This summer is off to a bang. I'm sure most of us were out the gates at a full sprint. But it has brought about good things. New things. And old things. Changes. Colorado is beautiful in the spring. Everyone is outside. Running and hiking and biking and then running some more. It's incredible. Here are some highlights so far.
- Ryan came out to visit. We camped. We hiked. We ran. We attended strange parties. Okay, only one, but just ask him - it was weird. We went to a yard sale and found four awesome chairs. Two wooden. Two for the lawn. I must get pictures posted of the hike. Pretty incredible. Even though we never found that pesky waterfall, I'm 87% sure we saw bear scat. So then we got the heck outta there. But it was a great weekend.
- I'm running my first 5k tomorrow. I realize that to avid runners this is baby stuff. But to me, not so much. I'm hoping it's not blistering hot (102 today!) and that I don't weenie out and walk. More details on that later.
- My living situation is about to change. Soon I will have three new roommates. It's going to be weird having roommates again. I've just gotten so comfortable eating breakfast in my underpants...
- Today was my second real game of ultimate Frisbee (spell-checker said Frisbee should be capitalized. Who knew?). A group of us joined a summer league. We've uh... lost the last two games, but we're showing much improvement. And the guys finally believe I can catch. It's a lot of fun, but holy cow has my respect for soccer players vastly increased. Three runs up and down the field and I'm shot. Can't even breathe. Whew.
- Two new sort-of records in my world were set this week. I watched my car turn over to 100,000 miles yesterday. Everyone keeps asking when I'll get an SUV. And granted, it would be a lot easier to haul lots of gear in a bigger rig, I just can't give up what I've got. She's been so good to me - through mountains, snow and many close calls on the freeways. Plus, I'm possibly a little cheap and would rather not fork over my hard earned dollar on a shiny toy. Which brings me to my second record of sorts. I rarely run my air conditioner. It gets expensive, and I'm hardly home anyway, so I opt for economy over comfort. Tonight I walked in, tossed down my bags, and noticed it was a little stuffy inside. Official thermometer reading? Eighty-nine degrees. Eighty-nine degrees?!. I took a cold shower and kicked on the A/C. Dang.
Okay, so there's lots of other stuff I want to share. But it can be spared for a later date. Enjoy your summer, because it's just not the same with an 8-5. I sure miss lazy afternoons by the pool.
niner...
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We went bowling today. In pre-celebration of Laura B.'s birthday. We had sweet shoes, noise makers, hats, and pita-stacked cake with hummus frosting. What more could a girl ask for? There was only one rule - after any strike, spare, or gutterball, the bowler had to bust a dance move. Or cheerleader jump. Laura Z. and I even attempted SNL's "Indian in my Tipi" stunt. Whoops. We'll keep practicing.
Anyway, it was good ol' fashion fun. And I kept consistent with my usual scoring, once again managing not to break 100. Bah! But that's all right. Hopefully my moves made up for it.
boxed wine...
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My Grandpa passed away today. Ninety-one years old. It wasn't exactly unexpected. He had been getting weaker, eating less, losing his memory. All signs of an aging body. Him and Grandma were able to live on their own for many years - our family is incredibly blessed. He had just recently been moved to the nursing home. Dad was there visiting this weekend. This morning he just stopped breathing. No pain, no struggle.
Grandpa loved to play cards. Anytime we were there, everyone gathered around the table for many rounds. Usually six-point pitch, also known as cut-throat (which I am realizing is much less frequently played than the similar twelve or thirteen point version). When an awesome stinger was played he would shout "Rowr!" (Kind of like yow, but better.) And he loved a good story. He had a great laugh, and would slap his leg and say "Well ah-be danged" if it had a unexpected or funny ending.
I hate that I now have to write about him in past-tense. I'm sorry Grandpa. How fast that changes...
Every time I came to visit he'd give me a hug then step back to take a look. Making sure I was growing up okay I suppose. Then the conversation would always go a little like this:
Grandpa: You sure are a pretty young lady.
Me: (blushing) Thanks Grandpa.
Grandpa: Got yourself a nice boy yet?
Me: (usually) Nope, not yet.
Grandpa: Why not?
Me: Still waiting for the right one - have to make sure he's a good one you know.
Grandpa: Well that's okay. You still have some time.
My favorite memory of Grandpa happened last year. Most of the family was together for one of the holidays. I can't even remember which one it was - Labor Day maybe. My Uncle Roger was playing the guitar and we were all circled around the living room singing along. It is one of my favorite traditions. Because we sing with our whole hearts, and most of us never quite find the right key. It's a beautiful sight to behold.
Anyway, everyone was singing, smiles dancing on their faces. Grandpa was sitting across from me and he looked up and smiled. A really big smile that lit up his eyes . And I grinned back. In that moment I just felt so happy. Peaceful. He kept looking at me and smiling. And I smiled back. And we kept singing. After the song was finished he leaned over to my dad and asked who that pretty girl sitting across the room was. I couldn't help but smile. His memory was failing but he was still my Grandpa.
Grandpa also loved dancing. He was always out on the floor during weddings, attempting to keep up with the youngin's. I'm really not sure how this started, but somewhere amongst all the cousins getting married, another family tradition was started. Aunt Eileen would send a song request and we'd all gather in a circle as the DJ blasted John Michael Montgomery's "Sold" over the speakers. Each person had a chance to give a dance performance in the middle of the circle. And boy did the crowd ever whoop and holler and cheer each contestant on. Grandpa always took a turn - smiling the whole way through. He was a sure crowd pleaser every time.
Grandpa I miss you. I wish I could have said goodbye. I should have said goodbye. You brought joy to so many people. I hope you can soon know the difference you made.
And just in case you're wondering, there's still no boy yet Grandpa. But when the day comes that there finally is, you can bet it'll be one you would have approved.
I love you. Rest in peace.
Grandpa loved to play cards. Anytime we were there, everyone gathered around the table for many rounds. Usually six-point pitch, also known as cut-throat (which I am realizing is much less frequently played than the similar twelve or thirteen point version). When an awesome stinger was played he would shout "Rowr!" (Kind of like yow, but better.) And he loved a good story. He had a great laugh, and would slap his leg and say "Well ah-be danged" if it had a unexpected or funny ending.
I hate that I now have to write about him in past-tense. I'm sorry Grandpa. How fast that changes...
Every time I came to visit he'd give me a hug then step back to take a look. Making sure I was growing up okay I suppose. Then the conversation would always go a little like this:
Grandpa: You sure are a pretty young lady.
Me: (blushing) Thanks Grandpa.
Grandpa: Got yourself a nice boy yet?
Me: (usually) Nope, not yet.
Grandpa: Why not?
Me: Still waiting for the right one - have to make sure he's a good one you know.
Grandpa: Well that's okay. You still have some time.
My favorite memory of Grandpa happened last year. Most of the family was together for one of the holidays. I can't even remember which one it was - Labor Day maybe. My Uncle Roger was playing the guitar and we were all circled around the living room singing along. It is one of my favorite traditions. Because we sing with our whole hearts, and most of us never quite find the right key. It's a beautiful sight to behold.
Anyway, everyone was singing, smiles dancing on their faces. Grandpa was sitting across from me and he looked up and smiled. A really big smile that lit up his eyes . And I grinned back. In that moment I just felt so happy. Peaceful. He kept looking at me and smiling. And I smiled back. And we kept singing. After the song was finished he leaned over to my dad and asked who that pretty girl sitting across the room was. I couldn't help but smile. His memory was failing but he was still my Grandpa.
Grandpa also loved dancing. He was always out on the floor during weddings, attempting to keep up with the youngin's. I'm really not sure how this started, but somewhere amongst all the cousins getting married, another family tradition was started. Aunt Eileen would send a song request and we'd all gather in a circle as the DJ blasted John Michael Montgomery's "Sold" over the speakers. Each person had a chance to give a dance performance in the middle of the circle. And boy did the crowd ever whoop and holler and cheer each contestant on. Grandpa always took a turn - smiling the whole way through. He was a sure crowd pleaser every time.
Grandpa I miss you. I wish I could have said goodbye. I should have said goodbye. You brought joy to so many people. I hope you can soon know the difference you made.
And just in case you're wondering, there's still no boy yet Grandpa. But when the day comes that there finally is, you can bet it'll be one you would have approved.
I love you. Rest in peace.
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