santa fe in august

Hooray! We finally locked down our reservations for vacationing with Chris & Claudia (& hopefully a couple others - you know who you are!) in August. They've kindly invited us on their annual New Mexico/Colorado trip, which they rave about every damn year, so we just had to give in and go. Unfortunately, we can't make the whole luxurious trip, (we're hoarding vacation days for a loooooong honeymoon), but we can swing a long weekend to join up with everyone in Santa Fe.

We fly into Albuquerque and take The New Mexico Railrunner Express (a train!) from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, where we'll be staying at the Don Gaspar Inn, which looks beautiful and is highly recommended.

While we're there, we'll take some time to visit the Peña Gallery to meet Amado Peña, an artist my dad went to college with. Other than that, the plan is just to eat good food and drink good drinks while we enjoy the company of good friends.

Sounds good, right?

gone skiing (sort of)

And... we're off! For the Forsythe annual ski trip! And the "sort of" part is because I don't actually ski. I tend to get drastically injured just walking, and I almost split myself in half AND broke both feet off at the top of my ski boots last time I tried. And I tried HARD! (But I literally thought, "This is it, both of my legs are going to snap off at the ski boot, because it is physically impossible for my skis to remain horizontal, with my boots remaining vertical, while I am prone and wrapped around something that shouldn't be on a bunny slope.") Actually, I think my actual thoughts (and what came out of my mouth) was more akin to "fuck! fuck! fuck! ohmigod! fuck! fuckfuckfuck! FUCK!!!" (rinse and repeat.)

So these days I kick back with hot toddies in front of the fire and read a book or surf the interwebs or take photos or nap, and stay nice and warm all day until all the friends and family come home, freezing and windburned and wet. Then we eat good food, drink, and play games of great hilarity. It will be so terrific to see everyone!

We're at the airport right now, and we board our plane soon. We fly into Albuquerque (via Phoenix) and then we're renting a car to drive to Red River. Five people, all their ski gear and miscellany, in an SUV. That should be fun AND comfortable. Let it be known: I'm pre-calling shotgun.

Enjoy the weekend full of torrential rain, SFers! See you soon! And don't even try to break into our house while we're gone, you nefarious thieves - we have a ferocious cat guarding the place (you don't want to fuck with the Mercury), and a cat sitter who ranks just behind Merc in don't-fuck-with-ness. Hi cat sitter! (You know who you are.) Thank you!

Wow - I feel so much better! I've been holding back on the obscenities recently, which (let's face it) goes against my nature. What a relief!

jamaica, mon!

For months now, JR and I have been hemming and hawing over taking a vacation. We are both desperately in need of one, but deciding when, where, how long, and how much to spend have just made us churn endlessly. This week, we finally bit the bullet and booked it. We'll be spending ten days in lovely Negril, Jamaica, staying at the Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa on the famous 7-mile beach.

Those of you who have known me for a while may remember that I went to Negril in 2002 to participate in the American Stroke Association's Train to End Stroke team at the Reggae Marathon. It was so beautiful that I just had to go back. (And I get to introduce JR to the delicious wonder that is the Rock House.)

I can hardly wait. Now all I have to do is lose 30 pounds and be in shape in time for the trip...

things even i know

Tonight we met some friends at the Saucer for a few beers, and we met someone that started working with them recently (at that company). This woman was drinking red wine. At some point during the conversation, after she was on her second glass (and who knows how many she had before we got there), she mentioned that SHE'S 4 MONTHS PREGNANT, so she shouldn't SMOKE. I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to DRINK either. Every time she ordered another glass, someone who joined us asked if that was okay for someone who's pregnant, and she'd respond, "Sure it is." She finished 3 glasses of red wine, moved next to the guy that was smoking so she could at least get some secondhand smoke, and finally got up to leave. Someone was complaining that she was leaving early, and here's the best quote I've ever heard from a pregnant woman:

"If I have another one, I'll really be drunk."

Ah...Texas.

Wait til you see photos from our trip to Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World. Yeehaw!

wow - interim post

A lot has happened - I have photos from the ski trip to Ruidoso (FUN!), the Flickr 333 Birthday Party (TOO COOL!!!), and an account of the weirdest, most bizarro Sunday night of my life.

But I don't have time right now - I have to pick out which sessions I'm attending at SXSWinteractive, and I just sent out an evite to a Happy Hour on March 14th at the Saucer.

If you didn't get an invite, shoot me a line, and I'll add you to the invite list. I did it in a real hurry, so I might've missed ya.

gone skiin'

I am off for the "Something-th Annual Forsythe Family & Friends Ski-stravaganza and Get Yer Drunk On". I coined that name myself, so don't hold JR's parents responsible. I also think it requires "jazz hands" on the "-stravaganza" part, but whatever; do what you like.

There will be so many of us there we had to rent 3 houses!!! I'm so looking forward to seeing everybody! I myself do not ski, but there are plenty of other things to do, like ... drink hot spiked cider while I read by the fire, and ... play drinking games at night!

There will actually be fun stuff for the cripplingly clumsy, like snow tubing and maybe some snowmobiling. Hmmm... I wonder if those require coordination after all... Anyhoo, this trip is a big, snowy-white, blank page waiting to be filled. Yippee!!!