More Rides & Many "Irons in the Fire"

Since my last post, I've managed to do two more long bike rides with Mark, 20 miles and 29 miles respectively!  I must be in pretty good shape (not literally, though) to be able to do those lengthy rides.  Both of us were running out of steam by mile 22 on yesterday's ride but we pushed on as we had to get home.  I think the bowl of cereal we had that morning had burned up several miles back.  We decided to bring an energy bar with us the next time and eat it at the turnaround point.  I also need to drink more water.


Tomorrow we'll do another ride but I think we'll scale back the miles this time--give my body more time to get used to the distance.  We'll see how I feel during the ride--a game day decision.  :)


I've been busy trying to set up another blog for my photography business and have been working with Mark on the Web site.  It may take another couple of weeks before I get it up and running; just depends on how much time we can spend on it.


I have a lot of "irons in the fire" right now and am trying to prioritize what needs to get done first. As Secretary of the local New Horizons Band, I'm working on several documents, articles, etc. for the board prior to the fall start-up in September.  I was also just notified that I was selected to be the New Horizons International Music Association's Newsletter Editor (our parent organization) and will need to produce a newsletter in September.  That's going to take some time since I'll need to figure out the mechanics of getting the information to input into the issue. Should be interesting!


I'm also writing a couple of articles for our local community magazine.  And, Mark and I just recently agreed to be co-chairs (along with another couple) for the Wine Tasting group which is part of the Fort Collins Newcomers Club.  The position is for one year and requires that we organize monthly events for the club.


I'm still practicing drums daily (a minimum of an hour but more like 2 hours) and take weekly drum lessons.  I stopped my guitar lessons over the summer but really hope to start them up again in by October at the latest.  I also have a goal to start a band comprised of baby boomers that love to play classic rock (the songs of the 60s & 70s along with other great songs of the later decades) but I may have to wait a few more months before I tackle that.


And, on top of all of this, I hope to frequently spend time with Sophia, my 6 1/2 week old granddaughter!  She is so precious and is already charming us with her cute little smile!


A new business venture, music, writing, bicycling, and family.  It's a busy time for this"retired" gal...and I love it!

New Road Bike

My hand, arm and back muscles are pretty weary right now...not sure I can manage this post...just kidding.   A great bike ride today has left me exhausted!  (I'll definitely sleep well tonight!)


I did a 10 mile bike ride yesterday with Mark who was on his road bike while I was on my mountain bike.  It was a great ride but I couldn't keep up with him and he wasn't even going as fast as he could.  I decided right then and there it was time to get a new road bike!


I have an old one; it was purchased 33 years ago in Minot, North Dakota and I'm sure bike technology has changed quite a bit since then.  I brought that old bike to Okinawa and it actually survived Super Typhoon Wynn!  It was time for an upgrade.


I got a "Specialized" Dolce model yesterday and tried it out today.  Mark and I decided to go a little farther and ended up on a 20 mile ride.  The bike is awesome!  I'm getting used to the thinner tires and didn't want to push the speed.  


We're going to try to bike at least 5 times a week (while we have good weather).  It really is a good cardio workout, particularly climbing hills!  

Too Dangerous

Mark and I took a nice drive today up to the Red Feather Lakes area in Larimer County.  We checked out the Dowdy Lake campground and it's one we'd like to camp at for a couple of days.  Lots of pine trees, a beautiful lake and the camping spaces don't seem like they are on top of each other.


We took Hwy 14 up along the Poudre River which is always a gorgeous drive and today was no exception.  The river is exceptionally high and fast right now due to mountain snow melting.  There were a lot of rafting groups on the river and unfortunately for one group, it turned out deadly.  


As we were driving up the highway, I saw a guy giving CPR to a man on the ground.  Apparently according to the news tonight, one of the rafts overturned and one individual received a broken leg while another was swept downstream.  Someone on the bank saw the body come down and got it out of the water, but it was too late.  He couldn't revive him.


The two pictures on the right show how rough the Poudre River is right now.  This particular raft was about a mile upstream from where the other capsized.  Definitely not a good day for rafting!

It's Official!

I made it official today...I now have my own photography business!  It's called "Best Life Photography".  Mark has been working on the Web site today and I hope to have it ready by next week.  I will probably create a blog for the business, too.


I'm meeting with the golf pro at our club tomorrow and hope to do some golf tournament shoots in the future.  I'm planning on photographing Matt's band, Musketeer Gripweed on Saturday at the Fort Collins Brewers Festival while they perform.  I'll be scheduling a couple of children photoshoots within the next couple of weeks, too.


I've always enjoyed photography so thought it was a natural progression to have my own business.  I'll have more details to share soon!

An Empty House Again

Things were a little busy over the past few days as my in-laws were visiting hence my absence of blog entries.  Anna Mae, Sue, and Carol arrived on Friday and left this morning.  We all spent time with Sara, Zach, and Sophia over the weekend (twice at their house and once up here in Fort Collins)!  Also brought them to the French Nest Market on Saturday and then to the Club for dinner where we met up with our friends, Karen and Bob.  Had a fun time and fun visit!


Now that things are quite quiet here, I'll focus on finishing getting our business set up legally this week.  I'm working on the portfolio and I need to figure out which Web site provider I want to use and then start building that, too!  


Lots to do!  And, let's not forget, I have daily drum practice to do, too!


The new picture on the right is Sophia just over 1 month old now!  Click on her photo and you'll see more pictures from our Father's Day get-together with Zach's family at Sara and Zach's house.

Working on the New Business

I am amazed at how many regulations and references I need to review in order to set up a home business.  It's all quite confusing as there are local association, county, and state requirements to sort out.  Lots of research and very time consuming.  I wish I could find one place to go to that would cover all the bases for me all at once.  


Not only am I working on getting it set up legally, I'm trying to build a Web site, portfolio, and make arrangements on the retail side for customer orders.  Whew!  I'll fill everybody in as soon as I get the legal aspects squared away.

Not Today

We took Buster to the vet today and I fully expected to not see him come home with us.  He has a cancer on his head but other than that, he is about the same as he has been this past year.  I could barely talk to the vet between my tears. 


He gave us an option to try a steroid shot which should reduce the swelling of the cancer but doesn't make it go away.  We are to check back with him at the end of the week to see how he is doing.  I've already decided that if Buster gets worse, Mark will need to bring him to the vet because it's just too hard on me.  I'm just a basket case there.

The Executioner

The Executioner...that's what I feel like and I hate it!  I have two reasons for feeling this way...Sandy and Buster.  


First, Sandy.  Two days ago, my neighbor, Jack and his daughter, Joey, were looking for their cat, Sandy because she was going to be put down yesterday (Friday) due to cancer.  Sandy is 16 years old and apparently has cancer in her mouth which created a hole in the roof of her mouth making it very difficult for her to eat.  It was obvious she was getting weaker.  


They searched into the evening hours on Thursday but no Sandy.  Yesterday morning when I came downstairs, there was Sandy sitting by the koi pond relaxing, a recent favorite past time of hers.  I called Jack to let him know where Sandy was and Joey came over and got her.  I felt like I was the Executioner for telling them where she was.  


I talked to Jack this morning and Sandy met her fate yesterday.  Very sad.  She had a good life with Jack and Joey ever since they rescued her years ago as a stray when some college students left her on her own!


Now, our own cat, Buster.  Buster has been with us since Sara was a 5th grader--18 1/2 years old!  Buster is deaf (has been for almost 2 years) and has lost a lot of weight.  His arthritis is really bad yet he still seems to walk around okay; he has difficulty when he goes to sit.  He has been throwing up much more frequently these days and I noticed recently a growth on the top of his head over one eye.  Upon coming downstairs this morning, I was shocked at how quickly it grew since yesterday!  And, there is no fur on the growth.  I would bet this is his cancer.


I tried getting him into the vet today to confirm our fears but they are closed right now.  I left a message to get him in on Monday to see Dr. Arun. 


I left a Skype note for Holly and Sara to let them know that I think Buster's days are numbered.  I have a feeling on Monday he'll be going to kitty heaven, too.  I'll try calling them later.


Even though I know this is probably the humane thing to do at this point in Buster's old life, it just stinks when a decision like this has to be made!  We'll see what the vet says on Monday.  He has definitely been a good cat all these years and I will miss him if it's his time to go!   

So Much Activity, Not Enough Time

When I was younger and worked a full time job and our girls were still in school, playing music and sports, I seemed to be a master at organizing our daily/weekly schedules.  I thought once I'd retired things would slow down a bit but my days are just as busy as the early days of my family life.  And, that's not a bad thing!  There is no way I'm ever going to be bored!


I have so many different things I want to do, the trick is trying to figure out how to fit everything into my schedule.  I need to resurrect my organizational skills again so that I can do more (activities) with less (hours in the day).   


My drum lessons and drum practice are a priority and so is fitting in exercise at least 30 minutes a day (although I know that is no where near enough for weight loss) but it is better than nothing.


The weekly big clean of the house and weeding the garden is the next priority.  I also go down to see Sara and Sophia a couple of times a week which is something I definitely look forward to!  I want to devote time to writing and photography several times a week (ideally daily) and I would really like to finish just one of the hundreds of books I've started over the past few years!  Leisurely reading has definitely taken a back seat to the other activities.


I try to pick up my guitar at least a couple of times a week to reinforce the picking and strum patterns I've recently learned.  And, I need to plan a couple of camping trips and hikes into the Rocky Mountain National Park this summer.  Then there is a lot of work to do for the New Horizons Concert Band which kicks off a new season in September.  I will need to put some time in with the Fort Collins Symphony Guild (not sure when that is going to happen) and I want to learn to swim "laps".  


Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled with having so many interests!  I'm just trying to figure out how to fit everything in.  

When Will California's Housing Market Get Real?

Holly and Erich need to move out of their current house of 5 years because of a big raise in their rent.  So,I've been busily searching for homes in Ventura for Holly and Erich (and they are, too) but geez, when will California home prices get reasonable?  Who, other than actors and lawyers, can afford to buy out there?  I've never seen anything like it!  It's REDICULOUS!!!  It's no wonder people are moving OUT of California in droves!

Tidbits from Today

Before driving to Sara and Zach's, we drove by the River Bluffs Trailhead parking lot where the Cache La Poudre River flows by.  The river has risen a lot and is supposed to continue to rise due to the snow melt in the mountains. Check out the picture on the right.


Mark wanted to help Sara and Zach get started on their garden so we went with Sara to Lowes to pick out plants and supplies while Zach babysat Sophia.  


I did another short photo shoot with Sophia today.  (Mark and I did her first photo shoot yesterday.)  The photos here are yesterday's shoot.


On our way back home to Fort Collins, we experienced a beautiful sunset and took a few pictures, too!

Back to Life as I Know It

May was an amazing month full of joys, concerns, anxiety, anticipation, and love!  So many things happened so quickly that I didn't have time to sit down and think about them much less write about them.  So, let me now recollect the adventures that took place...


Holly, Zoe, and Ezra flew in from California on May 10th and our house filled with laughter, screeches, and sometimes tears for the next 3 weeks!  I'm always amazed how the house blossoms into the brightest most colorful bouquet of emotions and activity when they are here; I LOVE it! 


My first concert band performance was on May 11th and several of our friends as well as Holly and the kids were able to attend!  I didn't have a flawless performance on percussion but no one noticed the "mistakes" but me.  I'm glad to have my first concert behind me now.  Too many jittery nerves on the first one!


Sara's due date came and went on May 10th, too!  By late in the night on the 11th, she went into labor for 12 hours and then it stopped for the next 12 hours or so.  This pattern went on for 4 days!  On Monday, May 16th at 2 p.m., she was given Pitocin to speed up the contractions and by 9:03 p.m., our beautiful granddaughter, Sophia Lena Goldberg was born!  Holly was thrilled to have been able to be a part of the delivery with Sara and Zach! 


There should have been a camera filming Ellen, Howard and I (the anxious and excited grandparents we were) who waited just outside the room door while the miracle of birth took place!  We looked like the Three Stooges with our ears against the door!  Sophia is their first grandchild so you can imagine their excitement level was over the top!  I was also anxious to know if both Mom and baby were doing well!


After a day, it became clear that Sophia needed a few more days in the hospital due to a condition called "tracheal malasia".  Her oxygen level dropped when she would cry; that appears to have resolved itself and she's gone from her birth weight of 6 lbs. 10 oz. to 8 lbs. 5 oz. in two weeks!  Sophia along with her mommy and daddy came home on Saturday, May 21st!


She had her first "outing" to Grandma's and Grandpa's this past Saturday and we invited Howard and Ellen to participate!  We had a little BBQ and ate inside as the weather was rather cold and cloudy.  


Speaking of weather, I couldn't believe how almost every day for three weeks we had cold, cloudy/rainy weather!  I was so upset for Holly and the kids because it limited their outdoor activities!  But, if you check out the pictures on the right, you'll see we fit in just a little fishing, park/playground visits, sculpture park and the Denver Children's Museum!


So, now the house is empty and I'm playing catch-up on my drum practice.  I also will start walking outside a lot more frequently as long as the good weather holds up!  We need to plan a Rocky Mountain National Park hike, dinner events, camping, and practice shooting more photos to prep for an August engagement shoot and wedding in January back East. I also have more work to do as a board member for our band to get us ready for a new season in the fall.  I hope to get a few more people to join so need to push the publicity even harder this year.


I have more than enough to do but despite this activity, I can't help but miss Holly and the kids!  (I miss Erich too...don't get to see much of him at all.)  They are such an important part of our life that it's sad we see them so seldom.


Tomorrow is another day...we'll be heading to Sara and Zach's in the morning.  We'll take Sara and Sophia to Buckley AFB in Aurora to get my prescriptions refilled and to do a little commissary/BX shopping.  Then, back to Sara's to do a baby photo shoot!