Happy New Year...

Let's hope I keep this thing up to date a little better in 2010.

See you all next year!!! Ha-Ha

Hello...

Hello??...

Tap tap tap...

Is this thing on?

No, I have not fallen off the planet, I have just been a busy living the dream and trying two-a-day workouts.

I promise to update soon with lots of stories about how my knee hurts, what I am doing about it, what races I have set as goals, where I am going in 2010, blah, blah, blah...

Stay tuned for the excitement.

New Fort Collins Hash Website...

So I have been working on the new Fort Collins hash website this past week...

It is all done...

www.fchhh.webs.com

Take a gander...

PETA...

So if you need any ideas for a gift for me...I wear a medium.

Tofu doesn't scream when you cut it...

I also would take the reusable shopping bag...to go to Whole Foods and by raw chicken!!!!

On-On to Hawaii

Time to blow this popsicle stand...16 inches of snow is enough for me.

Time for 86 degree, humid weather...island winds, sand in my toes, fruity drinks with little umbrellas...all starting tomorrow.

Upgraded to First Class baby...happy birthday to me.

BORDERLINE TALENT - PONG PONG

Tsunami

Well the earthquake in Samoa hit...and we got the wave action from it here in New Zealand. Luckly we were headed out of the ocean town of Napier...approx. an hour after we left the waves it...not very big about 1 meter at most.

We are safe and sound in Wellington now.

Australia...

Hanging out in Melbourne Australia for the nexyt couple of weeks...

Update...

Ok...I am trying to get this blog updated before I leave the country again...does Ames, IA count as out of country??? OK...Melbourne it is...

I will get the pictures of Singapore, KL, and South Africa from this spring up...

Great Weekend...

So we packed up on Friday and headed to Keyhole Lake in WY. The entire dirve up it rained on us...overcast, chilly...not a good start to the weekend. We arrived to a little drizzle, but not bad. That evening...it rained, the wind blew, and I was beginning to worry about the weather all weekend. But alas...the sun came out and what a day Saturday was. We fished inthe morning, tubed in the afternoon, and then fished some more in the evening.

Good time was had by all.

Sunday we packed up and decided instead of driving straight home...to detour over to Devil's tower. We took funny pictures and then made the 5 hour drive home.

Favorite Author...

My new favorite author is Laurie Notaro

I have read a couple of her books...ok maybe all of them.

The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club
Autobiography of a Fat Bride
I Love Everybody (and other Atrocious Lies)
We Thought you would be Prettier
An Idiot Girl's Christmas
There's a (slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell

But the latest is by far the funniest...

An Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death - Reflections of Revenge, Germophobia, and Laser Hair Removal

Facebook

So there is a reason I have culled over 100 people as my "friends" on facebook...

If you have been culled...you have to ask yourself...Why?!?

Flying

I have to ask myself...

Why am I paying for Joel to get his pilot's licence?? Could he not think of this while he had a job?

Oh well...at least he is not playing rockband and Call of Duty all day anymore.

Great Quote

So I found this quote on facebook...

"Can't spell families without lies."

Pretty much sums it up.

Rain, Hail, and Tornados OH My

So what is the deal with the Colorado weather?? We have had rain at least once a day for about 3 weeks, I had 5 straight days of hail (not good for the garden), and what is up with the tornados?

Before I left for MN we had tornado warnings...and even a funnel cloud spotted in Severance (actually just SE from our house). Then I get to MN...and those little bastards followed me there.

I must admit...my yard looks great...I don't think I have ever seen it so green.

Nosy People

I love nosy people. They absolutely make my life something to live for...

That is all...please return to your regularly scheduled program.

Say What??

Now I ask you...

Who stands and looks at a pair of men's briefs and says hmmmm...I can make me a nice summer top from these!!

Catching Up

Wow...where does one begin. I have been a little lack luster on keeping up with my blog lately due to being out of town.

I was in Oklahoma at my parents for 2.5 weeks. During this time there was camping, barn cleaning, garage cleaning, shelf building, child watching, cattle working, hay cutting, etc. Never a dull moment...and I think Joel and I both increased our chances for skin cancer dramatically.

This week I have been in the Chicago area. Haven't gotten to see a lot of the city due to the whole job thing. Made some interesting finds and opportunities on the sales side of the job.

I will be in Colorado for a week and then it is off to MN. Not sure when I am going to get my yard, flowers, and garden all in order.

Trying to keep up...

So the past 3 weeks I have been training non-stop at work...doesn't leave much time to keep up with all the other stuff at work. It doesn't help that I will be on the road the next couple of months.

Running is still not going very well. PT started back up...but I don't know if it is helping or not. Will keep working out and see.

Still waiting for Joel to get a job...anyone out there got one for him??

Chicken...

So we hippies here in Colorado are always looking for ways to help the environment...maybe it's
1) Drinking beer instead of water,
2) Recycling our beer cans,
3) Using our newspapers as worm bedding in our worm farms,
4) Having our own bloody mary gardens, etc.

I think at the Busch household it is now time to look into getting ONE (1) backyard chicken. Since we don't have a dog...a chicken might be a more suitable animal for our life style. The bonus is the little fluff better lay some eggs. Now it would be too easy just to add a chicken or two to the flock our friends already have (and I note that they live further out in the country than we do). Since the average lifespan of a chicken is 4-6 years (but alas some live as long as 12 years)...we should get a few eggs of the little bugger.

WEAK...

So having not done anything since Nov. 2008...has left my body weak. :-( No more man legs, hips, washboard abs, etc.

Today was the first day back to physcial therapy since being back in the country (been in South Africa and Kulala Lumpur) and cleared for strength training and "light running". The "light running" is not going well. How am I supposed to run a 25k...or maybe a 10k...ok maybe a 5k the first weekend in May if I cannot even get one lap around the track (aka 1/4 of a mile)??? PT better get me up and running...my hip muscles have gone to hell in a hand basket...not to mention my leg muscles.

We did get the Wii fit on Monday...so it has been rather funny. I started out yesterday at Wii age 34 and today I am 35. Joel was Wii age 24 yeasterday and today he is 35. Wow - he sure did age fast. I am kicking him on the Hula Hoop game!!! I can't do some of the one leg things, since the whole knee surgery thing doesn't leave me with a strong enough leg to do them.

Venting...

So...here is the venting post...I will drink for whining later.

I absolutely love the fact that he never ever answers the phones (cell or home) when he knows that it is anyone he might have to talk too more than 5 min. I also love the fact that his family chooses to call his cell phone and then they wonder why he never calls back or answers them. He doesn't even bother listen to the messages half the time.

I just sit back and laugh anymore...it took him 3 days just to listen to a particular voicemail from a female...and then didn't even bother to return the call. She then proceeded to call the house phone (which he didn't answer while home) and I had to send an email declining all invitations.

The Great Stew Incident

So last Saturday started out per usual...you know, wind blowing and snow blowing around. So it was decided that it was the perfect day to brew beer. So while the boys brewed beer...the girls would keep the two littlest helpers entertained. With four adults and two little ones, we would eventually need to eat.

So before leaving the great plains of eastern CO (at least that is what our friend's think)...7.5 miles east of I-25...I decided the best way to feed a house full of brewers was to make a STEAMING, HOT, crock pot full of beef stew. Up I got...early enough to have the stew ready to leave the house at noon...so we packed up the Wii, playstation 3, Rockband, and the stew and off we went to the big city (Fort Collins) to brew the beer.

Now out here in the eastern plains, when it snows and the wind blows, we tend to get a few drifts and one needs a vehicle that sits a little higher so one doesn't get high centered on the drifts. Now I managed to drive just fine and keep the stew in the crock pot. YEAH!!!

Now we get less than 4 blocks from our final destination...and the house of brewing...and I took a corner no more than 0.00006 miles/hr and of course the stew goes flying across the back of the 4-Runner. Needless to say...Joel didn't say a word...probably for the best.

As we pulled into our destination...I started cleaning my baby. Now about this time M & B came out and welcomed us to the brew house...but their dog Cooper also welcomed us and was really happy to see my stewed up 4-Runner...he was more than happy to help clean up the mess. I just hope the after effects weren't too bad!!!

The Great Stew incident is now complete...the steam cleaning of the vehicle was completed tonight.

Daily Haiku

So a friend of mine started doing this daily haiku thing...this one was by far the funniest so far...Thanks Brownie!!!

conference call bullshit
could we waste any more time?
thank gawd for bloggers!

What's Up?

So I survived SE Asia once again. Hung out in Singapore for a day...trying to get adjusted to the time. Still find things I haven't seen before. Then flew over to Kuala Lumpur for the week. Saw all sorts of things. Then of course there was the work thing. I will try to get the pictures posted soon.

Now back to the real world...running is not going well. I can't even get to the end of the block without serious pain. This is not looking good for my race season this summer. It's also not looking good for my waist line.

Joel is still riding the unemployment train...good thing it has been extended another 13 weeks...although if he rides it that long...we will have some serious issues at my house...There will be no working for Melody that long...we have a new wal-mart going in..."Welcome to Wal-Mart - How may I help you???"

Off to SE Asia...

So I leave for SE Asia tomorrow morning at the butt crack of dawn. I will be in Singapore for a couple of days and then Kuala Lumpur for the rest of the time. We will be teaching durning the week...but then are staying over the weekend to check out some sites.

My running isn't going real well...quite frankly it hurts. But I keep telling myself...stairs hurt also when I started taking them after surgery. I guess you have to start somewhere.

Lap One

Was cleared to start "light jogging" today from the Ortho-pod. So of course I went right out to the Windsor track.

Walk one lap to warm up the knee (4.5 min)...and then jogged one lap (3.5 min.) Yes I did feel it...so now we start the real rehab.

Start back with the physical terrorist after I get back from SE Asia.

Back from South Africa

WOW...what a trip. Where does one begin???

Arrived in J'Berg just fine on Saturday evening...my luggage however never left Denver. I didn't get luggage until Wednesday evening.

Training went well...week one consisted employees of the company and a key account. The second week consisted of distributors and customers. Attendence was very dissappointing.v

Did get to go to Kruger National Park again...will try and get pictures posted soon. Also had a good time in Durban. Finally got to try Bunny Chows!!! Now I just have to figure out how to make them.

I am now getting ready to leave for Singapore and KL. No rest for me.

It's the Final Countdown...

Let the countdown begin...I told my physcial Terrorist to just meet me at the track for PT on 1 April. Let the running and swelling of the knee begin. Gotta get ready for my races in June, July, August, Sept, Oct...oh you get the point.

Getting Ready for 5 weeks away

Had nine students last week for my laboratory class...I have 7 for the process and applications class this week. Should be pretty good...nice mix of sales, service, sales support, technical support, and new instructor.

I leave on Friday for South Africa for two weeks. We get to go to Kruger once again for the weekend...staying at Jan's home. We will be doing training for company associates the first weeka and customer sessions the second week.

I get to come home for one week and then off to SE Asia for two weeks.

Should be a wild month. All coming to an end 1 April.

Unprivate...

So I had to put my blog on a private setting there for a while because people I work with who have no business reading this had nothing better to do that read blogs on company time. I did not give them the address or invite them to read it. Yet they felt the need to try and comment on my posts. Seriously...get to work and quit wasting company time.



But...because I created this blogg to keep my family up to date on my travels...and my grandmother could not access this blog, I decided to put it back out on the web.



Hopefully, those will learn to keep their nose out of others business...and you know who you are.

Still leashed...

So I will be leashed for another 6 weeks.

Still not allowed to run, bike more than 20 min., lunges, squats, etc.

I have however been cleared for Wii Fit...but only the balance part, no strength training.

Back In Colorado

Totally missed a good friends retirement Happy Hour on Friday...since I was trying to recover from the Sales meeting, flights, and PT.

Did get a great beer dinner in last night. Four course meal that included spinach artichoke dip, prime rib, potatoes, asparagus, caramel apple pie...and of course beers from the Leinenkugel brewery. Mummmm.....can't wait for the next one in April.

Great Fajita Marinade

Yummy...for chicken, flank steak, or shrimp

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place desired meat in the marinade, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.

I also made a full recipe for the veggies...green bell pepper, onion, red bell peppers, etc.

Survived the Holidays...barely

Well I am finally back in CO after the holidays. What a trip!!! My sister-in-law keeps trying to have a baby way to early, my knee swelled up, rock band has now entered our house, and my grandmother gave us the use of her condo in Hawaii!!!!

I am now officially behind in PT...it's time to pick up the pace. I guess not going for 2 weeks tends to do that to one after surgery. I am now 6 weeks out of surgery...less than 9 more until running my first steps.

Heather (sister-in-law) is bound and determined to have "cletus the fetus" early. She is now on permement bed rest...lets get those lungs developed before popping out of the womb.

I am totally excited about the prospect of spending my 35th birthday in Hawaii!!! Bring on the warm waters and sandy beaches.

We now have Rock Band and Guitar Hero in our house...as if we needed anything else!!!