All Quiet on the Western Front.

I spent last weekend in Colorado. It was my mom's 55th birthday, which was reason enough to go back. But, it was also a week before she has spinal surgery on her neck and almost a year since I was last there. So long that my dog (former dog, definitely more my parents than mine at this point) refused to even give me a wag of the tail for about 12 hours to teach me a lesson. I usually try to go back a couple times a year but the last nine months or so my parents have been out to the midwest three times. I swear, I'm not that bad of a daughter.

It was nice to see the family. My mom is not up for much right now so it was a pretty quiet weekend. We went out to a birthday dinner on Saturday night at what I'd consider the best restaurant north of Denver, Frasca. It was three couples (my parents, my brother and his partner, my cousin and her boyfriend) and me. What's up seventh wheel? Otherwise, did some cleaning, some cooking, mowed the lawn, played with the dog, ran some errands. Generally, just tried to be helpful to make up for my long absence in what has been a stressful past few months.

The weather was lovely while I was there. To take advantage of that as well as get some exercise, I borrowed my mom's cruiser. Its an actual New Belgium Fat Tire, of the beer fame. It rides really upright, has no gears and you have to pedal backward to brake. It is awesome. What is not awesome: a strong headwind and flatland lungs. My attempt at a bike ride had my lungs and legs burning in under twenty minutes.