Moving is good

I've moved my blog! And I'm better at updating these days!

It's very new and much improved.

Check it out:

www.morganlommele.com

Best Burgers

Steve and I have been eating many typical summer meals. As part of our CSA, we receive a box full of fresh vegetables every week. Aside from the local, organic and seasonal vegetables, my favorite part of the CSA is that I don't have to wander up and down the Boulder Farmer's Market trying to decide what to buy and where to get the best deal. With our CSA through Cure Farm, someone else does my shopping.

Thanks to our CSA share, our meals are usually built around vegetables - grilled zucchini and squash, tomato and onion salads, carrots of some sort, braised greens, more salads, etc. These vegetables would be wonderful on their own, and usually are, but Steve and I usually prepare a "side" of meat to go with our vegetables. We've eaten a lot of burgers this summer, and have developed a few tricks to make them as delicious as possible. Notably, some sort of mayonnaise- or oil-based sauce, grilled onions, and a very simple burger preparation.

A few weeks ago, I made a mayo sauce with toasted and ground cumin and coriander seeds, and garlic. Yesterday, I used at least a cup of garden basil to make an aioli. Our sauce usually replaces the ketchup.

Then I grill large onion circles (just cut the onion down its length, keeping the rounds intact with eachother, coat with oil and salt, and grill on each side until grill marks appear). It's an easy twist on the regular burger toppings.

Lastly, I used to put all sorts of junk in my ground meat - onions, garlic, ketchup, Worcestereshire sauce, etc. I've learned that this not only makes the meat too crumbly, but it's difficult to grill, and it falls apart easily in the final burger. So, now I only mix with a pound of ground beef salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to taste; one egg; and about one quarter cup of fine bread crumbs. The seasonings do add a lot of flavor; and the eggs and breadcrumbs help keep the meat together not only while assembling the patties, but on the grill and in the burger.

I will take pictures next time!

Here is a link to our CSA, with newsletters, and links to recipes: http://www.cureorganicfarm.com/csa.htm

Thoughts

I haven't updated my blog in a while. On a side note, I'm not a fan of bloggers who log on once a month to talk about how they're not blogging, then you hear nothing from them in between. I wish I blogged more. There's certainly excitement in my life that's worth sharing. Marathon training (Steve and I are running the Park City marathon in five days) , grad school and its subsequent end (of coursework at least, I still have a thesis to write), wedding and honeymoon planning (less than four weeks to go), and of course, always more than the requisite 40 hours of work work every week. I've been very busy, but what's funny is that I can't envision myself not being busy. I enjoy relaxing, and I certainly enjoy low-levels of stress, but I also really enjoy the four main things that are going on right now. On the other hand, I have three ongoing crafts projects that have been in progress for at the very most a year. I'm restoring a very old quilt, painting four canvasses for our home, and am trying to wrap up the knitting projects that I swore would be done by last Christmas. So these are a few of the things that I hope to be doing more of once Steve and I come home from our honeymoon, we have the fall quarter off from DU, and marathon training is complete. That, and updating my blog.

I don't think that all that is an excuse for not blogging, but I just can't focus on my blog! I've also decided that I want to revamp the blog. I'm tired of its look and feel and want something new.

In the meantime, want to crack up? Here's one of my favorite websites: http://www.dontevenreply.com.

Marathons

I'm running two marathons this year. I've never run a marathon, so I might be getting ahead of myself. At about 5 weeks into my training, I can safely say that I need to start lifting weights and stretching more, in order to keep my knees up to speed with the miles I'm putting in. It's not only a physical challenge, but a moral, psychological, and social one. We'll see how this turns out, but all in all, I am enjoying it.

Top 4 Best Uses for Bell Peppers

Bell peppers - green, red, yellow, orange - are versatile and most likely very good for you. One of my favorite workday lunches is an amalgamation of bread, some kind of spread, and a veggie and/or protein on top. Today, it was ciabatta bread, topped with homemade pesto (frozen from last summer) and roasted red, yellow and orange bell peppers. Roasted bell peppers are one of the most rewarding fixings, from a cost/benefit analysis. No exaggeration: wash pepper; cut pepper down each side and on the bottom, into about five pieces; place on cookie sheet; cover with olive oil and salt; place in the middle of the oven under a 500 degree broiler. Take them out, peel the skin off where it's charred and easily removable, and you have a pretty phenomenal, not to mention colorful, snack.

My lunch was rewarding. Too bad I had to eat it at my desk.

This got me thinking about my Top 4 favorite things to do with bell peppers:
1. Crudite, with a spicy dip
2. Roasted (woop woop!)
3. Stuffed with rice and/or meat
4. Pepper, onion and avocado salad

Wet And Wild

Steve and I couldn't figure out where to spend our three day Memorial Day weekend. Not on the Front Range, not too far from Colorado... We had debated the Picketwire Canyonlands, in the vicinity of the Comanche National Grasslands. That area has some of the oldest dinosaur fossils in the world and would be fun to hike and camp. We decided, though, to head to Crested Butte with two other couples to hike, mountain bike and watch our friend Kris race in the Gunnisson Growler.

The weather forecast was rain, rain, rain. That's ok! Adventure! I love road trips because you don't have to worry about filling those ridiculously small travel containers of shampoo, pulling a deltoid because you refuse to check your luggage and haul it all through security, or cram your purse and laptop under the seat in front of you. Not to mention the planning part. On a road trip, there's minimal planning involved. You can shove your stuff in the back of the Jeep and take off. I'm especially lucky because I don't have to drive. Anyway, Steve, Schivonne, Kris and I shoved in our four mountain bikes, two tents, four mats, four sleeping bags, four backpacks, one cooler, numerous 6-packs of beer, four camping chairs, blankets, pillows, fly rods, and other camping necessities. Emphasis on shove!
So on the road, eating pasta salad and cookies, we sang songs and shared dark secrets. You can't do that on a plane - someone will inevitably hear you. It rained our entire trip down to CB, and was still raining when we arrived at our camp spot, at 10:00 p.m. We rolled up to our secret camping spot on National Forest land, right outside of Crested Butte. We were still excited about camping, completely dry, and didn't mind setting up camp and bearing with the weather. (Kind of like how you can always tell that a waitress is new - she's still smiling, eager to help, and happy to be there.) So we slid in the mud, slipped on corn lilies, and set up camp. It was still raining.

Corn lily.
Evening adventure. View from our camp spot. You can see the red dust that blew over the Rockies in early April.
Road up to our camp.
Saturday morning, oh my God, it wasn't raining. This turned out to be an anomaly, but it just makes everything seem so much brighter when it's not raining. We hiked the in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park that day. It rained off an on, but not enough to dampen our spirits. We were just happy to be outside. Steve and I had hiked the down the canyon over Memorial Day 2007, and camped at the bottom. That year, we started from the North Rim, which was easily accessible from the direction in which we arrived, around Paonia. This year we accessed the Park from the South Rim, the more traveled side. To hike down to the Gunnison River - usually a mile or two of actually hiking over at least 1,700 feet - you need a permit, a lecture on the dangers of hiking, a warning that you need to know how to self rescue, clear instructions to not poop in the woods, a thorough review what poison ivy is, and how you could and probably will die down in the canyon. We happily obliged - it's a filter process that keeps the other hoohas out of dangerous situations that would otherwise eliminate those opportunities for adventurers like us. We received our permit, spoke with the nice lady, and hiked down. It's not an easy hike, but it's amazing to be down in that canyon, on a River that was completely undiscovered until about 100 years ago. It's a very special place. Unlike two years ago, the poison ivy was mild and Steve didn't make me wash my face the second he saw me brush up against poison ivy.

Canyon view from the top.
River at the bottom, with the canyon walls


Poison ivy - beware!
Our two hour ride back to the camp site was peppered with casual comments along the lines of, well, what should we do if it's raining tonight? How are we going to cook our food? Will our tents be wet? Are there hostels in the area? All comments were non-committal, as if the person mentioning them didn't want to be the one who made the group go to a hotel, or didn't want to bail, but didn't want to be blamed for making the group sleep indoors and quit our adventure. We stopped at WallyWorld, bought some fire wood, a tarp, and hoped for the best, despite the fact that the rain was unrelenting. I know that people say that it's just water, it will dry, but whatever, when it's just water that's keeping you wet for a steady 48 hours, you start to evaluate your options, and wonder what the meaning of vacation is.

In any event, we pull up to our camp to my new best friend, rain/mud, and look at each other. What are our options? I'm not sure at what point we decide to stay, perhaps it was a gradual decision fueled by both ingenuity and beer, but we did. Steve and I replaced the large tarp that was under our tent with the new WallyWorld tarp (this turned out to be a bad decision, and was the impetus for our hostel stay the next night), and Steve put those dendrites to work! He created a shelter for us by stringing a tarp through a few trees, some stakes and the Jeep. It was a wonderful little dry spot for us. We were able to build a fire under the tarp, make dinner, set up our camp chairs and relax under the pitter patter of the rain on our tent. It was a wonderful adventure.

Steve, Schivonne and Cory under our temporary housing unit.
On Sunday, we woke early to drive down to Gunnison with Kris for his mountain bike race. It was a chilly, wet morning, but he was off, and the five of us sat in a coffee shop for two hours and read magazines. It was one of my most relaxing memories in recent months. I love the feeling of being away from home, with no obligations, just the freedom to hang out and not worry about the time. After a while, we drove to a spot where we thought we could both run (Steve and I needed to get in a 8-mile run for our marathon training) and see Kris race.

Run in, Kris done, we then stood around wondering what to do now. Our tents were getting wet (especially ours, due to the tarp switch out that allowed water to seep in), we were not warming /drying up, and we had heard about a nice little warm and cozy hostel up in CB. I called, bargained with the dude, and got us a 6-person, private room for $15/person. Not too shabby! We packed up our camping gear, shoved it all back into the car. At this point, we still hadn't used our mountain bikes. We lugged them all the way across Colorado, but it was too muddy to ride. We didn't want to ruin the trails.

The rest of our trip was warm. We drove up to CB, walked around, I bought a Hershey's Kiss halloween costume for $2.50 (here's a preview: http://tinyurl.com/l578md), ate delicious pizza, and conked out. We had been on an adventure all day! We still had to polish off some of the beer we lugged around, so we did that, watched Tommy Boy, and fell asleep in our warm hostel beds. If ever you're in CB and need an affordable, convenient, clean and accommodating place to stay, I would highly recommend the Crested Butte International Lodge and Hostel. It was cheap for us because of the off-season, but the prices are reasonable year round, you can cook in the kitchen, and it's just a fun way to travel. And, they have Tommy Boy on DVD. Here's the movie in a nutshell:

I got a D+! I'm gonna graduate!
You're right! You're not your dad! He could sell a ketchup Popsicle to a woman in white gloves!
It's called reading! Top to bottom, left to right... a group of words together is called a sentence. Take Tylenol for any headaches... Midol for any cramps.
Shut up, Richard.

Oh gosh, such a good movie.

Anyway, still too rainy to ride on Monday, so we decided to go home. Not before eating the fluffiest pancakes in the world! Go to the Paradise Cafe on Elk Ave for a delicious breakfast next time you're in Crested Butte. Just delightful! The last highlight of the weekend (aside from a drive through Tiny Town on the way home, which doesn't deserve more than these sparse words), we visited Peanut Lake, about one mile NW of Crested Butte. I saw Peanut Lake on a map, and since that's the cutest name for a Lake in the entire universe (try me), we had to visit. I would still call it Peanut Lake, but with an asterisk and an indication that it's somewhat anticlimactic, given the grandeur of a name such as Peanut Lake, and the small little lake that it was. It was very pretty, though.

I think that despite the rain, the lugging around of stuff and the fact that Peanut Lake could have been shaped into a more defined peanut, this was an excellent weekend. I was happy to be with friends, eat fluffy pancakes, enjoy Crested Butte and Gunnison again, drink good beer, find my next Halloween costume, and more importantly, not sit at a desk.

Steve at Peanut Lake.
A beautiful house in Crested Butte.

Peas In A Pod

I was looking for drawings of peas, or peas in a pods (don't ask) on the interwebs, and found some of the funniest and most awesome (and sometimes bizarre) drawings. I would like to share them, especially "Super Pea." Here are some.

Neko Case

Neko Case comes out with her new album tomorrow.

Steve and I were blown away by one of the best radio interview segments we've ever heard yesterday, Scott Simon interviewing Neko Case.

Here's a preview, and I highly recommend listening to the full 10-minute interview. It's enlightening and fulfilling and very thoughtful:

"I just really dig feeling subservient to nature," she says. "It brings me a peace and calm. Kind of like a Faustian thing, I think, where you want the devil's minion to tell you, 'You know, Faust, I could tell you what the meaning of life is, but your human brain is so tiny, you just wouldn't get it.'"

Word Of The Day

Use it in a sentence. This is interesting.

Gordian knot.

1. a very difficult problem, insoluble in its own terms; an inextricable difficulty; to cut the Gordian knot is to remove a difficulty by bold and energetic measures: "A territorial dispute over an incredibly small plot of land had become a multi-generational Gordian knot."

2. an intricate knot tied by Gordius, the king of Phrygia, and cut by the sword of Alexander the Great after he heard that whoever undid it would become ruler of Asia

---

Origin:
Approximately 1579; an allusion to the knot tied in legend by Gordius, king of Phrygia.

In action:
"In 'Caucasia,' those bystanders are children, Cole and Birdie Lee. Their mother, Sandy, is the shy, overweight daughter of a Cambridge blue blood (Cotton Mather is a cherished ancestor) and a liberal Harvard academic. Their father, Deck, is a bright, upwardly mobile graduate student who grew up scant miles (and yet light years) away, in the Orchard Street Projects of Dorchester. Like a lot of interracial couples at the time, Sandy Lodge and Deck Lee marry in the assumption that the Gordian knot that is America's race problem would loosen, if not come undone, in the foreseeable future. It doesn't, of course. In Boston it grows even tighter, as the tension surrounding the great busing experiment of the early 1970s polarizes the city's black and white populations to an even greater degree."

Karen Grigsby Bates. "Passing: Blacks who go incognito in white society learn terrible truths and tell dangerous lies." [Book Review: 'Caucasia' by Danzy Senna] Salon.com (April 15, 1998).

"Perhaps the secret of Oprah's success lies in her ability to align worthy ideals with canny marketing. There are those who balk at the fact that she is the world's most influential book critic, that Toni Morrison landed on the mass-culture map not because of her Nobel Prize but because Oprah coronated two of her books. That Morrison might be, at least for a moment, as hot a commodity as a Beanie Baby is an irony, but even the mustiest academic has to admit it's a sweet one. Perhaps because pop-icon status is so often accorded to people of slight or dubious achievement, we become suspicious when achievers like Morrison get what they deserve from us. If a rhapsodic review from Oprah can help to untie that Gordian knot of reasoning, so much the better."

Erin J. Aubry. "The Oprah Effect: The TV star has transformed the publishing world," LA Weekly (May 29 - June 4, 1998).

Spring, Summer, Fall Trips

This summer I think we're going to stick around Colorado, save for a few domestic trips, and take care of some crazy adventures that have been on our list. Notably:

- 4-pass loop hike in the Maroon Bells
- Mountain biking from Aspen to Crested Butte (via Pearl Pass)
- Mountain bike trip to Moab, and to Fruita
- Hiking 3+ TBD 14'ers to keep up with our yearly quota
- Cycle to New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins
- Backpack in the San Juans (maybe after Tayler's graduation from Fort Lewis in May)
- Backpack the Aldo Leopold Wilderness around the NM/TX border
- Backpack the Picketwire Canyonlands (CO)
- Bike over McClure Pass (outside of Carbondale)
- Backpack Paria Canyon (CO)
- Hike Mt. Sopris (CO)
- Visit the Roan Plateau before it becomes a huge gas station

And more, I'm sure!

We'll take a trip to the farm in Illinois, head to the East Coast for a long weekend, and most likely spend many weekends in Carbondale/Aspen.

Eat Fage

Fage yogurt is quite possibly one of the tastiest snacks I've ever had. I used to only find it at Trader Joe's, but King Soopers just started carrying it. The day I saw Fage at King Soopers, I knew that I loved my local grocery store. And it loves me too! You can either buy the yogurt with a little compartment of honey or fruit on the side, or the straight up yogurt. It tastes like a little angel melted in your mouth. No, it tastes like a mix of ice cream, whipped cream and sour cream. And it's called yogurt, with 18g of protein per cup.

It's Greek, , natural and unstrained yogurt, and it's better than any other yogurt I've ever had. Learn how Fage is made.

Swimming

I have been swimming twice a week, for what I figured has been six weeks. I think I have the perfect schedule - every Wednesday and Friday morning. This way, I don't have to worry about getting up at 5:45 a.m. right after a weekend, but by the time the mid-week rolls around, I don't have too much motivation left on evenings to work out, so getting it done in the morning is great. It took me 2-3 weeks to get back into swimming, so during that time I was mostly just swimming laps without any real thought to it. I've been able to improve my stroke and speed in that short time at least enough to dictate my pace, so I started doing sets, or what a humble beginner might call a set. 300's with 3x25 3 normal; 3x25, 1 fast, 2 normal; 3x25, 2 fast, 1 normal; 3x25, 3 fast. Then ladder down with the same sets in the opposite direction. I'm not that fast, so I can usually do the entire 600 set, a 10 minute warm up, 5 minute cool down, and 10-15 minutes of targeted stuff in 45 minutes. I did do another 300 set and part of a 4th this morning. The 3rd and 4th were with a floatie, which makes it so much fun. My goal is to do 4 sets, so 2 full ladders, or 1200m. Then I can learn a new set and mix it up.

There are some seriously fast and strong swimmers at the South Boulder Rec Center. I try to eyeball them underwater and pick up some tips.

I've been trying to run 2-3 times a week, and ski 1-2 times a week. I'd like to start cycling during the day, if anything just a 30 minute hill climb. It would be nice to be in shape to do some Xterras this summer...

Squirrel In The Henhouse

There was a squirrel in the henhouse this morning. Not really the henhouse, but their summer condo, the chicken tractor. In the winter, they spend cold days and all night in the chicken house that Steve built, and in the summer they sleep in the tractor. A tractor is just a basic A-frame, that can be easily moved around the garden.

In any event, there was a squirrel poking around at the chicken tractor this morning. I was keeping an eye on it all morning, more for the potentially entertaining chicken/squirrel interaction than out of fear of the damage it would wreak. What it ended up doing was pure entertainment. It slithered its way under the 2x4 tractor frame and started going nuts (pun!) in the tractor. It had no idea how to get out. I didn't feel sorry for it at this point, just amused. The hens were all staring at it as if if the squirrel were stupid. The squirrel ended up slithering back out of the tractor, so I didn't have to let it out. I couldn't help but take a video.

Whales.

I love drawings of whales. They usually look different than an actual whale, so maybe I just like caricatures of whales. I went to tweet, and this graphic came up, to say that there were "too many tweets!" I'm glad there were too many tweets. I got to meet this whale. I also love drawing of birds. This warmed my heart. I am enjoying imagining what Twitter is trying to convey by netting this whale. They should know it's illegal. And those are some pretty strong birds. But doesn't this whale look so happy? With her great big smile. She can finally take a load off. The birds have it covered.
When we were visiting the Oregon coast last November, we stayed in Depoe Bay (very quiet coastal community, highly recommended!). There was a candy shop, the Depoe Bay Candy Shoppe, that we never ended up visiting, but a sign outside had a nice whale on it. I miraculously found a shoddy picture online (look closely at the sign!):

Peacocks & Chinchillas à la Montagne

Here are some pictures of Steve and me hiking up the Highland Bowl this past weekend. And one last of Steve as a bby dinosaur of some sort (my personal favorite). The Highland Bowl is just an amazing natural feature, with about 1,500 vertical feet of 40+ degree chutes.

Hiking up.

Steve about halfway up.

Me at the top.

View from the top.

The view from the bottom of the bowl.

Steve and his new best friend.

Mustela Frenata - Long-Tailed Weasels...

ARE AWESOME.

Geographic Range: The range of the long-tail weasel includes most of North America, extending from just north of the United States-Canadian border and south to Central America to northern South America. Long-tailed weasels have the largest distribution of any mustelid in the Western Hemisphere.

Habitat: Long-tailed weasels are found in temperate and tropical habitats in North and Central America. These habitats range from crop fields to small wooded areas to suburban areas. They are not found in deserts or thick, dense forests. Their burrows and nests are in hollow logs, rock piles, and under barns. Sometimes instead of building a new nest, long-tailed weasels take over the burrow of one of their prey.

Physical Description: Long-tail weasels have a long slender body, similar to other weasels. On average, males are larger than females. These weasels have long, bushy tails that are about 50% of their total body length. Body length varies between 330 and 420 mm in males and 280 to 350 mm in females, tail length is from 132 to 294 mm in males, and 112 to 245 mm in females. Long-tailed weasels have a small, narrow head with long whiskers. They also have short legs. The fur is composed of short, soft underfur covered by shiny guard hair. They are cinnamon brown in color with white under parts that have a yellow tinge. Twice a year these weasels shed their fur, once in the spring and again in the fall. This process is controlled by photoperiod. The coat of animals in northern populations is white in the winter and brown in the summer, while those in southern populations are brown year round.

Reproduction: Long-tailed weasels mate once each year. Young are born from April to May. Mating for long-tailed weasels occurs in the mid-summer months. After copulation, implantation is delayed and the egg does not begin to develop until March, making the total gestation time around 280 days. Birth occurs from late April to early May, and the average size of the litter is six. At birth young weasels weigh about 3 grams. They are pink with wrinkled skin, and they have white fur. At fourteen days, the white hair begins to thicken, and size differentiation makes it easy to tell males from females. At 36 days young weasels are weaned and can eat food brought back to the nest by the mother. They learn how to kill prey from the mother and by 56 days old they are able to kill prey on their own. Females mate in their first summer, but males wait until the following spring. At birth, young weasels weigh about 3 grams. They are born helpless, with eyes closed, and with pink, wrinkled skin and white fur. At fourteen days their white fur begins to thicken, and size differentiation makes it easy to tell males from females. At 36 days old young weasels eyes open and they begin to be weaned and to eat foods brought back to the nest by their mother. They learn how to kill prey from the mother, and by 56 days they are able to kill prey on their own. Soon after they become independent.

Average lifespan (captivity): 8.80 years. Many long-tailed weasels die before reaching one year old. However, once they have reached adulthood they may live for several years. The lifespan of long-tailed weasels in the wild is not well known.

Behavior: Long-tailed weasels are not social animals; the sexes live apart from each other except during the mating season. One male's home range may overlap several female home ranges, but home ranges of adults of the same sex never overlap. Weasels exhibit very aggressive behavior to intruders of their home ranges. Long-tailed weasels are quick, agile, and alert animals. They are good climbers and swimmers. Long-tailed weasels hunt their prey by picking up a scent or sound. They then follow the animal and make a quick attack. They kill their prey by a quick bite to the base of the skull. While long-tailed weasels can be active during the day, they are more active at night. These weasels are also known to be noisy animals, but the noise is usually in response to some type of disturbance.

Communication and Perception: Long-tailed weasels communicate among themselves with visual, sound, and scent cues. Females emit an attractive scent when they are ready to mate. Body language and sounds are used to communicate when weasels confront each other. Long-tailed weasels have well-developed senses of sight, hearing, and smell, which allows them to be efficient and sensitive predators.

Food Habits: Main prey are small rodents. Females, with smaller bodies, have better success in hunting small rodents because their bodies can fit inside the small rodent burrows. Males pursue larger animals, such as eastern cottontail rabbits. While mammals are the food of choice, these weasels eat a wide range of food, from birds to reptiles, and in the summer their diet includes fruits and berries.

Known Predators: Owls, coyotes, rattlesnakes.

Ecosystem Roles: Long-tailed weasels help to control populations of rodents and rabbits.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive The pelts of long-tailed weasels were available in the fur trade but were not a popular commodity. Long-tailed weasels are good mousers and ratters, so farmers do not mind having weasels around their farms because they eliminate these pests

Newell, T. 2002. "Mustela frenata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 12, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Mustela_frenata.html.

Counting the Days... And a Weasel.

Last ski season, I think I got in about 25 days. Mostly at Copper and Aspen area, with a few days at Winter Park and Crested Butte.

After next Monday, I will have 14 days. I'm trying to do the math. Am I on track for another 25 days? I think that 25 days is respectable, what with a full time job, graduate courses, a flock of chickens to which to tend, and an otherwise booming (maybe a step below booming) social life. Right?

These are my ski days so far this year. I'm very excited about visiting Scott in Alta, UT this weekend for a 3-day powderfest.

1. Copper 12/6/08
2. Winter Park 12/14/08
3. Snowmass 12/25/08
4. Copper 12/27/08
5. Copper 1/3/09
6. Copper 1/4/09
7. Copper 1/11/09
8. Snowmass 1/17/09
9. Copper 1/25/09
10. Snowmass 2/7/09
11. Highlands 2/8/09
12. 13. 14. Alta woohoo

Why Copper so much, you ask? Because it's an all around good time, you can ski the entire mountain for days on end and be constantly entertained, there are challenging big mountain runs, powder stashes and endless bump runs, and you know there's more to discover, you just need to hike a little longer. And it seems to weed out some of the Front Range crows.

We skied Aspen last weekend, no new snow (the reported snow was delayed every day for 4 days, and it finally started snowing at 2 p.m. on Sunday), but we were able to find some pretty fun runs up high, and hidden powder in the trees. We hiked the Highlands Bowl on Sunday. A 45 minute hike and the best run of the day. We hiked up the top of that ridge in the picture above (from much further below), and skied down on skier's right, to the left. These pictures come up dark, which is frustrating.

But the BEST PART OF THE WEEKEND was our encounter with a very special mountain species I'd like to call the long-tailed weasel, or ermine. Wildlife biologists also call it that. Steve and I were skiing down the the Hanging Valley headwall on Snowmass (sidenote - I measured the slope angle of the run with my trusty iPhone, which was about 48 degrees) and got down to a wooded area. Suddenly, Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, comes flying out of a tree bank and across the slope headed for a another tree. But wait! He has a prisoner! Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, was carrying a dead bird in its mouth to stash away! But who are those fools lurking in the background? Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, is scared. He freezes. Intruders! How dare they enter my dead-bird lair! He races back to the tree bank, but No! Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, drops his bird! He must retrieve it! And before those dirty scoundrels have restored by peace with their departure! Ah ha, not too fast, Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, we thought. We knew he was hiding in the bank, and needed to get his bird back. But we wanted some free wildlife entertainment. So we skied slowly to the tree, and just waited quietly. After 30 seconds, Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, pokes his head out on each side of the tree, frenetically, as if resigning to the fact that we are there, and mustering up his speed to reclaim his fowl and be on his way. He creeps toward us, then jets away, creeps toward us, then jets away again. I'm loving this. Not to demean Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, but he's very cute. And spry. So finally he shoots back toward his bird, and picks it up, and drops it in his hole, wherever that may be. And he emerges from the tree bank again, birdless, and ran back up the hill. It was very exciting.

The picture is what he (or she, I guess) looked like. At first, we thought it was a ferret, but at lunch, we couldn't find anything about a ferret of that coloring on the internet (courtesy of iPhones). Then Steve thought it was perhaps a mink, so he googled Aspen mink. And of course, the first 100 google entries were advertisements for mink coats in Aspen. Then, we visited the Wapiti Wildlife Center at the top of Elk Camp (which I would highly recommend, next time you're skiing snowmass - awesome wildlife info), and discovered that it was a long-tailed weasel, or ermine. My next post is going to be about the long-tailed weasel, or ermine. And I'd like to give a big shout out to Waldo, long-tailed weasel, or ermine.

Getcha Enchiladas

Last Friday, on our way to Carbondale, Steve and I stopped in Minturn, CO (outside of Vail) to eat at Chili Willy's. It was a decent experience. We were both very hungry, and Steve used to eat there when he was on ski trips with his Dad. Plus, after hiking a 14'er one weekend last summer (Mt. of the Holy Cross), Steve had tempted Schivonne, Kris and I with the idea of Chili Willy's on our way home, and it was an absolute letdown when we pulled up for our Tex-Mex meal, only to have to restaurant be closed. So Steve and I redeemed ourselves, and finally ate there. It was pretty good, and that's that.

In any event, it reminded me of my favorite Mexican restaurant (although Chili Willy's is Tex-Mex) in Denver, D'Corazon. The chile rellenos and enchiladas are perfectly seasoned, not too greasy, and an overall delight. I'd highly recommend it, and please, seriously consider the combo. It's in downtown Denver, LoDo area:

EAT AT D'CORAZON!

What.

1. I will not be tempted to write a “25 random things about me” note just because everyone else is doing it.
2. If you want to know 25 things about me, pick up the phone. I’ll get back to you within 25 days.
3. Social media is ridonk sometimes and pushes the limits of social acceptability.
4. I’m not really interested in your list.
5. Since I am writing this list, does this mean that I am writing 25 random things about me?
6. Do you REALLY care to read this, or are you just comparing it with yourself?
7. If I had 5 more digits, I would have 25 digits.
8. There are 25 ways that I will say that I don’t want to write a 25 things list.
9. This one time, I turned 25 years old.
10. This other time, I ate 25 m&m’s.
11. There are at least 25 ways that I can tell someone to bugger off.
12. Before I had 259 friends on Facebook, I only had 25.
13. Persons with serious mental illnesses die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general public.
14. Did it take you 25 minutes or 25 hours to write your list?
15. This is going to take me under 25 minutes.
16. There are 25 reasons why I don’t want to read your list, but 26 why I probably will.
17. randomrandomrandomrandomr has 25 letters.
18. I’m sure you can think of 25 reasons why you regret writing your 25 random things about me list.
19. There are 25 reasons why the 25 random things about me list is self-indulgent.
20. 5 more things I need to say after this.
21. How would we count the days on our knuckles if there were a month with only 25 days?
22. In blackjack, I would definitely lose if my cards amounted to 25.
23. There are 25 other things I’d rather be doing at this point in my list.
24. Google 25 and the first thing that comes up is a link to an article about how stupid this is.
25. Over and out.

Ratatat Radio

If you can listen to music at work, my recommended Pandora station is Ratatat.

The station has few, if any, lyrics, mostly electronic beats, some guitar riffs, and it's an overall mellow station, perfect for work.

Cold & Deep/Collins Rock @ Alta

Steve's brother Scott Heysoos is spending a few months in Alta skiing and working at the Alta Lodge. We're going to visit him over President's Day. He's taken a few sweet videos with his helmet cam. I see some kind of badass future.

If you like to ski all mountain or park, check out his website, Powder and Park.


Cold and Deep.


Collins Rock at Alta.

10 Minute Dessert

This is one of the easiest and most satisfying desserts. I made it on my lunch break today in less than 10 minutes (not 20, as the recipe indicates), and it will be ready for dessert tonight. I don't usually have espresso powder on hand, so I replace that with any flavor that I have available. Today was some leftover Baileys. I also didn't have enough milk, so I just used enough sour cream in the milk to make 2 cups. And I only had 1% milk, not whole. You don't have to make the whipped cream if you're not feeling it - the pudding is rich enough. I also don't use ramekins, I just put it in a bowl. Very easy and very versatile. So if you're with me, I basically don't follow the recipe, and I can get away with it. Which is fine. It's your life.

Chocolate Pudding with Espresso Whipped Cream
Bon Appétit | November 2008
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes (includes chilling time)

Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 cups whole milk
1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Preparation
Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in milk. Whisk over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide mixture among 6 small ramekins or glasses. Cover and chill pudding until cold, about 2 hours. Using electric mixer, beat cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon espresso powder in medium bowl until peaks form. Top each chocolate pudding with dollop of espresso cream.

Tweet Tweet

I am now tweeting, mostly because I like the Twitter bird. Also because Efrem told me to do it.

I'm concerned that everything I think about in my head will either sound like a Facebook status update or a tweet. When I'm doing the dishes - 'Morgan wishes the dishes were already done.' When I'm running - 'Right hip flexor hurts.' When I'm doing homework - 'Morgan wonders if an ecosystem valuation of opportunity costs related to natural gas drilling on the Roan Plateau would be an effective way t.' STOP!!! I'm much wordier than this and it usually takes me a good 140 words to even get to what I'm trying to say. We'll see how this goes.

Follow me: mponcelet

Intense Resistance

There are things I need to do sometimes that I really do not want to do. And they're usually the simplest things. Like an hour of research, calling my insurance agent, or doing dishes. I can't get myself to do it, but I usually have no choice. So by the time I actually get it done, the appropriate late window has elapsed, and I just look like a dumb ass for being so late or for putting it off for so long. I know all this, but I don't do a single thing to change it, aside from procrastinate a bit more.

I've gotten away with it so far, so unless there's a serious incentive - or threat - to do otherwise, I guess it's not so bad.

Right Out My Window....

This is the view from my office window. There's a pinkish glow to the air right now, it's very surreal. The dirty window adds a recessionist charm.

Slaying Since 1996

I am listening to my Modest Mouse Pandora station this morning. So far, I've heard Pink Floyd, Weezer, MM, The White Stripes, Bloc Party, The Shins and Radiohead. I've enjoyed every song except for the Weezer song. Those don't always thrill me, for some reason I think they try too hard and aren't genuinely peculiar. Remember when you'd put your iPod on shuffle, and somehow, that little white box would know exactly what you wanted to hear, and play it? I love that! Pandora also does that. I guess it's just all programming, but it rocks.

A Modest Mouse song from an album called "Slaying Since 1996" came up. Although I own many MM records, I'd never heard of this one. It's a compilation of Suicide Squeeze label's tunes from the last 10 years. Constantines, The Black Heart Procession, Les Savy Fav, The Aislers Set, Minus The Bear, Iron & Wine with Six Parts Seven, Modest Mouse with 764-Hero. I'll probably end up buying the album, basically a mish mash of indie music from some artists I know, some I will soon, if anything for the cover art - this dragon knows how to have a good time.

I eat Steel for Breakfast

One of my favorite Michael Scott quotes is:

"I guess this is what they call a bittersweet moment. It is bitter because I slightly destroyed a wonderful little family. But sweet because David Wallace thought I did a good job. That's what I hate bittersweet chocolate. I don't even... what's the point of that? Why not just sweet? Who are you helping?"

I love football, but it does makes me sad sometimes. I wanted to see the Cardinals win their first championship more than I wanted to see the Steelers become the first team to win six championships. Football is just one big bittersweet moment, especially when the camera veers back and forth between sadness and happiness. I feel so happy for the winning team, because winning is awesome, but then they switch to the other team completely deflated and I get depressed. But back to cheers and Gatorade coolers and confetti! Woohoo! Then over to sorrow, and head in their hands and tears, and I am upset again. It's an emotional rollercoaster. Sometimes I wish I had never watched the game, because half of the time (or more, if you cheer for teams in Colorado), I end up wistful. But it my team had won, I would also have been sad not to have watched. Risky business. What to do?

Plus, the ads sucked this year.

Bacon Wrapped Sausage Wrapped Bacon

I am going to make mixed bean chili to bring over to Joe and Vanessa's Superbowl party. I asked Steve if this sounded good to him - yes. I then asked him if he wanted to bring anything - pause. He answers with Bacon Explosion. Bacon Explosion. That's it. Steve loves bacon. I know that a lot of people love bacon, but Steve probably loves bacon more than you. I really thought he was pulling my ham hock, because all he said after that was bacon wrapped in sausage, then wrapped in bacon. He mumbled something about the New York Times, and I told him he was lying.

Hold the phone! He was serious! I should have known. Steve knows all the news, all the time, and he reads the NY Times - which featured the Bacon Explosion - on a hourly basis. I'm a simpleton, I like bacon, a piece of bacon, alone, but this looks like a serious bacon explosion could happen in my mouth, and I think I'd like it. Read about the "massive torpedo-shaped amalgamation of two pounds of bacon woven through and around two pounds of sausage and slathered in barbecue sauce" aka bacon explosion: Take Bacon. Add Sausage. Blog.

Four Images, One Weekend

This is how my weekend can be summarized:

Avalanche Awareness Class

Steve and I enrolled in an Avalanche Awareness Class with the Colorado Mountain Club. We're members of the CMC, but this is our first actual participation with it. We spend a bit of time in the backcountry, and want to both spend more time and be safe about it.

We had two classroom lectures on avalanches and will have our field day tomorrow (Saturday). Going into the class, I didn't think too much about what the class would cover aside from my main priority, not dying in the wilderness. That would be awesome. So to me, not dying in the wilderness with respect to avalanches means either not getting caught in one, or figuring out how to survive one, and I had a preconception that the latter would be the focus of our class. I obviously didn't put much thought into it. The class spent about 10 minutes covering what to do if you're stuck in an avalanche (put your elbow in front of your face to create an air bubble, try to swim backwards as you're falling), and the rest of the time (5 hours or so) discussing how to avoid getting caught in one.

Our teachers from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Colorado's research and data assembly service. They produce daily avalanche safety reports, forecast avalanches, and provide general information on weather/terrain/snowpack conditions so we can stay informed of dangers and where it might be safest to go play outside. They have a first-rate service going, and I would highly recommend that anyone going up to the mountains spend even just a few minutes checking out their destination before departure. Education is key to staying alive: http://avalanche.state.co.us/index.php

The main lesson learned was that we need to become familiar with how to "read" a location in terms of terrain, snowpack, and weather. Avalanches are created when heavy layers of snow are deposited on top of weak layers of snow. The analogy is a fat person sitting on a very small and unstable stool. The stool could break at any point because it cannot support fattie's weight. SO, being able to recognize the type of snow pack, the affect of weather on the snow and snowpack, and type of terrain and other conditions can prevent most incidents. ALL incidents are human caused. Otherwise, it would just be a cool natural event.

The 7 key items to look for when scoping out potential avalanche terrain to avoid are ALPTRUTH:
Avalanches (in the area in the last 48 hrs.)
Loading (by snow, wind or rain in the last 48 hrs.)
Path (avalanche path)
Terrain trap (slope, gullies, trees, cliffs or other features that increase severity of being caught)
Rating (considerable or higher hazard on the current avalanche bulletin)
Unstable snow (collapsing, cracking, hollow snow or other clear evidence of instability)
Thaw instability (recent warming of the snow surface due to sun, rain, or warm air)

Watch for these if you think you might be in avalanche danger. No joke.

Our field class is at Jones Pass, off of Hwy 40/Berthoud Pass, the route up to Winter Park. Here's a map of where we'll be. From what I gather, we'll spend time doing snowpack tests, digging holes and learning other ways to stay out of avalanche terrain. I'll talk about our class next week!

Who Moved My Slippers?

I work from home, which means a lot of things. First, I don't do work in my underwear. Some people have actually told me that they would work in their pajamas, which would make for a very cold day for me. My office is in the basement, which means cold temps. I never work without my big blue down vest, otherwise I get so cold that it's distracting. Well, I guess I never go anywhere without my big blue down vest. I've been harassed in public about wearing my down vest on a moderately warm day. I say a) I can where whatever the f I want, that's none of your monkey business, but 2) who cares! It's so comfortable! The arm holes and length and neck fit me perfectly. Why would I even want to take it off? I should wash it though. I think I got chicken blood on it a few weeks ago.

I'm not sure that that was even a tangent, as the blue down vest is a critical element to my work productivity and overall happiness.

But back to work at home. Again, no work in underwear, although I would really like to meet the person who would spend their entire work life in their underwear. Seriously, I'd prefer to be dressed. Slippers are the limit of my wardrobe adventures here in the dungeon. Working at home means that I am the cook, housecleaner, chicken tender (not the fried kind), trash taker outer, laundry doer, and many other things. Steve does a lot of this too, so I'm not the only person in the household who does chores, but by default, I do these tasks. Which is fine - I'd rather stay at home and be able to do that, then work in Denver and spend 1.5 hours commuting and have to take care of chores after a long day at work. Instead of hanging out by the water cooler, I spend five minutes putting underwear in ther dryer. It's a matter of priorities.

The only thing I miss is human interaction. I am lucky to have worked with most my colleagues in person before, so I feel like I am an extension of a real office, but it would be nice to have some friends around once in a while, if anything to bitch about the Raiders or talk about where we're going to get lunch. That brings up another point thought - a good one - I get 24/7 access to a working oven. I can warm up lunches like it's my job - unfortunately, it's not - and I even get a steady stream of refrigerated items at my fingertips, to accommodate my latest cravings. Other people say that they would not be able to work, because they would always think about food. I always think about food, but I've stopped worrying about it. I know myself well enough to know that if I want to eat something, I will eat it, so I might as well get it over with. No use in arguing with myself about it.

All in all, I am blessed to work from home, but talking to chickens for interaction might appear odd to some.

Yes, I've Cried at Chipotle Before. So What.

I love Chipotle, I really do. It's quick, efficient, tasty, fresh, healthy. I sometimes look forward to a Chipotle burrito as much as a vacation. Vacation for my mouth. Ay Ay Ay, burrrrrito! What. You like Illegal Petes? Really? Is is the shithouse-grade sanitation, the snarky service, the bottom of the barrel ingredients, or the dim lights? Really? Which one's your favorite?

Yes, I have cried at Chipotle because of burritomaker/customer miscommunications, mostly due to the fact that I don't like to be rushed down the line, and I sometimes can't can't put two words together to say what I want, but the tastiness of the burrito is redemption, salvation, and cooperation.

I like this guy, with his rice issues: Breaking News Chipotle Employee Just Gave Guy In Front Of You More Rice.

Three disturbingly real excerpts:

"Adding to your frustration are new reports that the customer behind you has received the same amount of rice as the customer ahead of you, thereby confirming your suspicion of wrongdoing. However, if an earlier incident at the coffee shop or yesterday's conversation with your landlord are any indication, you are expected to take this lying down, like you always do."

"More shockingly, birth records indicate that you are a full-grown adult presumably capable of communicating your thoughts and desires to an unthreatening 19-year-old burrito-assembler. Yet you reportedly continue to avoid even the most minor confrontation, despite the ramifications it may have on your upcoming sour cream and cheese allocation."

"If consulted, the Chipotle employee manual would surely verify that this is a clear breach of company policy, which dictates that a scoop and a half of rice be provided to every customer regardless of age, race, or inexcusable cowardice. Therefore, all sources confirm that you should stop acting like a little bitch who allows the entire world to walk all over him and just say something already."

Brain Teaser, Courtesy of a Dying Genre

Here's a brain teaser for you, found by Steve, my always-informed and well-read friend:

"A pickup truck struck the semi a short time later and was hit by a third vehicle. Authorities say a fourth vehicle was hit by a fifth before another semi-truck struck the first, and a seventh vehicle hit the second truck."

Denver Post: Delta man cited after 7-vehicle crash in canyon

Everyone Loves Mom

Steve found this drawing in the snow yesterday on our run. It's German for 'all my love to Mom.' Send it to your moms!

If I am Going to Get Ice Cream Headache, I at Least Want to Eat Ice Cream

I've been trying very hard to be consistent in my workouts/training, so last night, Steve and I layered up, covered our ears and extremities, and went for a run. We didn't get out the door until almost 7 p.m., because we literally could not put down our iPhones. I had just talked to Chaat about new applications, and was busy downloading them. Steve was busy taking pictures of himself with a furled brow.

It could not have been more than 5 degrees out. It had snowed lightly all day, but there was no ice as the temps did not rise high enough to melt the snow. Our minimum run time is always 30 minutes, which usually ends up conveniently being our maximum on nights and in cold weather. We braved the cold to run up the street, down the high school and back to our house - 30 minutes of fast running, an ice cream headache and frozen chin for me, and frozen beard and eyelashes for Steve. It was worth it, and made our ancho-roasted chicken that patiently roasted at home while we ran, all the more worth it. Consistency is key - exercise and food!

Another chilly day today, -2 as I write. The chickens are hopefully warm enough, their light is on and it seems to be warm enough in their house to keep the water somewhat thawed. I fed them cornmeal muffins, apples, chives and spinach this morning, as a thank you to them for continuing to pop out eggs in sub-zero temps. Woop woop chickens!

Chip Puts the Gold in Golden Buffaloes

When I competed at the National Cheerleading Association nationals in 2003, I only finished 6th. This year, at the Universal Cheerleading Association nationals (NCA and UCA are the two big ones), Chip won! Mascoting might seem easy, but it's actually quite challenging and somewhat dangerous. Parents shove their 20 lb babies and children at you for a photo or 20 (I almost dropped a baby once); drunk college dudes tackle you and think that because you look like a buffalo, they can pummel you to the ground and start punching you in the gut (I have a scar on my face to prove it); equally as drunk college women think you're the most adorable oh my god! thing that ever existed (which would be awkward for all of us if they realized that I'm a 5'6" chick), and last but not least, I've never sweat or had a harder cardio workout in my entire life as I did with 50 lbs of polyester fur and hockey gear on. Have you ever run up and down football stadium bleachers? Try doing it while wearing the equivalent of a sub-zero Everest-climbing expedition suit, made out of synthetic buffalo fur, and in 90 degree heat. Or after a sweaty dude wears the suit. Regardless of all that, being Chip was how I spent my sophomore and junior years in college and I wouldn't have it any other way. I loved it, and it was incredibly fun. Ask me about the time a KU fan screamed "Chip's a Bitch!" or about the time I got run over by a Ralphie, the real life CU buffalo.

And now Chip is champion. I'm so proud! I thought I'd never live to see the day!! Chip won first place at the UCA Mascot National Championship in Orlando from a group of 22 mascots. Let me tell you - mascoting is serious business. Colorado's an awesome school, but there are some schools out there - Michigan, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech - who are very competitive. They invest an equal if not greater amount of time, spirit and energy into their mascot programs and routines, and it's a huge accomplishment for Chip to win!

Here's Chip's application video, really well put together, than got us a spot to compete in Orlando. The video pretty much summarizes how much fun it was to be Chip! And read how Chip beat out 22 other competitors and won gold in the Daily Camera article: No. 1 Buff: CU's Chip takes home national mascot championship!

Off the Cliff and Into the Warm, Deep, Blue Waters

I started a blog and got an iPhone in the last two weeks. Who would have thought?!

It took Steve and I about 3 hours to decide to buy an iPhone on Saturday, aside from the months of thinking about it. We knew they were awesome, by sheer testament from many friends. We went to the AT&T store, fiddled around with the phone, got the rundown on costs, fees, etc. from staff, came home, and then stood in the doorway for about 30 minutes, trying to decide whether to go back out and buy the damn thing already. I, for one, needed a new phone. The volume control on my phone was stuck on high, which only actually manifested itself when my mom called - something about our two phones together. So apart from having my mom scream in my ear everyday, my old phone also went blank from time to time, and provided seriously horrible reception in my house and neighborhood. However, the pros about this compact, resistant and practical phone were many - I could take it everywhere in the littlest of pockets; it had 2 years worth of photos, texts, and memories; again oh so resistant - even fell out of my pocket into a toilet once and worked again like a charm within an hour; and so many more wonderful things about this little phone. I fit perfectly into my ski jacket, and never got too cold, never got damaged from the snow, and was extremely light. I love you little old phone, despite your old age and ills!! You stuck with me through thick and thin and toilet water, and you will now live in my nightstand drawer.

As you might have guessed, we bought the new phones. Steve gets a government monthly rate discount, and it's really handy for him to have access to email/news/music on the bus trip to work. We had also wanted to get on a family plan for a while. For me, I like having email access while traveling, needed a more reliable phone, and thought that life would be made a bit easier with an iPhone. There were some downsides. Notably, we'd have to switch networks to AT&T from Verizon, which we weren't thrilled about, because our entire families are on Verizon. We wouldn't be able to call our families with unlimited minutes. Another was cost. Even with the government discount, the initial cost of the phones, AppleCare and start-up fees were high. At the end of the day, we figured that it was worth it. The next best thing would have been to stick with Verizon and buy either Blackberry Storms (any jaunt over to CNET would teach anyone that this is a crappy and misguided phone), or get a cheaper, but worse, phone. Even though there's a certain choice here, I really didn't see much of an opportunity cost. I would rather save the money than get a crappy web- or email-enabled phone. Maybe just one opportunity cost, that of keeping the Verizon service for unlimited calling. Otherwise, the choice was clear.

So we're iPhone enabled. I had a rough first day with the iPhone. Mainly because the AT&T rep couldn't upload my contacts from my old phone (bless its little heart - it kept fighting til the end!), and I had to enter all contacts manually. Carpel tunnel, here I come. We went skiing Sunday and I was a bit paranoid all day that it would crash and burn in my ski jacket pocket due to cold, moisture, or other. It didn't, but I was worried. The phone also did not charge overnight Sat. to Sun. (user error, mea culpa), so I couldn't even use it that much on Sunday, and it died during a crucial iPhone-needed moment, while stuck in traffic in I-70. Also, I got home Sunday night and it crashed and wouldn't start up. I still don't know why, but it was emotionally trying. It was plugged in, but wouldn't cooperate. Steve got it to work, somehow. There's also an emotional aversion to this phone. I miss my old phone. It had been so good to me! And so cute and compact! It sounds superficial, but it represented a part of my life that's now over. It will never get to go on a fun trip with me again! Oh the places that little black phone had been!

My other main issue so far is also user-inflicted. I was so used to my old phone in and out (what a good little bugger!), that I get impatient trying to figure out how to delete something on the iPhone, call someone back, perform simple functions, etc. I am slowly learning, but it's an exciting learning process, in fact. There's always a sense of excitement with this phone because you never know what you'll discover next. And it does indeed make life a lot easier. Here's one of my first pictures taken, of Steve at Copper yesterday.

Anyway, the charging problems are sorted out, and I am working on shelving the emotional attachment. I can now proceed to have fun with the damn thing. I've downloaded some Apps, mostly standard ones. Google Earth, Flixster, Weather Channel, NFL info, NY Times, NPR, MapMyRide. I think this will be good for me. Morgan 2.0!