A Hike, a Hot Shower, and a Cold Beer

Yesterday we went on our favorite hike to Lost Lake. This hike is outside of Eldora, and Lost Lake is not quite in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The beginning is a bit rough, a little rocky, and has an incline, but the rest is pretty manageable. There is a beautiful creek running alongside most of the trail, which looks at some point like a waterfall. I would stop at certain places to look at the rushing waters and I felt like I was looking at a John Fielder picture or something, it was just gorgeous as water rushed down and sprayed itself along the rocks. Lost Lake is the destination, although there are a ton of other hikes to other lakes as well.

Dogs can be off leash. I was so nervous at the beginning. Chester has a sense of adventure, and I just pictured him getting into the creek and swept away, never to be heard from again. Fortunately, dogs are smart and Chester instinctively knew not to go in. I have also had a fear that if they run off they will get taken by a bear or mountain lion. Well, they didn't run off too far and there were no bears or mountain lions so that fear wasn't valid either. I had to relax and just let the boys run. We got to the lake and I had forgotten how picturesque this was. There are mountains around the lake, and in July the wildflowers pop off the sides of the hills. The boys swam, Mike and I hiked. It was a perfect day. On the way back, the boys were so tired. Stan limped, Chester rarely got excited when we came across people (unless they had food in their pockets). Chester would go off on his own, and Stan would try to herd Chester back. Mike and would keep walking and Stan would stay put, looking to where Chester was and back at us, as if to say, "Hey guys! Wait for Chester!" We made it home, and all four of us napped. After a hike, there is nothing like a nap in cold sheets with the ceiling fan going. We showered, grilled some steak, and I had a nice cold beer. Summer....gotta love it. I know that this is just the beginning.

To Be or Not to Be

This weekend came and went faster than I wanted it to. Saturday I was feeling like I had to "do" too much-of course what I had to do were things I inflicted upon myself. Water the grass. Clean the kitchen. Do laundry. Get ready for the next day's hike. Of course, I could let my grass die, let dishes pile up in the kitchen, and make no plan for the next day's hike and regret it later. Thus, my desire for a clean home, a nice yard, and foresight makes me have to "do" a lot of tasks. I said to Mike, "Can't we just 'Be'?" His response: "Huh? Yeah, you "Be" and I will go watch the baseball game." So, I "Was". I chatted with MP for a while. I watered the lawn and read my book. Then I found myself going inside to bug Mike. "What are you doing? Are the Rockies winning?" Ahhhh....to "be" or not to "be"...what does that even mean? Does it mean that I do my tasks as the Buddha would, happy to be in the here and now? Does it mean that I take an hour every day to sit and be still, focusing on my breath and replenishing my soul? Does it mean that I spend time reading? Walking? Okay, I don't really have a definition. I think what "Be" means for me is to enjoy the present. Even in my tasks. I am here, on the planet, a living and breathing creature. Mike is here, my family and friends are here. Why think about what I "should" be or "shouldn't" be doing and just do it? I think the biggest lesson I have learned in this life is to enjoy the here and now. Sure, I get restless. Sure, I task myself too much. Sure, I would rather have fun than work. But the point is...I can "be" as I work, as I do dishes, as I water the lawn. So, I choose "to be" all the time. Or, at least until I get restless again.

Wedding Bells

I am in my first wedding this summer. The phrase, "always a bridesmaid, never a bride," never really described me. It is more like, "never a bridesmaid, but truly a bride." It isn't that I have no friends, and that is why I was never in a wedding. My friends who got married out of college either had too many friends so they limited their wedding party; got married in another country; nixed the whole traditional big wedding and had small gatherings; or hadn't met the man of their dreams yet. And now, I have a wide range of friends, from my school buddies many years ago to young single women who I work with now to older women with whom I click. Thus, not a lot of people are getting married these days.

My friend who is getting married is one that I met in preschool. She is marrying a man who she dated right after high school and they rekindled their romance a few years ago after a reunion of sorts. It is a true love story. At 17 or 18, no one knew who they were and so the relationship could not have lasted. We all needed to figure ourselves out before we could find the love of our lives. When they met again, both knew themselves well and were ready to be in love, and that is what happened. So, if I am going to be in one wedding in my life, I am excited to know that this wedding also has a pretty interesting story behind it. And, she is my friend for, like 26 years, so I am thrilled to be a part of this. Cheers to you, J and J. I hope I can make you proud as I don my dress, throw your parties, and support you throughout your marriage, which hopefully will last as long as our friendship has.

Wind

I have to say it. I hate the wind. It is useless-it doesn't supply moisture like rain; doesn't rejuvenate the earth like snow; and it doesn't let things spring to life the sunshine. What does wind do? It makes small particles land in my eye, it messes up my hair, it can be very cold, makes tree branches fall, and it generally makes me not want to be outside. Yuck. Can anyone tell me the benefits of wind please? According to Wikipedia: "It was these winds that early mariners relied upon to propel their ships from Europe to North and South America." Great. Wind allowed for the colonization of the Amercias thus leading to the genocide or assimilation of American Indians. Another case to dislike the wind. Sigh. The bright side is that the weekend is supposed to be 80 degrees sans wind. Looking forward to that!

Wish I could Eat, Pray, Love...

MP's book club book pick is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I bought it for the plane ride to California and from what I have read it is fantastic. It is one woman's journey to self discovery, love and spirituality. She goes to 3 different countries for this self discovery: Italy, India and Indonesia and spends about a year on this journey.

I am fascinated by people that can do this type of thing. She is writer so I think that helps-she got a book deal in the end to tell of her travels; she also seemed to have money, which helps as well. However, I think the one thing she has for sure is guts. To leave all that she knew in the States and just travel, not knowing many people, to "find" herself takes a lot of guts. Sometimes I wish I could do this (with Mike of course!). I would love for the both of us to quit our jobs, pack it all up, and have no obligations but to discover new things about life and about ourselves. I think this could open up to creative ways of living. But the one thing I know I lack is the guts. I lack the guts to leave my home, my puppies, my secure job, my friends and family behind and embark on such a journey. But that is where I am at this point...who knows, maybe as time goes on this will become a feasible opportunity!

Birthday Wishes

I have a friend who is celebrating a milestone birthday today. For her protection I won't say which one...Happy Birthday, LB. I want you to know that you are a true joy to have in my life. I am glad Janine and I decided to hire you, because if we didn't I wouldn't know you. How sad would that be? You have been a good friend, a fun Race partner, and you and L are a perfect double date. Know that you shine and sparkle and bring love and happiness to everyone who knows you. Cheers to many more birthday celebrations.

Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho, A Pirates Life for Me!

I am sitting in the quiet of my home having wrapped up a few days at Disneyland. For those of you who have not gone in a while, quiet is what you will seek after a few days at the Magic Kingdom. I even looked forward to the plane ride home (which is very unusual for me) because I could put on my IPOD, tune out the world, and sleep.

I can't describe the way a trip to Disneyland makes me feel. Let me get past all the disclaimers. Yes, it is fun on steroids. Yes, they take and take your money. Yes, it is the synthesis of corporate America and childhood fantasy. Not to sound harsh, but I could really care less about all that. Disneyland is THE place where fun is to be had. And after all Mike and I have been through, we are looking for as many ways to have fun as possible. Yes, we could travel to Europe. Yes, we could travel to New York City. And we will. But Disneyland is what we needed to celebrate hope, celebrate Mike, and celebrate the fact that we both can rock Disneyland with little misery and still love each other afterwards.

The wild card in the equation was Max Schultz, Jay and Jess' little guy. Here are my recommendations: 1. Go to Disneyland without a kid so you can be purely selfish; 2. Go to Disneyland with a kid so you can really act silly. Max was awesome. At almost 4, he defended Buzz Lightyear, got shrunk by a crazy scientist, was spooked by the happenings at the Haunted Mansion, met all of his Disney friends, saw pirates and Mr. Bones, and at as many chicken tenders as possible. What more can anyone ask for.

Am I tired? You bet! Do I have "Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for me" stuck in my head? You bet. But did I have the time of my life? Absolutely. My next question is...when can I go again?