show and tell

for those of you who have to (are likely forced to) listen to me, you already know i took part in my cousins wedding this weekend.

the happy couple:
the event went off without a hitch! as far as i knew anyway ... but i was trying my hardest to mind my own business and not ...... um, pay attention.


it was a really interesting experience to watch my little baby cousin ... whom i had babysat, coached through countless crushes, and disciplined (yikes) since she was a wee little bunny... actually get married. i'm proud of her. i don't know what else to say.

lucky for me, i was adopted (for the weekend) by the maid of honor, kimberly, and her hilariously awesome husband, scott! the other happy couple:












also lucky for me, the whole weekend of rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner, and drinks, and pre-wedding dressing, and eating, and more drinks, took place high in the hills above durango, co. in fact, i was staying at a place just below silverton ... the wedding itself was about 25 miles west of durango.

scott and kimmy asked me (at a point well into the eating/drinking festivities) to do my best impression of how i see them as the happy new couple that they are as well. this is what they got:
i am not exactly where where that smile came from. i've actually never seen it before. not once, ever.










kimmy and jeny at the rehearsal (for good measure and because she was a rock-star of a best brides maid, and because i think she's a top notch woman):


so, the morning after (omg, i slept on the couch in an effort to quell the chaos of the 14 year old 1/2 sister ... not to mention the wine), it was up and OUT of the condo, heading straight for salida ... off to meet ed in his VT125 insanity adventure. well, it's not insane, in and of itself. but the riders might very well be.

well, not really. i know. i'm just so completely excited for all the people who lined up at the start ... and for those who knew the tricks in how to choose to finish. i hope to be as well centered in my endurance efforts at some point in the future. for now, i get to train and ride my brains out ... and some day perhaps i'll have the gumption to do it in such a venue as this. you guys blow my mind, and you inspire me to the greatest of depths. ed ... you've lit one crazy fire!!!

sadly, i do not have a picture of ed finishing the race ... or any of the other riders, or any of the scenery. go to ed's site. he has pictures. and they're damn good.

so. i have this other gem of a friend. her name is jean, and she is also someone i admire ... for countless reasons. this last particular weekend, i admire her for her tenacity ... her ability to commit, even when she flat-out broke, she was able to re-commit, and then to conquer. personal opinion, but conquering is what jean does best. she masters. jean lined up for the Wasatch 100 this last weekend. now, for those of you who are bike geeks (you all are, i know), this is not a 100 mile bike race. she lined up for this experiential portal in her running shoes.

this is jean at mile 39. she looks as in control, HOT, bright and chipper as usual:

















Ok, so a little (a LOT) further into the race, mile 75. all i can say (am allowed to say) is that jean had quite the cathartic experience here. i am happy to report that jean has guardian angles, and they know when to show up, and they know the precise magic words:












so, at some point into the race ...jeans feet looked (and felt ...because i know you all know how to feel through pictures) like this:
tell me this: how many mountain bikers would be ok with feel that looked and felt like this? huuuummmmmm??? i do seriously want to know.



and, this is a picture of jeans in the midst of her triumph ... over the internal battle, and external battle ... as usual having mastered a dream:
(jean, you think i'm a freak??? yeeeah.)











so, i DID actually get to ride this weekend, albeit about one-tenth of the time and distance that i wanted to. i got to ride with my father this weekend. we rode up the forest access road for cascade falls. the delightfully playful 4WD road turned into some wickedly delightful single track ... and we had a good time out in the national forest, adventuring through the river (mid-thigh ... ooooh-yeah, it was c o l d), over the absurd amount of rocks, roots, and mud. i am one hell of a lucky person to get to do this sort of activity with my father. i am grateful.

and that was my weekend ... and jeans ... and heathers ...and eds ... and kimmy's and scotts... and i'm sure, all of yours, too.

jj