Breaking News...

Front page news on CNN this morning? The heat in the west.

"BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- When the mercury hit 104, Rick Overton took his colleagues tubing on the Boise River, thinking it couldn't get much hotter. A day later, parts of the West were in for a little relief, but not everywhere -- Boise was expected to hit 107 degrees Friday."

And later in the story after a bunch of stuff about California...

"Even Stanley, Idaho, which at more than 6,000 feet elevation is routinely the coldest place in the lower 48 states, was seeing record highs, the National Weather Service said. The remote town in the Sawtooth Mountains reached 92 degrees Thursday, and was expected to hit 93 degrees Friday."

This must be one of the first times ever that Stanley has made CNN (unless it is for being the coldest place in the country). Hopefully it cools down in a couple of weeks... this doesn't bode well for the forest fires we were hoping to avoid and snow capped mountains we were hoping to showcase- although Michael is convinced a fire would make for great wedding pictures.

Fourth of July we had an impromptu barbecue at our house with some friends. We served cold mint avocado and cucumber soup and Michael's famous grilled chicken. We had a perfect view of the fireworks that were set off at a park just a few blocks from our house, but it was an early night. The heat just drained everyone all day I think.

So today I set off for my bachelorette party weekend. Since it is so hot here we are headed to... ummm... Nevada...
Who knows? It's possible it could be cooler down there... I doubt it will be warmer!

Lots of love to you all... hope to see you in a couple (YIKES!) weeks in Stanley! -M

Bridal Shower

So... lesson learned... don't ask that no one brings gifts to a bridal shower because you will end up with much more than you would have had you not asked! I have the most amazing women that surround me in my life and Saturday a lot of them came together to drink champagne and eat delicious food, laugh, and celebrate a beautiful Boise morning.
In Dawn's back yard they set up tables with tablecloths and flowers and a huge buffet of stuffed french toast, quiche, cream cheese and smoked salmon, and lots of other delicious things to eat. Trey (Dawn's son) served us mimosas - he even wore a tie. They had a drink theme and people brought bottles of wine and champagne and some brought theme baskets with recipes for new drinks to try - with some old favorites mixed in to revisit.
My "second mom" Cheryl brought some beautiful tall goblets with strawberry kiwi mix and vanilla vodka. Yum! Dawn didn't feel like she had done enough throwing the party so she got me a basket of mojitos complete with a muddler (there is a funny story there for another day). I got a tequilla colada basket from Wendy reminding us of our trip to Cancun several years ago and convincing us that we need to go back. A couple of my girlfriends put together a "skip and go naked" drink set that consists of a pitcher and the fixings for a very interesting new summer sipper to try. I got a very touching gift from my grandmother with the recipe to a good marriage and an engagement photo along with a wine saver gift set and huge bottle of merlot. My mom among many other things made stem labels for wine glasses out of my wedding dress fabric in the colors of our wedding. Susan gave me a beautiful basket we will use for cards at the wedding and everything needed to make passion fruit pomegranate martinis. Celinda gave me a hilarious book that I have been wanting to buy by Amy Sedaris. But most of all... they all gave me a day that I will never forget. These women and others that couldn't be there (but were definitely there in spirit) form the foundation of who I am and I struggled to get through the day without tears. More pics to come when I get them from others at the party...
Love to all, -M

Actually... we are going to the chapel...

So, after our whirlwind trip to Garden Valley and Stanley we decided in the interest of making things as easy as we can on our friends and family (we do recognize that we are asking people that want to be at the ceremony to travel twice) we decided to get married in a chapel. Guess the title of my last post was prophetic. I would post pictures, but I keep loosing the cord that connects my computer to the camera so I will have to paint a picture with words.
It is a non-religious meditation chapel above downtown Stanley. The chapel itself was built in the seventies with logs making it look much older than it actually is. The views are stupendous (a full window behind the alter highlights a steep, craggy Sawtooth Mountain Range rising 11,000 feet into the clouds). The stained glass is magnificent (elk prancing in the sun depicted in jewel tones that shimmer in the light). Best of all, the mosquitoes are non-existent (trust us - 30 bites each after attempting to fly fish for a grand total of 20 minutes).
We know that it is kind of strange to make people drive all the way to Stanley and then get married inside, but think everyone that can make it will love it there. Stanley is one of both mine & MJ's most favorite places on the planet. My parents went to a wedding held in this chapel many years ago and upon returning home they told me that they had found the place that I had to get married. I guess that was a prophetic statement as well.
So, I'm just waiting for the guy to call me back before it is set in stone (although the on-line calender doesn't show anything scheduled for that day, so we're thinking we are pretty well set). That's what I know for now. Tonight MJ is running in the first annual Boise Beer Mile and I am timing it. Sunday we are going rafting with some friends.
Life is just so great right now. I hope that it is just as great for you and yours. Much love, -M

Going to the Chapel...

Well, I guess we're not really going to the chapel... but we are headed for the hills tonight with our dogs to find "the place" that we're getting hitched in four short weeks. We're going to stay at the cabin tonight and then drive over to Stanley to scope out how busy the lakes are during the week. We are hoping to find one that isn't filled with noisy jet skis. A bit different than the way most do it I suppose, but then thus far we haven't followed many traditions at all.
I am going to have a bridal shower on June 30, graciously hosted by one of my dearest friends - Dawn. I requested no gifts. We just don't have the room for a bunch of stuff in our tiny house. She came up with a drinking theme - people are to bring recipes and fixings for their favorite drinks. I think this is a fantastic idea and can't wait!
July 7 I am headed to Reno with five of my girlfriends. We are going to see one of my all-time favorite groups - The Indigo Girls. All but two of us going down are currently "with child" so it probably won't get too crazy. I am looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend while MJ and the guys from the shop go on a three day mountain biking/fly fishing trip. I am a little jealous - I haven't been able to get on the river yet this year, but we'll both get a chance to camp, ride, hike and fish our way back to Garden Valley for the reception from Stanley for a couple days after the wedding with our close friends and my brother and sister. I am really looking forward to that, we should have a great time.
So with any luck I'll come back with some pictures of where the ceremony will actually take place. I hope that everyone out there in cyberland is doing well and enjoying some fantastic early summer weather.

How to Train for a Marathon in 16 weeks...

This week Michael & I have started our training for the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon in Susanville, California on October 6. We haven't actually signed up yet (I want to see how our training goes before we pony up the cash) but we have a training plan and we have followed it perfectly for the last 48 hours. It involves a lot of cross training - mostly mountain biking because that is MJ's strong suit and because it is not as hard on my hips. I was set to do this race on my own, but Michael decided last minute to join me. I think this experience will be a good one for our first year as a (gulp!) married couple. I hope it will be, anyway. What doesn't kill you is supposed to make you stronger... right?
MJ is not a runner, but he can usually run shorter distances faster than I can which helps me to stay out of my comfort zone. Tonight I am moving even further away from comfort as we embark on a ride in the foothills. Thus far my rides have involved pavement with some sort of goal at the end - work, food, entertainment or beverages. Tonight I can look forward to deep sand & mud, sky scraping endless hills (I know because I run them), random unleashed scary looking dogs, women talking loudly on their cell phones while their kids run around poking at things in the ground with sticks, testosterone fueled male cyclists on a mission to break the sound barrier on busy single track, and runners (like me - usually) that have their ipods turned up so loud that there is no way that they will hear me signal "on your left" in what I hope is a pleasant manner. Oh, and this is the first time that I will "clip in" to my pedals. That means that my shoes and pedals are attached to each other and if I start to fall I have to figure out how to get them unclipped rather quickly before tragedy strikes and I wreck my bike with my feet firmly attached to the pedals. So... I'm a bit (note the sarcasm) nervous. I have to take my inspiration from my fiance' who has exercise induced-asthma but decided to run 26.2 miles with me in October anyway so we can spend a bit more time together.
I guess this is what being married is all about.

Do Not Speak Unless You Can Improve the Silence

Sorry for the lack of posts as of late. We have been crazy busy the past few weeks with our yard. We roto-tilled, composted, and sodded 1300 sq feet in the back yard and added a new lower gravel patio with a fire pit. We planted the garden and mulched the existing flower beds. We built a new pathway and planted thyme that will hopefully take over. We constructed an arbor. Needless to say we are exhausted. Yesterday was screaming hot so instead of finishing the loose ends of our projects up we rode our bikes downtown in search of buildings with air conditioning. Hopefully it cools down soon so that our lovely new grass doesn't die. I'll take some pictures and post them when we are completely done.
I hope everyone is enjoying spring. Love to you all, -M

Mom's Birthday Cake

We had dinner at Grandma's last night for Mom's birthday. What a spread, it felt like Thanksgiving! An extra mile (or six) will need to be added to my regime this week to work off that meal. I made the cake... berry-mint shortcake. I forgot to bring my camera, so I didn't get any pictures there (I took the one of the cake at home before we left), but we all had a nice time. Peggy came with us and met my grandparents for the first time and Dorothy was there also. Mom said it was the first time in as long as she could remember having a birthday party.

My sister graduated with honors from Indiana University last weekend. We are all so proud of Kathy... I can't wait to congratulate her in person in July. This picture was taken at her wedding in Boise.

Anniversary Weekend

Scott's show last week was interesting to say the least. There is definitely a "metal scene" in Boise that I didn't know existed and it was fun infiltrating their group, if only for one night. We stayed out late that night trying to stretch out every minute we had with Scott. Now he is off to the far flung corners of the nation spreading his music where ever he goes. I can now honestly say that I enjoy watching my brother no matter what kind of music he is playing at the time.

Michael and I had our one year anniversary of dating and the two year anniversary of the day we met this weekend. I made his favorite Champagne Scallop Risotto for dinner and we celebrated at home with a bottle of wine. Last night we had Mom & Dad over for dinner. They will be in Indianapolis for Kathy's graduation next weekend over Mother's Day. We had an indoor clam bake that was surprisingly easy, and will definitely resurface next time I have to feed a lot of people quickly.

To try it grab a large stockpot and layer bay leaves, onions, garlic & shallots at the bottom... then potatoes, corn, salt & pepper... then mussels, clams and lobster (or shrimp). Top with pre-cooked sausage. We used a chicken & apple one that was really good. Poor a bottle of dry white wine over the entire thing and cover it on medium heat for 15 minutes until it is steaming. Continue cooking until most of the clams have popped open, about 15 more minutes. It was pretty good and extremely easy.

You know how when different milestones in life come up people will say that they can't believe that it's only been a {insert length of time here} yet it feels like a lifetime? At the risk of sounding cheesy I don't know what I did all those years without having MJ in my life and I can't believe I've only known him for two years, yet sometimes it seems like we just met yesterday.
I hope everyone out there had an amazing weekend.

One more Robie picture and a quick post...

For some reason I can't get MJ's pictures to download, but here is the one of me that I was able to get where I don't look completely miserable and sick.
Last night we went on a long bike ride out to Bown Crossing close to Harris Ranch... we had no idea all of those restaurants and shops were out there. We had a great flat bread pizza and then pedaled our way home.
Tonight is the big "doom metal" show. I'll report soon on how it went. I can't wait to see my little brother.

Picture Update...

Our latest home improvement project - We painted the front door and window boxes last week and put our address on the door in green... kind of hard to see in these pictures. The tulips are beautiful this year.

MJ's aunt and uncle live on Robie Creek Road. He stopped mid-race to say hello and have a beer.

Pre-race Alisha.

Pre-race Michael & Michelle.

I am still not feeling 100% but definitely much better than I was last week. I left work early on Friday and spent most of the day sleeping. I really appreciate all of your concerned phone calls and emails. I am so lucky to have so many great people in my life.
I thought I would share some of our recent pictures. I hope everyone is enjoying some fabulous spring weather. Wednesday night we are looking forward to watching my brother Scott's band play in Boise before they embark on their nation-wide tour... it should be a departure from his regular type gig, and we are really looking forward to seeing him. Oregon just seems too far away some times. For that matter so do Indianapolis, Norway, India and Australia...

Finished!

For whatever reason my results aren't pulling up in the computer, but I crossed the finish line at 2:59. MJ crossed it a couple of minutes before I did. I am exhausted and sick and very sore, but I feel like I accomplished my goal. It feels good to have finished and to know that my training did pay off. I know that I could have finished stronger under better circumstances, but I am happy with how I did... now I am going to go take a nap. Pictures to follow...

The Day Before...

I hesitate to post today. I am in a foul mood… I feel like my body has betrayed me. Since January I have run more than 140 miles. 140 tough miles in the hills. Sometimes I ran in the snow. Sometimes I ran in the rain. Sometimes I ran in the dark. Sometimes I ran through the mud. Sometimes I ran with stomach issues for an hour or two at a time. I spent over 16 hours trying to register for the race, finally getting in after midnight. I lifted weights, did countless lunges, sacrificed time I could have spent with my family and my fiancé. All of this I did for a goal I set last year… The Race to Robie Creek. And what do I have to show for all of this hard work?

All week long I have been battling an incredibly nasty chest cold. And all night and morning I have been coughing up all kinds of unimaginable stuff (I’ll spare you the details of said “stuff”- just know it isn’t pretty). I keep telling myself that it could be so much worse, that I should be grateful that it isn’t. But I can’t help but feel... well... betrayed. So that’s my pity party for the day. Sorry to unload on anyone that actually reads my blog. I guess the only thing I can do at this point is wait and see what happens tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Scott!

Today my brother turns 28 years young. Happy Birthday, Scott. Hopefully we can celebrate together soon. I love you. -M

Pictures From a Beautiful Sun Valley Wedding

Good Friends

MJ thinks he's pulling a fast one on us....

Our breath-taking Basque bride

I love this one!

Da Girlz.

RSVP For Our Reception On-Line

The invitations should be out next week, but for those of you that are anxious you can RSVP on our website - www.headrickandjohnston.weddings.com.

Also...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PEGGY!
Wish we could be there to help you celebrate. Hope to see you soon!

Life Back at Home

This morning it was 38 degrees and I was shivering by the time I pulled up on my bike at work. I guess I forgot how cold an Idaho spring can be while we were basking in our 80 degree days on Kauai. Crazy things are going on at work, and it looks like I am going to have to become more educated on the technical side of my job whether I like it or not. So far I have been able to stay mostly on the "front lines" helping the people at our locations get the data that they need, but they are changing the way our IT department is structured and a lot of the interaction that I have gotten to have with our location managers is going to be moved to our help desk. While I am not thrilled with this development, I welcome a change of scenery on the career front. Who knows, I may even grow to enjoy the new challenges presented. If not, it will give me the push I need to explore other avenues. I have been with this company since I was eighteen years old. I love the people that I work with, and have great affection for the company itself (and my three weeks of paid vacation and health benefits)- but it has grown so much so rapidly that I hardly recognize it anymore.
Last weekend I went to Geneva's bachelorette party on Friday night. I have missed Geneva an incredible amount since she moved to Australia with her fiancee. We had a much appreciated girl's night out on the town and it gave MJ a chance to catch up on his homework without me as a distraction. Saturday morning my good friend and neighbor Carey invited me for brunch. After working in our yard pulling weeds for a couple hours I couldn't resist joining her and her guests for mimosas out in the beautiful (if fickle) spring weather. That night MJ and I headed out to Anne and Molly's birthday party and had a great time catching up with a lot of friends that have left Boise to move to the mountains of McCall. Sunday we had to pay the piper for all of the travel and fun we have had lately. We spent the entire day doing little projects around the house, spring cleaning, and going back and forth from Home Depot. Even days like that are fun with MJ and his amazing sense of humor around.
Last night we ran from our house up to the hills behind Camel's Back and back again- 7 miles. We are pretty out of shape after our trip and are going to pay for it come race day... but all in all life is good... life is great, really.
We head for Sun Valley this weekend for Geneva's wedding. I hope everyone is living the good life, -M

Two Tickets to Paradise...

This guy is an Albatros... the cutest endangered baby bird I've ever come across. He's about the size of my cat.

MJ and Mark at Queen's Bath with Bali Hai in the back ground.

Another of Mark and MJ at Queen's Bath.

MJ really liked watching the waves. This was at Lydgate Park.

This was taken in front the on the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" - Waimea Canyon. The white line to the left of my shoulder is one of hundreds (maybe thousands) of waterfalls we saw on Kauai.

MJ and Isaac getting their boogie board on. The waves always look so much smaller on film.

So we're walking down the beach at Tunnels and pass a rather large older man. I look over at MJ and say, "Did you see who that was." He laughs, "Yeah, he really looks like him, huh?"
"No, I'm serious - that is totally him. I saw he and his family on the cover of Rolling Stone a few years ago and that is his daughter that he's digging a hole with."
MJ's Reply- "Huh, I guess we should take a picture, but from far away so people don't believe that we really saw him. It will be funny."
So here it is people - David Crosby... the guy standing in the water with the huge belly. Apparently Stephen Stills owns a home on Tunnels. Must be nice.

Mom and Dad bought us a sunset cruise up the NaPali Coast. It was by far the highlight of our trip. We saw a ton of dolphins and whales and even a distant turtle or two. The captain pulled the front of the boat up to a waterfall and MJ got to shower in it. He was very upset I didn't get any pictures of that.

Cheers! Salut! Skol!

Home from Kauai...

We took the red eye and are now, sadly, home from Kauai. I'll post pictures and stories of our adventures soon. I hope everyone had a fabulous sun-filled week where ever you were. -M

Pictures providing proof of prior posts...

Proof I was wearing my Colts shirt on Super Bowl Sunday.

Proof that women love my Grandfather (this was taken at his party).

Proof that I am engaged to the cutest guy... ever.

Proof that life (and Boise) is beautiful.

Aloha! Happy Spring!

In honor of our trip to Kauai on Friday I have changed my font color. Hopefully it isn't too annoying to the very few of you that actually read my blog. This weekend was absolutely fabulous and I fully expected to post pictures, but I left them at home so you will all have to wait for them.
On Friday night Michael and I had a picnic on the top of 8th Street, watched the sunset as we had a little Pinot Noir, and took in the gorgeous view of the city and it's twinkling lights. Then we headed downtown to spend sometime with Cheryl and Mark, friends of MJ's who were married the following afternoon. Saturday morning I got up at 5 am (a testament of my love for my parents as I am NOT a morning person) to take Mom and Dad to the airport for their trip to warmer climes with the Naces. I then ran my 11 miles to Aldape summit, showered, and ran over to Mom and Dad's to get their dog Tia and take her to Grandma and Granddad's. I then ran home and had about 15 minutes to get ready for the wedding. Just typing that makes me tired! Shew! I'm glad that is over with! The wedding was the perfect excuse for me to finally see the inside of the Cathedral of the Rockies. I have lived close to the church my entire life without ever setting foot through it's doors. I'm a huge fan of stained glass and this building didn't disappoint. Sunday MJ studied and I spent the day doing a much-needed spruce up in the front yard. Believe it or not I had to mow already! This weather is insane! I was hoping to get to the back yard as well, but that will have to wait until we get back. There never seems to be enough time in the day! We went to dinner Sunday night at a Thai restaurant in honor of MJ's cousin's 18th birthday.
I posted a picture here of my trip last year to Kauai to make sure you are all jealous! I hope that everyone is well and has a much needed vacation of their own planned soon! I'm so ready for nine days in paradise. For now I have to run... we have a meeting with our wedding photographer. Happy day dreaming!