We're back!

The last night in Santa Fe was really nice at the Alexander's Inn Bed and Breakfast (recommended!). Owned by some eco-friendly ex-hippy types. The drive back was a long, long 12 hours into the heat. It is nice to be back in our home - in our own bed, and with Gomez too. After a weekend here in the heat, I am already ready to leave again.
Love!
Oh yah, look what came off the door today!

Days 21-22-23 Park City-Tabernash-Santa Fe

As I type this we are careening (synonymous with “Marc driving”) down Hwy 17 in New Mexico. We spent the past two nights in Tabernash, Colorado (10 miles outside of Winter Park). The ranch was interesting – it is owned by some very rich folks who have put a lot of money into the “rustic” renovation and décor, with some efforts made towards “sustainability” – local sourcing, geothermal heating, some sustainable ranching practices. There were some cool details like the all river rock shower “tile”, and the owners themselves had roofed their house in copper. Uh huh! It was a nice stop, though my efforts to find ‘healthy’ fare in another small mountain town was somewhat less than fruit-full (haha). Leaving me really hungry, even a Lara Bar sounds really good right now.

So basically we have done a loop around the west, as we just drove through Leadville on our way to Santa Fe and got to stop and see Brian again. We are just making an overnight stop in Santa Fe, then 12 hours to home – uggggg. We are all pretty impatient with the car at this point! The drive from Utah to Colorado was pretty remote - -it rivaled the remote-ity of the drive from Zion to Moab, that was almost otherworldly.

Marc sat in back with Sky for a couple hours this afternoon and she got a new hairstyle.

Love you!!

Days 19-20, we are still in Park City!

Hi! We are still in Park City, oh yeah! Tomorrow we are leaving for sure though, because we pre-paid for a stop on the way home at this cool (environmentally-friendly) ranch outside of Winter Park. They heat their pools (and their buildings) geothermally, have 100k of trails, and use local/organic produce in their restaurant. Hooray! I am sad because we had been planning to goto Boulder to see Desiree before she takes off for Ironman Canada, but we kept pushing back our departure, and now that University of Colorado is about to be back in session, our potential accommodations were all booked. So it is off to Winter Park, then home via Santa Fe or Taos. The drive from here to Winter Park is a long seven hours, I am NOT looking forward to that. I am a much better (less aggressive, mellow, cool) driver than Marc so his driving stresses me out. But my driving is apparently haphazard, spacey, and impetuous. Or something. Whatever.
Park City is still awesome. Marc has now ridden the Wasatch Crest trail four days in a row, I think he is addicted to the long climb up there, and then the awesome views. I took a week off running (!!) and went today finally, on the same trail Sky and I hiked on yesterday (where Christine, Lizzie and I went running on my wedding day!). It is so beautiful and it was really fun. Even the “scat” that had lots of berries and seeds in it didn’t scare me (much)! I can’t be scared of everything, so I choose to keep my fear priorities higher for nonstick cookware and smoking French-people. Hha.
Last night Sky went to her first concert (outdoors, of course!) The South Austin Jug Band (I know, ironic!) was playing at the Canyons so we took the Cabriolet up to their little ampitheater. I even took a picture of the crowd so that everyone could see how brave I was being, crowded space and all. Very bold.
Sky can sit really well on her own now, stand up holding on to her playard (I am spotting) and is getting a lot better at almost crawling. She likes to practice her lurching-forward-that-turns-into-head-butt movement in the middle of the night. I direct her towards Marc’s head so she wakes him up first. We have been up late watching the Olympics every night but she is still getting up really early (6!)
I hope everyone is doing well. The Chinisma blog on the right is the blog of Drew, Evan, and Tod who are tour guides for Ludus Tours at the Olympics, and has some really cool, crazy stuff on there. Beto sent me a link of Lance’s interview and clips of the ride from Leadville that is really neat.
Lizzie, I miss running with you! I can only support my almond butter habit if I keep up 5 miles a day, otherwise I am getting soft.
Love!!

Days 16 - 17-18, Park City!

Hi! We are still here (in Park City) and just extended our stay here a night, since we can’t seem to wrap our minds around packing the car and driving 8 hours to our next stop (or in my case, of leaving Park City). Our daily agenda has been pretty similar each day (and pretty awesome, I think). Marc has been doing a lot of riding, yesterday he rode the Wasatch Crest from here to Salt Lake (where I picked him up) and is in fact doing a variant on that right now as well. Sky and I have been taking our little hikes and making trips to Whole Foods where we have lots of time to read (not buy) the books and peruse at leisure, which is fun. I have been going to some really great (tough) yoga classes, found this one instructor who is like the male-aggro version of Lauran, he is a climber and tough, likes to talk about quantum physics and 5th dimension stuff (I dig it!) and his classes are packed. So that was a fun find, when I read the name in the yoga schedule (Bear, ha!) I actually figured I was walking into a fat girl’s class (Bear? That’s a fat girl’s name!). In fact the classes are packed with (I am sure) rich women trying to get their zen on, or back. Good on ya!
I am happy to report the smoking French-people were neither smelt nor heard from again. Yay! And yes, Evan McCoy, I do understand that second-hand smoke would not be coming out of my nipples. Great visual though, I bet La Leche League could parlay that into some advertising dollars! Speaking of, I am so amazed by how breastfeeding actually WORKS and how it was (to me) a lost, or not much considered, phenomena. I mean, I am essentially (hopefully) spewing nutrients into Skyler, and from what I understand, if there is a toss-up between who gets them (me or her) my body goes for her. So, in addition to being such a ridiculously effective weight-loss tool, it also seems like it could be one of the reasons moms can “age” if they don’t get a super-healthy diet, as your body preferentially pulls from you in favor of the baby. That would be my hypothesis (I have lots of time to think). Luckily I am eating bags of vegetables, super-greens bars, and raw almond butter and bananas. The sheer quantity is pretty ridiculous.
We head back to Austin next week, via what route as yet to be determined. It’s pretty much 8 hours from here to any of our next potential stops (Boulder being the next one) and that is a long time. I went into Wal Mart (blech! Major ethical violation) to buy a Baby Einstein DVD. Hypersensitive crazypants smeller (me) was blown away by all the outgassing plastic I was surely inhaling, we speed-walked right on out of there (Baby Einstein DVD in hand). BLAAAA! A Kombucha pit stop was immediately necessary.
I know, kooky!
Sky is completely standing up holding on to her little playard, it is so fun to watch. And try to take pictures of. We are now down to just my phone as a camera, so photo quality is lacking, as we left the battery charger for the other somewhere along the way.
Sky and I are off for our hike, then to pick up Marc in SLC and go watch the Tour of Utah Downtown Criterium. Love! Miss you!

Day 15 - Park City

I love Park City, I could so live here again. This place feels so good to me - plus it has all my requisite amenities -- Whole Foods, great yoga, so much outdoor awesome-ness, great schools, and a little bit of the wild west.

More reasons I love the Treasure Mountain Inn:
(1) when Marc went searching for de-greaser for his bike, he pulled out some "green" non-toxic window cleaner from under the sink. Thank you Treasure Mountain Inn!
(2) the owner drives a Toyota Hybrid SUV
(3) the hot tub is saline (not chlorine)
(4) the pots that come with the kitchen are stainless steel, not some freaky non-stick

My cousin Amy wrote me a couple of days ago to remind me it's my Grandpa's 99th birthday in a couple of weeks. My Grandpa rocks. He just had a letter to the editor published in the Florida Sun-Times a few weeks ago, regarding America's Financial System in Crisis.

Next - If I have not returned your call (which is anyone who called) it is because I dropped my phone one too many times and now it is not taking a charge. Boo-hoo, not. It was time I ditched that Iphone for a lower SAR rating phone anyhow, since I am always smushed up with Skymonkey. Marc, use that link above to pick out your new phone, please.

Today I was driving down the road and the Rock Racing Escalante passed me. Huh! Turns out the Tour of Utah is here this week and the "race headquarters" is in Park City. So, Thursday we were heading to Ogden anyhow, it is going to coincide with Stage 2 from Ogden to SLC. Then Friday we can head down to watch the crit downtown SLC (and get dinner at an acclaimed raw/healthy restaurant, Sage's Cafe) and Saturday the race is from Park City to Snowbird, fun!

Ugh, as I was writing this I started smelling cigarette smoke wafting in from the outside. I braved the toxicity to hang my body over the railing and find the culprits -- two French people staying next door, who definitely looked the smoker part. Here's to hoping that they are the kind of French people that enjoy an occasional cigarette, not chain smokers. I politely asked them to stop smoking, and then called the front desk to complain, where they were so sweet and sympathetic, even though if anything we need to move, cause they are allowed to smoke outside. I am that girl. That was way out of character for me - usually I would just brood. Now I have a baby to protect, I finally need to act like a normal opinionated adult, it's not all "totally cool" anymore.

Desiree made a good point about this a few months ago, when I was lamenting my super-heightened sense of smell, and new post-baby nose for anything potentially harmful to her. Well, I had been thinking about it just as an early-warning system, but then she mentioned that also anything I smelled would potentially be coming out in my breastmilk. Good point! If you can smell it, it's because particles of "it" are coming in through your nose. And Sky's liver is not developed enough yet to be processing our ubiquitous chemmies. Bla!


Anyhow, maybe if I drink a Kombucha and re-lose myself in the Olympics I can regain my love.

Love!!

Days 10 - 14, Leadville-Aspen-Park City

Hi there! We left Basalt Thursday to go to the Leadville 100 mountain bike race, where I did not have internet or cell reception, for the most part. It was kind of a relief! We had such a great time there and I have posted the Leadville pictures in a separate web gallery. Our cabin was awesome, on 40 acres, and we had a big crew staying there. Beto hosted us all, he is truly one of the coolest people in the world -- and really rocked his finish in 10:40. Desiree and Jeremy (and Pandora!) came up and made us dinner both nights (super-yum!), it was so amazing to see Des -- it had been way too long. Andrew Yates was there and showed everyone how it's done in the race, I think he finished in 8:35 (he rocks!!!), Kyle came in and cool-ly finished in a badass 10:12ish?, Alan and Charlie and Jill were all there crewing for Beto, and Monte came up to crew for Marc too. Oh yah, and Marc really rocked the finish (looking good!) in 9:58. So proud of him it made me cry!! blaaaaa. And of course, one of the great highlights (for me) was getting to see Brian Feddema, a friend from Park City who has since moved to Leadville and opened the "Cycles of Life" bike shop. Sky and I went for a few hikes, and Sunday Desiree, Jeremy and I did the Leadville 10k. Leadville is at 10,500 feet-ish, and it was super-fun (for me) for the first three miles, and then it felt like running with a bag over my head for the last three. Desiree won (duh) and Jeremy was 2nd in the 30-39 male (sandbagger). I finished the 7th woman, but it wasn't pretty or impressive, at all. Sunday evening we drove over to Monte's in Aspen to spend the night, got to watch the Olympics and enjoy the Love's fine company. This morning we made the (long) drive to Park City, but before we left Sky practiced crawling (on her head) - see picture at left. I am happily writing from my home away from home, the Treasure Mountain Inn. I got to do yoga at one of my favorite studios when we got in, and tomorrow Marc is going to ride in the morning. Sorry I was out of touch! Check out the pics from Leadville! Oh yah and Lance was there, it was so fun to watch him and 44 year-old Dave Wiens fly by. Dave ended up winning, it was very exciting! Love!

Days 8 - 9, Basalt continued

We are still in Basalt, enjoying the cooler weather very much. We leave today (which is actually Day 10!) for Leadville, where Marc is super-excited to see Beto and ride dirtbikes, and we will also see our friend Brian Fedemma, who I met in Park City, Utah many years ago, and has since moved out to Leadville and opened a bike shop.

So, Skyler and I did a big hike yesterday morning, kind of by accident. First I dressed her in her matching hat and took a picture - I AM a mom!! haaa! I could almost hear her sighing "moommm do I have to?" hhaaa.

Judging by the number of cars at the trailhead, I figured that meant that someone else would have been mountain lion bait before me, since I wasn't running too fast with Sky in her Ergo baby carrier. Well I hiked and hiked up this trail that went up and up, finally summiting to beautiful views. Sky made about 10 new friends on the trail, having a baby means making more friends than having even a puppy! We met two grandmothers on the trail ---neither of whom were especially lean -- I had so much respect for them making it to the top and back, cheerily, as with the extra 15 lbs of Sky I felt like I was doing weighted walking lunges up the mountain. Tough! I chanted Solly Frost's climbing mantra he confided in me years ago at the Tuesday nighter- "one leg press, one leg press".


GLB has really been perfecting his babysitting skills. He and Sky get along great!!



Earlier, Marc and GLB went shooting, and Monte came by to play some ping-pong with MM while I went to (yet another) yoga class. My yoga consistency has been paying off as I actually feel some difference in my practice! While I was at yoga Sky lost it and I came out of yoga to voicemails of her screaming, rushed home to a haggard looking Marc bunkered in our room with the windows shut (to try to spare the neighbors). He looked truly beaten!

Well Sky is rolling around and she and I need to kombucha-quest before we hit the road to Leadville. I think I will kombucha-quest twice this morning (once now, once when Marc gets back), that way Marc won't know I bought so many! and then Desiree can bring some tomorrow! mmmm


I will write from Leadville. Miss you!

Vent

Ok, so I have to vent! Being a organic-neurotic mom is really time and thought-consuming. There are so many toxic additives that seem to surround us that really didn't bother me before and now seem to take up all my energy. Let's see, the in-between spaces in our trip that I have not blogged about:
1. The impetus of this tirade. I found my yummy organic almond butter today at a small little healthy food store where it was very overpriced, and I have been eating it happily all day. I happened to google something about raw almonds just now, and found out that ALL raw almonds in the US are actually pasteurized - and if they are not "organic" they are chemically pasteurized. WHAT? Like treated with some chemical that I can't pronounce. I almost had a panic attack, with my spoon and banana in the almond butter. Lucky I spend the extra ___$ per jar and buy organic or i would have had a panic attack. I can't believe this! and can't believe I didn't know it.
2. Let's see, since I barely got out of the car between Austin and Santa Fe (except to pee, in the woods) I didn't use any gas station hand soap or antibacterial hand soap. But I have been reading about the chemicals in most "antibacterial" hand soaps lately and they are super-sketchy. I am glad we use the Eo organic kinds, or just tea-tree oil soap. Creepy. You can read more about what is in your cosmetics, sunscreens, and soaps here. What a resource.
3. Ugh, I am getting tired of myself already. I will push on for two more. Walking around Santa Fe, little kitschy turquoise shops, and... a person smoking out in front of every other one. Really? I pretty much had to walk down the middle of the street. So it was time to retreat back to the room in the cute B&B. Where the (sweet, friendly) maid was walking out when we got back with a pail of chemicals she had just used to polish and shine our quaint bathroom. Ugh, I would much rather it stay a little less shiny! So I have been more diligent in finding "green-friendly" hotels by using this resource - www.greenhotels.com. And here (in Basalt) I just call the housekeeping service and tell them no thanks!
4. I miss Austin Whole Foods, where it seems like even the employees give a crap about the quality of the food. Today I made a journey to El Jebel, again in search of some organic veggies (in the freezer section) and when I reached in to grab them, I am not exaggerating it was like someone had poured Drain-O in the bottom of the organic freezer section. No joke. And thinking about it some more (as I then did, obsessively), at a big box grocery store, what incentive do the employees have to care? Maybe someone did pour Drain-O down there -- why would they bother to clean it up? It's not like they have a vested interest in the quality of the food going out -- at least I would imagine most don't, necessarily, unless they have personal or financial incentives.
5. I can't get started about cell phone towers -- help, I am turning into a nutjob! Find out for yourself at www.antennasearch.com. Poor Marc - I am checking how close everywhere we are staying is to the nearest cell phone tower :)!! So far, we have been OK -- though he does not know, but a few places we might have stayed were conveniently forgotten about (in downtown Boulder!)
6. Can this be my last rant for the evening - I sound like an ingrate. But these manicured lawns, so perfect -- pllleease! Today Sky was taking a nap on our bed, and I was chilling doing some work, when along comes the whole mowing crew. Frankly, the noise I can totally handle - but the stink drove us running (well, me, with her in my hands) for the door. Honestly, it made me think alot. We had a manual-powered mower in New Hampshire, and our next door neighbors use one in Austin. I never thought too much about the issue, though I had heard it brought up in the "environmental" discussions before. Now it hits home why. Lucky Marc will have another way to get some good exercise!

Day 7 - Basalt

We woke up early this morning kind of tired- Skyler was making funny noises all night and Marc kept waking me up to ask me if I thought they were OK. I thought so - but what do I know? I kept myself awake and slept with my face next to hers and my hand on her stomach. When we got up, I rushed off to meet Monte and goto a yoga class, so Marc and Sky went and got some breakfast. The yoga class was pretty burly (hard!) - and this guy was a trip! He played lots of U2, Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, etc. and jammed out in between making us all sweat. It would have been almost odd, but it was a great class... The class was packed!
Marc and Monte then went for a long (long) ride and Sky and I got busy amusing ourselves. We went for a really fun walk down by the Roaring Fork River and then went and hung out with Big G and the rest of the fam. They all took turns making fun of my boring organic toys. Poor Sky! The plastic ones really are more amusing. Too bad!
When Marc got back, I went for a run and he took Sky for a drive in the golf cart. I don't think that's legal (or safe). Then he helped Skyler practice crawling. She is so close!!
Love!!!

Days 5 - 6 - Dove Creek to Basalt

We woke up early Saturday morning and bid adieu to Vista Caballo, and Jes, Lisa, and Bruce. Sky looked pretty skeptical about embarking on another 6 hour car trip. Marc and I fought about which route to take (him - middle of nowhere way, me - still middle of nowhere but a little less so). We went about 10 miles down his route before I stonewalled him into turning around. Yes! My way, we got to stop by The Peace Tree, this little hippie restaurant in (again) nowhere, Utah. Then we pushed on to Basalt, where we met up with GLB and Bonner. Then Monte, Mel, and Hunter Love came over for some dinner, I did some hill repeats (not in that order) and then we crashed out big time. It was a long day (and I had to Kombucha-hunt when I got here! found it in a very unlikely store).
This morning we drove into Aspen, where I took a cool yoga class and Marc and Sky enjoyed the park in Downtown Aspen. Daddy had to put her on the park bench, right? ha! And she got to play in the (I am praying pesticide-free) grass. Anyhow, it's beautiful here! We also got to check out the Love's new Green Build home in Aspen, it was rad. Because housing prices are absolutely ridiculous around here, the city subsidizes "employee" housing for long-time residents. The places are so cool - solar, bamboo floors, and the views are amazing. I am working on forging my long-term resident documents.
While Marc and Monte went riding this afternoon, I went to Glb's cabin and he watched Sky while I cooked vegetables. She actually really enjoyed him! I was surprised! We decided instead of calling him "Grandpa", or Elder Ball, we will call him Big G. or Bigg. Perfect!

Bonner fished 10(!) golf balls out of the river. If you look closely you can see a displeased golf ball sheriff waiting to pounce.
Off for a run and then Big G says we are taking Sky to a restaurant. I am preparing to flake out on that one.
Love!

Day 4 - Jes and Lisa's Ranch, Day Two

We all got a great night sleep in the cabin and Sky woke up ready to rock and roll, literally. We walked up to a fabulous breakfast that Jes prepared, yum! Marc and Jes went for a 3- hour ride off into the heat while me and Sky honed our chillin skills, oh and I got some work done too!.
When they got back Marc and I got to take the dirtbikes out for a little spin while Uncle Jes babysat. It was sweet! The first picture is Marc coming back to find me after I stopped to take a picture and couldn't get my bike started again. Duh!
Off for a run around the property! Tomorrow we head to Basalt. Love!