I Need a Vacation

(karen)

Ok, I know we just got back from the trip of a lifetime and we haven't yet earned any income to replace what we spent during the last year, but I've already found our next dream vacation destination! It turns out REI offers adventure trips to exotic places all over the world, like hiking the Inca Trail or biking across Croatia. The trip that caught my eye, however, is the 19-day Everest Classic, a trek through Nepal that begins in Kathmandu and journeys to the Mt. Everst base camp at 18,190 ft. elevation. It's rated at the highest level of difficulty of the trips that they offer and is insanely expensive, but apart from that it sounds perfect. Just listen to this typical day from the itinerary:

"Day 6 Leaving Namche Bazaar, our trek steps off the standard Base Camp trail for the next two days. We ascend up past the Syangboche airstrip (12,200) and down into the small hidden valley of Khumjung. Khumjung has the most important school and the only hospital in the Khumbu region … both were built by Sir Edmund Hillary. Crossing the valley we ascend through a rhododendron forest, traversing the beautiful southern slope of Khumbila, the holy mountain of the Sherpas. We should reach Moung La pass (12, 992’) and our camp in mid-afternoon. The setting is absolutely spectacular with the distinctive peak of Ama Dablam looming in the near background. Watch for impeyan pheasants, tahr mountain goats and possibly musk deer when walking through the forests. Trekking: 6 hours; Elevation: loss 400’, gain 2,100’.

I know that's got you jazzed up to hit the trail. Any takers out there who would care to tag along? Eh? Eh? Just go here to get the details. If you are feeling especially feisty, check out the other REI Adventure packages.

What's This? What's This? There's White Things in the Air!

(karen)
My dreams have come true at last! The first snow of the season fell today and I've been insanely giddy towards all who cross my path. It began as that delicious change-of-seasons snow with wet, gargantuan flakes. It wasn't quite freezing during the day so despite the blizzardy appearance everything melted when it hit the ground. Later in the afternoon and into the evening, however, as the temperature dropped, the snow got much more powdery and began sticking. Shown below is a photo diary of my blissful day. It doesn't get much better than this.

Toys!

(karen)
Neither of us has worked since last December so we should really refrain from making any unnecessary purchases. For the most part we have been well behaved. But then to alleviate boredom this afternoon we decided to stroll around REI's flagship store in Denver! I know y'all are shaking your heads and saying, "Fergs! Don't you know you can never go into REI without dropping a load of cash?" Yes, I confess it's true. But if you've never been to the Denver REI it is a treat. It occupies a historic 1901 tramway building, which has towering brick walls and exposed wood beams. Among the many "rides" in this Disneyland-of-outdoor-stores is a mountainous 45' climbing wall, a cold chamber to test winter gear, an indoor stream to play with water filters, a rocky course around the outside for testing mountain bikes, and to top it off, it sits on the banks of the Platte River so you can take a kayak to the water for a quick run! It's an awesome store.



When we walked into the store this afternoon we immediately spotted the glittering wall of snowshoes. Never mind that it's 70 degrees outside, gimme gimme! After talking to the salesman we decided on a pair that had been last year's darling, but was now heavily discounted in favor of the new models. Out we walked with his'n'hers Atlas snow shoes, into the heat of the day, leaving us to pine wistfully for traces of an Arctic blast on the horizon. I guess we'll have to buy some mountain bikes to tide us over until the snowy weather cometh, eh?

Weather Updates on the Tens

(karen)
It's been interesting to live the life of the unemployed. At first I gleefully scoured corporate websites, searching for job opening and sending off my resume with glowing cover letters. But as the weeks pass with no word, ennui set in. You do a bit of soul searching and start to question whether the career path you've chosen is still your best option. This is a rare opportunity to truly evaluate my future and make changes as I see fit. Should I make an about face and train at a culinary academy? Should I volunteer with a worthwile organization and make a difference? Could I really give up all my schooling and experience to start new somewhere else? In my case, at this point, no. I love aerospace and I feel I have a lot more to learn about this exciting industry. So until I start to feel some reciprocal love from potential employers I'll keep on entertaining myself during the long hours of the day. Doing crosswords, training for a triathlon, preparing elaborate meals, shopping for new house furniture. It's all good. But hey, at least I haven't yet started injecting daytime tv into the veins to make myself comfortably numb.

Enough with the "my so called life", on to current events. Our house passed inspection with flying colors so we are one step closer to becoming legitimate Colorado residents. We are due back in LA at the end of the month to say hi to the folks out there and pick up our belongings, which have been languishing in storage since the first of the year. And we get our puppies back after 10 months of separation! This is all so exciting. To top it off, the first snow of the year is due to fall this evening (1-3") and I feel like a freakin' kid on Christmas Eve. Right now a steady cold drizzle is falling on the Front Range and I keep checking outside to see if those drops have fluffed into flakes yet. I promise to post winter wonderland photos tomorrow provided that mother nature cooperates. Looks like tonight I'll be making some hot chocolate with marshmallows.
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Addendum
I woke up this morning to a grey sky and dry ground. My heart is breaking.