Chuck Norris Thinks I’m Incredible

Last May I participated in Goldilocks, a women’s only bike ride. It was so fantastic that I really wanted a repeat this year. I wasn’t too hip on biking it solo though so I recruited a couple friends, Liz and Kandis, to join me in riding the 21 mile version of the course.

We look tough right? Tough-ish maybe? At least not completely wimpy I hope?

This was only the second annual Goldilocks ride but registration still filled up remarkably fast. Even raising the participant cap from 600 to 1100 didn’t make room for all the ladies dying to ride their butts raw. Hence, Liz, Kandis, and I only made it in because we checked the Goldilocks blog regularly for spots given up by those that decided belatedly that they would actually prefer for their rear ends to stay in an untenderized state. Getting into Goldilocks was tricky but it was definitely worth the effort.

We were moving so fast as we set out it's a miracle that we aren't just speedy blurs in this photo.
biker's brunch
I was starving by the time we finished so I wasted no time helping myself to the adorably laid out lunch.
Jason got up shortly after 6 AM just so he could cheer us on as we departed. He met up with us at the halfway point to provide more applause and as we crossed the finish line he was waiting, along with Kandis's husband Kenny, cowbell in hand. What a fantastic hubby!

This event was marvelous again. The route was as well marked and the lunch as cute and girly as previously. Unlike last year though, the weather was absolutely perfect! I couldn’t have created a better day for a bike ride if I were the almighty himself.

When 1000 tough women invade your neighborhood brandishing bikes it's best to just go with it or you might end up with tread marks traversing your backside.

Liz and Kandis kept up a good pace so we were able to complete our ride in a little over 2 hours. Nice job ladies!

Next year I’m doing 40 miles. Who’s with me?

My Seasonal Lament

Another season of boarding just ended. Sigh. I love spring but I still always lament the end of the boarding season.

Jason and I both got new boards this year. They are awesome!

Jason and I went boarding a lot this winter. We weren’t on the slopes every single weekend, which seemed to practically be the case last year, but we regularly woke up, checked the snow report, and dumped everything to hit the resorts. We skipped out on life and battled blinding winds and frostbite merely for a bit of fluffy powder. But oh how that delicious snow was well worth any associated misery!

Jason is a fantastic boarder; the proof is in the picture.
Box rails were a little intimidating but they were super fun too. I only did one face plant while trying to figure them out, which I gather is better than most.
May the pow pow forever reign!
This was taken on a beautiful sunny day shortly before Jason's brother Jeremy whacked himself on a tree trunk while trying to do a wall hit. He was hurting for weeks after his woody blow.
I'm actually a decent boarder now. Took me long enough.

Thanks to the frequency of our outings I made some significant boarding progress this year. I conquered box rails and progressed to longer trickier tree runs; I am very satisfied with myself.

It was a great season…and it might not exactly be quite over. Snowbird Resort is still open and, due to the record-breaking amount of snow we have gotten this year, it could possibly be open into the indefinite future. So don’t be surprised if some Sunday Jason and I just disappear and turn up unexpectedly on the slopes. Stranger things have happened.

Jason is somewhere in the middle of this powder cloud. If there could be such a thing as too much powder then we encountered it that day at Snowbird.
This huge bank of snow only hints at the depths that lie beneath. We got an unprecedented amount of precipitation this winter. It was sweet!
We were surprised to find ice sculptures all over Brighton one Sunday. Jason tried to blend in with these ice penguins but I think I'd still pick him out in a lineup.

Easta Feva

For most of us, the mere mention of Easter conjures up fond memories of egg hunts, fancy dinners, or new dresses. Easter is definitely awesome when you’re a kid but who says children get to have all the fun?

Every year my family does an Easter egg hunt for my nieces and nephews. This event is always a hit. After a group of the adults has hidden everything the kids rush outside in stampede style and dash around the yard looking for the goodies. It’s a very similar experience to the charging of the bulls except I’m pretty sure not all of my nieces and nephews have horns. Jason and I contribute an extensive amount of toys and candy to this cause, more than the kids’ parents actually, because we want it to be a fun tradition for the youngsters. Amongst many other things, we hide three golden eggs filled with money; the kids go nuts for these babies. Considering the rage these eggs inspire you’d think they were made out of real gold not cheap Chinese plastic. If only I was so easily impressed than Jason’s pocketbook would probably be in a healthier state.

The kids were eager to be let loose. Miles waited impatiently for the marching orders with his basket at the ready.
Wesley loved the hunt. He wouldn't hold still long enough for anyone to transfer his findings from this awkward bag to a basket.
Benson found one of the golden eggs far too quickly. That clever boy!
Isabelle didn't quite understand the concept of the hunt but with a little coaxing she started putting candy in her bag. Kids seem to pick up on how to horde sweets pretty quickly.

The kiddies’ hunt is a great yearly ritual but Jason and I have started another one we also quite enjoy. The last two years we have gone snowboarding on Easter. We have found that the crowds are usually sparse and the sunshine prolific on this holiday so it’s a great time to hit the slopes. This year Easter happened to also be the last day of the season for Brighton Resort so in addition to finding ski bunnies (literally) on the runs we saw Captain America, a wizard, cowboys, numerous strange animals, and a plethora of drunkards. Ah, the end of season craziness! Anytime a resort’s parking lot is filled with raucous groups of people having barbecue parties and boarders are riding down the mountain while playing the bongos you know it’s going to be a fantastic day!

Captain America boards. Who knew?
Brighton's Easter bunny's task of handing out candy didn't deter him from hitting the slopes a bit.

I love traditions but I’m also a big fan of surprises. That’s why this year I decided to also do something a little out of the ordinary and have Jason hunt for his Easter goodies like the little kids. I hid 11 items, ranging from comic books to candy, in 2 rooms of our house and made Jason seek them out. It took him 35 minutes to find those 11 things, and that’s even with numerous hints. Although he wasn’t much of a seeker he did seem to enjoy finding nothing slowly. The funniest thing about Jason’s hunt is that I actually hid all of his prizes 2 days in advance while he wasn’t home. I was banking on his lack of observation to keep them concealed until Easter. It worked fabulously; Jason has too much code floating around in his brain to notice his surroundings.

I gave Jason juvenile prizes to increase the authenticity of his hunt.
Jason wasn't a skilled hunter but he did eventually find all of his prizes.

We had a great Easter. Watching kids go crazy for candy is always a hoot and any holiday spent with Jason is a pleasure.