IT'S SNOWING!!!

And this makes me very happy :)

UPDATE: I just left the office for lunch and the snow not only stopped, you would never guess it snowed this morning...DANGIT! I WANT SNOW!!!

Healthy, Fit and Drunk

Usually when Colorado Springs makes a list in a magazine it is usually for the healthiest city, the Fittest City, or something of that nature. I am a little surprised, not necessarily in a bad way, that we are the top third drunkest city.

I mean I look at my life in the past 24 hours. Why else would one chose to run 3.5 miles on the coldest night of the winter season yet? For beer of course!!! Last night I braved the cold with a couple hundred of my closest friends to run for beer, er I mean my health. It was great until I blew a shoe and now have a fat blister that hurts. So I drank more beer…($2.50 pints of Bristol Beer, can you blame me?)

Hopefully today my boss will let us out of work early and I can buy new running shoes ,I am embarrassed to admit how old my current Saucony’s are. It is time.

Not 1, Not 2, Not 3, but FOUR Cotton plants!

My office cotton experiment has yielded FOUR plants. I will try to post weekly pictures on my office plants. As you can see my lil plants have been busy since last Monday when I had only one sprout and another threatening to come up.

My plants have become an interesting conversation piece among the staff here. Every day I have about 3 -6 people stop in just to see the progress. It’s funny what little things can make me happy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Today my mom celebrates her 59th birthday. While we are experiencing warmer than usual weather here in the Springs, she and her husband Sirio (seen here serenading her during a meal at Harmony Hall in Antiqua -November, 2005) are enjoying retirement in the usual 86 degree weather in Antiqua, W.I.

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

Pikes Peak Incline Pup

This weekend Sasha had her first taste of the Pikes Peak Incline and Barr Trail, one of my personal favorite workouts.

She made it to the halfway point pretty strong, she stumbled a few times and over one obstacle I had to pick her up since she couldn’t figure out how to get over the large, rusted, drainage pipe. Knowing that the half-way cutover to Barr trail was the only way to get off the incline without going the remaining half mile straight up the mountain, we took the detour. I had images of being required to carry a 35 pound puppy the 7 miles down barr trail. Yeah, that didn’t sound like fun.

Sasha did great on Barr trail, she was off leash most of the time and came running right back to me when I whistled and called her name. Only one time did she run along with a runner that past us. She loves to run with people, this is one of her bad habits we are working on, not everyone loves to have her as a running buddy. I am taking this as a not-so-subtle hint I need to start running again, that and the fact she loves her early mornings (she is ulta hyper at 6 am—Me? notsomuch) and we, or I should say I have been forced up and on many early morning walks/jogs since last Thursday.

By the time we got back to the trailhead and Sasha in the car, she was fast asleep before we even got off of Ruxton Avenue in Manitou Springs. YES! Mission accomplished, One tuckered out pooch.

Wait One Cotton Pickin’…

When I got my new office, I decided I needed a plant to cheer it up some. You an only do so much with boring beige walls and generic office furniture.

Then we went to Texas. I was amazed with the cotton growing, EVERYWHERE. At one point in driving in the middle of nowhere Texas, somewhere in Western Texas where there is nothing but windmills and cotton fields, I pulled over the van and jumped out to grab some cotton. I jumped out of the van grabbed a pod of cotton and ran back to the van. For the at least the next hour I was obsessed with this cotton, I was rubbing in my left hand while my right hand held the steering wheel. If you have ever driven through western Texas you know that any distraction is very welcomed. Half jokingly, while fondling my cotton and the seeds in the soft cotton balls, I said “I wonder if I can grow cotton? Maybe that will be my office plant…”

Fast forward to walking into work this morning. This is what greeted me as I opened my office door. I have a cotton sprout!!! (day 11 since planting) and another sprout is threatening to pop up soon :)

Sasha

After my last doggy passed away almost 5 years ago I have been asked numerouse times when I would be getting another dog. My response has always been “when the time is right, or the right dog finds me”

Yesterday that exact thing happened. Sasha came to work with the Humane Society for our annual charity campaign and last night she went home with me.

She is a 6 month old Bernese Mountain Dog mixed with either a Golden Retriever or Australian Shepard. Time will tell. Right now she is thin bodied, with strong legs and a long tail that makes me wonder/hope she grows into it. Tomorrow we have our first vet visit so many he can tell us more. She came with the name Sasha, she was as stray picked up on Halloween night. The date Isabella’s birthday (as best as we can figure). As for how are they getting along? Well let’s just say Bella is hiding and Sasha is VERY curious. There have been some hisses and kisses. I predict by this time next week they will be buddies. Until then there will be more hissy fits. I am sure!!!

Shoe Therapy

Last night I dropped in on my mom to wish her farewell as she and her husband send off for warmer climates for the next month. She mentioned to me that Solemates, one of my favorite drool spots for shoes, had lost their lease and they are clearing out their entire inventory at 75% off. Since I took my new position, I rarely have time to leave the office for lunch. Today I told my boss I had a VERY important appointment I needed to go to. When he asked what it was I was honest and told him that I NEEDED to go look at the shoes on sale. Now my boss is very cool and sounds like his wife is a lot like me so I emailed him all the details so he could pass the information on to his wife.
Most of the shoes had been picked over, and I found a few I liked in my size. The score of the day was a pair of Beverly Feldman sandals. Originally $150. Super Sale price $37.50! Yay me!!!
Today’s solution for fighting the fall funk? Shoe Sale Shopping!

Fall Funk

This Fall time change has got me all kinds of messed up in the head. Sure it is nice to have that extra hour of sleep in the morning and drive into work with the sun shining bright on me. However; last night driving home is the dusk at 5pm was not right. I struggle with that fall anyways since all my summer vegetation in my flower gardens seem to die and the world looks depressing to me. The next season I have to look forward too is ski season. Although it technically has started, there isn’t hardly enough snow to really enjoy it until after Thanksgiving at least. Unless of course we would get some great big storms here in the near future, but I think the California wildfires will put the kabash on that happening. So I will sit and wait, and pout. Oh yes and wish for snow, lots and lots of snow.

Iron-Wo-Man

This weekend one of my closest friends, Amy,(Alias’ include: Big Bird, Miz Bick, yo yo yo baby pop, that really tall hot chick! Etc…) did the most amazing thing, she completed her first IronMan Triathalon!

On Saturday, in 15:20 hours, Amy Swam 2.4 miles in the Gulf of Mexico, 112 mile bike ride, and marathon run (26.2 miles).

Amy, YOU ROCK GIRL!!! I am so proud of you!!! (Next time I see you, cocktails are on me! I bet you can use a beer, you deserve it!)