day three...

Yesterday was another easy, beautiful day. For having a full day to fill up with things to do, I surely relaxed to the fullest extent - I didn't shower, I didn't even go for a run. And I didn't feel guilty for not doing either of those things. Doug, who I met the night before at the white bench, let me know sunrise was about 7am, so I awoke in time to witness this beautiful time of day. Typically the only time I see the sun rising is en route to somewhere in the Midwest during the wee hours for work. I prefer this to the latter very much so. I unexpectedly stayed for an hour, then returned for some loaded scrambled eggs and reading, which was followed by spiritual direction.

That afternoon I packed a lunch and headed straight to the beach - my favorite spot was directly off the pier. No swimming - surfers only. More reading, which quickly turned into a welcomed nap. For too long. I have some sweet sunburn lines (which will hopefully turn into tan lines) as witness. Wanting to see another sunset over the crashing waves, I attempted to kill some time by finding an ice cream shop I'd noticed the day before. I walked and walked, then turned around after realizing I really had no idea where I was going, or really what place I was even looking for. Eventually I spotted an ice cream cone sign above a building along the main drive and ordered a java chip waffle cone (it's always worth the $.75 for the waffle). Today I comically realized the ice cream place I was originally looking for, was in fact the same place I'd actually bought my cone, and was also a mere one block from my beach spot. Whoopsie.

The sunset that evening was completely different than day before. It was incredibly cloudy, and the colors did not bleed throughout the horizon, but instead glowed in a small orange circle neatly around the sun. The sun itself appeared very large this time around, and dropped very slowly out of sight. I sat until it was too chilly and dark to sit any longer.

I made dinner (hoorah!). And after my tummy was full, I attempted to pray with the readings my spiritual director had suggested. It didn't all go so smoothly. At times I lack a lot of concentration, and I get so blasted sleepy!

Bedtime by 10pm. Definitely a habit I will attempt to continue upon my return. A body just needs rest to function normally.

The day might seem uneventful, and in many ways, I suppose it was. And that my friend, is the beauty of it all.

In closing thoughts I wanted to pass along something I stumbled up while perusing the web last night. Something in it touched me. Perhaps it will do the same for you.

Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

day two...

The place I am staying is a silent retreat center. I wasn't sure how I would take to this, as I chatty as I can be. I thought perhaps I would feel alone, isolated. Lonely. But graciously I've experienced nothing of the sort. The house is quiet, but alive. Peaceful. A warm, welcomed silence that allows me to finally rest.

The day began early. Morning Mass followed by coffee and the best bagel sandwich I've had in my life. An Everything bagel with cream cheese, a thick slice of red tomato, and basil. Pretty sure I'm having one of those tomorrow as well. I traipsed throughout the town again today, visiting the pier, the beach, an ice cream shop. I came home around lunchtime, and much to my surprise, the refrigerator was filled with the goodies I had placed on a shopping list the evening before. I could definitely get used to having a personal shopper!

The evening concluded with a magnificent sunset. At my favorite spot I met Doug and Bonnie, who turned out to be nearby neighbors. We shared casual conversation while appreciating the beauty of the sparkling ocean.
Self-portrait at sunrise.
Woman with stray cat at sunset.
The beach.
Sacred Heart Church.

day one...

I arrived in San Diego Thursday morning.  Thank you for the early AM ride to the airport Jana!  The cab driver gave me his advice about the area I was visiting.  Safe, sleepy, full of hippy love.  His description turned out to be charmingly correct.  I was dropped off at the wrong address, and panicked slightly, as the house I stood before was not quite as the one pictured on the website.  I called the center and eventually realized I was lost.  Two street names in the area sound very similar.  After realizing I was on foot, a kind Sister, Cora, quickly came to my aid and picked me up.

Arriving at the center I breathed a sigh of relief.  It looked exactly as the photo had promised.  I was immediately welcomed by Mel.  A wonderfully warm Sister, she greeted me with a huge hug and took me for a tour around the premises.  Mel would be my spiritual director during my time at the center as well.

I have my own room and bathroom, and share a kitchen and living space with other retreatants (so far there aren't any on my side of the building, but I suspect there will be during the weekend).  Mel graciously gave me a map and said, "I bet you can't wait to get to the beach!"  We set an appointment at 11am to meet, then she sent me on my way.  A few blocks and turns later the deep blue crashing waves greeted me.  I walked along the tide pools, past locals hanging out on the rocks with their bikes and guitars.  A few times I splashed accidentally in hidden shallow puddles, soaking my shoes, socks, and jeans.  For some reason it made me smile.  A little further along in my journey was a long pier, filled with fishermen hauling the coolers along the planks, joggers, and happy couples taking photographs of each other.  On one side was the public beach.  Surfers floated lazily on their boards, paddling through the waves.  The weather was so perfect, it's difficult to describe.  Almost as if it were neither warm nor cold - just so perfectly comfortable your skin felt nothing.  I know - it sounds weird.  It was weird.  Like an absence of any weather at all.

I made it back just in time for my meeting with Mel.  She gave me a few things to meditate on, and we made another appointment for Friday.  It felt so good to say, "well, my schedule is pretty open."  To sum up the rest of the day quickly - I packed a lunch, headed to the beach, took a nap on the sand.  Then it was back to my room for restful reading, prayer and reflection, and right before dusk, a run around the area.

On my trek I saw:

- two people carrying beach chairs (probably for a bon fire); one via bicycle

- 50% or more people were barefoot

- lots and lots of dogs (I really think most people here have one)

- constant opening and closing of screen doors - I don't know why this caught me off guard; I'm just not used to it I suppose, being from the Midwest.  It seems everyone here spends an incredible amount of time outdoors, and with such beautiful evening weather, it's easy to see why

- friends gathering on the beach to play volleyball

- dozens of surfers peeling out of their suctioned wetsuits, loading up their boards on top of cars and in SUVs

- an amazing bright orange sun setting over the ocean

Such a complete, but welcomed, change of scenery.

Back at the center I continued reading and eventually fell asleep absolutely exhausted (around 9:00pm) with the window open to the cool night air.

saving grace...

Okay,  so I didn't realize I'd have Internet access while on retreat. I was going to record my thoughts day by day, then post them upon my return (similar to when I moved to Colorado with no Internet for a week), but now I can post as we go.  So here we go.

The idea of this vacation began back in August after visiting friends in Denver.  I was greatly in need of rest and rejuvenation - the stress and pressure of work at times seemed overbearing and unmanageable.  I wanted to get away.  Be alone.  Explore.  Discover something new.  I wanted an adventure and a challenge.  Lauren recommended finding a retreat house.  It was a perfectly brilliant idea.  Let the planning begin.

There were only two stipulations upon which I based my search.  1) Something near the ocean, and 2) somewhere close to an airport that Southwest Airlines utilizes.  I had finally flown enough round trips to warrant a reward flight - the perfect opportunity to make vacation more affordable.

My first find was a retreat house in Maine.  But travel complications to the site proved too cumbersome and expensive to justify the location.  I then opted for the other coast and landed in San Diego.  From there things easily fell into place.  The location had a four-day stay available, which I gladly reserved.

However, that left quite a few more days to entertain myself on vacation.  I figured some things are better shared, and invited my parents to join me four additional days by the ocean.  After quite a bit of contemplation, and me reminding momma not to live in fear (she was worried about Tijuana's nearby border), she very enthusiastically agreed.  Mom also invited her sister to join.  Heck, the more the merrier.  Dad would come too if he was able to catch up at work.

The only thing we all wanted to really do is visit the zoo.  We had been to SeaWorld in Orlando about six years ago, and although it was incredible (I made our family go two different days while we were there), we aren't crazy about making a repeat visit.  After realizing we would only have one planned activity, Mom asked if we should maybe only stay three days, because, "what are we going to do for four days, Rachelle?"

Well momma, we're going to relax.  We're going to go on vacation and we're going to do nothing.  We're going to rest, we're going to eat, sit on the beach, read, visit, and relax.  She laughed.  And then agreed - four days would be wonderful.  Sometimes in this crazy-busy world it's very difficult to remember to slow down.

So yesterday started my retreat.  And I'm in it with full intention to slow down.  To breathe, rest, and be still.

hasta...

Can I get a woot-woot? Its officially vacation time. See you in a week.

1111 vattier...

This evening I was traveling back to KC from Manhattan.  There is no other place on this earth that brings me such a flood of memories in its wake.  The good, bad, and ugly - it always catches me off guard. I was close to home when a beautiful and wonderfully bright shooting star streaked across the night sky, cutting through the deep blue backdrop, and eventually fading into dark, black nothingness.

I thought back to grade school when our teachers taught us that falling stars are actually stars that have burned up (the technical term) long, long ago. And those stars, although one time brightly lit, haven't been shining for millions, possibly even billions of years.

It might sound odd, but in so many ways tonight I found that fading star strangely comforting.

Twinkle, twinkle little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle little star,

How I wonder what you are.

night cap...

Yesterday I bought six boxes of cereal.  Six.  Who does that?  It was my favorite, and it was on sale.  Let's pretend that makes it okay.

Last week I blew up my roommate's iron.  Pulled the plug from the wall using the cord (just like dad always told me not to).  There was a brief explosion, and the next thing I know, the cord is in my hand, the plug is still in the outlet.  Oopsies.  Sorry Jana.

And today I washed my sheets.  Such a wonderful thing.  The yummy smell of Downy when you exhaustedly doze off to sleep.  Too bad I forgot I hadn't thrown them in the dryer when I got home tonight.  No rest for the weary.  At least not for 45 more minutes.

i bid you good eating...

I'm staying up way too late watching Iron Chef. They are competing to make crazy-ridiculous dishes out of a fish that has no spine and a gelatin consistency. Mmmm, sounds... awful. But while doing so I did peruse the Internet long enough to purchase San Diego Zoo tickets for the upcoming v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n.

Oh how that word just rolls off my tongue...

my fellow Americans...

I was in Dallas this week for a work retreat. We stayed at the Magnolia hotel downtown, which turned out to be quite nice. My guest room had more square footage than my first apartment in Denver. Including a living room, dining table, full-size refrigerator, stove, oven, and heck, even the kitchen sink. Yowza.

The best part of the hotel was the location. Wednesday morning a few of us went out early for some exercise. We were able to walk by the JFK Memorial and see the grassy knoll on the north side of Elm Street, gaze up at the sixth floor of the Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly, single-handidly, and fatally shot the dearly beloved President. There are large white 'X's painted on the street, indicating where the shots occurred. It was a moving experience to stand there and take it all in. To imagine the shock and confusion. The grief and tragedy that rocked the nation shortly after.

"Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures."

-- John F. Kennedy

hole...

Letting go. Hurts.

license and registration...

Another speeding ticket. Another $90. Ack! I make it twenty-three years of my life (okay, nine legal driving years) with nothing, then I get two in five months. I had to go out of town today, thus the early morning departure... just beware of the little police car waiting for you at 75th & Roe at 5am. She'll get you every time.

Blasted.

meow...

Ever have one of those really bad days that nothing goes right, and it's hard to even drag yourself out of bed? Then, just as things are looking up, you run over a cat that came flying out of the bushes and ambushed your front bumper? Well, I hadn't either, until today.

Yes, I ran over a cat tonight. I really like cats. Unlike most of people I know, having a pet cat has been quite a delightful experience. Beginning as a bright-eyed young girl begging her dad to please please just let her have one cute little cuddly kitten - please? Pretty please Dad? I promise I will take really good care of it and play with it and scoop out the litter box and feed it and everything. In fact Dad, what a great opportunity it would be to teach me responsibility. Don't you think Dad? Look at her - she's sooo cute. So can I? Please?

I can? Really Dad? Welcome to the family, Muffin.

Well Dad, if we get one, we have to get another one. Because Muffin needs a friend; a buddy. She is going to get sooo bored if she has to hang out in the backyard all day by herself. I mean, that wouldn't even be fair - to expect her to pass her days with no one to wrestle with or chase around. How would you like it if you had to entertain yourself all day with no one to talk to Dad? I don't think Muffin would be very happy. We have to get another kitten Dad, we just have to.

Welcome to the family, Midnight. Midnight, meet Muffin - Muffin, Midnight. Oh, you're brother and sister and can't stand each other's guts? Perfect.

Muffin was the best cat in the whole world. And I don't just say that because she was my first real pet. She really was. She would let me hold her, play with her and pet her all the while her little engine just purred away. And she was always the best listener. Anytime I was upset by all the chores I had to do, or when my feelings were hurt by those mean girls on the playground, Muffin would always listen contently and didn't mind a few plump tear drops on her soft tabby striped coat once in awhile. Muffin even gave us lots and lots and LOTS of litters of kittens (not so sure Dad or Mom were as thrilled about that as Justin and I), and we always found a nice home for them.

Muffin was run over by the newspaper lady. I don't remember exactly what happened. I must have been playing in the front yard . All of the sudden the newspaper lady screamed (she must have had her windows down, because I distinctively remember her doing that) and pulled her car to the side. She jumped out and ran to the curb. I ran over to see what all the ruckus was about. Poor Muffin didn't make it through. The newspaper lady kept apologizing - she felt awful. But there's not a lot to say to a kid who's standing there dumbfounded watching her favorite pet bleed to death.

We found a good resting spot for her in the Evergreen tree row. I think Justin must have made her a little wooden cross from Dad's wood scrap pile in order to give her. I used to visit it once and awhile when I was little to tell Muffin I missed her, and that I still didn't like all my chores.

So tonight I'm driving home on Holmes, and from the middle of nowhere this thing comes flying (I mean it - full sprint, halfway in the air) into the street. I don't even have time to think about dodging it. Not a chance. Thump thump. Oh no! What was that - what did I even hit? What the heck just happened? Oh man, I hope that wasn't a dog or cat. Maybe it was a racoon. Or a badger. Or a opossum. Yeah, it was probably a opossum.

Regrettably I glanced in my rearview mirror. I think I was hoping to reassure myself that I'd imagined the whole thing. Unfortunately instead, I watched a cat, silhoutted by a street lamp, rolling across the street - finally picking itself partially off the ground and painstakingly limping and army crawling (if cats can do that) to the curb, it's little tail sticking straight up.

I really hope that was no one's pet. But if it was, I really hope Muffin was up in pet heaven waiting with open paws, welcoming the chance to have another feline friend to chase around on the clouds of mouse toys and catnip.

grey clouds...

"When it rains, I don't mind being lonely. I cry right along with the sky."

--Eli Young Band lyrics

flap jacks...

Last week during Mass, a priest delivered a homily that spoke to me in many ways. He talked about how Sundays should be time spent in community with others - not running errands, not catching up on work, not doing house chores. It should be restful time with those you love, and time treasured to build more meaningful relationships with those around you. It should be time you plan to do nothing - 'just be'. Strangely enough, today's homily closely paralleled the very same message. Okay, I'm getting the message. And as much as I've known for a long time that Sundays should be treated this way, I haven't acted on it. Not much at all, really.

So today was finally a Sunday as it should be. Or at least as close to as it should be as I've had in a long, long time. Mom was visiting, and I was so grateful to be at church with family. Afterward I introduced her to what is now my favorite selection of uber-delicious pancakes from the FirstWatch menu. She had a cranberry almond crunch, while I opted for the wheat germ. Really you can't go wrong with any of the choices. Momma quickly agreed. How wonderful it was to enjoy each other's company. No rushed phone calls, no place to go. Just time to rest within conversation with one another. And how needed it was.

Then we went shopping. And tried everything on in the entire store. Seriously, we had clothes hanging from every wall in the dressing room, until there was not a sliver of space for one more hanger. We walked out with big ol' grins on our faces.

After prepping mom's GPS for her return home, I headed to a friend's for rest and rejuvenation. We had dinner (Mexican yumminess, of course), then by his wonderful suggestion, went to Borders for coffee. And a book. One for each of us that promised direction and guidance as we begin our enlightened journeys - tromping head first and eyes closed into unknown struggles and adventures. I forgot how much I enjoy bookstores.

"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart." --Confucius

I haven't been doing that, and it's about darned time I start.

Bridget and Shawndra came over later. What a beautiful night with beautiful friends.

Time well spent.

will you...

My brother has officially proposed! Amber and Justin are getting married in June 2009. This weekend they took some time away from wedding planning, and joined me on an engagement photo shoot. Gotta get a picture in the local paper you know...

Below are a few samples, as well as a slideshow of what I have up so far. For a better look check out the Picasa Album.

Enjoy!

mirage...

Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas. Or perhaps, I'd moreso like to say welcome to shiny, tacky and cheap LV. As soon as I stepped off the plane, familiar thoughts were already ringing in my head (...or was that the constant chatter of slot machines?). What is this place? What am I doing here? What is anyone doing here?

My senses were overloaded instantly. The smell of stale cigarette smoke is overwhelming - drenched into the carpets, swirling around poker tables, weaving itself through every layer of clothing. For the remainder of the visit my lungs refused to take a deep breath - even walking outdoors didn't seem to remove the foggy gray haze. My eyeballs couldn't find enough places to hide. The flashing signs, flashes of skin, neon lights. Everywhere you look it's near impossible to focus. It was just as I'd remembered it from my brief visit last summer, when I'd vowed to never return.

Little did I know...

We were there for a work conference. I had been anticipating the event for a couple of months - it was the first time the company had hosted such a grand function. I walked through the hotel, past the slot machines loudly beckoning to snatch another dollar, finally realizing why I was incredibly irritated; why this city disturbed me so deeply. Its purpose - it's thriving reason for existence - is to combine all humanity's vices into one huge, exploding mess of temptation and greed.

I know, I know - this is nowhere near a new revelation, (it's not named Sin City for nothing) but the volume of madness you're immersed in while visiting completely astounds me. It's something I can't quite stomach. And hopefully I never will...

penny for your thoughts...

The Sooner State warmly greeted me this afternoon as I stepped off the plane and headed toward the rental car station. Oklahoma City to Tulsa was the goal, and with a speed limit of 75mph, the 1.5 hour drive was zipping right along. Well, sort of. Technically it was zipping along until I hit toll booth after toll both on the lonesome highway out of town. Problem. I don't carry cash. Another problem. OK Toll booths don't accept credit cards. Hello, it's 2008. So, the first check was written for $3.50. The second stop I scrounged up .$65 from my wallet. The next stop (en route to Stillwater this evening) had me writing another check for $.75. I didn't even know how to write a check that small - 'Zero Dollars and 75/100-------'. Well that's how I did it; hopefully it works.

The last toll needed a mere fifty cents. I had twenty-two cents to my name. There was no late-night toll worker manning a station. No one to take my DL# and send me a bill. I was perplexed. So in go my dimes and pennies down coin collector hatch and I drove right through the red light flashing STOP. The alarm sounded. I kept driving. Hope the police aren't waiting by my car in the morning, waiting to collect on their 28 cents.

Blasted.

night cap...

I'm confused.  And frustrated.  And not sleeping.  As if not sleeping is going to make anything better.  Mmm... probably not.

bed crumbs...

I'm in a hotel in Omaha. It's pouring down rain, and I'm leaned against the headboard snacking on crackers and cheese, watching reruns of The Office. Avoiding the lingering emails accumulated from the day. Idly perusing Facebook, almost without noticing, but it's a welcomed distraction nonetheless.

I'm tired today. Really tired. Two-trips-to-Starbucks-hold-your-eyelids-open-I'm-falling-asleep-as-I-write-this tired.

Which is probably a sign I should go to sleep now.

happy plate...

What a crazy-good weekend.

Sushi. Friends (the really awesome kind). Birthday cake. Live music. Down-pouring thunderstorm. Frisbee. BBQ. Lounge. Home-made dinner. Dancing (okay, more like drag-me-around-the-floor-and-hope-I-don't-step-on-your-toes style). Brunch. Banana-granola pancakes. Softball. Mass. Human Monopoly. Sleep. & Sleep. & Sleep.

& Sleep.

spf 45...

I can finally feel it.  The painful pink sunburn.  Flip-flop calluses.  Sticky, sweaty, glistening faces from humidity's constant presence.  Yep, it's definitely here.  And I'm not quite sure why summertime took so long to show its pretty little head. Whatever the case, I'm glad it's made an appearance.

A trip to the lake was a fine way to get things rolling.  Probably just what I needed.  Campfires.  S'mores.  Ghost-stories.  Bugs.  Boat and life-jackets.  Skis. Sunscreen. The first screaming jump into the chilly water below.

Ah, summer.  It's here.

twist & shout...

A tornado touched down on Thursday a half mile from Grandpa & Grandma's farm - 10 minutes after finishing up a rainy, windy baseball game.

When the uncles spotted the twister approaching the yelled for everyone to take cover.  Soaking wet, sixteen grandchildren crowded into the small pantry in the basement (separated from the main part of the house).  We threw in couch cushions, blankets and towels, grabbed Tupperware and stock pots to use as helmets, and covered everyone's head with a large carpet.  We were saying our Hail Mary's and Our Father's, praying the farm and those in it could stay intact.

Prayers were answered, multiple times.  Justin and I stayed for the rest of the week, and endured multiple more tornado warnings - listening to the scratchy radio in the basement, using the Sprint aircard (a lifesaver) as a radar tracker.  There was another one on Thursday, and many more on Friday - some towns endured softball-sized hail (not kidding) that left divets all over lawns and fields.

Saturday we squeaked by storm free, but onto Sunday... Justin and I were at the other Grandma's.  After lunch Aunt Kathy told me about a deluxe slip 'n' slide set up on her farm - three tarps down a hill.  Of course I couldn't resist.  My cousins and I headed out there - with dark looming clouds in the distance.  We made about ten slides down before the lightning started.  We raced back to Grandma's and packed up our bags, hoping to beat the storm.

No luck.  Right before Hays the hail was crashing down.  Crap-o.  My Aunt called her sort of neighbor, who opened their garage for us.  For the next five hours we watched radars, listened to the radio, headed to the basement, twiddled our thumbs, told stories, and played Sorry.  As weather continued crashing down they ordered us pizza, helped us feel completely welcome, and invited us to spend the night if needed.  We'd considered it, but noticed the red blobs on the radar finally started heading south of I-70.  Let's give it a try.  Rain and gigantic lightning bolts followed us to Salina, but we made it safely.  And my new car only has seven dents on the hood, roof and trunk.  Darn it!

So, no more tornadoes please.  I think we've all had enough excitement to last quite awhile.

peace...

My Grandma Heier passed away today. This morning about 10am at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita. She was a wonderful blessing to everyone she met - always a kind word, always a smile; a fighting spirit regardless of what life brought her way. And it brought a lot. There are not words to describe what an incredible source of strength she was to her family. You will be so greatly missed Grandma.

I love you Grandma.

"I love you more" she would say.

zoom zoom...

I’ve been in Kansas City three point five weeks now. Time has flown! I received my first speeding ticket ever (probably needed humbled because I was really proud of that) cruising north on I-35 last week. 74 in a 60. Oops. I wasn’t even in a hurry; just had no clue what the speed limit was, and I’d been used to 70mph freeways. But I couldn’t use the “I’m new here” excuse because my DL hadn’t been updated the entire time I was in Denver – it was still a KS license with my hometown address, so that wouldn’t have gone over well either. To top it off I didn’t even have my DL with me. Because I’m that cool. So now I get to appear in court and the charge gets knocked off. Lesson definitely learned.

play time...

Laura's idea for a small dinner birthday party turned into invitations for 25. She made tons of delicious food, including my mom's homemade chicken noodle soup recipe! Yeah, she's pretty awesome.
Ice skating in Evergreen. The ice was pretty treacherous, making it difficult to look graceful. Afterwards we had Beau Jo's pizza... nothing warms you up like thick wheat crust dipped in honey. A-maz-ing.
Ski trip to Keystone with the guys from work. I had a blast. Brandon managed to break his board, but fortunately that's the worst that happened.
Our Marian group 2008 retreat at St. Malo - it is so beautiful there. We tennis shoe skated on the small pond, and Lisa and Petreuse (the dog) played tug-of-war with her scarf. Petreuse won.

fruits & veggies...

Hi. It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged and I miss it. I’ve been meaning to, and I kept waiting because I wanted to include pictures from recent activities. But that hasn’t happened yet. So why not blog anyway? The pictures can always come later.

I’ve been officially in Kansas City for two weeks. To sum it up quickly – great friends, great house, awesome roommates, and many, many u-turns (I get lost a lot). The job is stressful. The new responsibility is stressful. And feeling like I left more than a few brain cells in Denver has been frustrating. I suppose that’s how adjusting to something new tends to be. So I’m sitting tight, hoping it won’t be long before it all makes sense again.

My parents are visiting this weekend. I have some projects already planned (hope Mom and Dad are ready!). There are only a few more boxes to unpack, curtains to hang, chairs to paint, basement storage to organize… it seems like moving is a never ending process. But I do like it here so far. I know it will be even better once the dust settles and I can figure out which direction to head in to get to the closest grocery store!

march 30

I'm moving in exactly three weeks. Yes, three. Does that seem crazy to anyone else!? And I'm realizing I'm in a bit of denial about it. It isn't that I'm not looking forward to it. Hardly the case. Just that it's snuck up so quick I feel very inadequately prepared for the transition. The packing. The figuring out new highways and byways and hole-in-the-walls and cheap car washes. The fitting in. The job.

Of course if we're talking denial let's talk about the wonderful people remaining in the beautiful mountainous state of CO. Actually, wait. Let's not talk about that. Because I'm still not dealing with that so well. And by not dealing with it I mean not thinking about it, because if I spend time doing that a guaranteed emotional breakdown will follow. And I'm not ready for that right now either.

sunny delight...

Hi. Friday some friends and I headed to Summit County to crash for the evening and get a head start on the fresh snow that fell at Copper through the night. We skiied until our legs could take no more, then cut out at 2pm and enjoyed the (rarely) unclogged traffic on I-70. Later that night I went to see a movie with friends. It was a theatre I hadn't been to - small and eclectic; we had to wait in a long outside to get tickets. Upstairs they served mixed drinks and brews. If you haven't seen Juno yet, I recommend it. A lot.

Today I ran errands in shorts and flip-flops. For lunch I walked to my friendly neighborhood burrito joint. I washed and vacuumed my car. (A dorky reason that I love Colorado - everyone's vehicles are covered from head to toe with grayish-brown road sludge caused by all the junk they dump on the roads to melt snow; also a sign that people have been playing in the mountains - ahh). A friend made me chili for dinner. Complete with cornbread muffins.

Denver is a great city. Sometimes it's hard to take it all in. Breathe it, absorb it.

I'm going to miss it.

vroom boom...

Tuesday was one of those amazing days. It seemed as though everything that day kept getting better and better. We were working on a big investigation at work, which usually wouldn't be something to look forward to, but it's my first one - and I have a lot to learn before I'm on my own conducting them. So I had to work late, got home around 7:30, and headed for the computer. I'm on the hunt for a place to live and I'd gotten a great response from a potential roommate. I called Bridget R. to celebrate the almost perfect living situation - an extra living room, den/office, and only a few miles from work (and her house). Woo-hoo.

Next it was off to the rec for a quick workout, followed by a trip to the little grocery store/farmer-like market for some grub. This week was my turn to make house dinner and I needed soup ingredients. On the way home I was chatting on the phone with Laura, excitedly explaining the potential house setup. I paused for a moment, thinking I heard a strange noise coming from my car. After nothing happened, I assumed it must have been something on the radio.

Then I tried to make a right-hand turn. My power-steering, unfortunately, did not assist me in this maneuver. Oh crap. Car trouble here we come.

I pulled over (using all my strength) right away, as I'd always been instructed in situations such as these. My battery light was on, and I'm on the verge of tears. So I call dad - he fixes everything. He tells me to drive it home but watch the temp gauge in case the car decides to overheat. My roommate's boyfriend helped me push it into our half-driveway. He found a large belt lying loose in the nose of my car. Yep, that must be the problem. Where is there a mechanic available at 10pm?

Thankfully we live close to the lightrail, which I took to work the next morning. A sure perk of living in the city - public transportation can be fairly convenient. I wasn't sure how I was going to get home that evening though, because I forgot to bring my keys, and it was over a mile from the station to the lightrail (temperature highs in the 3 degree range). Well, simply put, God works in amazing ways. My other roommate called at the end of the day and had free Nuggets tickets. Perfecto. The stadium is only a few blocks from my building. I walked to the basketball game, and got a warm ride home.

So I was still super stressed out today. It's miserable not having a car, and relying on others for rides, putting them out, not knowing how to even get your car fixed. I took the morning off and drove my power-steeringless vehicle to my cousin Kenny's shop. He instructed me not to use anything that would require battery juice. That meant no heat, no wipers... not even a blinker if I could help it. If anyone's ever up for a challenge, you should try driving without the steering boost, and a twice frosted windshield. Shwew.

He told me I was incredibly lucky this hadn't happened on the highway or freeway. I thought of all the trips I'd taken up to the mountains, to KS and back, and to work on the over-crowded roads every single day. For all places for my car to malfunction, 10pm on a weeknight side street sure seemed like a lucky spot. Two hours later he had me all fixed up and ready to go. My serpentine belt (or however you spell it) had fallen off because the ball bearings in a pulley thing had fallen out. I learned more about cars today than probably ever in my life - okay, which probably isn't saying much...

Anyway, the point of this long, over-elaborated story, is that even when things are uber-stressful and crazy and you feel you can't handle the things much longer, most likely things will work out; they will get better. The way things simply fell into place with my breakdown and while I was out of a ride was incredible. Things like that don't happen on accident. They just don't.

semi-sweet...

I don't have much to say. Just playing around on the computer and chowing down on a bag of Nestle chocolate chips, my new food addiction (unfortunately). When instead I should be cleaning my chaos-induced living space once known as a bedroom.

I guess I wanted to write because I'm excited. Excited for the weekend I had with an amazing group of girls; excited for the true friendships I've been blessed with in Denver, that came comletely unexpectedly. Excited for what is to come in the next few months. Hopeful. Scared. Anxious. The kind of holy-cow-I-have-no-idea-what's-ahead, hang-on-to-your-seats excited, because some changes are a'coming. I know not yet what they will bring.

family ties...

Family. What would you do without them? Probably get into less leg wrestling contests with brothers, have a freezer stuffed with absolutely zero homemade chicken noodle soup dishes from mom, and have a car that's broken down without dad's constant TLC. So, I'm definitely better-off with them, as most of us grow to realize more as the years fly by. And my family is awesome - incredibly supportive, easy to hang out with, and I actually look forward to spending time with them over the holidays. But probably one of the best parts...? We're all a little borderline crazy. See for yourself. Above: Our family Christmas photo...
Left: Christmas Eve's Eve. Jumping off a hay bailer thingy (I'll just call it a farm implement, because really I have no idea), onto a rope that has enough momentum to smack you into a tree trunk if you don't use super dodging-power skills (and a little brother for protection). I had to crawl my way up that thing four times before a successful landing. And for some reason it was seriously one of the scariest things I've done lately. Maybe it doesn't look very high-up from here, but trusting a small knot and fraying rope to protect you from a broken leg... believe me, it will give you a new perspective.
Other left: My Uncle Leon and second-cousin-in-law at our glamorous Breck condo. The owners skimped on nothing. Why is this crazy, you might ask? This photo was taken the day Dad and I almost lost our noses to frostbite just to get some runs in (okay, slight exaggeration, but pretty much almost true nonetheless) and this is all I have to show for it.

Aren't they the best?

tis the season...

Jeepers. It's been a long time. I've had lots of blog ideas before and during the Christmas season, but kept forgetting to post them. I had a great holiday. Went to SC for a week, visited lots of family and friends. Goofed off with my brother and enjoyed spending time with his gf, Amber, who made the trip down as well.

I recently also experienced two of the most coldest skiing days of my life. Ever. Ever-ever. My first time up this season was to Loveland with my cousins Adam and Brendan. We knew we were cold. We knew it was windy. Only later did we find out it was 0 degrees that day, with a -20 degree windchill. Yikes! I knew the wind had been whipping through my clothing and sneaking into any zipper I had sticking out, but we had no idea it was that cold.

Round 2 was at Breckenridge last Sunday. My dad and his brother and wife had come out to stay with friends who have a condo up there. It was a beautiful place, and I enjoyed reading by the fireplace on the bear rug. Not kidding there was a bear rug, and it was amazing. Anyway, we went up despite warnings that it would be a cold day. This day beat the run at Loveland hands down. It was so cold and windy that multiple times we experienced complete white-outs, either on the chair-lift or on the slope. At one point I freaked out because we were supposed to unload and I couldn't see a thing. Nadda. Just whiteness all around. Luckily the wind died down long enough for me to hop off. But wow, that was intense skiing.

Dad and I agreed that if we wouldn't have paid so much for our passes, we would have quit, but by golly we were going to get our moneys worth. Due to the high winds (35mph with 65mph gusts), only three lifts stayed open. About 2pm that day one of the guys we were with noticed something white on my nose. I used my glove to brush it off, assuming it was snow. He said nope, it's still there (and told me later he was embarrassed because he thought it must have been snot). I wiped it again, and then his face looked panicky. Just then my dad skied up and I noticed the same thing on his nose. Both of us had frostbite! Our poor noses had been the only things sticking out that day, and apparently they had become so numb with cold that we didn't even notice how brutal it really was. We tucked our honkers in and kept on going. I had a date the next night and was not looking forward to black flaky skin chunks falling off my nose into my dinner plate. Luckily we caught it soon enough and no permanent damage was caused. Phew!

More plans to hit the slopes this Saturday with Brendan and Adam. The fam and I were at Copper last weekend and we had great weather - sunshine and six inches of powder, which I'm finally learning to maneuver in. Man were we absolutely worn out by the end of the day. Our legs were a jelloed mess. It's hard work cutting back and forth in that deep snow!

Just an additional random note - we played two full games of Monopoly in less than three hours, which has to be some sort of family record. And my brother won both of them - how crazy is that?!

That's all the news for now. Thanks to you all for your Christmas wishes, phone calls, and visits. It's been great to hear from everyone!

I'm hoping the next entry is a Year in Review - 2007. At least that's my plan. Time will tell.

remember...

It snowed most of the weekend and most of today. The kind of dark cloudy snowfall that makes you want to hunker down in piles of blankets and snuggle the day away. I guess having a job sort of prevents the ever-so-coveted snow days. I miss snow days.

happy holliday!...

I saw Matt Holliday at Chipotle today. I actually didn't believe it at first and did a double when I saw him in line. He's the 27 year old Rockies left fielder who has the leading League batting average, was the NL MVP, and, well, he's gorgeous. Of all Rockies players, Holliday is the one who has all the ladies drooling. Uh... except he's already married. With two kids.

So, I didn't know what to do in this situations. I don't run into people I see on TV very often, and I didn't want to bombard and bugger him, but I wanted to do something. I was nervous. My heart was pounding and my right leg started quivering - seriously. I felt like a twelve year-old with a school crush.

I congratulated him on his season and stuck out my hand so he had to shake it. He said thanks with a huge smile. He has great teeth.

Then I called all my friends, and we screamed like hormone-laden teenagers.

rocktober...

Sorry Rockies - what an awesome run while it lasted. And we loved watching amazing game followed by amazing game, leading to the World Series. The loss tonight was a bummer. We were crossing our fingers that it wouldn't be a sweep. For many reasons. One of them being the many many hours consumed trying to score WS tickets. Which was basically two straight days of complete unproductivity as employees around the state hit refresh for hours (literally) in hopes of ticket success. Out of everyone I knew (which was basically everyone I know) trying, the only person to succeed was my mom. My mom! She took time during work to order tickets for baseball history. Trust me, this was no easy feat, and now my friends here think she's even more awesome than before. The sad part of the story? We had tickets to Monday's game. But Monday's game is no more. The Sox walloped us 4-0 in the series, so it's bye-bye Monday baseball game, bye-bye Rockies World Series.

That's okay. There's always next year. And by then I think we'll have all the kinks worked out.

Pictured above are ten girls (well nine, the tenth is taking the picture and, for obvious reasons, not technically pictured) smashed on our couches, cheering the Rocks on for a victory tonight. Perhaps we didn't cheer loud enough...

gone...

We had our first snow of the season this morning. It was incredibly. Even a bit surreal. Yesterday my face was sunburned while we were at the park paddling around on the lake... and today big white fluffy snowflakes were floating all around.

The change in weather reminds me that life is always changing. Like it or not, ready or not - here it comes. Recently I've been thinking back to about year ago. My last summer in Manhattan. I had no idea what was ahead. None of us did. Everyone was graduating, moving, testing their wings. What would happen, where would we go, who would we meet, who would we become? We made promises to keep in touch. We made promises to write, to visit, to not let life get too far away. The weeks before I left I would lock myself in my room with tears pouring down my cheeks. I didn't cry for what was ahead. I wasn't worried about what was to come. I would cry for what I was losing. From what I was leaving. The familiar faces. The familiar conversations. The annoying yet comforting drama of college relationships. The friendships that had grown into family.

Now it's rare that I cry for what is lost. I guess it's a part of leaving you have to get used to. So I'm trying. But no matter how much I know things change as time marches on, some of the changes aren't very easy understand, and very hard to accept. Some of the changes don't make sense - some of the things I expected to stay the same, wanted to stay the same, didn't. And I guess those are the hardest to swallow. Like a big lump that gets stuck right in the middle of your throat, and no amount of water seems to wash it down.

I wish when we talked it didn't feel like we were strangers. I hate that it's awkward, that I don't know what to say. I hate that we didn't keep in better touch. I just want to know how you are. How you really are. Just like we used to do.

get out your brooms...

Rockies S-W-E-E-P! Holy buckets we're going to the World Series!!

vindicated...

I got the internet on my computer today! Yep, I finally ponied up, admitted there was no nerdy boyfriend around to figure it out for me, and bought a wireless router. Turns out there's instructional software included that walks you right through the process. And this whole time I've been dragging my feet and putting it off because I feared the installation process. I'd never had to do it before - there was always my brother or a neighbor to hook me up - and all these technology doo-hickies make me nervous.

Turns out I'm not as dependent as originally thought. And I uh... only had to call IT support once.

caught the bug...

So today was a beautiful day, followed by a lovely endorphin kick. I attended a cheesy motivation speaker before lunch, who encouraged us to be fully engaged and unique in our jobs, and to serve others instead of seeking self-interest. And he kept mentioning how we all run around 100 mph with our hair on fire. That kind of made me giggle. My boss took us out for lunch to Spicy Pickle afterward (which is my absolute favorite deli) and the rest of the day flew by. Work was followed by an hour of hot yoga, where I sweated out possibly all the liquids I'd consumed throughout the day, and maybe even the day before. Seriously, water completely running down my chin, bangs all crazy because my forehead was liquefied... you get the picture.

Our last fall frisbee game was tonight too, and we were playing against a team with all our friends on it. Which can be a little awkward defending someone you know, wheezing on them because you're so gosh darn winded from running back and forth across the field, wishing you had some Scope to swish around... anyway we really wanted to win because they'd had a great season and we'd, well, had a losing season. So, moral of the story, we played really strong, held them until the last 15 minutes, but lost in the end. I was really proud of us though. And I finally played well too - first assist to a touchdown of the evening. Yesssss.

So awhile ago I was just driving home, smiling like a nerd. I really like it here. I really, really do.

buy me some peanuts...

Rockies sweep!

Holy buckets, the Rockies sweep!

freeze frame...

Still no Internet, so blogging has been far and few between. Actually, the problem is no wireless router and no wireless card. So, while we do have Internet on one centrally located computer, for now mine is only useful for viewing photos and typing word documents.

So, the summer is over. Okay, let's all take a moment. I don't like it when summer is over! There are still things I want to do and see. Still things on the list I haven't checked off. Still many more sunny days I'd like to soak up.

I guess now it's time for fall foliage hikes, when all the aspens are changing crazy colors and the evergreens are, well, still green. Everyone teases me when I say fall foliage. I get it from my dad. He likes foliage tours.

And then there's skiing. Yippeeeee!I'm ready to go for the season. Well, all except my mountain passes. Minor details. A few weeks ago Sara and I (the awesome girl I work with that took Devin's place) went to Sniagrab, which is bargains spelled backwards. It's this once-a-year sale at a sporting goods store on all their last season sports equipment, and you can find some great discounts (up to 70% I think). This store smashes racks upon racks of coats, pants, gloves, hats, and any other item you can imagine, along with skis, boards, and boots into a huge covered parking lot. People camp outside in tents for days (not kidding - some people had been there for over three) and when the flood gates open the first day of the sale, it is pure mania inside.

Well, lucky for us we received a pre-sale entrance from work the day before all craziness, so our supervisor Allison, who is absolutely amazing, p.s., let us leave work to hit up some good bargains. I was looking for ski pants and a coat because I'd been using mine since high school, and they were both looking pretty worn. I ended up with a coat and some sweet goggles, and still spent way too much moolah, so I'm holding off on the pants for now.

Making our way around even that day was a little crazy. The dressing rooms are makeshift and we were both sweating as we pulled on pair after pair of pants and coats. And there are people everywhere! So we had an adventure. It's kind of one of those things you have to try at least once, just for the experience. Now I'm itching to try out my new gear - hopefully Nov. 2. That's opening day on the slopes, so I figure, why not. My roommate's brother lives in WinterPark so we're hoping to crash there for the weekend. Hopefully the mountains will have snow by then!

A few other things that have happened recently...

- I finally got to hang out with family and friends at Wilson Lake in KS. It was a-w-e-s-o-m-e. Great weather, great skiing and knee boarding, and an excellent time just relaxing with everyone in the water. The thing I miss most while in Colorado is easy access to numerous lakes like there are in Kansas. I was so happy to even go once this year, but if I had my way I'd be on the water every other weekend. We camped in tents and barbecued for dinner. Mom even spoiled us by bringing all the ingredients for homemade ice cream. There is nothing better on a warm Kansas night.

- My to-do list has had "attend a Red Rocks concert" on it for quite some time now, and the weekend my parents came up to help me move, we headed there with a group of my friends to see "1964 the Tribute". They are a world famous Beatles cover band, who dress and talk just like them. Red Rocks is an outdoor concert venue with a natural amphitheatre. The scene is breathtaking, and as night falls you can watch the city lights of Denver come alive from afar. The concert was a blast, and it was great to see my mom and dad come alive as music from their past was relived. (They were a little too young for the real Beatles craze, but since the music is timeless...)

- Last weekend was back to KS for my Grandpa's farm sale. Grandpa's been gone for over a year now, and Grandma decided it would be best to take care of the things she could no longer use. It was fun to be back. My brother came down too, and I'm always super thankful for any time I can spend with him. We dug through boxes of Grandpa's tools and treasures, bid on a few items, and goofed off. I won an old metal bucket that was used to store coal the family had for the old stove in the wash house. It even had two large chunks of real coal inside! Next spring I'll plant it with flowers. Among other things, Justin got an ah-oogah horn. I have no idea how to spell it, but it makes that ah-oogah noise when you beep it - pretty cool! It was weird to see all the old tractors being sold off the farm, but it was also pretty cool to look at all the stuff my Grandpa had. My mom and her sisters found things in the barn they hadn't thought about for years, and it was so fun to see their faces light up as they remembered stories from their childhood from the old toys and such.

- Last night I went to a wedding here of some friends of mine. It was a blast. Five of us girls went together and we giggled the entire car ride to and from (it ended up being quite far from where anyone lived). The ceremony was beautiful - most likely because the couple is incredible. Both of them are amazing people. And the reception was a blast. It was dancing from the very first song to the last, and the dance floor was packed. At most times through the night no one was even in their seats. The air conditioning was either not on or broken, so we were all sweaty and sopping wet, but having a ball. This morning my arms ache from swing dancing. Hey, every girl loves a good twirl.

That sort of sums up what's been going on as of late. Life has been great with my new roommates, and I'm hoping today I can unpack and organize the last couple of boxes I've been hiding. The job is good too. The HR Director, as in big deal Director of the entire company's HR, got in a mini tug-of-war with my supervisor (and my arms) as she tried to win me over to their side of the working world. A new position was posted for and she wanted me in that spot, which is a flattering but awkward place to be in!

I'll keep you posted on how it turns out. So until next time...

get around...

Hi. I still don't have Internet. Well, not technically. My computer pieces are still in a box. Actually most of my life is in a box at the moment. Which has been quite chaotic the past few days. Monday morning I dug around for ten minutes trying to find a bra (which is precious time when your sometimes - cough - running a tight schedule anyway), grabbed a tank top out of the dirty clothes hamper, and tried to pull myself together with shiny lip gloss (maybe it would detract from my smooshed together ensemble). I drove to a new office space to unpack more boxes (seriously, I should be having nightmares about cardboard by now), and have yet to settle into either space yet.

The great news is I have three awesome roommates. And so far I'm adjusting back to community life pretty well... haven't even left my pajamas in the bathroom yet. The great thing is I'm remembering all the wonderful reasons having roommates is so, well, wonderful. For example, Bridgette knocked quietly on my door this morning to wake me up in time for the lunar eclipse. We ran out in the dark in our bare feet through the wet grass to get a peek. I felt like a kid again. It was great.

So anyway, until sometime - maybe next week hopefully - my boxes will be put away (that sounded confident... right?), I will have Internet again, and my life will be somewhat back to normal.

Side note - I miss my Kansas friends (and those temporarily in IL). We'll talk soon when things aren't so hectic! And I'll be in KS soon - just not far enough east. But I finally finally get to go to the lake and play in the water this weekend!

i've got sunshine...

Hi. I'm supposed to be packing, but... it's not happening. So here's the scoop on our vacation instead. It was awesome. We ended up traveling over 3000 miles, through eight states, and had lots of bonding-time in the car. It was a bit nuts. There are many stories, but I'll give you a quick run down. The trip started with a four-hour delayed plane ride back from Phoenix. Poor Maggie and Laura waited in the airport parking lot for hours, all packed up and ready to go. I thought I would never get there. We left Denver on Thursday at 10pm, drove in three-hour shifts through the night, and made it to Portland by 7pm on Saturday. ...And only ran over one deer in the process. Yikes.
In the next few days we worked our way through Oregon and California along the Pacific Coast Highway (my first time to CA and the Pacific), stopping in the Redwood Forest, driving through a tree, and ending up at a campground 30 miles north of San Francisco. The next day was full of all-out tourist attractions, with rides on the street car, cable car, and over the Golden Gate Bridge. It is such a cool city! Along the way we picked up another friend at the San Jose airport and stopped at a friend's house in Carmel. Another first - riding a yellow banana tandem bike. Let me tell you - not as easy as it looks!
On our way back home we stayed on the strip in Las Vegas - New York, New York - and, being the big spender of the group, I gambled away $2. Maggie did actually make twenty dollars playing Roulette... a win that I claim partial ownership of because I (very convincingly) talked her into quitting while she was ahead.

The last leg of the trip through Nevada, Utah, and Colorado was beautiful (well, minus the Mojave desert) but our hineys were ready to be home. At one point Laura looked over at me and said, "Rachelle, I think you know absolutely everything about me. I've talked about everything. I don't know if I have anything left to say." So we cranked up the NOW 5 CD, listened to the whole thing three more times, and counted mile markers until we were safely home.

And home sweet home it is.

r-e-l-a-x...

Tomorrow starts my big summer traveling extravaganza. Monday through Thursday we're having a work retreat in Scottsdale, AZ (think lots of time at the pool, pedicure, scrumptious food... aahhhh. Okay, and some meetings in-between). Then Laura and Mags are picking me up from the airport Thursday evening, which kicks off our 10-day road trip through the West Coast. Up to Oregon, down the PCH Highway (with a quick stop at the Red Woods), then to San Francisco, and further south to Carmel. We'll meet a Denver friend there who's visiting her parents back home, and eventually mosey our way back to Denver through Las Vegas and Utah. If my calculations are correct, the trip will total more than 3000 miles. Go little car, go!

I will be journaling our travel adventures and experiences along the way, then post them upon our return.

I love vacation.

freedom...

It has been an incredible past couple of days. Saturday evening I went on a police ride-along. Leading up to the adventure I was nervous, but really had no idea what I was getting myself into. The experience was intense - it went from 9pm until 7am Sunday morning. I spent almost ten hours that night with Officer Mike. He works the downtown district, one of the crazier locations, especially on the weekends at Lodo, the bar scene nearby. When I got in the car he said, "Okay, you're going to stick right by me through everything. You can either be behind me or beside me, but stay close, and never get in front of me. If a situation is an extreme safety hazard I'll have you stay in the car, but I doubt that will happen - you can pretty much stick with me the entire time. And I did.

Eye-opening does not begin to describe what I took from that night... the things the police force do to keep us safe is seriously amazing. Sometimes it's easy to get a bad taste in your mouth when the word cops or police are said, but the work they do and the crap they deal with is insane-o. And it's a job that you're constantly on, 100% alert, all the time. There is no slacking, no down time. We didn't stop for coffee. We didn't stop for snacks. We hardly stopped to pee. They work hard, often with little recognition or reward.

I truly encourage everyone to go on a ride-along sometime. See what it's all about. Witness a day (or preferably night) in the life of a cop. I guarantee the experience will leave an impact. A big one.

Another highly anticipated event was Laura's Birthday BBQ Bash yesterday. It was western themed, complete with cornbread, baked beans, cowboy hats and belt buckles. That night we had a bon fire... followed by dancing in the living room. There was a great turn out, and it was a beautiful evening for a party on the lawn.
Today's Fourth of July celebration was awesome too! Laura, Jen, and I drug ourselves out of bed this morning and headed to the park for a game of pick-up ultimate frisbee. In all my modesty I'll proudly note that I scored a few touchdowns, and some assists too. It just feels so good to finally be catching on! Okay, maybe not so humble of me to mention...

Tonight a bunch of us met at another park. There was a symphony orchestra playing until dark, and everyone was welcome to bring a picnic and blankets. We had plenty of food left from the party, so there were burgers and brats for all. Of course before chowing down we played more frisbee. And after the concert we played frisbee again. We played past dark, past the point of really even being able to see the frisbee. But no one wanted to quit. Until an unlucky player suffered a sprained ankle from an unmarked sprinkler head. Youch!

The picture above is of all those who are wearing matching shorts. We thought this was hilarious. There's just something about long, greenish-gray cargo shorts that screams Colorado. In fact, I can't wait to buy another pair. They're good for anything - a weekend hike, lazy days around town... shoot, you wouldn't even get a second look if you wore them to the bars. So versatile. Just another reason I love this beautiful state.

kick it...

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...

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...

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.

funky cold medina...

Saturday Anna, Laura, and I attended a "70's & 80's Television" themed fundraiser partay. It was a ball - costume parties always seem to be. And it makes for an easy conversation starter. One of the best parts might be ensemble shopping - digging through racks of thrift store get-ups, costume shops, and who knows what to gather the complete outfit. And you never know what you may stumble upon. My $12, 100% silk uhhh... gown... for example.
Anna was Rainbow Brite (her costume rocked - she's an amazing clothing alterater!) Pictures don't do it justice. And Laura pulled off Pippi Longstockings - her long, red, gravity defying hair was a party favorite (but she was dangerous on the dancefloor). I couldn't look at either of those two without breaking into giggles. Oh, and I was Miss Piggy from the Muppets, with horribly cheap blonde hair extensions and lots of pearls. Hi-yah!

mirror...

Words cannot express how truly incredible you are. If only you could see it for yourself... what a beautiful day that would be.

howie day...

Hi. It's been a little busy this month huh? Almost time to deliver May baskets to the neighbors. Easter with family. Rockin' trip to KC to visit friends (I was going to wait to write that entry until there were some pictures to show. Cough cough. My camera is still broken, and my photographer has had a hectic schedule... so hopefully soon). Slumber party. Rockies game. And lots and lots of sunshine. That sums up April quite well.

This coming Saturday I'm in an all-day outdoor volleyball tournament. The team was kind of modge-podged together, but never fear, my super amazing planner friend Laura came through to save the day. She organized practices the last two Sundays so we could polish our skills (and boy, do we need it!). The first one we had a come and go attendance of about ten. Usually three or four on a team. And really, we're not very good. But we played for over three hours in the sun, and laughed out hineys off. Our arms throbbed from repeated beatings and we received some strange sunburns, but it was awesome to be outside enjoying such amazing weather.

Wash Park is the hang out. And when I say hang out, I mean everyone and their three dogs, kites, strollers, and rollerblades are there on the weekends. It's huge. There's a lake, tennis & basketball courts, and any variety of bustling activity happening all at once - soccer, ulitimate frisbee, washers, football, volleyball nets up everywhere. And it has a great dirt running trail with an inner paved biking trail - about 2.6 miles around. You could people watch at this place for hours and never get bored. There's all sorts and sizes - laying out in bikinis, folks loaded with piercings and chains moseying around, and lots of picnickers. Feel free to bring your own grill. All my summertime visitors will definitely get to check it out.

So anyway, this place is great. Guess I had to set the scene so you could fully envision. Today over twenty of us met up for v-ball. It was awesome. More and more people just kept coming and joining in. Another three hours of volleying, this time with six legit players on the court at all times. Turns out we're not so bad.

And there was only one injury the whole day. Somehow I was involved. I'm just going to blame it on the fact that is was toward the end of the day. And we were fairly worn out. It went down a little like this - the ball came over the net, right down the middle. Michaela and I were on opposite sides of the court, but it was landing short, which meant one of us had to go for it. Well, we both went for it. And didn't stop going for it until we crashed into one another. (Apparently both of ours' pet peeve to let a ball drop.) Her knee careened into my femur, and my shoulder flew into her upper body. Now, I don't consider myself a weenie (well, I suppose sometimes...) but there was a slightly large amount pain following the incident. Thank God we didn't smash heads.

So now my shin in nicely bruised and swollen and her knee is injured. Which I feel terrible about because she's supposed to run a 1/2 marathon next weekend. I'm sorry Michaela! Crap crap crap. Next time I think we'll call the ball.

Go team!

iheartskiboots...

So my ski season came to a close last weekend. I'd say it was quite successful - thirteen rounds and no injuries. Well, unless you count the time at the condo. When Laura was dancing me around the living room trying out an intense polka spin. We spun right into the futon arm. Bruise the size of a silver dollar on the upper thigh. After that event we decided boys do have it pretty rough leading all the time, and that we'd leave it up to them.

Anyway, back to skiing. It was a great snow season. Of course it's my first real ski season, so anything is better than previous experiences. The best part was hanging out with all the different people I got to ski with - local friends, friends from a land far, far away, friends who didn't even know they'd end up skiing with me, and family too. I'll be honest. My brother is probably the most fun to ski with. And no it's not because he sprays me with powder every chance he gets. He can go stinkin' fast and tear up the trees too. All the while I'm left panting trying to keep up. It's great.

The season has also brought on some new experiences for me... such as witnessing a dude (cough... cough... Nate... cough) torpedoing down the mountain sans any stopping lessons, skis, poles, goggles everywhere. Complete yard sale. Actually, correction. Multiple yard sales. But Laura and I did not lack entertainment when he was on the hill. I should probably give him a little credit - for a first timer he rocked the slopes and was paralleling within the first five minutes. It's the "under control" thing we'll be tackling next, and then he'll be set. Except I don't think he'll technically ever want to be under control, which may make my coaching a little more difficult. I also took out a skier for the first time this year. Maybe, possibly because I was out of control and slid up right behind the poor guy, but none the less, everyone should do it sometime.

And (perhaps a little off the ski topic, but closely related) when we weren't eating delicious peanut butter sandwiches to keep our tummies full, Michaela, Laura and I stumbled upon the MooseJaw one fine evening and found ourselves some decent grub. Complete with a full-on mountain town atmosphere. Beautiful. I mean rustic. Uhh... beatifully rustic it was.

Next year is another go. I'll probably take lessons to improve my technique... I've realized some bad habits have been fairly well established by now. Hopefully the cousins and I will have our pass situation figured out a little more this time around - we couldn't match up on a mountain this season, which really was the only bummer I encountered.

So, here's to a great ski season in CO Part I. If I can help it there will be many, many more in store.

charge!...

Today was the Rockies opening day at Coors Field and it was beautiful! Big ol' herds of people corralled up and down the streets, scalping tickets, haggling peanuts, and just trying to get in the door. The buzz of excitement was enough to strike a grin from ear to ear. It was amazing to witness the mass quantities of folks who made it to the game in the middle of the afternoon. Does no one have to work in Denver on this day? The bars nearby were packed, and few empty seats remained when the first pitch was thrown. Our Regional Director loves sports and hasn't made it to an opening game (a tradition of hers) for a long, long time. So she bought us all tickets and we headed to the stadium - how sweet is that?

Sadly enough the Rockies lost, but they put up a good fight. Devin and I danced to the music, cheered our hearts out, and basically appeared slightly foolish for the sake of good fun. We made it all nine innings. Quite a feat, considering within that time I taught him where the "short stop" position was, how to keep score, and what "full count" meant. It was a bonding experience.

I am looking forward to many more games this summer. There's nothing quite like a baseball, sunny days, and a cold beer to wash all your cares away. Play ball!

happy happy...

Fiesta de Rachelle was held March 24 at la casa de Laura y Michaela. It was ridiculously fun! Festivities included sombreros, mucho margaritas, homemade salsa, two pinatas, a bonfire, and a tres leche cake to die for. I'm serious. Laura (see wonderful red-head on left) is an amazing cook - I craved that cake for days afterwards. In fact, I'm craving it right now.

The pinata was hilarious. Too many margaritas, too many spins around the bat, and too much mud on the ground, plus high heels equalled quite a few tumbles and dizzy spells before any of us struck candy.

Later in the evening was, of course, a traditional dance party, with perhaps some nontraditional dance moves. Both by Laura, who does a mean sexy seaweed, and Jonathan, who can spin and twirl a girl to her heart's desire (he's good!).

We concluded the night with an old fashioned slumber party, with breakfast and reminiscing in the manana. Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes and surprises - I had an awesome day thanks to all of my fabulous friends, here and away. Bring on 23!

(Blogger changed the picture formatting and I can't figure out how to put text with pictures without jacking up the layout... hence the two posts - so photos capturing the moments are below - ack!)

feliz cumpleanos...