Joy on Bike: I had an Amelie week.

Upon my arrival in Boulder, I felt a bit "off." I attributed this to the long drive, the altitude change and a long first half of the season. Translate into a mid-week head/chest cold that knocked me flat! All good though, as I got to enjoy some much needed extended family time and again enjoy some uncharted territory.

My local friends know that I am a minimalist with my cycling attire. For me to have ALL my SoCal clothing on and soon don a borrowed jacket, it was COLD!! My bro took me on a spin to Lyons, CO through the "Fruit Loops" and to an excellent hot latte.

Cold yet happy.

Latte! My feet were SO COLD I took my shoes off and warmed my toes up by the heater before getting back on the road.

Not sure how my brother did it, but after a freezing 3:30 ride, he jumped on his horse Stadt for some skills and drills.

Thankfully, the next day warmed up and we got to do some more riding in squares. Everything is a square here! And what looks like a country road is actually a fast and busy thorough-fare.

Lunch break on Monday, Jeremy shows up on with his "bike-on-bike"! I got to spend half a day at his work, Trainingpeaks, and even got to work from a desk like normal people. Cool place with some awesome staff!

And now, for the Amelie bit. In 2002, I took a trip to CO solo and that was a loooooong time ago! Now I have a little family with Brian and Moto, and their absence did not go unnoticed. Thankfully I am quite self-sufficient and independent (to a fault...) but I still really missed Brian. A few Halloweens ago, we put him in a gnome outfit and the name has stuck, with affection of course! So I went and found my own Gnome and took him on some adventures!

The original Gnome, eating a cookie.

Atop Flagstaff Mountain, where a stage of the CO Pro Tour will end. Ouch!

Jeremy looks like "Ernest Goes to Camp!"

Hiking is not our forte, so we got to the base of the trail...

View of the Rockies and the Continental Divide at Sundown.

I thought Boulder was fun, and for outdoors stuff! Not on Pearl Street at least.

Good thing I had an assitant. I don't like kids. Or magicians.

And there was fire! And the Gnome was as relaxed as ever.

We grabbed some Kale Chips and roasted vegetables on the porch of an eatery, and got to see some firetruck action!

Brian has QUITE the affinity for peanut butter, almond butter, all butter...so when I saw this at Whole Foods, I went back and got him out of the car. The cashier asked me "I can't help but notice, but is that a Gnome in your bag?!?!" hahahaha.