Tim was one of the three guys who kept me company on all of the “7 Peaks in 7 Days” last year, and had asked if I wanted to come and walk a section of the Colorado Trail with him. He was helping out a friend, Cliff, who is trying to do the whole trail in stages.
Tim picked me up just before 6am in Cliff’s car, and we drove a couple of hours into the spectacular mountains to the west of Colorado Springs, parking the car at a trail-head at the end of a long gravel road.
Our walk for the day was around 16 miles, through some beautiful forest and open valley, and at the halfway point we met Cliff and daughter Claudia, and swapped car keys.
It was a beautiful day, and the highlight for me was the spectacular open valley we climbed steadily up on the second half of our route. The stream in the middle of the valley had been dammed by beavers in many places, making many pools and lakes, some with a beaver house in the middle. What fascinatingly industrious creatures.
On Friday morning I started packing some stuff for a weekend trip up to Boulder. It’s funny how soon I can become settled in a new “home”, and the idea of going somewhere seemed a little tiresome, but on I-25, with the top down on Brenda’s car, and country music blasting out of the radio, I was happy to be on the road again. Yee-har!
But as I turned off I-25 and headed west, the skies darkened, and by the time I arrived at Boulder Municipal Airport, it was clear there would be no skydiving today. Randy, Chief Instructor at Colorado Skysports, had no hopes for jumping all weekend, but was encouraging about the possibility of night jumps in two weeks time.
So instead I made my way to Yvette’s house, not far from the airport. Yvette is now a self-published author, and I am very proud to be featured as one of the characters in her book “The Laptop Dancer Diaries – a mostly true story about finding love again”.
The book tells of Yvette’s search for love through a series of entertaining dates throughout 2008, and I am proud to be in there as Mr. November, as Yvette and I went on a date when we met in LA, and ended skinny-dipping in a very chilly ocean!! My take on the story can be read here, but Yvette’s book is much more detailed!
In terms of skydiving, the weekend was a complete washout, but Yvette gave me loads of good information on writing, and self-publishing, and I am now very inspired to focus on completing my book, which I have tentatively titled “A Life Sold”.
I was nice to catch up again, and chat with a fellow author (if I am allowed to call myself an author at this point?) Thanks for the inspiration Yvette.
Accountability Progress Report
Thursday 10th June
Learn to ride a unicycle – 20 mins practice – great progress!
Develop a six-pack stomach – 16 mile hike
Learn the harmonica – nothing
Learn how to lucid dream – prepared to log dreams
Set up the “BlindsidedNetwork” support forum – nothing
Raise $50,000 for charity – no progress
Night skydive – planning jumps for weekend, heard back from one club
Book deal for 100goals – nothing
Friday 11th June
Learn to ride a unicycle – 20 minute practice – think I’ve cracked it!
Develop a six-pack stomach – workout in the home gym
Learn the harmonica – oops, forgot!
Learn how to lucid dream – woke from a dream within a dream – good step forward
Set up the “BlindsidedNetwork” support forum – nothing
Raise $50,000 for charity – heard back from eBay re: charity auctions
Night skydive – visited Skydive Colorado in Boulder
Book deal for 100goals – spoke for several hours with Yvette about self-publishing
Saturday 12th June
Learn to ride a unicycle – nothing, it poured down all day!
Develop a six-pack stomach – no exercise, but ate well
Learn the harmonica – nothing
Learn how to lucid dream – remembered a couple of dreams
Set up the “BlindsidedNetwork” support forum – nothing
Raise $50,000 for charity – arranged to speak to eBay rep next week
Night skydive – ready, willing and able to go jumping – rain stopped play!
Book deal for 100goals – spoke more with Yvette, and read a lot from self-publishing guide “Guerrilla Marketing for Writers”