Day 2. Settling in to a favorite old sweater

Feels great to be back! Like slipping on an old sweater.

Today was filled with end-of-year work (planning for 2010), and an afternoon spent helping our daughter in her home. You know, the stuff where a Mom, Dad, or credit card can come in mighty handy.

The clear Colorado air and a few inches of fresh snow reminded us that we weren't in Texas anymore, and the view of the sun setting over foothills west of Fort Collins assured us that were weren't in Kansas anymore, either, Toto. We lived here in Fort Collins for many years, so it is comforting to be back. My first job out of UNC grad school was here with HP in 1979, and I returned with my new bride after our HP European assignments in 1987. We enjoyed living here, but had to move to Andover Mass with HP in 1993. During our time here, Kristin was born here in Fort Collins in 1988; who could have guessed she would come back here to attend CSU 18 years later? We also had a town home in Wildernest, north of Silverthorne/Dillon in Summit County for most of the time, and fell in love with the mountains. Many great memories we will surely recall when we go back there to visit next week.

It's cool being back after so many years; the trees have all grown taller, the houses older, and of course there are new shops and housing developments everywhere. But the flavor of the town hasn't changed a bit. "Wide streets and Narrow Minds" was the Fort's reputation, but we found the people to be sincere, down-to-earth, warm, and well educated folk.

We made lifelong friends here in Fort Fun, some of whom we will see tonight at a New Years Eve dinner party at Susan and Tim Gallagher's home. We were all drawn together in part because we were all discovering fine food and wine; we even had a wine club where we would overindulge on a regular basis, developing our palate as well as our tolerance for spending a pretty good chunk of money on wine and dinner. I suspect we will break a record tonight! Stay tuned. Pictures tomorrow.

Day 1. Entering the Great State of Mind

OK, so, this may be really the dumbest blog you ever read. Now that you are forewarned, I will explain what this blog is all about. But first, a couple caveats:
1) I don't know how to blog. I have never attempted to blog. I am not even REALLY sure what the hell a blog is.
2) I am not a particularly good writer (as already evidenced, I am sure)
3) I am not sure I have anything to say.

Ok, Whew! Glad that is out of the way! :-)

For the next month (roughly the month of January, 2010) Lynne, Zorro, and I will be living, working, and playing in Colorado. And this blog will be my attempt to capture the experience.

We have never done anything remotely like this before. It all started a couple years ago in Steamboat Springs, where we were vacationing with our dear friends Phil and Kay Rawlins. We thought, "hey, wouldn't it be nice to live here in Colorado (again)? Even for a month or two? Pretend to be a local without having to pay Colorado Income Tax or even necessarily become a Denver Bronco Fan?" After all, I can work just about anywhere that has access to an airport, a decent phone system, and of course a high-speed internet connection. And we always take a week vacation to slide down the rockies and pretend we are kids again.

Of course, like all fantasies, the reality will be different. At least that's what Lynne says when I mention a few of my favorite fantasies. (end of that thread; this is a clean family blog.) I will have to balance my desire to alpine and cross-country ski and explore with the demands of my job. We will have friends and family come visit us, and will want to have some time to just BE in the mountains, read a book by the fire, soak away in the hottub under the stars, .... As you can see, my feet are firmly planted on the clouds of my fantasy lifestyle! I will need to go to NewYork at least once, and spend endless hours on the phone. BUT we have night skiing in Keystone, great restaurants in Breck, and of course, wonderful weekends to come. We are renting a beautiful house on the nordic skiing area in Breckendridge (aka, golf course covered with snow) which Lynne found through VRBO. Will post pix!

Ok, enough for day 1. If you are still reading, you must be totally bored and have little to do before New Years. Speaking of which, we are now driving through eastern Colorado heading to Fort Collins, where we will spend a few days with our wonderful daughter and dear friends, heading to our rented house in Breckenridge on Jan 2. My turn to drive! Stay warm!

-Karl