Tag Archives: loving life

Skiing in Breckenridge

13 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Daily Life, Finding Me, Reviews

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“I feel the need to endanger myself every so often.” ― Tim Daly

After returning from Florida, we spent one week in NY then went skiing in Colorado.  Breckenridge was divine.  Too bad we cannot be on vacation forever.  Real life was here waiting for me. 

The audit headache continues.  The new auditor that we had to hire is proving to be more difficult than the actual regulators.  He has given me information that is different than the regulation that I know.  At this point, with 2 weeks to go, I have no choice, but just go along and get this done.  After this audit is submitted then I will have decisions to make.

Right now, after putting out a fire, I am taking a break to have coffee. I am using this moment to tell you about my skiing vacation.

I am sharing some of the pictures from Breckenridge below.  Here are some of the highlights and lowlights:

  • We got upgraded to first class on the flight there. On the return we were upgraded to Delta comfort only, but still we had tons of room and a great flight.
  • The shuttle from and to the airport worked out perfectly. We didn’t want to rent a car or to take a chance with Ubers.
  • I was inflicted with altitude sickness for 2 days. I missed one day of skiing. Still, the good 4 days more than made up for those 2 days.
  • The weather was perfect!! It snowed overnight a couple of days, and also on the last day there.
  • It was not crowded on the mountain. There was no wait on the lift lines.
  • My new ski boots are amazing. Easy to put on and remove it, and so comfortable.  Comfortable boots makes such a difference.
  • My new ski goggles, with room for my prescription glasses, was a game changer.  In the past I was pretty much blind on the mountain.  Now I can read the signs, use my phone, etc.
  • My new skis are great, and it means that I don’t have to deal with the hassle of renting. I will still rent when bring my own skis may not be convenient.
  • We ate out 4 evenings. I am highlighting 2 of the meals here.  The best and the worst.
  • The best meal was at Mimos Fancy Tapas. Everything was delicious and perfect. From the service to the ambiance.  We will definitely return next time we are there.
  • The worst meal was at Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant. The food had no flavor and the service was inattentive. Will never return and will warn others about it.
  • Michael wanted to stay in Breckenridge an extra week. I have to keep reminding him that I still have a job. So, we came back.

Skiing continues to terrify me.  I still struggle with it.  I feel out of control. I panic.  Still, I continue… because… I absolutely adore it! Go figure…

Now my focus is on getting this audit done.  We will probably go back to Florida, and also go to Brazil at some point in the next few months.  So much to do, so little time available to do it.

I hope everyone is having a great March! 

Delta’s delicious breakfast

Best food at Mimos Fancy TapasBest Food at Mimos Fancy Tapas

Mimos Fancy Tapas

Mi Casa – worst food ever – flavorless

Tom’s baby-the largest piece of gold found in Colorado

On the chairlift , feeling grateful

My happy place

A gorgeous snowy day

Ten Mile Station lodge

Ten Mile Station lodge

“I am jealous of those who think more deeply, who write better, who draw better, who ski better, who look better, who live better, who love better than I.” ― Sylvia Plath

Am I getting a friend with benefit? Have I become that person?

11 Friday May 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating, Finding Me

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“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.” – Henry David Thoreau

Am I getting a friend with benefit? Have I become that person?  .. Well not quite, but inching closer.

I broke a record last night. I had 4 drinks. I had 3 passion fruit mojitos and 1 frozen cosmopolitan. I don’t think I ever had that many drinks in one single evening before but in my defense we started at 5 pm, so it was in the course of a long night. I have never gotten drunk in my life, and yesterday was no exception. I didn’t even feel tipsy.

Getting up at 5:45am this morning after going to bed after midnight was no fun. However I am so completely happy. I needed that night out. I needed to let my hair down. I needed to get caught in the rain. I needed to feel alive.

Last night I met my doctor friend at the Pampano Restaurant in NYC. This is where we went last time we got together. That last time was an impromptu dinner date. I had been to his office and he had asked me if I wanted to grab dinner. We walked around NYC until we stumbled into Pampano. We were happy we did. So when he asked me if I wanted to return there I happily said yes. I had been dreaming about their passion fruit mojitos.

We had been talking about getting together since that last time. He seemed eager to see me. All of a sudden his texting seemed to have more kissing icons and then there was his calling me love and sweetie. Was he always like that and I just only now noticed? At any rate I just joined in, welcoming the attention.

We met at 5pm and sat at the bar for about 1 hour then we moved upstairs to have dinner. We love everything about that place. The food, the service, everything was impeccable. We had fish for every course, halibut, tuna and groper. We enjoyed them all. For dessert we had the Mexican chocolate cake and it was so yummy.  He also had Mexican coffee and I had a couple of sips of that.  I had never tried it before and it was surprisingly good and stronger than all of the other drinks.

Besides a quick 5 minutes on how I am doing with my gluten free diet (poorly) and taking my vitamins (better), we mostly talked about life and being in the moment.  Contrary to the last time we were there, this time included a lot of flirting. I knew and he knew that kissing was a just a matter of time. It happened right before the dessert. I got up to go to the ladies room and he pulled me to him and kissed me. I kissed him again upon returning to the table.

When we left the restaurant we decided to walk around the area and find a cute bar to go into. It started to drizzle and we just walked in the rain holding hands and stopping to kiss at times.

“Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman

I was in the moment, truly enjoying every second of it. The attention, the alcohol, the kissing, the rain, everything contributed to make it all perfect.

I know we are not a couple and I know we will not be a couple. Nothing has changed, and I am okay with that. In fact, I want that. I don’t want things to change. I want to remain friends.

It is hard to explain. I like him. He likes me. We have deep, amazing conversations. He challenges me and I challenge him. He lets me know when I am not being in the moment or when I let my ego get in the way of things. I point out when he is not behaving as he preaches. We have similar ideas about life and what we want to do now and upon retirement. We are both so grateful and incredibly aware of the blessings we have been given.  Somehow all of that doesn’t seem enough to make a romantic relationship work. Actually, not even that. All that is not enough for him to want a relationship with me.

In the past I questioned that.  I didn’t ask him.  I spend time trying to figure that out.  As I mentioned before, we attempted dating in the past, around 3 years ago. I was more into him than he was into me, or perhaps into being in a relationship. When he disappeared I understood that he didn’t want anything serious. I was upset for a little bit but decided to get over it. When he came back, I welcomed him back as a friend. We didn’t talk about his disappearance, we also didn’t resume the romance part of it. It was strictly friends. Until last night.

I see now that in the past I took things personally, trying to find a fault, a reason why he didn’t want to continue dating. I am no longer even curious about that. I realize things are just as they should be. Even though on paper and on a date here and there we may look perfect together I think that we could never make it far as a couple.

Last night we added kissing to our friendship. I know that it may blur the lines or make things messy but I think I can handle it. Somehow, and perhaps foolishly, I believe we both can just have this kissing every now and then not affect or change anything. Of course everything remains to be seen.

“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” – Kurt Vonnegut

I just need to make sure that kissing is all that there will ever be. Sex creates drama and casual sex is not for me. I know myself and know I would get emotionally attached.  I would have expectations.

To finish the evening we walked into a place called Lips. It turned out to be a Drag Queen show place. It was towards the end of the show but we still got to see the host telling some jokes, and then Mary J. Blige and Lady Gaga. It was so much fun. The place was very welcoming the moment we walked in. I would definitely return.

After that we took an Uber to where he had parked his car and he drove me home.

I love that I have no expectations and that I am perfectly fine with things the way they are. I will definitely see him again, perhaps for dinner or brunch, perhaps with kissing or without it. Maybe next week, or in a few months.  And it will be fine and enjoyable.

It is wonderful to discover that I can change.  That I can be accepting. That I can be okay with living on surprises and having no expectations. I feel stronger emotionally.  Things can be more than black and white. The present moment can actually be better than the expectations I have for the future.

Here is to blurring lines and being okay with it!

“Don’t live the same day over and over again and call that a life. Life is about evolving mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.” – Germany Kent

Don’t wait for anything or anybody, go ahead and do it!

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Daily Life, Finding Me

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Snowmass, CO - heavenly!!

Snowmass, CO – heavenly!!

I have been procrastinating planning a skiing trip since the beginning of December.  I finally realized why.  I have been waiting!  I have been waiting for the right time, the right location, the right weather, the right price, but most important and most disturbing to me, I have been waiting for company, for someone.  I have been waiting for a miracle in the form of a person.

I have been waiting for someone to step up and say: I want to go skiing with you!  I had this crazy idea that by now I would have met someone, not to love me, but just to ski with me.  No such luck!   Well, perhaps the luck is in not finding someone and to have to face certain truths.

It has been a daily thing.  I get up motivated thinking today is the day that I will make decisions as far as my trip is concerned.  I start researching places and dates and all of a sudden it all seems too much and I let it go.  I keep coming up with excuses:

Excuse #1: It is too much money! Truth: I am a wise spender and like to indulge on this I love such as skiing trips and massages.  Plus I have been saving for it!

Excuse #2:  It is not the right time to be away from work.  Truth: There never seems to be a perfect time to be out of the office.  I have done it many times before and everyone survived.

Excuse #3: I am sure the moment I plan something I will meet someone and the plans will conflict.  Truth: It could or it could not happen, but waiting for it is dumb.  If I meet someone, they can either fit in my plans or they can wait until I am done with my plans.

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone”
― Pablo Picasso

I have been guilty of doing something that, a long time ago, I had vowed never to do: To wait for someone to do something with or to get something done.  Shame on me! I should and I know better!  I have done so much alone, with no issues or problems.  It is time to get back to that fierce independence, and just get out there and do it!

My beautiful (she is my identical twin lol) and wise sister said to me today: What is going on?  You always went on trips alone and you always had a lot fun! Stop making excuses!

My advice to you and at the same time to me is: Don’t wait until tomorrow and, most important, don’t wait for others!  Start living the life you want now!  All it takes it a first step! Embrace yourself, embrace now! (Are you listening Miss Blessed?)

The right time is now!  The right person is you! You alone are enough!  If it needs to be done, needs to be done now!  If you want to experience something, try something new, a new sport, a new craft, whatever it is, start now!

What do you want to accomplish? Look into your heart, I am sure there is at least one thing you want to do or try.  Can you imagine if you had already started it last week, last month, last year?  So don’t waste any more time!

Don’t wait until you lose weight to wear the clothes you like, to take a trip, to go on dates.  Life doesn’t wait for anyone.  Life is going by while we make excuses not to live it.  Life passes while we make plans or, worse, plan to make plans. So instead we just watch life, we watch others all around us, we watch it on TV.  We make ourselves busy with nothing, instead of getting out there and doing something.

As soon as I post this blog, I will get focused on finalizing my trip details.   I am still all over the place, from flying to Utah at the end of January to renting a car and driving to Vermont in February, but I have faith that by Friday I will have it all set!

“Today is a new day. Don’t let your history interfere with your destiny! Let today be the day you stop being a victim of your circumstances and start taking action towards the life you want. You have the power and the time to shape your life. Break free from the poisonous victim mentality and embrace the truth of your greatness. You were not meant for a mundane or mediocre life!”
― Steve Maraboli