Durango, Day 5

We started out the morning with an early breakfast of leftover gooey butter cake (thanks, K!), then piled in the car (no dogs allowed) and headed out to Mesa Verde.

We stopped at the visitor's center near the park entrance, then at the museum near Spruce Tree House.  K served as an excellent tour guide during our stop at Spruce Tree House, enlightening all of us about the history and culture of the ancestral Puebloans who lived there.  And though they weren't there for long in the grand scheme of things (700 years or so), they built quite a place.

K, inside a kiva

There's lots of great history about Spruce Tree House, the other sites, and the people who lived there, on the National Park Service website.

We also made a stop at an overlook which allowed us a lovely view of Cliff Palace, but unfortunately the site was closed to visitors for the winter.

We made our last stop at a scenic overlook looking out from Mesa Verde, and what a view it was!

Not far from Mesa Verde is a little town called Mancos (or Marcos, depending on which sign you believe).  We stopped for lunch at an adorable (though not particularly speedy) spot called the Absolute Bakery and Cafe where, in addition to a delicious roasted veggie quiche, you can also buy used books!

Upon our return to Durango, we commenced shopping.  Collectively we had some belated Christmas gifts, travel gifts, and other goodies to gather, so we tromped up and down Main Avenue poking in the shops.  We were all delightfully surprised by the Derailed Pour House, which serves up some awfully tasty cocktails if you ask nicely.

When that was all done, we headed back to the house to prepare a dinner of overdue lamb kebabs, mashed potato casserole, and Brussels sprouts.  Delish!  And Dad and D looked quite stunning in their new getups!

Goal #52

Goal #52: thank you notes.

What a great Christmas and birthday!  Now it's my turn to let everyone know how much I appreciate their thoughtfulness.

Recap of goal #51: there have been a bunch of vacation posts so far, and there are a couple more to come -- so if you wonder whether I've been relaxing, read those.  It's true, I have spent an hour or two a day staying on top of things at the office.  Fun?  Not really.  But will it make my return to work much smoother?  You bet.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Durango, Day 4 -- Christmas!

As I mentioned, I slept in on Christmas.  I was the last one of our little crew of five to arise, and I did so just in time to open presents.  Riches abound!  That was followed by a bacon-and-egg brunch and a flurry of cookie dough-making, before D and I headed off for another day on the slopes.  Dad took K&J on a hike, as they prefer not to rocket down the side of a mountain on greased boards.  I don't know what's wrong with them.

We met up with T's family again, and all told there were 14 of us skiing that day.  Even on the six-pack lift we needed 3 chairs!  Quite a crew.  For the most part though, everyone stayed together really well, and only split up on the very last run when it was getting cold and people were getting tired.

The view leaving Purgatory

The combination of the "red cliffs" and the snow creates really cool striped mountainsides.

Our big plan for Christmas dinner was to make lamb kebabs, but everyone was so full from earlier in the day and from our many plates of cheese and crackers that Dad, D, K&J ended up watching The Heat while I made the aforementioned cookies and made some "Merry Christmas" phone calls. I had planned on joining them at some point, but I so enjoyed my conversations that I just never got around to the movie.  I'll have to get back to it.

And then, by the time the movie was over, everyone was too tired to worry about making the kebabs, so we just had leftover (but still delicious) tamales and pasole.  Merry Christmas to us!

Bedtime for Keystone

Durango, Day 3

I woke up late, to a breakfast of sausage, eggs, sweet rolls, and coffee. What a great start!  As per usual when I'm on vacation, I lazed around for a couple of hours -- worked, blogged, wrapped presents -- before getting ready to head off on a hike.  The poor dogs have been cooped up in the house for two days, and they needed to burn some energy.

So off we went to Dalla Mountain Park, and along our route, I found some rocks to climb, hiking boots and all!  (Lots of bouldering right along the trail, in case anyone is looking for some.)

The dogs were covered with mud from the belly down by the end of our four or five miles, so we had to hose them off when we got home, and that was a pathetic sight if ever you've seen one.  Once they dried off, they found a cozy rug on which to have a snooze.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon prepping for the big Christmas Eve party.  This was essentially the family party of T (of tandem ski fame), and he has quite a family.  He is one of five kids, four of whom were in attendance, along with spouses and kids, where appropriate.  And the parents of the whole brood.  Dad and D ordered a bunch of tamales from Zia's, D made pasole, and T's clan brought some additions of their own.  Booze flowed freely and generally it was a good party.  And then I slept.  And slept.  And slept.

Durango, Day 2

I had my second Christmas of the year on my second morning in Durango (my first Christmas was the previous Friday with V&S).  Because the visiting crew in D-town was moving in and out on different schedules, Christmas celebrations had to be timed and separated accordingly.   The present opening was followed by a breakfast of bacon and eggs, which was followed by a flurry of activity in an attempt to get out of the house and up on the mountain.

This was my first time skiing at Purgatory, and there was a group of seven who went.  I've never skied with a group that big before, and it's an interesting but fun exercise (probably aided by the fact that they are all cool people - with a less fun group, I would imagine the whole outing could have been a disaster).

I took one pretty awesome fall of my own accord, and then expressed a death wish by suggesting/agreeing to ride tandem for our last little run.  Here's how this happened:

I was the only one of the crew who rented gear, so when we returned it at the base of the lift, everyone else was still kitted up.  We took a little break post-equipment return for beer or margaritas (as the mood suited) and french fries.  So after a drink or two, it occurred to us that there was still one little chute we had to run down in order to get to the lower parking lots, where we had parked our cars.  I had no skis.  So why not just hop on the back of someone else's skis for the ride down?  The lucky victim was T, E's husband, who is a good skier and a bit of a daredevil.  Really, what could go wrong?  (Never you mind that there is actually a shuttle.  What fun is that?)

Off we go!

To T's credit, he navigated the first (and toughest) part of the route quite well.  We had to make a big turn, run under a bridge, then make two sharp turns to the left and right.  No problem.  But after that, it's a long, steady downhill grade, and my feet were about as wide apart as they could get.  For T it was no problem: (1) he's taller, and (2) his feet were in the middle of the skis, not on the tails.  So I did the most gymnastic thing I could, which was get a feel for the ground underneath me and just tuck into a somersault.

The bailout, from a distance.

T managed to stay upright even as I bailed, and because I came up laughing, we decided it would be a great idea to try again.  This time, we made it to the bottom.

Somehow, miraculously, we're each still in one piece.

I finished off the afternoon with an hour or so of work while noshing on cheese and crackers and sipping some delicious pinot noir.  Dinner, which I neglected to photograph, was venison loin with wild rice and Brussels sprouts, followed by dessert of pecan pie and vanilla ice cream.

Keys, enjoying all the attention he can get

Roxy, enjoying having no attention at all

And last but not least, a late-night run to the airport to pick up K and J who came in from Florida.

Merry Christmas to All!

What I Watched -- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Somehow, I sort of missed the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  I mean, I knew it came out, but it was just off my radar.  Too busy doing other things, I guess.  Then I made tentative plans to go see the second one, so it was a happy coincidence that the first one was on TV the other night.

I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I expected.  I've heard some pretty negative reviews of The Desolation of Smaug, and I think in my mixed-up brain, those carried over to An Unexpected Journey.  It certainly wasn't up to the same standard as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but for us Tolkien junkies, it was enjoyable.

(Aside: written correctly, wouldn't it be "...up to the same standard as the The Lord of the Rings trilogy..."?  But that seems redundant.)

Bottom line: if you're into hobbits and elves and wizards and whatnot, it's probably worth it for you.  I am seriously lamenting the absence of Aragorn though.

Durango, Day 1

After a very early flight out of St. Louis, a layover in Denver, and a final commuter flight, much of which I don't remember because I was sound asleep, I arrived in Durango.  On the way home from the airport, we made a stop at Bread for some delicious goodies, we noshed for a bit then headed to The Pine Needle to outfit me in my new ski kit (aka slightly early Christmas present).

I did a bit of work that afternoon (just a bit), read a few pages of my book, showed my face at a bonfire and had some snacks, then came home and settled in for the evening in front of the TV to watch a movie (more on that later).

Not bad for a first day.

Goal #51

Goal #51: break time!

This week is Christmas.  There will be good times with family, much less work than usual, food, drink, and general merriment.  I am going to enjoy it.

Recap of goal #50: cookies were delivered to 3 lucky recipients, but unfortunately for E, she was not one of them.  Sorry E!

By way of further updated, my foot is doing better.  I ventured out without my boot for the first time yesterday (to the symphony).  I did just fine without it, but was walking carefully so as not to do any additional damage.  However, by the end of the evening, the foot was not feeling super hot.

My Christmas Movies and Music

Every year around Christmas, there is a collection of movies I watch to get in the spirit:  Little Women, It's A Wonderful Life, Love Actually, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas.  (Are there more?  That's all I can remember right now.)

This year, as with my Christmas shopping, the movie viewing has been a bit haphazard.  I loaned Love Actually to C (now of Rear Window fame), so that one will have to wait until after the holiday. I watched It's A Wonderful Life out of the corner of my eye while I was having an early Christmas visit with V&S last night, and there's no hope for Little Women or The Grinch in sight.

But have no fear!  I took T to the SLSO Holiday Celebration this afternoon, and - as per usual - Christmas spirit abounds.  (And on that note, really, can we just call it a Christmas concert?  It's all red, white, and gold; there are Christmas carols and Santa Clause.  Please.)

So now I'm enjoying the cold weather, relishing in the fact that I've given up on the last few presents I haven't bought yet (sorry peeps, some of yours will just be late), and enjoying the season.

What I'm Reading Now -- The Last Walk: Reflections on Our Pets at the End of Their Lives

I actually first attempted to read The Last Walk when R the Wonderdog still graced me with his presence.  I just couldn't do it.  I had the book.  I looked at it.  I picked it up.  I put it down.

Now that it's been a few months since R went on his merry way, I thought I would give it another try, just to see what kind of insight, if any, I can gain from it.  The author chronicled the last 15 months or so of her dog's life, and compiled her journal entries into a book, a tale of her pal Odysseus in his decline.  Will I make it more than a few pages?  I have no idea.  Only one way to find out.

What I Watched -- Rear Window

C, one of the partners at my firm and a devoted lover of movies, informed me a few weeks ago that I had to see Rear Window.  It came up because I had stopped into his office to ask him a question and couldn't name the movie that was on TV.  He was appalled -- and understandably so.  My classic movie knowledge is quite lacking.

In an effort to correct the situation, I picked up Rear Window.  I started it twice before finally managing to get all the way through on the third try, although I can't really blame the movie for that; I was watching it in bed the first two times, and the outcome of that attempt is always a foregone conclusion.

The movie was made in 1954, and its age shows in the way that age always will in a movie of that era.  Regardless, there are still a number of phenomenal scenes, and many of the interactions between Jeff (Jimmy Stewart), Lisa (the absolutely stunning Grace Kelly), Stella (Thelma Ritter), and Detective Lieutenant Doyle (Wendell Corey) are amusing and excellent by any standard.

Bottom line: a stellar place to start my education.

So, This is Christmas!

My Christmas festivities have been a little slow to get started this year.  Christmas is in a week and a half, and I have been to one show, made three batches of cookies, been to one party, and bought entirely too few presents.  I did manage to get most of my cards out though!

This afternoon, my friend M took me to see SLSO's Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, conducted by Arnie Roth, himself classically-trained violinist and a member of the group.  The show was great fun, with a mix of their rocky arrangements, brass fanfare, and more traditional pieces.  What a nice present!

Goal #50

Goal #50: cookie delivery.

My Christmas cookie baking extravaganza is not yet over, but it's time to start delivery.  I've already taken some to work and given some to my friend M, but I need to make a delivery to G&G and one to V&S. 

Recap of goal #49: my recovery is progressing!  My foot is sprained, and I have to say that I'm not too good at staying off of it. but then again I've never been great about following instructions for recovery.  But I do wear my boot when I have to do a lot of walking, although it's a pain because it's my driving foot, which means I have to take the boot off or put it on every time I get in or out of the car.

My biggest problem is that I really want to work out!  I did go to the gym yesterday and did some top roping, which was J's excellent idea because then I could never fall too far.  I did take one fall that would have been pretty monstrous if I had been leading, but thankfully I wasn't.  And I was good and stayed off the bouldering wall.

Quote of the Day

"I've paid the price of solitude, but at least I'm out of debt."
  -- Bob Dylan, Dirge

What I'm Reading Now -- The Book Thief

When K finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak some time ago, she texted me a picture of the cover and said something like, "YOU MUST READ THIS."  I promised I would, and all these many months (years?) later, I'm finally getting around to it.  It is pure chance that my reading of it coincides with the release of the movie, truly.

What I knew about this book before I started was that it had something to do with a girl and the Holocaust.  Almost one CD into it, that's still pretty much all I know about the setting, but I've met a lot of characters whom I think will be important as the story rolls on.

The most interesting thing so far is that the narrator of the tale, and you figure this out early on so I'm not spoiling anything, is Death.

At Home: A Short History of Private Life -- Take 2

Bill Bryson has done it again.  His At Home: A Short History of Private Life is an entertaining, informative, stroll through a modern home, while always casting his gaze backwards to see how our domestic comforts came to be.

A doctoral candidate could probably turn each chapter of Bryson's book into a historical dissertation all its own, but the fact that Bryson doesn't do that is precisely what makes his book enjoyable.  He gives you the general historical overview while picking out the choicest tales and anecdotes with which to pepper his storytelling, and leaving what I presume is a voluminous amount of boring nonsense out altogether.

Obviously if you're looking for a comprehensive volume, you'll want to look elsewhere, but if you're looking to be entertained as you learn about the history of home life, chuckling all the while, this is a great place to start.

Goal #49

Goal #49: recover.

I had an unfortunate accident while I was climbing today, and busted my ankle.  It's definitely not broken, and it doesn't appear that anything is torn (though I'll probably have a better idea in the morning).  Most likely, it's probably just badly bruised.  But I'd like it to heal so I can go about my business and fitness normally.

Recap of goal #48: I bought some Christmas presents this week!  I have not put my own list together (sorry, everybody!), but I managed to do just a teeny bit of shopping.  So much more to do though!

What I Watched -- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

It's Hunger Games time again!  T and I spent an evening this week catching up with Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and the gang in Catching Fire (trailers), the second of what will be four Hunger Games movies.  The third book, as appears to be a matter of course these days, is going to be split into two movies.

Catching Fire finds the victors from the first movie headed back to the arena for more fun and games, in another survivor-takes-all battle even more twisted than the last one, with the added bonus of rebellion brewing in the Districts.  Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), the Mockingjay, is their symbol of hope.

I thought this film was better made than the first one, and did a good job of focusing on the plot-based portion of the story, rather than getting lost in the thoughts of the characters.  But because you don't have Katniss's narration spelling things out for you, some of the details get lost in the shuffle.  The fight scenes were still a bit difficult to follow, but overall the camera work was better than the first.

I'm going to need more of Gale (Liam Hemsworth) in the third movie, because the Katniss-Gale story needs a little work.  Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) won this one, but being in life-and-death situations will do that to a couple. Elizabeth Banks (still gorgeous) as Effie Trinket was a little less grating and a little more nuanced and, while I like Philip Seymour Hoffman, his casual demeanor doesn't seem quite right for a head gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee.  And of course I still love Lenny Kravitz as Cinna and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy.

Bottom line: I had heard mixed reviews about this one, but on the whole I have to say they did a decent job with my least favorite of the three books.

Sister Act

Remember back when P and I went to see Evita?  Well, she had another spare ticket to Sister Act, part of the same series at the Fox.

Compared to Evita, I'd say the vocal qualities were much better.  The woman who played Deloris was fabulous, and the whole supporting cast was excellent.  If you remember the movie, you'll recall that they used a lot of popular music.  Apparently they couldn't license those songs for the show, because it was all original numbers -- and pretty good ones, at that.  It was a fun, upbeat romp which I suspect was aided by the fact that I understood the Catholic jokes.  If you don't get those, a lot of the humor will probably be lost on you.

What I Watched -- Gold Star Children

Gold Star Children, my second SLIFF movie of the year, tells the tragic but healing tale of kids who have lost a parent to war.  The film specifically profiles two characters: Cierra, who lost her dad in Iraq, and Jennifer, whose dad was killed in Vietnam.  Together they, along with the thousands of other Gold Star children, try to work through what that loss means, and how to move forward.  You can see the trailer here.

This was an incredibly powerful movie, and while the subject matter is heavy, I didn't find it depressing.  Rather, the way that a young kid like Cierra can process what has happened without becoming bitter, and can turn it into a source of strength, is really amazing.  Probably the most touching scene in the movie is when she is in a group session with other Gold Star kids and their mentors, including Jennifer.  Cierra's younger sister says something about their dad, and starts to cry.  Instantly, Cierra is transformed from the mentee to the mentor, and it is so clear how important this type of support system is for these kids.

We also had the privilege of having the filmmaker, Mitty Griffis Mirrer, there to answer questions.  Her movie began as a Kickstarter project (also a good trailer on that site), inspired by her own father who was killed in Vietnam just hours after her birth.  Now that the project is complete, she is working with the Department of Defense to get it distributed to Gold Star families.  It's $10 to download the movie from the website, if you are so inclined.

Goal #48

Goal #48: Christmas gifts.

It is now post-Thanksgiving.  I have purchased exactly two (2) Christmas gifts.  I have only one or two other ideas, and I haven't put together a list of my own.  Usually I'm good at Christmas. This year, not so much.  Time to get crackin'.

Recap of goal #47: dinner was great!  It was a bit hectic getting started, because I ended up working later on Wednesday than I had planned (but what's new, eh?).  But Dad and D brought cheese, crackers, and wine, and that was perfect for buying a bit of time to get the meal ready.  Thanks for coming, guys!