Category: Misc

It's kinda rare for me to go this long (5 DAYS) without an update. But I think it's good testament to what's been going on lately. We've just been GOING constantly.

Friday was Avenue Q which was every bit as funny as I remembered. That combined with dinner was the entire evening. Saturday was spent mostly in preparation for my mom's group picnic, which I was helping to host (though not at my house, since approximately 10 people would fit in my back “yard”). The picnic itself was a lot of fun and it was great meeting more people in the group and their spouses and kiddos. After a long nap (for all three of us) and some pizza, I went to see House Bunny with my mom and sister. It was not much of a thinking piece, but it was fun.

Sunday we anticipated doing errands and laundry and laying low and watching football and we did a lot of that. But unfortunately, I awoke with a horrible headache that I could not shake all day (sinus-stuff related, I think) and so I sort of felt crummy and we didn't get a ton done.

Towards the middle of the game our friends called and invited us to dinner so we could meet his grandma who was in town for a couple of days. So we switched gears hit the road to meet them at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We caught the end of the Broncos game on the radio. They WON by 1 point on a 2-point conversion in the last seconds of the game.

Dinner was great. Tabby and Liam were really cute together. They both talked on pretend cell phones to each other and then later, Tabby fed Liam pasta off her fork.

After we got home, I felt pretty crummy again … headache combined with some nausea and dizziness, and I went to bed early and had weird, fitful sleep. I feel better this AM, but my head is still a bit clogged. If I had any vacation days I'd probably be at home.

I am having one of those weeks where I am completely short on time and patience. Work is crazy. Matt is out of town. I'm in the middle of planning 2 events for my mom's group. The weekend is jam-packed and I'm still not caught up from last weekend. The goings on, in shorthand.

• still have zillions of peaches
• loving Gossip Girl
• Matt took ONE of my running shoes with him to CA accidentally
• looking forward to Avenue Q and the picnic this weekend
• Tabby has been very cute and fun – yesterday she brought me Loki's dish and had me fill it so he could have his dinner
• the house is still a mess
• I went to bed at 8:30 PM last night

We had a great time in Western CO. As I said when I was leaving, it was seriously against my better judgement to abandon ship and go on a completely frivilous trip when the house was a mess and things were so out of order, but I enjoyed it very much.

We left around 5 on Friday night and made it to Glenwood Springs (about a 3 hour drive) without incident, save a crappy dinner at Pizz.a Hut (NEVER AGAIN). The cheap hotel was perfectly fine. Unfortunately, Tabby was a bit out of sorts all night and no one (except possibly my sister) got a good night's sleep. After the free breakfast we journeyed 2 hours to Paonia to Delicious Orchards and picked way too many peaches. And also some nectarines and apples.

I'd never been to Paonia before and it's a cute teeeny town. The guy who runs the orchard recommended a great little cafe that served a very small menu (like 10 items). The setting was picturesque and the food lived up to its surroundings.

After lunch we went back to our hotel and changed to go to the pool. The pool was every bit as amazing as I remembered. Huge with the perfect water temperature, all thanks to geothermal heat. Tabby was less impressed though. I'm not sure if we'd worn her out or not fed her enough or what was up, but she was a bit cranky and wanted to walk around the edge of the pool (and slip and fall if possible). The only time she really seemed to enjoy being in the pool was when Matt and Kelly and I were throwing her in a triangle and letting her splash down on the catch (sounds dangerous when I write it, but she was fine, honest!).

But the pool didn't last as long as we might've liked. And after much driving around and debating, we settled on Dos Hombres for dinner. We'd never been there and knew nothing about it, but Mexican is generally a pretty safe bet in Colorado, so we risked it and it turned out to be really great.

Another (much better) night at the hotel, a drive home in the morning and that was it. Except the processing of peaches. What do you do with 40+ pounds of peaches? More on that later.

… gonna pick a lotta peaches!

So … since my house is a wreck, I have a huge backlog of work and I haven't answered anyone's emails in weeks, I thought it would be a good time to get away for the weekend. Actually, in all honesty, I know how crazy I am to leave a messy house, a mile-long to-do list and the comforts of home, but this is the last weekend to pick peaches and I want me some peaches.

So we're packing up our junk and driving 3 hours tonight to a charming (read: cheap) motel (with free wi-fi, people!). We'll spend the night there and drive another 2 hours tomorrow morning to the farm. They have peaches, pears, nectarines, and three kinds of apples. I will be in fruity heaven!! Then we will go back to our motel and get changed so we can visit the Hot Springs Pool! Kickass.

I bet the laundry and clutter will wait for me.

Here in Denver, it's been cool enough in the mornings to require a jacket. Yesterday it never got above 70. My husband is planning an apple picking excursion. Catalogs with cute Halloween costumes keep arriving in my mailbox. The pool is closed. But I'm not ready.

I don't really want summer to be over with. It just didn't seem long enough. It went by too fast. It had too few trips to the pool. Too few (umm, like 0) weekend getaways, hikes, evenings dining on our patio … and now it's practically over. I know summer doesn't officially end until the 22nd, but all signs point to fall. And I'm bummed.

I'm sure my mood will pick up when I start making all of the excellent soups and casseroles in our repertoire and my fave TV is back on the air. And I guess I will enjoy the cooler weather … until the snow arrives. And I guess I should probably think about getting rid of this flipflops theme.

It may not surprise you to hear we're having a great time in Kauai. Beaches. Smoothies. Farmer's Markets. Running. Swimming. Fishing. Gardens. Chickens! Fish Tacos. Naps. Gorgeous Scenery. Lots of Fun. Giant Avocados.

The baby has become feral in a few short days. She wants to be “side” (outside) all the time. Yesterday she ran into the backyard, looked at the ocean, put her arms in the air and said “MINE!”

Today she pitched a huge fit because I (get this) tried to make her take a shower indoors. What the hell was I thinking??

This place is incredible and we are enjoying it immensely.

Today, Matt and I celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary. I hope it's a good sign that my husband thought it had been just 5 years since we got married.

Happy Anniversary, luv! here's to many many more great years.