Waiting for an oil change

I'm hanging out in what I believe is the only place with wireless internet in the town of Lyons, besides the pizza place. Yep, the pizza place is wired, but it's a little early for pizza so I'm drinking coffee instead. Every time I've come to the Barking Dog Cafe, there's always a gaggle (at least 7) of retired old people laughing it up over their coffees and breakfast burritos. I'm always the youngest one in here if it's before 8:30 am! They seem to have a good time. :)

Since I'm pretty much just goofing off on the computer, waiting for an oil change/differential fluid check etc on my truck, I'll throw in random interesting stuff.

An article about how the feds up in Montana and Wyoming in particular like to kill lots of animals - usually for the sake of ranchers. Ahhh, the never ending battle between wolves and cattle. This is part of the reason (here's a bunch more reasons why) why I still refuse to eat beef. I'd rather see the total elimination of all cows than the death of a wolf. Another reason to switch to bison! Seriously. Bison AND wolves were here LONG before cows and ranchers were. Actually, let me look up some stats to show you just why bison (or beefalo, the bison-cow hybrid) is the better choice. Let's quit this "killing wolves to reduce economic losses to ranchers"! (Yes, all those blue links are different websites)

While I was browsing, I got a kick out of this: "Great Old Broads for Wilderness." Good name. :)  They do take younger folk and men into their "wrinkled ranks," too.

I decided earlier this week that I really like walking the dog at night. Though, walking a black dog through a neighborhood with barely any lights on a black asphalt road could potentially be dangerous... But then again, I wouldn't be able to see the clear starry sky if there were lights! Fortunately, there's not a lot of traffic throug the park housing area, and we get well off the road when somebody comes by. There were quite a few shooting stars last night, and it was crisp and cold. Felt good!

I'm still assembling my telemark ski gear... Next up, bindings. Try to get those for under $120. Then, I need skins so I can go uphill. Those aren't cheap either. And I really should get a helmet for snowboarding. Thank god my unemployment check is FAT! Seriously, I can't find a job up here that pays more than unemployment! I'm much better off this winter than I was last year. I'd have to find a job for more than $11/hr for it to be finacially "worth" working. And with a few sidejobs every month, I'll be sitting pretty good! (Tim and I cut firewood for a buddy last weekend; hopefully will get to do that again... though, in a freak accident, a log bounced off the spare tire in the truck bed and shattered the back window of the work truck... just as Tim said, "Don't worry, it's plastic" when I told him to be careful of said window, ha ha! Fortunately, Wendy didn't care much, "it's a work truck" was her reply.)

Well, truck is ready and I need to go down to Boulder and run some errands. Tomorrow, Logan goes to the kennel, and I leave at 9:30 PM for the airport for a 12:30 am departure... arrive in Detroit (with the time change and 2 hr 45 minute flight) at freakin' 5:40 am!! Thank god my mom is picking me up so I can pass out. Did I already mention that I am going to the Red Wings game with my sister Friday night? Watching the U of M game on a 62" plasma HD tv with all my college friends on Saturday? Gonna be a great freakin' time!!

Quick visit to the 313; then off to New Mexico

Well, that entry just accidentally got deleted. I freaking hate using AOL. Whenever it disconnects, I lose my work!!

Halloween, I dressed up as my boyfriend. Forserious. Kim and I went to the costume shop in Boulder and I found this really sexy camper girl costume, complete with naughty badges and a really short skirt; but I also found this caveman wig and beard that looked so much like Tim! I put it on and we both couldn't stop laughing. As ridiculous as it is, I bought both costumes. Tim had absolutely no idea, even though I gave him hints like when he asked, "Is your costume sexy?" -"Well, I think it's sexy but it's not for everybody!" and "Are you a celebrity?" -"I'm known by a lot of people, and I sure think of myself as a celebrity!"

He saw it, and loved it. We went to the bar together, where with both sat down and I immediately began acting like Tim. Giving the bartender attitude, telling people what to do, generally being a cocky jackass... I told Tim that it was great being a jerk to my friends and getting away with it! He replied, "It's good to be me, isn't it?"

Everybody there was rolling with laughter. I had him down to a T! I dressed up exactly as he does - fire boots, nomex fire pants (green), trails sweatshirt (green), hat, and huge BEARD! I even put on my hockey pads to make it look like I had broad shoulders like he does.

Alas, it was fun but it was very HOT wearing all that hair and those hockey pads, and I wanted to LOOK hot! So I ran home halfway through the party at the Rock and had a sex change. People were quite shocked to see me go from being a hilarious costume as a man, to a way sexy costume as a babe! Halloween is the best!

Logan was, of course, a K-9 cop. He didn't mind the gun or handcuffs, but he hated that hat. That's ok, I think those hats looks stupid too. ;)

I am going back to Michigan this Friday for a few days; Tim leaves for Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico tomorrow. When I get back, I am going hunting with Tate around here, then heading down to meet him. Looks like we are eating sushi in Santa Fe for Thanksgiving! Bummer to miss the shoot-out with our friends and their guns up here like last year, but it should be a good time!

Oh, and let me gloat. GO BLUE! GO LIONS! GO REDWINGS!

Now, I have to go watch football. GO EAGLES!

Yeah, my last entry was much better written. Which is why of course it had to get deleted. !!!

 

From Halloween and...

Log Dog's Limp

So, my dog has hip dysplasia. Talk about a bummer. Not doing surgery yet, but it will probably come down to that sooner or later. Hip replacement..!!! I'm just not even going to think about it. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Here's some photos from us blowing up a boulder.

From Work, 2007

That is all for now.
PS: Vote for Logan!

Done for the season!

Woooo!

My last day of work was yesterday. Don't even ask what I'm going to do for a job. I've got a few options, but really I'm more excited for the fact that A-Basin opened 2 days ago!! Time to wax the board! And even more fun, I bought myself some telemark skiis! Something new to learn. I've been looking into skijorning too... that's cross country skiing while being pulled by your dog. It sounds like fun... but Log dog is limping again. This time, gotta check for hip dysplasia. He had been doing so great though! I hope he just pulled a muscle being chased by a Scotty at the dog park. What a headache!

Here's some more photos. This is the trip Tim and I took two weekends ago, to Aspen, Crested Butte, and Mt. Massive.

From Pearl Pass; M...

Never a dull moment!

Another busy month!

It's been over 3 weeks since I last updated; and boy, what a busy month it has been! Let me briefly highlight; hopefully I can get a chance to write more about each of my trips before the weekend, but we'll see.

One weekend, Logan and I went up to Long Draw Reservior/Corral Creek, in the northern part of Rocky Mt NP. It takes I think 3 hours or so to get there from Estes... Tim was building a bridge with his crew, so I wanted to check out his project and do some hiking, where the aspen had changed and the nights were cold... So we did a couple hikes up there.

Last weekend, Tim and I decided to spend the weekend camping together when he's NOT working so we could hike together. We planned on hiking the 9 miles to Conundrum Hot Springs outside of Aspen... but the 25 cars at the trailhead convinced us otherwise (did I mention, it was on a Thursday night, and there are only 18 campsites??). We didn't want to be around people, so we took the 4x4 road up to Pearl Pass, that goes between Aspen and Crested Butte. Ironically, we didn't end up doing any hiking AT ALL. Instead, we saw massive aspen of gold, orange and red; got hit by a snowstorm just as we reached the peak of Pearl Pass; "car camped" and only saw 2 other people near Twin Lakes; drove to Mt. Massive and did more off roading there; explored the old Champion Mill and Mine; had an absolutely amazing weekend. Oh, and we were thunder snowed upon at Mt. Massive. Yep - thunder, lighting... and SNOW. Freakin' LOVE IT.

Tim's back up north working on the bridge; next week, off to Bandelier NP in New Mexico for a week; I'm done working next Thursday. Already bought my expensive 5 mountain pass and ready for SNOW! Working on getting a job for the winter too. Still haven't heard from grad school.

Oh, and Tim and I looked into buying a cabin outside of Estes together. WHAT?! That's right. However, it was sold; we are still looking, but it's a pretty low chance to find another little log cabin in our price range anywhere within 2 counties of Rocky Mt. ;)

Now for the best part: LOTS OF PICTURES!!

From Scottish Iris...

Scottish Irish Highlands Festival

From Poudre River,...

Long Draw Reservior; Corral Creek; Big South Trail; Neota Creek Trail; RMNP