Weekend of Competition

Tomorrow morning I am running Barber to Boise. This is the first race I am running to prepare for The Race to Robie Creek. Last year I completed my goal (run it without stopping), but got bursitis in my hip. I think the bursitis struck because I train in the foothills on sand. Barber to Boise is along the river on the greenbelt which is paved. I’m hoping for better results this year, although I must confess I couldn’t convince myself to train on asphalt. It’s too nice in the foothills and I’ve grown attached to my favorite trails. There is nothing on the flat that compares to huffing and puffing your way up a vertical and having the view of the city below you as reward for making it to the top. The air is cleaner and crisper. The city looks peaceful and green. My goal this year is to beat last year’s time, although I don’t remember what my time was. I suspect that I’ll know when I cross the finish line whether I made it or not. It’s so true what they say… running is 10% physical and 90% mental. Bring it on.

After my race Michael and I are headed to the cabin to watch the BSU/ Idaho rivalry played out on the big screen with a bunch of our friends. It looks as if Idaho may have a chance at a bowl game this year… stranger things have happened. I’m a bit torn having grown up a Vandal fan, but becoming a BSU alum… that being said I have to predict that Boise will probably win this one.

October:

...consistently wet & muddy dogs… dark beer & red wine… football… wool socks… long afternoon drives… trees that look as if they’ve been lit up from within… hikes into the foothills as the sun sets… cinnamon scented candles… an extra blanket on the bed… pumpkins, hay bales and corn stalks… bright sunny days and cold dark nights… consistently wet & muddy dogs… fallen leaves crunching beneath my bicycle tires… purple and orange winter pansies… getting out the winter coats… soup and hearty homemade bread… corduroy… card games at the kitchen table… a mug of hot spiced tea… rain boots and sweaters… consistently wet & muddy dogs.

Candid pictures of the family from Kathy's wedding last summer...

Petit Lake

I think we’ve got the wedding nailed down. It amazes me how involved people get into this stuff. I’ve come to realize over the past few weeks that weddings are not about the couple, they are about their family and friends. I would have been happy jumping on a plane and getting it done on a remote beach somewhere, but I think this compromise will work out really well. It should be a great time for everyone. We are lucky to have so many people that love us so much.

We are going to have a small, short wedding ceremony for family only at Petit Lake near Stanley on or around July 18 which is a Wednesday. Petit is a mountain lake, but the road is really well maintained and shouldn’t be a problem for those of you in rental cars. After the ceremony we will have everyone at a cabin we are renting at Red Fish Lake for dinner. There is plenty of camping, cabins for rent, and a lodge with inexpensive rooms available in the area. I will send out this information again in December, or with the save the date cards. Everyone attending the ceremony and staying the night (it's about 2-1/2 hours from Boise) will need to make reservations at Red Fish the first week of January because of the popularity of the area. On July 21 we will have a reception at Terrace Lakes with all of our friends and family. I will send out lodging information for Terrace when I send the information for Stanley.

I’ve posted a few pictures of Petit. We went up the weekend before last to scope things out. It is absolutely one of the most breath-taking places on the planet. Ripley had a great time getting her swim on. We're already trying to figure out what we are going to do with all three dogs during all of the wedding stuff... might have to put them in doggie jail.

Love to you all! –M

Help the Fight Against Blood Cancers!

My company is pushing hard this month to raise as much money as we can to fight blood cancers. After watching what Teb and her family went through in her battle and having a brief scare myself I have declared war against any and all types of cancer. If you happen to have an extra $5 or $10 it would be much appreciated. You can donate through the secure site online I've listed below. MJ and I are going to be participating in the Light the Night Walk a week from today. I'll post pictures of the event afterwards. Love to you all! -M


http://www.active.com/donate/ltnDenver2/1782_mheadrick

Labor Day Weekend Photos

MJ sneaked this pic when I wasn't paying attention... I want a front porch and a swing at home...

Beautiful Lake Walcott at twilight


MJ enjoying the view from our tiny cabin


That little red dot up there toward the top... that's MJ... it was just another day of climbing for him... I was scared out of my mind watching him. This was "Wheat Thin" at City of Rocks and was actually the easier of the two climbs he did the day we were there.

Sandwich Thieves and Champagne

This morning I woke up with a slight headache that I have been nursing for the past three days. It has settled down from searing pain to an annoyingly constant dull ache on one side of my brain. Trying to ignore it I grabbed the lunch I made the night before out of the fridge and set it in my bag to take to work. While I looked around for my bike lock our sneaky dog Riggs, ignoring the carrot sticks decided to help himself to my sandwich. I was a little bit peeved at his mischievousness and may have done a wee bit of yelling. After explaining to MJ why I had woken him up while expressing my displeasure at Riggs in what I would hesitate to describe as an indoor voice I grabbed my now lighter bag and headed put the door to go to work… sandwich-less. I had started to wheel my bike to the front of the house when I discovered that the back tire was completely flat. Needless to say another bit of yelling may have occurred. I can’t take my car to work on Wednesdays because I have to get to BSU on my lunch hour for class and to the yoga studio downtown after work and parking at both locations is virtually non-existent. Anyhoo… MJ, with his trademark before-coffee-yawns and half-open eyes, helped fix my tire while assuring an almost hysterical me that he would make another sandwich and drop it off at my work. He then sent me on my way and I seriously doubt that he was sad to see me finally go. He did indeed fulfill his pledge to bring me a sandwich this afternoon… along with it was a bouquet of gorgeous flowers. I have the best fiancée in the city… no… the world… yup, the world.


Riggs, our resident sandwich thief

So… an update… let’s see… hmmm… it’s crazy because I feel like I can’t catch my breath, yet I don’t know why exactly I have been so busy. Work has been absolutely insane, I have been working late every night. Month end is always bad for me as lots of people need extra reports sent out. Both Michael and I started school a couple of weeks ago, and that of course entails a lot of studying in the evening. We went to Southern Idaho - Lake Walcott and the City of Rocks this weekend for Labor Day. I’ll post pictures of that trip later in the week, we had a great time. It’s been way too smoky from all of the forest fires to run, so I have gotten really behind with my training. I just can’t get myself to go to the gym before December, but the air quality is rated red which is bad… the Boise schools even canceled outdoor athletics for the week. My aunt Jan is here from Norway and I haven’t made it up to Grandma's to see her yet. We’ve always been close and I’m really excited to catch up with her and have her meet MJ.

I made dinner last night. I am expanding my culinary horizons… so I made champagne risotto with scallops which actually turned out pretty good. If anyone wants the recipe let me know. The best part was that I got to drink champagne while cooking it, although that may not have been the best thing for this on-going headache.

I hope that everyone is well and getting all that they can out of life. Love to you all, -M

Josh Ritter Weekend

Turning the big 3-0

…really didn’t amount to much. I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t been worried about it. For the past couple of years I have been really dreading it. I had a great time in my twenties and being thirty just sounded so… not really old, but definitely older. The past few months I’ve come to terms with it, even come to embrace it and be grateful that I lived to see it.

We spent the weekend at the cabin with Mom and Dad and our good friends Celinda and Isaac. I was hoping Scott and Angie might be able to come to Idaho, but it wasn’t to be. Kathy and Joe had already been here for the summer so I knew they wouldn’t be able to make it out either. Kathy also started student teaching on Monday so she has been very busy. We still had a great time. There was a blue grass festival going on so we were lucky enough to see a couple of surprisingly good bands.

MJ and I stayed by ourselves on Sunday night and I took him golfing for the first time. He is a natural… he hit for his first time ever on a golf course over the pond on Terrace Lake’s signature hole, 16. He seemed a little confused as to why I was so excited for him. It took me years (granted, I only typically play once or twice a year) to be able to land the green on 16 and he came within a few yards his first try. He continues to amaze me.

Monday the day of my actual birthday was pretty “chill.” We drove back to Boise and spent the day shopping and eating. We went to Grandma and Granddad’s for dinner with Mom and Dad and then went to Opa and Reef by ourselves. It was a good night, but frankly I’m glad the whole thing is over and done with. Now we can move on to this weekend which entails a whole lot of Josh Ritter… I can’t wait!

My Precious...

We’re back from the weekend and I just realized I had told a lot of people that I would post a picture of the engagement ring and I never did so. It is one-of-a-kind and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect ring. It was custom made by an artist that MJ is friends with and is in his signature style - kind of a cross between modern and art deco. We choose to use a sapphire instead of a diamond for humanitarian, political and economic reasons. Also because I think they are incredibly beautiful (blue is my favorite color and every time I look at it I’m reminded of Michael’s eyes) while still being second only to diamonds in their strength. The top is sandblasted, but can be polished to match the rest of the ring later if I ever decide I want it to be more “sparkly.” When MJ and I first discussed spending the rest of our lives together I didn’t think I needed a ring, but I love this so much and I am so happy with how it turned out… truly unique, but still respectful of traditions past. Perfect. I also love seeing people’s reactions to it. Thanks to Peggy for sending this picture over. Love to you all. I’ll post details about my 30^th birthday later in the week.

Never say never

I’ve always been fairly independent. I’ve made an effort in my life to be self-sufficient and even buck the trend from time to time. I choose to work in a lumber yard when I was eighteen and all of my girlfriends were going to nursing school, becoming teachers and waitressing. I watched most of them get married in their early twenties and then continued watching as they had children. Instead I bought a house by myself when I was 25 without even considering that I should wait for a life partner. My favorite quote was one by Mae West, “Marriage is a great institution, but I’m not ready for an institution yet.” I watched my sister get married to a wonderful person (and expand our family to include the Hodsons whom we all just love, honestly we couldn’t ask for better in-laws) last year and was so so so happy for her. But I thought to myself at the time, “No, thanks. That life just isn’t for me.” That being said, the words I am about to type are words I always wondered and honestly doubted that I would ever say…

I’m getting married to the most wonderful man I know and I couldn’t be more excited!

Apparently everyone was right all these years and I just hadn’t met the right person yet. Michael proposed this weekend at an early birthday party hosted by my friends. It was romantic and fun and perfect and I wish that everyone I know could have been there. We haven’t decided if we will have a wedding or not, but once we do I will be sure to let everyone know. Love to you all. Celebrate life. -M

Dog Days of Summer

MJ and I had a relaxing Saturday night at the cabin this weekend instead of heading to the Sawtooths. Boise has gotten a much needed reprieve from the heat. I think that the last week in July is just always brutal temperature-wise. At least we can be thankful that there is no humidity here. Last night was fabulous. I was able to ride the greenbelt after work and run during the evening in the foothills. It felt so good to get out while there was still daylight. I have been extremely busy at work, going in early and staying late every day this week. My run last night really helped to clear away some of the junk that was crowding my head after a long day in front of a computer. Hopefully the busy season at work will only last a couple of weeks and I’ll get a reprieve from that as well.

I got an email from my old boss this morning reminding me I only have 13 more days left in my twenties. I’m actually looking forward to 30… older and wiser and all that…

Here are a few pictures from the weekend at Terrace Lakes. I included a picture of Ripley in the Payette (my yellow lab) so you could see her amazing trick. She knows how to hold her breath and open her eyes under water, and her tail wags the entire time. When we throw her rocks she puts her head under water for what seems like forever but is probably only several seconds. She is one in a million, that dog.

Idaho, oh Idaho

Breaking news! My favorite singer songwriter is coming home to do a show in August. All of his songs seem to have something grounded in his home state of Idaho… but the one I reprinted the lyrics to below really puts it out there. I love Josh Ritter (so do Norah Jones and Joan Baez but what do they know about music?). His lyrics are poetry and resonate soundly and his voice is absolutely beautiful. He is virtually unknown in the States, but cheesy as it sounds he is huge in Ireland. It must have something to do with potatoes. Scott met him once up in Moscow and said that he was a really nice guy, I think both Scott and I wish Josh needed a drummer. Anyway, none of you out there in cyberland may care, but I can't wait to see him live. MJ and I were actually considering going to his concert Seattle. Now I'm glad we waited.

http://www.joshritter.com/

Idaho

All that love all those mistakes
What else can a poor man make?
So I gave up a life of crime
I gave it to a friend of mine
Something else was on my mind
The only ghost I'm haunted by
I hear her howling down below
Idaho oh Idaho

Wolves oh wolves oh can't you see?
Ain't no wolf can sing like me
And if it could then I suppose
He belongs in Idaho
Packs of dogs and cigarettes
For those who ain't done packing yet
My clothes are packed and I want to go
Idaho oh Idaho

Out at sea for seven years
I got your letter in Tangier
Thought that I'd been on a boat
'Til that single word you wrote
That single word it landlocked me
Turned the masts to cedar trees
And the winds to gravel roads
Idaho oh Idaho

Feeling hot, hot, hot!

I know that talking about it really doesn’t make it any better… but it is still amazingly hot ‘round here. Four days in a row we’ve been in triple digits. MJ and I went to (a really fantastic mac ‘n cheese and pork loin) dinner at my grandparent’s house last night and then headed to the hills for a run. My lungs hurt so bad from smoke or something that must be in that air and I can’t imagine how bad it must have been for Michael considering: 1. He was pulling a tire up the hill (strength training doesn’t necessarily have to happen in a gym) while I was simply running – no tire was attached to me 2. He doesn’t typically run 3. He has asthma 4. It was still about 90 degrees outside even though we waited until almost 10 pm to do it. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing we have ever done, but I think both of us are a little frustrated at being cooped up by the air conditioner and not being able to get out to do anything. I am going to take Monday off and we are going to go hiking up in the Sawtooths. It should be the perfect temperature up there. I can’t wait to get out of this valley, even if just for a weekend.

I was planning on training for a triathlon this fall, but apparently it isn’t triathlon “season.” I had no idea that they were all held in the summer, but I suppose considering the open outdoor swim portion of events this makes perfect sense. I am going to do the training anyway, maybe it will help me in my goal to complete Robie creek one of these days. I couldn’t do it last year because of bursitis in my hip so I am hoping I can get strong enough cross training with biking and swimming to do it this year. I’ll walk if I have to!

That’s all the news I have for now. I hope all is well with everyone and I am sending you all my love. -M

Update and Weekend Plans...

Have I mentioned yet how hot it is here? It’s insane… and the forecast is calling for 110 degrees on Saturday. I’ve got my company picnic that day and then the Twilight Criterium is that night. I love this bike race… this is its 20th anniversary and downtown just lights up (metaphorically) for it… it’s just one more thing to make me appreciate living in this beautiful (but really hot, have I mentioned that already?) city. Unfortunately this year the Criterium falls on the same weekend as the Art and Wine festival at Terrace Lakes. I am a little bummed to be missing that. Mom is always in rare form.
I really don’t have much else to say, I just thought I would check in. Yesterday was an exciting day jam-packed with work, fixing the toilet and grocery shopping. Today's picture is of MJ and the dogs playing in the Middle Fork of the Payette last month. I hope all is well with everyone and I am sending you my love, -M

P.S. Grandma… if you are reading this I will visit as soon as I get a free minute. I miss you and I’m so sorry I didn’t make it up there this week!

Girl's Night

(From left to right me, Wendy, Cori and Geneva)

Every Wednesday for a few years now my girlfriends and I have been getting together for dinner and drinks. I love these women and can't imagine life without them. Actually, if it wasn't for Girl's Night I never would have met MJ. Anyway... I didn't really have much to say today, so I thought I would post a picture we took a few weeks ago when we celebrated Geneva's birthday. I hope all is well. I'm getting ready to head to my yoga class and then out to dinner with the ladies.
Love to you all!

I 'Heart' Planet Earth

I don’t think it can get much hotter ‘round here. The rivers and the reservoir are full of people trying to beat the heat. The flowers in my window boxes are officially dead. The garden is barely hanging on. The thermometer is reaching three digits on a daily basis. Even with our humidity at zero you can’t walk outside without immediately needing a shower. It is miserably hot. What better time than now to go see a movie about global warming?

MJ and I went to see “An Inconvenient Truth” this weekend with a group of our friends. Everything you have heard about how frightening it is… well it’s completely true. It’s also presented in a surprisingly entertaining way. There were a couple of parts to the movie that bothered me. I like Al Gore, and I’ll admit freely that I voted for him. Some of the movie felt like he was still running for president and that annoyed me a little, especially when he kept saying that this is a moral issue and not a political one. It didn’t bother me enough to miss the message of the documentary, however. I did appreciate that he took a little responsibility in failing to effectively get his point across during all of his years in the senate and as vice president. Anyway, regardless of the politics I think everyone should see this movie and I agree with Al - we all have a responsibility to the children and future children in this world to clean up our act, and do our best to reverse the inarguable damage that we have inflicted onto this planet. The problem that was brought up by a couple of our friends when we all stood around discussing the movie afterwards is that the people that need to see this movie wont bother. It did convince me that I need to do more so maybe it will act as a reinforcer for those of us that are already belivers.

Anyway, the little window AC unit I have is now on full blast 24/7 (I buy "green power" from wind and solar sources... it's not too much more a month to do that) and we are keeping as cool as we can by sitting directly in front of it. I hope all of you are staying cool this summer, too. I promise my next post wont sound so much like a lecture from a militant enviromentalist. Lots and lots of love to you all, -M

Produce Trucks and Bunco

There isn’t much going on in my world today. I had Bunco (a dice game that twelve of my girlfriends and I get together and play on the second Thursday of each month) last night. It seemed like everyone was pregnant or trying to get pregnant. I guess since my 30^th birthday is coming up next month and all of us are around the same age that shouldn’t be too shocking, but I am really having a tough time getting used to it. For so long everyone was trying to keep from getting pregnant and I can’t keep up with who is and who isn’t anymore.

While I was there MJ decided to make dinner. I thought I would share the menu so you can all salivate with jealousy the way I did when he sent me a text message during Bunco on my phone telling me what he was making: a barbeque shrimp appetizer followed by New York strip steak marinated in a lemon-grass/ ginger/ chili oil mixture he whipped up, wasabi mashed potatoes (three different kind of potatoes, mind you), and a roasted red pepper salad with a freshly made cracked mustard balsamic vinaigrette. There’s no mystery as to which one of us does most of the cooking. Last time I made dinner it was a frozen pizza I proudly doctored up with parmesan, dried red peppers and dried oregano. Michael is simply a genius in the kitchen.

A smallish produce truck with the name “Fresh Express” on the side almost hit me this morning on my way to work. I have been commuting on my bicycle and it has been an eye-opening experience. The next time you see a cyclist on the street while you are driving please keep in mind that the person on the bike is keeping a car off of the road and give them some extra room. It may make you ten or twelve seconds later getting to your destination but I bet you can spare ten or twelve seconds. Enough of my car vs. bicycle soap box. Suffice it to say the produce truck scaring the bejebus out of me this morning was another reminder to keep appreciating each moment. It also made me appreciate the helmet that MJ bought for me and insists I wear.

These pictures are from our climb up Mt. Borah Fourth of July weekend just before the hail and lightening storm hit. I hope every one has a nice relaxing (or thrilling and exciting - whatever your desire) weekend planned. MJ and I are considering camping somewhere… it is supposed to be 101 degrees in Boise on Sunday and as much as I love living in an older house they sure do get warm! Love to you all.

We Live in a Beautiful World

I’m following Kathy’s lead and creating a blog to keep friends and family members up to date on the goings-on in my life. I’ll try to post pictures here pretty regularly.

Yesterday after spending a lot of my day at work preoccupied thinking about Teb and her amazing tenacity in her battle with melanoma I headed downtown to the yoga studio. I look forward to my class so much on Wednesday nights, both the physical challenge I feel with sunrise salutations and the relaxation poses and meditations. It really helps me to slow down and take notice of what is going on in my head each week. We sometimes do a “thousand petaled lotus” meditation where Lori, our teacher, allows each of us to take a card out of a deck that she has of words relating to different aspects of life. In the past I have had words such as compassion and education. Last night she decided to choose a word for all of us to meditate on rather than having us each pick our own. The word she picked was courage and I was immediately struck. The theme of the day. I don’t know that I could be as courageous as Tricia was in her last year of life, but I do know that I can and will learn what I can from her struggle. I will appreciate each minute to its fullest, I will love my friends and family without reservation, and I will celebrate life and being alive. It is inevitable there will be some bad days. Hopefully I will be able to keep them in perspective. After class last night I picked up some curry and rode my bike over to Albertson Park for a picnic with MJ. We watched the couples that seem to be drawn to that park walking hand in hand at twilight. We could hear the cars speed past, and see the foothills as they turned pink from the reflection of the sunset. Just as the bugs started to bite we finished our curry and got up to leave. It was a perfect evening. I hope you all are well and have had perfect evenings of your own. Namaste.

TEB - An inspiring life lived fully

The world lost an incredible woman last night. She fought an amazingly tough battle against melanoma and taught a lot of people that knew her only through an on-line community what it is to be brave and to take each minute we are given and live it mindfully. If you would like to read about her journey go here... http://www.tebstroops.org/