I have a love/ hate relationship with getting home from vacation. After being away from home for many nights, I crave my own bed with just the right amount of blankets-a sheet and an afghan- and my shower where there are little shelves for each of my little shower things including my nail brush that I am not willing to fly across the country.
And when I am away from home I miss Simon the cat--and then for the whole next week after getting home he is so loving and under our feet constantly. I like that.
But going from being surrounded by family for a week to our fairly solitary life in Littleton is shocking. It hit me when we were taking the shuttle from the airport to our parked car- sitting there with all of our luggage and a bunch of strangers with theirs, bumping and jolting our way to our cars-I was looking at the open sky and the line the mountains make against that sky. Everything was so big and expansive that it felt a little bit lonely. I knew it would be a passing feeling and that I would be back in the mode that my life requires before long-which I am now--but I hate making that transition. Then going to work the next day--grrr--must put on my LensCrafters self, which means shutting down as many non-essential bodily systems as possible.
Indiana was good to us though--really it was more like our mid-west tour. We were in Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky. We kayaked, laid flooring, saw a copperhead, ate Irish food twice and set off a huge illegal firework in a Bloomington alley. Good times.
Today I went to register my car at the DMV here since I just had it pointed out to me that my Indiana plate expired two days ago. Before I can get my plate, I was told that I have to get an emissions test and my VIN number verified, both of which cost about $25 dollars. When they told me I thought, what?
They didn't do this stuff in Indiana...or was I just ignorant of it...hmm. It's like they want to keep the mountain air fresh or something. So my car is pretty much legal- I paid 6 dollars and they gave me a 10 day permit to keep me kosher until I can get to the CO Clean Air place for the checks on my car.
Right now Simon is napping on the kitchen chair and Joseph is at work. For today I have planned the eating of rocky road icecream, job hunting, and laundry. I was going to wash my car, but it snowed last night and the roads are a little sloppy--really I was going to do it. And I still will one day.
Well, happy St. Patricks day my friends. I was hoping to walk out the door this morning and see the Platte River by my house running green, but I just saw a statue in front of a garden center holding a clover in its mouth and a lady at the DMV wearing mint green shirt, which was nothing like what I was doing, wearing a bright green.
Joseph and I went snowshoeing yesterday up in the mountains a little ways west of Vail. It was called Powderhound trail which I found in the trail book his brother Daniel got us for Christmas. (Thanks Dan & Jodi!) It was a short trail, just 2.75 miles--I wanted a relaxing time out since it was our first time using the snowshoes for real hiking.
We were getting near where we knew our trail head should be and we pulled off into a parking lot to look at a sign and the old Ford Focus got stuck. Joseph dug out behind the wheels with my windshield scraper, and we put the cars floor mats under the front wheels and after about a half an hour of rocking, spinning tires, and me pushing, because evidently I am the strong one--we got out. Having conquered the snow gods of the Rockies, we got on with our hike a little ways down the road.
The trail was pretty well packed; there had already been lots of people on it, but the snow was deep (at least 2 feet in the shallowest places) and I'm pretty sure we would have been post holing if we were just wearing boots. We went through some really dense pine forest with boughs full of snow what kept going down the back of Joseph's coat. We had some great mountain views as we were at pretty high elevation, but we didn't see any wild life except for a few birds and lots of bunny tracks. You can tell those by the cute little circle tail print in the snow behind the feet--so cute!
Walking in the snowshoes was pretty comfortable for me. Since mine are women's, they are not as wide as the men's, so I don't have to walk with my feet very far apart. The snowshoes are good not just for keeping you above most of the snow, but they also have crampons mounted on the underside, so metal claws dig into the ice and snow. This way you can walk steep slopes and make your descent with out slipping.
As an end note- please notice that I got Joseph to wear the dreaded fanny pack...and I think he liked it. Worn in the front--middle aged person at the theme park----worn in the back when hiking--highly cool and keeps your back happy since it doesn't have to carry the weight. That's all I have to say about that.
Today I am off work, I have two boxes of Thin Mints, and my friend Merry just sent me ham and a kite in the mail- it's going to be a good day. My goal for the next 12 hours- organize random stack of papers laying on the floor, grocery shop and fill the fridge in our new apt. for the first time, job hunt, and write anything--or else my head is going to explode with concerns, to dos, and thoughts.
I did just finish my taxes and feel very good about that. I have used Tax Act on-line for the last two years and it works well for me. Since I'm not married yet, don't really own anything or make any money, mine are simple enough. With this years tax money Joseph and I are going to up-grade our fun size tv for a-- you can see it across the room tv. Then...paying off debt.
Tara and Joseph went skiing together the other day at Keystone. It sounds like they did pretty well and now Joseph is Mr. Lets Get Leah on the Slopes. But first- to the post, the grocery...
It was wonderful to see family when we went back home for my Grandpa's memorial service. The service was a great picture of Grandpa and I am so thankful that I got to be there for it. The day before-our family all in 
Grams' front room going through pictures, typing memories and printing 150 handouts one at a time in shifts at the computer--it was such a strange mix of good humor and serious family business. Grams was the picture of strength and being with her made me feel better.
With the start of the new year Joseph and I have gotten into our new apartment here in Littleton. We can walk to down town Littleton and to the train so we like that, especially since our goal is to be a one car family soon. May the old Honda Civic fall into the hands of a deserving high school kid with a few hundred dollars in his pocket. There is still a small island of boxes in the living room, but the apartment is functional enough to make lasagna and take a shower. The dish washer of course doesn't work, but why would it right?
Work is going alright. I keep showing up five days a week and they keep giving me money every fourteen days, so that works out. Passion for glasses- not so high. Passion for pay check, healthy. I haven't given up hope of a real job--as soon as we are settled into our new home, I plan to get back on the job hunt pronto.
My Papaw passed away yesterday. It is so strange. You know something is going to happen and you know that it is one of the most utterly natural things that happens on this Earth- but then it happens to someone you love, who used to carry gum balls in his pockets and make everyone laugh and it suddenly becomes incomprehensible. It doesn't feel unfair or tragic, he grew old living a happy life with a woman that he loved- so why can't I get it through my thick skull?
Loving people makes you vulnerable, but it is simply worth it.
Here at the house we are watching the New Hampshire Primary--Joseph is sporting his Obama t-shirt and we are all excited since Obama won Iowa. I don't often feel much excitement for a political candidate, because come on, what kind of person wants to be president?? But I find Barack Obama inspiring and I like what he is saying about most of the issues I care about. Listen to some of his speeches and you will feel something. He gave a very interesting and thought provoking speech about religion and public/political life. It has been called "the most important speech on religion and politics in 40 years."
Colorado's primary is on Feb. 5th; I got registered to vote last week so I am getting excited to vote for a candidate that I believe in. Don't forget to register and vote (mom & dad)!
Good luck Barack!
Well Christmas and New Years have come and gone. I am glad the holidays are over because it was so much more difficult to get anything done on the job search when the old house mates are home (no offense, I am just easily distracted--I love you!). I am happy to have the quiet now and be less distracted. We did have a good holiday season though. Tara, Matt, Joseph, and I all stayed here for Christmas. It was like no other Christmas I have had, but it was still very festive.
On Christmas Eve, we drank punch and played Balderdash, then Christmas morning we had breakfast and then opened gifts. I got snowshoes from Joseph's family!! We have been wanting them, but didn't think we could pull it off until next year. Joseph got some too with a gift card from my parents so we are set. We even got a book on loop snowshoe trails in CO. I took mine out Christmas day to see how it felt. They are surprisingly comfortable and light.
On New Year's Eve we all met up with Tara and Matt's friends Holly and Ryan for dinner and drinks. Lots of strangers, but I ended up having a really good time. That same evening was Joseph and I's 3rd anniversary. Our first date was on New Year's Eve back in Bloomington in a little coffee shop/ bookstore on Walnut that is now closed. We haven't set a date for when we are going to get married, but we know we are going to do something very small- and not until spring or summer when we have our own place and are settled in a bit.
Tara took down all the holiday decorations yesterday evening on the sly. Joseph and I were in our room reading- we are both reading different books of the His Dark Materials trilogy- I am on the 2nd book so I get to be president of our book club and he volunteered to be the treasurer, thank got that is covered. Anyway, I came out of the bedroom after reading all afternoon, and Christmas was over. Now we have a dying naked pine tree in our living room. It is a little sad. We are taking it to an equestrian center near our house; they are accepting old Christmas trees for chipping. So on Joseph's next day off we will be stuffing it into his hatchback and taking it away. Goodbye tree.
When I haven't been job searching lately I have been writing some articles on Hubpages on line. I just discover it recently- you can write articles, they call them hubs, on whatever you want and you get paid according to how many people view the articles (and the advertising) and if they click on any of the advertising links. Once you have earned $100, they send you a check. Advertising stinks, but it is pretty easy to ignore on the article layouts. I have written four articles so far and am really enjoying it because I can write about what I am interested in as long as it is interesting enough and/ or informative. Also, it feels good to get writing and be practicing thinking in that way since I hope to get a job that involves writing (fingers crossed).
Well, have a happy and healthy new year folks and thanks for stopping back in!
