Lindsey and I finally made it to the Farmer’s Market today. It’s only taken a month of speculative planning for our date to happen, but we finally set out for pancakes and mimosas amongst the booths of Pioneer Park. Alas, the Happy Cake factory was not creating their delicious GF pancakes this morning, but they did have some fresh squeezed oj to complement our cheap champagne and smiles as we decided to sample some of the other choices at the market.
Diyona’s Designs is a company that creates jewelry out of antique typewriter keys, and as a writer and reader, I have long lusted after her creations. While Lindsey and I were exploring her boxs of keys, I came across a “shift freedom” key. Regardless of this keys use, I couldn’t help imagining all the different ways of shifting freedom.
I’m currently taking an African American lit class from Dr. Samuels at the U . A large focus in our class is the marginalization of African Americans through literature, and their attempt to radicalize their marginalization through writing, which is primarily recognized during the Harlem Renaissance. I have always loved Harlem lit. I wrote a thesis paper my senior year of high school of Harlem poetry and the emergence of jazz. The melodies of Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s “Sympathy” and Hurston’s response have constantly reminded me of the power of poetry, both subjectively and objectively.
My current idea for my grad school thesis is the marginalization and created/perpetuation of stereotypes through literature. What does the way in which a marginalized group in society is written do to create/perpetuate their stereotypes? What can be “shifted” through allowing these marginalized groups their own voice in literature? My idea is still really vague, and could take a million different paths. But nonetheless, I’m excited about the process of discovering what I will write about, eventually…

I’ve decided to ride the 12-hours of Sundance this Saturday; a 12 hour mountain bike that you can either ride solo, as a team of two or a team of four. My new roomie Ana and I decided that we would take a whack at it, essentially “off the couch”. Ok, so maybe not directly off the couch, but neither one of us has been riding long and hard either, more like quick jaunts around the Shoreline trail between classes and sunset. I’m a little nervous as to what 12 hours clambering on and off my saddle will to me, but I’m excited too!
To tell the truth, I’ve been a little grumpy lately. I feel like everyone is taking off on fun hiking, biking, and camping trips every weekend while I’m stuck here studying. I realized around 10 p.m. last Sunday night that I hadn’t had a face to face conversation with anyone since Jamon and Re left for Stanely, ID. on Friday. Coincidently (or not) I was so jealous I was mad. Pissed. On the brink of tears mad. So of course, I didn’t cry. Crying is for suckers. Instead of crying I’m just going to crush myself this weekend.
On a more positive note, my preparation for my first endurance has left me wondering, what on earth do you eat?? Normally you would eat fast carbs, but the whole gluten intolerance doesn’t really allow for the rapid consumption of cookies or fig newtons, so instead I’ve turned to google in search of some new gf cookie recipes. I came across a new gf site that has some tantalizing recipes, I’ll let you know how it turns out!

My friend Bill visited the ski sorority last week on his way home to Chicago. He is currently on leave from the Marine base Camp Pendleton in SoCal before heading to Iraq. I met Bill at Joanna’s wedding in May, he took over my room in San Clemente after my internship is over. He is what I like to call an instafriend, he is charming, smart, and really, really likes to sing and play his guitar. Bill is a music composition major from the University Miami, OH. Although if you ask his team, they may tell you that he is an English major.
From the minute Bill arrived the house was filled with music, whether it was classic country renditions, a song about Angeli, myself, or a picture on the wall, the music never stopped. It was like living in a musical…..
Luckily, Bill wanted to play outside just as much as I did on my last week before school, so we took the couple days he was here to hike Superior and Mill Creek. It was my first time hiking Superior in the summer and it was incredible, more of a scramble after you hit the ridge line, as the trail winds in and out of shale and is difficult to find, but it’s more fun to scramble up the mountain billy goat style anyway. Here are some pics Bill took of both our days hiking. Apparently I’d make a good marine, but I’m not too convinced, I think I’d rather keep skiing……..

Last month Re , Grant , Jamon and I headed to Crested Butte for the 4th festivities and some epic single track. Re, Grant, and Jamon had never rode the trails in CB before and I was excited to show them the best of the best, and just why I’m so proud to call Crested Butte my home. If any of you know Grant very well, you’re very familiar, with the em, “pleasant” demeanor whenever asked to ride up hill, or even worse, ask him to do so on cliplless pedals, but despite the epic climbs Crested Butte has to offer (riding Teocalli Ridge may not of been the best choice for him….) I’ve never seen Grant so stoked at the bottom of a descent.
We got in a 3 am on Thursday night, after narrowly making the liquor store in Grand Junction then snaking over Kebler Pass, but dragged ourselves out of bed to go ride Upper, Upper Upper, Whetstone Vista and Strand. I used to ride this trail all the time by myself between shifts at the Brick and the Stash and it is a BLAST. Upper/upper upper/ Whetstone Vista are fast, flowy, with short bursts uphill, then one big hill to Strand and a bomber downhill. We also rode Snodgrass (my “I just have to fit in a ride!” trail) and 401, which is probably one of the most fun descents anyone will ever have on their bike, and reminds me why I love my bike more than I like most people.
Any true Crested Buttian owns a costume box, with costumes for any CB festivity, national or local, and the 4th is no exception. Our parade demonstrates the local decadence, from our mayor Alan Bernholtz building a ski jump on a flatbed and jumping over flames the entire way down Elk Avenue, the Red Ladies dancing in their celebratory wear for Mt. Emmons, or the RMBL crew swaying down Elk clad in skunk cabbage,

photo cred: Re Wikstrom

no one does it quite like we do. O, and we have a MASSIVE waterfight at the end of Elk with fire hoses, Jamon attempted to outrun them, but he didn’t quite make it

photo cred: Re Wikstrom

The rest of the weekend may of been a blur between 4th of July madness, hangovers and bike rides. But really, I was just excited to show of my hometown yet again!

I can’t lie, school has been kicking my butt this past summer session, and my mum has been getting the brunt of my grumpy, sleep-deprived, I would rather go outside and play attitude. However, despite my less than cheery demeanor, she still loves me (serious proof of unconditional love, I would of probably stopped calling). I arrived home yesterday to a massive parcel, with lovely bottle of Noval 10-year-old port, and a card that says “wine a little, you’ll feel better”. Seriously, mum’s are the best! I think I’ll be able to finish my thesis paper now….. maybe Adam and Eve will look a little bit better after a glass of port and some nice chocolate!

I’m currently writing a research paper on Paradise Lost , if anybody ever thought that Eve was traditionally subjected to the stereotypical feminine, Maggie Kilgour begs to differ;
“Eve seems happy and self-sufficent in her solitude, while the extroverted and active Adam immediately craves and seeks others. After he has named the animals and met his maker, Adam is still unsatisfied and asks God for a partner, pointing out that ‘In solitude/What happiness, who can enjoy alone?’ (8.364-65). The newly created Eve might have answered this rhetorical question with a cheerful ‘I can’”

Yup. That just happened. Inverted sixteenth century feminine? I think so.

The sun is coming back to Salt Lake! At least while I’m stuck inside taking finals this week. The past month has me partially convinced that Salt Lake has actually relocated to the Northwest. I never thought that the muddiest rides of my life would be in the desert, but I was proved wrong last week! Re took some amazing photos, so I’ll post them once she emails them over to me! but finally, I think we are going to have some sun! YaY!

Hi my darling,
I didn’t think it would really get here, I suppose I just stopped thinking about it; which is odd, because ever since you’re accident my biggest fear has been forgetting you. Today you’re 20, you’re still asking me to buy you beer, but at least now it’s only one year away and since you grew up in CB, its kind of lost its novelty anyway. It’s so funny to think of how much I can claim as growth in the past two years, but at the end of the day, I’m only a year and 362 days older than you, I still want one bite of your reese’s, and my car is still ghetto. I miss you constantly, I miss your hugs, your laughter, and your goofiness. I miss cuddling on the couch watching movies or playing video games. Or watching you struggle up Strand Hill on a bike with a broken derailer and your stuck on the bike ring. I miss skiing with you everyday, and trying to learn every trick that you do. Your still my summer solstice twin; you will always bring a smile to my face and a skip to my heart. I miss you Ashcan, Ashwani, pumpkin. And pumpkin will always be a far better food name than croissant. love you always. Pip xoxo

I’m posting the best of the photos from the past season, enjoy!

It’s not that I haven’t been doing anything since I returned from Alaska, but more that I’ve had so many adventures I’m not sure how to get them all done on paper! and instead of writing each one out daily, I write none, so I’m sorry, I’ll be a better blogger. I promise!
I’m back in San Clemente for my old roommate Johanna’s wedding tomorrow, Sunday 10th May. It feels a little bit odd to be back. It is all so familiar and I think I raced out of here so quickly in the fall I forgot that it is possible to just go and sit at the beach. I think I lied on the beach twice while I leave here, which is honestly disgraceful. I was so consumed with filling all the time that I suddenly realized I had, that I didn’t take any time to relax, so this vacation, is purely about relaxing, ie. I woke up at 9, ate some yogurt, fell back asleep, woke up at 11 and then went to the beach. Absolutely amazing. I’ll work on more updates about what has been going on the past three weeks since I got back from AK, including a story about AK, and maybe even one about Kirkwood…..