Colorado | Peaches Prattlings

{August 27, 2026} Day 4: 298.7 Miles, 1 Rainstorm, We made it!

It’s Day 4, we’re heading from La Junta, CO to Durango, CO for the ‘start’ of the trip! I know that might sound a little odd, but the first four days was to get us to a destination, kind of like the back end of the trip. Durango is where we’re going to start finding those roads that have the twists and turns, the roads that will challenge us, maybe because of a fear of heights, maybe having to execute technial riding skills, speed, you name it, whatever it is to you, it’s an adventure.

We were at a Hampton Inn, they always have a decent breakfast, meet at the bikes at 7a, load up, have breakfast, and KSU between 730a and 8am. I try to take pics of the bikes each morning, sometimes the sun hits the bikes just right, don’t you agree?! And if angle it just right, you can’t see the dirt! ha ha! One of the things we do, not every day, is try to clean off the bikes, at least get the bugs off the windshield/windscreen!

Get on the bikes, we have about 300 miles to go, a short day. I know, some people are thinking, 300 miles on a bike, no thanks, I don’t even want to go 300 miles in a car! fair point, but we’ve got a goal! I don’t know if I already said, but some days are going to be just about 200 miles, some days 300, some 400-500 miles. The crazier part, some of the days are going to be anywhere from 4 to 6 to 8, 10, even 12 hours. You read that right! We may only go 350 miles, but it will likely take more than 8 hours, another day might be 200 miles and take 5 hours, it all depends on the road, how technical it is, the twists, turns, switch backs involved, that’s one of the great things about being on a motorcycle!

I also just realized you might not know some motorcycle terminology! Switchbacks are sharp, zig-zagging u-turns or hairpin corners, I think it’s exactly what you’re thinking it is after that! usually on mountain roads and they take concentration, skill, and technical knowledge and ability. You don’t start off knowing how to do it, someone might tell you how to do it, you learn as you go, sometimes it’s instinct and you just know what to do, you do get there in the end. The most important thing I was ever taught and it’s a mantra I use sometimes “Trust the bike, trust the bike.” It doesn’t get any more straight than that. The bike is going where you point it, and similar to skiing, it goes where you’re looking! When you’re behind the wheel of a car, do you trust the car? You bet you do, trust the bike! The really funny thing, and PSM will tell you… I love the switchbacks and hairpin turns, let me loose on those mountain roads…put me on my own driveway or in a gas station parking lot and I am scared out of my mind to make a u-turn! What’s easy is hard to me and what’s hard is easy to me! Go figure!

Moving on…We have to get to Durango, CO this afternoon! Since we were there a few years ago, DJH and I knew where we were going for dinner! There were some great roads and we were making good time, we pulled into the last stop for gas before we got to Durango and what happened… the sky opened up. Actually, it had started to rain a little just before we got to the gas station, unfortunately, there wasn’t a place for us to stop and put on rain gear. So… we got gas, didn’t think it was going to be too bad, so just put on our rain jackets, to be honest, my upper half wasn’t too wet, my legs were already wet, I did not want to have to put on my rain pants over my wet pants, and we weren’t that far from the hotel, so…you can guess what happened.

Now, MB had been having a few issues with his bike that day and was concerned, the good thing was that we were heading to Durango and we were very familiar with Durango Harley Davidson. When we did our 3-week trip in 2023, some of the folks had been riding for a few weeks so they scheduled a service at the dealership. I had called earlier to see if they might be able to help MB out, and they were nice enough to try to fit him in to at least look at the bike, and VGT thought he might need a tire, lucky we were heading in that direction!

As we were riding, the rain came down harder and harder, always fun! So… needless to say, we were a little drippy when we got there. Take a look at my waterproof riding boots! Yeah… I didn’t bring my waterproof socks because I didn’t think I needed them since I had these waterproof boots.

While MB and VGT were working with the service team, DJH and I headed to the Junction Hotel & Hostel. We stayed in the hotel part, as youthful as I feel, I’m happy sharing a room with just my husband and a friend and no bunk beds, thanks! We unloaded the bikes, rung out our clothes, hung everything to hopefully dry by the morning, and took showers to warm up and dry off! While I called PSM, DJH called home to talk to the family.

When VGT got to the hotel, we reconvened, I ordered an Uber to take us to Steamworks Brewing Company. DJH, PSM, and I had been there in 2023, we were looking forward to going again! MB wasn’t back from the dealership yet, we were waiting on him. We didn’t have a reservation, put our names on the list and hoped to get a table, the place was jam packed for a Thursday! I struck up a conversation with a woman at the bar, who had her name on the reservation list and said we could take their spots at the bar when their name came up, score!

By the time MB showed up, it wasn’t great news, unfortunately, there were a few issues, I wish I could remember exactly what they were, but the bottom was…his bike was staying in Durango until it was fixed and MB was going home tomorrow. Definitely not happy news and not what we were hoping for. He didn’t know when the bike would be done, so he wouldn’t be able to ship his bike to one of our stops, so… he arranged for the bike to be shipped home when it was done and he booked a flight back to Boston for the next day. Bummer.

We squeezed in, sat down, relaxed, ordered food and drinks, I ordered an amaretto on the rocks, and if you know me, you know I’m not really a drinker, I might have one or two a year, and it takes me several hours to finish one! I really only drink when I’m pretending to be an adult! lol We chatted with the people to our left and the people to our right. Everyone we talked to couldn’t believe the trip we were about to do, or that we had ridden our bikes from MA and PA! By the time we were ready to head back to the hotel, MB’s spirits were lifted a little, as much as we could under the circumstances.

We also got a recommendation for breakfast, the Durango Diner, and ordering The Cure is a must! We looked it up and after DJH read what it was, he went to sleep saying “The Cure”, dreamt “The Cure”, and woke up saying “The Cure”. Guess where we’re going to breakfast! Uber back to the hotel, meet at the bikes at 7a, head to breakfast, then hit the road!

Thinking I’m going to leave the post here today, can’t wait to tell you about tomorrow’s ride from Durango, CO to Grand Junction, CO, via the Million Dollar Highway and Silverton, CO! So much to tell and what a ride!

Day 4: 298.7 miles, sunny skies, got warm fast, rain storm, rain in my boots. Tomorrow…Grand Junction!

{August 26, 2026} Day 2: 351 Miles, 4 States, Hello Kansas! Day 3: 494 Miles, 2 States, Hello Colorado!

Day 2: KSU [don’t forget, that’s kick stands up! and I’ll remind you a few more times, and then you’re on your own!] 7a. We were very done with this hotel, it was time to get going!

We packed up the bikes and we were off, first stop… gas, we didn’t get a chance when we got to the hotel because it was raining and we were done. We try to get gas just before we get to the hotel so we don’t have to think about it in the morning, we can just get up and go.

We decided to get on the road and stop for breakfast somewhere on the road. We rode for almost 2 hours, about 140 miles. We took I-70W, crossed into Illinois, you may have noticed that I have screenshots from when we cross a state line, it’s dorky, but it’s something I enjoy trying to catch. I love the icons they use for each state and I just found a site that has all of them!

We were looking for a place to eat and get gas, first order of business…gas, then food. There was a sign on the highway about the world’s largest golf tee in Casey, Illinois, we were SO close, but didn’t go to see it, but…we did pass by the Giant Antlers in Casey, Illinois! One of these days we’re going to visit every silly world’s largest things! Did I tell you a few years ago, when we lived in Missouri, we went to see the world’s largets bottle of Catsup?! It’s actually a water tower, but who cares! It was sooo cool!

Not finding food at that exit, we got back on the highway, found a gas station, then I got a text from DJH, he was at Niemerg’s Steak House in Effingham, IL, holding a table for us! Sounds good! The joint was jumpin’! We had a good breakfast, made up for the crappy evening we had, we are off to a good start!

After breakfast, we got back on the bikes and headed towards Kansas, riding through Missouri. As we were riding, we were passing a lot of the places PSM and I had spent time in while we lived in Missouri, it was bringing back such good memories, we really did enjoy our time there, we made the most of what Covid tried to shut down, we didn’t let that stop us! We stopped for gas near where PSM was headed for the week and here we said see ya, So long. Farewell. Auf wiedersehen. Aloha. Did that sound a little like the Sound of Music, you’re welcome! But sadly…we had to say see you soon to PSM, got back on the bikes, we headed towards Kansas and he was…. let’s just say… outta there!

A few hours later we crossed into Kansas and about 4p we were at the Ramada Topeka Downtown. It was a decent hotel, it reminded me a little of an Embassy Suites, where the rooms open over the center courtyard of the hotel. We got to our rooms, explored a little, ended up in the basement and when we got off the elevator, this statue scared the you-know-what out of DJH and I! At first it really looked like a person! I went to take a picture with it, pretending to sit on its lap and the entire top half moved, no thanks!

We got settled into the rooms, DJH and I took advantage of the pool and hot tub, some took a nap, then showers, I ordered an Uber, we were NOT getting back on the bikes! Let’s just say, when we got to our hotels, if we didn’t eat at the hotel, unless the restaurant was less than a 5 minute walk, it was Uber or taxi for us! It was the start of steaks, steaks, and more steaks! Not for me, no, but the fellas! There would be a lot of steaks on this trip! We went to The Weather Room, for dinner, the guys had steaks, and I had a really good strawberry and spinache salad, not as good as my mom’s but good! and grilled asparagus, I was very happy!

Then it was call an Uber, head back to the hotel for some well deserved R&R! The people in Topeka were very nice, both of our Uber drivers, the wait staff at the restaurant, the hotel staff, but downtown Topeka, there was a lot of construction happening, but not much else, unfortunately. It looked like it would be a nice city to explore, when they finish renovating.

Day 2: 351 Miles, Sunny Skies!

Day 3: Meet at the bikes at 7a, load the bikes, grab some breakfast, then take off by 8a. The woman at the front desk when we checked in, very nice, raved about the breakfast, we think she over sold it! But…we had some food, then it was KSU at 8a, we were heading to LaJunta, Colorado.

One of our stops, about lunch time, was in Hayes, KS. While I was pumping gas, a woman at the next pump started asking me questions about my bike and riding, she was about my height, and I let her sit on my bike to get a feel for it. She was very nice, she actually approached me and said “This might be creepy, but you’re about my height and that’s a big bike! could I ask you some questions?” Of course! We chatted for a while, her husband is 6’3 and rides a much bigger bike, she’s interested in learning and she showed me the bike she was looking to buy for a first bike, a very good choice!

We chatted for a few more minutes and she gave us a recommendation for lunch, Thirsty’s Grill and Pub, that’s where she was going! sounds good. We went and it did not disappoint! In the waiting area to the side, they had a red pickup truck, kids version, of course we had to pile into it! I tried to get in, I was able to get my head in, that’s all, so we piled on the truck bed! We got a table, and it was an eclectic place. Sports bar, lots of tvs, KS Chiefs memorabelia, astroturf looking floor, a stage with a piano, then decorated like a beach hut, driving scenes painted on the wall, and Marilyn Monroe. While we were there, I saw the woman from the gas station, we greeted each other like old friends! The food was as good as she said!

Back on the bikes and a few hours later, we crossed into Colorado! I was home! Some amazing winding roads we were on, DJH knows how to make what could be a boring road more fun. We stopped for gas and finally made it to the Hampton Inn La Junta. Unfortunately, the pool was not available, they were having some issues, no worries, cool showers for us! Then regroup and walk across the parking lot to Felicia’s Mexican Restaurant. The service was good, food was good, wait staff friendly, what more could you want?! Back to the hotel to crash and do it all again tomorrow!

Do you know those videos ‘tell me you xx without telling me you xx’? Well…look at my picture “Tell me you ride a motorcycle without telling me you ride a motorcycle!” This was just Day 3, more to come!

Day 3: 494 Miles, Sunny Skies, Hot Wind, Hot Weather, and it’s only getting hotter!

Tomorrow… Durango…then the real fun begins! G’night!

{April 23, 2024} Second Seder and Homeward Bound

First night with my family was fabulous, as always. Second night is always with PSM’s family, a fun time that!

It’s Tuesday, so it’s still a work day, that means, more cooking, just to fill in some of the gaps from what we ate last night at the first seder. We made two more kugels, another matzoh brittle, more gefilte fish, and more broccoli pancakes, oh yeah, more hard boiled eggs.

In between cooking, there was work to be done, for my job that is! I actually got a lot done, had a few calls, GES and dad went to the grocery store for some supplies, I did go out and treat myself to a chai at Starbucks, ended up talking to a nice guy about bikes, he commented on my Sturgis sweatshirt, how could I not talk about how much we love to ride?!

About 5p, I started to pack up my stuff and about 530p, I hugged and kissed everyone goodbye and headed to PSM’s family’s for seder. There were a lot more people at the second night seder, GES was having about 20, we had 11 last night, sound about right!

I walked in with my goodies, the fabulous veggie matzoh ball soup for me and the peach matzoh kugel for all. Let’s just say, I know it was good, but…there was absolutely nothing left for me to take back to PA and PSM! Happily disappointed!

We sat down about 630pm, I ended up at the kids side of the table. Kids being the youngest was about 16 or 17 and the oldest in their 20s, these are bigger kids. They still do the Four Questions, well, they’re still the youngest! Of course, I was also seated across from some of the older trouble makers, myself included, not complaining, there was a lot of laughter and love!

As all families, they have their own traditions, we sing Take Me Out to the Seder, sung to…you guessed it, Take Me Out to the Ball Game! They use different Haggadah’s, as most families do, but like most families, everyone takes a turn reading, participating in the service and the telling of our story.

I stayed until the seder was over and we started clearing the table, and some folks were heading out, it was about 930p and I had a very long drive home! Not looking forward to that…I got on the road, had the top down for part of it, of course! I decided to go through Connecticut, how much traffic could there be at 12-1am?! Well…not hours of traffic, but there was traffic! Seriously? I cannot stand driving through that state! I may have already said it, I enjoy the state, just not driving through it! ugh!

After about 3 hours, I probably stopped every hour, to get gas, walk around, keep myself awake and ready to go. It was a very, very, very long drive. I find that during the day, I can drive for what seems like forever! I remember driving from St Louis to Denver, CO, it’s about a 12 hour drive, I did it in one fell swoop, isn’t that a great expression! But once the sun goes down, I’m not good for the full drive without stopping.

I made it home safely, finished a podcast, started a new one, that kept me going for hours, I wasn’t sure when it was going to end, but good for my drive! I made it home about 330am and I was done! I emailed dad and my sister to let them know I was home, went into the house and was greeted with running, snuggles, and kisses from the fur babies, someone had fallen asleep and left them out.

I proceeded to love on them, get them in the crate, and it was all I could do to walk upstairs, put on my jammies, and fall into bed, the alarm was still coming at 6a, really?

All in all, a good trip, too short, but a good one. Family, friends, food, and fun, what more could you want? Notin’ I tell ya! Nothin’! G’Night!

{January 21, 2024} It’s Sunday…let’s go skiing! And go to a new restaurant/bar! Yes

Saturday I debated…ski on Sunday? Why not!

When I think about skiing, I was so used to skiing out west that I forget there are mountains on the pass in the Northeast and when I looked at the Epic App [Vail Resorts] and there are seven mountains in PA on the pass! Score! The closest one was Roundtop Mountain, it’s only about 33 miles/1 hours drive. Double score!

PSM encouraged me to go, who am I to argue! I loaded up my car, I love that my skis and poles fit in the backseat! I suited up, I prefer to drive in my ski gear instead of getting dressed at the mountain. I put my boots on the floor in the front and I made sure to put the heat on the floor. One of the best pieces of advice I got from my friend in Colorado, AM, was to buckle the boots and keep them as warm as possible, that makes it easier to buckle them when they’re on your feet. I’ll be honest, one of the things I cannot stand about ski boots is getting them buckled! I even thought about starting a business to just go around and help people get their boots on and buckled, unbuckled and off! I’d pay money for that, would you?!

I got everything in the car and headed out, stopped at Starbucks, it was on the way, I needed some sustenance. Plugged in my phone, listened to a podcast, that’s a whole ‘nother post! and I was off. The drive was great, there weren’t a lot of people on the road, nice, and it was pretty clear, snow was only on the sides of the highway.

After close to an hour, I got off the highway with everyone else going skiing, almost didn’t have to use the gps, I just followed everyone else and I could tell because of the ski racks and the window stickers on most of the cars, kind of a dead giveaway! Got to the mountain, found a place to park, I have to tell you, Annie, my VW Convertible Beetle is a champ! She has front wheel drive and has gotten me to and through a lot of places and she is a hoss! LOVE her! She also fits into smaller parking spaces!

Got situated, took out the skis, and then the task of getting the boots on and buckled, I so covet snowboarding boots! Just so much easier to get on and off and walk it, at least that’s the way it looks to me! I wasn’t sure what it would be like on the mountain, the parking lot was full! Let’s go!

I walked through the parking lot, down the hill, stopped at the shuttle hut, waiting about 2 minutes and said, let’s just go. It wasn’t a long walk, no longer than at Keystone in Colorado getting to the lifts, actually, it might have been closer, have to give it some thought. I walked up out onto the snow and then to the first lift I saw. The lines were ok, I will tell you, when you ski, the singles line is always the shortest and sometimes you get on the lift faster, that’s a plus of skiing alone. Although, there are people who ski together who will get in the singles line…because it moves faster.

I got to the top and headed down, it wasn’t a very long run and it was a green dot, so it was one of the easier runs, always good for the first time. The snow making machines were doing their thing, everyone I shared a lift with talked about how great the snow was and how the machines were working overtime. Apparenlty Roundtop had some of the best snow out of all the resorts in PA, lucky me! I will say…one of the drawbacks of the snow makers going so much, it was hard not to ski through one and when it landed on my goggles, a few times I had a hard time keeping them clear, the snow was freezing on the goggles almost as soon as it hit them!

I skied two easy, green dot, runs, then someone told me they started easy where I was and progressively got more difficult, as you went left. If you’re not sure what the symbols mean, check out this explanation, it should help! After the green dot runs, I skied over to a blue dot, did a few of those, then moved over to a chair that serviced blue dot and black diamond. So I did those next, not too shabby. I will say, there was some good powder, but there was also ice, I felt it as I was skiing and crunching. That’s one of the things east coast skiing is known for, ice, which is not my favorite, I’ve wiped out on it before, but I’ve lived to tell the tale! I was a little nervous skiing east after skiing west for so many years, but I think having skied consistently the last few years has helped my confidence so I’m game for whatever!

Here’s a little live action swish swoosh!

I realized I was getting a little tired, my knee started talking to mem and I did go boom at one point, but that was in the middle of my runs, so I got up and kept going, it was nice that someone did stop to ask if I was ok. When I get tired, I take the advice of the national ski team person who helped me years ago, not sure if you remember me telling you about it. Instead of saying ‘I’m getting tired, I think this may be my last run’…say ‘I’m getting tired, I’m going to do two more runs’, then don’t do the last one. Kind of trick yourself into thinking you’re going to keep going and maybe get wobbly, I don’t know why…but it works!

I skied down, went into the lodge, got myself a hot chai, sat and warmed up for about 30 minutes, and when the feeling started coming back to my fingertips, I decided it was time to go. I headed back towards the parking lot, took advantage of the shuttle back up towards the parking lot, then removed said boots, loaded the car and headed towards the highway. About 30 minutes into my drive, PSM called and we decided to meet somewhere, I was about 30 minutes from the house and he was out running errands, so I found a place about 15 minutes for each of us.

We decided on the Rising Sun Bar & Kitchen in Palmyra. We were in Palmyra yesterday, if you recall, we went to the Whirling Dervish Bakery & Coffee Shop, and that new park for the pups. Rising Sun was on my list of new places to explore and Palmyra, pleasantly enough is only about 15/20 minutes from us!

I got there first, took 2 spots at the bar and had a look around. I think I told you, we prefer to eat at the bar, you usually can get a spot, sometimes you get to chat with other patrons, and you have first line to the bartender, win-win-win! It’s a charming, open, inviting, warm, and friendly atmoshpere. The bar was large and open, big cross beams at the ceiling, almost a barn feeling. PSM got there and we ordered some drink and food. I was 100% on a hot tea journey, my fingers were still cold! I also loved that I could walk in there in my ski pants and no one said boo!

We had some shaved brussel sprouts, and two salads, mine was a roasted beet with slivered almonds, raisins, and goat cheese, y u m! And PSM had a blackened chicken salad. The food did take a minute, but it was good. As soon as the bartender wondered where the salads were, went to go check, they were ready to be picked up, good on us! Food was good, drinks were good, conversation was good, football was on, good for PSM, not so much for me, but…he found people next to him he could talk to about the games, and they talked about other things I could jump in on.

We hung out, ate, talked, drank, laughed, watched. Eventually, about 530p, I said I was heading home to take care of the pups, PSM stayed behind to watch more foosball! I headed home, took care of the pups, hung out with them, decided to go upstairs and took a very much needed, relaxing, hot hot hot shower, got in my jammies, gather the pups and snuggle. The big reason…when PSM is in the bed, they have no use for me, so I’ll take what I can get!

So…skiing, first time this season, won’t be the last, a new mountain, skied the east, a new restaurant/bar, date with my husband, snuggle with the dogs, yeah, that’s a pretty good Sunday. How are we going to top this next weekend!? You’ll just have to wait to find out!

Night!

{April 6, 2021} Spring…PLEASE STOP…

kickin’ my arse!

First…there were the itchy eyes, I told you about that a few weeks ago, fear not…itchy eyes have not left me, they are both itchy, wet and dry, how about them apples!, but now…flowers are in bloom…looks beautiful…but…now add runny nose and sneezing! Seriously? Spring, Mother Nature, haven’t you done enough? Ha ha, couldn’t you have just made the flowers bloom…without the side effects?

I take my Flonase, every day, all year long, to be exact. That seems to help when it’s not Spring! I don’t remember if Summer is the same, I can’t think right now! And the worst part, all the sneezing wipes me out! I am exhausted! There are some days I have to take a nap in the middle of the day, I can’t see straight! Now, don’t get me wrong, I do love a good nap, just not when I have to work!

Before you ask, I have taken or tried many allergy medications, but…they all make me drowsy! Even the ones that are not supposed to. Being immune to medication is not a super power! ha ha. The other day, just to function, I took a Dayquil, just to stop my poor nose from running. It’s getting sore from the overuse of very soft tissues! I think I went through a box in two days! really?!

Honestly friends, I love Spring. I really do, even though I am speaking out right now, begging for relief. Now, when I was a kid, I didn’t have seasonal allergies, I didn’t know how lucky I was! When I moved to Georgia I was told…if you don’t have allergies when you move there, you will! And I was so lucky for year, but sure enough, in my 15th year or so…achoo! What?! And they haven’t left. When I moved to Colorado…not sure what magic there was, no allergies!

Ok, I’m done. This too shall pass, right? Yup, Fall is just around the corner! I can feel it!

{March 11, 2021} A Marvel-ous undertaking!

Oh, how punny! I know, you have no idea, so I’m going to tell you, not to worry!

Last week sometime, while I was in Colorado, I told PSM, this was a whim I had, and I’ve had a few, that when I’m home, we need to do an MCU marathon! And for those of you not in the know…that’s Marvel Cinematic Universe! And for those of you still not in the know, those are the super hero movies based on the Marvel Comics, and the amazing Stan Lee, just one of the many brilliant minds who brought us all those amazing super hero comic books and grapic novels.

I was a kid when I started reading the comic strips in the newspaper, Sunday funnies, those were great, because, depending on the newspaper, those were the ones in color! When it came to comic books, I started with Archie Comics, Spider Man, in high school, I was introduced to X-Men, among others, I could go on and on and on, on this topic and I might just do that…another day. Back to the topic at hand.

I’ve watched a lot of the comic book and graphic novels come to life, like I said, another time, and I remember when the first Marvel Movie came out, Iron Man in 2008, starring Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Faverau, who also directed, and Terrance Howard, to name a few…I think I reviewed this movie way back when, but I have a renewed look at it, I could do it again, it is my blog, after all! And that was just the beginning, literally! One of my favorite memories was when The Avengers movie came out, May 3, 2012, I went to the AMC Theater near me for an MCU marathon!

Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and then…The Avengers. It was 18 hours in the theater! OMG! We had special passes and they let us out for about 30 minutes in between each movie, it was amazing! So…if you had only seen each movie once, which we know was not the case for me, this was an opportunity to see each movie again, and then…The Avengers! What a day it was!

So…where was I? Oh yeah, like I forgot, we’re in the MCU Universe! PSM must have heard me because last night he suggested we do a MCU Marathon, but… not in order of release date, but in chronological order, how you should watch them in the timeline that actually happened. And friends, that’s just what we did!

We started wtih Captain America: The First Avenger, starring Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, and Hayley Attwell, then we watched Captain Marvel, starring Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson. Both fabulous, oh, we have got to talk about these two movies soon! Tonight was Iron Man, we started late, so we threw in something else that didn’t take as long, tell you about it later! Tomorrow…Iron Man2 and The Incredible Hulk, with Edward Norton and Liv Tyler, of course! Oh man, I’m getting excited to tell you about the movies themselves! Tangent!

So…that is the plan, go through all the movies, even the ones we weren’t crazy about, only because one of us didn’t like the way it played out, [that would be me], but ya gotta take the good with the bad, so I’m down for some Baby Groot to lift my spirits!

Looking forward to sharing the journey with you!

{March 8, 2021} It’s Spring alright…Achoooo

I know, it’s not actually the first day of Spring, that would be March 20th of this year, which is only a few weeks away, but…my allergies have kicked in and they are already kickin’ my arse!

I have been scratching my eyes like crazy today, my nose won’t stop running, if you see it, please catch it! When my eyes get like this, I can’t focus, it makes me incredibly sleepy and groggy. I actually had to close my eyes for 30 minutes earlier today! Oh brother!

I didn’t have allergies growing up, just smoke. Then…I moved to Georgia…someone told me that if you don’t have allergies, after you move to Georgia, you will! It didn’t happen to me for at least 10+ years, then all of a sudden, I’m allergic to everything and every spring…I had a mantra…I hate Spring. I know, hate is a strong word, I have said it a million times, but oh brother, I mean it! I even use Flonase every day, when it gets like this, it doesn’t matter! I used to user bioAllers Outdoor Allergy, it was dissolvable and I took it every four hours. It was crazy, it literally was like clockwork, if I went over four hours, I was sneezing. Eventually, it didn’t work very well, so I stopped. I’ve taken Zyrtec, that tends to make me sleepy, so does Claritin, even though they are both supposed to be non-drowsy.

When I moved to Colorado, wow! No allergic reactions to anything, except smoke, wow! It was crazy…I’d visit the Northeast and as soon as the plane doors would open…sniffle, achoo. Oh well, when I moved to Boston, hello, then Hawai’i, no different, now Missouri, it is what it is. Usually it only lasts this bad a few weeks, then it tapers off to manageable annoyance, then…in no time, it will be Autumn! Ha ha!

I remember last year, when the mask mandates came down, it was Spring and I was walking through the grocery store sneezing, and I would say loud enough for the people around me to hear “I loathe Spring!” That was all I could think to do to let folks know it was allergies and not anything else! Geesh…

I’m glad you can’t see me right now, my eyes are red and puffy, itchy and I can’t stop sniffling! I was so happy the snow melted…until now!

{March 7, 2021} First group ride of the year…ahhhh

I think I told you last week, while I was in Colorado, that there was a group ride on Sunday, and here we are! I told you that PSM and I went out on the bikes to get some dinner last night, after we both got home and it was brrrr…chilly! Today, the official group ride. Wah to the hoo!

We belong to the St Louis Indian Motorcycle Riders Group, or IMRG. When we lived in Hawai’i, we joined the IMRG HoloHolo chapter, well, we actually still belong to the group, we have the 2021 patches to prove it! Man, I still need to get a vest to put my patches on! At this point, I need two vests or something to put the patches on. I absolutely LUV my motorcycle vest so much, I don’t want to put anything on it! Is that terrible?! I’m looking, I’ll do it eventually, promise!

We got up, took the pups for a walk, had some breakfast, geared up, well, you have to put your gear on, every super hero does! ha ha. Because we’re riding, we start with jeans, I’m sure you’ve seen people wearing shorts on a bike, not me, ever. Ok, I can’t say that…the last staycation we had in Hawai’i, we went to the Big Island and rented motorcycles. The last morning, when we were returning them, we both wore shorts the 2 block ride to return the bikes, but I promise, there is no way I would ever ride in anything by jeans. Short sleeves, definitely, especially when it’s hot, and I’m usually wearing a vest that helps protect my chest, but my legs, no way! I have to tell you, I was so happy to be completely covered the day I wrecked my bike, years ago! Wow, digressing now! You wanted to hear about our lovely ride!

So…back to our apparel. Jeans, long sleeve shirt, thin sweatshirt I got last summer at the Looney Bin Bar & Grill. I will be telling you all about it this summer when we go on our annual motorcycle ride with the guys in New Hampshire, cannot wait! Then, I have a heavy denim Indian Motorcycle jacket, it’s quilted on the inside, so it keeps me warm, but it’s not too warm to sometimes wear in the summer. Yup, I wore my Chucks, and got grief from our Ride Captain, it was awesome! I showed him the picture I shared with you from KN, “How to spot a biker chick”, he still rolled his eyes at me! I had my black gloves with red trim that I got at Harley Davidson in Seattle, WA, I had to go a long way to find those and those…saved my hands when I wrecked, I will never give them up! Neck sleeve that I got with sunflowers that got at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, headphones, goggles, and helmet…we were good to go!

We met the group at the designated QuikTrip, gives us a chance to greet each other, this is the first time a lot of us have seen each other since the last ride in the Fall, I think it was October, get something to drink or a snack, gas up the bikes, and get our riding instructions. When you’re riding in a group, it’s important to know the rules and hand signals, all that good stuff to keep everyone safe. There were about 25 of us, it was great! There are male riders, female riders, as you might guess, couples, Indian motorcycles and two Can-Am Spyder Roadsters.

After all that, we were off. We ride side by side to get started, then we ride in staggered formation, you’re on the left, I’m behind you on the right, and so on, and in some places, depending on the road, we ride single file. It’s quite the site to see a line of bikes coming down the highway. We try to stay together, when we’re at stop lights and stop signs, acting as a tractor trailer, so to speak, trying to keep any cars from getting in the middle of our group. That’s common for most group rides.

We rode to Sandy Creek Covered Bridge Park, a beautiful park with, you guessed it, a covered bridge. It looked like a great park for walking, together, with the dogs, a picnic. There were signs telling you the history of covered bridges and where to find Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites, something to strive for. And every ride…a group photo, have to commemorate the ride!

After the ride…lunch! We rode to Cafe Smok N Pi in De Soto, MO. I always look up the restaurant we are going to go to that day to see if there is anything I can eat, I finally got smart! This time, I really got smart, I had made myself a sandwiche to bring with me. It was a cute place with character and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Cafe Smok N Pi was our final destination and some people took off after lunch. The rest of us went to the Dew Drop Inn in Bloomsdale, MO, PSM said they were known for their bloody mary‘s, but did he have one? Nope, but the ones I saw, wow, they were like a whole meal! Celery, bacon, pickles, olives, pulled pork, really? Wow!

We had a great time, drinking, laughing, telling stories, getting to know each other, making new friends. The biker community is like no other, when you have a bike, you respect each other and look out for each other. If a biker is on the side of the road, other bikers will stop to help. I remember one day, I was coming out of a gravel parking lot and my bike dropped, immediately, bikers pulled out and stopped traffic in each direction and two bikers helped me pick up my bike and made sure I was set and the bikers stopping traffic waited until I was back on the road before they started moving again. It really is something.

After the Dew Drop Inn, we got back on the road and headed home. I have to tell you, it was a little chilly in the morning while we were going to meet the group, then it started to warm up when we got to the Park, some people started taking off their jackets as we were heading to lunch, and progressively, it headed up to almost 70 degrees, it was fabulous! It started to even out my sunburn!

How fabulous, skiing on Thursday, convertible Friday and Saturday, riding a motorcycle on Sunday, my life is full! I can’t wait for the next ride!

{March 6, 2021} I’m comin’ home!

Mama, I’m comin’ home, by Ozzy Osborne is one of my favorite songs. I just wanted to throw that in there! Today, I am home! Back with PSM and the girls, Ruby and Bee, right where I belong.

I had the best time while I was in Colorado! I was with the dogs in the backyard and chatting with a neighbor, when I told them where I had been, they asked why I wasn’t still there…I missed my family! I will admit, it was tough to leave, but I wanted to be home, if they were with me, I would have stayed all month! Yesterday was really tough, I didn’t ski! I worked in the morning, then headed out. It was so tempting to go to Keystone when the lifts opened, for just an hour or two, then work for a few hours, then start driving. I was good…sigh…I worked until about noon, then took off.

NM and AM left earlier for the mountain to go riding, I finished working, packed up, let the dogs out, let the dogs in, loaded up the car and away we went. Annie II and I, that is. The roads were clear, what a change from my drive in and every day I was there! As I was on the highway heading away from Dillon, I was so glad not to be heading in the other direction, the line of cars was crazy! O M G! I’m sure it was going to take people about 2-3 hours to go 20 miles, no thanks!

I drove about half way, I was in Kansas at this point, sometimes with the top down, fabulous! Got some food and a hotel, settled in, talked to CWB, then crashed, it was nice. Today, got up, made some breakfast, then…I was on the road again, that was exactly the text I sent, by the fabulous Willie Nelson! Made me laugh. The temperature began to climb and it was 60 in no time, and you know what that means…top down on the car the entire drive home! The only drawback…I just realized I think I got a bit of a sunburn!

I got home, played with the pups, they seemed to have missed me! PSM had been out on his bike, came home, I dressed for the weather, jumped on the bikes and headed out to dinner, an impromptu date night! It was nice, we went somewhere new, talked, laughed, caught up, laughed, got goofy, perfect date night for us.

Now…we’re snuggled up, the pups are in the crate, and to quote the most famous Kansan said “there’s no place like home…there’s no place like home…there’s no place like home.”

{March 4, 2021} Outlook on the weather

Or, maybe attitude towards the weather. Today was my last official in Colorado for this trip, heading home to PSM and the pups tomorrow, I have seen them in over a week, very much looking forward to that!

Since today was my last day here that I could ski, I made a reservation at Keystone, mostly because it’s a 12 minute drive from the house! What?! Awesome! I had a few meetings in the afternoon, so I decided to do first run of the day, spend a few hours, come back and work. I know, you’re thinking, what does this have to do with the weather JJ? I’m getting there.

It started snowing, see…sometime last night and went on for most of the day, actually, I don’t know if it stopped yet, I know it was still going about 730 tonight, it will be an interesting drive tomorrow…but it’s been close to 60 in St Louis, so there’s hope.

When I pulled out of the driveway to head to Keystone, I said to NM, “if this was happening in St Louis, I would be saying…again? seriously?” but…since we’re in the mountains and I’m heading out to ski and they’re going to snowboard, I was quite excited about the prospect!

Isn’t it interesting how we think about things, perspective is situational, and from today’s perspective, oh yeah. Tomorrow, I might be like, oh joy, dripping with sarcasm, because…if you recall, last Wednesday evening/Thursday very early morning, the snow was not exactly a welcome site.

That’s about it! I’ll keep you posted on my drive tomorrow!

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