Highs:

• 3 cds in the mail from my Dad, with a post-it as requested. Last week Dad sent me some newspaper clippings, and there was no note in the envelope. Of course, I love mail of any sort, and I appreciate Dad's mailing of articles, clippings, etc. But I kindly called him out on the lack of message and said "at least a post-it note would be nice." So tonight I opened my mailbox to find a surprise envelope from him with three cds (Van, Louden Wainwright III, the Dead- yippee!) and a post-it. The post-it simply said "hello".... very funny, Dad!
• Significant progress on my first-ever grant proposal. Anne, the woman helping me with it, is a bit of a miracle. She has a ton of grant writing experience, and literally whips these things up in a day. Amazing!
• Kudos from a Board Member!
• A quick check-in with a glowing friend.
• A phone call from Grandmommy! Who saw on the news that Colorado was getting pounded with snow and called to check on me. I love her. We talked for the duration of my chilly walk home.

Lows:

• I literally just realized, as I reflected back through my day, that I never drank my smoothie. It's sitting in a nalgene in the fridge at work. Boo. I guess a high tomorrow will be my smoothie waiting for me?
• The briefness of the above check-in with said friend.
• A bit of homesickness. I've been enjoying organic honeycrisp apples this week, and they are deeeelicious. However, great apples = fall in New England, and it's been too long since I've enjoyed fall in the east.

Hmm. I seem to have fallen off the blogwagon for a few days.

Winter seems to have fallen onto Routt County. Well, it's fallen onto Colorado in general- with more snow (18 inches i heard?) falling on the Front Range (Colorado Springs-Denver-Boulder-Ft Collins corridor for those who aren't familiar). We actually escaped with only a few inches of snow, but had some damage from severe winds. The temperature is now settled at a brisk 25 degrees.
I walked to work this morning and had this strange feeling of "this is what my life might be like in a city." It was chilly & breezy, with only a thin crusty layer of snow on the grass and rooftops. I've always thought I probably couldn't stand a city in the winter, because it is just cold and no fun. Snowfalls don't mean skiing, and storms mostly mean bad driving conditions. Anyway, I walked along wearing my skinny jeans with my target boots (very city-esque. or horse-jockey-esque....), a big sweater and my better sweater, stopped at Safeway for a Starbucks coffee, and talked on my cell phone to my mother while trying to avoid the icy patches (stylish boots = no tread). If I ever live in a city, is that what my life might look like?

In the meantime I am ever thankful that I don't live in a city, and that we weren't hit too hard by this storm. I am feeling particularly unenthusiastic towards WINTER at this point. But I'm hopeful that the snow will hold off until closer to ski season, and that I'll enjoy an epic winter of skiing and playing and enjoying snow.

In other news, my beautiful friend Jenna turned 26 this past weekend. I didn't post a cute little post like I did last year (http://catchthetruth.blogspot.com/2008/10/very-special-day.html) but I did get to have a wonderful phone chat with her, and I'm hoping for a little city playtime in March.

Alysha graduated from her Police Academy on Friday, which is a huge huge huge accomplishment. I'm super proud of her for completing a really rigorous 6 month program and excited for her job to really get started.

Oh, you didn't come here for an update on my friends? Well, life in Steamboat is going well. Work is continuing to be time-consuming and exhausting, but I'm also trying some new and exciting things. I'm writing my first grant proposal for the El Pomar Foundation grant round. I've been on the other side of the table, giving out grants, so far, so it's interesting to try my hand at the other side. Thankfully I've hired someone to help me out, because I'm short on time and experience. I'm sitting on the City of Steamboat Springs Human Resource Allocation Committee, so last weekend I read 20 grant proposals, attended a meeting on Monday, and next Friday have all-day Hearings from the Health and Human Service organizations that are applying. I'm gaining new experience (and puffing up that resume!) and it's exciting, for the most part. I'm honestly not sure that I ever shared the big news that my boss (Betsey) is no longer with the Foundation. It was nearly a month ago, but she and the Board had different visions of success, and she parted the day before my parents arrived for their visit. The Board is in the process of hiring a new Executive Director (no, I'm not interested), but in the meantime I'm filling that role in some ways, as well as executing my current role as Program Manager, as well as maintaining some of the duties of my old position as Office Manager. So that may explain to you why my highs & lows have been so work-oriented on many days. Phew!

Speaking of work, this has been a nice little break but it's time to get back to the El Pomar proposal. Being faced with a blank word document has brought me back to my college days in a big way- and procrastination/distraction is still hard to avoid!

Warm hugs & lots of love to all.

One big high:
Today I received two pieces of mail. One from EACH of my grandmothers, and each included a clipping related to rowing. Gran (mom's mum) sent me a long article from the Boston Globe about the Head of the Charles. Grandmommy (dad's mom) sent an article about a recent Riverside Rowing Regatta in Hartford. I feel so special to have gotten mail from both of them, and for them to think of me when they see rowing. I have the best grandmothers :).

Happy Weekend!

Tuesday:
High- festivities for Brett Schmeltz's bday, sunshine
Low-a stressed boyfriend

Wednesday:
High-Giving the "staff update" at the Board Meeting, a friendly face via video, skipping Ab Lab to do abs & chat with Steph (from Vista Verde), funfetti birthday cake.
Low- Giving the "staff update" at the Board Meeting, an insurmountable workload.

Sunday:
High-denver pumpkin festival
Low- driving in the dark

Monday:
High- a restorative yoga class at the yoga center, chatting with Ken and Carol in the parking lot outside my office
Low-cancelled plans, a lack of food inspiration

Saturday:
High- New grey corduroys, a Mani-Pedi date with Kat, playing Apples to Apples with camp crowd in Boulder.
Low- Lots of Cops on 70, Waiting on friends in Boulder.

Friday:
High- Powder skis for $40, early morning yoga class, celebrating Alysha's final exam from afar.
Low- End of workday requests by the Board, dealing with Cook Subaru.

Highs:

• Dinner at the Rio with Brett

Lows:

• Stress-induce sleeplessness

Highs & Lows

Since I've had trouble finding time for real updates and long posts, I'm going to try a new approach for a little while. At Aloha, we often wrap up the day with "Highs & Lows" which involves going around a group (tent family, counselor unit, etc) and giving each person the opportunity to share one or two things that were the best or worst part of their day. Since I don't have internet at home, I'll try to post my highs & lows in the morning for the previous day. I make no promises... but it seems like a good way to summarize my goings-on. Let's give it a try...

Highs:

• Being asked to join the City of Steamboat Springs Human Resource Coalition Allocation Committee. In short, this means that I will be on a committee with city and county representatives reading grant proposals from local human service nonprofits and participating in the allocation process. Aka giving away city and county $!
• Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup for dinner. Yum.
• Seeing Ken & Carol after they were gone for nearly 3 weeks.
• A kick-ass kickboxing class.

Lows:

• Having a nonprofit partner discount my hard work at YVCF.
• Jealousy.

It's always good when the list of highs is double the list of lows!

I enjoyed a most relaxing weekend in Steamboat. I did a lot of lounging... watching movies, putzing on the computer and hanging with the boys. I have today off from work and I've been to a wonderful yoga class at the yoga center and now I'm sipping on a steamed chai at Steamin' Bean.

My parents were out to visit at the end of September. It was their first trip out here without ski gear and deep winter (though we did still get snow....) and it was perfect. I picked them up in Denver and we strolled through the Botanic Gardens. That night we saw VAN MORRISON in concert. I've dreamed of seeing Van Morrison with my Dad for the past few years- we listened to him a lot growing up and I have many fond memories of Van songs with my Dad. We were really far back in the theater, but the acoustics were incredible and he played a fantastic setlist, including "Moondance", "Gloria", "In the Garden"... It was great.

We spent the next morning exploring Denver, and spent extended time at the Tattered Cover Bookstore. Then we drove up to Boulder, enjoyed lunch at Bim Bam Boo and strolled Pearl. I showed them where I lived briefly at Kate & Lex's house... and then we headed up to Estes Park where we spent the night at the Stanley Hotel. Luckily Mom & I haven't seen the Shining at all and Dad's only seen a bit of it, so we didn't get too freaked out! We stayed in the "historic" hotel & the fold-out couch that I was meant to sleep on was definitely historic. I ended up on the floor on top of the couch mattress, a cot & laughing hysterically with my Mom.

We drove on Trail Ridge Rd all the way through Rocky Mtn National Park, which was absolutely beautiful. We spent the remainder of the week in Steamboat where I was oh-so-proud to have a guest room and fully stocked guest bathroom. We enjoyed walking up Spring Creek, shrimp tacos at the yurt, ice skating, an italian birthday dinner (Mom turned 59!) complete with a waiter from Vermont and free desserts... It was so wonderful to have my folks here enjoying Steamboat with me.

I was, as always, so sad to part with them. I've had a hard time recently focusing on the beauty in present tense and avoiding getting sad when things end. The cycle of leaves dropping off the trees for fall & my parents leaving hit me hard and I had a rough week facing "change" and feeling lonely.

Today, the sun is shining and I am refreshed by yoga. Hooray.

My 'Paca Friends

I knew that I'd been an inconsistent blogger recently, but I didn't realize just how bad I'd been! Four posts in the month of September? Yikes. I'm terribly sorry to my few loyal readers :).

I'm out on the farm today and it's lovely. Ken & Carol have been gone for over two weeks, so the Bretts have been busy taking care of the alpacas. I've been here for a few feeds and I've just jumped right back in with my muck boots and carhartts. Brett asked me one day how it felt to be "back" and I replied, "It's wonderful. It's like being back with all my old friends." Silly as it sounds, the alpacas & two guard dogs have been my companions over the past two years during a time when I've had very few friends in my physical presence. Sure, we don't do much conversing but they are consistently excited to see me, and that's worth something. And I enjoy saying "Good Morning Sadie, Hello Victoria, Hello Rumita, Hello Luminosa... and on and on as I give each of them a scoop of grain." Living and working on the farm has been a very cool experience for me & I know I'll always remember it fondly. Of course I love my seven minute walking commute to work now, but I do miss the 'pacas from time to time.

"If there is any secret to this life I live, this is it: the sound of what cannot be seen sings within everything that can. & there is nothing more to it than that." -Storypeople