This is Colorado

Taken as we were eating lunch next to a stream.

End of Summer Haiku Friday

All the undergrads
heading back to Penn soon enough
air getting cooler

***

Not sure if I am
ready for summer to end
sunny, lazy days

***

I like the longer
days, the warm sun on my face
also vacation!

Vacation Pics

Seriously, the best thing about the end of the meeting I attended in Albuquerque? The aquarium. So cool!

Alex and I climbed a mountain in Colorado. Can you tell I am scared here? I was terrified because the rock just dropped off into oblivion right past where I am sitting.

King of the World!

Toadstool! I had never seen one before!

Alex and his niece Kaitlyn, playing on the playground!

To my new nephew

Happy birthday, little buddy! I am so glad you are here in this big world of ours. I know your mom and dad have been really excited for you to get here. I can't wait to meet you!
xoxo,
ceedee

PS: we have the same initials! isn't that neat?

Random Commentary

• I went to Colorado and I didn't want to come back. I am really, really ready to get out of Philly and move on with my career / life!
• We rode our bikes out to Conshohocken - 30 miles roundtrip. What a godforsaken place of strip malls and suburbia. Holy cow - it was pretty bad. I was glad to be able to check out REI, but pretty glad to get home too!
• I bought rain pants. They are plastic pants that will keep me dry whilst biking in during a rainstorm. I also got new pedals for my bike and new handgrips. It's the little things in life!
• I have recently discovered the wonderful world of Etsy. Especially the holiday decorations part. I am a little obsessed. I love holidays and decorations. Makes everything special. I am definitely turning into my mother.
• Alex and I set a date for the wedding! October 1, 2011. 10-01-11. We'll be having it in Ventura, CA, right on the beach, so it should be pretty nice. Now, I just have to figure out the rest of the details. Like, food, cake, dress, DJ, photographer, rehearsal dinner and god knows what else - feels like a daunting process!
  
• I will try to post some pics of my trips sometime this week. Hopefully sooner than later. Ha!
• I am going on another vacation in two weeks! Yellowstone, here we come!

Random Snippets

• Got back from a conference in Albuquerque, NM and a trip to Colorado Springs, CO on Saturday.
  
• New Mexico has some of the best salsa I have ever tasted.
  
• Albuquerque is not really a "city", per se, but the public transportation was awesome. $1 to ride, bus runs every 10 mins - better than Philly!
• I breathe better when there is no humidity.
• I am prone to altitude sickness.
• People in the western US just seem happier than people in the eastern US. I am not sure if they hide it better, or if they are genuinely happier, but they are much more pleasant to deal with.
• There are a lot of white people in Santa Fe, NM.
• I bought a ring from a Native American woman in Santa Fe. I'm not sure what to do with the unreasonable poverty and lack of education pervasive on Reservations. Because I am so far removed, I don't know how to approach and think about it. And I'm still not sure how I feel about the casinos, either.
  
• I like the mountains. I miss seeing them.
• Flying into Dallas is not fun. The heat and humidity makes for a rough ride landing.
  
• Flying out of Philadelphia at 6am is a good time to go. Even if it is 6am.
• Colorado Springs is not a good airport to fly out of. They're not too sure what they're doing. My computer had to be re-screened several times.
• One nice thing at Colorado Springs, is they let the families of soldiers accompany them to the gate to see them off. I was crying, just watching the interaction. I sometimes wish there was no need for military and good-byes.
• Ugggghhhh, it's humid.....