The Energizer Bunny all askew after a body slam
taking shelter from the storm
Earlier this evening Michele and I were huffing up Buttermilk Mountain on our mountain bikes. The trail we were on was on the steeper side of acceptable and we cursed our friends who had chosen this route out of concern for the lightning bolts that were being tossed out all around us. Michele, who has the soft nickname of “the energizer bunny,” was about to be taken down by one of her debilitating migraines and was not as impressed as I by the beautiful light shining through the storm clouds turning the Aspen trees into a luminescent velvety white. I was so enjoying our cherished time together that I neglected to see that she was getting worse and worse, “Could you stop talking about the nature,”she groaned as I pointed out the gorgeous wildflower colors of lavender and shocking red.
We urged each other on, as we often do in times such as these. You see, the locals of Aspen may be slightly addicted to exercising in the great outdoors but it does not mean that we always like it. Michele would get a spurt of energy and power her way up the hill while I cheered her on and then I would grit my teeth and grunt my way up the next pitch thinking about how I may not be liking this particular climb but it was a far better cure for all of my stress than popping pills.
When I first began my plunge into social networking I told one of my Denver contacts to look me up the next time she made it to Aspen. “Oh no,” she said, “I would never come to Aspen.” I have always had a problem with close minded people but I decided then and there to dispel the myth and give people an inside glimpse into what life is really like up here in a mountain resort town. It is true that during the peak seasons Aspen’s private airport is filled with leer jets and the streets are littered with people bedecked in jewels and furs but that only adds to the flavor of town. The fact is that most locals who have actually succeeded in surviving the party scene in Aspen and have managed to stay on to raise families have learned that the best business ventures have been made on the gondolas and in the hot tubs by mixing with these Cosmopolitan travelers. And that is the magic of Aspen, bonding together on the black diamond ski slopes on powder days, at the community table at Main Street Bakery, at the Aspen Idea’s Festival or over margarita’s at the bar of the Woody Creek Tavern after biking up to Four Corners. How boring life would become in this homogeneous town if people didn’t come to visit us?
But sometimes the mix just does not work. Take the other day for example when I pulled in to a parking spot next to two older beauties who had just gotten out of their forest green Aston Martin. I was in Wade’s beat up Subaru and I saw them lingering as I gathered the boys and Muki together thinking to myself, “That is what I want to look like when I grow up. Tall and skinny with straight blond perfect hair and boobs that defy gravity.”
“Ummm, do you think that you could be extremely careful not to hit our car when you open your doors?” they asked me. Psssssssssssst, that was just the sound of my bubble deflating. I guess it was not obvious by my appearance that I grew up with a father with a BMW fetish who commanded me to speed up on the corners to appreciate a Bavarian car that held so tightly to the road. “Don’t worry, we will make sure that we exit on the other side,” I said in a not so friendly manner.
“It’s just that we are so afraid of driving the car around town,” they went on. At this point I felt the ogre emerging and I worried that something might pop out of my mouth like, “How bout I take that $280,000 Aston Martin and stick it where the sun don’t shine,” but instead my humor returned unexpectedly and I heard myself blurt out, “Just do me a favor,” and they looked at me wondering what the hell it was that I could possibly want from them, “When you get back into your car, do be careful when you open your door also.” I surprised myself so much that I couldn’t finish my sentence without bursting into giggles as I looked at my sorry dented mass of metal that has stood strong for 180,000 miles. I guess that cleared the air a bit as they extorted a chuckle that seemed more like an exhale of relief.
When I collapsed into bed that night I lay awake thinking of mountains, adventures and Aston Martin’s and I fell asleep thinking that perhaps on my next encounter with the rich and famous I should ask them politely if they know of any Literary Agents who might be interested in a book about a little girl who grew up being driven around London in Bentleys and who now feels lost when driving a car devoid of flames.
Click on link for silly video,Sisters
I love the sisters video
this is so ya’ll, and it made me feel like I was there with ya’ll — I miss you both so much! Big hugs, Lauren
Cute video and blog post! I miss that mountain energy…coming to Colorado for my five-week fix next week. I grew up in Denver and have been to probably every mountain town at one point or another, but as a “cheap” tourist (not a local and definitely not among the famous) I laughed at your retort for those women.
.-= Meagan´s last blog ..I Love You More Than MostI Win- =-.
Hello Meagan,
And I will be leaving the mountains for three weeks to visit the beach. Too bad we couldn’t overlap somehow.
Good to hear from you Lauren. Aspen isn’t the same without being able to visit you in your apartment in the Paragon building. Howz good ole Alabama?
That was such a fun, free time in our lives, wasn’t it?
Alabama is as usual this time of year — hot and muggy! But it’s also great, because all the veggies are coming in! yum! Have fun at the beach! luv!
I have the worst case of the giggles!!! You and I have the worst temperment when it comes to people like that who make comments like that! (exspecially when the comments are of our children being unruley while we are stuggeling with diaper bags, snacks, back packs, tents, groceries…..and trying at the same time to keep our unruley children at bay……”ummmm, do you think you could move your rude children out of the way…….” let the exorcist escape from my mouth!!!!!!)
The worst is when you think of a better comment you could have said later…..but in all honesty, kill them with kindness!
I cant wait for you to get out here!
xoxoxoxox
[...] I got home after my aforementioned bike ride I was informed that Muki had chewed through the wire of our answering machine and that the boys [...]