I'm a Planner

I love planning, mostly vacations. I love the research behind it, reading the reviews, deciding where to stay, spending countless days searching for the right airfare. I don't do it just by price either, I figure in price, route and aircraft! I get excited just writing this.

Last week I talked myself out of a new car, all because I am saving for this

Yep, this is where the kids and I are traveling in December. (A little note about the car. I have one that's only a few years old, and honestly quite perfect for me, plus it's paid off, so it's not like I need a car, I just really miss luxury cars)!

My son will be a senior next year so I gave him the choice of what country/continent would he want to travel to in Decemember (I have two weeks of uninterrupted time with the kids, with out having to trade a day, hence December). He didn't really care, so I threw out a few I enjoyed from my flight attendant days. London, Austria, Australia.....he chose Australia. Out of all the places I have been this is the one place I have most desired to go back to. However planning is over whelming, this is a very large country. And a little more costly than I originally thought.

For planning I went straight to one of the best sources. I have a friend from Australia. I met up at his house last week for a couple hours. I got wonderful advice, how to get more of a real "Aussie" experience, how to travel between Sydney and Melbourne, what to see and where to stay along the way. How many days are typically needed, Australian search engines, plus he emailed me the following day with a PDF of a mapped out trip so I could have that on file to go back to while planning! I have travel books and notes from Ricks co-worker that just got back, and have been reading many reviews on the different places to stay. My kids may be in for a real treat, because one place I want to stay is about four hours south of Sydney, by rental car.....me driving on the "wrong" side of the road, oh dear!

$$$ for the trip, the amount I may spend on this trip makes me slightly ill, but I can do it! First the airfare in December is ridiculous, however Hawaiian seems to be the cheapest, by about $2000. for the three tickets, plus I have enough miles for a departure (the more expensive leg of the trip). We'll see though, I do have a wedding I am in need of planning and Hawaii is at the top of our list right now for destination wedding, so may use those miles then...which brings me to the other way I am saving for this trip. Having two big houses full of furniture, that will be eventually combined into one, I have been going craigslist happy selling and getting ready to sell stuff. I love it. We have too much of everything so have been picking and choosing what we will keep and what we won't, money from selling everything in my house is paying for Australia!

 

After I get the Australia details set, we will try to get some wedding plans in order. For the record I am very much enjoying the initial wedding planning phase!

 

Just a fun picture of my après ski snack this last weekend!

 

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March 1st

March 1st, three years ago I faced a future of uncertainty, now it's a day to celebrate new beginnings.  That day three years ago was the hardest of my life. I walked into a court room with three of my best friends and lawyer, a dear friend as well. As the petitioner in an uncontested divorce I was the only one that needed to show up. My friends, voluntarily took off from their busy days to be there for me. I will never be able to adequately express what this meant to me. I remember walking through the metal detector and being overcome with all of it. My heart was racing and I couldn't breath, a full on panic attack and there they all were. My papers were stamped, my 12 year marriage dissolved. That was it.

Somehow in the hours that followed a lightness came over me. It was done, no more wondering, no more hoping, no more being disappointed, it was done. My friends and I gathered to say a toast to the future, met up with the rest of the girls. We laughed and cried through the evening. This was love, and I am lucky enough to experience it.

Fast forward three years. I am living life on my terms, supporting myself and kids and running a business. Appreciating and enjoying life more. I am with a man, that loves me for exactly who I am. My relationship with my kids was only strengthened through all of this. I continue to be in awe that somehow I met the ladies that are now my best friends. My life feels full and blessed, and I don't take it for granted.

I have always believed life is a series of lessons, ones we should learn from and continue on, improving along the way! Cheers

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Scenes From a Ride

Most rides I love and get excited for, others I know are good for me to do so I do them. Joe Miller is one of the latter. Although it's a bit twofold, when doing just Joe Miller I often dread it, however if you add another four miles of climbing to the four already done and head up to the heights, the ride makes it into my top three favorites list. I don't mind the climbing, but at this time of year if you add the heights you have at least 8 miles of descending, and no matter what clothes I pack to put on at the top I end up getting so bitterly cold it nearly ruins the entire ride. For another month it's just Joe Miller and down Stemilt Creek.

There's a few reasons I am not fond of this, first it's a bit boring, as in not scenic going out on the hwy, lots of traffic and debri, once you get to Joe Miller, it's actually quite beautiful and the climb is one of my favorites around, but in the course of the ride, that part is rather short, so I don't do it all the time.

Today was breathtaking and I wish everyone could experience what I do and see on the bike. (Note: I froze on the decent).

 

 

 

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No Motivation Needed

On two wheels I am free. I LOVE being on my bike. I lose myself out there, and can go for what feels like forever.

I have perma grin plastered on my face. The air, the sun, the road, the hills, the friendly farm dogs, other cyclist. They all make me so happy. Then in my head I start thinking about how much I love going to work, and how I love having the afternoons free to be outside. I love having a collection, from the years of good gear that keeps me nice and warm so I can enjoy the view during this time of the year.

 

I love that little fire that ignites in me when I can tell a male cyclist, a complete stranger is ready to dismiss me as a "girl" cyclist. I like determining, whether I can hang or flat out smoke them. This of course is with the exception of my fiancé and his friends, I know my limits!

 

Now if only running on the road could be this easy!

 

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Funks and Desires

Ok, I'm in my annual (perhaps semi annual, or even quarterly running funk). Truth is I love working-out, outside. This year I've gotten plenty of time in on the bike (with the exception of the three weeks I was patiently waiting for my broken hand to heal and was on the trainer), I got to trail run into January, then started Nordic skiing and snowshoeing. I've even enjoyed swimming twice a week, it's just the road running (without the sun) that does not get me excited.

The solution is to decided on a race, so I actually start training. I originally planned to do Boise 70.3, not because I have to,or have anything to prove, but because after last years 70.3 I loved it and would like to do one again......however my other passion is traveling.

That's me...ALL the time. I love everything about travel, everything! The problem is balancing the two. The kids and I are gone at least once a month from now until August. Crazy, but also very exciting. Needless to say trying to fit a trip to Boise to race the first part of June, is a little difficult, so I have decided to combined our Bend vacation with a race. Which means I need to start applying myself a little more on the run.....dang.

I had gone snowshoeing yesterday and loved every minute of it, I REALLY did not want to run today. A little trick I do when I feel completely unmotivated, I make myself run to the track, easy enough 1.25 miles from my house, once there I talk myself into 400's, easy enough it's one lap at a time, with a 200 slow jog in between. Accomplished 8 of those, and honestly it felt great, slow jogged the downhill home, and was very pleased with myself!

This is not to say Thursday when I plan to run again I will be anymore excited, but one day at a time, and it will eventually come back again!

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The I Dump

I do love Mondays, but I fill them to the brim, by 9 pm I am ready to shut my eyes. So while I had many great posts floating through my head, for now we will settle with photos from my phone of our last couple days happenings!

Perhaps this is a sign of the future. Went to dinner at my friends house, her son and Lo have been in school together for the last 5 years, but now it's not quite as cool to be having dinner together ( or at least it captured by photo).

Sunday Rick and I made our way to ski a few loops in Leavenworth, early enough to be home to make the kids breakfast. I knew we'd be the only ones out there because I did this all last year, but Rick was still surprised we had skied the entire first loop before someone came in. I love this time, being the first ones on the perfectly groomed trail.

My fiancé looks grumpy, but he's not, I just caught him mid talking, giving me pointers on V2 and V2 alternate (with nobody there it was a great time to practice).

Does anyone remember these? I practically made Lo get one because I was so excited.

My FAVORITE work mornings, when she joins me. I LOVE having her there, plus she is a HUGE help in the set up!

 

Kaiser hasn't been getting out as much because, I'm in my annual running funk, but today we went snow shoeing with a friend. The snow was quite deep and we had to make fresh path, wore him out in a very good way!

 

 

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Corduroy

Not the material, but the perfectly groomed trail! I have waited ALL winter to ski in Leavenworth! Skied at Stevens, Mt Bachlor and the Methow, but there is no place that I'd rather be on a Friday morning than Leavenworth. I checked the forecast last night and knew the ground would freeze and if I got there early enough, before it warmed up too much it could be good. It as perfect, I love being outside, hearing my own breath, getting so lost in the movement I don't get tired. This is how today was for me, I skied three full loops (24k) like nothing today. I was just in the zone, takng it all in, so happy to be out there.

Thank you winter for finally showing up!

 

 

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