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.