Time to breathe

Kev and I have returned from our mini vacation down in Ouray, CO. Ouray is in the southwest part of Colorado a bit north of Durango. Although the trip wasn't long, it was much needed and much enjoyed. We are still trying to figure out a way to find jobs for me, Kev and Mom down there! Anna... its only a 9.5 hour drive from Scottsdale!!! :)

We left early Wednesday morning and headed south. We got a little distracted along the way by the beginning of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison just after the Blue Mesa Reservoir. We thought about going up to the national park to see the big part of the canyon, but were anxious to get to our next stop, Telluride, to see Stu Sundell. The drive through the southwest part of the state is quite breathtaking. There were still a fair amount of Aspens that were in their full yellow and the San Juan Mountains are amazing! We think that they are "better" than the mountains closer to Denver. Not sure why... they are more rugged and jagged and seem a little more majestic, in my opinion.

We met up with Stu in Telluride and spent a couple of hours with him. He showed us around town. To say I'm not extremely jealous of him would be a sincere understatement! Wow, what a life! :) He is the manager of a ski shop and has it pretty good with the access to as much skiing, biking, climbing, hiking, etc than a person could ever crave! In the new album of our trip, there are pics from his front porch... rough! We rode the Gandola up and over to the resorty side of Telluride. The mountain is pretty impressive and definitely not for beginners! We will definitely be down to visit him again to get our fill of their slopes!

Next we headed over to Ouray to check in to our room and hit the vapor caves.... ahhhhh (sigh)!! Thursday we did a bit of hiking around town then headed up over Red Mountain pass. This is how you get to Durango from the north but the road is certainly not for the faint at heart. Although it is a very nicely paved road, there are absolutely no guardrails and the road drops straight down just to the right of the white line!! Kev and I didn't have an issue with it, of course, but I will admit, when we drove on it at night, I got a wee nervous! We headed down in to the old mining town of Silverton. I was very excited that we got to see the train roll in to town. This is a historic steam engine train that runs from Silverton to Durango. It is VERY cool!!! In the early winter time, they turn the train in to the Polar Express where kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas, are served hot chocolate, and are read the Polar Express story complete with a visit from Santa and a reindeer bell to go with! I know a few littles ones who will have to join us for this adventure sometime! We headed back to Ouray for dinner (Crab legs for me!!!) and then relaxed in our own private hot spring soaking pool! :)

This morning, we sadly packed up to head home. I new it was a vacation when I was aching over the thought of going home. Oh well... all good things must come to an end, I suppose :(

I have a new album of our pics. They are all scenery pics besides one pic with Kev and I in it. We were playing around with the features on our new camera a bit too. Enjoy!

Busy month ahead of us!!

I will be spoiled for the next few weeks, although very busy. Starting this week, I am only working two days a week for three weeks! This week, Kevin and I are heading down to Ouray for a quick vacation. We are anxiously awaiting a few days away sans cell phones (they will be turned off), work, and suburb life. We are looking forward to vapor caves, hot springs, massages, waterfalls, mountains, colorful Aspens, yummy dinners, sleeping in... and on and on. :) Don't bother calling unless it is an emergency... we'll check our messages at some point!

Then, this coming weekend will be last minute preparations for our new roommate, Mom! We fly out next Wednesday for a night in Milwaukee with Niki, Derek, and Drake then up to Marquette for packing and going away parties for mom! We plan to head out back to Denver on the 20th arriving in to town no later than the 22nd, then back to work on the 23rd.

The weather is quickly turning and fall is upon us! This weekend, I probably had my last bike ride of the season unless I get some cool weather riding gear. We were riding in the low 70s this weekend and it is supposed to be in the 40s by the end of the week. It is nice having a wood burning fireplace, though, because we can keep our apartment comfortable in the evenings without actually turning on the heat! Take out the sweaters and put away the short sleeves!

MOM IS MOVING TO COLORADO!!!!!!!!

Woo hoo! Mom is officially moving to Colorado!!!! We've known for a few weeks now, but it became official today with dates! Kev and I will be flying back to the midwest on Wednesday October 15th, we'll help mom pack for a few days then leave to head back to CO on the 20th-ish with a goal of being back in Denver on the 22nd. We are very excited to have mom so close. It will be great to be near family again!! There still seems to be a bit of anxiety in Mom's voice, but it is very understandable. She is going to live with us for a bit until she finds a job and a place of her own. Rent is cheap with us.... just a few home cooked "mom" meals will do the trick! :) She will do great and I'm sure she will adjust to the Colorado life pretty quickly! Wish her luck!!!

Mom,
We are very excited to have you here! We can't wait to show you all of the wonderful things that Colorado has to offer - hope you're ready for some off-roading! :) Skiing probably won't be in your agenda, but there's lots of warm cozy places to drink hot totties! We are happy that you want to be close to us and hope you don't mind watching our "Clown Dog" once in a while. We are honored to be a part of this big step for you. Love you bunches and bunches and we are counting down the days... I think I smell some cheesecake in our near future!!! :)

Love You! Kev & Marie

New Camera!

Kev and I finally got a new camera... we don't have a real (more than 8 picture) memory card yet, but I've been playing around anyways. The poor dog has turned in to my model! Here's one pic, but there is an album under my picture link.

Possibly my new favorite store...

Sunflower Farmers Market.... Like Whole Foods without spending your Whole paycheck!

Comparison

I left work today feeling extremely frustrated. I didn't get even half of the work done that I had planned to get done, had to deal with stupid people and the assumptions that they believe to be true, and was stuck behind the computer. I felt like I was in a box all day.

I get home from work and first thing I do is let the dog out of her kennel (aka: The Box). She sits in anticipation as I unzip the door and waits for the "OK" from me to get out. Although I don't think she minds The Box so much, I know she'd rather not be locked up while we are at work all day long.

Every time we let her out of her Box, she goes sprinting out of the room, squealing her tires (paws) as she turns the corner and proceeds to smile (yes, she smiles... for those of you who haven't seen it) and make snorting noises because she is so damn excited to be out of The Box. She'll run up the stairs, down the stairs, roll on her back with legs flying in the air, twist her way through the legs of the dining room table, on the couch, off the couch, and then finally sit in front of us so that we can pet her head and scratch behind her ear only to roll on her back so we can rub her belly too. She instantly forgets that she was cooped up all day in The Box and is just excited that we are home and she is free.

So, my thought of today is not so much that I should go running out of the building every day after work like a mad woman running around the parking lot waiting for someone to scratch behind my ear or rub my belly (that would be weird), but rather learn to leave work at work. I would say I have made some progress on this in the past week or two, but today was a set back as I was still ranting to Anna on the phone about my day at 10pm on a Friday night (I'm such a loser!).

There is an email that flies around once in a while about what our dogs can teach us. Maybe I should pay more attention to this:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them (Tomba beats me to Kevin... she runs faster than me).
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride. (That is what wheelin' and biking is for!)
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. (The Mountains are good for this)
Take naps. (No argument from me on this one!)
Stretch before rising. (But I don't like rising!)
Run, romp, and play daily. (So true!)
Thrive on attention and let people touch you. (A hug is almost always reassuring)
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. (AMEN!!!!!)
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. (Memories of Mackinac Island w/ Anna & Tracy)
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. (Great for the Dog Park)
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. (See message above)
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. (Good for the mind, body, & soul)
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough. (I'm not so good at the second part of that!)
Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not. (once again... AMEN!!!)
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. (I'm having a hard time with this one!)
When someone is having a bad day, remain silent and sit close by (we all need to remember this one!)

So that was my thought of the day when I got home, thanks for listening as I muddle my way through figuring out what direction I'm supposed to heading. One day at a time... right?

As my email tag line says.... Wag More, Bark Less!