So refreshing and thrilling to boast about a few firsts in my 'rebirth.' I begin with my first mountain bike ride. I've been riding my road bike aggressively and it feels great. The other morning a windy start to the day turned my plans of a road ride into my inaugural mountain bike ride. Words don't do justice for the happiness that filled my heart powering my way up Emerald Mountain. My body was thanking me as well as my mind. I followed that day with my first hike the next day. My buddy Glenn and I headed up the Fish Creek trail and I tested my lower body to the fullest extent. More than anything, my quads were weak and my balance and agility were lacking. After about a half hour my back got sore, but only enough to let me know it was time to turn around. My most thrilling first to date is getting back to work! I've been waiting to start my retail job, and in the meantime, I've been helping the parents out with finishing the basement of their recently-built house. The last few days I've spent sanding and staining doors and trim and I couldn't be happier doing it. Not only am I ecstatic to be making money for the first time in five months, it's even more fulfilling to be back to manual labor! I've turned the final corner in my recovery and everyday I thank the stars above that I have been blessed with such a fortunate life. 

Ah yes, the DAILY blog has already gotten away from me. Today was my first day being back on the majestic Marabou ranch. Now that summer has finally decided to grace Steamboat, the hills and meadows surrounding our town are reaping the rewards. Perhaps the Yampa Valley could be nicknamed the Emerald Valley. At Marabou, it's no different. The grass is lush, the river is raging and everyone's taking advantage of the endless activities. I headed out for a day of fun with two 10-year-olds and two 13-year-olds. After a brief dabble in mosquito-infested archery, we headed to the ponds for some serious fishing. Within an hour every kid had caught a fish and flashed a grin from ear to ear. I even worked on my fly fishing cast, and definitely got the itch to spend more time along the banks of the water. I'm looking forward to getting on horseback and on bike to explore the plethora of options at the ranch.

I'm as sick of talking about the white stuff as I am about my recovery, so I'm opting not to regarding yesterday. Instead I'll discuss my day of rallying to Denver and back with my family to have dinner with my 92-year-old grandfather. He's still full of fire as ever and yesterday was no exception. Mom, Matt (step-dad) and Brandon (bro) piled into the gas-hog and drove the emerald three hours to take Gramps out for lunch in celebration of his birthday and Father's Day. After a mediocre meal at Elway's and a session of talking on a microphone so not to have to scream at him, we dropped him and his lady-friend back at the assisted living palace for an afternoon of gin rummy. Without fail he complained about the waiter, ate only fried food and picked around everything green. There's not much to challenge for the fact that he was a cardiac doctor his entire life--and besides his hearing--is in damn-near impeccable health for his fragile age. A Home-Depot stop rounded out the city visit, and we were back in Steamboat by mid-evening. I feel so lucky to get to see my grandfather so often and can only hope I get to live the duration of life he's been able to enjoy. 

The highlight of my day was finally dumping our massive pile of recycling off at Waste Management. Some vital machine needed to do the dirty work has been broken for weeks, and has left us non-paying customers high and dry for a place to rid of our recyclables. As annoyed as I was towards the lengthy closer, I was delighted to see so many people as happy as I attempting to 'be green' in the land of excess. I pulled up among a slew of people, emptied the car and was out in a flash. So easy, yet such a difficult concept to sell. The rumor is that not all of Yampa Valley's recyclables end up reused. Now, with the recent closer, I'm even more eager to pursue a story asking why this is...

Today I'm completing a task I've been meaning to do for five months now. Perhaps I've been so heavily dragging my feet for the fact that I am sick of my thoughts being jam-packed with the solitary topic of rehabilitation and recovery. Now that the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming as bright as our recent sun-soaked days, it's time to ramble on about everyday life: Living the life of the broken, broke and blissful in Paradise, Colorado...