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In looking for reviews of support I came across this, but I have to admit it was the only one I could drum up that wasn’t a verbal bow to the queen:

Lacking a ballast of gravitas or grit, the book lists into the realm of magical thinking: nothing Gilbert touches seems to turn out wrong; not a single wish goes unfulfilled. What's missing are the textures and confusion and unfinished business of real life .... while I wouldn't begrudge this massively talented writer a single iota of joy or peace, I found myself more interested, finally, in the awkward, unresolved stuff she must have chosen to leave out.  Jennifer Egan, New York Times

Hurray for someone willing to go against the publishing mafia!  So I’m willing to admit that my issues with the book are probably related to the fact that I usually avoid reading about women who overcome adversity due to heartbreak. It stems from a deeply rooted skepticism about women and the honesty they have with themselves. More often then not I find myself doubting that the storyteller is actually sharing all the facts of the relationship and on top of that I know an editor would be an idiot not to add a few verbal kittens and puppies to make our hearts (and wallets) go "awwww".  In a nutshell I think we were sold an adult version of Cinderella at $14.95 a pauper.

My final review of the book remains the same. The book stank! Shame on Oprah, shame on the women of my generation for finding inspiration from a women living in La La Land and shame on Julia Roberts signing on to play Elizabeth in the movie.  And kudos to the medicine woman who swindled a house out of this silly woman!

One

My all time favorite shop in Boulder is Momentum (1625 Pearl Street, Boulder Co). It supports fair trade, environmentally friendly production and has some of the most inspiring wares on the Pearl Street Mall. Hands down it has the best selection of children’s books and toys I've ever browsed.

Another place I love to shop is Two Sole Sisters (1703 Pearl Street, Boulder Co). They always have fun incentives for shoppers to donate their gently used items to others in the community. 

On a much larger scale there's Patagonia (1212 Pearl Street, Boulder Co) which dedicates profits to a number of environmental causes throughout the world.

I know, you're probably rolling your eyes at the idea of shopping making you a humanitarian but if you sincerely think about it EVERYTHING helps. No one is in a position to say how and how much people should give. And considering each of us has our own challenges to face on a daily basis even the smallest effort is a sign of compassion and awareness which boils down to helping to make a difference in someone's life.

Happy Shopping!

Here's the real deal - Chris is the only one who notices that I'm forgetting these little details and, if memory serves me correctly, the things I keep forgetting all have to do with random tid bits that really had nothing to do with what we were doing at the time (what did I just type?). For example, I'll remember every flavor of a favorite meal in a Chilean cafe but I won't remember the color of the umbrella we were sitting under. Or I might remember the conversation we were having when we had to pull off the road with an iced over windshield but I won't remember the mile marker.  Repeatedly, this turns into a no-win situation that always results in me hearing that I need to get my head checked.

Well not any more. About two months ago I dropped my mental filter and shared one of those silly details I usually wouldn't share because, well, it's a silly detail. When I finished instead of hearing the expected "what's that got to do with anything?" Chris said, "how did you remember that?". This is when I realized a little mind game I like to call "beat him to the random punch". I've started making it a point to remember the most obscure details of every situation and the moment a conversation turns toward the past I mix my insignificant fact into a general statement and, BINGO, I've got the most clarity...now it is Chris who Chris thinks is forgetful (yes I did type that).

Another great way to keep him on his memory toes is to recall particular bottles of wine, something I could never do if I didn't take pictures of the bottle with my phone and store them until we're on the hunt for something we've enjoyed in the past.  If you use this trick on your own love, don't tell them you've used the camera phone to jog the my mind, simply go to the other side of the store, take a peek, and then come back with a simple "let's see, I seem to remember you liking the Blah Blah Blah... if my memory serves me correctly". 

HA!

S

I swear, I was resisting (rolling my eyes and yawning as if I was too tired to see a movie) but then mom pulled out a classic grandma ploy – “He’s just like your nephew, Benjamin, with that crooked little smile and those shaggy bangs. I told Benjamin I’d watch it for him and I don’t know when we’ll have the chance again”.  It’s a known fact that my parents make outrageous claims about the greatness of teeny-bopper movies to keep us, their kids, GROWN WOMEN, from watching rated R movies but instead of pointing this out I decided to go with the flow and agree that we had to watch “High School Musical 3” to see if Zac Efron did in fact resemble my sister’s kid.

Side Note: We bustled into the Anderson South Carolina theater (Anderson is just over the state line from my parents farm house) 30 minutes early to beat the crowds…. when it was time for the movie to start we were still the only three people in the theater. The managers forgot we were there and didn’t start the movie until mom sent me to remind them.

So we watched the show and I’m thrilled to say that Zac Efron and my nephew Benjamin have nothing in common.  And I’m glad to say this because… ZAC EFRON IS HOT!!! It’s been forever since I’ve been swept away by a guy on the big screen and not only have I formed a distracting crush but this kid (who turned 21 a few days ago)  actually makes me want to go back to high school, the worst time in life! Ladies, Zac Efron has replaced Kevin Beacon in every category - dancing, singing, cute, fun, stupid looking friends he dances around with outside of class. I’m positive Zac would win a game of chicken on tractors. Wait, I just went on line and confirmed that Zac is playing Kevin’s part in a re-make of “Foot Loose” – OMG!

As I watched “HSM 3” I giggled, I blushed, I totally understood the part where Zac and the kid with all the hair dance around the junkyard … it’s all about friendship and has nothing to do with finding a radiator cap (go see the movie and you’ll understand). Within seconds of the opening scene I hated Vanessa (self-centered B-I-T-C-H!) and was so happy when she took off early for college orientation. That tramp left Zac behind… feeling burned by high school girls and yearning for the love of a mature woman?

“High School Musical 3” did for me what “Grease” did for… well, uh… me.  And now I can't wait to see the remake of "Footloose" next year! Wouldn't it be great if he re-made all the favorite movies?! "Dead Poet's Society", "Breakfast Club", "Weird Science"... Dillion McDermott's part in "Steel Magnolias"

I loved it and promise it’s a great show if you're looking for something to do with your girlfriends.

Let me know if you see it!

Mrs. Spice Efron

In a nutshell, Heifer International ("The Billy Goat Group") gifts families in impoverished communities with livestock to be used for milk, eggs, producing offspring, trade... for as little as $20 you can purchase a flock of chicks.  FYI - I call dibs on a billy goat for Chris ($120)... it fits him perfectly!  How cute is this little boy?!

There are amazing stories about how this organization paves the way for entire villages to develop into healthy communities.  Here's what I'm talking about:

Goats Are Great for Families

The gift of a dairy goat represents a lasting, meaningful way for you to help a little boy or girl on the other side of the world.

Goats can thrive in extreme climates and on poor, dry land by eating grass and leaves. The gift of a dairy goat can supply a family with up to several quarts of nutritious milk a day - a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. Families learn to use goat manure to fertilize gardens.

And because goats often have two or three kids a year, Heifer partners can lift themselves out of poverty by starting small dairies that earn money for food, health care and education.

Take a look at the online catalog and you'll see what I mean.  On a side note, if you cross paths with Chris could you do me a solid and steer him in the direction of a weekend in Steamboat Springs... and make it sound like it's all your idea? Thanks!

Gearing up to start a big project (and my new obsession with Facebook) forced me into the Apple Store at the 29th Street Mall late Thursday evening - yes the one manned entirely by college freshmen who have never lived in a world without computers... I was typing on this computer when my sales cutie was 8 years old.  

Josh (I think that was his name) could only look at me with one eye at a time due to the crazy mop of hair that hung down to his nose... he'd cock is head like a Jack Russel to shift the part back and forth depending on which eye he wanted to use.  It was like talking to a little Sheep Dog with a crooked grin- the urge to poke his belly & make him giggle was so uncontrollable I had to put my hands in my pockets.  Without a doubt he knew his stuff and there would be no way for me to talk shop about the computer I was looking to buy -  but at the same time there was a sense of balance in our relationship because I knew, that if I knew how, I could amaze him by pretending to pull a quarter from behind his ear. 

After the initial chit chat, Josh and I got down to business.  I explained that I needed a computer to, "communicate quickly, see and share videos, manage large files, work with spreadsheets, tons of spreadsheets".  As for the fun stuff  (what I don't need but like to have),  "I like to manage photos, mess around with basic editing and write "stuff".  I knew I wanted the 15" MacBook Pro (directly in front of me) tricked out with as much memory as it could hold (Josh complimented me on my research!).  At that Josh put his thumb and pointer on his chin, cocked his head, looked up,  thought for a moment, looked around the store as if there might be something with my name already on it, and then looked down and pointed to the computer on the table in front of us.  "Here it is! This is probably what you want".  On a side note: have you ever noticed the Apple Store presents choices to customers the same way the choices were placed in front of Goldie Locks? Three of each, small, medium, and large. If the 13" Mac is too small and the 17" Mac is too big, does liking the 15" mean I'm mamma bear?

So I agreed with Josh that the 15" MacBook Pro is what pulled me in this evening and I think I'm ready to purchase if he'll just give me a moment to test one or two things...  as I'm talking, Josh pulls up some punk band on "iTunes" and cranks the speakers to the highest volume.  He then sticks his head next to the keyboard and begins to, well... "dance in the knees" is the only way to describe it. He starts shouting about the "excellent" acoutics and all the other features "IPHOTO, GARAGE BAND, ICHAT, IDVD, ILIFE, EMAIL -  YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS BABY".  Other customers were beginning to stare at me, not at Josh mind you, at the woman twice his age looking to purchase a LOUD computer. "TOUCH PAD, GLOSSY SCREEN, SHARP DESIGN, BACK LIGHT...."

Now for the "Cheap Mac" portion of this tale:

As Josh kept screaming into the keyboard I noticed the new MacBooks are shaped like the AirBooks... I'm not a fan of this design and actually have a friend who thinks her AirBook is a piece of crap. So I asked Josh where the other models were and he announced that this model had just been released that day and all the "old" models were gone. UHG! Here's my other deal, I never purchase first wave models.  I know it sounds silly but I believe computer companies use consumers to work out the final kinks so the chances of getting a problem bug are greatly increased by purchasing a new version (this goes for software too). So I asked Josh what happened to the old models and he explained they boxed them up that day and sent them to the online clearance sale.  What??? An Apple Clearance rack with products that were in the stores yesterday?  In all my years as an Apple Customer I've never seen a computer on sale through the Apple Store.  So Josh and I pulled up www.apple.com and sure enough there they were, exactly what I wanted but on SALE!!!  So I poked Josh in the belly to make him giggle and ran home to order my new baby online for a pretty major discount.

The new computer arrives tomorrow and I can't wait.  If you're looking for a new computer I suggest you click on the link and take advantage of an amazing deal that (I'm positive) is not going to last much longer.  By the way, Josh told me the refurbished computers on apple.com are all new computers that customers probably took home and then returned within 30 days.  Apparently they do not resale "problem" computers, only the scratch and dents make it to certified sales. These prices were much lower then the clearance prices... considering they're under warranty and there's a 30 day return policy to fall back on should something go wrong it might not be a bad deal to consider.

Happy shopping!

S

In an attempt to utilize what little training I had under my belt, I signed up for the "Venus De Miles", a 35 mile road bike race for women .  Here's the note I sent my family a few days after my photo finish.

So I was invited ride the "Venus de Miles", a 35 mile road bike ride in the pasture lands just north of Boulder. I've never ridden the bike before, never used the clips (shoes connected to bike) and have always known that it takes weeks of practice to get on a road bike. We'll I brushed off these concerns and managed to ride like a superstar, blowing Erin and Barb out of the water... but who's competing?

I finished up with flying colors! Literally flying colors... and flying feet, flying helmet, flying gloves, and flying exposed belly. After 35 miles of incredible riding, Erin and I decided to cross the finish line holding hands for her husband, Chris, who had parted the sea of spectators to stand under the finish line flag with his iphone, ready to snap a photo of our triumphant finish. I had unclipped my pedals to allow for more control as we moved closer to the crowd and when Erin and I clasped hands I immediately discovered I no longer had any attachment to the bike what so ever... I screamed "let go, let go!" but she saw the danger (along with everyone else) and held on tightly in hopes that she'd be able to control the situation from the seat of her bike - I fell off my bike, and grabbed her waist to stay up (dragging feet off on her left) thinking "if we pull this off it will be an incredible move that everyone would think was practiced and planned"... but come to find out, Erin and I don't think alike. Through a burst of adrenalin, Erin found the strength required to break my grip and brush me off while continuing to pedal herself toward the end of the race. I fell from her waist down onto her back tire (feet off to the left, arms and head off to the right, belly on the treads) and in less then one half of a rotation, found all three of my shirts pulled up over my boobs, and my fleshy belly exposed to the energy being transfered from Erin's thighs to her rear wheel. I remained balanced on the tire for about 5 feet, stopping only when God took a break from laughing is spiritual butt off and reached down and plucked me from the tire and dropped me (belly flop fashion) onto the pavement. I rolled over just in time to watch Erin recover and cross the finish line.

The crowd was silent... I played it cool - stood up, looked behind me as if to say "what was that?!", pulled my shirts down, gathered my belongings, gave a theatrical "HA HA HA" with a wave of my hand, and prayed the bike would be ok for me to at least cross the finish line. I finished by sitting on the bike and rolling the remaining 10 feet to Chris and his iphone (the crowd parted like the Whos in Whoville, swinging open like a little gate to let the Grinch into the circle). Fortunately I had a change of clothes in the car and was able to alter my identity to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon without all the "Is your stomach ok?" questions from the hordes of she-men who had finished the race before me.

I got home to discover half of the rubber from Erin's back tire was ground into a crimson tread mark stretching from my belly button all the way up to the under wire of my jog bra. The pain was too great to apply water, much less the soap / rubber remover required to bring the picture back to something that resembled human flesh, so I stayed on the couch with my stomach exposed and watched bad TBS movies for the afternoon. It wasn't until the evening that I noticed my knee was the size (and color) of a grapefruit. I guess that's the silver lining. All is well - my Chris got a good belly laugh out of it and I imagine the pain in my body will subside about the same time as the pain in my pride.

I think they're sparing me from the shots Erin's Chris took - if they surface I'll pass them along.

I hope you're all doing well!
I love you!
Wish you were here to occupy my time with more normal activities!
Spice

Dear S Palin from Alaska,

Good question on a HOT topic!  Before I answer, are you by any chance… never mind! I invite all questions and respect every person’s right to anonymity. 

Let me start with your second question first. “Grassroots” does in fact refer to the portion of a plant’s biomass located beneath the surface of the soil. And yes, Prairie Dogs can damage these grassroots. But in Boulder’s case,  “Grassroots” describes the people who are participating in politics on a local level with the intentions of making changes to what’s going on nationally.  You might fine it interesting that the “Grassroots Effort” is considered the biggest factor in Barack Obama’s success … or maybe your not interested, I have no reason to assume something like this would matter to you.

On to Boulder’s affair with Prairie Dogs, (Genus Cynomys): Back in ’73, while harvesting a tiny crop of pot plants near what is now known as Airport Road, a Senior Bio Major at CU stumbled upon the petrified remains of a Jurassic baby seal … if it had fur it would have looked like the ones you see in National Geographic.  By scraping under the claw (there was only one) a Bio task force was able to date the time the Jurassic baby seal was alive back to about three years after the Ice Age, when things were beginning to thaw but there was still a span of ice crossing the Artic Ocean to Alaska. Through Carbon testing, DNA testing and acupuncture, the task force was able to determine this:

    Long before the Native Americans, the Eskimos, or the Russians… a small group of white baby seals (being chased by a Polar bear - speculation) turned South and began a trek that would bring them into the Western portion Laurasia (the other supercontinent…not Gondwana) and eventually land them smack in the middle of the land that would eventually be called Boulder Colorado.  During this long journey these precious little creatures changed colors, developed beady little eyes, discovered a joy for digging and evolved into what is now known as the modern day Prairie Dog - keeping only one similarity with it’s distant ancestor… the lack of a useable tail.

The citizens of Boulder choose to see beyond the fleas, the destruction of land and the wads of cash wasted trying to relocate the little mutts and focus on the history these little creatures carry in their blood.  A knowledge that will only be shared after the little guys find a plot of land they can truly call "home".

And there you have it S. Palin from Alaska! 

Thanks for the question and keep them coming!

-The Boulderite

Even I can't make that up!

-S

I'm not sure why I stopped publishing my "views" on the blog, I've written plenty of letters to editors and I've shared more then a few hours of wisdom with girlfriends over these past few months... I guess I just got busy. To be honest, I had forgotten about the blog but with Chris gone these past few days and the old insomnia kicking in (I swear it happens every Fall), and a CRUMMY bookclub book, my computer has been calling and I've discovered that I miss seeing my thoughts in print.

I thought I'd start a new catagory called "Letters Home".  I try to send little updates back to my family (more then anything, I use it as therapy for my Boulder issues) and this was one of the latest - it made me feel better!

Hi All!

So I'm up early this morning for two reasons - 1. Since 5:30 this morning, two magpies have been outside my window reenacting the scarecrow scene from the "Wiz" and 2. While standing outside throwing rocks and screaming my head off (in my boxers and tank- following them down the street!) the neighbor (getting his paper) shot me a terrible look and got my "Boulder's a bunch of freaks" dander up!  I tried to go back to bed but my husband seems to be applying the Iranian approach to diplomacy in the mattress territory... apparently the magpies weren't an issue for him so therefore "he snoozed and won".... please send sympathy.

All is well in Boulder - my last day of work in Denver will be Tuesday - WAHOOO!  It's been a crazy deal... I don't think I'll ever understand what the job description was. I was supposed to fill in for the staff producer but instead discovered I was third in line to supreme power - I awarded time off, told the assistant producer when people got free lunches (a random selection that I've never figured out), assigned artist to jobs (the one thing that made sense), told the bosses when to come to work (very weird because they'd fight me and say stuff like "really? Don't you have the password to my computer?  I thought I left a key to the drawer with the checks... Awwww!), negotiated all money spent and received - from printers, to freelance help to bidding jobs, and gifted maternity / paternity leave on three different occasions.  In my 12 weeks there were three babies born, two company trips to NY, 1 employee relocation to Denver, 10 employee vacations, 4 funerals, at least 20 different sick days and 2 family emergencies... this is a company of 10 people!  I'm exhausted.

As for wedding season - it's been tons of fun.  Last week Heather and I worked a wedding at the most amazing home yet... it's a 400+ acre ranch north of Boulder with 10 bunk houses all tricked out in western gear, horses, ATVs, cross country skis... you name it these homes have it,, barns, decks, lakes - everything.  The father of the bride was a famous music producer in the 70's. His top band was "Chicago" with Peter Satera (sp?).  He was lovely! His wife was a great nut case who has perfected the use of the f-word to an art form.  Heather tells a fun story about meeting "Lucy" for the first time on a snowy day in the family Escalade (the rugged vehicle of choice on Boulder ranches). Lucy was driving as the gang was scouting the wedding locations (the caterer, the florist, the decor designer and the bride - not the best bucket of tools should you find yourself in a winter emergency)... Lucy got to the farthest pasture from the big house and drove off into a snow drift up to the door handles - she looked into the back seat and casually said "now we're f-k'd!

The wedding was beautiful - it was rained out of its first location so Heather and I (along with the two assistants and 40 catering staff) managed to set up an entirely new ceremony under the small tent (the big tent was set for the reception and dancing) in the time it took to put the 250 guests back on the shuttles and bring them up to the big house paddock.  It was a great moment in Calluna Events History - the light sun shower turned into a huge downpour (you never know what's coming over the mountains) and in the craziness we managed to keep the bride and the groom on separate buses, the guests engaged, move all the flowers from one side of the ranch to the other, instruct the ranch hands in golf cart etiquette - they were asked to man the ATVs to move hay bails after the ceremony but we needed them to shuttle guests -, set up 250 chairs under the "cocktail tent" , and keep Lucy partially sober. All of Lucy's signs said we were f'd but when the bride and her 10 bridesmaids walked down the impromptu isle the crowd erupted and Lucy sighed a little "F yes" and then gave me a hug.

The other weddings have been fun - not as eventful but still entertaining. Chris has been home for about a month now.  As soon as my hours calm down it will be nice.  We have plans to camp, hike, ride... all the usual activities.  He called me the other day from a fly-fishing class (nope, I had no idea) and then yesterday he went to hit golf balls (another thing I knew nothing about). It's looking like his mid-life crises will be pretty mellow.  The evening temps have been lovely so we take the bikes downtown for dinner and people watching.  Yesterday was the big-wheel rally... yes, the big-wheel rally.  The adults in town all ride big-wheels and ram into each other, block cars, turn doughnuts on the pedestrian mall and ride off the edges of steps and benches to "catch wicked air".  My favorite was a 30 something lady dressed to match her yellow and pink big wheel - her granny panties were flying as much as her dress - she was smoking a cigarette, giving high-fives, and barking over her shoulder "follow me" to no one.  Classic!

Today will be some office work and hopefully a hike.  I've got a new client that requires some 24/7 management - this weekend has been a doozy. Julie (the woman returning on Monday) doesn't know what she's in for.  The bosses keep telling me about "the dream" that involves my continued participation but in all honesty, my "dream" involves me working from home... they laugh like I'm joking.  I've gotten some feedback from them (and clients) that makes me feel good.  I noticed a letter to Julie from Joel (president) to continue to incorporate some of the fun that has been introduced to the office over the past three months... Joel likes the ice-cream parties and Friday pizza parties.  I'll keep you posted on what they have in mind as far as a more permanent role for me. 

Let's see, what else -  the little foxes have started to "hunt". It's so cute to watch them in the mornings stalking the magpies and then freaking out when the bird flies off. Mom, did you get the article I sent? Isn't that great?  The fawns are a little more steady on their toes - they are about 30" tall these days. The mother's are weening (sp?) so the little ones spend the morning trying to get milk but instead get pushed away - they spend a few moments mimicking mother by moving from bush to bush, tugging on leaves and scratching the grass before trying again.  One of the mothers tucks her baby into the pocket of a bush in the back yard and then goes to feed for a few hours. I get to watch the little one about 2 or three times a week.  She's told to be still but in the comfort of sleep she ends up lounging around like a little hound dog.  The twins haven't been around lately but I'm sure they're having the same experience in someone else's yard.

Iran is stirring - coffee negotiations are generally more peaceful then the  400 count cotton trade so I'll wrap this up and see what's on the books for today. I think about all of you every day and miss you so much! Tell the kids hello (thanks for the b-day cards - they made my day!) Mom and Dad - we took ourselves out for a lovely dinner with your anniversary gift - Thank you!!!

Invitations are always extended if you ever want to come visit!
I love you!
Spice