first moved here I thought I loved spring the best. The greens, after all, are what I missed most while I lived in the desert. Then summer would roll in so fast, and the bright, fresh green of the spring time would fade into the colors of summer. Softer, muted shades. The fall captures me, though. The air turning crisp... bringing out my cardigans and sweaters. The taste of pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks, the smell of apple pie and cinnamon. I love the way the clouds sit low over the mountains and create pockets of mist in the valleys. The water is icy cold now, in the rivers and ponds... and still you see ducks floating around while the steam rises from the water in the morning, giving it the odd appearance of ducks floating in natural hot-tubs. Here the autumn makes the air buzz in preparation for winter. Everyone is talking about the coming season because, no matter how many seasons there are here, there are really only two. I think that autumn, like it was in my childhood, is my favorite season.

I'm baking an apple pie this weekend. And pumpkin spice cookies, I think.

And now... POETRY!

Ay, thou art welcome, heaven's delicious breath!
When woods begin to wear the crimson leaf,
And suns grow meek, and the meek suns grow brief,
And the year smiles as it draws near its death.
Wind of the sunny south! oh, still delay
In the gay woods and in the golden air,
Like to a good old age released from care,
Journeying, in long serenity, away.
In such a bright, late quiet, would that I
Might wear out life like thee, mid bowers and brooks.
And, dearer yet, the sunshine of kind looks,
And music of kind voices ever nigh;
And when my last sand twinkled in the glass,
Pass silently from men, as thou dost pass.

- william cullen bryant

I think that this is amazing, brave... noble. To allow yourself to be exposed in this way to your country for the betterment of women, to be subjected to ridicule and judgment from the very women whose rights you're trying to protect, is remarkably selfless.

Matthew went to a homecoming dance tonight... and danced. :) I'm so proud.

On the way back from dropping Matt off we're talking to Ian about his name again. He says to me, "My name is only supposed to have two letters and it has three..." and I say, "Ian, your name is spelled I A N... it needs three letters." He says, "mom... E N... HELLLOOO!! Two letters."

How can you argue with that? I mean, really.

1. The phone rings. Who do you want it to be?
someone i love
2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
Yes
3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
Some of both
4. Do you take compliments well?
Mostly
5. Are you an active person?
Now I am
6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
Depends on how wild the wilderness is.
7. Do you like to ride horses?:
YES
8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
with our school in 6th grade.
9. What was your favorite game as a kid?
Hand-ball, I think.
10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, would you get involved with him/her?
I don't think so, no.
11. Are you judgmental?:
I try not to be.
12. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than yourself?
Yes.
13. Do you like to pursue or be pursued?:
Pursue... but that isn't to say that I don't like it be pursued. Just that I prefer to be the pursuer.
14. Use three words to describe yourself:
Spoiled, Bright, Open
15. If you had to choose, would you rather be deaf or blind?
Deaf. I'm horribly afraid of the dark.
16. Are you continuing your education?:
working on it for the coming year.
17. Do you know how to shoot a gun?
nope
18. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?
My kids. :)
19. How often do you read books?
As often as I can..
20. Do you think more about the past, present or future?:
I daydream about the future.... but I live for now.
21. What is your favorite children's book?
Harry Potter
22. What are you listening to?
Some crazy jazz from the lobby.
23. How tall are you?:
5'... mebbe a little shorter.
24. Where is your ideal house located?:
In CO
25. Boxers,Briefs,Thongs,Or Grannies?:
I like bikinis, personally.
26. Last person you talked to?
In person? Jeff.
27. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?:
Yes.
28. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
*smiles* just a few days ago.
29. What are your keys on your key chain for?
House, car, storage, mail.
30. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?:
to work
31. Where is your current pain at?
I keep randomly crying over something I think I've lost or given up.... so I suppose it's my heart. But my shoulder hurts, too.
32. Do you like mustard?:
yes
33. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?:
Depends on how hungry or tired I am.
34. Do you look like your mom or dad?
I think I'm a blend. Everyone says I look like my mother... but I think it's because of my skin and my nose. Everything else is my father.
35. How long does it take you in the shower?:
20 - 30 min.
36. Can you do splits?:
Not anymore. Pretty close, though.
37. What movie do you want to see right now?
Open Season.
38. Do you put lotion on your dog or cats?:
Um... no.
39. What did you do for New Year's?:
I honestly don't remember.
40. Do you think The Grudge was scary?
Creepy.
41. What was the cause of your last accident?:
I stepped on my pant-leg on the stairs because they were sitting too low... which is good. I want my pants to eventually just fall off of my body. But I think I did something awful to one of the bones in my foot.
42. Do you own a camera phone
Yes.
43. What are you drinking?:
Water.
44. Was your mom a cheerleader?:
No.
45. What's the last letter of your middle name?
E
46. Who did you vote for on American Idol?
Can't get into that show.
47. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?:
7 - 8
48. Do you like care bears?
I know this GREAT knock-knock joke...
49. What do you buy at the movies?:
A large water, a small popcorn... and stuff for the kids.
50. Do you know how to play poker?
Yes.
51. Do you wear your seatbelt?:
If I'm driving I put it on before the car ever starts. I'm less religious about it as a passenger.
52. What do you wear to sleep?
mostly nothing... but sometimes a tank and pajama bottoms.
53. Anything big ever happen in your hometown?:
I never had a "home town"
54. How many meals do you eat a day?:
usually 3.
55. Is your tongue pierced?:
No
56. Do you always read MySpace bulletins?
Nope.
58. Do you like funny or serious people better?:
I like funny people... but they need to be smart funny. Able to be serious funny.
59. Ever been to LA?:
Yes
60. Did you eat a cookie today?:
no
61. Do you use cuss words in other languages?
nope
62. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
*looks guilty* what music downloads?
63. Do you hate chocolate?:
No... but I've found I'm not as fond of it as I am of vanilla.
64. What do you and your parents fight about the most?
I don't fight with my parents now that they mind their own beeznas
65. Is your cell usually on vibrate or ring?:
Ring
66. Are you a gullible person?
I can be if I trust you
67. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?:
No.
68. If you could have any job (assuming you have the skills) what would it be?:
Eh... depends on my mood.
69. Are you easy to get along with?:
I think it depends on if I like you or not.

So, Vegas last weekend was great. I got to hang out, eat great food and spend time with amazing people. I love my friends. This visit was right after my birthday, too, so I got PRESENTS. :) presents = awesome. I was sad to leave this time. Not that I'd want to move back there... just to have left them.

Next visit isn't until February... which seems like such a long time from now.
(Sorry, Jamie... I thought it would be closer to December.)

We (Michael, Ian and I) were on the way home from the grocery store last night and having light conversation in the car and Ian said something that Mike replied to with "what're you trippin' on Willis?" And then was joking here and there about changing Ian's name to Willis. Ian pops out with "I really do want to change my name!" Mike and I are curious... you know, all kids want to change their names at some point. I, for instance, really wanted to be a Stephanie at one point.

Ian says, "I want to change my name to EN"

Michael laughed off and on all the way home.

Well, that fantastic opportunity I had kinda got away. Not a forever away... but I'm definitely disappointed, nonetheless. Hopefully I'll have a better-than-average chance, though, when it comes back up.

Also, I was so distracted last night by the phone calls and the happy birthdays and all that I completely forgot to pick my niece up after work. My sister calls me at 8:30 and says "um... forget something?" Yeah. I freaked out. I felt so, so bad I didn't have the words.

Beginning of birthday - Fantastic
End of birthday - WAAAAY less fantastic

The elk are back!!!! I've been looking for them ever since it snowed.... and YAY! THEY'RE BACK!

and, this morning, a stellar jay was hanging out on the path up to the lodge.

















So, yeah, by the time I stopped screwing around and actually made it into my office my ears were about to fall off from the cold. Brrrr!

More snow. Wow. It's so early for this. The aspens haven't even lost their leaves yet and there were a number of them pulled from the ground from the weight of the snow. Walking up from the parking lot to the hotel this morning was a pain in my ass.

Here's Beaver Creek...

First, no new news on the exciting opportunity. More on that later, I'm sure.

Second, Oh. My. God. Winter is here early and I can't even tell you how pretty it is outside. I took a picture on my way in to work this morning but, really, you can't see the mountains in the background well enough to appreciate them. I have to confess, though, that the grass is just coated enough near the streets to remind me of that nasty green jello covered in whipped cream that they sell in the deli case at the grocery store. It's pretty.... but icky green jello colored.










In Eagle, where I live, there's no snow in the valley. All is green and yellow from the fall... and then you look up into the Red Canyon and go "wow". Yes, I really did that this morning. The canyon itself is still the red, red rock with dark green pines scattered all through but each side is coated in snow. It's amazing to look at. Mike said I couldn't take pictures because I was driving, though, so you don't get to see it.

I have been a bad blogger. What, like two weeks now? Awful.

There's been a lot going on. I'm very excited about an opportunity I thought had escaped me... but it's back and I can't contain my glee! More on that later. It's not something I can talk about yet but, OH MY GOD! I want to SO bad.

School is in session for the boys. Good things. Matt got bumped to honors classes in geometry and english. I'm very proud of him. He struggled quite a bit for a while and it looks like he's really overcome all of that and proven that the will really does find a way. Zach started up in football... then hyper-extended his thumb. It was swollen and purple. Of course, it got better and then (you guessed it) he hyper-extended it again. This time it was swollen and purple all weekend. He's quitting football today. He'll start up in basketball this fall and he wants to play lacrosse in the spring. Straight A's so far for him so no complaints here! I'll know more about Ian on Thursday when we go to his open house. One thing I can tell you is that he's absolutely loving the after school program here. A lot. He gets upset when he can't go.

I'm up to 16 pounds now on the weight loss front. How excited am I? SO EXCITED! That's two gallons of milk, people. Two. You know what that equals in inches? That's be 4. 4 inches off of my waist, 3 off of my hips and 1 from around my neck. Rock.

Autumn is here. I can't even begin to describe the way it smells. It's delicious.

Okay. I think that's all right now.

Ass Habit... baby.

Okay... let me preface this post by saying that I have NOT been a bad blogger over the last week. Blogger keeps eating my postings. There have been TWO of them... and they have just disappeared into bloggerspace. No idea.

Anyway, there's been a lot going on. Matt started high school today. Can you even believe it? Me either. *sighs* Zach starts 7th grade tomorrow and Ian starts 1st on Friday. Ian is going to cost me some money this year, though. My sister was hired on at Costco (GO MEGAN!) to do all of their book-keeping so she isn't going to be able to pick up Ian anymore. After school program is $15 a day. *sighs* Pain in my ass. Also, working on getting a new job. I know, I know... I have a great job. I do. I know I do. Seriously, though... I'm bored. So, yeah. Working on that. We'll see what happens. No new news, I don't think. I'll be in Vegas at the end of September/beginning of October. Flying this time... just Matt and me.

I'm tired. Up too late. And cold. Autumn is definitely on the way. Fast. I wore a jacket this weekend on my walk.

So, I've lost 13 pounds now. For those of you not aware, I am on a getfitmission. Well... more like getlightermission. I imagine, though, that as a result of my lighter-ness I will be far more fit. So, yeah. 13 pounds... 59 to go. It seems like a lot but I know that by next winter I'll wear a size small. That's pretty awesome and I'm really excited.

The boys start school this week. Matt is a mass of anxiety... Zachary is apathetic and Ian is reluctant at best. Should be fun. What else is on the books this week? Lose another pound, get an eye exam, Ian's reading assessment and getting my new license. Ack. Good thing I'm off work on Wednesday and Thursday. Gonna be busy!

Constance, a really wonderful person that works up in Rocks (the restaurant), brought flowers in this morning. She actually stopped and picked black eyed susans from the roadside... they grow all over the place up here. Anyway, she gave me some, which was awesome... it really was. Until I discovered the ANTS! And now I'm thinking to myself "wow... she picked these for the restaurant... prolly isn't gonna turn out too well"

Pretty.

Next trip to Vegas? 6 weeks. Flying this time... staying with Bianca. You know, because we love to torture her new love interest with thoughts of the two of us in a mad embrace. *beams*

School starts up again in a couple of weeks. I'm excited about Ian going in to first grade and even more so about Matthew starting high school. How is that even remotely possible? My first baby. I remember looking at Matthew when he was only a couple of months old, willing him to always be okay. I stared and stared, studying his sweet, fat little face, swearing that I'd remember it always just that way. I wish I had taken more pictures. Now my darling oldest child can stick his own tongue up his nose. Yes... I have pictures. How did this happen?

Other news... the weather is changing. I can feel the air cooling and I look forward to the bite it will give me in the mornings to come. Already I curl into the blankets and wish the daylight would come a little later. I can't wait for sweaters and jeans, for the golden leaves on the aspens against the green mountainsides... for Halloween and Thanksgiving!

I'm so having the kids bob for apples this year.

Vegas was awesome. Loved seeing everyone... loved going out to eat too much, actually having the opportunity to sleep this time, and getting hooked on nip/tuck. Fuckingfuckfuck Bianca... nip/tuck. *sighs*

I'm tired now. Ready for the weekend. I want to go hiking but, really, I think I'm going to end up at home doing laundry and getting some stuff done there.

It was nice to sleep in my bed, next to my husband, in air that was cool and fresh instead of cycled through an air conditioner. Yes, I realize I said I missed air conditioning... I still do when my place is 85 degrees at bed time.

I'm sick, by the way. Sore throat. Blech.

I don't know why I haven't posted in the last week. Maybe I've just been too bloody hot to bother. It's been more than uncomfortable here... it's been miserable. Sleeping is a luxury because I feel so sticky from the constant threat of thunderstorms that it's impossible to find a position that remotely defines 'comfortable'. Blech. Yesterday afternoon, though, it rained. Well into the night, it rained. It cooled my place by ten degrees. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was. I slept. I slept more than I've slept in a week. AND, bonus, I was able to touch Michael without feeling like we were going to adhere to each other. Cuddle, even.

What I miss about Vegas? Air conditioning.

Speaking of Vegas... 3 MORE DAYS! I get SUSHI and my hair done, and I get to see my friends and hang out!

All men should read this article.


If you don't read the whole article at least take away this:

"The good kisser, however, sees the kiss as the destination itself. He kisses as if he will never do anything else with this woman, as if he never wants to do anything else with this woman. He kisses as if this is what he's been dying to do for years and he wants to savor every moment."


Go on... make your girl swoon.

My friend, Jeanna, went to Kenya this summer. She goes every summer... which I think is very cool. I didn't know how cool it was until she posted the below picture on her myspace page.



















She took that picture. She was THERE. She SAW that. Sheesh... and I get excited about deer.



So, funny story. A couple of nights ago I was out walking Pagan. It was nearly dark, Mike had worked late and was meeting me on the path. So we meet in the middle and Pagan is all excited now because Mike is with us... so he's running around like a crazy animal. You know, cause he is. Anyway, we're heading home and we see a brown lump on the path. I think it's a clod of dirt or maybe a pine cone. Mike thinks it's feces because he's an icky boy. We get closer and Pagan has decided to find out what it is. He runs up and is really kinda sniffing the hell out of this thing. We gently pull my crazy animal off of the brown lump to investigate the cause of his interest. I still think this thing is a pine cone so I'm bent over a little trying to discern it's shape and the fucking thing scampers. Yes. Scampers. I scream "WHAAAAAA!" because I'm scared half to death the now OBVIOUSLY furry animal will scamper its way right up my jeans. Needless to say, Michael laughed. A lot.

Fucking furry brown lump. I still have no idea what it was.

Okay, so, Vegas in 2 1/2 weeks. Getting my hair cut and colored... eating sushi, seeing friends. I'm sure I will return thoroughly exhausted.

Ya'll are damn lucky Matt still has braces or you'd never see me. 'Never' really means 'twice a year or so'.

Nothing too exciting going on. It's been nice. Relaxing. The boys are gone one more week and then home again for the remainder of the summer break... a whole four weeks. Then we begin the drama that is high school coupled with the continuing saga of middle and elementary school. Who am I kidding? I'm pretty excited. :)

I'm picking the boys up on Friday/Saturday this week in Cedar City. No side trip to Vegas this time around. I will, however, be in town around the 4th of August until about the 9th. I'm already tired just thinking about it.

Back to work tomorrow. Not quite ready yet. The weekend went by too fast. *yawns* And it's been so bloody hot here. Before all you Vegas people laugh, keep in mind that the climate is so human friendly that they don't build out here with air conditioning. So, yeah. Hot at 80 because the whole place you're living in is a furnace. I wish it would rain more. Seems like it's been dry this summer.

I had a massage tonight. Horrid massage boy. Not a great experience. On the other hand, it was a massage... so it couldn't be horrible. After the massage Mike picked me up and we went out to dinner.... ate in the village at the Dusty Boot (referred to as "The Boot" by locals) and had yummy food. Mmmm. Shrimpssss.

So, I just got home, checked my email and had the most profound sense of loss hit me. Jenny sent me an old email string from ClientLogic. I know, I know... but how could I miss THAT? Well, for those of you that weren't a part of what made the place great, you'll never know. What was great, you ask? The people. The people were phenomenal. I miss payday Fridays at the bar and drinking with people that took pictures of you being stupid and then posted them on the shared drive at work.... after being so kind as to modify your assets for you. Yeah. That happened to me. I miss knowing there was a fetal pig in the command center. I miss knowing that my team had my back... and I had theirs. I miss fighting with the site director over the numbers and losing. I miss loving the people I saw everyday no matter how angry they made me.

To all of you that made ClientLogic a great place to be... I really miss you.

1. How tall are you barefoot? 4'11.5"
2. Have you ever been cheated on? yop
3. Do you own a gun? nope
4. If you had a mental disorder, what would it be? I'd probably be plagued with hippy syndrome. Peace, man.
5. How many letters are in your crush's name? 20
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Hebrew Nationals or Nathans. Yum.
7. What's your favorite Christmas song? I love them all!
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee or Orange Juice
9. Do you do push-ups? I do!
10. Do you like DisneyWorld? Dunno. Never been.
11. Do you like the rain? Oh, yes
12. Do you own a knife? I own many
13. What do you smell like? Kyria in the morning
14. Do you have A.D.D.? Not officially... but try having a conversation with me
15. Full initials? KMK
16. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
1. I'm still nauseous and I don't know why
2. I need to drink more water
3. I'm so tired still.
17. Name the last 3 things you have bought.
1. Pizza
2. Dyson
3. Eyeshadow Brush
18. Name five drinks you regularly drink.
1. water
2. coffee
3. water
4. and
5. more water
19. What time did you wake up today? Too damn early
20. Can you spell? Yes
21. Current worry? My sister
22. Current hate? The ice cream lady
23. Favorite place to be? Depends. Right now I'd really like to be on a massage table.
24. Least favorite place to be? The city. Any city. City = Crap
25. Where do you want to go? Bed
26. Do you own slippers? Yes
27. Where do you think you will be in 10 years? It's not where that matters
28. Do you burn or tan? I used to tan in a way that would surprise people that didn't know me before 1990. Now my answer would be "ew... neither. Sun is bad"
29. Yellow or blue? Butter yellow AND periwinkle blue
30. would you give up your current life to be a pirate? Not in a million years
31.Last time your cell rang? About 45 minutes ago when Danielle called to tell me she just woke up and was going to be late to work.... so I'd be late for work. So I rode in with Mike.
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? None. I don't sing in the shower.
33. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? malevolent spirits.
34. What's in your pockets right now? Nothin'
35. Last thing that made you laugh? Talking to Jenny about semen.
36. Worst injury you've ever had? Nasty sliced open ankle (lucky to have missed my achilles tendon), bruised tailbone while I was 8 months pregnant (lucky to not have gone in to labor), and I think I fractured my ankle the last time I was in Vegas... lucky I could still get to the party that night. *beams*
37. What is your GPA? It's a secret. Mostly because I don't remember.
38. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two
39. Who is your loudest friend? what? I'm sorry... I was sitting next to Bee three months ago and I still can't hear anything. Totally kidding. My friends aren't really loud. My family, on the other hand, is deafening.
40. Who is your most silent friend? David. Very soft-spoken.
41. Does someone have a crush on you? I don't ask around so I will refrain from answering.
42. Do you wish on stars? Only when they're falling
43. What song did you last hear? I Just Want to Make Love to You by Etta James
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? Michael will choose something appropriate, I'm sure. My family is NOT allowed to plan my funeral. Sorry, guys.
45. What were you doing 12AM last night? Having sex
46. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Why is it so fucking bright in here?
47. What is your favorite mixed drink? I don't drink much these days. I like creamy drinks that taste like chocolate milk and fruity drinks that taste like fruity drinks.
48. Name 3 places you went today:
1. Work.
2. I'll get back to you
3. on the rest later...
49. Name 3 people you would like to meet:
1. Celebrities
2. aren't really
3. my thing...
50. What is your favorite word? Fabulous (thanks, Bee)

*breathes* I have been SO busy. It's been crazy. Mike's parents (Barb and Frank) his sister and her husband (Jenni and Scott) have been in town since last Friday. I realize that this isn't even a week but, wow, let me tell you.... they've kept me busy.

Friday we had to drive to Wyoming to pick up the kids. They had spent the last couple of weeks up at our family's cabin near Yellowstone, visiting my grandparents and various aunts, uncles and cousins in Cody, and just having a good time. They went in to the park (duh) saw bears, geysers, mud volcanoes and a wolf... among many other things I cannot recall. So, needless to say, they were tired. Ian slept almost the entire drive home, nearly four and a half hours. Anyway, we get here Friday and have the kids mad dash through showers before we get right back in the car and head up valley to the lodge. They love the room, the love the scenery, everything is good. We go eat at... I can't remember. Oh, wait. We ate at Blue Moose (pizza) in the village. Say goodnight after some visiting in the room and head home.

Saturday. I seriously can't remember what we did during the day. We hung out down here a lot, I made chicken enchiladas and discovered I like this new lime cream sauce I made a little better than the verde sauce I usually use. Um... that's it. OH! We went in to Glenwood Springs and Mike and I bought a Dyson. Awesome vacuum. Expensive vacuum. Needed to be done... the other one died. Anyway, back here the kids rode their bikes (FINALLY Ian is learning to ride... and enjoying it!), walked around and then had dinner. Hung out, then the family went back up valley.

Sunday, went to the Alpine gardens and walked around, let the kids play at the park and then had a late lunch at Chilly Willy's (mexican food) in Minturn. Went home, skipped dinner, went to bed.

Monday, worked. Went to Avon afterward for the fireworks show. I have to say that it's the best show I've ever seen. Ever. Amazing. People weren't as friendly this year, though, which was disappointing. I got in fight with the ice cream truck lady. Anyway, there until after ten... got home after 11. Went to bed after 12. Took today off... Woke up around 10:45 or so. Going to head out to Sylvan Lake and barbeque later. So, yeah. I gotta go now.

HAVE A GREAT 4TH OF JULY!!!

Mike and I went for our walk tonight and, I swear, it was like some comical version of the movie "The Birds". There were water birds swooping around looking for bugs to eat and they kept dive-bombing my poor husband's head. So funny. And then came the bats. Mike and I usually aren't out late enough to watch the bats but tonight we were... I love them. Mike has this horrible fear of them. So we're walkin' along and SWOOSH, bird. Then SWOOSH, bat. It was so damn funny I nearly peed my pants on the walkway.

As revenge, he's making me watch a horrible scary movie. Stupid scary movies. Ugh.

All through the summer Beaver Creek Village is host to a series of culinary events where people can wander the village from stall to stall and demo to demo. They have world famous chefs showing you how to properly sear a steak and well known brand names giving away free samples. This weekend kicked it off and, I have to confess, I'm hooked. Completely hooked. Food sampling is a blast. We started off TABLEAU, which many of you will recognize as one of the restaurants in the Wynn. Chef Mark LoRusso was preparing samples of crab cakes with summer corn salad. It was okay. Crab cakes were a little salty... corn salad was yummy but not anything that I'd go wow over. Then we headed over to the SW Steakhouse tent... also from Wynn. Seared, sliced steak with asparagus and carrots. Definitely worth trying. I haven't even dared look to see what their menu prices are but I watched the chef (Chef David Walzog) do a demo on how to prepare the steak and I totally want him to cook for me next time I'm in Vegas. He's nifty. We then tried out some local food... Grouse Mountain Grill has the BEST seared scallops I've ever had. Michael nearly swooned. They were served on asparagus cooked with prosciutto. We had a slice of the cowboy pizza from the Blue Moose and then some frozen hot chocolate. Then I found the yummiest of the yummy stuff there. A steakhouse from New York, that I of course can't remember the name of, was serving strawberries marinated in riesling and served with mint and sorbet. Turns out is was a riesling sorbet. Oh. My. God. I mean, strawberries and riesling are about my favorite things in the world... it never occurred to me to marinate the strawberries IN the riesling!

After all of that we came home and had a nap. Naps are good. Now I'm headed off to Glenwood for a little while. Doesn't get dark here until after 9 so I still have lots of time to play!

Jenny posted this already but, since I laugh everytime I read it, I thought I'd post it as well.

Jenny
I'm feelin' frisky today.

Kyria
the hasselhoff soap should help.

Jenny
I ... what

Kyria
*grins* email.

Jenny
oh jesus
k
omg.yeah, that took care of it for now
thanks

Kyria
*snorts, giggles*

Jenny
I am still grossed out.

Kyria
squirt, squirt

Jenny
I WAS EATING YOGURT

Kyria
HAHHAHHAHA!

Jenny
was being the keyword here.

Kyria
Hasselhoff: "oh yeah baby... right there... SQUIRT"

Jenny
*pushes yogurt away*

Kyria
"now, rub it all over your body...."*laughing hysterically* oh my GOSH.... SO FUNNY

Jenny
I'm not talking to you anymore until after I eat.

Kyria
still laughing
i'm so glad my boss isn't here today.

Okay, I want to preface this post by saying I am so not a potato chip kind of person. Seriously, I think they're nasty. Fat in flakes.

Now, having said that, have you tried the new Kettle Chip flavors??

OH MY GOD! SO GOOD!!!

I highly recommend the Spicy Thai, Cheddar Beer and Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese. I only let myself have one of each but, I swear, if I were into potato chips, I'd have sat down and eaten all three bags... by myself.

Yum.

It's been a while since I've waxed romantic over this beautiful place I live and I feel the need to share again just how in love I am with my home. Eagle is an amazing place. It doesn't hold the alpine splendor of Avon, Vail or Beaver Creek but it has it's own charm. The water birds near the river and in the wetlands down stream. The green, green grass of the golf course and the way the sun turns the mountains to the east pink in the sunset. Walking to the movie theater on a summer night... feeling the breeze cool my home in the evening. Everything about it captivates me. I'm happy here. Mike and I have talked about moving up-valley but, really... why? For a few more trees and a boat load more tourists? No, thank you. I have to admit, though, that I love the way the cottonwood pollen floats on the air up here... it's like snow in spring. Maybe when I get around to getting my own house (you know, SOMEDAY) I'll plant cottonwood trees. :) Maybe.

(I had to add this picture to illustrate how wonderful my home is. This is a sunset in Eagle... and it's pretty typical as far as Eagle sunsets go.)

I <3 Jenny

Wow. So much going on lately.

My parents got in today and we had a big barbeque so I've been pretty busy all day cooking and getting stuff ready. The boys leave tomorrow morning with them to spend a couple of weeks up at my family's cabin in Wyoming. They'll be visiting Yellowstone for a few days and I couldn't be more excited for them. I LOVE Yellowstone. I'm picking them up on the 30th in Rawlins, Wyoming... about five hours away. That's gonna suck. When they get back Mike's parents will be here and we'll be celebrating the Fourth with them. I can't wait for that. I've been wanting to share that with someone since I first saw the show last year. It's amazing. The way the fireworks go off right over your head and reflect on the Nottingham Lake... and the music! Wow. Just... wow. So, they'll be here about a week and then they head back to Cedar City with the in-laws. They'll be there about a week and then they're heading out to California with Dave. :) I don't think I'm going to see them much until August. What will I do for a whole month without my kids? *looks at mike* I just don't know....

The village (and our hotel) is crawling with secret service. Crazy.

"Each June, at the personal invitation of former President Gerald R. Ford, a select group of business leaders, government officials, scholars and former heads of government gather in Beaver Creek to explore the most critical economic, social, and security issues facing the United States and the world community.

Senior U.S. cabinet officers and legislators provide candid briefings on important policy initiatives. Heads of major international corporations discuss business and financial developments. Government officials from Europe, Asia and the Americas debate international strategic and economic issues in a private, informal atmosphere, far removed from the distractions of day-to-day business.

The AEI World Forum has been held annually since 1982, under the sponsorship of the American Enterprise Institute and the Vail Valley Foundation. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the World Forum will be held in June, 2006, in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Coming at a time of critical choices in U.S. and international politics, the 2006 World Forum will provide exceptional insights into policies and personalities shaping national and world affairs.

World Forum participants meet in plenary sessions under the chairmanship of former President Ford and at small workshops led by prominent business leaders, public officials and AEI scholars. The discussions are informal, off the record and carefully structured to be provocative and informative."

Just some pics from last weekend....

Saw Cars tonight with the kids and Mike. Absolutely fantastic movie. Go see it. Now. Bitch.

Other than that, my weekend has been a little slow. Took my walk and stole Michael's phone so I could listen to itunes while we trekked along. It was nice. I felt like I isolated Mike, though... not so nice. I told him he needed to get me one of those phones so we could both listen to music. *beams*

So, wow. Already halfway through the year. Wonder where I'll be in another twelve months.

I just need to say a couple of things:

First, Mike is awesome.
Examples: Last night when he went out for milk he came home with flowers... I was on the phone and couldn't really thank him properly and then after I was off of the phone I was super distracted by something I now cannot recall and didn't thank him properly. I'm a jerk sometimes. THEN, yesterday and today Mike had to go in to work a couple of hours early so he's leaving before I get out of bed. Last night he asked me how the coffee was... making sure it wasn't cold or scorched. I told him that I was lucky I got up about 10 minutes before the coffee pot turned off or I'd have gotten cold coffee. I wasn't complaining. We were just chatting about it. Know what he did? He made me a fresh pot of coffee and set the timer so it started brewing at the same time my alarm went off this morning. I <3 Michael.

Second, I'm sure all of you have had that co-worker that shares a few too many details about their digestive system. Ya know? The ones that call in and give you a description of what's in the toilet and how many times they've seen it in the last 30 minutes? Yeah. So, having been in management for many a year now, I have found that the vast majority of these people tend to be middle ages men. Not here. Here I get unsolicited information about poo and all the workings thereof from a girl in her 20's. For no reason. At all. She just pops in my office "Oh my god, this is so bad but..." and it starts. WTF? Help me understand.

This one is for Jenny.


Real Dolls creep me out....


Except when they're bent over in her living room.

Oh my gosh, this weekend was busy! My dad came in to town for some business with my Uncle Rick (in Denver) so it was a whirlwind of Dad-type activity! We had a huge barbecue on Saturday... 12 people and lots of food. I made special seasoned light butters for the corn so my dad wouldn't be tempted by the salt. :) He's on a low sodium diet since he got out of the hospital last year. I have to say that the flavored butter was awesome. We had lots of fresh fruit and melon, asparagus, lean steaks and garlic bread. Yum. Oh, and a salad. I love making salad. Pears and goat cheese with bell peppers, onion and tomatoes. My dad had a great time and I got to meet my sister's boyfriend, Rusty. Rusty has a 3 year old little boy they call Monster Boy. Man... that child puts my ornery one to shame. We managed to scrounge up some quiet time, though, by telling all of the kids to go catch birds. Did anyone else's mom do this? My mom used to give me a handful of salt and tell me if I could get close enough to put the salt on the bird's tail that I'd be able to catch it and take it home. This, of course, is pure fiction... but it keeps kids busy for HOURS. Anyway, it was the day of nonstop cooking and food. :) But a lot of fun.

Sunday my dad took us out to breakfast and then we watched King Kong at my place. My dad hasn't been to a movie in the theater since I was 12. After that we headed up to Blues, Brews and Barbecues in Beaver Creek. The kids played in the kid zone while Mike took my dad on a tour of the village.. way fun. Then we tried some of the different sauces and foods they had. They had this white barbecue sauce from the culinary institute. SO GOOD. Ian embodies a tornado at their table... He'd grab a chip and the sauce, then another chip, another sauce... around and around he'd go. I swear he had to try them all, each at least twice. Then back down valley and out to dinner at Fiesta Jalisco where I had the vegetarian burrito. So done with meat after the barbecue weekend.

So yeah... lotsa food, lotsa family... lotsa very tired come Sunday night. Today I'm at work but I plan to leave early. My dad's leaving today after his meeting with Rick and I want to say goodbye.

Only Two Words:
1. Yourself: little sassy
2. Your car: mini van
3. Your Hair: teh awesome
4. Your Mother: scattered me
5. Your Father: getting healthy
6. Your Favorite Item: my computer
7. Your Dream: happy life
8. Your Favorite Drink: too many
9. Your Dream Home: single family
10. The Room You Are In: my office
11. Your Pet: crazy cute
12. Your fear: impacts deeply
13. Where You Want to be in Ten Years: here happy
14. Who you hung out with last nite: eighth graders
15. What You're Not: many things
16. Your Best Friends: true loves
17. One of Your Wish list Items: no list
18. Your Gender: girlie girl
19. The Last Thing You Did: accepted appointment
20. What You Are Wearing: purple skies
21. Your Favorite Weather: mountain summer
22. Your Favorite Book: Wuthering Heights
23. The Last Thing You Ate: 100 calories
24. Your Life: best yet
25. Your Mood: headache still
26. The last person you talked to on the phone: Tommyknocker Kathy

Matthew had his continuation ceremony last night. I officially have a high school male on my hands.

And... AND... my reclusive, shy and perpetually anti-sports child is going out for soccer. YAY MATT!

"Pardon me... can you tell me which train I need to take to BUTTSEXOCLOCK?!?"

"I think you mean BUTTSUXOCOCK... It's the one over by the snorkel shop"

*beams*

Ass Habit.

Ass Habit.

Post Secret is releasing a new book October 1st. Sweet.

I'm starving this morning so I'm going to forsake this blog for breakfast. :)

I can smell the rain from my office.

The rain smells like the earth here... not wet pavement. And the air is cool.


I wish my eyes didn't feel so tired.

So, you saw the butt paste a while back. Today I bring you (Dun DA Dun!)



















WTF?

And then, we leave the grocery store, and Mike says, "I forgot to tell you. This morning when I was at the gas station I saw a cowboy" I say, "A cowboy, huh?" and he says, "Yeah. With PINK BOOTS ON" I say, "I'm so gonna post that today. My Bee will LOVE it." and he says "Babe, you can't post about butt rub and pink cowboy boots in the same day"

Heh. Watch me.

The only appointment on my calendar today is for chocolate sampling. How rockin' is that?

Don't get me wrong... I'm busy (today) but who'd have thought a year ago that, instead of a conference call with the client or a meeting with the site director, I'd be sitting down with a chocolatier to discuss amenity options and getting free samples.

My job = Rock

After I got back from my last trip to Las Vegas I was teh slacker about walking. I was just so tired. I'm always tired when I get back, though, and I shouldn't have let that stop me. Well, regardless, I started back up again tonight. Ouch. I can feel that week I was a slacker. :\ I have to say, though, that the incentive to get outside is really powerful. It's beautiful here this time of year. It's beautiful any time of year, really... but right now *sighs* it's my favorite next to that first snow. Everything is so green and the rivers are swollen with snow-melt... the ground is covered in splotchy carpets of purple wildflowers and yellow dandelions. And, I swear, the smell of the crabapple blossoms makes my heart feel lighter. I can breathe in that sweet scent, listen to the river rushing while the blackbirds call to each other and be as contented as I remember ever feeling in my life thus far. Isn't it always the simple things? The things you don't realize you miss until you have them?

Which totally brings me back to my new-found love of chocolate soy milk.

I miss reading. And drawing. I keep telling myself I'll start up again but I feel so uninspired. Reading will be easier. I started reading Wuthering Heights again last weekend. Again. The drawing, though... bah. We'll see what the summer brings. Maybe I'll start drawing wildflowers up in Vail or something. We're headed up to the gardens next weekend.

Mother's Day. Breakfast in bed... presents. :) Phone calls and messages from friends. Great day.



On another note, my dog came wandering out of the back room this morning with a megaphone.














He really wants to be heard.

The tragedy that is.....

.....the ass habit

I want.

Vegas was, as usual, a mad dash from function to function with my friends. It was fun, though, with lots of eating out. I feel like I gain fifteen pounds every time I visit. Gag.

Saturday night I had dinner with my family at Paymon's. It was nice to get all of us girls together with the parents for dinner... it doesn't happen often. My dad picked up the check for Mother's Day, which was very awesome of him. And very appreciated. I love my dad.

Sunday it was breakfast with Jen, lunch with Bee that turned in to dinner because of some conflicts with time. Dessert with David was thwarted by his nasty illness... so we had breakfast on Monday to make up for it. Poor David. Sinus infections = teh suck. I had my hair done, bought new shoes and just generally enjoyed myself... but come 3am on Tuesday I was very ready to head home. There's nothing like leaving the scorching desert heat for the cool mountain air. Oh! And the crabapple trees are blooming! There are FLOWERS EVERYWHERE here. I love the short mountain springtime.

Pictures!




































So now I'm at work. I didn't pack a lunch and Mike has the car. I was just complaining to Jenny and she said I should get take out.

She suggested Chinese.

I haven't stopped laughing.

Home. Tired. *snore*



More tomorrow. Mebbe.

This afternoon, around 2, I was sitting at my desk and I got a sharp pain in my chest. It was really nasty. Then, what felt like a large rubber band wrapped around my chest, constricting my breathing. As the tightness grew, so did the pain. Finally it was so excruciating that I doubled over at my desk. I was incredibly frightened and couldn't help but think I was having a heart attack. So, I get up very slowly and walk around. Pain doesn't go away. Still can't breathe without tightness. I relax, do breathing exercises and stretch... pain doesn't go away. I walk over to Cristen and tell her I'm going to the hospital and why... tell her not to call 911 because I'm sure I'm fine. It was such a sharp, intense pain that it made me cry. So, I called Mike and he took me to urgent care. They gave me oxygen and an EKG. No heart attack. Turns out I have what's called costochondritis.... which is an inflammation of the chest wall between the rib cage and the breastbone, the symptoms of which mimic a heart attack. I guess, because I'm female AND I have scoliosis, I will be prone to this kind of inflammation. Suck. This means I can have random fake heart attacks just whenever I sleep, sit or move wrong. On the up side, though, I'm not dead.

So I'm walking through the market, I look down and I see...


















You all understand that I HAD to make Mike stop so I could take a picture. Then I sent it to my friends on their phones.

Buttpaste. It still makes me laugh thirty minutes later.

Oh, forgot to post that I SLEPT! The night before last. I think I would have slept better last night... but I have some really noisy neighbors. I still got my massage, though. It was awesome. I had her spend the whole hour on my back, shoulders and neck. She did some deep tissue stuff and now I'm cracking everywhere. I stretched this morning when I woke up and the entire upper part of my back cracked. That never happens to me.

Gas is expensive here... Well, gas is expensive everywhere. My trip next weekend is going to cost me. I think, in October, we'll fly out and see if we can work something out with my sister for the kids. We'll see, I guess.

You know this is what David is going to spend all of his money on in Japan.

Insomnia update:
The whole not sleeping thing is definitely upsetting my stomach. I'm all acidy and gross feeling today. Unfortunately, the feelings of grossness also impact my ability to sleep. Gah. I'm also feeling tense and unrested. Duh. The tension, though, is causing me to have pain in my neck and shoulders. A lot of it. *sighs* It's a vicious pattern.

Tomorrow, I'm going to SpaStruck to get a massage. I'm hoping (read: crossing my fingers and PRAYING) that it will help.

So tired. Someone buy me sleep for Mother's Day.

What a horrible thing.

How do people justify these things in their minds?

*sighs* awake again. what is wrong with me? i haven't slept well in ages. now, too, i'm developing heartburn. i haven't had heartburn since i was pregnant with matthew. no... i'm not pregnant. i've obviously got some anxiety over something. at this point i can't decide if the lack of sleep is causing my heartburn or if my heartburn is keeping me awake. i just want to sleep... i want to stay asleep.

Today is Administrative Professionals' day. Jeff bought me flowers and is taking me to Ti Amo for lunch today. I have the most rockin' job ever. While, admittedly, I am far less challenged and have far, FAR too little to do some days, I am exceedingly happy. I come in, I work/goof off, I go home. There's no worry over the GM report for the next day... I don't think about call volume and staffing or new product launches.... or that annoying, paininmyass RMA person (just kidding, David). Nope. I drive up a ski mountain and admire the daffodils growing on the side of the road... you know, just because that's where they wanted to grow.

Next topic, Jenny. She sucks for being gone. I miss her.. but THANK YOU for sending pictures to my phone. She totally knew I'd have anxiety over not being able to talk to her EVERY DAY.

Vegas in under two weeks! Too bad it'll be such a short trip. :\ Still, enough time to see some family and friends.

We went hiking today in Glenwood Canyon. It was a beautiful day, too... I'm glad we took advantage of it.

I took pictures!

I saw wildflowers today... Lupines. Beautiful. The trees are getting their leaves. I itch for summer.

I laughed.

Breast exam, anyone?

Sure... why don't you just come in and have some tea while I get nekkid.

Bianca always cheers me up.

Thank you, Bee, for making me laugh so hard last night that I nearly peed my pants. I loved that house, too.

So, with the warmer weather (it snowed earlier and it's 40 degrees outside), Mike and I have adopted some healthier habits. We've always been pretty good about what we eat... fresh vegetables with meals and I always have clean, fresh fruit at home ready to go. Not big on sodas or candy... chips are occasional. Now, we've taken up walking in the evenings. Since I sprained my ankle a couple of weeks ago, it kinda hurts... it's not horrible with my ankle brace on (thank you David) and I figure it'll be worth it in the end. I already feel better just knowing I'm doing it. The first night we went we had the opportunity to walk past a herd of elk. Teh awesome. Elk are really, really large. Way bigger when you're walking compared to the whole "hey, elk!" experience you get from inside your car. Tonight we saw a pair of beavers. Heh. Beavers. Anyway, yeah... so beavers, geese, blackbirds and elk on my walking trips. I'm excited about what I'll see tomorrow. YAY MY LIFE! :)

I've been kinda icky lately. :\

Happy Easter!!

I'm tired. It's not often I have a difficult time sleeping but, now, at sometime before 4am, I am wide awake and wondering why. It was 1 before I made it to bed and the noisy lady from upstairs woke me at 3ish while saying goodbye to her friends and, shortly after that, the storm rolled in with all of its wind. Really, though, I feel like those are all just excuses. I haven't been able to sleep soundly for a few days. I find myself aching for comfort in the night, unable to find it in my very comfortable bed. So, now I'm sitting here in the too-early morning hours listening to the windchimes sing in the rain... wondering if I like the sound of the rain better without them. I can't really decide.

Winter is over. The last day of the season is this Sunday. I didn't accomplish as much as I wanted to but I can say that I really enjoyed my winter here. I'm ready for spring, I think. The ground is already green and I feel like I'm just waiting now for the first leaves to appear on the trees to make it official. My hummingbird feeder went up yesterday.

In two more weeks I'll have been here a year. One of the best of my life.

I really want to be able to sleep.

I finally got around to watching Memoirs of a Geisha tonight. SO. FANTASTIC. I'm a girl, though, and I love movies that will make me cry.

I loved it even through the haze of noise from my new upstairs neighbor. You know, the single woman with a little girl that moved in? Yeah... she likes parties with lots of alcohol and big hair music. I'm less than thrilled. While I'm all about a great party I'm not all about them being above my home. Beeeyotch.