Almost Gypsy Soul

HIGH FIVE FOR FRIDAY! Whew I just wasn't sure that this day was ever going to get here....how can the short weeks aka weeks with holidays from work seem so stinkin' long? 1. 4 day work week and we spent it on the lake. Music Man was our fishing guide and he did good, we came home with enough for dinner for a couple of nights and he held Military Friend's fish for her. Red beers at nine am on a Monday, anyone? 2. Its flip flop season! Tan toes here I come.   3.  I made it through 2 bike rides with the mountain bikers....and the second felt better than the first. I know I don't look like I'm having fun or like I'm not dying, but trust me.....I felt better. 4. Color Run and hiking with the best friend and sister....technically last week but who follows the rules all the time. 5. And this will be waiting for me when that 5 o'clock whistle blows! Bring on the weekend!

Not exactly a true story because I don't fly fish and I actually went to work this week. BUT I'd sure rather would have had "my arm in a cast"

Learned to drive with one of these babies....not that I drove after dark much, but perched on the edge of the seat so I could reach the headlight dimmer, gas pedal and get the clutch to the floor....yep. These days kids don't even know what a headlight dimmer on the floor is....or a clutch.  Hungry, hungry hippos. and that is all I have to say about that. I like to drink whiskey and cokes out of these nowdays. Super awesome find at the thrift store if I do say so myself. Pretty sure I didn't drink out of anything else for a good few years growing up. Smurfs are awesome! Contrary to what my sister thinks I am NOT the only one left in the world who uses one of these things.....never fear, I asked the lady at the bank to make sure! What else is an oldie but a goodie because they sure don't make things like they used to!

This probably won't be exactly what you think you are going to read. Its something that I often brush off or don't think about because, well because its depressing and scary. I'd like to think it wouldn't....couldn't ever happen to me, but let's be honest I'm not that scary, I'm not that tough and it COULD happen to me. There was an article in the newspaper last week reporting that a 14 year old girl was snatched off the street in broad daylight near my new house. She was taken into the desert, raped and left there to walk home. When she stumbled back into the residential area and found by some kids playing, they called for help. She was able to provide a pretty decent description of the man and what he was driving.....he has not been arrested to my knowledge. It got me to thinking .......that is where I live.......no more leaving the door unlocked, even for a few minutes while I run here or there. .......that is where I run.....with headphones in...

Camping, boating, hamburgers, hot dogs, sunshine and beers....that is how most of us celebrate Memorial Day, but let us not forget the true reason for the day off work. Thank you to our military! And because I can't get enough of this picture, here it is again

One of my fellow bloggers, Prairie Princess, told us all about her day and I thought....hummmm I wonder if people want to know what I do in a day? After all, I lead a glamorous life. 500 AM : Hit snooze, have an internal debate of if I should actually get out of bed or not. 515 AM: Drag myself out of bed and push play on my Chalean Extreme DVD. At this time I am cussing through blurry eyes....after 35 to 45 minutes, I'm so glad I got out of bed. 600 AM: Turn on the Ipod, climb in the shower. Spend too long in there, which is still shorter than 95% of Americans who shower. Let the dog out, make the bullet, get dressed and out the door. 730 AM: Get to work, catch up on blogs, check emails and drink bullet and coffee. Who knows what I'll actually accomplish at work each day, it seems that the tasks that get crossed off the list are never the same list that I would like to accomplish that day. Some fires just burn hotter than others. 400 PM: Hit up phyisical therapy complete...

If you remember my table dilemma you can only imagine the anguish of trying to pick out dining room chairs. Of course most people pick one chair and get 6 of them. Lucky for me my table is not big enough for 6 chairs.....so that was on my side. However, I thought tables were expensive....try buying chairs. So I ended up with the hodge podge of chairs and I'm happy with that. It matches me, it matches my life, it lets me not have to make one big decision on what chairs to buy.  I bought a set of parsons chairs from Target....of which I cant' find a picture of online. So maybe with my final post of dining room chairs I'll show you them (whenever I get the last one done). But on to the ones that I made over......with a little pintrispriation. Pinterest inspiration This chair from Pinterest inspired the makeover for my 2 chairs that I found at Serendipity in Limon while I was home for Memorial Day, and yes that would be Memorial Day 2013. I may or may not have a prob...

As I look around the world today, I realize that not everyone can say THANK YOU to their Mom for doing their job and doing it well. I am a productive member of society that knows right from wrong, knows how to work and knows how to play. I can recall my younger days and not understanding why I had chores, bought my own clothes, worked during the summer, had a less than ideal car, had my own checking account, was expected to do well in anything that I chose to do, expected to do well in school.....when it seemed that few other kids my age was saddled with this type of responsibility. But I see it so clear now, its because my parents loved me and wanted me to be able to function on my own after I left Limon. Thank you Mom and Happy Mother's Day!

What I CAN live without? TV I turn my TV off during the summer and I don't even really miss it. Confession I still hit up Music Man's house about once a week to finish the winter seasons of shows that I'm hopelessly addicted to: The Following, Nashville and Big Bang Theory. MILK - I'm not sure how I do this and I don't want to do it forever, but I've impressed even myself that I was able to stop drinking milk in order to work towards my weight loss goals. Someday soon, this one is going to make it's way back to the CAN'T live without list. INTERNET - Sure it makes me a terrible blogger, but I've kept so busy I haven't really noticed that I don't have internet at home....blog readers however are a different story. And of course I have internet at work....so its not like I quit cold turkey. BLUE-RAY - I don't even really know what is so great about it (or what it is), although everyone tells me I just need it. Case in point, someone ...

I've been talked into moving from the stationary bike to a real one. I haven't ridden a bike in who knows how long and I've never ridden a bike like this before. Hick was nice enough to loan me his old bike until I decide if I like this enough to buy my own. And its fun and its hard and its scary at times. The group has been nice enough to start "sally rides" on Thursday while I learn. I really like riding with the group, but I spend a fair amount of time riding on my own too....trying to catch up to their skill level. Sally Ride with 'The Mountain Bikers' I tried to challenge myself this week by going on the 'easy trail' that they went on while Joe and Hick babysat me on the '5 year old trail' (At the time I thought it was a little tough, but I learned that I have a lot to learn). I made it up next to no hills without stopping and thought I was going to die on the downhills. Picture this....me racing (I'm sure I was going super ...

Our place of work isn't normal. We just aren't. Since coming to this office nearly 5 years ago the saying about who you work with is what makes the job couldn't ring more true. I didn't want to come here, I dreaded moving here and now I'm not sure I want to ever leave. We make house calls to get paperwork signed. We sit at kitchen tables and share a pot of coffee and tears over the loss of 50 head in a forest fire. We hold the hands of dying old ranchers while they tell us stories followed by how much they appreciate what we do. We drive pick-ups to help feed sheep during a particularly dry winter. We (Bonnie, I'm not very good at this one) comfort widows while they cry because they are lost without their husband. We visit nursing homes just to make sure they know they aren't forgotten. And while I don't like to admit that things change. While I often don't know what to say. The smile spreading across an old ranchers face when we walk into the ...

I went through it once when my family stopped farming and I felt like I went through it again when one of my favorites sold his sheep a couple weeks ago. 31 trucks, that is what it takes to haul away a third generation ranch's range sheep herd.   Loading and leaving the desert A band waiting to be loaded onto the trucks Watching those trucks being loaded and then driving away made me sad. Things are changing and I'm don't like it. Aurelio and I at sheep camp I said goodbye to my favorite herder, Aurelio and goodbye to one of my favorite ways to spend a morning, going to sheep camps. Oscar, Aurelio's son pushing sheep to the trucks Its hard to comprehend the amount of red tape, controversy and plain BS that these guys have to deal with in order to run their operation, provide food and fiber to the world and take care of their families. Unfortunately most of it is government red tape and its making the outlook on survival of the range sheep ope...

Spring skiing snowboarding is pretty awesome! Its warm, the snow is soft and everyone is a generally awesome mood. Ready to party and cut loose. Although work has been crazy lately since I've taken over another county office....making it three counties and several million acres, still just the two of us. I snuck away for a weekend in Winter Park/Granby. After all, one had to seal the deal on paying for the Monarch season pass, which was with a window price of $119 bucks at Winter Park....OUCH! We met up with Assistant Pack Leader and some of her friends for a day on the mountain. We met some new friends at our hotel. We signed up for half marathons, we planned trips to hike Pikes Peak, watch Stretch's fight and bike the wineries in Palisade. I'd say it was a pretty productive weekend!   I do believe this will be the final snowboarding post for a while seems how its nearly 60 degrees today (as in the day this was written, not today-today) and its not noon ...

I'm catching flack all over the place on my lack of blogging and I'm very very sorry that I've been an awful blogger. My final plea is to please forgive me while I get back on track. I have scheduled some quality time at the bookstore with my computer, free wi-fi and a huge cup of coffee to get some posts written this weekend for you guys. There has been alot going on and without internet at the new pad, its real hard to get it all documented to share. I'll do better, I will. I can.

It snowed today, boo!!! The weather is all over the place lately and quite frankly its starting to piss me off. I just want it to get nice and stay nice. Is that too much to ask? I don’t think so. But, summer is just around the corner, I hope. So, in light of the ever changing, completely unpredictable weather, I am going random with this play list. So, here’s to nicer weather, lake lounging, golf course enjoying and whatever makes your summer! Get Some, Blake Shelton 17, Cross Canadian Ragweed Sunny and 75, Joe Nichols Hell Raisin Heat of Summer, Florida Georgia Line Cop Car, Keith Urban There ya have it! Enjoy!