From Montana to TN - by way of Florida

OK - OK!! I know I have been very, very lazy about posting to my blog. Facebook is quicker and easier. Perhaps I should change my attitude about blog posting and redefine it as a Facebook clone. I do get to go on and on on this page, however; knowing this, I tend to put off reserving the time to update my blog. But, then again, I wind up spending an inordinate amount of time on Facebook - so much for the "quick and easy" argument!!

Since my last posting, I have driven - yes DRIVEN A CAR - from Montana to Tennessee. Then hopped on a plane back down to Clearwater for a quick warm-up before driving back to TN with Jim. Now, I absolutely love to drive, so that's no problem for me, and my trusty I-Pod podcasts provided all the conversation I needed. I caught up on all my favorite podcasts - Fresh Air, Splendid Table, Speaking of Faith, Shields & Brooks, Talk of the Nation, Prairie Home Companion. I just podcasted my way across the country!!

Leaving Big Sky on Tuesday morning, my goal for the end of the day was Loveland, CO, where I had a Homelink overnight stay planned. I left in the snow and arrived to a BEAUTIFUL snowfall in Loveland - such big, wet flakes followed me the last 30 miles into Loveland. Darlene and Gene welcomed me with a glass of wine, a great dinner, and a cozy bedroom - so much better than a cold, impersonal hotel room.

The snow from the previous night arrived without any significant wind, so those big, fluffy flakes flocked everything in sight. I just couldn't believe my eyes! Even more unbelievable was the fact that the roads were perfectly clear due to the moderate temperatures. Darlene and Gene's home is at the top of a mountain and I was able to get down the narrow mountain road without any problem.

Since it was only 4 days before Valentine's Day, I just couldn't resist sending my Valentine cards with a Loveland postmark. Loveland, Colorado - where Valentine's greetings are posted on the streetlamps!!

Many people mail their valentine greetings to Loveland to get the postmark, but I was there "on the ground" and took advantage of the opportunity. I managed to spend almost 2 hours in Loveland selecting cards, going to the post office and making pictures.

Since my goal for the end of that day was Kansas City, I got off to a late start. Soooo....... I was moving rather rapidly across Kansas - straight roads, no traffic, etc. .... when I met up with a nice Kansas state trooper. Suffice it to say, I made my contribution to the Russell, Kansas bailout fund! I arrived in Kansas City around 9 pm, grabbed a Sonic burger, and went to bed - quite a contrast to the warm hospitality in Loveland the night before.

My third day on the road, Tennessee was calling my name! I was up early with a quick breakfast at Holiday Inn Express and on the road by 8 am. I arrived in Nashville on Thursday at Marci and Ryan's at about 4:30 pm, glad to be back in TN. When I hit I-24 in Paducah, KY, the damage from the recent severe ice storm absolutely amazed me. It will take a lot of time to clean up the devastating destruction of this event. I actually felt grateful that the freeways were cleared and that I didn't have to find a hotel room, many of which were occupied by local residents who still don't have electric power almost a month after the storm.

Marci had a great dinner for us, we watched the first episode in the new Survivor season and tried to watch a movie - emphasis on the word "tried". I think I was asleep inside of 15 minutes!

I was up early the next morning and off to Monteagle for a quick overnight with Jimmy and Will. Since it was the eve of Valentine's Day, I made cupcakes for Will and his two friends to decorate and picked up some valentine window stickers for the elevator doors. The best Valentine hug award goes to Will - my favorite grandson!!

Saturday morning, Valentine's Day, I was off to the airport for Valentine's dinner with my husband! That will be my next post - I promise - soon!!

Fun in Montana!!

We have been in Montana since January 20. Can you believe I was on a plane on Inauguration Day?@!! Thanks to the magic of Blackberry, I was at least able to download Obama's speech and read it before we touched down in Bozeman. What a wonderful day!!

We had a decent amount of snow this trip - not the 500 inches we had last year, but still better than most. All of my favorite runs were skiing very well and there was enough powder to give my quads a great workout. No, marathon training just doesn't do the job on those quads - I even had some upper body soreness. One of the most frustrating things about an aging body is that you just can't take muscle tone for granted - aargh!!!

Our Chattanooga contingent was in Big Sky for 10 days and we had a great time. This was the first winter trip to MT for Bess and Randall - I don't think they missed much, from snowshoeing to dogsledding to snowmobiling in Yellowstone, I think they slept very well at night.

Connie and Kat, my snowbunny ski buddies, are back for our annual ski bash. This time, they brought their hubbies. With eight people in our condo, it was reminiscent of college weekends, except that I actually remember what happened!

The Friday night sleigh ride at Lone Mountain Ranch was, as usual, a real treat. We girls all wore our furs and climbed into the sleigh pulled by our two horses - Minnie and Pearl. They swore it was conincidence that we were from TN, but we love thinking that this team was chosen especially for us.

Our driver, Bruce Anfinson, was also the entertainer for the evening once we got to the cabin. Bruce is quite an accomplished storyteller, guitar picker and singer/songwriter from Montana.

The meal at the cabin was quite good, particularly the prime rib, served with horseradish and sauteed mushrooms . There's just something about riding through the brisk outdoors that makes food taste so much better.

I just can't seem to keep up with my blog. There's more Montana fun to report, but I am on the last leg of my cross country trip - Montana to TN in 3 days - so, I'm off to bed in Kansas City and ready to head on in to Nashville tomorrow.