Rocky Mountain High

Ten days ago, Jacob and I jumped into the CRV after school and set off to Colorado. We spent a few days with Adam at his apartment before heading up to the mountains to do some skiing and snowboarding. On Tuesday, our friend Tree flew to Denver from Michigan, another friend Dennis arrived from Oregon, and Jim winged in from Texas. The six of us made our way to a spacious rented condo at the Copper Mountain Resort. We skied - and Adam snowboarded - on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, encountering varied weather conditions that ranged from heavy snow & gusty winds to sunny skies & fresh powder. We all had a great time both on and off the slopes. Jacob and I drove back home over the weekend and were extremely lucky to encounter dry pavement for our entire road trip. Now if only some of that Colorado snow would make its way to the east - I'm still waiting for any sort of accumulation in southeast Michigan this winter.

Jim, Tree, Dennis, and Jake posed near some picturesque pines.

Dennis relaxed at an appropriately-placed picnic table.

The gang at 12,400 feet.

Jacob reluctantly stopped with me so Jim could snap a photo.

Dennis and Jim spent a lot of time in the condo kitchen cooking and cleaning.

Snowfall Shortfall

Winter in Michigan this year has been lame. Dull. Unexciting. Last year when Jacob and I spent much of January, February, and March in Texas, the snow was flying out of control in the Great Lake State. During the 2010-2011 winter, Detroit received 69.1 inches of the white stuff. This year we are lucky to be pushing the 20-inch mark. In addition, the temperatures have been above average, so each time it does snow, it quickly melts. Even though lots of people like this no-snow trend in the weather, I do not. (Nor do the ice fisherman or the southeast Michigan ski area operators or the organizers of our local cross-country ski-and-snowshoe event.) Jacob has not worn his winter coat at all yet this season - he just wears his thermal hoodie everywhere. I have only needed gloves a few times. Neither of us have donned our boots, which could be a problem if Jacob outgrows his brand, new winter boots without ever having put them on his feet! We are heading to Colorado over winter break from school, and, fortunately, the snow totals in the Rocky Mountains have been much more impressive than around here. Maybe when we return from our ski trip, Michigan will finally have a blizzard or something. We deserve at least one six-inch-or-greater snowfall this winter.

Hypothyroidism

I went to the doctor last week for a check-up. I typically only go when I run out of blood pressure & cholesterol medications and need refills. The week prior to my appointment, I visited the lab to give endless viles of blood for my annual complete blood work-up. My numbers were all good, with the exception of one thing. My thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) result was way out of range. Normally the number should be between .4 and 4.50. Mine was a whopping 57.20! Oddly, the high number indicates an under active thyroid, or hypothyroidism. Allegedly I am supposed to feel tired & sluggish, have unexpected weight gain, experience an increased sensitivity to cold, notice muscle aches, and be suffering from a myriad of other symptoms. With the exception of being cold, I feel pretty much the same as always. The doctor decided to error on the side of caution and redo the TSH test, plus check my T3 and T4 levels as well. (I still need to research what these T things are!) The redone blood work came back wacky, so on Saturday I began taking a small dose of Synthroid to try to regulate my numbers. I will have my blood checked again in six weeks to see if the meds will need to be increased. In the meantime, the doctor has told me that even though I feel fine, the symptoms have probably come on so gradually that I haven't noticed them. He promised that I will feel "a lot better" when the Synthroid kicks in. A friend who has hypothyroidism has told me the same thing. In addition, my friend told me that the meds helped her easily lose 10 pounds. So far, I feel exactly the same, but I am expecting a burst of energy and a shapely, toned body any day now. (Big ha-ha!) We'll see how all that works out!

Chopstick Challenge

Tonight I ate at a Chinese restaurant for the very first time. Jacob and I met up with Richie, Steve, Nancy, Laura, and Rob at "New Peking" to celebrate Steve's upcoming birthday. Apparently Steve is no stranger at the establishment because as soon as we waltzed through the door, the hostess and several waitresses called out "Steve!" (Yep, just like when everyone shouted "Norm" on Cheers.) After perusing the 8-page menu, I chose to order the safe-sounding entree of Chicken Fried Rice. It was surprisingly yummy and the portion size of the meal was enormous. I only managed to finish about one third of my dinner so I have a ready-made lunch for tomorrow. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we tried, Jacob and I could not master the art of using chopsticks. With practice, however, I'm certain that I will be able to properly utilize them the next time I eat Chinese food. It definitely adds a fun spin to the dining experience when you are expected to lift your food with two thin, tapered, wand-like pieces of wood. I'm already eager to try again.

Jacob poked around with his chopsticks, but was unsuccessful at ever transferring any food into his mouth.