A good week

I finally had a really good week at work! It was pretty busy, I'm working on 3 or 4 different tasks right now. So sometimes I felt kind of like a chicken with my head cut off, but it's much better than feeling like I'm getting nothing accomplished. A big help to my productivity was a phone call I got from my advisor on Wed. He said he wants me to go to a conference in Brazil this summer, and he's made a request for me to get funding from NASA to go! Me going is dependent on getting that funding, and I find out Apr 4 (next Friday). Yes!!! I was trying to continue a civilized conversation with him but really wanted to jump up and down and yell, I was so excited. If I get to go, I have to submit an abstract by April 17. I really need to have my thesis done before the conference, because I want to have the best possible results to present. So I was very motivated to work after that conversation.

It's really nice to enjoy what I'm doing. The science side of my research is really kind of fun - it's just the computer science part that often makes me want to jump off a building.

Other than that, Chris and I (and Rachel) went to a talk at our church on Wed. night by the guy who discovered pediatric AIDS, and is the president of a non-profit called Global Strategies for HIV Prevention. It was really interesting. He talked a good bit about the science behind the disease, but also talked about how to address HIV/AIDS in Africa (and other developing countries where it's a big problem). Here's one other thing that I liked about his talk ... Dr Ammann is obviously very intelligent and also very well-respected in the medical community, and yet he hasn't shied away from using his faith as an impetus to take action when needed. It's always encouraging to me to see examples of people who are successful scientists but also have a faith in God. I firmly believe the two are not mutually exclusive, and they can even be complementary. Also, even if people who listened to his talk aren't about to go to Africa to personally address AIDS, I realized there are probably a lot of people who just don't know that much about AIDS. There are stigmas attached to it here as well as in Africa, so I think it's important to be informed.

Thursday night I went to an orientation for mentoring at the Matthews House. I learned a lot in the 3-1/2 hours I was there, and also gained a lot of respect for what they are doing.

Today Rachel and I swam for 2 hours (that's a long time!). I swam 5500 yards - that's 3.125 miles! Woohoo! I swam 3000 in the first hour. To reward ourselves, we went to Lucilles afterwards. I had a cappuccino that came in a cup as big as my face that required two hands to drink out of. We also ate beignets, a burrito, and a buttermilk biscuit. Good stuff! Now Chris and I are relaxing. We're taking today off from any kind of work, but will both try to get stuff done tomorrow. I think we'll go see a movie later to complete the vegetation. :) Thanks for reading, have a good weekend!

COFFEE

I am waiting for some files to copy onto my laptop, so why not blog ...

I am definitely addicted to caffeine. The seeds were planted when I lived in Oxford, England for a few months in 2002 and worked at Starbucks, of all places. Then when I moved out here, I half drank coffee just to stay warm, but soon I was addicted! Of course, I also really appreciate the flavor of a good cup of coffee, so I'll drink decaf from time to time, but I definitely feel the effects when I don't drink any caffeine. Sad. Maybe one day, when I'm not an overworked grad student, I will wean myself off. I'm not that bad though, 2 cups of coffee in a day is my max. I'm trying to drink more tea instead of coffee, too.

Not surprisingly, there are some fellow caffeine addicts in my department, and so this semester we began a Thursday morning coffee group. We take turns bringing in beans and also a tasty snack to go along with it. It's really nice, I really enjoy the completely random and geeky conversations we usually have. It's also very nice of my officemate, Erica, to put up with us caffeindes, since she is not a coffee drinker.

Here is some of the most memorable coffees I've had ...
- Jittery Joes coffee. Chris and I know the guy who owns Jittery Joes (he actually is the minister who married us and also did my dad's memorial service), and last time we were in Athens he gave me a tin of freshly roasted beans - they were delicious!
- something about coffee made when you're camping is phenomenal, even when there are grounds in the bottom.
- Bean Cycle coffee :)
- Matt Massarik brought in a coffee for one of our Thursday get togethers that tasted like blueberries. It was uniquely delicious.
- I really liked Dunkin Donuts coffee when I lived in Georgia, it was near where I worked and every now and then I'd get a donut, too. I miss Dunkin Donuts! (and Krispy Kreme, for that matter) Maybe my next blog should be about donuts ...
- I love coffee with Eggnog, one of the many reasons I love Christmas! And not spiked Eggnog, that is one drink that is definitely better virgin.
- I like coffee in the morning black, with oatmeal - it's a good way to wake up!
- I had Kona coffee when I was in Hawaii last year and was not impressed (maybe because it was $3.00 for a small cup)

Ok files are done, bye! I'm going home now and I'm grilling salmon - yum. :)

Getting my butt kicked

Today I raced in the UNC (Univ. of Northern Colorado) crit out near Greeley (cow-town). It did not go so well for me, but I'm okay with that, considering I've mostly just been doing base training. For sure I got a really good workout, because I was off the back pretty much the whole race and it was pretty windy. So I tried to keep up a good pace and treat it like a time trial. Probably not worth the $30, although I do think it was worth it to see just where I am fitness wise. Crits will be a little better for me after I've done a bit more intensity training in a month or so. Plus this was a Women's open race, and I'm not competitive with the 1's and 2's (fast people), even in the best of shape. Anyway, just training and not racing can get pretty boring, so it was good to have a change of pace (literally). And I got to see the collegiate A's races and visit with some people, so that was nice too.

I wanted to get some work done tonight but have been busy around the house and running errands instead. Plus I am exhausted! Chris and I watched most of a Rockies spring training game, I'm so glad baseball season is about to start! Chris and I are going to 2 Rockies-Braves games in a few weeks, that will be a lot of fun.

It's been nice to hang out a bit tonight and last night. I was really tired from the past week for some reason. I didn't even have any really early mornings, but I still just felt worn done by the end of the day yesterday. Also, I'm usually a pretty happy-go-lucky person, but I was pretty moody last week. Particularly my research was really ticking me off. So hopefully that's over, and some rest this weekend will probably help!

Speaking of rest, I was thinking of getting up around 6 tomorrow morning to run for 90 minutes before church - haha! I am crazy, I realized this. But it is snowing so I'm not so sure about the early morning jaunt. We'll see. Good night!

My Ride

Today I went on a long ride with Kim. This is my big Spring Break '08 plans - a four hour bike ride - party! We were going to ride up the Poudre and through Stove Prairie/Masonville, but NOAA was forecasting gusts up to 46 mph up that way, so we decided to stick to the plains.


A pro/con of going on long rides early in the morning is having to wake up before sunrise so I can eat a good breakfast. This is my backyard as the sun's coming up.


Riding south toward Windsor with Longs Peak and other amazing mountains on the horizon.


Happy to be riding.


Cows in a stream between Windsor and Johnstown - yep, we are in the sticks.


Between Johnstown and I-25 there is this picturesque church with the mountains behind it.


On the Spring Creek Trail in the Fort, almost home!

So all in all, the ride was about 62 miles and took 4 hours. Maybe would have been quicker but the wind really picked up after noon. I was hoping to do a crit on Saturday, but we'll see how my legs feel because I am also wanting to swim and run tomorrow (I have been really slacking on the running this week). Yay for living in Colorado!

Another year wiser

My birthday was yesterday and I am getting closer to 30. I'm okay with this, I kind of like where I am with my life right now and so my age just seems arbitrary. It is amazing to me how through each stage in my life I end up thinking, "Life is good, I better enjoy this time now because it can't get any better."

In high school, I had a really good group of friends, a passion for playing softball, and of course the usual crush(es) to keep things interesting. College was a blast because of the freedom, football games, and new experiences. There was always something to do and new things to learn. After college I had the new experience of having a job and actually making money, and the excitement of traveling Europe and getting married. Now I am in the 'being a young married grad student in Colorado' phase of my life, and it is great! Even this phase has its sub-phases ... Working at the bike shop and having very little stress; Starting grad school and having a lot of stress, but also making new friends and trying to learn a new field; Racing with the cycling team.

Now I feel things are changing slightly again to a phase where I'm not really a newcomer to the state anymore. Fort Collins is my home, I have good friends here (but of course still miss the ones in Georgia!) and a life that I enjoy. Chris and I are involved with our church more than before, but still always seeking adventures in the mountains. I'm not racing and I'm finding joy in setting my own agenda and pushing myself on my own terms. The Masters thesis is ever looming on the horizon, but I'm learning the balancing act of working hard on it while not letting it lord over my life. So that is my life now, but I am intrigued by how my life has unfolded up to this point, and I'm excited that so far each new chapter has not been a disappointment. So that gives me confidence in the future, whatever that may be! For now, I hope things stay as they are for a little while longer.

Well, that is not at all what I meant to write about but was a kind of fun reflection. I had a really nice birthday. I had a deep tissue massage on Friday afternoon and it was painful but in a good way! Chris and I went out for dinner and dessert, and then I completely passed out (no alcohol!) by 9:30. Haha, definitely getting older! Saturday we went mountain biking on the Blue Sky trail (and a little bit of Coyote Ridge) and neither of us fell - woohoo! Then last night we had some friends over for wine and cheese, it was delicious, but I think I drank too much wine (hence the headache today, it's been a while since I've drank so much!).

This week is spring break but since I'm not taking classes that has very little meaning to me. I think I will give myself 1 day off at some point (or 2 half days). I would like to go on a long bike ride (probably with Kim) and then I just have a bunch of loose ends I have to tie up (been pretty lazy lately).

As promised, I'll finish with some pictures!
Me and Kim, a friend from the cycling team


Chris, me, and Nick (a fellow grad student) displaying some of the fine wines available last night


Christine and Leslie are friends from church and are both due in a few months, so Leslie brought an alcohol-free wine for them to enjoy!


I'm not sure what's going on in this picture, but it is Chris with his friend Dion (from his old job) and his wife Tia.

Another day in paradise

Today was fabulous!! It started out kind of rough because of daylight savings time, but once I was cognizant things got better. Chris and I went to church at 9:30, and a short video he made was shown at the beginning of the service. The church is focusing on 4 service projects in Africa for 6 weeks after lent and I think it will be really good. He's got the video up on his blog, so you can check it out if you'd like: www.christonigeria.blogspot.com

So I had this crazy idea. It started because I feel oddly drawn towards doing a half ironman later this summer. This would be ridiculously difficult, but I've looked at some training plans and for the beginner ones I would only have to add 1 or 2 workouts a week to what I'm already doing. I want to do one at some point in my life, so why not this year? (voice of logic: "Because it would suck!! A half marathon after riding 56 miles, are you kidding me??") Anyway, I also feel silly doing something so huge and me being the only one to benefit from it. So I thought I could raise money for the church's work in Africa in conjunction with my training.

Well, I am not committed to the training (I'm putting off registering for the race perhaps indefinitely), but I decided today to commit to doing a fundraiser. I am going to make an African cookbook. Woohoo! I think it will be good and will hopefully raise a decent amount of money. So I talked to some people about that after church and got some positive responses and offers/suggestions for help. My goal for finishing it is April 16, which is when Dr Chris, the founder of Faith Alive AIDS clinic, is visiting. The church is going to have an African dinner that night, so it is a logical time to sell a cookbook that will partially benefit Dr. Chris's work.

The weather was really nice today. After church I spent about an hour contacting people who live on the course of the collegiate cycling nationals crit, which will be in Fort Collins this year (exciting!). The people who live along the course have to approve it because the streets will be shut down basically the whole day.

When I got home I worked in the backyard (second time this weekend, go me!). Chris and I pulled a ton of weeds that are in the very back of the yard. We now have 3-4 piles of weeds that are almost as tall as me. Ridiculous! It was a freaking jungle back there. It is amazing how big our yard looks now. Then I did some work on the computer - planning for the next issue of the AGU newsletter and sending some emails regarding the cookbook.

At 5:00 I went on a run. I wasn't sure how long I would run for, but I headed out on the trails to the west of our house. My run was phenomenal!!! It's amazing what a week of rest can do for you. I felt really good, probably the best since I started running again. I will definitely do that loop again. Most of it was on dirt trails and that is considerably more interesting than running down a paved trail. And it is beautiful. I am blown away by the scenery I can run through just a 10 minute jog from my house. Toward the end of the run, I was at a high point and could see some wind turbines on the horizon that are on the Wyoming border! You can see so far onto the plains, it's really cool. Anyway, I ended up running for 1 hour 25 minutes and I think I went about 7.5 miles. Nice!

Chris and I met our friends Jeramy and Christine for pizza at Beaujo's at 7:30. Two other friends, Kelly and John, also happened to be there so it was a nice little group. It was a pretty unhealthy meal but really delicious and I feel very little regret about it (I enjoyed it too much to feel bad). We had a pitcher of 1554 (a New Belgium beer), an order of hot wings, a delicious pizza, and then we went to Walrus! Chris and I shared a sugar bomb ice cream treat. :) Yum!

So now I am pretty happy (it is probably the sugar buzz). I had a productive day, a wonderful run, and a great meal with good friends. And now I am watching the Paris-Nice cycling race. Who could ask for more? :)

Aaaahhhh....

I decided on Monday that I am resting this week. I haven't really had a rest week from training since mid-January, since my last rest week I decided I needed to ride my bike more. So now I can focus on other aspects of my life (yes, there are other aspects). Such as ... quiet time! Being relaxed. Stretching. Being with friends and Chris. Working.

Yesterday I went to the Matthews House (www.thematthewshouse.org) to see about mentoring there. It is a place for kids (17-21ish) coming out of the foster or judicial system, who need help transitioning to adulthood and being self sufficient. I think it sounds like a really cool place, and I think this is where I am being called to help. We'll see. I would mentor a girl. I have a big application to fill out, I need some references, and I have to get fingerprinted. Wow. The next mentor orientation is March 26.

I also went to the cycling team meeting. It is weird for me not to be racing this year. I am pretty glad that I have not made that commitment, but I still miss the fun and comradarie of riding with the folks on the team. It is really a fun group of people. So maybe I will go to meetings from time to time to say hi, and I want to do 2 or 3 of the races this spring as training/fun. There is an individual time trial this weekend and I am trying to remind myself that this is a REST WEEK so I shouldn't do it! Actually, this would be an excellent weekend for Chris and I to get our yard ready for spring, especially the garden.

I am getting more and more excited about the summer. I can't wait to race and go backpacking!! I want to be in the woods! Oh, Chris did our taxes the other day and found out that we will actually get a refund for the first time in several years!!! This is especially exciting because we put a bunch of money into a money market account last summer that we figured we'd have to use for taxes, so now that money is ours! I am really excited because this year will be our 5 year wedding anniversary, and I think we should do something epic. I'm thinking either Costa Rica or Europe. Woohoo!

Okay, guess that is good for now. Time to work. Yay! Wait, I've decided I should post more pictures, but I don't have any recent ones right now. But, I will put up a picture of me in the Wind River mountains in NW Wyoming in 2005, right before starting grad school. It was probably the coolest backpacking trip I've been on and Chris and I want to go back to the Winds this summer. They are incredible! Alright, thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Happenings

Well, the weekend is over, but it was a really good one. On Friday, Chris and I cooked dinner for the 5 other couples in our Bible study group. It was by far the biggest meal we've ever made, but I think it went pretty well. It was nice to be able to provide everything, rather than our usual potlucks or bring-your-own-____. This is a really great group of friends that we have, and so we enjoyed treating them all to a meal and then just hanging out and eating family style (although happily not dysfunctional family style).

Saturday it got up to 73 degrees!!! Woohoo!!! Chris and I did a LONG ride of about 53 miles, it is the same ride I did the day after he left for Nigeria and was no less tiring this time around. When I am in full cycling training mode, a 50 mile ride is hard but doesn't leave me completely wiped out like it does now. It was especially hard because we had a cross/head-wind for the last 15 or so miles. But at least the weather was beautiful. Riding through the plains can be a little monotonous, but it is awesome to be able to see the mountains, especially when they are covered in snow and looking especially bad-ass.

Almost right after I got home, I had to leave again for softball practice. First, I tried to make an amazing smoothie/recovery drink, but broke our blender because I ran it with a spoon inside. Not good, I ended up with blueberry/yogurt/protein powder deliciousness all over the kitchen. :( So I had to settle for my standby recovery drink of gatorade and protein powder, which gets the job done but is not nearly as exciting as a smoothie.

Softball practice was a lot of fun, although my reflexes were dulled considerably from the ride. It was the first practice of the spring and so felt particularly exciting. I'm playing with friends from the department. We've played in the fall intramural league for the last 3 years, but this is our first time to play in the city rec league. Last season we were actually pretty decent, so I'm looking forward to hopefully having a winning record. :) Sometimes it is a little disappointing how much my skills have declined since the glory days of high school softball, but we will be playing a lot this year so hopefully I'll get better as the year goes on.

Today's weather was disappointingly different from yesterday's - about 45 degrees colder, cloudy, and windy. Yuck! Chris and I went to church at 9:30 and sat with our friends Mollie, Jeramy and Christine. Afterwards we chit-chatted and had bagels and coffee. It was a nice way to start the day, even though my concentration was not at its best during the service (I was thinking about 3 things: 1. Trying to decide which serving opportunity that I discussed with Erika on Thurs would best suit me; 2. Wondering if it was too cold to run for 90 minutes outside, or if I should go to the gym instead; 3. Wishing I could go out for breakfast with our friends after church.)

I spent 4 hours today working on CMMAP stuff, which was a slight pain but good to get done. I went to the Bean Cycle for some of the time and that was nice. Then this evening I went to the gym and ran/walked on the treadmill for 50 minutes (during which time I wished I had eaten a substantial lunch instead of a piece of pie at the Bean Cycle). After that I went to the wonderfully relaxing 'restorative' yoga class ... so nice! Chris was busy today too and did a lot of laundry/cleaning while I was gone. And, he pretty much had dinner ready when I got home from yoga, it was awesome! He is a good guy.

Well this was long, sorry. So, you'll be happy to read that I am signing off and going to bed! thanks for reading!