Super... Dog? But I want SuperNanny!

Per the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary,

Adventurous
1  a :  disposed to seek adventure or to cope with the new and unknown
    b :  innovative
2:  characterized by unknown dangers and risks

Mom (Mother)
1  a :  a female parent
    b (1) :  a woman in authority; specifically :  the superior of a religious community of women
       (2) :  an old or elderly woman
2:  source, origin

3:  maternal tenderness or affection

It seems to me that if I were to run out the door screaming to get away from my toddler and baby that my wish to be an adventurous mom went out a different door.  I'm no longer "coping" with the new and unknown and am trying to shred the idea of being a female parent with maternal tenderness and affection!

Exhibit A:  November 2014 Tantrum

It is absolutely amazing to me how a two year old can make a fully grown, nearly 40 year old, mother crumble to the ground, want to crawl under her bed and never come out.  How is it that they can make a simple 30 second change into pajamas into an 1-1/2 hour excursion of screaming, kicking, hitting, WITH four timeouts?  To make it worse, your baby is crying in bed because, that's what they do when they don't want to go to bed.  Alas... the two year old's crying and screaming just mask the baby, so you're saved!!!

Seriously, how does one get through this horrendous period in a toddler's life and then pick herself up to go through it all over with the second child just as the oldest gets better (or I hope gets better)?  There are so many books, websites, etc. out there to help.  How is a mom supposed to find the time for all these great resources when you're collapsing to the ground after finally getting them into bed an hour after they were supposed to be in bed?

Maybe there's such a thing as a SuperDog (Cat?) that takes all your cares away and helps teach you deal with them.....

Oh, that's right, they're too busy pulling food off the counter, eating the cat's food, harfing up hairballs, clawing your legs and deciding to poop in the play room because even though you have a dog door, that's their way of telling you, hey, you pissed me off.

January 22^nd… Number Four?!!?

Hard to believe Anniversary No. 4 has arrived! 

Three and a half years after I wrote to my Grandma telling her about this wonderful man named Kevin, he married me.  Now, we have two wonderful boys wrapped in her baby quilts that patiently sat and waited for their arrival.

September 12, 2007

Dear Grandma,

……..I started dating a new man about a month ago.  He has deep black hair, bluish hazel eyes, and awesome smile, and is about 5’10” tall.  His name is Kevin Obendorf and he is from Ithaca, New York.  He has one older brother that lives in Washington D.C.   He has a degree in environmental studies and biology from the University of Montana-Missoula.  He works as a landscaper and has a pretty extensive knowledge regarding sprinkler systems. It has been fun to talk to him about my yard and what to plant.  I met him through a computer dating service call match.com.  We both believe in preserving the environment & have similar political beliefs.  He has been very kind to me and really seems to enjoy my company.  He has a miniature dachshund dog, named Zula and a longhaired black cat named Oso.  Both the dog and cat try to get my attention.  Zula is so cute, you would adore her. She is such a happy dog. I like Kevin quite a bit because he respects who I am and hasn’t tried to place me in a box of how he thinks I should be.  I can’t even express how much he makes me smile and laugh.  Since I met him, I have felt that I have gotten my old self back and I haven’t been so down in the dumps.  I hope it continues to go well……..

… and the rest is history!

Smiling face make you happy and good news makes you feel better. ~ Proverbs 15:30

Today, My husband's, cousin's husband posted a remembrance of his grandmother.  It quickly reminded me of my Grandma, Myrtle Lillian Harp, and how much she meant to me.  I was absolutely honored when my Mom, Uncle Dennis, and Aunt Darlene asked me to give her eulogy for her funeral.  She was 90 years young.

This is what I had to say on September 21st, 2007....

Grandma Harp with Conner, May 2007

Smiling faces make you happy and good news makes you feel better.  ~Proverbs 15:30

When I was in the 3rd grade, I received my first bible.  During the church sermon, I opened the bible up and this verse burst out to me.  These words have been with me ever since and have become even more imprinted within my soul these past few weeks.  I have heard of many people comment ton their fondest memory of Grandma... her smile.  Smiling faces make you happy...

Often times when someone of such great importance in our life passes away, we think of what their legacy may be.  I truly believe that Grandma's legacy starts with her smile.  Each time she held one of us grand kids for the first time and then the great grandchildren the smile not only came from her lips, but from her eyes.  Each time she watched a squirrel try to outsmart a bird feeder, she'd hate the squirrel but be laughing and smiling at how comical it was.  Every picture I've seen with her and Grandpa, is highlighted with her smile.

Another part of her legacy, or at least, one of my favorites, was her great baking.  She has the best banana bread, strawberry shortcake, Special K bars, strawberry jam and rolls.  If you ask my Mom, she may to have include her fruitcake.  I have tried to mimic her roll recipe and she definitely had a knack for those because each time I make them, they taste right, but they bottom out your stomach with a big "thunk".

Many of us know how much Grandma loves to eat and made darn sure that anyone and everyone sitting at her table never left hungry.  I don't think anyone else can ever convince me to actually have thirds and possibly fourths when sitting down for dinner. One of my favorite memories of Grandma was her "run in" with Robin's friend, Dan, at my Mom's Christmas Dinner.  As usual, Grandma wanted to make sure all had enough to eat.  Dan turned to her and asked if she wanted anymore mashed potatoes.  She respectfully declined as he quickly scooped up a big spoon of potatoes and placed them on her plate while telling her, "Here ya go Grandma!"  She looked at him and smiled back with all she had and laughed as he teased her.

One of the last last pieces of her legacy was that she's a mea
n card player.  If you had to have teams for a card game, she was the gal to have on your team.  Unfortunately, she and my brother somehow ended up on the same team, a lot.  Need I say, I'm not that great?  I never understood how someone with even the smallest cards for a game of 500, could still manage to win. She knew her stuff.

Last evening, I was trying to come up with a way to express who Grandma was.  I re-read a poem I wrote for my own Mom several years ago and it also fit Grandma perfectly.  This isn't too surprising since there are so many similarities between my Mom and Grandma.

Phenomenal

Her eyes twinkle like stars.
Her smile shines like the sun.
Her laugh is infectious.

Her heart is immense.
Her love is everlasting.
Her soul is beautiful.

Her strength is enormous.
Her will is unstoppable.
Her passions are strong.

Her patience is boundless.
Her kindness embraces all.
Her calmness is comforting.

She is a Phenomenal Grandma.


Follow-up Note....
Something I will never forget about that day is when my cousin Ryan came up to me and asked how I was doing and if I was o.k. because he knew how much she meant to me.  Thank you Ryan for your kindness.

How do I get back to "Adventurous"?

Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt," John Muir

How do I get back to "Adventurous"?  Before the "yard" part of my life, I traveled/backpacked in S. America for four months, traveled in Thailand for two weeks, hiked Colorado trails all the time, got in a couple 14ers, and definitely camped.  I took a one week camping trip to Maine & New Hampshire.  Several of my adventures were also by myself.  Not to mention forcing myself up Elitch's "drop" ride, TWICE!  I am so afraid of heights that I was crying by the time we dropped down to earth.   

I would say my definition of adventurous ended when I purchased a home with a yard.  With that yard came a lot more space for Aspen to roam around and all sorts of gardening & landscaping.  It was awesome!  I think I went on one backpack trip that year.  

It ended even more when I moved further away from work and was just worn out from that.  Then... Zachary was born.  I could barely get him fed healthy foods let alone venturing into the mountains.  We did get out on one adventure just outside of Estes Park for a two night camping trip.  It was so nice and Zachary loved it, even if he couldn't walk yet.

Now, we live in a place with a much larger yard with pasture land and we have kid number two.  We definitely don't eat healthy now.  Wow, even with working 3/4 time, I'm still scrambling to get out the door.  We did manage to go camping up to Chambers Lake, west of Fort Collins, with both kids.  Wyatt was two months old.  It was an adventure in patience and frustration.  We went home early because our campsite flooded and I couldn't handle much more of the crying and whining. 

So... again how do I get back to Adventurous, when I feel I can barely breathe?  And even more important, how do I make sure that my children go on paths in which I "make sure a few of them are dirt"?  What does that look like now?  How do I fit that back into our lives? 

Maybe my first baby step is remembering it hasn't disappeared, it just looks different.  Now I just need to figure out what it's new definition means.

Huh, Overall Project Manager, who would've thunk?

After being on  maternity leave and getting up to speed on new and old projects through an over abundance of meetings, I made it out to my bridge construction project.  Man was I grateful to be out there and it made me realize that when we're designing, I need to get out there even more!

This particular bridge project has made me cry, lose sleep, and bring joy like never expected.  I was even on the Denver's Fox31 evening news because of the eagles in the vicinity of this project.

All the work, frustration, anger, etc. made it all worth it when I was able to tell one of the workers, "I am THE overall project manager of this entire project."  Not in a million years did I expect to say something so neat and empowering.  I think I wowed the guy even more because I was a younger woman.  It was a liberating thought and am glad I got this far.  It's times like these that I need to remind myself, I am a good engineer and a good mom.  No need to ever doubt myself (course perfectionism runs in the blood too!)

The third week... 15 more to go??? Fudgesicles.

So, I'm finally into the third week of my marathon training and I have already thought....

• What am I doing with all this training?
• Do I really need to qualify for Boston?
• One of the FAQ questions is, can I transfer my registration between the marathon and half marathon.....hmmm, Good question.
• Why do I want to do this?
• Can I just decide to finish?
• What if I switch from the Advanced I training program down to the Intermediate I training program?  Then I wouldn't have to run as much.
• Why am I training in the winter to only qualify for another race that has me training in the winter?

Can you tell that I am extremely discouraged.  But, alas, I made it running again last night.  I just swore a lot as I ran.  The best part is that despite the black ice which shone in the moonlit night, I had a great running pace.  So, I'm thinking that when I'm running in warmer temperatures down to sea level from 5280, I'm going to kick some ass!!  I need to stick to this goal, and need to be reminded of this often, because I need to learn not to give up when it gets tough.    

San Diego Rock'n'Roll finally released their course today.  We start in downtown, run through Balboa Park and end at Sea World.  I will have the best coach in the world cheering me on as I run, my Mom.

So, my fourth week looms and I think I really need to find friends to run with.  Anything to motivate me to run other than the chance to swear a lot!  

ONWARD!

San Diego Marathon Training Begins!!

Today, I started week one of my 18-week Marathon training.  At least I did the workout, sort of.

I had decided last week that I would start getting up, ON TIME, to do my training runs before I even got to work.  Well, my alarm went off at 5:00 and 5:12 this morning, I got out of bed with a few explicitives at 6:00 a.m.  Off to a grand start, aren't I?  Ugh, I'm still in a dilemma of whether I should train in the morning before my day gets away from me and I'm so exhausted I don't want to lift a finger.  On the other hand, running after work is warmer, more likely in the daylight hours, and I can leave work by 4:00.  Ugh, such decisions, huh.  I am thankful I don't have tougher decisions to make.

I finally made it to the gym after a really long day.  Unfortunately, due to my IT band, my first day of training was spent on an elliptical training.  I was quite pleased how good of a work out it ended up being though.  So, day one is done.

To go along with my great training, I scarfed down a huge "caramelita" bar from Ideal Market (aka Whole Foods), a chocolate drop bar from Breadworks, and I think I managed to get some other chocolate in there.  How on earth am I going to cut my cholesterol down with that kind of diet.  That caramelita bar was so damn'd good though...caramel, chocolate chips, oatmeal (see some whole grains!)... YUMMY!  I can guarantee my friend Jeannine is cringing at this diet of mine.

I need to get back to my goal of planning my meals and bringing my snacks and lunch with me.  I did really well two weeks in a row and blew it the last week and a half!

What was my other goal??  Oh yeah.... Financial self in order... Got my taxes done and I'm getting a rebate!

Need to figure out an adventure for this week...any ideas?

Well, now that my day is completely over and I have at least 20 books/magazines in my pile to learn how to run, how to eat, and how to save.. I should call it a night.

Can't believe I seem to have New Year Goals!

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, but it seems that I have inadvertently started a few.

Goal 1: Get my financial self in order. I started reading Suze Orman's book Women & Money last week and all of a sudden, I seem to want to improve my whole financial plan. Leave it to this gal to get me motivated to pay attention to my finances! So, I seem to be on a mission to save more, get my personal papers in order, and understand all the money lingo better.

Goal 2: Run the San Diego Marathon and qualify for Boston. This goal began in September, but will truly start at the end of January. I ran a really good race in September and my time improved tremendously from the last race I ran. I haven't felt this good about running since I was a sophomore in high school and my 2nd Senior year at college. I got this hair-brained idea that well... if I am able to qualify for Boston (which I thought was a long lost cause) this may be the time to do it. So, I've signed up for the San Diego Rock'n'Roll marathon which will fall right around the time I turn 35! Now.. just to get my body in shape to kick some a$$. The only down fall to this is that the last three weeks I have been fighting off a stomach flu that sent me to the ER and a cold. Argh.

Goal 3: Plan my meals and grocery list. The idea behind this is to plan a weekly eating menu in order to save money and eat better. I did well the first week on the plan. Last week I gorged myself while on vacation in San Diego with my boyfriend's family. What a good time though! Maybe this will help me with my four-month check-up on my cholesterol. A gal can only hope.

Goal 4:  Get the Adventure back into Kristine K's Adventures!

So, I guess I have some work to do! Have to find a good marathon training program this evening and lay out my financial game plan.

Merry Christmas (and Happy New Year too)

Wholly Cow, another year zipped by, and what a year it was! I had a great year and still enjoy living in Longmont, which has a similar feel to Chippewa Falls & Eau Claire. Kevin & I are doing great and I am so blessed to have such a great guy in my life.

This past year, I spent even more time on my house, in particular, my yard. Kevin & I installed sod in the backyard and, with Kevin’s oversight, Dad & I put irrigation in my front yard in order to seed it. Even though Aspen loves the yard, I think she misses the hiking that was taken over by gardening. I have planted an insane amount of trees, shrubs, and perennials and even have a small garden of herbs, strawberries and raspberries. This coming spring should be exciting for my garden. A few of the shrubs I put in last year bloom in the early spring and therefore I haven’t seen their full color yet.

Kevin & I went camping, mountain biking, and hiking in the Snowy Range of Wyoming for a Fourth of July getaway. Kevin and I enjoyed looking at all the wildflowers. Over Labor Day weekend, we traveled to Washington D.C. to spend some time with Kevin’s family. I had a wonderful and relaxing weekend with them and got to see some parts of D.C. I never saw before.

My family joined Kevin & I for Thanksgiving this year. It was great to have them all out and even better to have Conner running around my house. The last time I saw him, he was barely scooting backwards and now he’s walking and talking!! His word for everything he can’t say wais Dooahh, therefore that is my name. We all went up to Estes Park for the holiday parade which was so pretty with all the lit floats.

In June, I jumped to the other side and now work for the government. I am the Boulder County Regional Trails Planner in the Transportation Department. I really enjoy my new job and like to think it’s more suited for my personality. I am talking so much more with the public, other agencies, etc. than ever before. I think I also have a knack for planning and coordinating things (whatever it is) and enjoy doing that rather than always being behind my desk.

Have a wonderful New Year and God Bless!

~Kristine

Fourth of July in the Snowy Range

Kevin & I had a really nice camping weekend. We headed up to Medicine Bow National Forest just outside of Centennial, WY.

We weren't too quick about getting out of town on Wednesday morning. We drove through Cheyenne on our way up thinking it'd be cool to stop at the Sierra Trading Post. We were both pretty disappointed and figured we should have just stopped at REI in Fort Collins. Oh well, now we know. We found a dispersed camping spot that was pretty close to some of the National Forest campgrounds. So, we got to camp for free and were close enough to some water and vault toilets. We found a site that was next to Libby Creek and it was very nice.

Thursday morning, we got our mountain bikes out and rode all over the area. We had a few hills we couldn't go up, or down, due to the rocks, but it was fun otherwise. The mosquitoes weren't too bad and we REALLY enjoyed trying to figure out all the flowers and shrubs we saw. Kevin bought a rocky mountain plant life book. So, we were pulling that out quite frequently. We probably logged about 15 miles throughout the day. We had a nice evening by the fire and he taught me how to play backgammon.

Friday, we head up to the pass and the views were absolutely wonderful! WE wanted to do some hiking, but a lot of it was cut short because there was still quite a bit of snow everywhere. They didn't even open up a lot of the roads or campgrounds because there was so much snow and they don't have enough funds to plow everything. They just have to wait for it to melt. We ended up going on a few short hikes and to some of the observation points. We then drove down to Saratoga Springs. We were going to go to the free Hobo Hot Springs but decided it was too darn'd hot. So, we paid $2/each to use the municipal pool and showers. It was so nice to cool off after such a hot day. We ate some food in town and had a margarita before heading back up over the pass. Oh, on the way down to Saratoga, we did see a moose! :) We got back to the site and enjoyed the campfire for quite a while. We had one neighbor that just got a new chain saw. He decided to use it Thursday night, all day Friday. He was a little weird. He also decided to thump his music the entire time. Dah.

Saturday morning, I was pretty lazy while Kevin read his book. We finally decided we'd had enough of thumping base from our neighbor and packed up camp about 2:00 or so. We headed up to a trail where we tried to do some more mountain biking. I think we ended up walking more than riding on the way up. There were about a half dozen trees or so that covered the trail. I was pretty tired of lifting my bike over them. It was pretty rocky too. Since we're not very experienced mtn. bikers, it was a bit tougher. Coming down was pretty fun though. Probably more so for Kevin since he loves downhillls. We ended up going about five of the nine miles of the trail. We then decided to just head back to Loveland. We drove back via 287 from Laramie to Fort Collins. That road is so beautiful and the scenery was amazing. We headed to Adalitas for some margaritas. It was a nice evening.

Yesterday, we just took it easy and got things cleaned up and regained our bearings before heading back to work today. We got some breakfast before picking up the dogs. I ran into Travis from college! Couldn't believe it. He had his little girl with him and their expecting a second pretty soon. They now live in Loveland. I told him we should get together soon. What are the chances of seeing him at that coffee shop? Aspen & Zula were pretty happy to be with us yesterday. Aspen's still wigging out from the fireworks, but she'll be back to normal once the banging & popping stops. Kevin & I also managed to go to the nursery for some new plants and then we grilled out hamburgers and enjoyed the evening. I headed home and unpacked all of my junk.

It was a great weekend even though the pollen was out of control. I felt pretty claustrophobic because I was so clogged up in my nose and throat. EVERYTHING had a nice yellow hue. It was crazy!

My favorite animal..um... NOT REALLY!

I'm not sure why this occurred this past summer, but it did. I have NEVER seen so many snakes in the "wild" until this summer. They were all in my yard. I had one afternoon when I saw three of them within a 10-20 minute period. I am very lucky that I made it through the summer without a heart attack. I'm also wondering if my neighbors will just simply ignore my terrifying screams if it really counts in the future. On more than one occasion, my neighbors have saved me by removing the pesky little things from my yard. I've had some doozy greetings. Here's a few stories..

I, often times, leave my back door open to let the breeze through and to allow easy access to my deck and yard. One evening I was a little freaked out but figured I had nothing to worry about since Snakes can't climb up onto a deck, right? WRONG! One morning I saw something coming up between the cracks in my deck. No way, I thought. Sure enough, it was a tinty gardner snake trying to come up through the snakes. LIttle did he know that he was too big and got stuck. Therefore, ended up dying via squished body and sizzling between the heat soaked boards of my deck. It took me three, yes three, days before I even went outside. I wasn't about to go anywhere outside until I new it was dead. What a joy it was trying to put it into the trash.

Another incident occured while I had a few of my close friends over for a barbeque. I was showing them my great and finished backyard from my upstairs windows. About the same time I looked out the window was about the same time that Aspen grabbed a hold of a snake from the fence, pulled it out to the yard, and proceeded to slam her body into it as she rolled in it. I think she wanted to play with it. Fortunately, my boyfriend saved the day be removing it from my backyard.

I believe I had a whole snake family in my yard and hopefully they won't come back next year. I don't think I can handle another year of snakes, ugh. My local nursery swears by the "Snake Repellent" that I purchased from them. I would love to put a huge border of spray around my entire yard..problem is.. if they're in your yard and you spray it, they're then stuck in your yard. Sounds like a party... wait, I don't think so!!

To make things even more interesting, my neighbor put in a water feature. Gardner snakes love water... guess it will be a while before I'm rid of them!

Am I in Seattle again?

I was all set to welcome the sun back into my life this morning when I awoke. What did I see? A bunch of puddles! How am I supposed to enjoy my week off by working in my yard when it continues to rain? Maybe this is mother nature's way of saying, Kristine, you have too many indoor projects to work on before you continue outside. I would love to be digging in the dirt, but I'm sequestered to cleaning my house, hanging up towel racks that have been sitting on the ground for over six months, painting, filling in holes (why didn't Dad get all those?) Oh yes, it's because I created four more holes yesterday when I thought I had an 18-inch rack, not a 24-inch rack. What's the saying, measure twice, cut once? Something my brother lives by, I should probably take a lesson from him. So, this morning I'll be painting, hum.. Hopefully I'll be digging by the end of the day!

Kick off to summer

Ahhh... summer is finally on the horizon, Memorial Day has passed... where did the 80 degree temps go? It's been rainy and in the 50s the last couple days, bummer.

Last Friday was my last day working for Loris & Associates. Next Monday, I start my new position as Boulder County's Regional Trails Planner II. I'm going to be a planner! Can you believe it? I can't. It's a new position and a new opportunity to experience the planning side rather than the detail side of creating bicycle trails. Yeah for me.

I'm taking the week off in between jobs to work on my place and debrief. I have been prepping my yard for the sod and top soil treatment to be placed later in the week. Yesterday afternoon I was able to lay my flagstone along my backyard/side of the house in between the rain. It rained a bit too much yesterday afternoon and evening that I won't be able to work outside until at least tomorrow. No sense making everything a muddy mess. I guess I'll have to work on my indoor projects. I seem to be doing a pretty good job of procrastinating those projects. One of them is cleaning, go figure!

I am also enjoying watching the robin family grow in back yard. A pair of robin's nested in my backyard. I noticed the baby birds a couple weeks ago. Yesterday & today is their day to learn to fly. Unfortunately, one of the four died in my hands yesterday morning. It was quite traumatic for me. I was trying to figure out why the pair of robins were dive bombing Zula, my boyfriend's dog, when it finally dawned on me, too late, that the baby was out of the nest. Zula found out and just went haywire. She got a hold of it and I was screaming at both her & Aspen to get out of the backyard. Nature is nature, but it sucks that it was our domesticated animals as part of that. :( Aspen has been sequestered inside all day today so the birds have a bit more room. I hope they'll be doing awesome in the next couple days!

So, my house projects continue!

I've Been Tagged

I have been been tagged in a game of Blogger tag by my new friend and old college acquaintance, Jen, who just moved to Longmont! Here's a link to her blog in case you'd like to check it out: http://www.stampwithjen.com.

Part of Blogger tag is to list 7 random facts about yourself so here goes:

1. I have discovered in the past year, how much I love gardening, and boy do I have the yard to go bonkers on.
   
2. I will never hang seven doors by myself again. Ugh. What a nightmare and I'm lucky most of them are hung straight.
   
3. My dog Aspen is a sweet heart and I love that she is a part of my life.
   
4. I am head over heals for a great guy in Loveland. :)
   
5. After six years of my Mom begging to do Long's Peak with me, we're finally going for it in August. This shall be interesting, fear of heights galore.
6. I just got to watch an 80,000 lb bicycle bridge that is 180' long be set for one of the projects I helped design.
7. My Dad is a saint for helping me with my Dad To Do list. It's a biggee!!

• Katie, friend: http://katjablog.blogspot.com
• Jen, new friend and old college acquaintance: http://stampwithjen.com
• Robin, brother: http://blogs.emptybottleworks.com
  

Merry Christmas!

Another year has passed and I had a different set of adventures this past year. Rather than being a world traveler, I became somewhat of a “weekend warrior”. I sold my Denver home for an upgrade in Longmont, CO. I am now a proud owner of a “real house” with three bedrooms, a huge yard and in a great new town. I have learned that I will never hang doors by myself again and have turned three feet tall weeds into mud with some great trees, bushes and mulch. My yard, by itself, is quite the project. Fortunately, it keeps me outside and I love gardening (when it IS gardening and not shoveling tons of rocks). My Dad helped me kick off the fix-it projects by coming out for an entire week to help me out. He’s scheduled for another fix-it week to help me reface my kitchen cabinets and counter tops. My Mom helped me plant the trees and bushes at the end of the summer. This year, she may help me paint my house.

Our family had a wonderful addition on May 23rd. My brother & Theresa welcomed their new baby boy, Conner Gregory Nelson, into the world. He is so adorable and such a joy to Robin & Theresa. At the beginning of December, I was honored to become his Godmother which gives me even more rights to spoil him rotten. My Grandma was so fortunate to have met Conner before she passed this fall. I will miss Grandma so much but feel that she is so blessed to be with Grandpa and, at 90 years, to have a very full life dedicated to her family.

I have been working at Loris and Associates for the past 1 ½ years designing bicycle trails. I finally got to see one of my constructed trails this past fall. I have to say, taking a day touring the bicycle trails of Aspen, For Work, is my idea of a good work day. I have a great boss that has some of the same ideals as I do when it comes to thinking green and it’s great to move forward as a team.

My biggest outdoor adventure was over the July 4^th weekend. Katie & I traveled down to the West Elk Wilderness near Crested Butte, Co to see some spectacular views of the Castles. We backpacked for a four day, three night adventure. The only time we saw people were on our hike out. We got to see some beautiful wild flowers, several elk, and some great Aspen groves. Aspen had a grand time running all over the place and she managed to get a coyote to yip & bark at her.

Saving the best for last, I finally decided to delve into the online dating scene. I was fortunate enough to go on a date with a pretty fun guy that lasted for 5 ½ hours. I’ve been enjoying Kevin’s company ever since and he does a wonderful job of making me laugh and smile. He’s got a miniature dachshund named Zula and a cat named Oso. Aspen & Oso really know how to cozy up to each other. I look forward to seeing how things unfold for us in the future.

With that, I wish you a very blessed Christmas and a wonderful year in 2008.

Love, Kristine

Aspen Trail

I finally got to see one of my first trails in it's constructed splendor this past week. I designed the engineering for the Old Stage Trail near the Monarch Golf Course in Aspen. The city had the ribbon cutting ceremony for the trail and my boss & I attended it. It's the first time I got to attend one of those as well. It hit me as I was standing there.. holy cow.. I have a designed and constructed path in Aspen, who would have ever guessed? I just wish I could be responsible for the landscape design too becasue that rocked, or will rock come this spring. I don't think I could have ever dreamt when I was a child that this is what I would have under my belt.

The day started at four in the morning and we finally hit Aspen at about 10:30 a.m. We also checked out two of our other projects in Basalt and Glenwood Springs. It's so exciting to be a part of a city's plans to build a new bicycle path or path(s). I am starting a new trail design for the County of Boulder and should be finishing up a design for the City of Peoria in Arizona. That project has had it's own challenges because there is a whole new set of State guidelines that need to be followed that aren't even close to the State of Colorado.

This past Saturday, I participated in the Boulder Underground tour. The tour involved an eight mile bike ride to three underpasses that were just opening up. So, I got to see three more ribbon cutting ceremonies this week. Two of the underpasses were designed by my office. There are now 74 underpasses in Boulder just for bicycles! That's impressive!

On to the next design. Check out more pictures of the Old Stage Trail in Aspen at: http://picasaweb.google.com/KKNelson75/OldStageTrail

Why I hate flats

It all started over a year ago. I walked out of my townhouse and was on my way to somethin' or rather and BAM... the front driver side tire was blown out. I had never changed a tired by myself and that was quite somethin' to see (that would be me standing on the "wrench" while hopping up and down trying to loosen the lug nuts). The last time I changed a tire was probably 15 years prior when my Dad helped me rotate the tires. I was in charge of taking off the rear tire and he got phone call. So, I was left to my own devices.... which meant.. Dad why can't I get the tire off? I have all the lug nuts off? I keep pulling and it's not budging (hint... you may want to jack up the tire).

My second flat occurred a couple months later on the rear passenger side wheel. One would think that in an office full of men, one of them would have helped. Instead, they were all inside, laughing at me. Blasted people! Eventually, I did have a few folks out helping because it was quite obvious this tire wasn't about to budge for me. It was almost as if it were welded on.

Not only did I have problems with my car, but my bicycle too. Both times the tire went flat as I was cruising down a hill at 30 mph. Now that is just downright disappointing. Who wants to stop going downhill.. the easiest part of a ride? So, I whipped out my pump, took the tire off and tried to find the hole. Turns out I thought I had ruined the presta valve and out of the six patches I was supposed to have, I had none. How could that not be in there when I hadn't ever had a flat before? Needless to say, I looked like a damsel in distress as one gal told me when she stopped to see if I needed help.

A week later, I got another flat. I was about two miles from the office and going downhill, bummer. So, I thought, yes, I have all the stuff I need, it's the front tire, and I was quickly on my way to fix the tire. Before I left my house I did think to myself, I should have a spare CO2 cartridge and should have figured out how to use the blasted thing. I then thought, oh, I'll be fine... wasn't fine. I couldn't get the CO2 cartridge to work. A nice young man stopped to make sure I was o.k. I asked if he could help. He couldn't get the thing to work either. So, he lent me his CO2. I told him I felt like such a fool for not knowing how to use it. He happened to work at bike shop and he couldn't' figure out the cartridge either. He gave me some pointers about what I should do before I leave my house (like figure out how to use the CO2 cartridge, hmm good point). I thanked him for stopping to help. He said he thought maybe I was hurt since I was so far off the road. I told him it was a ploy to get him to stop. Hmm... this could be a way to pick up cute men!

Well, this last week, my front passenger side tire went flat on my car. This time, one of the guys in the office offered to help change it, just as I put everything back in my car and was done. Nice timing. Turns out, it wasn't just flat, it was embarrassingly raw... down to the wires. So, those tires were replaced (even though all four were replaced a year earlier). Went back to the shop... only to find out the rear wheels were badly bent. So, I not only left with two new tires, but now have some pretty snazzy looking wheels to.

The moral of the story is that about four years ago, when I ran over a really bad pothole and the guy tells me that the wheels are little bent, but drivable, maybe I should have listened to him then..... I probably would have saved enough money to buy a ticket to Thailand again with all the savings in tires.

Banana Pancakes

Ah, the memories of Banana Pancakes.

A few years back I traveled to Thailand and spent an entire week in Ao Nang. Every day, I hunted down my Banana Pancake lady. She made the best pancakes I've ever had. Well.. I never had them before that and haven't had them since. Not only did I enjoy eating the pancakes, but the gal that made them for me was so sweet and always had a smile.

My next memory is that of singing to Jack Johnson's song Banana Pancakes. Not only did I sing my heart out to the song, but I would dance and twirl too. I loved the song because it is the epitome of what carefree looks like.... "It's meant to keep you from doin' what you're supposed to, like wakin' up too early, maybe we could sleep in, I'll make you banana pancakes, pretend like it's the weekend now" ~ Jack Johnson.

I haven't sung or danced to the Banana Pancake song in a very long time. I think it's about time I get back into that swirling and dancing while singing my heart out. It'll do the soul some good! Now.. if only I could figure out how to MAKE Banana Pancakes, I'd feel like I were in heaven. :)

Why I like my new hometown, Longmont

1. Longs Peak: Longmont has a street named "Longs Peak Avenue" and rightfully so. This town has some great views of Longs Peak from just about anywhere in the city. I have found some great running trails that direct me towards the peak, with nothing but fields and ponds to distract the view.

2. McIntosh Lake: This lake is about 1 1/2 miles from my home. I can get to via a bicycle trail practically the whole way that follows a creek too. It has spectacular views of the fields, Longs Peak, and the country side.

3. St. Vrain Greenway: Now, this is an awesome bicycle trail. Fortunately, I'll have the opportunity to design one or two of the extensions that will take it from Golden Ponds to Sandstone Ranch. It follows the St. Vrain River the whole way and even has a crushed gravel for me to run on. I ran it this morning and it was so great to see all sorts of folks, including entire families, getting out to enjoy it.

4. Hot Air Balloons: On any given morning, I get to see one to six hot air balloons. It is so neat to drive into work and see all the balloons with the rocky mountains in the back ground. I love it.

5. Small Town Feel: I like being in a small town again. It just feels so much more personal that living in Denver. Denver can make you feel like you're lost in the crowd. I like being someplace where people are starting to recognize me.

6. Horse Ranches and Farms: Longmont is in Boulder County, which is home to several farmers and ranchers. When I drive to work, I drive through the country side. Two weeks ago, I opened my windows to the great smell of fresh cut hay. It made me feel like I was back in Wisconsin again. I feel so much more "at home" up here than I could have ever imagined.

7. Bicycling Community: There is a very strong presence of bicyclists in Boulder County. This is a good thing because motorists are more considerate when you're biking on the road. I never felt comfortable biking in Denver because of the horrible drivers. I like that I can actually bike eight blocks and be in the country... no city!! Wow!! I have been trying to bike in twice a week, but it's only been about once a week.

8. Running: Since I live so closely to Boulder, there are also several opportunities for running trails and probably more diverse running groups. I hope to find some new pals soon to help me train for the Fort Collins Half Marathon.

9. Longs Peak United Methodist Church: I found a new church home that is filled with some very wonderful people. This church makes me feel like I'm really part of a community. It also feels like my home churches I grew up with. I can't wait to do more with them.

10. Great Neighbors: I have some really friendly and exceptionally nice neighbors. They are all excited to have someone cleaning up the house and yard. I've been asked go fishing, play pool, spend a day at the lake on the 4th, etc. It's crazy!!

Backpacking Again

This past weekend, Katie, my best friend, and I headed out for my first backpacking trip since I returned from S.A. We had THE BEST time!! We headed out on July 5th for the West Elk Wilderness within the Gunnison National Forest. The views were stunning, the wildlife rampant, and the flora & fauna absolutely amazing. WE both felt as if we were in our home states of Wisconsin & Pennsylvania (except even better b/c of the mountains).

Day 1:
We had a pretty late start, due to packing in the morning and Katie having to clean up her roommate's dog's mess. Poor puppy. :( We headed up to the mountains via I-70 and through Glenwood Springs. I haven't been past Glenwood via Hwy 82, so this was a real treat. I still, to this day, cannot get over how gorgeous the red rocks of the mountains are in that region. Glenwood Canyon always amazes me with it's steep cliffs and gorgeous canyon. We hit the trailhead at about 6:30 p.m. We started near the Lost Lake Campground at the beginning of the Beckwith Trail. We hiked in about 2 1/2 miles before setting up camp. Just as we hit the trail, it started to sprinkle and it didn't stop until we found our camping spot. We quickly put up the tent and made our first gourmet meal of the trip, salmon patties with really really really good instant mashed potatoes. I don't know how something instant can taste so good.... must be all that salt they put in it. After dinner, we attempted to put our food up via the "bear bag". Now, I have never used one before and I don't aim very well. This effort probably took us about a half hour to finally get it all hung up. I didn't think we would have too many problems with bears, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious. We then hit the hay and got set for our next big day.

Day 2:
As usual, my Alarm clock, otherwise known as Aspen, woke us up pretty early. I just let her out of hte tent and went back to sleep. NO sense getting up before you have to. Both Katie & I were suddenly sitting straight up as I thought I heard Aspen bark and it scared the both of us out of our witts. I instantly knew it wasn't her barking, and that thought was reinforced even more when she came from teh opposite direction from the barking. Turns out, a coyote was on the opposite ridge, about 200 feet away. Neither of us had ever heard a coyote bark before so it really through us for a loop. It eventually started to howl (a pathetic one at that) and then moved along its way. About five minutes later, it was back, barking and howling away. Aspen really wanted to play and the coyote might wanted to as well. I didn't think it such a good idea. I got out of the tent and tied up the dog. The coyote finally left us alone.

We headed out of camp and had a nice cloud cover for a bit before the hot summer sun beat down on us. That is when we really got to see how beautiful the West Elks are. The mountains were all different colors, including my favorite red. The prairies were full of columbines, yellow daisies, several different purple flowers, white flowers, fuschia flowers, etc. The areas along the mountain sides were filled with aspen groves, huge pines and a grass that looked like a golf green. If I could have made money off of how many times we said that is so cool, I would be rich and could retire. God's splendor was in full force. About 1/2 mile from Swampy Pass we found this wonderful opening that just screamed moose. Katie & I decided we'd be staying there at least one night.

When we arrived at Swampy Pass and saw the great view of hte Castles, we decided taht would be our turn around point. No sense killing ourselves for our first backpack of the year. We just sat in the sun looking over the mountains and trees. It was so relaxing. I don't remember the last time I just sat and enjoyed my surroundings. I'm usually hiking quickly to get to camp. After a few hours, the T-storms were heading in. We hiked back down to the meadow and made camp, took a nap and then ate our gourmet meal of fettuccine with chicken. It is amazing how great food tastes while in the back country.

Day 3:
We decided to hike up to Swampy Pass to watch the sunrise, and it was worth it. It was fun to get the heart pumping before we even ate breakfast. The morning was beautiful and was just a hint of the beautiful day ahead of us. I enjoyed going downhill for once and I think Katie did too. We did have to hoof back over Beckwith Pass, but I felt much better today than I did yesterday. My blisters didn't even bother me that much. This was the only day that we saw people and horses and all within a span of about two hours. I love it when you can hike for four days and only see people once during the entire trip.

We hit camp about two miles from the trailhead. It was so hot by the time we found a spot and the flies, once again, were nasty. I didn't even know Colorado could harbor so many flies. Aspen couldn't wait for the tent to go up. She wanted in, no matter how hot it was inside, just to get away from all the mosquitoes and flies. She was pretty tuckered.

That evening, we weathered a pretty big thunderstorm that passed right over us. It probably hailed for a good ten minutes. Fortunately, the rain stopped just in time to get the chili cooked up before it was too dark. All the time we cooked supper, Aspen wanted to crawl right back in tot he tent and didn't understand why we wouldn't let her in. Doesn't she know that dirty paws are not allowed in the tent by themselves!

Day 4:
This was our last morning and then an easy hike out. I woke up a bit early to watch the alpine glow of the sunrise on the mountains. I can't wait to get the pictures back from this trip. The scenery was breathtaking. All morning, Aspen wanted to go back in the tent to continue her night's slumber. I think she was severely disappointed when we took it down. The hike back was nice and cool. We managed to scare up a deer and it's fawn. That was the first time Aspen actually saw the deer. The rest of the trip, she was too busy scaring up ground squirrels to pay attention to the deer.

We headed back to Denver at about ten in the morning and stopped in Glenwood Springs on our way so we could grab a bite to eat. We then hoped for smooth sailing home. Boy, were we wrong. The one thing I hate about I-70 on a Sunday afternoon/evening. All the ridiculous traffic. We did take a break in Idaho Springs. I was on the hunt for pie, we didn't find anything but ice cream. I don't understand why it is so hard to find pie in Colorado. Someone's going to have to write a book about that!