Life on the Runn...

Today I was able to get in a lunch date with my favorite Boulderite before the rain came, but the rain did come, and that left me asking myself, "So, now what?" This type of weather in the middle of summer would typically have sent me running for my favorite reading chair, where you would find me snuggled up under a blanket reading a book (or probably some junk magazine that I should have been ashamed of purchasing (read: US Weekly), but instead I am staring longingly in the direction of the Flatirons, wondering when the weather will break, and rescheduling the rest of my very busy (yeah, I'm being sarcastic here) day to ensure I can get in some outside activity, a hike or a run or something. It's no secret that sitting still isn't a strength of mine.  Brian will be the first to tell you that he has to pause any given show we watch multiple times because I hop up, on a whim, to take care of some all-important task such as brushing the cats or sweeping the fl...

This past weekend, we lived life like true Boulderites. With so much to do so close to town, a day can begin late in the morning and still be jam-packed, and for me, someone who enjoys snuggling in bed much more than waking up before the sun, that's pretty much perfect. Brian and I decided to start our Sunday by exploring our neighborhood a bit.  We went to a nearby cafe, Lucky's Cafe, that uses the ingredients from the independent grocery store just next door. I totally fell for that joint - the food was good, the atmosphere was good and the company was superb! After our leisurely meal, we ventured to Neptune Mountain Sports to look for some new climbing shoes for yours truly.  You see, since the unfortunate ankle break/toe surgery summer of 2010, I've found it ever more difficult than earlier in my climbing life to find shoes that fit well (a cankle will do that to a girl, I guess).  Add in the fact that I have extremely narrow and flat feet and an al...

While pursuing Twitter the other day - it's summer, so I can guiltlessly devote time to indulging in social media - I came across this gem. And while I must say that a few of these aren't necessarily true to form for me (read: numbers 2, 4 and 11 especially), I happen to live with someone who fits the mold almost perfectly.  In fact, while reading this, I could think of a time (or a few dozen times) when Brian had talked about these very topics....oh, if only I had known what I was in for when I signed up for this whole climbing thing :) 30 Things Rock Climbers Love Thanks, Buzz Feed, for the funny. And watch out, all, because, when it comes to climbing and being a climber, once you're in, you're in; if you're not careful, or more aptly, if you're lucky enough, you may find yourself in this awesomely great little world of ours.

Sometimes you have those days that turn out to be so very different than you expected them to be.  Wednesday was one of those days.  We welcomed houseguest Tuesday evening, and I thought I might do a bit of climbing with them in the morning, but then I expected to return to my typical routine - take a hike/go for a run, do some work and head to the gym for some evening climbing with Brian.  Instead, we decided to solo the Second Flatiron, a six-hundred or so foot climb up one of Boulder's most notable landmarks.     To the best of my recollection, I have not soloed anything before (read: climb without a rope or protection/gear).  The only part that unnerved me, however, was the 'jump.'  This was a point where, along the climb, you are required to leap across a divide in the rocks. I decided the benefits outweighed the cost/risk/fear, and I joined Brian, Alex and Cait, our houseguest, and Josh, another Sconnie native and AdRock climber living the d...

Brian and I were fortunate enough to secure two highly coveted tickets for the John Mayer concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater here in lovely Colorado, which took place Tuesday evening.  Call it a belated anniversary celebration, call it a date night, call it what you will, it was AWESOME. Never having been to Red Rocks before, I was in awe of how spectacularly unique the venue was.  Watching the sun set behind the aptly named red rocks and watching the lights of the surrounding cities flicker on was nearly as fantastic as the show itself. And while Phillip Phillips certainly did his part in getting the crowd going, the energy that John Mayer brought was unreal.  If you haven't seen him live, I highly recommend it; he does not disappoint.  It's a nonstop performance as he moves almost directly from one song to the next.  And the guitar solos, oh the guitar solos.  Though I'm no expert, Mayer is amazeballs! He performed for almost 2.5 hours straight, ...

If you happened to have seen either Brian's or my Facebook posts this past weekend, you have a sneak peak of what this post will be all about, our Saturday Adventure. It all started mid week last week when I decided that I had conjured up the perfect weekend plan.  We soon learned that the weather, which typically includes an afternoon rain storm this time of year, was expected to be atypical. Instead of a shower or two, there were longer periods of rain predicted, so some of our plans were thwarted.  One item on the weekend to-do list remained, summit another 14er, a 14,000 foot plus peak (Colorado has 50some). While I chose the activity, Brian chose the specific hike.  We were going to make our way to the top of  Quandary Peak, elevation 14, 265 feet. There is a standard route to the top that consists of a three mile hike directly up the side of the mountain.  That is not how B and A Runnells get things done, so we decided to make our summit attempt via th...

I want to wish my husband the happiest of happy anniversaries today.  Aside from the fact that we're celebrating another year together, we are doing so in one of his favorite places in the whole-wide world, Boulder, CO. July 8, 2006  To his family, he is Brian, the always-on-the-move, perpetually funny guy, who is probably in or on his way to Kentucky (or somewhere climbing-related) at any given moment. To the blogosphere, he is the Narc, the person who regularly delivers climbing news and is "so obsessed with climbing it hurts." To me, he is the whole world, the man who makes me laugh and holds me when I cry, the one who keeps my sense of adventure and exploration alive and the one who loves me in spite of all I am and am not.... One day, we will be sitting in rocking chairs somewhere celebrating our 70th anniversary, holding each other's old, wrinkly hands.  Until then, my adventure buddy, I look forward to making the most of each and every day we ha...

On Friday of last week, I hopped  into my very packed car, picked up my sister-in-law, Becky, and headed west....for about 15 hours; many of those hours were spent somewhere in Nebraska wondering how much more of the state could possibly exist, why people would ever choose to live there and why anyone would want to be a Corn Husker (Go BUCKY!!).  Eventually,  a "Welcome to Colorado" sign appeared, and I was only hours away from my new summer home, Boulder, CO.  Being that the plan is to spend the entirety of the summer in Boulder, I should mention that I also had the girls on board, which made for a very interesting car ride, since neither of them are major car fans and have never been on a long trip (oh, and I'm a total OCD neat freak who wouldn't even allow the windows of her new car to be opened for months after its purchase -- you can imagine how happy I was for cat hair to be floating about my pristine vehicle).  While it could ha...

Happy birthday to my one of my all-time favs, Jenny.  Not only is she a great mom to her little guy, Blake, but she has been a fabulous cousin for as long as I can remember.  Growing up with Jenny was like having a sister, albeit one who lived in Illinois.  We have so many great stories from our childhood, moments that make us laugh and smile, and I hope today, Jenny, your day is filled with so many great moments. Here are just a few summer time photos of Jenny (and Sean and me) - just three peas in a pod - Love to you on your special day! Eagle River! much of our childhood consisted of this - Eagle River, sunshine, tubing, lunch on the pontoon, swimming in the middle of the lake... Oh, the memories