Life on the Runn...

When work ended on Friday, it was time to hit the road.  Brian and I had packed the car the night before -- with all sorts of things including: climbing gear, his brand new, fancy computer, enough clothes to get him through a month-long stay in Boulder, and running gear -- so we were ready to get moving as soon as my work day ended.  We did something totally unprecedented and attacked the drive west in two parts; yep, no sitting in the car for 15 hours straight.  We made it to central Iowa on evening one, and after hunting down a hotel room, which was no easy task thanks to a high school track meet that brought a billion people to the city, called it a night.  We took our time with the second half of the drive on Saturday as the weather in Colorado has been uncharacteristically awful.  We made it into town around dinner time and were able to settle into our pal Peter's house (he's hosting Brian for a few weeks while Brian remains in Boulder).  And then we ...

This has been a weekend I've been anticipating for months.  Some time ago, my wonderful cousin Jenna asked me to save the date for Friday, May 8th.  She had a surprise for me.  Both of us happen to enjoy "Parks and Recreation" and the surprise she had for me was tickets to see Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally at the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee.  Leading up to the big day, we often joked about how we'd have to put on our big girl pants to make it to and through the show, which was scheduled for 10:30pm. But once our date day arrived, we were set. We started our night with drinks and a fantastic dinner at Cooper's Hawk, a restaurant with an extensive wine list (and a wine club - how are we not members?!).  We had lots of time to sit, sip our wine, and chat.  Any time I spend with Jenna is a good time.  Be it a chat before Body Pump or some nervous conversation at the starting line of a race, we have a wonderful time together; we have since we were l...

It has been a while, but this past weekend, Brian and I finally went camping again.  Between trips to Kentucky, where we have wonderful friends who share their cabins with us, and splitting time between Colorado and Wisconsin, we haven't found time (or the need) to set up the ol' tent and rough it...so to speak...but I am glad we finally changed that with our trip to the Lake this weekend.   When Brian told me about the Wisconsin Climbers' Festival at Devil's Lake State Park, I suggested we see if our friends Billy and Courtney wanted to join in the fun.  I knew Brian would be in heaven with all the climbing, the talk about climbing, the pictures to take, and his climber pals to chat with, but I wanted in on the fun too.  Climbing with Courtney and Billy would fulfill that, for sure.  We headed to the Lake Friday evening and spent all of Saturday in the sunshine, climbing, hiking, and laughing (a lot).  After our day of climbing, we went to the party...

It is a big day for two of the wonderful men in my life, my husband and my brother.  Both begin new jobs today, and my brother begins life in the North woods, a place I'm sure he will love. Change is difficult, and choosing to head down a new path is fraught, by nature, with uncertainty.  Yet both Brian and Brian have chosen to pursue something they believe in.  I'm immensely proud of each one's willingness to take this risk and each one's desire to improve his personal and professional life. Best of luck today, Brian​ and Brian​!  I love you both, and I hope you both find happiness and success in these new ventures you begin today.

A very happy birthday to this wonderful, loving, beautiful woman! I know your 'babies' are always your first priority, but today should be all about you.  You deserve nothing short of the very best.  Have a fabulous weekend celebrating YOU! I love you, Mom! 

It had sunshine, sand, drinks, all the makings of a fabulous Spring Break, and it was pretty fantastic. We've never been typical vacationers, so instead of a trip to a beach, we decided to head to Tennessee, where we spent plenty of time basking in the sunshine among the rocks. On Good Friday, Brian and I made our way south, and though it was a less-than-stellar drive, taking nearly 14 hours as opposed to 10.5, the rest of our time in Chattanooga more than made up for that.  The rain that plagued almost our entire drive made me worried about our chances of climbing, but by Saturday morning, it was sunny and dry, and we headed to nearby Georgia for a day in the boulder fields of Rocktown.  I had never been before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  So too did I enjoy the next day and our return trip to Stone Fort, a climbing area just outside of Chattanooga that we visited a few years ago. I cannot say I had much success on day one, which Brian and I chalked up to being hole...

"I was never a really big fan of sequels." So said Brian during this past weekend's live broadcast of the Sport Climbing National Competition in Waterford, Mass.  I'd have to disagree, at least in this context :) With every broadcast he participates in, every 'sequel', be it for bouldering nationals, sport climbing nationals, or local competitions, I see a stronger, better version of Brian the broadcaster. I'm immensely proud of him -- talking for such an extending period of time is no joke (and I'm a talker, I know!).  Making sure there is plenty to share and an engaging way to do so can be taxing, but Brian loves it and does a wonderful job.  Watching Brian on air serves as a reminder of both his unique sense of humor and his poise.  I get nervous for him, but he's always excited for his next gig. Between the broadcast and the Badger game, I had to split my time this weekend (I'm surprised my heart held out considering this all), but I ...