My baby!

Got a pupper!

12 week old shepherd/spaniel mix, named Munchkin for now - but she won't be a munchkin for long! She already has big paws... and she's such a sweetie!

Need to think of a name!

Fastest trip to Colorado EVER

I packed the mini van and hit the road for that beautiful state called Colorado.

I got as far as Ann Arbor and bailed. As I was driving up 23, I thought about going north to the U.P. But I bailed on that idea when I got to I-96 and just went back to Royal Oak.

How lame is that?! But if I'm going out west, I might as well make a better trip out of it than this lame attempt. I want to see Montana, Wyoming, AND Colorado - if I'm going to one, I might as well go to them all.

I should have had this revelation BEFORE I started driving... but I was just so excited at the thought of being back there, I didn't really think it through.

So here are some pics from Ludington, and from Chicago. I think I'll just watch TV, build a bookcase, and go to bed early. Sounds like a decent labor day weekend to me!

Hmmph

I SHOULD be on the road right now, on my way to Buffalo, Wyoming. But I think my fire buddy out there got dispatched somewhere, since his cell phone isn't working. He might be on a fire, or even helping with hurricane clean-up. So I'm not going there.

Instead, I SHOULD be on my way out to Red Rock Lakes and Dillon, Montana to visit Howard, Marilyn, Jeff, Gillian; and watch those sexy cowboys in the rodeo; and tear it up for the Labor Day party. But because of the hurricance, gas prices are outrageous and I'm a little concerned about driving THAT far - about 32 hours. So I'm not going there.

Instead, I SHOULD be on my way right now to Fort Collins/Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park, to visit Jon, Scott, and Bill; and check out all those trees and plants I slaved away at planting, transplanting, raising, killing, and restoring; and finally climbing Longs Peak; and doing some bouldering and smelling the alpine air under that deep blue sky. But my mom is trying her hardest to bribe me to stay - promising to go furniture shopping with me, and go and find me a PUPPY this weekend! Plus, it's usually nuts in Rocky Mountain around Labor Day, and gas is more expensive there than in Montana. I miss it there so badly, though, and want to go, that I just MIGHT still head out there soon. I haven't made up my mind yet.

So instead, I am relaxing in my one armchair in my apartment, watching Gigantic, a documentary on They Might Be Giants, and putting off making the decision. If I don't think about it, I don't have to worry about it, right??

WHAT SHOULD I DO?!

Or, I might just go up to Copper Harbor. I haven't been there in years. Just need to get away!!!

The biggest reason I am hesitating going to Colorado is the fact that I am worried. No road trip is very good if there is that underlying concern about how much money you are spending, how much gas is going to be, if there will be shortages, etc etc. Hard to relax and enjoy yourself!

"If there's still ramblin' in the rambler let him go!" - Yonder Mountain String Band

Uh oh!

Oh dear.

My MOM started a blog. Read it, if you want the embarassing stuff about me and my family. I just KNOW it's not going to be pretty. ;)

LOVE YOU MOM! Happy (belated) birthday!

Ludington, my old sweet "home"

I got bored of messing around with my apartment this weekend, so I decided to do something spontaneous.

I drove 3 1/2 hrs to Ludington, went for a 2 hour hike and hung out for a bit, then drove home. In one day.

Yeah some people think that's weird... Well that's me. I get a whim, I run with it. It was such a great mini road trip, too! Beautiful weather. Ludington is one of my favorite state parks in the lower peninsula.

Coincidentally, I also "lived" there one summer during college. Remember when I said I couldn't decide what to do with my Electrofishing Manual? I used to shock fishies when I worked out of the Ludington Biological Station with the Fish and Wildlife Service.

So the only person that might appreciate these pictures would be Steve. It was sortof our first "living together" experience... if you count sleeping in the back of a big, red, old Ford truck, or if you count sleeping in the tiniest, cheapest motel 15 miles outside of Ludington.

I'll post my "good" pictures of Ludington, and from my Harry Potter Chicago weekend, when I feel like it. Right now, here's a photo tribute to those good ol' days of 10 days traveling around the entire state, living from motel to motel... and then making that drive back to our parents houses for our 4 day weekends.

The Alpine Motel - just big enough for a bed! Steve and I used to call it "Home Sweet Home"

 
The Ludington Biological Station. We played with chemicals, electroshock backpacks, boats, and sea lamprey.
We cruised around the state in our big trucks... yeah, I know how to use a winch.