Even better, when we got home? Leftover Xmas cookies.

I'm back!  Did you miss me?  I was off having adventures.  And this time most of my adventures didn't involve blisters OR extreme sidetrips into the realm of stinkiness.  Much.

JD and I flew out to see my Mom and Dad for Christmas.  We're on a three year rotation.  Last year was JD's Mom's year.  This year was mine.  Next year, we're staying home.  In theory anybody is welcome to travel to our home for Christmas, but in practice there is a strong bias in favor of the bipedal grandchildren.  Presumably because Dori refuses to wait until Christmas morning to open the presents.

So JD and I flew into Phoenix, and then we stopped.  Previously we flew into Phoenix, rented a car, drove for a couple of hours, and then collapsed for two days at the other end.  Stopping in Phoenix is so much easier.  AND it meant that we got to eat at Sweet Tomatoes, which is a wonderful restaurant, existing only in places where we do not, currently, live.  So after a good night's sleep and more salad than you can shake a fork at, we finally arrived at Chez Mom and Dad.

It was a pretty nice, relaxed Christmas.  I love nice, relaxed Christmases.  We did jigsaw puzzles, and went for walks, and calmly discussed the fact that I want nothing to do with Skype.  And we ate.  We ate A LOT.  I'm afraid to get on my scale now.  Not so much because the number will be higher.  More because I'm afraid I will give it a hernia.  My double chin grew an extra chin this weekend.  I blame that bitch See, whoever she is, and her yummy, yummy candies.

On Saturday JD and I went for a hike in the Dells, which are fantastic weathered granitic formations.  In three hours, while almost completely covered, and with two applications of sunscreen, I burnt both my hands and my face.  I am not made for desert living.

On Monday we started the travel in reverse, only this time we didn't go to Sweet Tomatoes.  We went to Julio's and had excellent Mexican food and met up with my hiker friend Phoenix Rising.  I suppose I feel like I know her a lot better than I really do.  We hiked together in 2005, and then I saw her for like 90 seconds last year.  But we've kept in touch, and she sent me trail magic all during 2010.  She's planning to hike a big chunk of trail this year, and I hope to return the favor.

Everybody else Skyping

Mom's furniture is a little snarly.  What's up with that?

Look!  I got a fuzzy, soft, wonderful scarf!  It's delightful.

My folks looking cute.  It didn't take much persuading to get them to go to a brewpub for Christmas Eve dinner.  JD and my Dad don't even drink, but their wives do.

A redhead attempting to minimize the damage

The fact that this is so weathered that you can't read it anymore is slightly reassuring.

That sky!  Those wacky rocks!  Love 'em.

A lone decorated tree along the trail.

Sigh.  So pretty.

Actual video proof of me riding

Wow, what a great day!  It had the potential to be awful, with bad weather and whatnot.  But it turned out beautifully.

Nasty weather on the radar spooked me out of riding in the morning, so I changed out of my breeches and into my spandex.  (And OH BTW, it just occurred to me THIS MORNING that Spandex is just "Expand" with the syllables reversed.  I am a little slow this millenium.  Also the last one.) I went out to Greenbelt park and did my slow jogging thing.  I figure I jogged about four miles, total.  (Slowly.  Like molasses on a cold day.  But it was jogging and it counts, okay?)  That's the farthest I've jogged since at least high school.  I can't remember how far I ran when I did cross country practice.  (Also slowly.  I was not a star of the team.)  I carried rain gear the whole way but it didn't rain.  Should have carried a water bottle.  I soaked through all of my clothing with sweat.

When I got home, I ate some lunch, and then I gathered up JD to come out to the farm with me.  He brought his camera:

I used to have a mug with the caption "Never a bride, always a groom"

Me and my giant bottom cleaning the horse

Pluto was not thrilled to be ridden alone.  Usually his pal Timber is there.  This time not only wasn't Timber there, but it was windy, there was a loud radio, there were people in the graveyard, and a truck kept backing up past us.  He was distracted.

JD took some video of me.  Besides the vast expanse of my butt, the things I noticed most were that I talk a lot, and that I need to do exercises for longer.  Pluto needs to get used to trotting several times around the arena, not down one side and then we halt or walk.

I had hoped to work on extensions today, and we did a very little bit.  The problem was that Pluto interpreted every cue as "Canter now!"  He really likes this cantering thing.  He would like to do more of it.  Below you see him juuuust starting to extend and then WHEE WE'RE CANTERING!

He got a little excited and pranced around with his head up for a while, which I don't intend to show you because we both look like dorks.

And then, as he ALWAYS DOES, he undid all the brushing as soon as we got back to his field:

I has a bliss

And then after that JD and I went to Teppanyaki Grill and stuffed our faces.  I felt totally justified, having jogged and briskly walked for two hours, and then ridden my horse for some indeterminate length of time.

I came home and iced my shins because they were a wee bit sore, and sadly the dishes still have not done themselves, but I am counting today as a great day.  I'm really happy, Internet.  This is good stuff.