CRAPS!

In July Colorado gaming introduced higher stake limits which now allows for casinos here to have my all time favorite game, Craps!

It started innocently enough, meeting up with my RAGBRAI team members for FAC cocktails on Friday afternoon. Some where in the conversation I mentioned I was heading to Las Vegas in the near future for a friends wedding and my buddy said how much he enjoyed Craps, I replied “me too!”

After a few drinks we left the bar, hopped on the Ramblin Express and headed to Cripple Creek to test out the new higher stakes gaming laws, and test the craps dealer’s skillz.

It was obvious we were not in Vegas when the dealers seemed shocked to cash in $100 for chips and we started playing with $5 chips and not the $1, also when I was on a 30 minute roll, I noticed I had the pit boss, the casino manager and other big men watching every single roll of my dice. For the night we each walked out with a few hundred dollars than we came in with and apparently the casino bosses were not too pleased, at the same time there was nothing they could say or do, I was legit and I wasn’t making that much money.

Looking forward to my trip to Las Vegas where a hot roll on the tables gets you food and lodging comps, not dirty looks by old greasy men, and watered down cocktails.

How Much Information is Too Much?

This is something I struggle with. How much is too much to make public on a blog. I used to lightly think about this, but recently, after recent developements, I really don’t want everyone knowing where I can be found on any certain day. So forgive me if posts are about things I have done, versus things or places I intend to go. Which is a drag because there is a lot of exciting stuff coming up I REALLY want to write about…

So to my readers, I apologize, but I will remain in the blogosphere, for now…

When the Cats Away

The hands will play!

Puffy hands needed a little girl time this weekend.

Started with a fun car ride

Some shopping:













Cocktails

Dinner

Finally to top the weekend off with a ride

Getting My Head Around It All

I am doing a little calculation of my upcoming events:

In the next 8 weeks I have:

-Two marathon relays
-One Olympic distance triathlon
-PPRR Fall series starts (in which I will run 3 of the 4 races since there is a schedule conflict with the Denver Marathon)
-Great American Beer Festival (which well all know is a marathon of beer drinking, networking and socializing in itself)
-Venus De Miles Century Bike Ride (undecided)
-Trip to Las Vegas for Carl and Erin’s wedding (a marathon of drinking, gambling and all around debauchery)
-Sprinkle in a couple other 5K runs/races

Good times, Good times...

Breaking Up

Dear Sugar,

We have had a long term affair going on as you know, over 35 years to be exact. I am proud to say I am ready to let you go and move on.

When I was younger, it was a secret affair, my parents tried to keep you away from me as much as possible, but I snuck you in sodas and candy bars and holidays. You know, I always let you in when my mom and dad weren’t watching. As I became an adult you were with me everyday. . I will not even tell you what my dentist warned me about you all these years. It isn’t very nice. In the past few years I have seen your intentions have not been healthy for me and I still managed to make excuses for my love of you.

It is now time for me to say good-bye. In the past nine days, over our trial separation, I have come to realize how much my life is better without you, I have lost weight, my athletic performance has improved and I am now enjoying the craving free days that follow.

I know you will find someone else, in fact there are many people I know that have told me they have the same love affair with you, so I know losing me won’t hurt you too much.

You are the sweetest thing I know, but I am ready to live life less sweet.

-Vargasgirl

My Motivation

Two years ago a person very close to me found out he was sick. This news hit him and his family hard. A new father with two small daughters, a wife and a thriving business, bad news was not something he was used too, much less something so personal. As personal as you can get, this was his life.

He was the athlete, the one that could do anything he tried on the first try. Not only accomplishing but doing it well, having corporate sponsorships as a teenager was not a dream or a challenge it was his reality. He lived a charmed life, still does.

Recently, in the past year he has become victorious over his battle with the debilitating disease that has tried to slow him down.

The great thing about the human brain, it can and relearn thing, but in the mean time. No running, no bike riding, no mountain climbing, snowboarding and wakeboarding are like jumping back 20 years. Or as he told me, fast forward to being an 80 year old person in a body that looks 33, but acts 80. Can you imagine going to bed one night and waking up the next day feeling like you aged 50 years?

Neither can I

However; What I can do is pick up where he left off. I may not be as athletic, but I can sure as hell try.

That is my motivation, to do because others can not (especially someone I love).

AFLAC!!!

Tomorrow I will be running in my second Iron Girl event.
Last year I set my 5k PR on this course.

The best thing about this event, other than the fact that you are running with all women, is the plush Aflac duck they give to all finishers.



Sasha the Wonderpup, LOVED this toy last year. She adopted it from me and carried it with her until it disintegrated.

I am most excited about this race this year that my number one cheerleader (my dad) will be there cheering me on.

Pushing for a new PR!

How the World Turns, and Turns

When you think you have something to worry about, look at someone else’s life and listen to their worries. They make yours seem so much less.

This past weekend my father called me from ‘The Twin Cities’ (Minneapolis/St. Paul). I assumed he was just up there visiting family. He called to console me about some bad news I had gotten at work (more to come on that when I have definite news). Turns out he was hanging out in a hospital with his brother and sister becoming a human pin cushion, seeing if he is an acceptable kidney donor for his brother.
If all goes well, next spring my father may be working with one less kidney and my uncle may have one perfectly good functioning one, chillin back on the beach at his home in Puerto Rico..
This will all happen after ski season of course. My father may be selfless enough to give a kidney, but don’t take away his passion of skiing. That is going too far, a man has to have his limits

At the same time as I am having this conversation with my dad, my best friend was visiting her mom for her birthday, while her mother is in a battle with the Big C.

All the while other family members and people I love are all battling their own wars with illness, disease, addiction and heartbreak.

Depressing?

Na, I am fortunate to have all these people in my life, only a phone call or a short visit away. We certainly laugh, cry and enjoy every day we have together. Because that is the thing about life, No one gets out alive.

I may have some big life changes lurking, but for now I have my health, happiness, and an abundance of friends and family that love and support me. Not to mention a crazy dog a homicidal cat that provides endless hours of entertainment.

Stay tuned for the next episode…

Finding Peace

Alarm blaring at 5:15 am is painful.

Once I get to see this view.


The pain is replaced.

To make this view tolerable

Current 1000 meter swim stat: 24:09

Quotes

My Quote for the day:
“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”--Nathaniel Brandon

My Quote for the Coming Weeks:
“Change is the essence of life.Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.”--Unknown

My Quote for Life:
“We must become the change we want to see.”--Mahatma Gandhi

4 Years

I would have completely missed this day had it not been for an email sent to me by Colorado Quit Net
4 years ago I quit smoking…

The idea that I used to smoke at all is so foreign to me.
I can honestly say I would never ever smoke another cigarette.

Here are my stat’s:

Your Quit Date is: Monday, August 01, 2005 at 10:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1460 days, 7 hours, 55 minutes and 35 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 21905
Lifetime Saved: 5 months, 17 days, 7 hours
Money Saved: $4,383.00

That is a lot of time, smokes and scrilla!

Food Ramble

In order to get out, enjoy the sunny weather and do as little walking as possible (because I am still recovering from my middle of the dawn, burn of frustration energy up the incline last week--new PR 48:12)

I decided to peddle my bike downtown to see the movie “Food, Inc.”

I knew this was a documentary on out food in this country and how it is produced. Being that since I went on the macro biotic diet when I was 19 for a short period of time (I missed dairy and cold no longer resist the call of cheese) and ever since been very interested in food, the decline of our culture when it comes to processed food and convenience. Also being a vegetarian, err I mean an “Lacto, ovo, Pescatarian” (if you want/need the correct label)---translation: I eat no meat other than fish, however I do eat dairy products and eggs…and really? Do you really care? Probably not…

I make a personal serious effort to avoid fast food, “chemical foods” and process foods in general, but I will also be the first to admit, I love a Taco Bell bean burrito from time to time and Kraft mac and cheese IS my favorite comfort food (soon to be replaced by Jan’s homemade mac and cheese which I was recently schooled in the art of preparing that pan of delicious goodness).

I may have strict food ‘rules’ for myself, but I will never tell someone else how to eat, I don’t care if you like high fructose corn syrup or you like to eat hamburger at every meal, to each their own. Heck, I LOVE sugar. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Don’t even get near me with Sweet N low, or Splenda, I want good, old sugar!

That is where this movie lost me, I found it interesting the politics and the corporate control over our farmers. There was a level of guilt in the movie to the audience, man, had I been a carnivore. I would have felt awful walking out of the theater. As it was I already felt like a crappy American, buying , my food from the grocer, bananas from Chili, tomatoes from not here, year round. Without blinking an eye. I should have planted that garden I meant to this year, I should learn to can food…Whatever, I still like bananas in February, and Tomatoes in January…

However, there were some interesting points made in the movie and I did learn something. Like in the state I live, Colorado, it is a FELONY apparently to speak negatively against any meat produced in this state. Huh?

Really?

So the fact I have always said Greeley stinks like ass because of Monfort because Monfort stinks…
They labeled it the ‘Vegi-slander laws”
I need to research that some more. Because if I am going to jail by the meat police I need to know if it is because I choose not to eat meat, or if I insult meat in some way.
How does one go about insulting meat? Say it’s momma was a whore?
Hmmmm
As I rode my bike away from the theater I thought, “why am I feeling crappy, I eat healthy, I ride my bike as much as possible to avoid driving my car, plus it is fun, I try to be a good person. I am happy, nice, honest person…”
I turned the corner to realize there was a fireman party for the neighborhood…What? Firemen? In short sleeved shirts, serving cake? YAY!

What movie?