Life Without Selina...

Well, it just isn't as fun.  However, it is good to get back into somewhat of a routine with school and work and the like.  I have yet to clean my room, but my excuse is that I have more important things to do (ie. sleeping, reading, eating, listening to music, walking the dog, relaxing by the fire...).  Work is so far unexciting except for the exceptional number of drunk people that seem to flock to The Palace on Friday nights.  I apparently have gained a new job which involves forcefully shepherding intoxicated groups of people away from reserved tables and placing them as far in the back corner as possible.  However, I think this is only because the servers don't want to have to deal with those difficult folk.  French class is basically the same as last year and we are still in review mode so it is not too hard yet.  The snow continues to melt and is slowly receding every day.  I currently cannot find my phone so...  Also, did I happen to leave my cupcake calendar and an old book behind in my room?  I can't find them anywhere and I have the haunting feeling that they didn't make it out to the car.  Well, I must go write some essays :(  

Love yall much!!!

-Kate

KK and NaNa's Adventures

Granola bar hippies heading out for a drive

Our skilled driver

Perched near our car-picnic spot

The two beauties and their new hats

Climbing up a snow bank was Selina's idea

Finally, someone who takes their crackers as seriously as I do.

Sun on the mountains

The photo does not do the sky justice.

My big sis came to stay

We ate good food

And played all day.

We walked Bubba-boo

In snow and ice and cold

And got snow in our shoe!

Laughs were plentiful

Frowns were few

But lets not get too sentimental.

Kate read till her throat was dry

Selina scrubbed dishes every meal

And somehow we parted without a cry.

But now our trip is at an end

With memories many

Plus this lame poem I penned.

-Anonymous person named Kate Hamilton

Sunny Snow

What a lovely day. After a fun and uneventful drive yesterday and eleven hours of sleep, Kate and I awoke to a sunny, snow-covered day. While the younger of the two of us remained unconscious in her sleeping bag with only the top of her head showing, the eldest peered eagerly out the window at the light spreading over the mountains and the valley. The crystallized aspens against a blue sky make me smile. We got up, took showers, and ate Kate's yummy breakfast blend of oatmeal, white grape juice, and grape nuts. It appears that Kate will have all new housemates this semester, not including Marci and her daughter. One addition is a professor of public health, and two of the others are a couple who are mountain guides.

We toted our knitting and journals into Eleanor and headed down to Durango. I am impressed by Kate's winter driving skills and calm demeanor in icy conditions; however, despite her skill and cool, we managed to slide into a snowbank on our descent. She had the option of steering us into a stop sign, a snowbank, or an intersection, and she chose the best option. This event was witnessed by a kind lady with her skis and dog who offered us a shovel from her nearby home, but on the way to retrieve the tool she fell with her skis and landed in such a way that I found it difficult to restrain myself from laughing. She was unharmed. We then had our knight in shining armor stop and tow us out with his truck. I am sure we looked like two pathetic Texans with our shovel and a bag of kitty litter. C'est la vie. Kate handled the event like a champ, and we resumed our journey into town.

We spent several hours at the Steaming Bean, and then stocked up on some healthy groceries. You both would be proud. Kate and I played some Blitz, and then took a walk around her neighborhood. I walked with my mouth open at how beautiful the snow looks falling on the mountains and the way the sun reflects off the trees. My tour guide and I then made hot tea, and are now sitting by a fire.

We be loving you guyses.

Selina

Even Peregrinators Find a Place of Stillness Sometimes

Warm weather the week before Christmas.

 Preparing trail (week before Christmas).

Christmas Day -- 2010 

 Christmas angel amid winter grass and granite.

I'm not in Texas anymore...

My car got broken into last night, but don't worry, nothing was taken.  I never thought I would be saying this, but thankfully I didn't lock it so the window wasn't broken in.  Unfortunately, Bre, Ben, and several neighbors weren't so lucky and they now have no windows.  On the up side, my concert last night was SO FUN!!!!!!!![these last six are for you Dad]!!!!!!  It was a huge success and I think it was the best we ever played.  A few squeaks here and there, but that was expected.  Finlandia was a crowd favorite and ours as well.  Yall will have to listen to it on youtube, but it is kind of a scary and intimidating piece because of the strong tympanum and winds and the minor key (four stinkin flats!) and we played it so aggressively last night that I think we scared Kasia (KA-sha), our conductor.  I was so into this one part that I almost threw my bow into the stand next to me!  I guess I maybe shouldn't have played the up-bow with that much gusto because I was only holding on by one finger and had to take a whole measure to recover.  Fun times.  I have so much to do before I come home, but I will conquer and hopefully be home on the 11th.  The weather has been relatively warm (hi 45, low 20) and we have had clear skies except for a storm over the La Platas last night, so I am not worried about the winter weather on the drive home. 
I love yall more than Finlandia.

-Kate


"Happy times are sure to last as long as you throw your belongings at other people and never lock your car."
                                            -anonymous wise person