Photo Booth

These were taken at the mall nearby our house in November while my mom was visiting and Lloyd was in Colorado exploring the job possibility. I just want to point out that when we put the coins in and the machine solicited out options, June's fingers started flying and before I could step in to slow things down she had selected our "best friends" heading and the sepia tone. There was no going back. I think it's sweet that she thinks we're best friends.

pumpkin patch

Ganyard Farms, Durham, NC--October, 2008
Hayriding, pumpkin picking, frolicking.

running scenes

My running group back in Durham met on Tuesday nights at 6pm and ran a 5.27 mile route that departed a quarter mile from our house. A local running group I found here in Denver has a run that meets a quarter mile from our house on Tuesday nights at 6pm and runs twice around Wash Park for a total of 5.2 miles. Strange.

Junie and I joined this new group for the first time this past Tuesday, and while the people I met were very nice (I spent most of the run talking to a woman from Charlotte, NC), it just wasn't the same as my Durham group. Since it's simply two loops around the park, June got really bored with the scenery; I have to admit, so did I. Perhaps in the summer when it stays light later she'll have more to look at. In the meantime, I'll let her stay at home on Tuesday nights. Hopefully, I'll find some interesting running routes nearby that will keep us both entertained.

These are some of the sights along my usual running route in Durham. I took these pictures the morning I left for Denver...

the early morning view heading up our street...

Duke's East Campus...

our beloved "tunnel"...

a spot just beyond the tunnel where I'd frequently see a fox cross the road...

the Nasher Museum of Art...

Duke Chapel in the distance...

The Chapel was the turnaround for my Tuesday night run...

a half mile further...

and just a ways further was the 2.9 mile Al Buehler trail...

the signs at the Duke Forest trailheads. I include this only because my confrontations with unleashed dogs and their owners were an interesting, and all-too-frequent, aspect of my runs...

this is out by Couch Mountain, which is about ten running miles from our house. I'm not exactly sure why it is, but this is my favorite scene out of all the places I run. You just turn the corner out of the woods and this short stretch of open space and towers is there to greet you...

same area, a little further down the path...

Christmas

Despite the chaos of moving cross-country, we managed to have a great Christmas here in Denver.

opening up the stocking...

Big Bear and Wool E. Bull in the new stroller...

enjoying juice at her new table...

We had some struggles at Mass later in the morning, but after a nap things were back on the upswing. My sister, Molly, and her husband, Phil, came over in the late afternoon. We went to the Trail of Lights at the Denver Botanic Gardens. It was Junie's first chance to really run around since she arrived in Denver two days earlier, and it was just what she needed. The lights were amazing, and the thirty-five minute outing was perfect for June.

We had a great dinner when we returned, and Junie soon went off to dreamland. The first thing she asked in the morning: "Where's Aunt Molly? Where's Uncle Phil?" It's nice to have them so close.

a strong finish

I have to say, we finished 2008 in style. After a very short day at work, the girls and I headed to the Children's Museum of Denver for their Noon Year's Eve celebration. Every hour from 10am to 1pm, they had a countdown, a ball-drop, and a huge sheet of bubble wrap for the kids to jump on. There were soap bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and a great little train too. Junie had a ball, and it was a great opportunity for her to expend some energy.

Afterwards, we walked over to the Downtown Aquarium restaurant for lunch.

After Junie's nap, we welcomed in the new year with our friends Mike, Jenny, and their six-month-old son, Emmett, at their house. Although she's four times his age, June seemed quite smitten with little Emmett; they were as cute as could be together. After the kids were put to bed, we enjoyed freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (I was in heaven) and a game of Balderdash (Adrienne was in heaven, and she dominated, by the way).

Junie trying to act uninterested.

flying high

Happy New Year! So far, 2009 is off to a smashing start. This morning we had a New Year's brunch at the Bonnie Brae Tavern (possibly our new Elmo's), and then we headed to Washington Park for some fun.

watching the helicopter go by...

one of the many dogs Junie chased...

we call these sky jumps...

We're way behind in our blog posts, so we're trying to clear up the backlog; several posts will, hopefully, follow quickly.

a good first impression

Tonight I found out that just three weeks from today marks the beginning of the 13th Annual Oatmeal Festival in Lafayette, Colorado. Until now, an event dedicated to my favorite breakfast treat was beyond my wildest dreams. I'm beginning to like this place.

safe and sound

After a long two days and nearly 1700 miles of driving, the cats and I finally arrived in Denver last night. Along the way we passed the Dairy Queen in Bland, Virginia that marked the end of the Garden Mountain run back in June. I saw the Gateway Arch for the first time as I passed through St. Louis, although the fog prevented me from seeing the top; instead of an arch it just looked like two leaning towers reaching into the heavens. In Kansas, we nearly ran out of gas because the gas stations are spaced 75 miles apart, and I also saw rows of massive windmills that looked like robot soldiers from science-fictionland. Dusk also settled in while I passed through Kansas, and I managed to snap these photos while moving at 75mph...

here comes wool e. claus

Last night, Adrienne and Abby went out to dinner and a movie while Lance and I took care of the kids. We took June and Henry downtown for the lighting of the Christmas tree. There was music, lots of kids, and most importantly for June, Wool E. Bull dressed up as Wool E. Claus...

Lance and Henry in front of the unlit tree...

and voilà...

It was a decidedly small-town event for sure, which made it all the better. Afterward we went to our house for dinner and continued silliness. We'll miss the Kimbrough clan dearly, but it sounds like a visit from them out in Denver isn't out of the question; we'll keep our fingers crossed.

therapy

This morning I went on possibly my last long run before we skip town. I met up with Rob and several other folks from the Carolina Godiva Track Club (the same running club that coordinates the Tuesday night run on East Campus). I've run through Umstead before but never with the Godiva crew. The car thermometer said 27 when I left this morning, but it heated up to 30 by the time we started running at 8:30. We traveled through the woods via single-track and bridle trails, and much of the route was new to me. It turned out to be a beautiful day, and by the time we finished, two and half hours later, it was a balmy 43 degrees. During most of the run I talked with Rob about this or that. I gave him a hard time, as I always do, for his gadget purchasing problem; he's a sucker for any running, biking, or swimming product that is either on sale or promises better results (except for EPO and The Clear, of course). We also talked about the therapeutic effects of a long run, like today's, and agreed that all the stresses of life get washed away, at least momentarily. People often ask what's appealing about running around for hours on end; it's hard to put into words, but if they had mornings like this one, they'd understand.

Rob and me after today's run

construction paper picasso

Each week at PMO (Parents' Morning Out), the kids are read a story and a book-themed art project follows.  Here's a selection of Junie's best; she has a way with glue and sparkles...

along the way

This afternoon at 5:45 I decided it was time to take Junie out for a run.  I quickly changed into my running gear, put dinner in the oven, topped off June's sippy cup with juice, and then loaded her into the jogging stroller.  We started running at 6:02, and by 6:06, we were at Duke's East Campus.  Thirty seconds later my Tuesday night running crew came strolling along, so we joined them for the two-and-a-half mile journey to Duke Chapel and back.  Tonight as we ran through the "tunnel" a train passed noisily overhead.  Then the sound of the carillon and the luminarias dotting the Chapel's lawn welcomed us to the halfway point of our run.  Despite temperatures in the low 40's, June was happy as a clam.  After a short water break, we started back towards East Campus.  Along the way I gave Rob some tips for his first 50k and updated Anne on my family's adventures.  Back on East Campus, June and I left the group and headed towards home.  The lasagna needed to cool, so we took a shower.  Junie put on her pajamas, we ate dinner together, we read some books, we sang some songs, and Junie sailed off into dreamland.

Nothing extraordinary about that story.  It was just the run-of-the-mill Tuesday night here in Durham, but it illustrates what I like most about living here.  In a matter of minutes and with virtually no planning whatsoever, we went from sitting in our living room to enjoying a picturesque run with some of the nicest people I've ever met.  That's what I call easy living.

In case you don't already know, we're moving to Colorado by month's end.  Please pardon the sudden drop off in blog posts, but trying to tie-up a million loose ends is a rather time consuming endeavor. We didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into when we moved here five years ago, but it has been a wonderful place to live.  The barbecue, the Durham Bulls, the trails, the Museum of Life and Science, the YMCA, the parks, and the friends are second to none; we'll miss Durham dearly.