Good Weekend Turned Bad Weekend

This weekend was our last one at the cabin in the mountains of CO before we make our 3,000-mile detour to the East Coast to our house (AKA, very expensive storage unit) in VA and then head up to Oregon to start our new jobs and life. 

We knew saying goodbye to the cabin would be depressing. We seriously love that retreat in the mountains and have grown more and more attached to Colorado. We also could not have asked for a better winter. It was crazy windy and cold at times, but the most exciting part was the snowfall. The closest ski resort (Breckenridge) has gotten more than 300 inches of snow this season!!!



 I lost count how many splinters I got from fire tending. Fortunately, J gets some sort of weird kick out of removing splinters. 

Unfortunately, I never got any better at winter driving as I had hoped in living here. I love snow, but the only thing worse (in my mind) than winter driving is Dengue fever. I am a wuss and I know it. Thankfully, we didn't have to drive if we didn't want to and J has awesome driving skills. Of course we went out with a bang and on Saturday night, we had to drive over the infamous Hooiser Pass and there was a raging snowstorm with 0 visibility and slick roads. I was equal parts relieved and forever shaken when we got down safely off the pass. 

We definitely made this weekend count. We had a full house at the cabin with 6 people, 2 dogs and 1 cat. Jamie/SILAdventure and Rachel/DocDoc came up with their (our) 2 friends. We indulged in one of the best happy hours I've ever experienced at Blue River Bistro in Breck (2 for 1 martinis! 2 for 1 apps!). We XC skied (to burn at least 700 of the calories from the happiest hour). We played games. It was glorious. 






J & I also caught a showing the of the Banff Mountain Film Festival. I don't ask for much from my readers, but I am asking, no begging, for anyone who has not checked out a Banff tour to stop what you are doing and book tickets. It is of highest priority. This is our 6th time going and we just can't get enough. I go to be inspired and reminded why I get off my butt to adventure, on a much smaller scale of course. Although I did feel a bit of connection with the 2 characters in the film "North of the Sun." I thought J & I lived a life less ordinary in our choices, but these guys found a remote, arctic island and built a cabin out of beach debris to live for a winter. Things that make you go hmmm … 

This post isn't just my ode to CO though. The weekend was slighted by a bout of bad news. J's grandma passed away unexpectantly. It was a bit of a shock because even though this 91-year-old women had health problems (as every 91-year-old does), nothing seemed to stop her. The woman had an A-mazing career as an accounting professor at Pace University, Georgia Court and other colleges. She was STILL teaching accounting two days a week at a college this semester. Listen, if I make it to 90, my only goal will be able to go to the bathroom on my own, let alone stand up in front of a classroom and instruct eager minds. And here J & I are eluding the 9-5 job and working only when necessary, while his grandma was still working well into retirement doing what she loved. In any case, this woman was a true inspiration. She was incredibly smart and important to the accounting world. So as we say goodbye to this soul, we accept it was her time (just never thought that day would come) and know she will continue to inspire us.

Here is her obit, if anyone is interested. 

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