Denver Century Ride

Sabra and I were at is again in the middle of June, we did the Denver Century ride!  There was several different distances that we could chose from and we both agreed to sign up for the Century which is 100 miles.  We both had the understanding that any time before or during the ride we could switch to a shorter distance if we didn't feel like we could make the 100 miles...as we came upon the last chance to ditch the 100 miles and get on the 85 mile route, we both agreed to keep trucking along on the 100 mile ride!

I was so nervous to climb Lookout Mountain as I hadn't climbed it yet this summer, but it was so much easier than I thought it was going to be!  The last 20 miles of the ride were awful...it was hot, there was nothing to look at, it was out by the airport, my ass was numb...and I just couldn't wait for it to be over, but it seemed like it took forever!  I was so happy when those 20 miles where over!

At the starting line...

After climbing Lookout Mountain...about 25 miles in!

100 miles completed! 

100 miles was not complete without a sunburn and blisters!

At the finish line...I was never so glad to see the finish line! 

I went home, took a shower and laid on the couch around 7 pm, I woke up on the couch at 9:30 am with Mia licking my face telling me she needed to go outside!  I have never needed a 14 hour sleep so much in my life!  I was exhausted!

The day after our Century ride we went cruising and had mexican food, margaritas, moscow mules, and beer!  We needed that relaxing day in downtown Denver so bad!  

Chris tightening up Sabs crusier!

Potawatomi Pow-Wow

After vacation to TX, I turned around and drove to KS join my family in Topeka for a weekend of celebrating my parents 60th birthdays!  It was a great time to spend with my mom and dad, my sisters and their husbands, and of course my adorable 3 nephews!  I really do cherish all the time that I get to spend with my family...they are the people that will love and accept me no matter what and it doesn't get much better than that! 

My dad is a registered Potawatomi Indian, and the indians have a super nice casino on their reservation in KS, just north of Topeka and every opportunity my dad gets, he is making reservations at the casino!  He loves that place, so what a better place to spend the weekend and celebrate him and my mom!  It just so happened to be the annual pow-wow on the reservation, so we attended it.  I was in awe of the drums, outfits, and dancing!  Not to mention the auh-mazing homemade kettle corn!  Here are a few pictures of the pow-wow, my adorable nephews, and my family....

The costumes, dancing, and drums were just amazing!  Of course, we didn't understand any of it, but it was fascinating to watch!  

My adorable nephew Hudson, he sure looks like his Papa!

Tori, Owen, and I

My handsome nephew Nicholas!!! Love him!

Love my DAD!!!

Sisters

Hudson loves his Nana like no other!  There is no one else around when Nana's there...Hudson is always saying her name and wanting her to hold him!

My cute nephew Owen!

I sure am lucky to have these cute boys in my life!  They are spoiled by Auntie Alli, but I wouldn't have it any other way!  That's what aunts are for!  Love them to the moon and back!

Letter to my 21 year old self.....

This entry was a link-up between several bloggers that I follow several weeks ago, but I loved reading all the letters and wanted to write on myself, but I am a little OCD about having my blogs in order of my life events...weird, I know, but it's how I am and I wouldn't have liked it any other way!  So, this entry was the next on my list as I am trying to play catch up with my blog!  I am sooooo far behind! 

Dear Allison (21),
Happy Birthday to you!  This is the year that you have been waiting for, November 2004...you can finally drink legally!  You will soon find out that it isn't as fun to drink when you are 21 as it was when you were under age...there is something about breaking the law that you liked...you little rebel you!  A little advice...it is not a good idea to completely fill out the 21 shots book that your sorority sisters made for you the day before you have nursing clinicals at 0630...you will get to your clinical on time, but you will have to excuse yourself from a patient's room to bury your head in the toilet and then lie to your preceptor; conviencing her that you are just fine...really all you want to do is curl up in a ball and die, but you get through it!  Thank goodness your clinicals were only until 2pm that day...a 12 hour shift would have killed you! 

Mom and Dad will take the whole family to Vegas for Thanksgiving a week after you turn 21, and you will not miss out on a chance to have every alcoholic drink possible...and you will eventually be so hammered that as Dad watches you and Jera walk toward his craps table...you two bump into each other and almost end up on the floor and Dad, well he would do anything not to claim you as his own! There is nothing "cute" about the "Save a horse, ride a cowboy" shirt that you bought at Rue 21, and when you look back on this Vegas trip you will want to shoot yourself in the head that you wore this shirt and actually thought it was the best shirt ever!

Nevermind the mean girl, she will NOT give up and will bully you until you will no longer let her...she loves getting a rise out of you!  When you finally realize that she will never be your friend; you give up trying to please her.  Unfortunately, she will move on to the next person when she realizes that you no longer care about being her friend, and she picks the sweetest girl ever...be there for that girl...she needs you, you know what it's like...it's not fun and it hurts like hell!  You will almost drop out of Delta Zeta because you think it's the only way to get away from her, believe me, you will thank yourself in 8 years that you stuck it out...you now love what Delta Zeta has to offer and have met so many wonderful people in the alumnae group.  Thanks for giving up on a toxic friend and sticking it out...those tears were worth it!

Stop trying to make it work with the guy that mom and dad would never approve of, your relationship with him is not up to par and it doesn't last much past March 2006.  Yes, I know, you think you are in love, but really he's selfish, doesn't really care much about you, in fact, he won't be able to make a decision about being with you until it's too late.  Yes, in 8 years, he is in medical school, married, and has the most adorable little girl, (everything you always thought you wanted and would have by now) but the truth is, you are so freaking happy where you are with your life that you are the first to congratulate him on his huge life events.  Besides in 8 years down the road, you aren't sure if you ever want to have children, you are so independent it doesn't bother you in the least that you aren't married, and you would never tolerate supporting a medical resident while you work your ass off....

Make every effort possible to drive the 15 miles and spend time with Grandpa and Grandma, jump on the opportunities when he calls and wants to take you out for dinner (even though it's dinner at the pig trough Golden Corral)...little do you know that you lose him sooner rather than later and you never knew what a broken heart felt like until he was gone.  You never knew that you could miss someone so much!  Cherish the time you have with Grandma when she actually knows who you are, when Grandpa goes to heaven, you will cry many tears when Grandma calls you Margaret; you will be devastated that she doesn't know who you are anymore...you know she's still alive and you make every effort to see her, but she's just not the "grandma" you had when growing up.  You will learn to love her even more than ever...it just breaks your heart that she is stuck in a small small world of her own...

You have so many great things ahead of you...yes, it'll be bittersweet to graduate college, move from that great small college town, leave your best friends, and be out all on your own, but you will learn to love life!  Believe me, every hard time you go through will make you stronger...in 8 short years you will be a very happy, independent person that loves life...keep pushing...life gets sooooo much better!

With much love,
Allison (29)

Miss Raleigh

Sister Trek got a baby sister...Miss Raleigh joined the family in early June and she's a blast!!!  Sister Trek is the athletic one and well, Miss Raleigh, she's the social one!!  They come in for a tie as to who is the favorite...all of you know I love the rush of going 30-35mph down the mountain in a beautiful canyon with Sister Trek, but Miss Raleigh, she makes my social life a little more excitable and of course you know how important my social life is to me!!!  There is no way Sister Trek is jealous of 40 lb. overweight Miss Raleigh that has no gears.  She is a beast and Sister Trek looks quite thin next to her! 

Sister Trek and Miss Raleigh!!!

Miss Raleigh has already been all over downtown Denver with me, my friends, and their cruisers and we have a blast!!  She's been to day concerts, exploring the night life, and just cruising down the trails with Mia in the basket!  I have to say that Mia isn't too fond of Miss Raleigh and her basket, but she tolerates it!  Miss Raleigh is the most fun after a few drink and believe me when I say she makes great skid marks!! :) 

First time in the basket...and well she hates it! :)

Mia cruising in Miss Raleigh!!!

Miss Raleigh is going to be making her first debut at Rockies game this weekend and I can't wait for a Friday night escapade on the cruisers with great friends!!! 

Road Trip to TX

At the end of May, my friend Rosa and I packed up the car and headed to San Antonio for a week!  It was a long road trip to say the least!!!  Rosa picked me up after 3 day stretch of 12 hour shifts after I got off work Wednesday morning and off we went! I snoozed until we got to TX, then took over the driver seat for the rest of the drive!

There isn't a road to TX that isn't complete with Whataburger...love!!!  

Rosa decided to get out the handy atlas when she thought that our navigator Sally was mistaken!

The view in my rearview mirror...

We arrived in San Antonio at the wee hour of 1am, and headed straight to bed!!!

Day 1:
After sleeping in, we headed to get our hair done and had lunch!!!  We explored the city a bit and then waited for Rosa's mom to get home to make some oh-so-yummy mexican food!  It was amazing!!!  We didn't indulge in that yummy food until we went for a run, in the nasty humidity...it was hot!!! That evening we just relaxed after our long road trip!

Day 2:
We travelled up to Austin to help Rosa's sister move some things back to San Antonio.  We then indulged in some yogurt and headed to a wine bar that evening!  They had some great wine!!

Rosa and I at the wine bar!

Day 3:

We went shopping and then headed to meet Rosa's friend's for lunch...it was the biggest day of the trip because we were soon going to be serenaded by George Strait!  I love good ole fashion country music! The concert was great with Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride opening for George!  The concert was crazy long, but worth every penny!  

Waiting for George...

Day 4: 

I got up and went to mass and then we headed out to meet Rosa's friends for brunch!  

After brunch we headed to the Riverwalk!  We visited the Alamo, took a boat ride down the river, walked along the river and had sushi for dinner!  It was a great day to just explore the historical part of San Antonio!  

Rosa and I on the Riverwalk!!!

Day 5:

We headed to the Natural Bridge Tavern and the drive thru zoo!!!  The Natural Bridge Taverns were pretty amazing!!!  And the zoo, well it was fun to throw food out of the window to the animals!  

This part of the caverns was amazing...all of the different shapes, columns etc. are made from the natural water that flows through them!

Emerald water...so pretty!

Baby eating...

Getting a little too close for my comfort!

Mean ole ostrich!  

We accumulated a ton of food when all the of the people leaving gave us their extra food!  

You would have thought that these guys were never fed!  

Day 6:

We left San Antonio at the butt crack of dawn and drove back to CO!!!  I drove the first leg this time and Rosa took the wheel the second half!  I have a major case of narcolepsy when I am the passenger seat of a car on long road trips, so of course I slept the whole second half of the trip back to CO!

We had a great trip and I really enjoyed meeting Rosa's family and friends!  They are great people!  Can't wait to take our next road trip!!!

While we were on the trip, Rosa and I signed up for my 2nd half marathon and her first!  We start training on July 29th!!!  We will be Rockin' n Rollin' in Denver on Oct. 20th!!!  YAY!!!!