Camping and Canoeing in Escalante Canyon...

So, you asked... How did I survive the camping trip experience???
OK!!!! Big hat and lots and lots of wet wipes!!!
Canoeing was a blast after we got the hang of it on a very fast river last week. I ended up at the stern position and kept us pretty much in the middle of the river. We stayed in the canoe, which was a real win!! No spills into the cold river!!
Our campsite was beautiful. Nestled in the cottonwood trees in a awesome red rock canyon.
It rained on my little blue tent the first night... and while I didn't sleep too much, I sure enjoyed the experience!
We hiked into the canyon and saw lots of wildflowers and petroglyphs on the rock faces.
Great company, good food, lots of fun!
Will I do it again... if someone asks, for sure!

May 31.... Summer is here!

Hi Everyone!
I've been busy as a one-armed paper hanger since market! Am I selling much???? No....
Am I trying to take care of my customers in a big way... Yes!! It'll come back... sometime...
So... I was home at market and took this pic with Me, Mom and Grandma. Mom has lost over 40 pounds and wanted documentation. Grandma just turned 94 and is still a peach!! I'm just hanging out with some good genes!!

Happy Easter Everyone!

It's cold and dreary here in Colorado this morning, but our spirits are full of cheer!

My Shoe Shopping Experience

Saw a pair of Dansko sandals I loved at Nordstrom. Waited a few weeks and when I went back they had sold out of the style... Came home and got on the internet. Not on Zappos, my favorite shoe-shopping site... but with Google I found them on a site called "6pm.com" The price was right... I've got other Danskos and thought I knew the exact size, so I ordered them up!
Got here in just a few days with shipping I paid for.... Guess what? The shoes didn't fit... I go to exhange them and another guess what? 6pm doesn't do exchanges. I'm stuck. I have to pay shipping to return the shoes and then if I want to order another size... I pay the shipping for the new pair!! LESSON LEARNED!! Stick with ZAPPOS!! I wrote 6pm to tell them I wouldn't be shopping on their site again and that I would advise my friends about their poor customer service... so "buyer beware". I'd stick with Zappos for sure! P.S. I am still looking for a pair of Dansko Dellas Black in a size 41!! Probably need to cruise The Rack.

Charleston Pics

The whole gang at Joseph's for breakfast on Sunday morning.Our digs on the beach at Isle of Palms

Racers at the Piggly Wiggley before sunrise!

Fun on the beach after the race and after a liquid lunch!!

Cooper River Bridge Run 10K Charleston

We're all home and recovering from our weekend in Charleston!! What a blast!! We always have such a good time and this year was no exception! A perfect house on the beach at Isle of Palms, perfect weather after Thursday's downpour cleared up, a great day for a run on Saturday and tons of laughter, food, fun and drink....
Oh my!!! Angie and I beat our last 10K time by 6 minutes!! Whoo hoo!! Pam, Gina, Joyce, Ron & Jerry all had good race times and Stanage walked the course in record time as well. Debbie, Fred, David and Dick held down the fort while we ran and were ready to party when we got home!
A good time was had by all!!

Bonnie is in Colorado and we've been having fun!

We haven't stopped since she got here on Wednesday...
Playing with Pagli...Shopping... Hiking... Skiing with Angie in Vail... Movies...Bands in Louisville... Brunch and the ballet in Denver today... I love having her here as always. Tonight I taught her to make risotto... Yummo!!! She's a quick study!

March comes into Colorado like a lamb...

What a nice Sunday... my sweet puppy was licking my face at 6:30 am! I was planning on sleeping in a bit... but no such luck... after a walk around the park, the coffee pot was on and my day in full swing... Met Angie at 9am for a nice long walk at Bobolink. We got in between 6 and 7 miles, so we're more than ready for Cooper River... Then our usual Starbucks stop for a well-deserved latte!
Yummo! It was cool and cloudy this morning, but the day turned sunny and warm. I shopped with Peggy for carpet for her re-do then came home and bathed Pagli. Gotta get him all handsome for Bonnie's arrival on Wednesday. Now if I can just keep him clean until then... Since it's been so dry out here, it's also very dusty and his white fur just absorbs the dirt like a sponge! Then a little time wasted on Facebook and the day is done... whew!!!
Where did the weekend go??? Back to the grind tomorrow!

Results are in!

As of this morning, I was down 6 pounds... not the 10 I had hoped for... but ya gotta love 6 pounds in 3 days! We'll see if it stays off! Today I ate pretty normally and felt like a glutton!!

Gunnison River 3 Day Canoe Trip... Check this out!

I'll be doing this with my buds Peggy & Gary and Kathleen and Jeff....

Date: May 23-25, 2009
Trip: Memorial Day Weekend
GUNNISON RIVER PROFILE

This leisurely 31-mile trip through the Escalante and Dominguez Canyons is a summer delight, leaving time for hiking and photography. The Gunnison is ideal for beginning and intermediate canoeists, providing lots of fun with
various Class 1+ rapids along its course. You will paddle beside high walls of beautiful red sandstone and shale, deposited during the age of the dinosaurs. Interesting side trips into deep box canyons will leave you awed by the immensity of geologic time and the silence of the wilderness. Massive cottonwood trees stand on the river bends supporting huge nests of blue
herons, hawks and eagles. Hiking will include the spectacular Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Study Area complete with a 40-foot waterfall, secluded swimming holes and numerous ancient Indian petroglyphs.

Should be loads of fun... except for the pooping out doors and the sleeping in a tent and the no shower thing.... hum... maybe it will just be fun.... :-)

Day 2 of the Diet in the bag!!

OK, OK!! I could eat the sink right now... but I'm almost through day 2 of this crazy diet!
Today was the lowest calorie count...but I did get in a good hour walk this morning before all my energy stores were depleted! I'm planning on walking tomorrow too.... so stay turned for the big results on Saturday!!!
Tomorrow I'm going to choose stones for my big 50 birthday ring! I took all of the old gold and diamonds laying around in my jewelry box to convert them into one new ring!!!
Hey... this turning 50 ain't so bad!!
Since no one is coming out this year for Bolder Boulder and Angie will be in Europe (again!), I have decided to take Peggy and Kathleen up on an invite for a canoe and hiking trip down the Yampa river in Colorado. I'll post the link to the website... My first outdoor camping trip since Girl Scouts when I was about 14 years old... Should be interesting!!!

Lose 10 Pounds In 3 Days!!! Or your $$$ back...

OK, OK!!! No $$$ are changing hands on this deal... but you can bet your bottom dollar, or maybe just your bottom... that if this darned things works, you'll be willing to pay me the big bucks!!!

This diet is just choke full of wholesome, nutritious and yummy foods!!! Have at it!
And send $$ my way if it works!! All donations will be accepted... not greedy... just needy!!!
(I saw that on a sign yesterday... not my own work!) This is not commerce... this is charity!!!

Day1 (1036 calories) (GO!!)

Breakfast
1/2 grapefruit
1 slice dry toast
2 tablespoons peanut butter

Lunch
1/2 cup tuna
1 slice dry toast
coffee or tea

Dinner
3 oz. any type meat
1 cup beets
1 cup green beans
1 small apple
1 cup vanilla ice cream (I know!?!?!?)

Day2 (758 calories) (Walk very slowly today...)

Breakfast
1 egg
1 slice dry toast
1/2 banana

Lunch
1 cup cottage cheese
5 saltine crackers

Dinner
2 hotdogs (YUCK... I know?!?!?)
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 banana
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream (WOW again!!!)

Day3 (909 calories) If you're still alive and kickin'

Breakfast
1 egg
1 slice dry toast

Lunch
5 saltine crackers
1 oz. cheddar cheese
1 small apple

Dinner
1 cup tuna
1 cup beets
1 cup cauliflower
1/2 cantaloupe
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream (who knew....)

OK... that's it... no substitutions... no excuses.... no questions... just do it!!!
This is all based on scientific research and blind faith! You must believe for it to work!!
If you don't loose 10 pounds, it's because you don't have enough faith!!
Don't ask me, I'm just the messenger!!!

The Amazing 3 Day Miracle Diet!!!

OK, OK!!!
I've just completed (well... almost... I still get 1 cup of Vanilla Ice Cream tonight) day 1 of the amazing 3 day diet where 10 pounds will miraculously disappear!! My friend Mike Pegler swears by it!! So... after a week in the fast lane in Las Vegas, slurping up martinis and eating way too much, I've committed to it!
I'll keep ya posted... but won't weigh again until Saturday morning with the official results!!
The diet includes wild things like ice cream and beets... the worst of it is 2 hotdogs... and since I don't eat that junk.... ugh.... I purchased Turkey hotdogs today... beware... the next time you're invited to dinner at my house... you may get turkey dogs in some mystery meal!!!
I can do most anything for three days... and the easy part is that it's a no-brainer!! You eat exactly what's listed... nothing more, nothing less...
I believe there is going to be a major "purge" associated with these three days!!!
I know, I know... TMI!!!!!

Facebook

Hey! Just to let you know... I'm on Facebook now! So check out my daily routine there as well.

We saw Donnie & Marie at the Flamingo!

The Flamingo Hilton is still one of those old iconic places in Las Vegas. Tonya was so excited to see Donnie! The fun part was that as LUCK would have it, she had one of the best seats in the house!! Donnie not only winked at her when he came onto the stage, he walked on her table, took her hand and talked to her!! Much to his surprise, she was very agile and before he knew it, she was up on the table with him... sorta like that Cortney Cox/Bruce Springstein moment!!!
Donnie was a bit surprised and Tonya was just thrilled out of her mind!! Wish I had pictures of that moment, but they weren't allowed and we were all just enjoying the moment!

Cocktails in Vegas!! Well... of course!!

Well of course... you start out in Vegas with cocktails... in glow-in-the-dark glasses!
Angie and I worked hard last week! She worked in the Guildmaster Showroom while I held down the fort at Hekman. Traffic was good and order writing was better than expected...
Of course you can feel the effects of the economy... but my customers were shopping for good deals.

Eat, Pray, Love, Etc!!

I've connected with a new group of women in Denver... through Peggy and then her zany friend,
Kathleen... Kathleen decided to start a new group, "Eat, Pray, Love, Etc.!" and asked me to join.
How fun!?!?! About 9 women came to the first meeting at Kathleen's spectacular home at Sloan's Lake in Denver. Kathleen provided a yummo meal of soup and salad and of course, the wine was flowing, including an inaugural champagne toast to our new group! I am so looking forward to the connection, support and friendship the group will provide... not to mention a great dose of laughter!
All of us are working professionals... most with our on businesses... We want to talk and learn and grow and stretch and laugh our way through life... my kinda people!!!

One More Exciting Tidbit...

My sweet buddy Tonya will be in Las Vegas next week while we're there. She got tickets to see her very favorite performer of all time and begged me to get tickets as well... So I did!!
We're going to see none other than.... the fabulous, the talented, the toothsome, the preserved....
Donnie and Marie!!! Now talk about Woo Hoo!!! Hey... while in Vegas....

Mr. Shurte always took me to at least one show... We saw lots of shows including...

Sigfreid and Roy (The Absolute Best!)
Cirque du Soleil (O, Mystere, Ka, La Reve) (Loved "O" best!)
Celine Dion
Barry Manilow (Comped!)
Reba McIntyre (Comped!)
Mama Mia
Earth Wind and Fire
Blue Man Group (???)

I've also seen "Love" and Craig Ferguson... so the tradition continues...

Hey!! Best Part of the week!

I almost forgot... a really great thing happened... I got an e-mail from some wonderful friends I'd lost touch with, Mary Anne and Mark Hewett! My Christmas card was forwarded all the way to Hanover, Germany!! We haven't talked in almost 10 years! They traveled to Germany for Mark's career and will be there through 2010. Guess where my next travel plans will be taking me???
Mary Anne and I went to West Charlotte High School together many, many moons ago! We were in homeroom together in the gym... ugh... both with last names that began with the letter "K"...
Our group of girls started "POPs" or "Pig Out Parties"... man, that was a long time ago...
Remembering Ed's Dairy Bar with much fondness...
Can't wait for us to catch up!

Sunday Evening...

Just turned off Superbowl XXXXIII... WOW!!! What a game, huh? Of course my heart wasn't really in it since neither the Broncos or Panthers made it to the big show!! But what a game!!!
Pagli and I made a whirl-wind trip to Utah last week... left on Tuesday... back on Friday night...
so I spent the weekend catching back up... laundry, groceries, paying bills... all the fun stuff...
but I did get in two nice long walks... yesterday with Peggy from the house... and then this morning with Angie at Coal Creek. Pagli went along this morning and walked almost all of the four miles... He's growing and getting stronger each day. The best part was sitting outside in the February sunshine with our coffee after the walk. Ya gotta love a mid-winter day in Colorado when you can enjoy sitting outside!

This week will be busy getting ready for Las Vegas market. I leave on Sunday morning for a week in the desert!! I hope to reinvigorate sales and maybe even win a little!!! I've saved just a tiny bit for the craps tables... Woo Hoo!!! Angie will be traveling with me to market and holding down the Guildmaster Showroom.