Just when you think you're Bad Ass...

...Just when you think you have your race strategy and technique down pat, you've trained on the course, you've run hill sprints on that looooooong bitch of a ramp leading up to the high school, you've monitored the melting on the streets and trail over the past week to gauge whether or not to run with spikes on......  Mother Nature spanks your ass with a dumping of the white stuff.  We woke up to 10 to12-ish inches of new powdered sugar snow.  This put me in a mood.  I got online right away to see if there were any updates as to whether or not the Shamrock Shuffle 5k was still going to take place and to commiserate with fellow disgruntled runners. Usually we're bright eyed and bushy tailed on race day morning....but all this snow?!?!  Fek.... And racetime SO early for just a quick 5k....whaaaaaaaa....poor tay tay.  Just traveling down the mountain and into town was gonna be a bitch.  Everyone was on the internets kvetching about what to do.  Close to 7am, the word came out that the roads were plowed and wouldn't it be a lovely day for a race!?  The accompanying photo of a clear street on the course sealed it.  We'd go for it.  Fueled up and dressed, spirits lightening, we headed out to slip into town, drop off the kiddo at our friends and running brethren, the Ruiz's house and carpool with them to the race.

Thankful that the temps where MUCH friendlier this year(17 degrees) as opposed to last year when it was only a very cruel 2, we dropped off our gear and jogged around the crowd decked out in all things green, Irish and leprechaun-y to warm up.  The start of the race went well enough despite the fact that I was slipping a bit, lots of kick-back, despite my spikes.

It WAS lovely...with the sun peaking in and out

I took full advantage of the downhill portion of the race through the residential area, more then making up for the lost "slip" time...U2's Beautiful Day booming through my ear buds...soul quickening...and when we hit the trail on Westchester LagooWHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!?!?  They didn't plow the fucking trail?!!?  How the hell......    HARSH.  And trixy of those in charge of the race to FB post that misleading photo!  Adios, chance to beat the shit out of last year's race time like I'd planned!  The rest of the race was spent in a slow schlog through that deep snow praying that I wouldn't snap another ankle.  All grace and form lost as I stomped ox-like in the cattle line past the lagoon.  And The Ramp?  A breeze on account of how SLOW we were all going.

OMFG.  Mooooooooooooooo.

It was a hard race in a way I hadn't yet experienced or expected but still satisfying, after the finish line, ankles intact, with my new Shamrock Shuffle pint glass filled with IPA.   Just like any time I go outside to play, I NEVER regret it!

Miles crossing the finish

Trying to summon a smile of accomplishment on the finish line.  Hey, I beat those young dudes!!!!

We all met up and hung out inside the Bear Tooth theater while ribbons were handed out to top finishers-NOT me, lol!- and the raffle winner was awarded with her weight in beer.  Plans were made  -I frigging LOVE the Ruiz's-for replenishing our tired bodies that evening with tostadas and margaritas at our place.

They giant scale use to weigh out the beer against body weight!  Lean BACK, honey!!!!!

<3 td="">

While I came in 4 minutes SLOWER then last year, I placed pretty well for my gender and old age group!

Spring Breakers?!?! ...not so much.

Spring Break was a particularly mellow one this year.  We agreed to rein in any extra spending in favor of saving it for our trip to Italy.  I really missed our usual snow shoeing excursion up Bear Pass in the blazing spring sun.  The drippy grey weather did NOT lend itself to much outdoor fun.  And outdoor fun is what's FREE in our world right now....
I did take Willa out for a promised blueberry french toast breakfast at our favorite cafe to start the week off.  On my work days she came in with me and had fun hanging out.  But mostly the week was spent relaxing at home, finalizing trip stuff-getting all that info plugged into apps on my phone, reading, and puttering while Willa got in some good hard imaginary play time.
We did cram a lot into our last weekend before school started, though.  A fast but hardcore 5k run in 10 inches of new snow-uuuuugghh, dinner at our house with friends who ran the race, too, a nice family skate ski the next morning, and celebrating Miles's birthday.

Breaky at the Middle Way Cafe

We've switched to all-grain beer brewing....

....and it's a LOT of work!!!  But when the sample from the first gravity reading tastes great, you know that beer is gonna be PHENOMENAL!!!!!

Beautiful handmade mash paddle Miles's friend made

Snuggle time with kid and cat



Witness the FITNESS, yo!!!  I'm thrilled that Willa can join us for short runs now! Plus, her fitness fashion is to die from for!!!

She's horse-crazy.  Doing some leather-working on a saddle she made for one of her Breyer horses.

I love when Miles comes home from work early to run with me! 

Shopping day.  Having a little hot cocoa and a cookie at Jitters

She got to pick out a special outfit for Italy

Deep into world-building

BAM!  And then the snow hits.  Saturday's Shamrock shuffle race.  

Tostadas and margaritas with good friends!

And an uproariously funny game of Cards Against Humanity!  ALWAYS is!

Miles's birthday!  Willa gave him the raku trout- the 5th to finish off his collection.

There won't be many more days of this this season!  Taking it all in while we can!

Love to play with my hunny!

Extremely tall peanut-butter-cup cake that Willa and I made

The Birthday Boy chose homemade mac-n-cheese and filet mignone for his b'day dinner.

Oh, hi, sun.  Thanks for making an appearance on the last afternoon of Spring Break.  

Christmas Day 2013

Christmas morning fills my soul.  Flat out.  Following our traditions, I wake up, take a shower, put coffee on, turn on some celtic-y Christmas music, light candles, get the kiddo up allow the child who has been awake for hours to come out of her room, wake up Miles if he isn't already, and settle in next to the tree with all it's new gifts.  We first relieve our stockings of their goodies to enjoy while the cinnamon rolls bake. Then we DEVOUR those godammned miraculous confections with a second mug of coffee....  When dem bellies full, we head back into the living room to open presents.  I always play Santa, it seems.  We spend time digging what we gave and got.  And THIS year, for the first time EVER, methinks, I didn't feel like I had to rush and leave my little pile of fun to go somewhere else!  When I was a kid, no sooner then your presents were open, you were whisked away to church-catholic, ugh-and then to the aunt and uncle's house for Christmas dinner all the while yearning to get back to your new treasurers from the North Pole.  We took our time passing around gifts-Willa and Dylan will still get some "Santa" gifts, we'll continue to "pretend" he is real-and it was so sweet to each receive a huge hug and "thank you!" after each gift she opened!  I'm so happy for her that she seems to have true gratitude within....I believe it makes a person more whole, purposeful, happy and satisfied in life when they can see beyond themselves and truly cherish what they have.  It was GRAND and GLORIOUS to just hang out on Christmas Day!  Basking.......no rush...... What my dad would describe as a
  
"nice.........................................................................
                                       leisurely....................................................................
                                                                            time...............................................................".

And when we were ready, we got cookin' in preparation for our friends to arrive for dinner.  At OUR house!!!!  Another first!  Finally having a proper dinning room and big table to seat everyone for a feast.  Finally!  And a feast it was!  Our Christmas Eve and Day dinners were the best I think I ever had!  A brined and smoked turkey hen, mashed taters with a smidge of bacon grease, candied yams, fresh bread and butter, spicy cranberry chutney and oyster/deer sausage stuffing(These ROCKED mah belleh, if I don't say so myself!!!!), red wine and an out-of-this-world brussel sprout dish that our friends brought.

WE ATE LIKE KINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  KINGS!!!!!   Mother of baby bacon fat covered jeezus..........

Miles and I (and Willa, too, I'm sure)  are so grateful for our friends, the Ruiz's.  We met them about a year and a half ago at the Salmonstock Music festival.  They were camped at the same campground as we were.  Willa and their daughter, Lily, found each other and hit it off right away, playing on the beach.  Moms and dads introduced themselves and we've been buds ever since.  I feel like I can relax  and be myself with them.  The type of friends you'd pick to live in a commune with....or if shipwrecked on an island.....

We did a "Chinese gift exchange" which is always a fun way to exchange gifts.  I threw in a pair of 3x grannie underwear for fun!  We were hoping to play our Cards Against Humanity game that Santa brought, but the Ruizes all had head colds and were feeling the need to head home.  It was a wonderful evening and I really hope to make Christmas Day dinner at our home a more regular event....



Sweetheart....

Fun with Christmas lights!



Weeeeee!

 

My 5th grade revisited and passed to Willa...The great Gilly Hopkins and Chinese Jacks!!!  Remember those?!?!



A new telescope!!!  (remember that foreshadowing?!)  Here I am trying to reenact the photo of the jump in the air I did 10 years ago when we got our first telescope

This year's hand made gifts.  Dig the candy bowl Willa made for her daddy with an old vinyl record!  I made Miles and Willa plaques to hang running medals and beer brewing awards on.  (beer awards are Miles, of course).  Willa made a lovey painting of birch trees and a toy for the kitty!

LOOT!

cheers!

Fukinlovem!!!  Our music lovin', booty shakin', outdoors hangin', laugh-a -lot friends!  And the adults are cool, too.

 

Chinese gift exchange

Perfect!  Ho ho ho, indeed!