weeeeee!

Leadville, CO. It was a whopping 6 degrees F when we rolled into town this morning. I have NO idea why I felt inspired to consciously go play in such temps, but for some reason I've been highly motivated for it all week.

The temps were PERFECT, if you ask me. The sun was out, and it felt downright hot (of course, I mean, hiking your bike and running your bike and working your bike through soft snow conjures the temps of southern beaches). Perfection.

snapshot courtesy of FixieDave.

i just deleted my boring, 10-page psycho-emotional-physical report of today's race.

it was FUN. it was SATISFYING. i was really happy to have some pretty pure inspiration and motivation to be there. it was freaking WONDERFUL to see my friends and to hang out and PLAY.

at one point in the race i decided that racing isn't for me. that i suck at it. that i am too attached to the outcome. i find this fascinating. and really fucking funny. but that's ok. and that's just me. odd thing is, the minute i gave up on the outcome -- not that i had any intentions or expectations before the race, i started feeling much better, much more energized, much... faster ;-). so. that went well. that went really well.

i met an incredible woman today: erin. we rode together and, yeah, we TALKED the whole way ;-) LMAO.

i also got to re-connect with Miss Marni today. She is just fabulous and i hope we get to ride soon.

ED, you inspire me. I'm SO proud of you (2nd SS, and 5 Overall...). DAMN good job, honey. I'm glad you're feeling good. THAT feels good ;-) And, i love being out in the world, playing with you.

Alright. I'm done.

jj

back in the saddle

tonka, peering out into the larger world -- one he rarely gets to visit. he seems to like watching the birds from this spot. that, or he's watching his own reflection. knowing him, he's spooking himself.

the deal is this: i can't stand posting on this here blog thingy because i can't stand safari+blogger (the new home computer is a mac). the editing and photo upload capabilities just frustrate me to no end. so i've just taken my hands off the wheel. i mean, keyboard. (i need to find another laptop. one that likes to drink coffee and one that likes to dive and rest randomly on the floor without also 'quitting' in the process.)

i really wanted to post up stories of the 2 week birthday adventure........ but it might just be in the memory and experiential banks at this point.

i can say that Aspen Highlands is far more satisfying than i thought it would be! i can say that i'd ski there over anywhere here on the FR if given the choice. (cb and ah are now the fav co places to turn) i really liked the hike up the bowl. the ridge was one thing -- moments of desperately needing to NOT look over one edge, and moments of desperately longing for that wide-expanse of a view from the top. my eyes weren't big enough to take it all in! my heart was big enough to absorb it -- but man, it was COLD up there. i had to jump down the ridge and into the bowl (and wickedly phat snow) to warm up and lose the creeping feeling that i was way too high. it was LOVELY and insane in that perfectly casual colorado high-country way. the view from the top was jaw dropping. i'll be there again soon. or, i'd like to be.

ed's pic, taken down in the run out from the bowl. can't tell, but i was grouchy here. the mantras require a few more calories. i was in deep need of pizza at this moment. didn't know it at the time tho;-)

another ed pic (damn they're good, eh). this is the ridge. this is the bowl. this is the dream.

i can say that i could use a few more .lbs on the body to turn the mantras like i turn the crossbows. but that ain't gonna happen, so i need to get used to going faster and turning less. this ought to prove liberating on some level, i'm sure of it.

i can say that jean and eben are two of the best pals a woman could have. i'm grateful.

i can say that ed is The Man and he's ........... well, we won't go there ;-)

sigh.

i had a birthday party at my house, TOO! i'm serious when i say that i had a 2-week bday celebration. i was lucky to get to make soup for my up-closers. daveC and M, you would have been here, i know, if you like... lived closer (dudes). ;-)

let's see let's see... what else what else?

went for a ride this weekend. the first 30 miles of 2008! nice DAY! my riding dates: EDmund, Steevie, JasonB. Thanks, guys!!! um, for letting me tag along?!?!? the sunshine was MASSIVE, the snow was blinding, the smiles were deep and all encompassing.

pony likes the snow! i would never have guessed. (my pic!)

honeee.... ;-) check out them winter ridin' shoes ;-)

colorado rools. i mean, rules.
(ahem, daveC and M). RULES. Come Here. Please.

So, Dave C and Ed had a small chat about posting on blogs, and keeping it interesting. My thoughts of late seem to be that I don't really have that much that is very interesting to say -- not here on the blog anyway. Not sure what this means for the continuance of such a practice. They both said to post up more than every couple of weeks. True. I feel like I move too fast to keep it up ... like I can't sit still long enough to get the thoughts all in one place, and the words out in a coherent and meaningful manner.

but whatever.

i did hear this on the radio this morning in regard to oil companies purchasing water rights in prep for an oil shale boom: 2 barrels of water to produce 1 barrel of oil. this got me fired up and talking out loud to myself and the radio during the drive into work today. i mean, REALLY. (this coming from someone whose occupation supports oil and gas exploration companies). i feel about this... something very strong and simple -- yet quite complicated as well.

jj

mantra

A sacred verbal formula repeated in prayer, meditation, or incantation, such as an invocation of a god, a magic spell, or a syllable or portion of scripture containing mystical potentialities.



i take things entirely way too seriously.

but that's ok. i'm really good at it.

2.5 weeks of birthday celebration: report to follow soon....

jj

monarch

photo courtesy of ed

easily one of the most thoroughly messy, deep, windy, white-out, playful and sometimes frightening storms i've had the pleasure of playing in. damn good 2 days out in the elements. worth every second of it.

i'm tired now.

jj

CB for NYE: Part II

truth be told:
i just love to ski.
i just love my friends to no end.
and i just love ed with my whole heart.

it's really pretty simple.

after the ski down and the hike back up. i shaved the bolt off one of my leashes. doh!

mmmmm, phat cb goodness

shussing down the section that had no snow. deep snow is so much more satisfying. but the super-fast turns are a hoot!

ed and jeny having fun?!?!? hell yes ;-)

eben and jeny -- you can tell i'm not enjoying myself at all ;-)

cheers!!!

satisfaction guaranteed!!!

see. pretty simple.

jj

CB for NYE: Part I

nye plans this year happened in a spur of the moment phone call (returned) from jean and eben: crested butte, the ruby b&b, 2 days of skiing in the wake of a solidly delicious storm ;-)

the drive down required attention, as 285 was a wind tunnel and monarch was a white out. arriving in cb in the middle of a winter-white-maelstrom: perfecto, yo!

pic taken on our walk to dinner after arriving
one reason why i belong here



just in case you can't tell: IT WAS S N O W I N G.

dinner (desert) was scrumptious

now, this is eben and jean. this picture is not particularly accurate. first and foremost, this picture makes jean look demure. she is not. she is an explosion of energy and words and ideas. SHE drives the bus. eben -- well, eben is a force to be reckoned with ... not as quiet as he looks here. they live in Aspen and drove an insane distance in wonderfully disturbing weather to basically arrive at the town directly sw of theirs. no way to drive from aspen to cb w/out having to take the long way -- in the winter. thanks, rock stars, for making the trek!

yours truly -- in the sweet b&b, post perfect dinner, getting to bed early to be ready for a deeply satisfying day on the slopes!

more pictures and more stories when i get the pictures off of ed's camera -- ;-)

jj