Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Montrose
One morning we had a wonderful German breakfast, which looks a lot like a German dinner we learned, and before we knew it we looked at our watch and it was lunch time. We spent over two hours talking story. We never tired of the Gordy Stories!
They took us on the 5 star tour of Montrose. Saw Annika's favorite tourist attraction-Black Canyon, the house she grew up in and the "little red door" on her and Leo's house. The next day we were treated to a round of golf at the Bridges, the private golf course. They were doing a promotion to get more golfers so it was free. Thank God because it was not a pretty site watching us try and hit a golf ball in 40 MPH winds. Afterward there was a reception with free beer and wine. We got to meet several of Gordy and Silke's friends. they are celebrities in that town.
We were all going to go skiing at Telluride the next day but the weather turned on us and with the high winds came some snow and basically a white-out so we bagged it and hung out at the house and read and played cards. Roby and I learned to play "Hand and Foot Canasta" Silke and I beat the pants off of Roby and Gordy!!
Roby and I took off for Telluride the next morning and had a wonderful day of skiing. So much for warm spring skiing with lots of sunshine, but we could not complain at the 8 inches of fresh powder. We hit the new bowl at Telluride and had a great day. Sure beats working. Upon our arrival back in Montrose that evening, the Printz' had dinner waiting for us and a new guest. We got to meet Annika's Aunt Jeannie. Dinner was wonderful and we started up a "mean" game of Phase 10. (Kelly and Tim-we are carrying on the tradition-three new recruits). Had to get in a few episodes of Benny Hill with Gordy. (his twin)
Morning came too soon and our wonderful visit was coming to an end. I think we could get used to hanging with Gordy and Silke-we did not want to leave. But the next stop was calling our names. Off to Crested Butte.
We cannot thank Gordy and Silke enough for all they did for us. We have never been taken such good care of and had such a good time. We will strive to be just like them. Our idols the world travelers! We hope to see you along the way.
Montrose is near the top of the list for our new home -the Russell Stover Candy Headquarters is located there!!
I think Telluride has surpassed Del Mar as our favorite, though. Maybe half the year in Del Mar and half the year in Telluride.
OH MY GOD-We are in Heaven
We found probably the most sustainable and off the grid house. It was down in the bottom of the canyon with no electricity or running water. What a rough view they had. The Navajo also know where to set up shop. At the 1/2 way point with the most incredible view is a strategically placed jewelry stand. Cheryl and Kelly-I think this would be the perfect spot to sell your artistry.
The bike ride was exhilarating and we constantly needed to pinch ourselves that it was for real. One of the most purely enjoyable things I have ever done, that was of course until we reached the big hill we had to climb to get out!!
No worries though, made it with no difficulties. Awarded ourselves with a PB&J sandwich and headed to Montrose. We took the back route through all the farm and ranch lands of southwestern Colorado and arrived in Montrose around 9:00 pm. It was beautiful country. (Route through Mexican Hat, Bluff Utah, saw the San Juan River, Norwood Colorado, Ridgeway Colorado into Montrose)
We arrived and were welcomed by Annika's parents and a good German Dinner!
The little crack in the wall
Was definitely worth the detour
Finally out of Phoenix
We woke the next morning, finished the packing and headed out the door-albeit 1 hour late. With our luck we stopped at a subway for lunch and right next door was a motorcycle shop so we were able to get an estimate for the motorcycle. We would be able to file our claim once we hit Colorado and found a fax machine. Things were coming into line.
Since we did not really have any schedule we decided to stop off at Arcosanti-Paolo Soleri's sustainable city he has been builiding for over 30 years. Amazing what he is doing and his goal is to design and build a city where you live, work, and socialize for over 5000 people. they have workshops and internships and volunteer work to help with the building and learning how to do his pottery. You also get to take courses and interact with Paolo. Well worth it. Roby and I are considering going and living at Arcosanti for the 5 week program when we return.
Now that we are two hours behind schedule, we decided to forget having a schedule and bagged going straight to Monument Valley and took a detour to Antelope Canyon near Page Arizona. We needed some firewood so we stopped on the side of the road and broke some dead limbs off a tree and somehow piled them into the truck which was filled to the brim. Money is tight so we have to pillage our wood. We also encountered our first fiasco. The great idea to put the grill cover over the bikes did not fair so well. I guess it was not made to withstand the wind shear at 75 MPH.
We arrived in Page and found a campground mainly for RV's but it had an area for tents and it was pretty full. No wood fires were allowed so fortunately the weather was cooperating and we had a nice evening. Set up our new tent which was a snap!! We learned what real retirement was when I encountered an older lady brushing her dentures in the bathroom!!
I recommend Uncle Ben's Brown Ric packets, they need very little water and cook quickly which is important when you are hungry and cooking over a bunsen burner.
The next morning came early and we had to be at the Tour Place at 8:00 am for our adventure to Antelope Canyon. Good thing we are fast. We broke camp and got ready in less than 30 minutes and arrived on time.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Patti and Roby Contact Information
Long Awaited Trip Schedule
Still in Phoenix
Re-Define Confirmation
It's Never Too Late to Escape
by Dr. Steve Sjuggerud
You have to make some major changes in your life, right now.
Fortunately, making those changes doesn't have to hurt...
My friend Grant Pecoff made big changes in his life. He and his wife Layne used to live in San Diego. They had a nice three-bedroom house, three cars and every modern convenience. But he got tired of trying to keep up.
He realized he didn't need all that stuff.
Today, the Pecoffs have a one-bedroom house. And they share one car. But their quality of life is outstanding... and they're much happier. They're living on the water, on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. My wife and I visited them over the weekend.
"A lot of people don't realize that you can choose your life," Grant told me.
"We realized that we had lost our priorities along the way. So we got out of San Diego to reconnect with what's important to us. It's a lot less stressful here in the Bahamas, and I get lot more work done."
Grant is an artist. He lives in the Bahamas, but he still has his gallery in San Diego. Other galleries feature his art as well, like the Wyland Gallery in Key West (where I first saw his work).
While life as an artist might sound glamorous, it's stressful. Just think about it... Mortgage payments and car payments are fixed. But art sales vary... Your income goes up and down. So Grant did the smart thing. He got rid of his old fixed payments.
Grant told me taking that initial leap and moving was huge. "That initial leap gave us the confidence to take more steps - to make more choices. When you think about it, the definition of leap is that there is some moment where both feet are off the ground."
He told me, "Here, you can choose to never put shoes on all day... or to shower outside naked... or to walk for hours on the beach. It's up to you. We don't have fancy restaurants here or a hundred channels on TV. But they're not important to us."
The Pecoffs' new lifestyle is not for everyone... The house sits on a point, with water on two sides. But when they bought it, it had no electricity or running water. Even now, if you want a hot shower, you have to wait until the afternoon, when the sun has heated the water pipes on the roof. There's no air conditioning... You have to rely on the sea breezes. When it gets too hot, you take a dip in the ocean.
To read his story and see more of his work, visit: www.pecoff.com
Grant's life is different than it was in San Diego. He made the leap. He made wholesale changes. He got rid of the anxiety. He got rid of the need to keep up with the neighbors.
If you're stressing right now about money, you ought to consider making some changes. With Grant Pecoff as an example, the changes you make don't necessarily have to hurt as bad as you might think.
Grant escaped this market. He went down from three bedrooms to one... and from three cars to one. If you want to remove the anxiety, if you want to improve your quality of life, consider following Grant's lead.
You don't have to move to the Bahamas or go without electricity. But keep Grant's words in mind: "You can choose your life."
Take a moment to reflect on your priorities and see if you're living by them. If you're not, consider what changes you should make. Then...
Leap!
Steve
Sunday, March 8, 2009
TOTO We are Home
As we left the great state of California and crossed the border into Arizona, we had our first feeling of dejas vu. (A blast of 90 degree heat in the sand dunes of Yuma). Almost as if we were coming out of a dream and questioning whether our last three and a half years really happened. We were driving on I-10 in our own toyota truck heading to our house. Toto say it isn't so.