ten february facts + 1 kitty story

thanks, chris. (for tagging me on the 10 things i love about feb task).

i don't love feb, so this ought to prove ... worth while, eh?

ok.february.uhm.

10 FabFebFacts:

1. i love the fact that daylight savings is closer than it was a month ago (closer than a day ago, closer than an hour ago). i want the light in the afternoons. i'm striving towards march. February is almost over!

2. ok, can't lie: February is often times the best month of SNOW here. so i like the febSnow. so skiing is awesome, and i've not done much of it this February ... so i'm a slacker, because THIS February has proven to be mightySNOWfine indeed. bad jeny.

3. i like February for the same reason i hate February: no MTBtrail action here (really). i hate this for obvious reasons, but i like it because it allows me to "hide" on my bike -- riding slowly, in private, on far away roads, on the rollers .... i don't know why i like this.

4. i like the way you can tell every single day that the daylight hours are getting longer. every afternoon the light surprises and excites me, and every mornings dawn feels a little more fresh.

this is very difficult. gaaahhhh.

5. ok, here is one: i like the way tonka is afraid of the snow. ed and i only let tonka outside when we're there to supervise. sometimes, when it's snowing in earnest and the ground is pristine and white, we open the door to see if tonka will decorate the trackless snow with his purrfect little pawprints. tonka has one word for these moments: hellno. it's funny!

6. well, usually moab and February go hand in hand. but not this year.... so. does that count?

chris, you're making me feel like a pessimist. ohwait, i am. ;-) i didn't know i was such a pessimist about February.

7. i like ed drenched in February. he is fun to play with ;-)

8. i like it that both of my grandparents (on my fathers side) were born in February.

9. i like it that my sweaters are all worn-in and cozy and that i still get to wear them. i love sweaters. more than i love February.

sigh.

10. i like the sound of the word 'February'. like the look of the word 'February'. it's round, it's blue and for some really wrong reason, it feels like a cozy word.

there.

OK, now for the Kitty Story:

tonka's story told from tonka's point of view. tonka said he wanted to get out and get some exercise (he actually gained weight while on his 'diet' for the last year) ....

tonka: hey, ed ... where do you go on your ponies every day? why can't i go along?
ed: oh, you can come along! here, let's get you set up on the TiPony.

tonka: let's see, do i put all my paws here? will i fit on that little saddle? how does the pony move?

tonka: oh, wait. i don't think my front paws can hold on here while my back paws hold on to the pedal thingies way down there. is this really how it's supposed to work? something just doesn't seem right here. i don't think the 29'er is my size.

tonka: ok, ed, now i KNOW this ain't right!!!

and that was tonka's extensive foray into the world of mountain biking.

;-)

yeah.

jj

schmookie

ed asked me if i thought our friends thought we were that schmookie kind of couple.

my brow raised ...... 'hell yes.'

it's just so terribly awesome ;-)

just as a note: i'm one hell of a lucky woman.

thank you, ed, for the most wonderful first valentines day ------ and for the 11 months of sunrises leading up to it ;-)

awww....

awww.... x2

ed spent the evening showing me how to actually use my cameras secret weapons.


more lessons....

we were seated at the table next to the table we usually sit at (monet). tonight we were dining with (on) klimts KISS. perfecto.

our walk between dinner and the, uh, bar. ;-)

on the walk, the window was very reflective of the inner states.

sitting at the bar, facing all the bottles, with the reflection of the wall and the paintings behind us, we spent most of our time at Blue trying to capture images of this wonderful little environment. ed did better than i did, but i had good ideas ;-)

another image from behind

my spot at the table. i just liked the light

enjoy. (i sure did).

jj

just another day out in the sun

it was 20 degrees out this morning when we suited up, down at buff creek. BUURR. especially considering it was near 40 when we left the house. we were all expecting to get away with knee-warmers, not 2 pair of leggin's!!!

but, 20 is what it was. so 20 is what it was.

• 45 miles
• 3,100 vert
• too many layers to count ;-)

we started straight up the hill. some of us like to warm up before we start working in earnest. some of us (them) had no freaking clothes on so we utilized the climb as a way to keep people from ... freaking out.

truth be told, i was a bit worried that i wasn't feeling up for the big hoopla today. after how i felt after our mini-ride yesterday, i thought i was having issues. turns out i was wrong. not only did i make it, but i had some really wonderfully good extended moments worth of moments. i may feel slower than necessary pushing up the hills right now, but there is fire in there. and i'm hoping that the mysterious fatigue and drain from last season just simply doesn't show up this time around. darnit ;-)

needless to say, i got the job done, and i smiled 99% of the way. despite feeling inexplicably strange the last 3 miles, the recovery-drink and following meal set me so straight i feel fantastic. go figure. i feel better now than i did after our mini-ride yesterday. hum.

Thanks, guys, for the hoopla today. Much needed.

The day in pix:

ed and i awoke to the wake of tonka's busy night. above is what seems to be tonkas version of a rabbit. can you see what it really is/was?

hugos layering process.... he didn't have too many layers to start. nutcase.

john's layering process. nice manpris! he didn't have enough layers to start either. dumkopf!

steveies slow layering process. he did end up with real riding shoes. but no booties! DOH!

ed came prepared! toasty hot ;-)

anyone want to guess how many layers i had on? go ahead, try ;-)

this was the view north-ish before we pulled out of the parking lot. the cloud blocked the sun for a solid hour or so ... and it stayed darn-right cold because of it.

this is the fantabulous crew, left to right: hugo, jenyjo, johnyboy, steevie, edmund (ed and steve were having a man-friend-quarrel;-))

this was at the 'top!' (well, not ACTUALLY, but it felt like it). the sun broke out right about here. much anticipated. we started the peeling process here.

ed, showing off his stellar legs, posing for the camera ;-)

at the bottom of the hill. hugo fueling up for the remaining 25 miles.

jeny refueling for the remaining 25. thanks for the food, darling!

end shot ;-) stevies derrier. we all looked like this. except ed. ed had a FENDER.

ed and johnnyboy, looking proud.

ed looking sated, and deeply happy.

darling!

darling! darling!

uhm. no lies, jeny was a wee bit on the tired side at the end.

happy pony. very, very happy jeny.

jj

ball of wire

Feb2.9.08

• first: go see the youtoobe links on ed's site. my stomach hurts from laughing so hard. (well, he'll get them posted at some point).
• second: we set out for a ride today in the blazing sun. not-so blazing saddles pace, but what is one to do, eh?
• small ride today: 17 miles. mild pace. 1,800' vert. tomorrow we're commited to a solid 6 hour saddle fest.
• in truth, i wish it was hot outside. i wish the trails were dry. i wish i were riding trails. but alas ... i'll have to wait. and ride. and wait. and maybe ski a lot more.

siiigggghhh.... we certainly are a spoiled bunch, no?

layering up!

taking note of the 11 years put on these one pair of sidis. can that possibly be right? 2 yrs as a courrier downtown, and the rest dirt, road, rain, snow, sun, sweat. i think i've even worn them around the house on occasion. it might be time for a new pair of slippers ;-)


this is the BEFORE picture (before our ride today)... guess what i did! with the help of icegeek, i installed a new hanger, new rear der., new cable and housing. (remember, i broke it 2 weekends ago in leadvegas.) and it shifts like a DREAM straight out of the gate. booyah!!! thanks, ice-baby!

during our ride today. this is the only pic i stopped to take. i will have to learn to stop to take pix. or i'm never going to use the camera as intended ... ;-)

this would be the AFTER picture. nice ride + dirty gear + sexy ed legs. mmmm. what more could i ask for?

another close up of the aftermath. why am i posting these pictures? i have no idea. apologies.

um. blush. more.

at least this one has some mixed content ;-)

Left Over Birthday Pix

I never posted these, but really wanted to.

birthday girl + her beau + her roomie and the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious ice cream cake that roomie (hillarrryyyy) made.

the cake. yes, i kept all the dinos.

all my fabulous people (can you tell how much they are looking forward to the cake). yeah.

jean, skybunny, and jeny -- in Aspen at jean's for the pre-birthday weekend AspenHighlands power-ski fest.

jeny working out some of the kinks acquired from the 2nd big day on the big hil.

jeny getting into the cake.

um. some random shot. just to prove that i can focus on one thing at a time. well... sometimes.

one of thoooose days

the alarm was blaring. and blaring. and blaring. and blaring. and blaring. 5am. i was very disoriented. and very annoyed (with the alarm). and very excited to go play in the snow: a very complicated state of being in which to start a saturday.

all i knew is that vail was reporting something like 9 inches of snow. that is just enough for a little inspiration! so. tele-ho!

620 am. met with hil and dave in the dark. threw them (and their stuff) in the car and jumped onto the highway. i thought it would be very difficult to corral ed, hillary and dave for a full day of big-resort turns on a big-snow day. but it all happened easily enough, as we've been threatening to all turn and burn together now for months, and it's never happened. with the nice mid-size storm looming, i thought it would be ther perfect day.

the highway adventure to vail was without incident, and without too much traffic. it was with great relief that we parked the buggy and set out to the base of vista bahn -- stopping to replace ed's pass and grab a few meat pies .... we hurried up to wait in line for our first lift ride. ugh.

spirits were high though. it was great to have the pals close by and out playing with ed and i, for once!

vista bahn to mid-vail to the top: cold. 2 warm up runs for dave to get centered on his New Ponies, for Hil to adjust to a deeper shade of snow, and for ed and i to warm up and remember what we were doing. luscious turns even on the 'groomers'.... that always cracks me up.

so i led them off the back side and down through some very special trees. VERY fun, very smooth, very long line at the bottom. ed swore to never ski vail on a weekend again. hillary fidgeted with gear and i tried to will the line to just disappear or move faster so we could get on the lift. ugh.

up to the top, off to the right, down the ridge, steep drop into the bowl. big masher fun! total chop and my new ponies REALLY love to plow through them. i'm falling more and more in love with the new ponies day by day. i tightened down the bindings quite a bit, and that seems to have helped. if all goes as i think/feel it might ... i will hit new heights very soon ;-)

line at the bottom wasnt't TOO bad. hit the top. hit red square -- disappointingly cut up, but fun. the aspens below the ridge were succulent, uncut, and all ours.

met with hil at the bottom, and i took it up on myself to drag them out to one of my favorite spots: jenys joy. we made a few huge laps off the poma into some untouched trees, off some untouched rocks, and hit some of my favorite secret lines. why this area is so little traveled is beyond me....... but that's ok. ;-)

i was really hoping to show ed, hil and dave ALL of my favorite spots. unfortunately, that was grossly impossible. with the crowds and the corraling, it just wasn't going to happen... BUT, i did get to show them some stuff that i THINK will get them to agree to go back with me again in the future..... perhaps next time i'll get to show them the other few jeny spots, and perhaps even lure them down the rabbit run into minturn for margs. more planning on my part, and less attachment (and perhaps fewer chocolate-covered espresso beans), and all will happen....

so ... after a few laps of bliss, we headed over to blue sky, where we let ed drive for a few laps. nice job honey! the first run coalesed in a head-on collision between dave and some guy. WHAM, i saw it happen right in front of me and i can't believe that neither of them were seriously hurt. phew.

the last run in blue sky proved inspiring: ed's trees... seemingly endless, relatively uncut for 3pm!!! that doesn't suck one little bit.

hit tea cup to get out. the storm had moved in in earnest. hil was reaching new depths of low-blood-sugar-ness, and i vowed to get us off the hill quickly and efficiently.

ed and dave wanted more, hil wanted food. and i wanted to ... please everyone ;-) so hil went down, and we dove into the empty lift area, picking up a LONG lost friend, John along the way. his insane energy was just what we needed to a.) make a couple extra runs and b.) waste the living hell out of ourselves in the process.

as wasted as we were, those last two runs were the most amped up and power-hungry runs of the day! what a treat! given, none of us could hold it together for very long, and the ridiculous icy-front side was a like playing pin-ball on a sheet of ice, we laughed ourselves silly all the way down the front side of the mtn for the last run. john had a real treat in store for us for the last pitch: bumps. while bumps are usually just fine, and i'll take 'em when they come ... i could barely turn to save my life as it was.

9am to 430 pm tele day. not bad. it was a joy to spend the day with friends, laughing pretty much the entire time, skiing hard between lifts up the hill. sunshine. snowstorm. deep snow. secret trees and private stashes. truly, this is one of the reasons we're all here, doing what we do. THANK YOU ed, hil and dave for surrendering to my whims and and mania or a whole day ;-). i promise we'll have yet more fun next time ;-)

ending a day in a state of barely-walking-ness is so unbelievably satisfying. the cool part about that is that i finally felt physically on par all day long.

it's about time.

jj