Michigan Hikers

“Smiley-- if you're interested, let me know.
I have a Sam's right by my house and I wouldn't mind going with you if you want a pair.”

“I'd buy them for $65! From what I remember (saw them a year ago with my folks at their Sam's) they look like they're worth that much and then a bit. As often as we get snow deep enough to use them (not very, lol) they'll last you awhile.”

“REI "Garage Sales"

Novi, Jan. 1 - 11am - 2 pm (Get your tickets at 10 am)

http://community.rei.com/bin/jobsevents/storeevents.cgi?read=383&topic=Northville&subject=Northville+Store+Clinics+and+Events&id=0901&boardtype=events

Troy Store:
Jan. 1 - 11am - 2 pm (Get your tickets at 10 am)

http://community.rei.com/bin/jobsevents/storeevents.cgi?read=269&topic=Troy&subject=Troy+Store+Clinics+and+Events&id=0901&boardtype=events”

“Smiley-- I'm off of work in an hour... :-)
If you have any time off over the holidays, let me know-- They still had lots of snowshoes as of last night-- and it's only moments from my house if you want to get a pair!”

“It was fun meeting everyone last night! Although i am still having a difficult time keeping everyone's name straight..
Let's see, I think we met: Ltwtbackpacker, Laqtis, Reformed Lurker, Birch & Sass, Cow Patty, Tarabull's parents,

I know I'm missing some other online names... LOL... maybe Tara can fill in the blanks...

LOL

It was a lot of fun!”

“Cool to meet you and think also!
It was good to see everybody together.
Merry Christmas Michigan Mountaineers!”

“Merry Christmas, everyone! Sorry I couldn't make it. I haven't seen some of you in quite a while!”

“We missed you SG. BB too.”

“Another fun Christmas party with great food and company. It was good to meet some new folks (in person anyway) I look forward to hiking with ya.”

“it was really nice to finally connect a face to the name, Birch-- You and Sass owe Think & me a hike sometime :-)”

“Pink, we certainly do! I hope it'll be soon, it just depends on Sass' foot.”

“Hey , we have a few days open (weather dependent of course!) over this next week...
Might be fun to do some geocaching this week?!
Although it might be a little difficult to do if we get this 4-12 inches of snow they are expecting tonight!”

“Hey Michigan Hikers,
You're all invited to join Thinkbubelz & me at our annual New Year's Party! This year, we are having a New Year's Day party.... With lots of cookie & appetizer making/baking, bowl game watching, card playing, etc.!

Also, I got Think & me snow shoes for Christmas... Is anyone up for helping us test them out sometime this week? :-)”

“Card playing = strip poker?”

“Pink, the offer to go snow shoeing is VERY tempting, however we are in the process of painting two rooms and moving three rooms of furniture. And if that werent enough...we now have a 12x20 room that needs new flooring courtesy of my idiot dog(s) that were sick all over the carpet.It was not salvagable so it'll be torn out. This whole week is looking to be expensive and busy...oh I almost forgot oue stove all but died cooking Christmas breakfast. Gotta get a new one ASAP. I love to be home but this seems excessive to me. I am just glad I am off of work to be able to get this stuff done.”

“Pink, I went show shoeing for the first time on the Friday, it was a lot of fun I was out about 2 hours running the trails at Stoney Creek.
Just get out there and take advantage of the snow while we have it.
I don't think I will have time to go out again this week.”

“LOL!!!

Time is very fleeting indeed.
Think & I have spent all week running around to relatives ( I think 4 different days!).... we also had a funeral on the 26th, had to go to the airport 4 times for my sister (she was offered a voucher and changed her flight to NYC), we had a community Organization meeting, Handbell choir at church and tomorrow we go to a wedding reception....

ARGH!!!! I need a vacation from my vacation!!!!

I'm looking forward to seeing the Romantics on New Year's eve and having our friends over on New Year's Day.....

Jan. 2 may be the only day we can actually "REST" (and hope to do some day hiking then!)

Otherwise, the 30th might have some time....

or we will have to put it off until January!!!!

Hey Eveningred-- did you get my email?”

“hey pink, ya wanna go hiking with mike and I this weekend? We will prolly go north up into Michigan to try and avoid all the rain.”

“Hi Spirit...
When are you going?
The only day we may have free is Sunday... Then it's back to work for Thinkbubelz :-(

Send me a note: pinkbubelz AT aol DOT com”

“Doh!!!!!

Woke up yesterday morning to puddles of water in my back yard and NO snow....

I guess we will have to postpone the snow shoeing until our next big snow storm!!!!”

“too bad the snowshoeing plans got spoiled. next time you are heading out let me know and i'll try to make it! m1woods@wmich.edu”

“Hey all! :-)
Thinkbubelz & I attempted our first snowshoeing experience this afternoon! We went out to Stony Creek by the nature center--Took us a few minutes to figure out how to adjust the snowshoes to our hiking boots, but once we were on our way, we were moving quite well!

Hopefully, we can join some other people sometime this winter in a snowshoeing day hike somewhere! The other thing we are thinking of trying out is cross country skiing... :-)”

“Anyone doing anything fun in the area this weekend? Looks like there's a big outdoor festival in Detroit...(plus, the auto show!)

Might think about doing some snow shoeing in one of the parks on Sunday...”

“I am doing a trail running race on Sunday at Stoney. And hoping to go to the autoshow since I have free tickets just need to find the time in my schedule to go.”

“I get to go to training all wknd for work, grumble grumble.”

“I have a memorial on Saturday, in Howell.
Sunday I will prolly be babysitting my cousin for a few hours right in the middle of the day.

If something changes, I'll give you a call, pink.”

“Thinkbubelz has a rehearsal on Saturday afternoon... so it looks like Sunday may be the day we head outside and/or to the Auto Show....

What kind of trail race on Sunday Eveningred?
Sorry to hear about the memorial, Tarabull :-(

I am hoping Thinkbubelz & I can get outside sometime on Sunday-- but it will depend upon whether we hit the auto show or not...

We might try going down to see the cars early on Saturday.... Let us know if you're going Eveningred...”

“Pink, the trail race is a 5-6 mile run put on by www.infiterrasports.com they are doing a winter series of three races. Have a blast scott!”

“Thanks Pink. It's for a childhood friend and her fiancee, both of whom died in the Tsunami.

http://www.friendsofangieandluke.com/”

“Oh Tara, I'm so sorry to hear that... :-(
I'm assuming that they were lost and presumed dead? or were they able to confirm their passing?

I've been thinking about doing a little "Tsunami funds" gathering with friends to see if we can raise money or do some kind of mini drive locally to help out...”

“lost and presumed dead”

“Oh, Tarabull, that's awful.

No closure for their family and friends that way... :-( One of my mom's English professors vanished (presumably) in a boating accident on Lake Michigan... all they found was the boat and no sign of what happened to him....His wife had a memorial service a few months later--the only bright side was that he loved to sail, so we hope that whatever happened, he was happy when he vanished...

May your friends rest in peace....

((((((((HUGS)))))))”

“Thnks for the hugs. I'm OK, really. Not that I'm not sad and all that, but I haven't seen Angie in nearly 20 years so I still feel a little separated from it, if that makes sense. I'm sure the memorial will bring out some emotions. Most of my sadness, right now, is for her aunt (one of my mom's best high school friends) and parents.”

“I understand where you are coming from. One of my elementary school classmates died in college from a brain aneurysm... Even though we had lost touch after we started high school, it was still a shock to hear that she had died--I think it had to do with her age, and the sadness I felt for her mom....

Hopefully, the memorial service will help to put a little closure on the situation so that their families can start to heal from the sorrow in their hearts.”

“Tara, its great that you'll be there to show your support to her friends and family, even though you havn't been in close contact with her. Every little effort counts in these situations, and she must have been a great gal for you to still want to be there.


I'm headed to Frankenmuth again this weekend, hopefully getting out tonight before the snow hits. We're gonna go ring shopping this weekend. :)”

“Very cool Smiley!!! :-) Congrats!

Hey, when do you want to get together again for the water filter? I'm open on any Tues, Thurs or Friday nights... or the weekends (but obviously, you are very busy these days!) ;-)”

“OH, Pink, I'm not engaged yet, we're still in that "let's pretend" stage where its fun and cute to think about buying a ring. I'm totally freaked out about how much this is all going to cost me! (wedding stuff, not the ring!)

WHat building do you work in? I park in the garage next to the Welcome Center on Mondays, and could meet up with you before my class sometime. Let me know.”

“Really?
Thinkbubelz & I have a class at the Education Bldg. on Monday nights.
What time is your class?

BTW--if you need wedding advice, let me know-- I've been to/in/through almost 40 weddings and could probably give you some good advice (and I know of a really reliable and good bridal salon on the East side)... :-) (I also design veils, invitations & accessories and do photography, too!) :-D”

“Slow down! Wedding planning won't start until this summer, if then. (At least not officially!) I'll hit ya up for some advice if we decide not to go to Vegas! LOL!

My class is in State Hall at 5PM. What time is your class?”

“LOL... just letting you know!

Ours is at 6 - 8 pm. :-) at the Education Bldg. I think it's next to State Hall?

How late is your class?

BTW-- my friends got married by Elvis in Vegas-- it was a blast! (it was even simulcast on the web! :-) ) Thinkbubelz & I went hiking for 5 days in the Grand Canyon before the wedding... Got back to Michigan on 9/9/2001 (just before 9/11 happened). We probably spent 1 afternoon/evening at the wedding & in Vegas-- the rest of the time was spent enjoying the beauty of the desert... (We even saw lightning storms rolling across the desert-- I was terrified (I hate lightning!) but it was cool to see the storm and dust storms moving across the land in the distance-- even saw a humungous double rainbow and a tumbleweed crossed us on the highway... Unfortunately, I had a camera malfunction and lost all my pictures, but the trip was the first time we had ever flown somewhere to go car-camping. (What a learning experience...i.e. we'll never again sleep on a solid rock ground without a pad--I think I had bruises on my hips for weeks after only 1 night--the ground out west isn't anything like the nice soft ground under a forest canopy!)”

“I have a running race in Bay City, the annual "Freeze Your Fanny" 5K. Prolly head up th West Branch after that and X-C Ski Ogemaw Hills.
Then a Long Training run Sunday AM.”

“Oh LS, I might be in Bay City this weekend. Know any good jewlery stores there?? :) Good luck in your race! Nice name for it, anyway!

Pink - my class is over at 7:30-7:45 depending on when the teacher is done. E-mail me please!”

“Looks like Thinkbubelz & I will be hitting the
West Bloomfield Trail Network in about an hour in on snowshoes!... :-)

Feel free to join us! :-

http://www.westbloomfieldparks.org/parks/wb_park_wbtn.shtml”

“SG, if you're worrying about how much a wedding costs and ring "looking," it's past the let's pretend stage, lol. Whatever relationship state you two are in, good for you anyhow!

The best wedding plan is doing exactly what you two want. Reino and I had a blast (older, wiser, 2nd time around view) making ours a memorable art event that would be fun for all our friends, too, and really reflect us as a couple. And since we were pretty broke, we had friends pitch in in numerous ways and we pulled the whole thing off for a couple hundred bucks (the keg for the post-reception party was a major expense as I recall).”

“Woo HOo!!!! :-)
Tarabull, Thinkbubelz & I just got back from a couple of hours of snow shoeing! Boy, was it beautiful!!! Still snowing as I type!

Will download the pictures in a bit! ;-)”

“hey pink, glad you had a nice time out there. its miserable here, (frankenmuth) and i love the snow. we tried to go up to Bay City, but we ended up turning around about halfway there. figured it would get worse closer to the bay, and it was as bad as i've seen it, even living in the u.p. post your pics soon!

Pekka, we're young and stupid and want the whole big wedding thing. guess we'll see how it all really turns out! ;) by the way, we were headed to a few jewelry stores in Bay City, but i guess its not in the cards for us to go shopping just yet. :)”

“Hey, SG, we were just a bit older, but probably still stupid, lol. If you want a big wedding, then that's the one to have -- and make it one worth remembering!”

“That was a memorable race yesterday morning in Bay City. The temp was about 10, it had snowed 5-6" and was still snowing, but the WIND, 15-20 mph right off of the Bay, was fierce. We ran on an unplowed road, sometimes in drifts knee deep. They changed the course a little due to the weather and made it 2.9 miles. I don't even know my time yet.
My wife said I was nuts and I'd be the only one there; there was actually a good turnout.
The starter's last words were "please seek help when you get home" lol.”

“lol. Cool beans!

Scott, how'd the trail run go?”

“LS, I was thinking about you, and wondering if the race was still on! Hope you've thawed out by now!”