Si hablo espanol

I'm hoping that having mexican food for dinner counts as studying for this Spanish midterm. That and Santana has been playing in the Jeep for the last few days. (the esses at work love it when I roll up playing this). I'm taking a short break now and sucking down some lemon ginseng tea with what's left of the girlscout cookies I stole from tiff. Me gusta tea y cookies. (3 out of the 5 words is good. but how do I not know the Spanish word for cookies??)
Aye ya ya!

Sun bathing 101

I could teach a class on sun bathing.
I guess that's the southern in me. I had a few hours to kill this morning, so in preparation for my Spanish midterm on Tuesday, I grabbed my note cards, chips and salsa, and hit the deck. Literally my 6ftx4ft deck. Covered in SPF 30, I got a good hour and a half in before it was time for the park and then off to work.
At the park I got to chat with the two bus owners that live on the street. (i didnt have my camera with me or else I would have gotten a shot of the dueling busses). They were really funny. They were telling me that when they drive their bus, everyone waves at them...(me)'I do that, I wave at every bus I see!'......(guy)'Why?, it's like I see the wave and Im thinking, are they pointing at something? Did my muffler fall off? Are my pants hanging from the back door on fire? I barely got my hand back on the wheel before it's off again waving at someone else.'......
Oh those old hippies had me cracking up.

Well.....

I got to spend some quality time yesterday at Big O Tires. 3 hours actually. Turns out that grinding metal on metal noise that I was getting from the Jeep when I braked....really was metal on metal. And yes, I should have gone in earlier and not just turned up the volume on the radio. Over the course of these 3 hours I heard the term 'get er done' used a total of 8 times. 'yes sir we'll get er done'......'sure mam' we can get er done'.
I was thinking of putting these sweet rims on and dropping the jeep yo. The bill sobered me up.

Bra burning coming back to haunt me

(In honor of Papa King we have a little country music today)

Well it's been quite a week. The application for the rad tech department is in, just a bit of stress as I was hiking after work and at the top of the trail get a call from the head of the department. My SC high school transcripts never came in. So there I was at the top of the Holy Cross trail cussing up a storm (funny I know) at 2 pm with 24 hours to get them faxed. A two hour time difference to SC and I have to call Miss Beard of all people. Now the funny side note here is that Miss Beard used to send me home in high school (or try) bc I wasn't wearing a bra. Or refused to wear one. Whatever. Come on it's not like a needed it (which was my actual defense). I had one.....It was just in my locker. Anyways I was surprised when I called that the old bitty was still alive. Ever notice how difficult it is to try and be nice to someone that is single handedly responsible for the problem in the first place, and yet you know that they are the only person who can help you? I found myself (still at the top of this trail) talking to this woman through locked teeth as various bikers go whizzing by thinking god knows what. 'What do you mean you can't fax it? I've been in your office, I know you have a fax to the left of your desk and the fern on the side that like you is barely hanging onto life!'
Ok so that last bit I didn't say.
She finally caved after low growling begging and the fax came through the next morning.

Meanwhile my mountain goat dog kept a lookout for the Spanish Inquisition.

Papa King is going under the knife this morning for a torn rotator cuff. Now considering he tried to blame his hip replacement on me from trying to kick my ass all these years and missing, Im sure Im somehow to blame for this one too. If you find time today, think a quick healing thought for the big guy, as Im sure he's going to be trying to drive the tractor tomorrow, and mom will be chasing behind him waiving a wooden spoon...'Joooooeee!'

Just One

I had a moment a while back after moving to Grand Junction. (I never mentioned it before because sadly, a part of me was embarrassed of my own haze) One of those 'wake up in your life moments'. Obviously I had never really had one of these before (even though I thought I had and was wrong). I was in the jeep of all places too, and this song started on one of my many mixed CDs. I've listened to this a thousand times before, but I guess had never let it sink in until that moment. Everything was different now. The view, my town, my job, my body, my life. Its all changed. And there I was with Bono reminding me that I only have one. And I realized.................... I haven't done enough with this one.

Meet my girls. My small attempt to do something outside of my amandaland. Something that doesn't have a thing to do with me. My one. They are awesome. He's right you know.

You've got to do what you should.

Whatever it is.

Will trade you Jeep 4 Bus

The bus was gone when I got back, so I guess that's means no.........



Don't worry Grace, Auntie will have a bus to take you around in soon enough......


I can't get a thing done with weather like this. (smiling)

Is it a bad thing that my rt leg is numb?

I know I know, I should have learned from Friday (actually Saturday morning), that I need to take things in moderation. This is a very difficult concept for me. 'Why can't I?' (says the 5 year old in me) 'I can too, you just watch.' Yea. Unfortunately my legs and hip don't exactly have that same devotion, and I had to drag myself to yoga this morning in a last ditch effort to be able to maintain a normal gait for the rest of the day. (so far so good). Good thing I have those anti-inflammatories.
Sativa on the other hand loves the new playground. Me, I'm still trying to get over the feeling that I've landed on the moon. But at least here we wont be chased by a moose ever again........That's a plus.

I have a bad habit of wanting to do everything. Like completely agreeing this morning to race with a road team so that they don't get disqualified for not having enough team members. 'Wait, I'll say yes, but your going to have to tell me everything you know about cycling, and explain it like your talking to a five year old.'

Sure. There should be a balance between the dog, school, work, girls on the run, biking, yoga, swimming, and sleeping......Unless I can do yoga in my sleep....Or blog in the pool.....



Just watch.

Kick Ass Springtime

Today I couldn't run fast enough, or long enough. I think after being forced off of play for over a year it bottled up in me. Today I exploded. Manic. As soon as I got out of work this afternoon I was gone. I think it took me 3 seconds to get in the house, change, and out the door again. When I looked back in the Jeep at Sativa she still had a pair of my socks in her mouth.
I know some triathletes that would love to know the secret to my transition time.......
Now you may need some sunglasses for this one, but look......

Shorts! My god I haven't had shorts on in February in 6 years. This is Awesome. I think I may have blinded some bikers on the trail. Sorry about that guys, hope your sight comes back.

On a funny note, I had a bum ask me for money yesterday on campus.
This is a true story.
This guy walking past me after my Spanish class asks me if I have any change.....
What?'.......(there are a ton of people around as class just got out)...
He says 'Im between jobs, and need money. Do you have any change?'............
'no, and you DO realize your on a college campus where everyone is poor right? Probably not the best place to panhandle'...........
(silence).....
ok, now I feel bad.....'I do have an apple are you hungry?'........
Throwing his arm out he says 'I don't want your apple'
Without missing a beat this skinny kid beside me who had stoped to witness this whole thing says 'I'll take that apple I'm starving'
I smile, toss the apple to the skinny kid, shake my head at the bum. Crazy bum.

Sun soaker

I apologize for not keeping up. (Amy is right.....My blogging is bound to suffer) I know this disappoints Bakerquest, as he loves my sometimes two postings a day. Good thing I don't sleep well and can catch up on things at night......
Well I was back to Junction on Monday with just mild slipping and sliding over the pass......Reminded me of the ride back to WP after picking up Amy and Dr. Bob from the airport. Minus the unpredictable Bronco (oh Mabel, how you still make us laugh) and Bob in the back seat squealing like a girl in delight of fresh powder (Bob, you too, funny guy) It really muffled Amys outbursts of fear.
So I'm home. The warmth today was immeasurable to the negative degrees in Denver. So much so that despite the long list of things to do today, Sativa and I squeezed in some time and found a new park where we both laid down in the sun. Sometimes you really envy the simple life of the turtle on a rock in the river........
Sativa celabrated by rolling around in the leaves. I tried it, but it wasnt as cool as she made it.
Then, tonight was at a coaches meeting for the Girls on the Run. Their big fundraiser is a 22.6 mile race across the mesa. Yea. All the coaches are supposed to do it. Let me change that, all the coaches do it. The head of the program is writing down names, looks at me and says 'oh I can tell Amanda is in on this' (in front of everyone as we are all sitting in these miniature versions of plastic cafeteria seats in the elementary school library..... Even MY knees are up to my shoulders) Suddenly the black woman in me comes out and I start looking around behind me.......'Is there another Amanda here? Girl you are some kind of crazy if you think I'm running 22.6 miles. I couldn't make it 10 miles with cops chasing me'. (oh you black woman, simmer down! We are at a volunteer program to keep girls away from the cops, not teach them how to run from them) The program director reminds me of the turtle and the hare story & I think, this turtle is on a rock in the river, not chasing down some silly racing rabbit. I changed the subject, but be forewarned, if I have to do it, I have to raise $250, so don't be shocked when it's time to ante up.

Bottled up courage

Hey Amy!
Rocking it like an original Allman brothers jam.
Let me just tell you how proud of this girl I am. Tiffany and I drove to WP this morning to watch Amy in her first Rail Jam since her accident 2 years ago. Ok... Seriously.... It's one thing to get back into snowboarding, it's another to see a 35 foot long metal rail with a 3 foot gap between the jump and the rail, and think...i'm going to ride that biatch. Come on, even drunk you couldn't convince me to try this. And there she goes, time after time, pushing the boys out of the way. I look at this on a personal level because it makes me breath funny. To watch her, nervous as hell, grinning ear to ear, hike up that hill and hit it over and over and over again. Each time getting to the bottom, high fiving her family, friends and random people cheering her on, then to turning around and doing it again. Total raw courage. She could have bottled it up and sold it today.

Museum of Science and Natural History

It is a fact that if you do this "Tiff, lets go to the science museum. Tiff let's go to the Science museum" over and over, at 1:30 she will take you seriously and go to the museum (sweet!). At first I thought that it was possible that she was just taking me for 'a drive' considering I had driven her crazy all morning with my clothes washing and running around in a towel. Dude, seriously, I have a lot of laundry to do. I haven't had pantie is like 3 days. NOTE**Anyone who has ever had to do laundry at a Laundromat knows that you have strip down as much as possible to get it all in. I did finally give up the yellow towel and put on normal clothing to go to the museum. See Tiffs blog for pictures of me hula dancing.....
http://akadventuring.blogspot.com

This is me running down the hall in the Space Odyssey. (ok, I was overly excited) Tiffany sat quietly with all the little boys and girls as we listened to a REAL astronaut! She was way cool. I think that there is only like 9 women astronauts in the world that have been to the moon, and she was one of them. Girl Power. (thats her in the back behind the glass)

We spent 3 hours running around the museum. In the Fit for Life exhibition I found that I have a 93 inch vertical jump, Tiffany was in the 20th percentile for strength, and neither one of us can drive sober, let alone under the influence. (I rolled my car 3x and Tiff drove over the ledge)

Tomorrow we are off to Winter Park for the day. WP Amy is busting it out in the Rail Jam, so Tiff and I are being the Pit Crew/Fan club. We have a sign. Ride it Like you Stole It Girl!

Dirty laundry and pie

so yesterday I'm at the Slide (place of employment), and I switch out a work shift giving me the next 4 days off. Now initially I thought that this was spring break, turns out that it's not, it's fall break. School is awesome! I forgot about all of these breaks. Anyways, as I asses what I'm going to do with 4 days off, the looming pile of dirty laundry comes to mind. So, like a true college student I drive home, throw the laundry hamper into the jeep (really no need to pack), running shoes and the dog. I'm going to my sisters house to do free laundry! Giddy up Denver. It was so nice and sunny in Grand Junction, perfect road trip weather! Making a direct shock to my spine as I roll into town and the jeep thermostat is -5. What the hell? I really need to start watching the weather updates. (looking back on it, I really should have packed accordingly too. I have yoga pants, work clothes, and 2 pair of sheets with me....) As Im sleeping in the fetal position in the spare room with Tiffs
-15 degree sleeping bag wrapped around me like a cocoon, I'm yelling "tiff, tiff your heat went out again!" She didn't hear me and I couldn't move my popsicle legs until 8 this morning.

But nothing warms you up like pie. Pie. Definitely in the top 5 best things in the world. Add coffee and you have 2 of the 5 bests together. Tiff loves me. I tell her I'm coming, she goes and gets me a pie. Ummmmm pie. Breakfast of champions.

You've had the warning......

BEFORE YOU ENTER THIS ROOM! A forewarning to all.....I skinned the cat this morning.... And I posted a disclaimer keeping any of you with a weak stomach from continuing. Heed that warning now. Im also going to post the pictures below this so mom won't pass out. She tried to talk me out of it today on the phone, but your blogging voyerism is asking for it. Amy stop, stop here. Mom, you too. All you other freaks that I love so much............. lets roll.


Meet kitty kitty. Miss Kitty Kitty is the #2 cat that was laid out on the table this morning. Let me explain. Erin (my lab partner whom I ruthlessly stole from some underclassman) has the highest GPA in the class, so despite my inherent instinct to go for the hot baseball player, I reminded myself what my own GPA needs to be and stole Erin. When we opened up our first cat (whom we named Pat after Erins mother-in-law....((her idea..yikes))..)...Well, it was easily the nastiest thing I've ever seen. I'm gagging, Erins trying to hold it together as I'm dragging the trash can to my side, and we discover Pat The Tijuana kitty had been murdered from a blow to her side! The damage had caused quick decay, and things were ooozing out everywhere. Never having skinned a cat before Erin and I didn't know what to expect and attempted to continue. Finally my random bursts of "Oh sweet mother of God!", "Good Night Nurse" and the sound of my dry heaving into the trash can, lead the professor over to our table. She takes one look at Pat and says "Oh, that's no good. Class come over and look at Amanda and Erins cat. Look here (she pokes Pat and this crap comes out the side) You'll see here the beginning of maggot formation." And down I go. (not all the way, but the Professor took care of Pats Disposal bc I'm full on leaning over the sink with nothing left in my stomach)

After that #2 Miss Kitty Kitty was a beauty queen. Erin on the other hand is most likely regretting the partner switch. And despite the fact that we are behind the rest of the class on getting the cat skinned, I think it is safe to say that the worst is over.

**Do note though how messed up everyone in my class thinks I am bringing in my camera to take pictures ***

Torture 2006

.

The actual torchure come from the 2 exams today. Anatomy at 8am (so anxiety woke me up at 5), and I just walked out of the Physiology. One was much better then the other I think. My remaining 3 braincells really tried to pull it out, but seriously, those two classes.....It's a lot to ask. In case your wondering, there is a limit to how much caffeine you can intake before it becomes counteractive. (and burns a hole through my stomach lining) I'm not even sure how I'm typing right now, let alone forming complete sentences. Must be nerves twitching in a final plea for help.
On the plus side, it is also "Dad sends me Flowers Day" (valentines day to the rest of you)
He is the coolest man ever.
A legend.

There is a part of me that would love to take Pinnacol to court, if nothing else then to be on record telling pinnacol insurance to kiss it. Unethical bastards. This is also what would most likely land me in a cell for contempt of court. hum. It is tempting. (you have the visual don't you? Me pulling a Jack Nicholson red faced yelling 'You can't handle the truth!', followed by officers of the court dragging me out of the hearing as I go limp into the 'non-violent protest' position)
You guys would tell me if my life was a reality TV show wouldn't you?

Look what I can't do

After a year of being off skis, I was literally running around work last night like retarded Stewart on MAD TV jumping in the air saying 'my skis are coming my skis are coming'. (normally, Stewart would say 'look what I can do!, as he flings himself awkwardly in the air). Well that was me, until Marcel showed up and dropped the bomb that my skis were in fact being held at a UPS until signature confirmation from some random person comes through. (and that sharp pain that hits the side of your ribs that actually takes wind out of you.....) Like kicking a happy puppy.
Damn it.

Amanda, meet the library

I'm afraid Anatomy has gotten the best of me in the last few days.......I guess Amy was right about the train. (but instead of riding the grownup train, it's more like I'm hanging off of the end of the caboose flapping in the wind.)

so what would you do? Riding home from class, sitting at the light, full days worth of books slung over my shoulder. Mountain biker in front of me looks back.....(I give him the 'what, you want a piece of this?' look as he eyes my road bike).
arrogance lifts my chin. 'wanna race?'
'hell yea I do'
Flo Jo.....the fastest baby blue bike that a white woman with a black womans soul can ride.
He couldn't touch this.

Perfect end to the long day.

The worst part about working nights is that time between when you get off of work and the time you fall asleep. Absolute alertness at 11:30 at night when the only thing on is MASH and late late shows. Talking like the ADD poster child in a 2 o' clock class. Teva is in full rally bc I left at 4 and she is positive that starvation is only seconds away. Then before I know it, it's 6:30 and the internal clock in Tiffanys dog has alerted him to cry incessantly until I move confirming that I am still alive. I open one eye to see this look...... followed by the hurry up pee pee dance
Luckily thats Tiff problem now as we just got back from the doggie tradeoff. At least Sativa can wait till 9 before dancing. I'm tired, have bloodshot eyes, and need to get ready for work.........this shit is for the birds.

Bar Crawl...or pedal

Good times good times. Where do I begin? My head is really pounding which is making processing thoughts and being witty really hard this morning. So bear with me, I'm trying. Matt and Kelly's friend Nick (who I think in the few years I've known, I've run into maybe half a dozen times in Boulder) is training with his bike team this week here in Grand Junction. So of course I don't know him well, or any of his friends, but you don't have to lead me into temptation....I already know the way. I take Nick up on his offer of meeting downtown as they ride bikes from bar to bar. Great idea right? I thought so too. You know it's going to be a good time when someone asks you if your ready to hop on some handlebars and go for a spin. Awesome group of guys, some from the team, some from the local bikeshops, an assortment of bikes from retired racing bikes to pink cruisers (my personal fav). By the end of the night Nicks bike was broken (literally going to be hung on the wall of the shop now broken), and I think there was only one crash. (turns out that you can't ride a cruiser street bike up a wall....who knew?) The Largest bite of nachos was caught on film (oh, that's why my stomach hurts), and the longest pool game in history was played. (extra points for the creative shooting)

Then the game took a very serious turn. (Turns out that having a toothpick in your mouth and a hard look of concentration, doesn't actually improve your game.)

Good times.

Zero to 60 in no time

So a pleasant surprise last night as Matt and Kelly (with baby Locklan in tow) got to stay over at Amanda's B&B. Their training in San Fran went well and the little man is growing like kudzu (for those not from the south, that's really fast)! With school and work & other stuff, its hard to believe that just a few weeks ago I was bored! How do I even fit in Yoga and Swimming anymore? And my 1:30 nap......How I miss you.





Matt was earning his keep by fixing my bike pump. I figured he would at least wait until they were in the car to laugh at me, where I for sure would have gotten the smirk and head shake at the bike shop. Thanks Matty! Tires are back to 120 and the weather is nice enough to enjoy it.