Mountain Musings -- Dipping My Toes Into The Blogosphere

The Aspen Blind Cafe

2012-02-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

What a unique experience. We were led through multiple layers of heavy draping into a completely dark room in a line, each with a hand tightly fastened to the shoulder of the person ahead, a blind guide (not a guide for the blind but a guide who is blind!) at the head of the line. Together, we all followed along as each person was led to his/her chair, until, one by one, we were all seated. Our food was already plated and served but due to a miscommunication, I had Kim's vegetarian plate which in and of itself wasn't easy to figure out in the dark. "Does the chicken feel like a piece of chicken?" "I don't have anything that feels like chicken on my plate." We figured out how to gingerly swap the two plates by lifting them up high above the table and gently reaching out in the dark until our fingers made contact with the hovering plate. Finding food on the plate with the fork and knife was a challenging prospect and many opted for eating with their hands. The food, prepared by the Sky Hotel's star chef, was all fantastic, a three course meal consisting of

First:

Baby Bibb with Blue Cheese, Toasted Almonds, Shaved Green Apple,

Black Pepper & Buttermilk Dressing

Second:

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast, Roasted Tomato Jus, Toasted Garlic Haricot Vert,

Cheesy Polenta

Third:

Dark Chocolate Amaretto Mousse, Vanilla Biscotti.

Since I couldn't quite bring myself to plunge my fingers into the polenta but also didn't want to sweep my food off my plate in the dark, I developed a strategy of holding my left hand at the edge of my plate at about 7 or 8 o'clock and using the fork in my right hand to push the food in that direction. Many times the fork was lifted to my mouth in anticipation, only to encounter the empty tines. Oh well, dig in again. Cutting the chicken in the dark was difficult to say the least and as I found myself stuffing too large pieces of meat into my mouth, I was aware of how ridiculous I must look, appreciative of the darkness which meant that no one could see me and in awe of every blind person who manages to eat in public without looking like a slob. The scene from The Miracle Worker where Patty Duke as Helen Keller runs around the dining room, helping herself from everyone's plates and stuffing food into her mouth was on all of our minds. Wine was identified by smell and taste and, while the majority of us had white wine, we're still not sure if some of us at the table had red wine.

While we were eating, Rick, our server who has been blind since birth, and David, another gentleman who went blind at age 37 due to a viral infection, answered questions from the diners. All of the questions were intriguing, although some were presented less pretentiously than others. It struck me that being in the dark removed the ability to judge the questioner in terms of looks, age or attire. A particularly good question regarded dreams. Rick dreams aurally with no visions since that's how he experiences the world. David dreams in 20/20 and often wakes up disappointed to find himself still blind. Rick also recited a love poem that he had written at the beginning of a relationship. I particularly liked an image he created about encouraging his girlfriend to venture outside rather than staying inside to talk on the phone with her mom who had waged a "war on her confidence."

I was for the most part very comfortable and calm sitting there in the dark. The only time I got anxious at all was when there were a series of unidentified noises immediately behind me at the edge of the room. Objectively, I knew that I was seated near a door and another room so also knew that the noises were likely emanating from kitchen workers or some such but I still experienced a quickening of my pulse and a rise in my anxiety level exacerbated by the uncertainty of the darkness.

As dining wound down, the musical performance by Rosh & One Eye Glass Broken began. Curiously, during the short musician warm up, I felt a strong urge to check my BlackBerry (cell phones were absolutely verboten due to the light they cast). Once the music began, sitting there in the complete blackness, I was irrationally irritated by any extraneous noise, even resorting to kicking Kim under the table when she persisted in rustling chocolate wrappers. In an effort to remain as self contained in my own personal space as possible, I found myself at various times during the performance sitting with my arms draped over my head or holding my glass of wine with both hands to my forehead, again acutely aware of how ridiculous I must look and appreciate of the fact that no one could see me. From that perspective, the darkness was liberating. The music, a mix of guitar, violin, cello and vocals, was very much intensified by the absence of any visual cues. There were a couple of opportunities for audience sing a longs and I was impressed with how I was able to pick out Brad and Rachel harmonizing with the musicians. The performance included a wonderful cello solo by Phil Norman entitled Paintbrush, which you can hear at gravitycello.com or via direct link at ReverbNation.

With the entertainment coming to a close, we were split on whether we wanted to be led out in the dark or if we wanted the lights to come up so that we could see our surroundings. The latter occurred and we discussed how the realities of the space differed for each of us from what we had pictured in our mind's eye in the dark. Some thought the room was larger, some thought the ceiling higher and some thought the room smaller or differently shaped. We were all pleased with how well we had done cleaning our plates or avoiding whatever food we didn't want to eat (absolutely nothing for me, it was all so good). Rachel, not being a fan of bleu cheese, had tried to shake it off her salad on its way to her mouth but had been unable to avoid it entirely. She noted how in combination with the other flavors in the salad, the bleu cheese wasn't as offensive as she finds it when she has tasted it alone and I was pleased that the darkness had forced her broaden her experience.

When I had originally seen the flyer for the Aspen Blind Cafe, I was immediately excited for the opportunity to engage in such a unique experience and I am happy to report that it absolutely lived up to my expectations. For more information on Blind Cafes in other cities, visit theblindcafe.com.

I dragged my family along and then prevailed upon them to write up their reactions. Rachel's thoughts are at Giggles and Musings and Steve's thoughts are at Americonoclastic.

My favorite Christmas PostSecret

2011-12-31T10:13:00.004-07:00

from the 12/25/2011 batch

Perpetuating the myth?

2011-11-06T10:27:00.002-07:00

I sent a letter to the editor of the Aspen Daily News today:

In her article published Sunday, 11/6/11, titled A multimillion dollar season, Carolyn Sackariason refers to the Merry Go Round restaurant on Aspen Highlands as "the old grocery store that was hauled up by the late Whip Jones, the former owner of Highlands." In an article titled Aspen Highlands restaurant ready for an extreme makeover published on 2/17/11 in The Aspen Times, Jeff Hanle says this is a myth; "The building was constructed from a kit that was apparently popular with grocery stores, according to Hanle. It is a myth that the building served as a grocery store elsewhere and was moved in sections to its perch at mid-mountain at Highlands." Which is it?

Details, details.

Burning Man 2011

2011-09-25T12:41:00.002-06:00

Burning Man thoughts:

The overarching impression is how inadequate any attempt to describe Burning Man is. To try to explain what it's all about, why it's so awesome, why it's not so bad, why people go, why I want to go again; I know that I will fall far short of adequately conveying even a small part of this to anyone who hasn't been. But, in the same spirit that took me to Burning Man despite my apprehension, here goes.

Radical self reliance, radical self expression.
Off the charts creativity (some of it at amazing expense).
Mind-boggling.
Cooler than I could ever have imagined, no where near as hard as I feared.
"Welcome home."
Generosity.
Gift economy.
Sunrise first day.
Feeling of participation due to French Maid Brigade parade.
Great weather: cool down, low wind but nice breezes, no rain.
Sand is way worse than dust.
CARCASS WASH!
Nighttime was like an anarchic Disney Parade of Lights (or a Parade of Lights on acid).
Wonderful lack of body consciousness.
Nudity inescapable (not really a problem).
Drug use not in your face.
Dubstep inescapable (boo).
Ear plugs an absolute necessity if you want to sleep.
Spray-on sunscreen rocks!
Plush fabric makes the dust more tolerable.
In terms of getting away from it all, like a shorter Grand trip where you don't have to know how to row.
At BM, you don't pick your experiences, your experiences pick you (ie, cede control).
I've never before willingly hugged so many strangers and near strangers.
Celebratory atmosphere at the Man burn.
Reverential atmosphere at the Temple burn.
Surprisingly emotional exodus.

During the weeks of preparation, a Burning Man veteran told me, "Don't be surprised if you hate it at first." Thankfully, this was not my experience, perhaps because I was warned, perhaps because I purposefully went in with an open mind and a willing spirit. Burning Man was so much cooler than I ever could have imagined and so much less difficult than I feared. Now, I will grant you that I was very lucky as a first-timer. The weather was the best that it's been in years; no day long dust storms, low wind but nice breezes, no rain (which turns the dust into mud), wonderfully cool at night. Due to a wet spring, the playa surface was ideal, hard and smooth. Due to my travel companions, I was invited to camp with an established theme camp so was able to rely on a group of highly experienced Burners to ease my entry. Since I arrived late and left late, I avoided the 4, 5, 6+ hour long waits to enter and exit. In addition, my camp was set up when I got there so I was spared a lot of initial uncertainty and anxiety.

For the most part, at least among the people I saw and the places I went, there was an amazing lack of censure. It is an exercise in self selection. You're not going to go to Burning Man if you're not willing to be tolerant and because most everyone has arrived with this philosophy, there's an ease to the playa. There's also a communal aspect, people looking out for one another. I stopped on the playa due to a problem with my bike and immediately, a roving bike mechanic materialized at my side.

The carcass wash. What, you're wondering, is a carcass wash? I've decided that the carcass wash was my favorite aspect of Burning Man, due in part to the fact that it was something specific to the French Maid Brigade camp and its neighborhood, our little awesome ritual. One of the Maids brought a pressure washer. When he felt the urge or received a request, he would fire it up and yells of "Carcass Wash!" would spread from our camp. People would then materialize in the street in front of our camp in various states of undress to be treated to a shockingly cold and fantastically refreshing carcass wash, a fine spray of a shower as we all hopped and danced around.

Burning Man is 24 hours a day. The playa never sleeps. However, I got a reasonable amount of sleep, as a conscious choice to not try to cram everything in and because of ear plugs. The dubstep, an annoying thumping electronic music, was round the clock noise which would have made sleep elusive without ear plugs.

The dust was remarkably tolerable. Granted, as I've already stated, we didn't have any real dust events. But, as opposed to the grittiness of sand, the dust was much finer, a lot like talcum powder. Given the choice between dust and sand, I choose dust.

A benefit of Burning Man for me was being forced to disconnect from my electronic connection to the outside world. I've had a few vacations where I've had that experience, RAGBRAI, my Grand Canyon river trips. At Burning Man , I had to unplug but I didn't have to ride my bike 60 miles a day or know how to row a raft.

Tickets go on sale January 18, 2012.

An edifying read

2011-06-08T10:07:00.000-06:00

Rolling Stone's June 9, 2011 issue has a highly edifying read entitled How Roger Ailes Built the Fox News Fear Factory which I found revelatory. A persistent topic of conversation amongst my dinner companions is why the Democrat's messages are so consistently drowned out. We had been approaching the topic as a compare and contrast of how the Democrats are messaging versus how the Republicans are messaging. After reading this article, I believe our starting premise is off base. It's not the Democrats versus the Republicans; it's Democrats AND rational Republicans versus the rabid dogs of Fox News. It's appalling and distressing to read Tim Dickinson's analysis and realize how much sway Roger Ailes wields over the way that policies are formulated and implemented. The graphic (on the website, a slideshow) detailing how Fox New coordinated its distortions of President Obama's State of the Union address is particularly telling. Distort, Attack, Repeat.

A recent academic study found that the ignorance of Fox viewers increases the longer they watch the network.

Ailes' strategy exhibits an outrageous disdain for the very people who make him successful, the Fox viewers. In turn, Fox viewers' anger and frustration is remarkably misplaced. Most Fox viewers resent what they see as the condescension and elitism of President Obama and other intellectuals. In fact, these are the individuals in positions of power who are actually working in others' interest while Ailes and those of his ilk, solely to advance their own self-interest, are mercilessly manipulating the Fox viewers, playing on and intentionally deepening their ignorance. In short, Ailes is exploiting the hoi-polloi in order to solidify his own upper class interests.

He'd make an excellent comic book villain. The problem is that this is real life, not a comic book, which leaves us desperately seeking an effective foil.

Shuffle and Repeat

2011-03-12T14:36:00.001-07:00

Very much looking forward to KT Tunstall's return to BellyUp Aspen at the end of next month.

In anticipation of which I have my KT Tunstall playlist on shuffle and repeat.

Great review of Madame Trudeaux off her newest album, Tiger Suit, on NPR's website. I particularly like "it stomps and rolls with glammy antagonism, and Tunstall gnashes through it with a candy-coated sneer."

15 Things You Should do in 2011

2011-01-01T12:03:00.001-07:00

Here are some recommendations for your 2011. Feel free to add your own.

1. Move. Even if that means just parking further away from your office and hoofing it to the front door. I hesitate to use the word "exercise", since that word has negative connotations for people. Here it is in a nutshell: Moving is good. It gets your dopamine levels up in your brain. It makes you feel good. The end.

2. Turn off your TV. You are exposed to violence and just plain sadness and negativity when you watch TV. Afraid you'll miss your football/basketball games? Watch them at a friend's house. Which leads to...

3. Spend more face-to-face time with people. Texting is great for brief comments and questions, and email is great for quick communication, but actually take the time to see people in person.

4. Get enough sleep. My great-uncle took naps every day of his life. He's still alert and healthy at 98. Enough said.

5. Ask yourself, "Does it really matter?" Will winning this argument help you feel better? Will it give you a greater sense of satisfaction? Only very temporarily.

6. Ask yourself, "Is this in my best interest?" And then listen to your answer. And act on it.

7. Trust your inutition. It is right 99.9% of the time. And that remaining .01%? That's the part where you're not sure you should have listened to your intuition, but months, years from now you'll realize you did the right thing.

8. Spend part of every day in silence. Turn off the music, TV, anything that makes noise. Just sit. And be.

9. Read. And if you aren't into reading, listen to books on iTunes, MP3, CD, whatever.

10. Create a budget. You know what's scarier than having to follow a budget? Not having one at all. I'm not talking about a budget in minute detail - just know what you are paying for each month, and how much you are paying for it.

11. Take your medication as prescribed. And if you aren't taking it, see #7. Maybe you aren't taking it for a good reason (side effects, it's no longer effective, etc.) See your doctor. And be open and honest with him/her.

12. Learn to be okay with impermanence. Once you come to terms with the fact that every single thing in life is not permanent, you start appreciating it more.

13. Travel. Even if expenses are tight, find a way. Even if you are a tourist in your own city or state. People were meant to visit other places. It makes your neurons happy.

14. Make a list of lifetime goals. Some people call this a "bucket list". That sounds kind of morbid to me, but whatever you call it, write down the things you want to accomplish in your life - no matter how outlandish they may seem. The fact that you've written your goals down means you've taken a huge step towards accomplishing them.

15. Unplug. Spend at least 2 hours every day away from your iPhone, Blackberry, laptop, anything electronic. Sounds easy, right? Try it.

by Dr. Stephanie Sarkis for Here, There and Everywhere, A Psychology Today blog

I AM

2010-12-27T00:00:00.003-07:00

Tom Shadyac, an extremely successful Hollywood director, had all the toys and luxuries that money could buy but still wasn't happy. Then he had a mountain biking accident which left him with post-concussive syndrome. As he dealt with his injuries and continued to question, he set out on a journey that resulted in the uplifting documentary, I AM.

I AM illustrates its message, "We're all connected" persuasively in scientific and straightforward terms. It makes the case that cooperation, not competition, is far more important to the Darwinian world we inhabit and that the smallest of actions can have impact. Rather than be paralyzed by the enormity of the problems, I AM encourages us to act with empathy and sympathy.

Shadyac did a Q&A session after the movie and I was impressed with the level of intelligence present in his discourse. Some in the audience wished to take his message into the realm of new age spirituality and Shadyac did an admirable job of validating their views while still maintaining a grounded realism. It seems to me that there is something to this idea that while we can't yet scientifically explain it, we are all connected on a physical, biological but mysterious level. He uses an Einstein example of two spinning atoms separated by a great distance, each of which simultaneously mirrors changes made in the other's rotation. We don't yet understand why it occurs, but we know it does. The linear, rational being that I am appreciated Shadyac's well-reasoned argument.

I saw the movie, What the #$*! Do We Know, a few years back and left the theater feeling like I had just been fed a bunch of weird mumbo-jumbo. It was just too over the top. I AM strikes me as similar but much more plausibly presented than What the #$*! Do We Know.

And taking its message to heart can't hurt.

Who do I look like?

2010-12-26T14:03:00.001-07:00

Steve and I went to see Tom Shadyac's documentary, I AM, last night at the Wheeler Opera House, Tom Shadyac being the director of Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, Bruce Almighty, Liar Liar, among others.

As we were walking up the stairs, someone I did not recognize at all greeted me with 'Hi! Good to see you again!" Now, living in a small town, this is not an uncommon experience but usually the person is at least vaguely familiar. Not this time, so, as I was searching my memory in vain for some spark of recognition, I quickly smiled and acknowledged him with the customary niceties. As we went our separate directions, I turned to Steve and whispered, "I have absolutely no idea how I know that guy."

A short while later, whilst sitting in the balcony of the Wheeler awaiting the start of the movie, a young guy across the way waved and smiled a greeting to me. Again, no recognition. Was he waving at me? It sure seemed like it. So, now I'm just wondering who else I'm going to see that I don't recognize and I'm feeling a bit sheepish about my lack of recognition skills.

The movie started and almost immediately, I saw the guy from the stairs on the screen. What? Tom Shadyac thinks he knows me? Well, that's kinda cool. But I did spend the rest of the movie wondering, "Who do I look like?"

(*I'll tell you what I thought of the movie in a separate post)

Disappointed

2010-12-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Although I'm disappointed in Obama's failure to go to the mat on tax cuts, I'm still enough of a fan that I'm open to an explanation that will help me understand. In furtherance of that end, I watched yesterday's press conference and was struck by his monologue at the end. What he had to say was compelling and I will be watching this story develop with interest.

So this notion that somehow we are willing to compromise too much reminds me of the debate that we had during health care. This is the public option debate all over again. So I pass a signature piece of legislation where we finally get health care for all Americans, something that Democrats had been fighting for for a hundred years, but because there was a provision in there that they didn’t get that would have affected maybe a couple of million people, even though we got health insurance for 30 million people and the potential for lower premiums for 100 million people, that somehow that was a sign of weakness and compromise.

Now, if that’s the standard by which we are measuring success or core principles, then let’s face it, we will never get anything done. People will have the satisfaction of having a purist position and no victories for the American people. And we will be able to feel good about ourselves and sanctimonious about how pure our intentions are and how tough we are, and in the meantime, the American people are still seeing themselves not able to get health insurance because of preexisting conditions or not being able to pay their bills because their unemployment insurance ran out.

That can’t be the measure of how we think about our public service. That can’t be the measure of what it means to be a Democrat. This is a big, diverse country. Not everybody agrees with us. I know that shocks people. The New York Times editorial page does not permeate across all of America. Neither does The Wall Street Journal editorial page. Most Americans, they’re just trying to figure out how to go about their lives and how can we make sure that our elected officials are looking out for us. And that means because it’s a big, diverse country and people have a lot of complicated positions, it means that in order to get stuff done, we’re going to compromise. This is why FDR, when he started Social Security, it only affected widows and orphans. You did not qualify. And yet now it is something that really helps a lot of people. When Medicare was started, it was a small program. It grew.

Under the criteria that you just set out, each of those were betrayals of some abstract ideal. This country was founded on compromise. I couldn’t go through the front door at this country’s founding. And if we were really thinking about ideal positions, we wouldn’t have a union.

So my job is to make sure that we have a North Star out there. What is helping the American people live out their lives? What is giving them more opportunity? What is growing the economy? What is making us more competitive? And at any given juncture, there are going to be times where my preferred option, what I am absolutely positive is right, I can’t get done.

And so then my question is, does it make sense for me to tack a little bit this way or tack a little bit that way, because I’m keeping my eye on the long term and the long fight -- not my day-to-day news cycle, but where am I going over the long term?

And I don’t think there’s a single Democrat out there, who if they looked at where we started when I came into office and look at where we are now, would say that somehow we have not moved in the direction that I promised.

Take a tally. Look at what I promised during the campaign. There’s not a single thing that I’ve said that I would do that I have not either done or tried to do. And if I haven’t gotten it done yet, I’m still trying to do it.

And so the -- to my Democratic friends, what I’d suggest is, let’s make sure that we understand this is a long game. This is not a short game. And to my Republican friends, I would suggest -- I think this is a good agreement, because I know that they’re swallowing some things that they don’t like as well, and I’m looking forward to seeing them on the field of competition over the next two years.

Rally for Americans in Favor of a Return to Sanity or Something Like That

2010-10-01T14:35:00.001-06:00

"Which is what we gotta call it now"

President Obama renames Jon Stewart's (The Daily Show) Rally to Restore Sanity.
See the full excerpt (oxymoron?) here:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

BBQ & A<a>

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Rally to Restore Sanity

Tumblr

2010-09-30T09:09:00.000-06:00

Since I have way too much time on my hands, I've started playing around with Tumblr. It's kinda fun, the way it can gather all of my different social media outlets in one place. As with any new toy, I have no idea how long it'll be before I tire of it but for the time being, that's where my "creative" impulses are landing.

http://iammbb.tumblr.com

Dear Rachel - 9.20.10

2010-09-20T22:30:00.002-06:00

Dear Rachel,

I had a quiet day today. Did some work from home, got caught up on some stuff, did some (but not all!) homework. Now I've got a busy day tomorrow, what with payroll, a conference call and class. Hmm. Maybe I should have gone in to the office today . . .

Not much else to report. I'm excited for Glee tomorrow night. Have you already listened to all the music? I'll wait.

I've been recording some stuff on the DVR but I haven't really watched any of it. That's not really the point, now is it? (Not sure where the comma should go in that last sentence.)

Sucks that you still haven't received 9/2 and 9/3. But at least now that I've emailed them, you'll be able to catch up.

How's that homework coming? :-P

Love,

Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.19.10

2010-09-19T20:34:00.002-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Well, we're home but we had fun driving the TT down those lonely highways. Steve got it up to 130 today. That's crazy fast. I didn't like it, I mean the car felt fine, it just seems like it would be too easy for something to go wrong.

Yesterday was very nice until I got sick. Then it sucked. Today too. I drank a Sprite and ate Saltines. I actually dozed off in the car which is very unusual for me.

Clark was very happy to see us and was pretty lovey-dovey for a little while but then Ellie went after him after he jumped off the couch onto her. I went over to make sure that he was okay and while I was holding him, he scratched my temple and bit my nose. I screamed at him in pain and he immediately just hung there in my hand. Steve thinks we should just go ahead and declaw him since he can't go outside. I'm willing to be persuaded. He has trashed the side of the couch.

The aspens are in full yellow. It was really beautiful driving through southern Colorado and over the pass. There were even bits of orange here and there.

Work tomorrow. I'm envious that you have the day off. But, of course, you do have homework to do.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.17.10

2010-09-17T20:25:00.003-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Back to little paper again . . .

Drove to Angel Fire today. Got a later start than we wanted but don't we always? Left Aspen just before 10:30 am and drove over the pass. We stopped at the top and then once on the way down and then not again until we hit Taos. I played with the TT, seeing how it felt and what it could do. On one straight shot, I got it up to 115. It could have done more comfortably but I was a bit freaked out by the number. 115. I then set the cruise control at 94. It was great at passing on the one lane highways. And I loved telling people here, yep it's gonna be mine. I told Steve that once I own it, he's going to see a whole nother side of me. I'm gonna remind you of your dad, washing my car every week. That's how I was when I had the Saab.

We got here before everyone and were starving since we hadn't stopped at all. Steve really wants to walk around the Taos square so we decided to drive the 25 miles back there and find a place to eat. We got there, parked, checked voice mail and found out that we were supposed to be meeting up with Campo back in Angel Fire. So we loaded back into the car and drove back 25 miles. Maybe we'll stay in Taos on Sunday night.

It's been fun talking to everyone but then it'll get sad. Such a crazy thing.

We met at the golf club for drinks and then drove up to Sandie's parents' house where we visited and ate. Then we came back to the hotel where the guys are still down hanging out in the bar. The memorial is tomorrow at 2 pm so I'm sure we'll hang out some more tomorrow morning.

Mark really appreciated our all being here. I'm touched by how appreciative he is. I'm glad we came. It's so important to be there for your friends.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.16.10

2010-09-16T22:29:00.004-06:00

Dear Rachel,

We just got home from picking up Kim's car. It's complicated! And even more so trying to figure it out in the dark. It'll be fun to drive it over the pass.

I loved your text, "You know, I kinda like being the good girl." I know I already told you but it made me proud. I'm sorry you missed Aaron Sorkin but I'm proud of you for not skipping class. Such a hard decision.

Hey! We've got a full-time opening for a receptionist. Want the job?

Nowhere near ready to leave in the morning so I'm going to bed so maybe we can leave somewhere near 8 am.

Love, Mommie :-)

p.s. Yuck. Boring, plain paper.

Dear Rachel - 9.15.10

2010-09-15T21:44:00.001-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Hmmm. Last printed sheet of this stationery too.

Struggling a bit to come up with something worth writing tonight. Pretty mundane day so not much interesting to say.

I'm glad you were able to be productive today and that you feel good about it. I'm proud that you're making such a conscious effort to stay on top of things. That'll make a huge difference in keeping things manageable.

Crazy stuff happening in these mid-term elections. Makes me want to be sure that you get a mail-in ballot. Have you heard anything about the Tea Party lady in Delaware? Scary. If only the crazies vote, only the crazies will get elected.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.14.10

2010-09-14T23:17:00.003-06:00

Dear Rachel,

I'm sorry you think that you miss me more than I miss you. It's not really a competition but it's natural that you're feeling more uncertainty and anxiety. You're dealing with so much that's new, unfamiliar and stressful. You're trying to navigate new expectations and challenges, all of which force you to miss the familiar more keenly. But this is your time to explore and experience, still with some measure of a safety net. Embrace the challenges and see where they take you! And take comfort in the knowledge that the familiar is out there even as you create new familiar.

Envious that you have the possibility of seeing Aaron Sorkin. Not thrilled about you missing class, though. That's a tough call.. Can't condone it but can't condemn it either.

I had my photography class again today. I'm learning a lot about all of the possibilities of digital cameras. Will it make me a better photographer?

We got one of those water fountain things for Clark since he loves to drink from the faucet so much. We also got an automated food dispenser. It'll probably take him about two seconds to learn what that noise means. He should be all set for his first weekend home alone.

We'll be missing the Snowmass Balloon Festival and some bazaar that they're having in Aspen. Should be fun stuff for Grandma & Papa and the Havertys to check out.

You should call Grandma Nina. Try to stay in touch with her regularly.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.13.10

2010-09-13T23:15:00.003-06:00

Dear Rachel,

One of the productions companies responsible for the movie we saw tonight is called A Likely Story and its log is a drawing of a "Bad Panda." Really! You should google it. They have a Facebook page with their logo. Got me thinking about what you might name your future production company. Sad Panda Productions? Sidewalk to Nowhere Productions? Happy Moose Productions? Triquetra Productions? CharmedFreak Productions? I could go on . . .

The movie, Please Give, was odd. Papa's response when it was over was "Wow." Not "Wow!" but "Wow." He and Grandma wondered if Jon Busch was going to come back on stage to explain it.

I'm feeling pretty productive this evening since I worked all day, went to a movie, finished my homework (sorta), posted a picture and am now writing your letter. I never turned the TV on so that probably helped.

The saga of the car may be settling down. The saleswoman wasn't able to find any black Q5s so Kim's going to just wait until December for the blue one that she already ordered. Or so she says. I'm not sure that she's patient enough. We'll see.

I guess you're getting into it, the college grind, since your texts to me have precipitously fallen off. That's ok, I'm just wondering if I pulled the trigger too quickly on the change in text plans.

I started moving books on to your shelves.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.12.10

2010-09-12T23:15:00.000-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Oh no! I missed a day! I think the irregular mail delivery at the University Center has taken the wind out of my sails. Well, that and the TV are probably both to blame. I've been staying up way too late. Friday night (really Saturday morning) I was up until 1:30 am even though I had to get up and go to class. I was exhausted last night and now it's 11:15 pm.

We went to Grandma & Papa's for dinner and I DVR'd the MTV VMA's so we just watched maybe half. Crazy stuff. I'd never seen Justin Bieber before. What's the attraction? That Eminem song is growing on me. Who is Chelsea Handler and why did someone think she'd be a good host? These are rhetorical questions by the way.

It looks like we're back to December for Kim's car. She really likes the blue so I think she should wait and get what she wants. We're still planning to take it to New Mexico next weekend. We're going to take Ellie too. Poor Clark has to stay home.

Leaves are turning and it's getting cold here, especially early in the morning.

Love, Mommie :-)

p.s. Even though I didn't write a letter yesterday, I do get huge points for mailing your package especially since I had to go out of my way for an envelope since they neglected to restock the priority mail supplies in the post office lobby!

Dear Rachel - 9.10.10

2010-09-10T22:59:00.000-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Well, I feel like I'm back in college. I just fell asleep doing my homework. Hopefully, I'll get up in time to finish it tomorrow.

More old school stationery. We've moved from Woodstock and Peanuts to carousel horses. I was quite a fan of carousel horses.

Kim found out today that she lost out on the Q5 that would have been here by the end of the month so now she's broadening her range of color choices in an attempt to increase her odds of getting one before Christmas. The limitations of the lack of dealers in the valley are a bit frustrating. She'd love to look at other makes but doesn't think it wise.

I'll be in class tomorrow while you are. How cool is that? Ok, not really, but whatever.

Clark's being a troublemaker. Ellie got tired of keeping him in line so she left and now I'm unprotected. He's got the huge pupils and he's trying to burrow under the lap desk again. Now he's just lying in wait. This is probably going to hurt but I have a spray bottle at the ready.

I'm glad you're going to brunch with Jackie and Zanny. That should be nice.

Today was Ashley's last day. We're sad. We do however have high hopes for our two new hires. You're going to come back and not know anyone . . .

Love, Mommie :-)

Hmph

2010-09-10T21:37:00.000-06:00

The University Center appears to have a few kinks to work out with its mail delivery. Although I have written and mailed a letter every day since we left Chicago on Sunday, 8/29/10, Rachel has only received the first three letters. It's been over a week since she's received one.

At least she's still receiving her packages . . .

Dear Rachel - 9.9.10

2010-09-09T22:32:00.002-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Grandma & Papa are here! We picked them up from the airport and then we went out to dinner at the Pitkin County Tavern. I love those corn fritters!

We're testing our DVR. Since we're losing our badge of honor of not owning a TV, we're seizing upon the fact that since our cable was turned on 24 hours ago, we've only watched the Vuelta a Espana on live TV. And we've christened our DVR with the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. So I'd argue that we're still occupying some high ground here.

Another work day with not much else to talk about. Oh, except that Kim heard from the Audi saleswoman that her new car may be here by the end of the month.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.8.10

2010-09-08T22:48:00.003-06:00

Dear Rachel,

I am so tired. It's 10:38 pm. The Comcast cable guy who was supposed to come between 1 and 5 didn't get here until after 7 pm. He didn't leave until after 8, then we ate dinner (Steve cooked chicken. He made tuna last night). After setting up our new voicemail and playing with the DVR, it is now past my bedtime. Still need to figure out why the on screen caller id isn't working and how to skip commercials but not tonight.

Cool, grey rainy day today but it cleared up in time for me to ride my bike home. The weather should be nice for Grandma & Papa the next few days.

This letter is looking pretty short. Not much going on since we didn't chat much and I basically worked.

More tomorrow?

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.7.10

2010-09-07T22:57:00.000-06:00

Dear Rachel,

First day of college class! Sorry you're not thrilled about one of your instructors. Maybe he'll grow on you. I'm heartened to hear your reaction to your classmate who's opting to go the Sparks Notes route. As with most everything, it is especially true with regards to college that you get out of it what you put into it. Cutting corners or being lazy academically only lessens your experience and limits the rewards to be reaped. This is what I hope for you, that you make the most of your opportunities and allow them to take you in the direction of fulfillment of your dreams.

I had class today too. It'll be fun for me to further hone my photography skills. It's been such a great way to add a little variety to my day and an excellent motivation to get out and about.

As much as I'm looking forward to Hawaii, this trip has become a bit of a pain. Not that I want to have to choose but if I did, I might just have to opt for San Francisco. But as I write this, Jack Johnson comes on Pandora and images of Lahaina and Ka'anapali float through y head and I get excited all over again. Just struggling to balance work and travel. It can be so painful to return to the workpile.

Looking around the living room, I like the new set-up. It's cozy. Cable guy comes tomorrow.

Grandma & Papa come the day after tomorrow. The weather here has been nice but it's definitely getting colder. It was 35 degrees when I left for work this am. But it was a gorgeous 70 degrees at lunch. Fall in the Rockies!

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.6.10

2010-09-06T22:19:00.002-06:00

Dear Rachel,

So sad. I've used up all the decorated sheets! Oh well, it only took 30 years. I can't believe we're averaging 25 texts per day. I'm sure that average will drop once you start classes. Tomorrow. OMG. Are you ready?

I found some really old video tapes today from like 1996 and 1997. I haven't watched it all but there's footage of you skiing and of your kindergarten or pre-school graduation. So cute! Maybe I'll post it to Facebook or Youtube.

I put all the hanging clothes from my closet into your closet. I'm going to put them back in my closet as I wear them and then anything left in your closet will go to the Thrift Store. At least that's the plan. We finally put all the boxes in the crawl space today. I put your Venetian masks in a box by themselves with tissue paper so I think they'll be fine. We had all of Grandma's dishes in one box but it was way too heavy so Steve put them in two separate boxes which were much more manageable.

We talked to Shelly today about Simone. Shelly said that Simone has already been on a winery tour and will be touring the Guinness brewery when she does a school trip to Ireland. Totally different deal in Europe . . .

Quiet day today. We did some organizing around the house, then Jazmin came so we went to Big Wrap and then over to Barb's parents' house to help with a few things since they're moving to Grand Junction. Back home, where I made dinner with some garden fresh veggies from Barb and some Saturday Market pasta. Yep, we empty nesters sure are boring!

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.5.10

2010-09-05T21:25:00.004-06:00

Dear Rachel,

A bit of a lazy day today. Relaxed at home this morning, then out to enjoy the weather in town. We walked over to Wagner Park with Ellie, where we read and watched a little volleyball, a little touch football, a little kite flying and a little canine frolicking. Then back home where we sat out on the porch until it started to get dark.

The only hiccup was when Clark Kent wandered into Chris' house. You'll be pleased to know that he can't be an outdoor cat now. Hopefully, that'll be the end of it.

It was great to see you tonight on Skype. I had fun yelling at you from 1100 miles away. :-P

Kim just called and told me why she didn't want me to say anything about the TT when we ran into each other earlier. She was with two other docs who both have TTs. One had been instrumental in talking her into buying hers and the other is bummed that he has to sell his 'cause he just had a second baby. So there was no need for me to edit out the details online but whatever. She just didn't want me bringing it up in front of those two. Steve and I are going to take it to Angel Fire in two weeks. That should make a sad trip a bit more fun.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.4.10

2010-09-04T23:57:00.002-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Two nights in a row, you said you would text me good night and you haven't. You must not love me! :-P

I hope you enjoyed the fireworks. Maybe it was fun seeing them with people who aren't as jaded about them as some of the people around here.

Steve's brushing Ellie right now. She's not thrilled. She got a shower earlier. Her last one was the day I left for Chicago. Clark's running around and meowing like the crazy cat he is.

We saw the Girl Who Played with Fire tonight. Even though they're subtitled foreign films, they're thrillers so you might like them. They are a bit violent, though. This one was good but there were a couple of times I got angry because characters were doing stupidly implausible things. Suzannah reports however that those particular events play out differently in the book. Have you read the books? I can't remember. I thought Steve had but he hasn't. I'm kinda confused.

Other than the movie, I did the Saturday Market and a little Labor Day sale shopping. I also cleaned out two kitchen cabinets and packed up some dishes. I'm starting the whole purging process. Don't be too nervous. I put most of Grandma's dishes in a box to go in the crawl space for you.

Aunt Leah called and left a message thanking us for the Kindle. I texted her your phone number so she'll probably call you. I just remembered that our voicemail says, "you've reached Bridget, Rachel and Steve . . ." Hmmm. Should I change it when I re-record it for Comcast?

Love, Mommie :-P

Dear Rachel - 9.3.10

2010-09-03T22:12:00.014-06:00

Dear Rachel,

You got my first letters today! I'm glad you liked them. We haven't yet had a chance to talk about them but hopefully we will tomorrow.

Steve and I went directly to the food area at JazzAspen and at at Sisters' Pantry (one of everything!). Kim wasn't there today because she has house guests but she'll probably be there over the weekend. We missed the first band, Calexico, but caught the second band which was a crazy mix of rock and polka and some Latin influences. DaVotchKa. Wilco was good too but the scene was nothing like Black Eyed Peas.

Clark is trying to burrow under my lap desk. Crazy cat. We sprayed that Keep Off stuff all over so now the whole house smells like cilantro and Ellie keeps sneezing.

I thought our text conversation about your clothing/fashion style was very interesting. I'll say it again: I'm very proud of you and I'm enjoying watching you become the woman you're going to be. It's going to be a fun journey.

The saga of Kim's car continues. She found out last night that if she gets a different color combination, her car could be here in the States in 10 days. She decided today to go ahead and order it and she started to get excited. But then the salesperson didn't get back to her all day so she's kinda deflated and left in limbo.

Our Comcast cable and phone service is being installed on Wednesday. Huge change. The Comcast salesman was flummoxed when I told him I hadn't had a TV for 10 years. Guess he doesn't hear that every day.

Love,

Mommie ;-)

Dear Rachel - 9.2.10

2010-09-02T23:45:00.005-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Sitting in the reclining chair, listening to Pandora Radio on the TV/DVD, waiting for Steve to we can go to Carl's and Red Box.

Earlier when I was thinking about what I might write to you tonight, I thought about how proud I am of your insistence on maintaining a positive attitude. I loved your text about how if there's anything you know how to do, it's cope. You're so strong. As someone who shares this trait, I well know that there are plenty of times when you wish you didn't have to be strong, either because things were easier or because someone else was there to be the strong one. But realize that our strength serves us well. It is a huge tool which we wield to improve our circumstances and create a more positive reality. I'm so thankful I was able to pass that along to you.

But that's just what I thought about telling you earlier. Since then, I've spoken with you and experienced your excitement about your afternoon. I'm so glad that your coping mechanism paid off so well and so quickly.

We just got back with The Messenger. It might be a bit of a bummer.

Kim's in a bit of a tizzy. She ordered her new car, an Audi Q5, which was supposed to be ready around Thanksgiving but she got a call back saying, oops, it won't really be ready until Christmas. Now she's questioning whether she still wants the car or whether she should be starting her search over. I told her she just has to make sure she gets what she wants.

I hope you went down to the dance. Of course, I'll know before you read this . . .

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 9.1.10

2010-09-01T23:35:00.002-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Ah. Back to my favorite pen!

We went to Get Low tonite. Suzannah said they forgot the S. It was pretty slow moving. I"m glad I saw it but I wouldn't give it a glowing review. It sorta deflated half way through the movie and the climax felt forced. But the denouement did make both Suzannah and me sniffle. We're talking about seeing The American next. I wasn't sure I was all that interested but then Roger Ebert tweeted that he really liked it.

We might go to Angel Fire, NM for Campo's wife's memorial service. It's on September 18. We'll see. We might feel odd since we didn't know her but we want to be there for Campo.

We're also talking about going to San Francisco in November for Suzannah's birthday. That'll be fun. She's thinking Napa and San Fran, both of which are on my to do list so I'm excited.

I was kinda crabby at work today. At one point, I had a mini mental meltdown and had to just get off the phone. At another point, I was able to maintain my cool even when someone was yelling at me over the phone, although I did end up having to hang up on her.

Ellie just hid her biscuit under my leg.

But I'm slowly climbing out of the traveling hole. I am very annoyed about an upcoming hearing. I'm having a hard time staying objective.

We ordered a new double ottoman today. It's like the one we have but brown and twice as big. Hence the double.

I'm also trying again to order sour cherry jellie bellies. We'll see if this batch is in better shape.

I think it's ironic that I'm writing you letters on my college stationery but you don't have any.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 8.31.10

2010-08-31T23:21:00.003-06:00

Dear Rachel,

This morning, the house was weird. It had an odd vibe, kinda empty, like this is how it's going to be from now on, very different. Clark spent the whole night curling up on my legs and waking me up. There's a big indentation on your bed where I think he slept while we were gone and Ellie was with Erin. Ellie got to go to work with us for most of the day but even so, she was unusually excited to see us when we got home tonight from dinner.

We took Jill to the Pitkin County Tavern. It still hasn't taken off like Double Dog did. Not sure what it's about, why there's resistance. Other than the fact that they serve Riesling by the glass, there's quite a bit of suffering by comparison. But I had the corn fritters again and they're still good.

(edit)

Today was a big day at work. Almost a week's worth of checks waiting for me and they all had to be posted today for the month end. Steve came in, got all the checks mailed out and got caught up on all the scanning. He's not as distracting as you were! :-)

Do you like my stationery? I've had it since I was your age. Clearly I haven't written a lot of letters in the last 30 years.

We rearranged the living room to accommodate the new TV. The coffee table/trunk is now against the wall where the couch was and the couch is facing it, kinda in the middle of the room with its back to the wall of bookcases. The TV and DVD/Blu Ray player are on top of the trunk under the painting of the Maroon Bells. We're going to get one of those double bench storage ottomans (like the small one in front of the chair) for in front of the couch. The couch is a little off center so there's a pathway into the seating arrangement between the desk and the couch.

We tried to watch a couple of my movies from China but kept striking out. The Phillip Morris movie was dubbed in some Eastern European language with Chinglish subtitles and Toy Story 3 was Russian. We were finally able to watch Seriously Moonlight with Meg Ryan but it wasn't very good. We did test the cable to see if it worked but I vaguely recall the repair guy turning it off a few years ago. I didn't have a chance to call today so it'll still be a bit before we really have TV.

It has occurred to me that if I take over your closet and dresser, you won't have any room for your clothes if you come home next summer. I wonder if you will come home next summer.

I sent your robe today with a few odds and ends we found behind your printer stand and your shelf. Nothing too exciting but, hey, it's a package!

Still have to post pictures so I'm going to end here.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 8.30.10

2010-08-30T23:12:00.002-06:00

Dear Rachel,

Trying to decide whether to stop at Costco. We have 12 miles before the one in the Denver area. Or we could go to Sam's Club. Or Best Buy, Wal-Mart or Target. Where's the best deal? Not enough time to research!

We can see the mountains.

Oops. Just drove past Costco. It snuck up on us so we'll get off at the next exit and circle back.

Success! We are now the proud owners of a Vizio 32 inch TV and a companion DVD/Blu Ray player (we opted now to get the 3D capability). So now we can watch movies even if we don't have cable yet. Who knows? Maybe we'll discover that we've had cable all along.

Now we're climbing into the mountains. Poor little RAV is working hard.

We just drove by Idaho Springs where they're watering the athletic field with the fire department hook and ladder. Ah, small towns.

I think of questions to ask you but I'll save them for phone calls or emails since I don't want to pressure you to respond to my letters. Plus I'm not convinced you would respond by letter and I don't want to get invested in whether you do. The letters are my no pressure gift to you. You're welcome to respond but there's no expectation that you do so. No guilt! You'll have plenty of other assignments to feel guilty about.

Starbucks stop!

Tomorrow's the last day of the month and I'm going to have a bunch of work to do for month end so I'm going to have Steve get up and accompany me when I go in early to scan all the mail from the past weekend mail out the checks I cut last Tuesday. You know, all that stuff you used to do.

Love, Mommie :-)

Dear Rachel - 8.29.10

2010-08-29T22:49:00.002-06:00

Dear Rachel,

This will probably all be stale by the time it reaches you. It may also be less than legible. But I thought you might appreciate something in your mail box, other than junk mail, bank statements or bills. Email and texts are speedier but letters (even on stupidly small pieces of paper) are more satisfying.

We just crossed the Missouri River into Nebraska and have 270 miles to go to North Platte. It's 4:35 pm in Denver and 5:35 pm in Chicago. I don't know what time it is here.

We're listening to Bob Woodward's book, Plan of Attack. It's a bit ironic listening to how the Iraq war started, now that Obama is pulling out the combat troops. It's a bit, no, a lot, frustrating listening to all the speculation about WMDs, now that we know the truth. At one point, they discussed a speech Bush made at a West Point commencement and I wondered how may of that day's graduates went on to die in Iraq for those phantom WMDs.

We've discovered that either our gas tank isn't as big or the RAV doesn't get as good gas mileage as the Forester. Papa says he can get to Aspen on three tanks of gas and it's going to take us three tanks to get to North Platte.

Pen died. I have refills but not here. Now I'm writing with a pen from the Emerson Resort & Spa. Is that the place we went for Aunt Leah's birthday? Did I tell you that her Kindle finally shipped on Friday? I wonders if she already has one.

I feel like I'm a bad mom 'cause I'm not terribly emotional about you going to college. Everybody keeps asking me, implying that I should be. No one's asking Steve. I am going to miss you. I know you'll miss me too but you'll be moving on, finding new people, making new connections, doing things with new friends. I'm going back to my life, only it'll be missing a huge piece, a person with whom I did a lot. But it's as it should be. You're supposed to be moving forward, finding your future. I know it's scary right now because it's all so new but I'm so excited for you. I'm also very proud of your determination to stay positive. You know my philosophy about creating your own reality. If you maintain a positive attitude, you'll get repaid with positivity.

I wish I had my lap desk with me. Maybe this would be more legible . . .

My plan is to keep a copy to post to my blog once you receive this (don't want to ruin the surprise). So once you get this, let me know and I'll post a copy you can actually read. I might edit it a bit depending on what I end up writing to you so you'll still have to try to make all of this out.

I know it seems unfair that we're talking about getting a TV now that you're gone but it's kinda because you're gone. We think it might be really quiet in the house now. We have visions of sitting in the house starring at each other. We haven't decided but I did look to see where Costco and Sam's Club in Denver are in case we decided to stop on the way home to buy a TV. We talked about how we would rearrange the living room to accommodate a TV. As I write this, it occurs to me that we could turn your room into a TV room. Hmmm. Maybe not. It might be too close to our bedroom and too loud.

It'll be interesting to see if this week ends up being a good thing, I mean, in terms of having a week before classes start. It seems like it would have been disastrous for someone really homesick. I'm glad you're in a more positive place.

Papa's going to mail your pillow cases and shams to you. I guess they'll put slips in your box when you get packages. I kinda wish you had your own box. I liked opening my box and knowing that everything in it was for me.

I've already read your blog. I pulled it up on my phone while we were still in Iowa. I liked it. Boy, we packed a lot in, the car and the week. Literally and figuratively. More stuff to go in Grandma and Papa's crawl space next summer. I told Papa I'd try to get some of my stuff out of there but we didn't get to it. I vaguely recall going up there once since we moved to Colorado and not finding too much that belonged to me. But I could be making that up.

Hmmm. I just looked up to see that the speed limit is 75 but Steve is going 68 . . . I'll probably edit this part out when I post it.

Well, according to the GPS, we have 206 more miles. It's 5:28 pm and we'll get there at 8:24 pm. Still a long way to go.

I asked Steve earlier what he was feeling about this transition. He said it's a mixture of sadness about how much we're going to miss you and excitement about all the new experiences you're going to have. For me, it's both of those plus a small measure of relief that I won't have to engage in the balancing act between the two of you as much any more. You two have been doing so much better but running interference still took a lot of energy. I'm thinking it'll be easier now that you're in different states. :-P

Well, that's frustrating. We listened to the first 3.5 of 6 discs of the book and then it started getting really static-y. I messed with all the levels to no avail but when we put music on (using the iPod), the sound is fine so at least it's not the speakers. I'm guessing we'll never listen to the rest of that book . . . I'll have to try a different one later to see if it happens with any other audio book.

Love, Mommie :-)

The Other Guys' End Credits

2010-08-22T09:42:00.003-06:00

We went to see The Other Guys on Friday night. While there were laugh out loud moments, it wasn't as consistently strong as Anchorman or Talladega Nights. It does leave you with funny takeaway moments, you know, the kind you laugh about as you're walking out of the theater.

The best part, though, was the surprisingly sobering end credits which laid out in eyegrabbing detail exactly how appalling the financial crimes shaking our economy are. Moviefone has an article about it and you can watch the end credits in their entirety below. If the video below won't play, here's the link.

Orientation

2010-07-28T21:07:00.000-06:00

Wow. I'm exhausted. I don't remember college orientation being so exhausting. 14.5 hours of virtually non-stop activity.

I am so jealous of Rachel. She'll be living right on State Street in the South Loop, 3 blocks from Grant Park and the lakefront. What a tremendous experience.

She got her class schedule today, met some of her classmates, explored some more of the campus and learned more about what to expect and what will be expected.

But we still don't know how we're paying for it all . . .

Sunday, 7/11/10, 9:34 a.m. Home

2010-07-25T21:31:00.001-06:00

Damn Ambien. I literally fell asleep trying to journal. My last paragraph was positively nonsensical. And messy. Each time I fell asleep, the pend would hit the page and make a mess.

As I was saying, the Arrival Lounge was plush. A valet led me to a private room with a shower, toilet and vanity, stocked with a robe, towels and luxurey toiletries.

Off to our SFO to LAX and LAX to ASE flights. Interesting to note that both flight times were the same. It doesn't seem like San Francisco is the same distance from LA as Aspen so I'm not sure what accounts for that.

Just so we really knew we were back in Aspen, Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy were at the airport to greet us. Well, not really to greet us of course, but they were there.

Home. Ambien assisted sleep. Not sure if that counts. Doesn't really feel like it right now.

Ah, jet lag . . .

Saturday, 7/10/10 9:09 p.m. Home

2010-07-24T21:34:00.001-06:00

Today will have been a 37 hours day by the time midnight rolls around.

I got up before 6 a.m. and showered so that we could go out for a walk before we had to leave for the airport. We walked over to the Forbidden City but since they're now charging to get into the courtyard, we opted to head across the street to Tiananmen Square. There was a barricade across the closest entrance so we walked a bit further. At 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, there were hordes of people already lining up to view Mao's body.

After wandering around the square for a bit, Suzannah headed back to the hotel around 7:15 a.m. Since we weren't leaving until 9 and I was already pretty organized, I wandered some more, making my way down Qianmen Dajie where I bought myself two last pieces of fried dough for breakfast.

Back to the hotel to check out and catch a cab (more like a "car" a la New York or London, a black sedan with leather seats that the driver had to dress up in its taxi paraphenalia for the airport trip). Luxury hotel to luxury cab to business class treatment at the airport doesn't suck.

Met up with Susie and had breakfast with her at Starbucks. Headed through security where they felt the need to empty my purse (but I didn't have to take off my shoes) and on to the gate where we waited until boarding and then went our separate ways.

Business class was plush and the 11 hour flight went quickly what with all the video selections. I watched The Bounty Hunter, Valentine's Day, The Last Song (in honor of Rachel), The Art of the Steal and an episode of Nurse Jackie.

3 meals and 11 hours later, we sped through passport control and customs. They even had adequate agents although one guy did give Suzannah the third degree because it appeared that she didn't have any luggage.

Since Suzannah was trying to get on my flight from San Francisco to LA (the reason her luggage had been checked on my ticket and the customs agent grilled her), we headed down to the Arrival Lounge where we had a valet lead us to private shower . . .

(Ambien addled, I was totally unable to complete this journal entry)

Friday, 7/9/10 10:45 p.m. Raffles Beijing Rm 7701

2010-07-23T22:50:00.000-06:00

The Forbidden City ticket lines were a completely ridiculous zoo and combined with the heat really took it out of us. We were also very disappointed to discover that they had replaced the excellent Roger Moore narrated audio guide with the totalitarian guide like the one we disliked so much at the Summer Palace.

So we did a bit of the quickie tour of the Forbidden City. Too many people, too much heat.

We did get all the way from the south end to the north end and I showed Suzannah my favorite part, the Imperial Gardens.

We took cab (which we prevailed upon to stop illegally at the north gate) to the Temple of Heaven Park where I finally got to see the iconic Temple of Heaven

and we got a bit of peaceful park time.

A subway ride to the Silk Market where we did some damage and came away with some goodies. We were surprised to come out of the subway to a downpour so came back to the hotel to shower and figure out dinner. We decided to go to the Nihuge Jaoza place recommended by Lonely Planet which ended up being an excellent choice. A walk in the rain down Wangfujing meant we accomplished all of our goals for the day, then back to the hotel to pack.

Hopefully up for a walk tomorrow am before we head off to the airport.

Friday, 7/9/10 9:24 a.m. Raffles Hotel Beijing, Rm 7701

2010-07-22T21:34:00.000-06:00

Woke up at 6:30 a.m. after going to bed at midnite but due to adventurous day anxiety, couldn't sleep anymore. Got showered, packed, breakfast and checked out, then headed to the train station. We left our luggage at the Sheraton and took the subway to the train station. The subway took an hour and a half, the train took a half hour.

Once in Suzhou, we headed directly to the Garden of the Master of the Nets which was superb. I found out after we got there that it's considered the smallest but the best. The central courtyard garden with its large pond was quintessential Chinese garden.

We got a bit lost on our way out of the Garden of the Master of the Nets and in wandering through the alleyways, we stumbled upon a non-tourist jade market with huge pieces of jade spread out on blankets on the ground amidst tens of little shops with jewelers cutting and shaping the jade. Very serendipitous.

We then headed to the Blue Wave Pavilion which is the oldest. It too was beautiful with a more wild, natural feeling. Next, we went in search of the canal scene and lucking into Pingjiang Lu. A lovely walk along the cana with a stop at the Bookworm and then a cab back to our business class seats on the express train to Shanghai.

Once back in Shanghai, we tried to have dinner at Zen on Xin Tian Di but ran out of time so had to leave the restaurant and get a baguette sandwich at Paul. Back to the hotel to collect our belongings and then to the Shanghai train station for our soft sleeper train to Beijing.

Once on the train, we found a number of English speaking Chinese and spent almost two hours chatting and asking and answering questions. It was very interesting. One young man in particular was very curious, asking a lot of probing questions on subjects ragning from family to politics, religion, movies, sex, travel, career . . .

Got up this a.m. just as the train pulled into the Beijing station, long line for a cab, long cab ride (time not so much distance) to the hotel, then a quite personalized check in experience. We were greeted at the door, our luggage was whisked away from us and we were asked to take a seat at a cafe table. The very proper Chinese gentleman apologized for troubling us for our passports and my credit card, then left us with some plum juice while he went to the desk to handle all the check in paperwork. He then personally showed us to our room along with a bellman with our luggage. It felt a bit like we had an entourage.

Now shower and out to hopefully see the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Wangfujing and the Silk Market. We may be being a bit ambitious.

Wednesday, 7/7/10 11:19 p.m. Sheraton . . .

2010-07-21T08:57:00.000-06:00

Trying to watch the Germany/Spain semi-final but for some reason, CCTV is showing us Germany/England. Huh?

Got up early this morning and took the subway to People's Square where we walked up the Nanjing Pedestrian Street and saw the Chinese early morning ballroom dancing and tai chi. We continued on to the Bund where we were unable to see the interior of the Peace Hotel because it is still under renovation construction. We walked along the river for a bit and Susie left us to come back to the hotel and shower before catching her train to Jinan. Suzannah and I then walked up Fuzhou to check out the art supply stores and Foreign Languages Bookstore.

Next, to the Shanghai Museum where we stopped at the cafe for beef fried rice and curry chicken before continuing on to the bronze, jade and ceramics exhibits. A bit of shopping at the museum store and then on to the French Concession.

We started a Lonely Planet walking tour and were immediately rewarded with the Xin Tian Di shopping district, a less than 10 year old renovation of shikumen in the long tang. Wonderful examples of European exteriors repurposed to cafes and stores with an excellent little museum showing the neighborhood changes and preservation work.

We bailed on the remainder of the walking tour due to the heat, arriving back at the hotel around 5 pm with time to lounge a bit before dinner at 1221 again.

Lightning did not strike twice. While the food tonight was good and well prepared, it did not measure up to last night's stellar choices. The service, while still friendly and professional, was quite a bit slower.

After dinner, we headed back to Xin Tian Di to check out the after-dark scene which was quite a bit more crowded, buy breakfast for tomorrow at Paul, and then back to the hotel to check out the train schedule to Suzhou for tomorrow's adventures.

We're going to try to get up early, get a train to Suzhou and back, do some sightseeing, get back to the hotel to gather our belongings, and get to a different train station to catch our 9:30 p.m. train to Beijing. It should be quite a day if everything goes well. It could be quite a disaster if everything doesn't.

We'll plan on the former . . .

Shanghai at night is amazingly colorful with LED light shows on the buildings and bridges. Creates quite a sense of vibrancy.

Tuesday, 7/6/10 11:59 p.m. Sheraton Hotel . . .

2010-07-20T00:00:00.002-06:00

Got up rather leisurely this a.m., had breakfast which we had purchased at Bread Talk yesterday, then Suzannah and I went in search of the Maglev train while Susie went in search of train tickets. The Maglev was fun, traveling in VIP class and going 431 km/hr (268 miles/hr). We checked out the Shanghai airport (which is where the Maglev train goes) and then after our return trip, the small information museum.

Back to the hotel to meet Susie, lunch at Costa Coffee and then a few hours at the Expo. In contrast to yesterday's cooler but steamy rainy day, today was sunny and hot, moderated some (very little) by wind. We found out that China is in the midst of a heat wave, Beijing having broken a 50 year record high temp yesterday.

Took the ferry across the river which wasn't nearly the cluster I feared, walked thru the commercial corporate zone and then to the metro so we could get back to get ready for dinner at 1221, The Dining Room. Very, very good. So good in fact that Suzannah and I will head back tomorrow with the constraint that we're not allowed to order anything we ordered today.

After 1221, we took a cab to Cloud Nine, the bar on the 87th floor above the Grand Hyatt whose lobby is on the 54th floor.

Tomorrow Susie leaves at noon so we'll go out early to do some sightseeing with her.

It is amazing how much you (I) lose your filter when no one around you but your companions understands what you're saying. A bit trickier in Shanghai where it's harder to know but in Beijing, Pingyao and Jinan, very few people spoke English so were could commentate virtually unedited. And the various difficulties gave us much to editorialize about.

Also interesting is the fascination with us. We are often (less in Shanghai) the subject of open stares and the subject of photos and videos. The teenagers will ask if they can have their pictures taken with us. They're rather shy when they ask and very excited when we say yes. Jinan, which sees the fewest foreigners, was the place where we saw this constantly but it happened everywhere.

Monday, 7/5/10 11:15 p.m. Sheraton Shanghai Hotel, Pudong, Rm 2957

2010-07-19T00:00:00.002-06:00

Uneventful night on the train. We couldn't find the ticket windows at the Shanghai train station when we arrived this morning so we headed to the Sheraton where we checked into a very civilized room on the 29th floor. Suzannah and I were able to get soft sleeper tickets to Beijing on the overnight train on Thursday but Susie is having trouble getting transport back to Jinan. Suzannah and I booked another night here so we'll leave here to go straight to the Raffles Hotel in Beijing.

After breakfast at the Costa Coffee down the street, we headed to the Expo. It was overcast and steamy when we got there at almost noon but it cooled off and rained so was tolerable. The Expo site is quite impressive and we went into more pavilions than I can list right now (I'll have to check my photos). The best was far and away the UK pavilion, the Seed Cathedral (see photo above), but we paid for it with an almost 2 hour wait in line (see photo below).

We had Italian food for lunch at a Bricco Cafe and Indonesian food for dinner at the Ekna Cafe. The lights at the Expo after dark were spectacular and the China Pavilion is almost perfect, marred only by a too large wall around its base.

After yet another sketchy cab ride, we're back in our plush digs.

Tomorrow, Susie chases down a bus ticket, Suzannah and I seek out the Maglev train and then, heat permitting, we head back to the Expo. Plans tomorrow evening include a nice dinner out.

Sunday, 7/4/10 10:39 p.m. Hard sleeper, bottom bunk, Cabin 11 of Car 12, overnight train from Jinan to Shanghai

2010-07-18T20:04:00.001-06:00

When we woke up this morning in Susie's apartment, we thought we'd be going to bed there again tonight but after our near miss with the standing room only train from Pingyao to Jinan, we were a bit gun shy about purchasing train tickets so we went out to a local business hotel to try. After first telling us no tickets to Shanghai were available, the "travel agent" called and was able to procure us three tickets for tonight's train. Since our hotel reservations were already made for tomorrow and Tuesday, we jumped at them. And so we are traveling once again.

Before we went in search of train tickets, we set out in search of breakfast. Our first choice, the place with the good rolls, was closed but afforded us a trip through the market. Instead, we got a watermelon, fried bread and onion pancakes, all of which were delicious.

We got in some internet time and laundry while we were waiting for the train tickets. We also squeezed in a very successful trip to the KT Mart where I got a memory card (the 8 gb card I brought from home not being formatted for my camera) and a gift for Steve and Susie and Suzannah got parasols. We also got to check out the grocery store which I love to do when traveling in foreign countries.

This afternoon we went to Batou Springs, a beautiful park adjacent to the town center with streams and temples. An ATM stop at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and a cab ride back to Susie's, we then showered and packed to leave. I had a scare with traveler's diarrhea but am thinking it was just the onions not agreeing with me. (fingers crossed.)

We then headed to dinner with Grace, one of Susie's students. She got a chance to practice her English and we got assistance in ordering some unbelievably delicious carmelized eggplant, cucumber dumplings and tomato dumplings.

After an adventurous cab ride (really 2 cab rides because we bailed on the first one) to the train station and getting kicked out of the soft seat waiting room, we are now comfortably (more or less) ensconced on the train until 6 am tomorrow.

Cabs in China are quite the crap shoot. Some are nice, clean, air-conditioned, professional. Some are grimy, grubby, hot scams. When one stops for you, you never really know what you're going to get. But at least we've only had one so far refuse to take us unlike last time in China when we had six in one day in Beijing refuse us.

By far the most exciting moment of the day was when I decided to check the price of an upscale hotel in Beijing and ended up booking us a room at the 5 star Raffles Hotel. I'm very excited to spen our last night in Beijing in style.

Our thought now is to stay in Shanghai through Wednesday night and take the overnight train to Beijing on Thursday night. We'll see if we can get an extra night at the Sheraton and if we can get train tickets for Thursday. Nothing's ever certain in China . . .

Saturday, 7/3/10 11:30 p.m. Shandong University of Science & Technology, Jinan

2010-07-18T11:48:00.000-06:00

Whew! We made it. We didn't take the train but instead took a 2 hour mini bus from Pingyao to Taiyuan and then a 7 hours Greyhound type bus to Jinan. It was fine and I really enjoyed the countryside but the trip was marred by the guy across the aisle from Suzannah who threw up twice, once before we even left the city.

We got up and wandered around Pingyao a bit, getting breakfast from a street vendor (some sort of corn pancakes)

and taking in the Lu Lutang residence and the temple before getting a cab at 10 a.m. to the bus station.

Drivers here in China are crazy. This bus driver was whipping the bus around, changing lanes, driving on the shoulders. Red lights are advisory. Pedestrians, bicyclists, scooters, cars, trucks, buses all just willy nilly go where they want. If you're making a left turn, you do it from any lane and you just nose out and block traffic. Honking as often announces your intentions as expresses your impatience. But so far we've only seen one accident . . .

Friday, 7/2/10 9:22 p.m. Zheng Jia Hotel, Rm 109, Pingyao

2010-07-18T11:34:00.000-06:00

The overnight train was tolerable. The 5 other people in my berth were nice enough as far as I could tell (we couldn't converse but one helped me lift my suitcase to stow it). The bunk was quite high and was close enough to the ceiling that I couldn't sit up. I wore my earbuds and listened to my iPod all night so the snoring wasn't too bad. I slept fitfully but did get a fair amount.

It was pretty sunny in Pingyao which made for a very hot day. Pingyao is a remarkably old historic city only slightly marred by the tacky souvenir stands lining its streets. There are many museums set in old buildings which start to get repetitious especially in the heat. We walked around a bit, had lunch (once we found it) at the Lonely Planet recommended Big Noodle Bowl (Dawan Mian)

and then I had to come back to the cool to lay down. Damn hot flashes. Went back out for a little in the late afternoon, then back for more laying down. Had dinner at another Lonely Planet recommended restaurant, De Ju Yuan.

Tomorrow we have a change in traveling plans. We were to take another overnight train, this time to Jinan but all that was available was standing room. We did buy tickets for that but in searching for other options, found that we could take a 7 hour bus so that's what we're going to try to do.

Fingers crossed.

Thursday, 7/1/10 8:45 p.m. Hard sleeper, top bunk, Cabin 12 of Car 5, overnight train from Beijing to Pingyao

2010-07-18T11:12:00.000-06:00

Out at 7 a.m. to go to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. Very overcast/foggy/smoggy. No breakfast but Suzannah saved us with granola bars. Thank god. Opted for the cable car up which was a good move. Started to rain which also ended being a good thing because it kept things much cooler. No sweeping views of the serpentine wall but very atmospheric. Went to the end which earned us a hike up and a beautiful misty vista. Since it was slippery because of the rain, we took the cable car back down too.

Back in Beijing, we went to the Lake District where we ate at the Buffalo Club. Kinda pricey but the lamb chops were divine.

We opted for a 6 p.m. checkout for an extra charge so we headed back to the hostel to shower and pack up. Suzannah and I made reservations for our return on July 8 and we caught a cab to the West Train Station. Quite the cattle call there but because of Susie's travels in China, we knew to go to the Pay Lounge where we got to sit until our train was called and then got to board early. Well worth the 5 yuan (~$0.75).

Sat around for an hour or so and then climbed up to our bunks 10 feet up. We should be in Pingyao about 7:30 a.m.

Wednesday, 6/30/10 8:45 p.m. Far East International Youth Hostel 333

2010-07-03T20:59:00.000-06:00

The word for the day is exhausted.

Woke up about 5:30 a.m. Got up, had tea and our pastries from Starbucks and headed out to the Summer Palace. Took the subway and got off a stop too early so we walked through Yuanmingyuan Park which is where the old Summer Palace ruins are. A beautiful park which we didn't explore as much as we should have since it was hot (!?) and our target was really the Summer Palace.

Got the audio guide which was quite totalitarian, paternalistic and disappointing. It only plays when it wants to, only plays each venue once and sometimes doesn't play when it should.

But the Summer Palace is spectacular. I much prefer it to the the Forbidden City. It's very similar, except the Summer Palace is spectacularly built up a hill. At one point, the buildings are simply cascading down the hill. There's a beautiful lake at the base of the hill and it all just makes for a stunning setting with all the ornate imperial buildings.

For lunch we ate at the Court Food and wondered if it was an intentional play on the idea of Food Court or if that's really what they meant but got backwards.

A long subway ride back and I crashed. I slept for 2 hours and still almost couldn't get up for dinner. But I did and we went out for Peking duck, which was surprisingly good, especially considering that I don't like duck.

Had a successful bargaining session on the way back to the hostel wherein I got 6 18 yuan bottle costumes for 85 yuan.

Tomorrow the Great Wall and then the overnight train to Pingyao. Hard sleeper class. Oh boy.

Tuesday, 6/29/10 11 p.m. Far East International Youth Hostel Room 333

2010-07-03T20:51:00.000-06:00

Hot. Ok, that's enough about that.

Slept pretty well last night with an Ambien assist. Got up this a.m. and out fairly early, early enough to see the kids on their way to school. Walked over to Qianmen Dajie where we had breakfast at, I'm sorry to say, McDonald's. Then, even worse, we stopped at Starbucks. We then came back here and switched rooms, then headed to explore the hutongs after which we had lunch at . . . Starbucks.

I then made my way to the airport by myself to pick up Suzannah. I'm quite proud of myself for navigating there and back. I am chagrined to report that I visited Starbucks for the fourth time in 24 hours. Well, not really but I feel like I should be chagrined even though I'm not.

Back here for showers and reconnect with Susie then off to the Olympic Village. We had awesome timing, arriving just before dusk and being there long enough for it to get dark and all the lights to come on. The darkness moderated (Suzannah's word) the smog and the buildings all looked very cool. I kept picturing Bob Costas.

A cab ride back to our neighborhood and dinner at a Uighur restaurant. Tomorrow the Summer Palace.

Monday, June 28, 2010 11:20 p.m. Far East International Youth Hostel Rm 323

2010-07-03T20:44:00.001-06:00

Let me just say that Business Class rocks! From the quality and quantity of the foot to the never-ending glass of water, the spacious digs to the attentive service, it was a great way to spend a 13 hour flight.

I got a fair amount of sleep on the flight and in the Red Carpet Lounge as evidenced by the fact that I'm not yet catatonic.

I got through immigration with a reasonably short wait, jumping lines when a Polish tour group slid in front of me and then skating on the fact that I neglected to fill out my visitor's entry card. After cruising through customs, Susie was right there. Our first stop was Starbucks where I got my first coffee in 2 days (but a frappuccino due to the heat).

We took the train and the subway into Beijing with me struggling to pay attention since I may have to go to the airport by myself to get Suzannah.

It's about a 10 minute or more walk from the subway stop, Hepingman, to the hotel but it was HOT! We got here, checked in and showered, then wandered down Qianmen Dajie, the newly restored pedestrian mall which had been our main thoroughfare when we were here in 2005. It's quite different, reminding me of the pedestrian mall in Leon. We continued on to Wangfujing where we had dinner at Shanghai Restaurant in Beijing APM. A stop at the Foreign Language Bookstore and then a fairly long walk back (but nowhere near as long as in 2005).

Hot, crowded, dirty but still cool to be somewhere so far from home.

In transit

2010-07-03T18:39:00.000-06:00

We're tooling around China and I'm journaling every day (so far) so I will regale you all with my experiences when I have a chance to post my musings, probably when I return home.

So far, it's hot, grimy and completely interesting . . .

Happy Fourth of July!!

Sunday, 6/27/10, 9:14 am, ORD

2010-06-27T09:05:00.002-06:00

Yesterday evening's Denver storms are now this morning's Chicago storms. I wonder if they'll delay me again. They did make for fabulous rainbows and sun dogs, even a double rainbow, as we were landing in Denver.

It's continually amazing how much better first class passengers are treated. In first class coming out of Aspen, a woman was encouraged to seat belt her extra bag in the seat next to her. In coach, on a later flight, I wasn't allowed to board until I "consolidated" my food purchase into my "small personal item." This was in Las Vegas and the gate agent was positively getting off on preventing people from boarding by requiring them to consolidate their carry-ons before she'd let them on the plane but then yelling at them for being in the way and blocking the aisle while they followed her instructions. A sad little person in a sad little place.

The Red Carpet Lounge in Ohare has been very nice. Disappointing only in that there are no couches and in that the food choices are meager. The Asiana lounge in Seoul had a much wider selection.

16 hours down, 16 hours to go.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Saturday, 6/26/10, 6:47 pm, ASE

2010-06-27T08:41:00.001-06:00

Delayed in Aspen because of a ground control hold in Denver. Not having strong feelings about it.

Leading up to my departure, people would ask me if I was excited. In reality, the answer is no, I'm not. It seems ridiculous to admit that but I'm not and I don't know why.

I mean I'm going to China. Shouldn't that be worth getting excited about? Sometimes it feels like I don't really get excited about much of anything.

But (now for the positive spin) maybe it's a good thing since now I'm delayed and I don't really care. It would have been nice to have made the Chicago direct but that was always a long shot.

It is vacation after all so I guess I'll just relax.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

That's got to be infuriating

2010-06-20T16:25:00.000-06:00

Royal Street Aspen Art galleries selling fraudulent art?

This week's PostSecret favorite

2010-06-05T12:47:00.000-06:00

Truth.

Graduation

2010-05-30T12:50:00.000-06:00

Calling him out

2010-05-17T18:40:00.001-06:00

Our local paper has a motto, If you don't want it printed, don't let it happen.

Basically, if you don't want people to know about what you're doing, you shouldn't be doing it.

I'm amazed at people who are found out for doing bad and then have the nerve to get mad at the person they blame for letting the cat out of the bag. I mean, c'mon.

Years ago, I had a guy get mad at me, stop speaking to me for over six months, because I unknowingly let one of his girlfriends (later to become his ex-wife) know that contrary to what he was telling her (how was I supposed to know and even if I knew, so what?), he was still seeing another one of his girlfriends. Umm, you're stepping out and lying about it but you're mad at me?

Of course, this here is a bit different because it's hardly inadvertent. I know that I'm putting something out there that someone likely won't want me sharing. And I'm doing it anyhow. Again, if you don't want people to know about it, . . .

To his credit, Rachel's dad, upon my request, sent a monthly check to help defray Rachel's expenses. Now, he didn't send what I asked for, the amount never changed in over 15 years and it was less than a court would have set but the check did come every month. Until this past February. Please note that Rachel's 18th birthday was at the end of January. So, boom, that's it. All parental responsibility ends the second the child turns 18, right?

In another example of stellar parenting, Rachel just found out today that her father will not be attending her high school graduation. And she only found out today because she finally worked up the nerve to call him to ask. This after he promised last August that he'd be there.

I apologized to Rachel the other day for my poor choices. She wants/needs to ask him if he'll be helping with college and doesn't know how to approach him. I don't even know how to begin to help her with that one.

I'm just sayin' . . .

Prom

2010-05-15T22:16:00.001-06:00

Jeffrey's Steakhouse

2010-05-10T22:13:00.000-06:00

When I saw the ad for Jeffrey's Steakhouse in the paper, I was excited that there might be another nice dining choice in Moab, especially after our last, not-so-good meal at Zax. I figured from the ad that they were trying to be upscale so I realized that it would probably be a bit pricier than Zax and the Moab Brewery but every once in a while that can be ok.

Only not in this situation. It was pricier alright, it just wasn't ok.

A dry, stringy 8 oz filet for $30. A so-so New York strip for $37. A $6 up charge for a salad substitution that was only a $1 more on the menu.

To be fair, the calamari appetizer was good, light and crunchy with a tasty crushed tomato dipping sauce. And the beefsteak tomato salad (the one with the $6 upcharge) was quite yummy, with a high quality balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over chunks of bleu cheese. The decor was well done and the ambience inviting.

But the service was very slow and the food not worth the cost.

Energy snacks

2010-05-07T00:00:00.001-06:00

It has been my experience that energy snacks suck. In their attempts to be healthy, they have failed miserably to be tasty. And don't even talk to me about the consistency. Energy bars, energy gel, yuck. Give me a Snickers bar (although they don't do heat too well, do they?).

Well, I'm happy to report that the energy snack people may actually be figuring taste and consistency out. This past weekend, we stumbled upon several winners.

First, there's Clif Shot Bloks. They're rather like square gummy bears. I recommend Strawberry, Mountain Berry and Black Cherry in that order.

Next, Clif Luna Sport Moon Energy Chews. These are crescent moon shaped energy chews (again, think gummy bears but bigger). I liked the blueberry.

But my favorite by far are the PowerBar Raspberry Gel Blast Energy Chews. Chewier than the Shot Bloks or Moon Chews with a sweet/tart raspberry burst, these little guys rock. Yum.

They all make energy snacking during physical activity a much more pleasant experience.

And, no, I didn't get any sort of remuneration for touting these products. Not even free samples, although I guess you can get free samples of my favorite directly from PowerBar. I haven't tried it so I don't know the details.

Seriously? What makes you think I'd support that?

2010-05-06T00:00:00.003-06:00

I don't think it's any secret that I'm an Obama fan. I don't think it's any secret that I support the healthcare reform bill.

So, why, oh why, would Citizens United, that conservative, hypocritical organization that battled to overturn campaign fundraising limits, think that I would support them in their latest quest to repeal the healthcare reform bill by suing the Obama administration in an attempt to get in front of the Supreme Court again?

I got a fund raising phone call from Citizens United and Dick Morris and by the end of it, I was laughing at the poor woman. It was typical offensive Republican speak (with a little Dick Morris book selling tangent), asking me if I agreed with Obama's efforts to socialize healthcare, destroy the military and other imagined horrors. I told the woman that, while her scripted question was offensive, pejorative and ridiculous, I wholeheartedly agreed with Obama's efforts thus far.

I must be on some list. It must be the same list that resulted in my invitation to the McCain rally in Grand Junction just prior to the 2008 election. I have no idea how I would have ended up on such a list.

Either that or they're so misinformed as to think that everyone who figures out how to afford to live in Aspen must be a die-hard Republican who supports their twisted agenda.

Omens

2010-05-05T16:51:00.000-06:00

Sometimes omens portend bad things. Sometimes omens are meaningless. Happily, last weekend was the latter.

Even before we left Aspen for Moab on Friday, we experienced a discouraging setback involving a carport and bikes on a roof rack. I won't be saying anything more about that episode other to say that we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and soldiered on.

Given that we were leaving Aspen in search of spring, we experienced a second discouraging omen as we traveled west into weather much like that we had just left.

Refusing to bow to negativity, we continued on to our hotel in Moab whereupon we were handed keys for Rm 313. Really?

But I'm pleased to report that all of these omens, these signs, were completely innocuous. Two warm (but not too warm), sunny (with episodically pleasing shade clouds) days, one bike ride and one hike later, we headed home having had a very nice visit with spring.

Blogging

2010-04-27T00:00:00.002-06:00

It appears that a large number of people only blog on weekdays. I struggle for inspiration and time on the weekdays. They must be blogging from work, about work or instead of work. Me, I've got too much work to be able to do that.

Likewise, I get the feeling that weekends for a lot of people are computer free zones. For me, the weekend is a great opportunity to catch up on all the 'net stuff that I've had to ignore during the week.

We've been focusing on the positive here so in that vein, I'll share with you a recent internet find, one of those guys who only posts on the weekdays, 1000 Awesome Things. He's got some fun insights and since he's only on #521, it'll keep you occupied going backward and forward.

Off-season hours

2010-04-26T00:00:00.004-06:00

The following is a list provided by the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (which I poached from the Aspen Daily News) that details which restaurants and bars that are open and closed for the spring off-season.

39 Degrees Lounge at Sky Hotel    Closed April 12-May 30
Ajax Tavern    Open
Asie    Open, no lunch Saturdays and Sundays
Aspen Brewery    Open
Bad Billy’s     Open
Bentley’s    Open
Big Wrap    Closed April 24-May 16 (Enjoy the beach, Babs!)
Boogie’s Diner    Open, closed one week in May
Brexi    Closed April 12-May10
Brunelleschi’s Dome Pizza    Open
Butcher’s Block    Open, closed Mother’s Day
Cache Cache    Closed April 10 -May 27
Campo de Fiori    Open
Cantina    Closed April 12 - 19
Caribou Club    Closed April 11-June 10
Domino’s    Open
Double Dog Pub    Closed permanently (Such a loss!)
Elevation    Open
Ellina    Closed until the first week of June
Elkhorn Bar and Grill    Closed April 5-June
Escape at Explorer    Open for lunch only
Frank Thirion French Pastry Café    Open
Garnish Café at Aspen Club    Closed April 10 to end of May
Gisella    Closed April 25 - May 27
Grape Bar    ?
Hickory House     Open, closed Monday and Tuesday
Highlands Pizza Co.     Open Thursday through Sunday. Open 7 days/week by May 15
Hunter Bar    Open
Il Mulino    Open Tuesday through Saturday
Ink Coffee    Open
Jacob’s Corner Hotel Jerome    Closed April 19 -May 6
J Bar at the Hotel Jerome    Closed April 19 -May 6
Jimmy’s    Open
Johnny McGuire’s Deli    Open
Jour De Fete    Open
Kenichi    Open
Krabloonik    Closed April 11-mid June
L’Hostaria    Closed Sunday and Monday
La Palapa    Closed April 12-mid May
Little Annie’s    Open
Little Nell (Montagna)     Closed April 12-May 20, begin serving breakfast only April 30
Little Ollie’s    Open
Louis’ Swiss Pastry    Open
Lulu Wilson     Open, closed Sundays and Mondays
Main Street Bakery & Café     Closed last week of April, first week of May
Matsuhisa    Closed April 11-12
Mezzaluna    Open, closed Sunday’s in May
Mustang    Closed Sunday and Monday
N9NE Steakhouse     Open Tuesday through Saturday in April; May ?
New York Pizza    Open
Pacifica    Closed April 4 to early June
Paradise Bakery    Open
Parallell 15    Open
Peaches    Open, closed Sundays
Pine Creek Cookhouse    Closed April 5-mid June
Pinons    Closed April 11-June 4
Plato’s at Aspen Meadows    Closed April 12 -May 3
Poppycocks    Open
Red Mountain Grill     Open
Rustique    Open, closed Sunday and Monday
Sabra’s Deli     Open, closed Sundays until mid-May
Sage    Open with bar menu only
Social    Closed April 11-May 27
Specialty Foods of Aspen    Closed Sundays April and May
Starbucks    Open (not what the barista at Starbucks told me)
Steak Pit    Closed permanently (so sad)
Su Casa     Closed Sunday and Monday in April, then May 2-20
Syzygy    Closed April 4 -June 11
Takah Sushi    Closed April 11-May 27 (I already have reservations for May 29!)
Taster’s    Open
The Restaurant at the St. Regis     Open Thursday through Sunday
Toppers    Closed permanently (I'll miss their mushroom pizza)
Ute City    Open
Victoria’s Espresso & Wine Bar    Open (but when will they be serving wine again?)
Wienerstube     Open breakfast and lunch daily; dinner Wednesday through Saturday
Wild Fig     Open, closed Sundays and Mondays
Willow Creek Bistro at Aspen Highlands     Closed April 4 for dinner until first week of June
Woody Creek Tavern    Open
Zane’s Tavern    Closed April 13-20
Zocalito    Open

Effect

2010-04-25T10:09:00.002-06:00

As I get older, I come across random examples of the lasting impact people can have on each other, often with regards to the most seemingly insignificant things. We all, often unintentionally, leave our marks, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. I realize that, for many, this is hardly news but I've been ruminating on it lately.

Yesterday morning, when reminded to brush her teeth, Rachel made a special trip upstairs to my bathroom because she likes my toothpaste better. This is a relatively new development. For years, I've had to buy her her own toothpaste because she didn't want to use mine. My toothpaste? I started using it 20 years ago, having been introduced to it by her father when he and I were dating. Do you think he had any clue at that point that twenty years later, his own daughter would be using the same brand having arrived at it in this roundabout way?

It goes both ways too. One of my mother's mainstay dishes when I was growing up was ground beef and gravy. Imagine spaghetti but with macaroni instead of spaghetti and mushroom gravy instead of tomato sauce. Easy and yummy. It's now one of Rachel's favorite meals. I introduced Rachel's dad to my childhood meal some twenty years ago and now Rachel reports that it's part of her step-mother's repetoire. Did my mom ever imagine?

Growing up, every Thanksgiving, we made Pumpkin Spice Cake. I then introduced my co-workers here in Colorado to it. One of my co-workers, who has since moved out of the area, particularly liked the recipe and adopted it as one of her staples. Who knows where it's going from there.

Rachel likes Popeye's biscuits because of one of my college boyfriends who she's never met.

Steve knows who Kate Bush is because of Jessica, the girl who lived next door to me in college in Leonard Hall at American University.

Not only do we leave lasting marks on those whose lives we pass through but often they pass those effects on to others. Makes me wonder what other unintended effects I'm carrying around with me. What other things that are fully integrated into my day to day life are the result of people who have passed through my life and the people who have passed through theirs?

Freaky, man.

This week's PostSecret favorite

2010-04-24T18:31:00.002-06:00

My new car - Not

2010-04-22T22:08:00.000-06:00

I had been playing with the idea of replacing my 12 year old car . . .

until I got Rachel's financial aid award letter from Columbia College Chicago which informed me that I've been awarded the opportunity to purchase the equivalent of a new car every year for the next 4 years.

But, hey, at least the interest rate on the college loans is fixed at the low rate of 7.9%.

For a new car, I'd only have to pay, what, 0% interest?

What is that?

2010-04-21T10:27:00.002-06:00

I'm about to expose, yet again, my lack of cred.

Unavoidable really, as I've basically never been cool. Too nerdy to be cool.

Twice in the last 12 hours, I've seen a guy on TV lick the first two fingers of his hand and then smooth his eyebrows. Last night, it was Finn on Glee and this morning, Jon Stewart whilst interviewing John O'Hara on Tuesday night's Daily Show.

Twice in 12 hours? Now, I'm intrigued. Is this some cultural reference to which I'm completely oblivious? So I google it.

And, best that I can find, after admittedly superficial research, is that it dates back at least to Ian Ziering on 90210:

lelio
2006-06-01 01:28:04 AM
The proper way to lick one's eyebrows was shown by Steve on 90210. To do it you
* make the "hook-em" sign with your right hand
* touch the insides of those fingers to your tongue
* put your fingers up to your eyebrows closest to your nose
* push your hand to your face, splaying out your fingers and spreading the saliva

/ the more you know

I did also discover that, according to at least one source, licking your pinky and brushing it across your eyebrow in Lebanon indicates that you're a homosexual.

I'm still thinking that I'm missing something . . .

I would have replaced it.

2010-04-19T21:53:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for bags with tags.

A week ago when Rachel left for her Experiential Education trip, someone told her to put a name tag on her carry on bag. A bit of overkill, I thought but given Rachel's distractability, probably a good idea. Hah! Little did I know. In this case, it wasn't Rachel's distractability we had to worry about.

When we met Rachel at the train on Saturday, it was a rather chaotic scene. She jumped off the train, came and gave us all hugs, handed me her bag (yes, I said, handed me her bag) and dove into the chaos of unloading all the bikes and duffel bags from the luggage car of the train. In the process of unboxing her bike, I set her bag down, right there, right where I couldn't miss it, right where I wouldn't forget it.

We ran an errand in Glenwood, drove the 45 miles back to Aspen, unloaded the car and Rachel asked me for her bag. The one with her book and her pretzels and . . . her iPod. The one I had left sitting on the train platform 45 miles away.

"Mom! How could you?! I made it the whole trip without losing anything! Someone's going to steal it!"

Well, nothing we could do about it at that point, except wait until school on Monday and hope that one of the teachers noticed it, picked it up and rescued it.

Which, thanks to the name tag, is exactly what happened. Phew!

But, I would have replaced her iPod, the one she bought with her own money. If I had had to. I'm sure glad I didn't have to.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Boomerang

2010-04-06T06:26:00.003-06:00

In the late 70s, just before a ski trip to Aspen, my Rossignol skis were stolen out of our garage in Illinois. My parents replaced the stolen skis for me with a pair of Dynastar 195 cm Dynasofts. I skied those skis for almost 20 years.

When I moved to Aspen in 1999, I immediately replaced my outdated skis with a pair of the newfangled "parabolic" skis. The Dynastars languished in the gear shed for a while, finally making their way to the dumpster 7 or 8 years ago.

Fast forward to this past Sunday. I'm hanging out at the Aspen Highlands Closing Day Party taking in the crazy scene. All sorts of people in costumes and crazy get ups. I keep seeing one girl with a shot ski wandering around.

A shot ski? That's a ski with a number of shot glasses attached to it. The idea is that you line people up and they all simultaneously do shots by tipping the ski.

About the fourth or fifth time I see the girl with the shot ski, I take a good look at the ski. I casually mention to my friend that I used to ski a ski just like that one. Mine was about that long but it had my name on it (that's what we did in Illinois when we bought skis. I got the stolen Rossignols back because of just that little detail). So I wander closer to the girl with the shot ski and . . .

It's got my name on it. I say to the girl, "That's my old ski." And after carding me (no lie), calling all her friends over, taking pictures and figuring out where the ski has been for the past many years (in the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club gear room), she generously gave it to me. (Not at all what I expected.)

Mom & Dad, aren't you thrilled to see what's become of the ski you bought me?

Just had to share

2010-04-04T13:32:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you! (I am also a big fan of your genes.) :-P Love, Rachel Bielinski (Darling Daughter)

Mome,

Hey, look up! I just spelled Mom wrong. Anyway . . . after living with Clark for 5 months and visiting a house with 5 cats, you would appreciate this card. Plus, it's your day, you are entitled to, you know, presents and pampering and stuff (I am sure Prince Rupert would agree). Speaking of which, for a cat he has remarkable puppy dog eyes. Thank you for all the fun opportunities you give me. I love you (more than I love TV. *gasp* I know you thought that was impossible, right?) Just so you know, you are not allowed to die. I love you too much. Love, Rachel <3

Mom,

Although I have not been through some of these situations yet, the same sentiment applies. You are always there for me, no matter what I do, which is good 'cause I can be really really annoying. You always give me what I need, even and especially when what I want and what I need are 2 different things. You have taught me so much. I am an independent self-sufficient person because that's what you showed by example. I love being around you (even if you do insult my music) and I can never wait to get home and tell you about my day or the new thing I am excited about. On that note, thank you for listening to me babble about movies and TV and supporting my dreams. You have always done that, made me feel that I could do anything if I worked hard enough. You made me feel safe because you have been the one constant throughout my life. I have never had fear that you were going to accept me, no matter what. We are so different. You are linear, logical and organized, whereas I am random, spastic and saying my room looks like a nuke went off is putting it nicely. But even when I am driving you crazy, you love me and I know it. We have a relationship that Rory and Lorelai would envy and I am so glad. On days when the world is against me, you are on my side and that means the world. I love the hugs you give and cuddling with you. I love making you laugh and smile. I love that you love me and all my glaring faults. But most of all, I love you, all of you: your joy about weird things like the census, how good you are at answering the phone like nothing is wrong, your long brown hair, your style, your headaches and hoarding tendencies, I love it all. I have friends who hate their mothers but they love you. You are the best mom ever and so good to me. I want to wish you a happy birthday and inform you that you are not allowed to die. Without you, I would fall apart, I can't even imagine that. Happy Birthday!! I hope you had a great day and know there are many more to come. Love, Rachel

Leaving town

2010-03-17T14:57:00.002-06:00

Leaving town during on season is always tough. There's no way to do it without missing something fun.
Rachel and I are going to California for spring break and it's going to be great. But while we're gone, I'll be missing Blitzenbanger, the Core Party, Vampire Weekend, Barrage, the Hollywood Stones and most of Stacey and Jeremy's visit, just to name a few.
It's a nice dilemma to have, though. Yep, living here doesn't suck.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Have I ever mentioned

2010-03-16T23:04:00.001-06:00

that I'm a freak?

It's simply silly how excited I am that I got my census form today.

Rachel started telling me about some celebrity who did a PSA for completing the census. I don't need any PSA.

I want to be counted.

I completed the census in approximately 45 seconds and then wondered where my sticker is. I think there should be a sticker for completing the census like there is for voting.

Rachel says there might be some website online where I can register for a census sticker. I'm going to go check. Right now.

Feelin' nostalgic

2010-03-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Steve and I were listening to Sirius 70s on 7 on our way up to ski at Snowmass when they played The Partridge Family's I Think I Love You. I then had a little parking lot moment (think NPR's Driveway Moments) in which I remembered every word of a song that I haven't heard in something like 30+ years.

This past Saturday, I was working with my iPod on shuffle when Neil Diamond's version of He Ain't Heavy ...He's My Brother shuffled on through and made me miss the Osmonds' version.

In a somebody stop me compulsion due to a complete lack of willpower, iTunes' ease of purchase and its Genius recommendations, I am now the somewhat sheepish owner of the following music:

Come On Get Happy - The Partridge Family

I Think I Love You - The Partridge Family

Point Me in the Direction of Albuquerque - The Partridge Family

I Can Feel Your Heartbeat - The Partridge Family

One Bad Apple - The Osmonds

He Ain't Heavy ... He's My Brother - The Osmonds

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves - Cher

Indian Reservation - Paul Revere and the Raiders

and Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits (including such mainstays as I Am Woman, I Don't Know How to Love Him, Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress), Delta Dawn and Angie Baby).

I have now made not one but two Genius playlists, one based on I Think I Love You and one based on I Am Woman . . .

1000th post

2010-03-14T15:57:00.001-06:00

and I almost missed it.

Logged on to see if I was going to flesh out one of my draft posts waiting in the wings or if some new inspiration was going to strike me when I just happened to notice that my post count is 999.

Then the dilemma became whether I was going to write a substantive post and simply mention that it was the 1000th post or whether I was going to write a fluff post solely about how this was the 1000th post.

Guess I opted for the latter . . .

Oh yeah!

2010-03-13T22:50:00.001-07:00

So psyched that daylight savings time starts tomorrow. As someone who gets off work at 6 pm each day, I very much enjoy the extra hour of daylight in the evening. Well worth the trade-off of darker early mornings.

It makes me happy just thinking about it.

Scary stuff - new credit card statements

2010-03-12T21:56:00.001-07:00

Is any one else freaked out by the new credit card statements? I mean, did I really need to see in stark black and white that it'll take approximately twenty two lifetimes to pay off my credit card debt if I only make the minimum payment each month?

I'm kinda a fan of the ostrich approach myself.

What I don't know can't hurt me.

This week's PostSecret favorite

2010-03-11T21:04:00.002-07:00

I'm a bad person

2010-03-10T16:24:00.002-07:00

I got a disabled guy fired from a volunteer job. Well, sorta. He helped.

I feel badly. Really, I do.

I've been attending a series of events at a local theater and have been very dismayed at the noise level coming from the seats behind me. At multiple events . . .

At one event, someone was sitting back there clipping his fingernails.

Yes, clipping his fingernails. And judging by the number of clicks, he must have an outrageous number of fingers.

At another event, there was a nearly constant crinkling and rustling of some sort of candy or chip wrapper coming from the same location. It was never ending and completely distracting.

My companion and I were besides ourselves. We just couldn't attend another event like this. So we decided that we had to ask the management to speak to the culprit.

I made it very clear to management that we weren't complaining, just requesting that someone let him know how noisy he was being and ask him to stop.

Not quite how it worked out . . .

To my chagrin, our request turned out to be the last straw. As a manager, I completely understand reaching the end of your rope with an employee, etc. There are only so many times you can go to someone asking for improvement. After a while, you understand that it's a losing proposition.

I just had no intention, in this situation, of being the one who added that final straw to the camel's back . . .

You CAN get here from there

2010-03-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

Per the Aspen Snowmass and Colorado Mountain Express websites (I particularly like the train option):

Travelers to Aspen/Snowmass have Numerous Options during Temporary Interstate Closure

Crews Working Now to Reopen I-70 after Rockslide

Alternate Routes to Aspen/Snowmass

The recent rockslide on I-70 in Glenwood Canyon has temporarily limited access to Aspen/Snowmass from the east via the interstate; however travelers still have many options to get to the resort via air and ground routes. Crews are working on the highway now and could reopen two lanes within a day or two. Colorado Department of Transportation will be providing updates frequently as they make progress on reopening the route. Please check the C-DOT website for the latest conditions.

More than half of the winter visitors to Aspen/Snowmass arrive directly into Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) and are unaffected by the incident. Travelers coming to the resort through Denver International Airport, Eagle County Airport or via I-70 from the east have many options.

Air Access
Currently there are seats available on flights into Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. Air travelers can reroute their flight or add a leg by contacting their airline or travel agent. Travelers who had planned to drive from Denver can book seats on these flights directly in to the resort, and arrive just three miles from downtown Aspen and six miles form Snowmass Village. Most hotels in the resort have free transportation to and from the airport. Visitors can also reroute flights into the following airports:

Grand Junction Walker Field (GJT): 124 miles from ASE (2 hours via I-70 west), served by American, Delta, United, U.S. Air & Allegiant
Montrose County Airport (MTJ): 135 miles from ASE (3 hours over McClure Pass), served by American, Continental, Delta & United
Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN): 174 miles from ASE (3 hours via Rifle/Craig), served by American, Continental, Delta & United
Gunnison County Airport (GUC): 199 miles from ASE (4 ½ hours via Montrose), served by American, Delta & United

Ground Access
Access to Aspen/Snowmass is still possible from both the east and west via shuttle services, rental cars and Amtrak. The trip is currently six hours from Eagle (287 miles) and seven and a half hours form Denver (379 miles).

Amtrak runs regularly scheduled train service from Denver’s Union Station to Glenwood Springs (only 45 minutes from Aspen/Snowmass). Trains depart daily at 8:05 a.m. and arrive in Glenwood at 1:53 p.m. and tickets are just $39 one way. The daily train from Glenwood to Denver departs at 12:50 p.m. and arrives in Denver at 7:18 p.m. There are shuttle services, taxi, rental cars and public bus options available for the 40 mile trip between Glenwood Springs and Aspen/Snowmass. Passengers may take a shuttle services or taxi from Denver International Airport to Union Station.

You can't get there from here

2010-03-08T11:00:00.002-07:00

from ColoradoDOT on Twitpic

A photo of the rockslide on I70 in Glenwood Canyon which occurred around midnight last night. I70 is closed indefinitely. Steve drove through the canyon at about 5 pm yesterday. To get from Aspen to Denver when I70 and Independence Pass are closed adds about 5 hours to a 4 hour road trip. But, to Amtrak's relief, since the train tracks through Glenwood Canyon are on the other side of the river from the highway and the rock slide, the tracks were unaffected by the rock slide and the trains between Glenwood Springs are still running.

Fifteen years later

2010-03-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

Listening to NPR's All Things Considered this evening, specifically the story about the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and remembering my letter to the editor which appeared in Time Magazine 15 years ago on September 4, 1995:

ACKNOWLEDGING BLACK STRENGTH LANCE MORROW PROPOSES AN EXCELLENT idea: a national museum memorializing slavery, freedom and black energies [ESSAY, Aug. 14]. If we can have the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, which, at least in part, celebrates the Jews' ability to persevere, why not a museum that acknowledges the strength and perseverance of blacks in the face of slavery? Interestingly, writer Walt Harrington notes in his book Crossings that Colonial Williamsburg until 1979 ignored the place of slavery. He states that in Williamsburg the decision to include slaves and slavery in the depiction of colonial life has had just that beneficial, healing effect to which Morrow refers. BRIDGET BIELINSKI Arlington Heights, Illinois

PostSecret favorite

2010-03-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't shared one of these in a while. This one's for Susie who's constantly trying to find a way around the censors . . .

Don't say anything

2010-03-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

If you don't have anything nice to say . . .

This is going to be a very short post.

Hoping for some real laughs, Steve and I went to see Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad and Good for the Jews tonight at the Wheeler Opera House.

We laughed a few times for real and a few more times because we wanted it to be funny but mostly we just wished it would be funny or wondered when it was going to get funny.

Food Carts

2010-03-03T00:00:00.001-07:00

Aspen is woefully lacking in the late night dining department.

Don't think that you can go to a 7 pm play and grab a bite afterwards. Virtually no one will still be serving. And even if technically they are, the staff will make you feel very guilty for daring to come in so late.

There are a couple of options like New York Pizza which stay open until the wee hours and do a brisk business. But, pizza does get old. (I know, heresy!)

The historic Popcorn Wagon, which filled a late night niche, was closed for renovation, destroyed, re-opened for a short time with limited hours and now lies dark.

Recently, the Aspen City Council has been considering whether to allow for food carts on the pedestrian malls, part of the effort to revitalize the downtown core. I think it's an awesome idea. The restauranteurs? Not so much.

They have a point. They pay outrageous rents. They have high overhead.

But I guess I'm just not very sympathetic. And it appears that I'm not alone. The Aspen Times is conducting a poll and as of yesterday afternoon, a whopping 66% of respondents were in favor of the food carts.

EatAspen is also conducting a similar poll on its Facebook page through a Facebook application, PollDaddy, but since I'm Facebook application averse, I didn't vote in that one.

A venerable community institution

2010-03-02T14:12:00.002-07:00

has annoyed me.

In actuality, it ended up doing me a favor and saving me some money. But, it started out by annoying me.

Admittedly, not hard to do.

The Aspen Thrift Shop is an Aspen icon. Untold numbers of volunteers donate untold numbers of hours to sifting through vast amounts of junk donated by the Aspen community. I, myself, have donated many an item. All proceeds are given back to the community. It is all a very admirable and highly esteemed enterprise.

And yet . . .

Last week, I learned on Saturday morning that I would be attending a "ball" that evening and like any self-respecting woman immediately decided that I didn't have anything to wear. Oh, there were a few possibilities but really, nothing that seemed quite right. So, I thought I'd drop by the thrift store just to see what they might have. Upon perusing the $6 and up rack, I found two dresses with potential, neither of which had any sort of price tag.

Having decided that I would take them both, decide in the privacy of my home which one would work the best and then donate them both back the next day, I went down to the cash register to pay.

Here's where things began to go awry. While I was waiting, there was an energetic discussion between several volunteers regarding what to charge for a necklace nicely displayed in the window. With the customer standing right there, one volunteer arrived at the figure of $15, only to be adamantly overruled by the volunteer running the cash register who insisted on $25. Hmmmm.

A couple of minutes later, it's my turn. I handed the cashier my dresses, she held them up for scrutiny and said (remember, the sign on the rack said $6 and up), "Well, ok, let's see. That'll be, um, $15 for this one and $25 for this one."

Startled, I looked at the sign prominently displayed which says, "NO BARGAINING!" and asked, "Um, how did you come up with those prices?" After being told that it was based upon the quality and condition of the item, I remarked that it would be nice if items were marked so decisions based upon cost could be more easily made. I then asked for a moment to think about it.

Now, I get that $40 is not a lot of money. I get that the thrift store is a wonderful charity. I get that the volunteers are volunteers and are doing the best they can. I get that the rack said, "and up." I object, however, to being made to feel that the price is determined by who the purchaser is, which is exactly how I felt. Especially in a situation when I am clearly informed that I would be doing something wrong if I tried to negotiate a better price.

So, I decided to keep my $40. And you know what? I went home and found something eminently suitable hanging right there in my closet.

The thrift store? Well, they're out $40 and the opportunity to resell the dresses the very next day. But, I will continue to gather up my discarded belongings and drop them off, as I always have.

15 TV Shows

2010-01-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

This one comes courtesy of Susie. As always, tag yourself (and me) and I'll read yours!

Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen TV shows you've seen that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall. Tag 15 friends, including me because I'm interested in what shows my friends choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your profile page, paste rules in a new note, cast your 15 picks, and tag people in the note -- upper right hand side.)"

My list, past and present, and very random:

1. Speed Racer
2. Starsky & Hutch
3. ER
4. Early Edition
5. Touched by an Angel
6. West Wing
7. Studio 60
8. Sports Night
9. Heroes
10. The Dick Van Dyke Show
11. How the West Was Won
12. The Pretender
13. L.A. Law
14. Glee
15. General Hospital

What did you do this weekend?

2010-01-18T07:24:00.001-07:00

Not my video but a fair representation of my weekend

Our friend, Kevin Connolly

2010-01-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Kevin Connolly's 12/23/09 appearance on the Today Show. Meredith Vieira ends by telling Kevin he's gorgeous. Kevin will be competing in Winter X Games 14 at the end of this month here in Aspen.

Recent movies

2010-01-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

The lazy man's reviews:

Up in the Air - Yes

Sherlock Holmes - No

Avatar - Yes

Pirate Radio - Yes

It's Complicated - Yes

Behavior modification

2010-01-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

Clark Kent the cat (kitten) is quite the evil kitty. Having never had a cat, let alone a kitten, I have no idea if he is normal or possessed.

After listening to us complain about his behavior and seeing all of the scratches on our arms, hands, legs, faces (basically any exposed skin), friends and family have asked us when we are going to return him to the shelter.

Not likely but . . .

We are now the proud owners of 7 spray bottles filled with water which we seem to wield incessantly. There's basically a spray bottle in every room.

The worst part is the unpredictability. He's being all sweetness and light, cuddling and then all of the sudden, out come the fangs and the claws.

He'll grow out of it, right?

Steve's painting

2010-01-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

The Maroon Bells

Our 2009 Christmas Card

2009-12-23T09:18:00.002-07:00

Wishing you the best in the new year! Love, Bridget, Steve, Rachel, Ellie and Clark Kent

Everyone needs a hobby

2009-12-16T12:07:00.002-07:00

However, this goes way beyond the amount of time I'm prepared to spend on my hobbies.

I missed one

2009-12-11T07:45:00.001-07:00

This is original short film for Rachel's Flim Crit final, but the credits are incorrect and it's the long version.

Rachel's gonna kill me

2009-12-10T22:20:00.003-07:00

this is Rachel's original short film, made for her film crit final. this the second version and in it the end titles are correct

This is the short version (about a minute shorter) of Rachel's film crit final.

Lime Cilantro Pasta with Salsa

2009-12-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Finally, tonight's dinner made with pasta that I purchased at the last Saturday Market in October:

1 lb. Pappardelle’s Lime Cilantro Pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 small red pepper, diced

1 lb. firm ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped

1/2 lb. firm, ripe tomatillos, husked, cored and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1. In mixing bowl, stir 1 tablespoon olive oil with lemon and lime juices, oregano and 1 garlic clove. Add the chicken and coat. Marinate about 30 minutes.

2. Pre-heat broiler. Coat broiler tray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken on tray and broil until golden.

3. While chicken is cooking, make salsa. In large skillet, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add garlic and saute over moderate heat. When sizzling, add onion and red pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomatillos and sugar and continue to saute for 7 – 10 minutes, until sauce is thick but still slightly liquid.

4. Cook pasta in 6-8 quarts of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and rinse.

5. As soon as chicken is done, cut it crosswise into 1/2 “ wide strips. Spoon sauce over cooked pasta and top with chicken.

Serves 6

http://www.pappardellespasta.com

In person

2009-11-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

We were walking around town this morning after watching the morning session of the World Cup races when we decided to pop into Durrance Sports on the Cooper Mall.

It turns out that they actually had a pair of the AHSP Folsom Custom Skis with Steve's graphics.

So we had a little photo op.

Bragging

2009-11-28T16:05:00.002-07:00

I hope you don't mind but I'm going to brag for a bit here.

See this super cool ski?

Well, the graphics were designed by none other than my very own husband.

The ski is the Aspen Highlands Ski Patrol custom ski by Folsom Custom Skis out of Boulder, Colorado. These skis will be built with a customized flex for the patrollers and an AHSP signature topsheet.

So cool.

Not only that but today (thanks to our observant friend, Jill) we learned that the skis are featured in Aspen Magazine's Holiday 2009 issue. There they are, pictured on page 38 in the magazine's Insider section.

Super cool.

What a talented guy!

Maybe I'll keep him . . .

Twitter

2009-11-22T20:55:00.001-07:00

As usual, I'm late to the game but I'm making up for it with a vengeance

I checked Twitter out a while ago (December 13, 2008) and didn't quite get it. A few of my friends were on Twitter but nobody seemed to be doing much of anything.

Didn't check back again until August 24, 2009. Still, just didn't get it.

But then, I found Twitterberry. Suddenly, I could tweet to and from my Blackberry. Very cool. Then I started following HuffingtonPost, the New York Times and Newsweek. Breaking news came streaming into my Blackberry. I was able to follow the Fort Hood news while sitting in the airport.

And then, I discovered Seesmic. Now, on my desktop, I get my Facebook and Twitter feeds all in one place. Not only that but I can follow hash topics in real time too. All in one place.

Recently, I started following #hcr or health care reform tweets and this weekend, with the Senate debate and vote on health care reform, it all exploded. Now, I just can't shut up.

Oh, I'm still selective on what I say and to whom I respond I've typed many a reply that I've then canceled. But I tweeted 32 times between December 13, 2008 and November 20, 2009 and I've tweeted 28 times in the last two days.

Yikes.