Tales of the Ordinary Days

Garrett completed his 12th Triple Bypass this afternoon. 120 miles with 11,000 feet of climbing. Last year was the first year he missed (due to an unnamed someone in Omaha who had plans that didn't include Colorado). So today was all about Garrett. His day. A streak to be continued (minus a minor blip in 2013). And my kids were right by my side in this sentiment. Without hesitation, Zach and Grant bypassed a sleep-in-Saturday. They happily accompanied me to Vail to cheer Garrett on at the ride finish line. There wasn't a single word questioning the need for their attendance or complaints on better use of their time. In years past, this positive response from my boys wouldn't have given me a second thought. I would have expected nothing less. That's how they were raised and the kind of boys they are; ones open for an adventure and not questioning the keen skills of their parents in navigating the master calendar. I have since learned that not all kids are wi...

My friend,Cindy, and I are in Vail. You could call it a girls' trip. We are calling it a retreat. We flew in yesterday and will be retreating until Wednesday morning. Sunday night's festivities involved Cindy picking me up at the Eagle airport and then a wine and seafood dinner at Beaver Creek Resort. Our retreat participants, as of now, consist of just Cindy and me. We are open to adding more in future years. This is the inaugural kick-off. Our plans are pretty much to hike, drink wine, and solve all of life's problems. That is what a proper retreat is all about. The hike today was great; both challenging and beautiful. We climbed 3,054 feet and hiked a total of eleven miles. Although our feet were feeling it after we concluded at 5:00, the accomplishment and conversation were top notch. A great first day. After a well needed shower and phone catch-up, we proceeded to Beaver Creek Village to continue the evening festivities of our retreat. We chose pizza and bee...