Merry Christmas 2015

Thanksgiving has come and gone, you’re on the road to recovery from the terrors you witnessed on Black Friday and Cyber Monday didn’t rise up against its creators and destroy all of mankind (which after Black Friday you kind of regret).  Now comes that horrible gap, that almost foreboding lull between holidays. So that’s where we come in…you guessed it! It’s time for the “annual” Durkin Christmas Letter!!!

Calm down, catch your breath and stop shaking.  This is really happening. Sure, I missed last year but it was ssssooooo busy, that time just got away from me.  So stop worrying that you somehow did something wrong and we cut you from our mailing list. No, no, no…I’d never do something so generous and kind.  You are trapped on that list forever and shall be subjected to this torture for years to come!

Now that we’ve gotten that all cleared up and put behind us, shall we delve into the wondrous and mysterious year that was and forever will be 2015?  Come, take my hand and walk with me as I tell you of the days of high (mis)adventure! Feel free to play some epic music at this point

As some of you may have heard (because Annette LOVES talking about it), this year began with a cozy trip to Cabo san Lucas. Yes, while our home was slowly being buried under a blanket of snow, we were laying on the beach watching whales leap out of the water.  We stayed at the Grand Fiesta Americana, an outstanding, amazing resort. We had the all-inclusive package which makes everything better (much like bacon). Annette discovered her love for fresh, handmade guacamole and Chunky Monkeys.  You’ll have to ask her about that last item, but I will say it has nothing to do with obese primates.

Cabo san Lucas is definitely the party town.  This is where you’ll find all your tourist trappings along with the world (in)famous Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina.  I’d love to tell you more about it but that would require having gone inside. Sorry, we were on a mission to find authentic Mexican.  And that brings me to Los Tres Gallos (The Three Roosters). This was highly recommended by our driver who picked us up from the airport.  Word of advice, if you want the real food, the food where the locals go, ask a local. Don’t ask “where’s a good place to eat”, ask them “where do the locals eat to get away from the tourists”.  That’s where the good authentic food is hiding.

We also explored the streets of San Jose del Cabo; just up the road from Cabo san Lucas.  Here you’ll find the artistic side of the region. There are no party bars, no ‘in your face’ tourist traps, just a lot of art shops and delightful little restaurants.  It was a pleasant day of shopping, eating and hanging out with my wife.

Then all too soon it ended and we went from shorts and flip flops to heavy coats and visible breath.  Needless to say, Annette preferred Cabo and plans on moving there once we retire.  I can go as well but that doesn’t really factor in one way or the other.

I’ll tell you, what I am about to say feels really good.  I should be ashamed but I’m not. You know how every Christmas letter tended to mention me and a new job except for the last one?  Well, nothing has changed on that front. I am still with the same company, but more on that later. My glee comes from being able to say Annette has a new job!  Bwahahahaha!!!! Feels…so…good…Okay, okay, technically since she’s self employed, it’s not REALLY a new job; more like a new location.  But give this to me people! If you don’t, Annette gets to write next year’s letter. Yeah, that’s what I thought.

So my darling wife moved over to Bombshell Salon Suites where there’s an explosion of modern hairstyles blowing up the scene. Oh yeah, roll those eyes folks; I went there.  Where once Annette was a chair amongst many, now she is in her own private suite. Sweet indeed!

This brings us to Breckenridge in the springtime.  You may recognize that name and imagine ancient majestic snow covered mountains.  Perhaps you’ll envision a bustling resort town where chair lifts carry excited folks up the mountainside as they lazily tangle their feet high above lush green foliage; their breath taken away by the sheer beauty around them. Maybe you can hear the laughter and playful screams of children and adults alike as they speed down the twisting curves of the Gold Runner Coaster or Alpine Super Slide.  Maybe you can feel the wind blowing across your face and through your hair as you hurl across the landscape on Ten Mile Flyer Zipline. Take a moment, imagine all of that and more. Now imagine it one week earlier, before all of that. Welcome to our vacation. Whoopsie!

For the record, I am guessing any time of the year is a beautiful time to be in Breckenridge.  Also, despite the lack of activities available to us, there is something to be said for being there when most people aren’t.  Sure, you miss out on all the things I mentioned above but you also miss crowds, long lines and all those children that aren’t yours.  Most local businesses are open and there are plenty of places to sit back, enjoy the quiet and stuff your face full of local goodness. Added bonus, Breckenridge Distillery and Broken Compass Brewery, both open for drinking…I mean business.

Annette and I joined her parents, sister, brother-in-law and nephews on this crazy kooky adventure.  And for once, the hilarity of my story doesn’t fall upon my shoulders alone. No, this time I had help…

It all stemmed from the idea that a bike ride in the mountains would be a grand idea.  Most of you are probably looking at each other with knowing glances and nods, the page maybe shaking a little with the anticipation of the carnage about to come. Well, allow me to get your heart rate beating even faster.  You see, Annette and her sister, Alicia, decided that a tandem bike would be the perfect vehicle to make this journey on and they were almost right, because it was perfect. Perfect for this letter.

They did great!  I’m not going to lie, they got on and got going smoothly.  And as long as they were moving forward, things stayed that way.  (Un)fortunately, fate, or as I call her, Annette, has a way of keeping things real.  Apparently, Annette’s right shoelace became entangled in either the chain or the pedal.  Realizing her foot was jammed and couldn’t go anywhere, she informed Alicia that they’d have to stop so she could fix the problem.  To make dismounting easy and smooth for them, she also informed Alicia they would need to climb off from the right side. Picture, if you will, climbing off a bicycle from the same side that your leg is completely immobilized on.  Too bad Annette didn’t. Now picture Keanu Reeves in the Matrix when he is on top of the building dodging bullets in slow motion. Replace all of that with Annette and a complete lack of gracefulness but keep the slow motion. Savor it as we did.  All the while her body trying to regain balance but that one pesky leg refused to move. And down she went. The ladies also didn’t realize that if you are going to drop your bike into lower gear, you need to pedal a lot faster or the chain will fall off…twice…

But we made it!  The five of us went 9 miles from Breckenridge to Frisco.  Sure, most of it was a gentle down grade that allowed for smooth pedaling, but don’t be fooled, there is a very steep section right in the middle that is perfect for walking your bike to ensure you don’t have a heart attack.  Did I mention the thin air?

Once we arrived in Frisco, the bike rental company was waiting with their truck to load up the bikes and take us back to Breckenridge.  The highly intelligent women quickly decided this was the perfect plan. The “men” however, thought a little more riding wouldn’t hurt. There was a 6 mile path that went around the lake.  What could be more enjoyable that a scenic lake ride? Nothing, IF you actually took the lake trail. At some point early on, we unknowingly left that trail and hopped onto one that went much, much father than anticipated.  I don’t know how we missed it. Paul was most likely chatting with his son while I was completely mesmerized by the tiny dancing lights all around me calling me home. Did I mention the thin air? We got suspicious about the trail when we had to show our passports to enter Canada.  Once we reached civilization, we thought it would be a good idea to call our spouses and have them meet us. Meanwhile we enjoyed an overpriced lunch and joked about our foolishness.

The women arrived!  We loaded Ethan and his bike into the van but realized there was no room for the rest of us.  Holding back tears, I agreed with Paul that we should ride back to Frisco. There, we could lock up the bikes for the rental company and fit in the van.

Important note: For this entire journey, Ethan was pedaling a single gear bicycle.  This means that while the rest of us could adjust our chain to accommodate the terrain, Ethan could only pedal in one gear regardless if the trail climbed steeply or afforded him a moment of respite going down.  Never once did he complain aloud. That’s one tough kiddo. If he learned only one thing from that vacation I hope it was “listen to your mother, otherwise you’ll need to learn Canadian.”

Hey, did I mention I too learned a valuable lesson taught to me by Annette?  As it so happens, you really are closer to the sun when in the Rockies. My scorched flesh was proof of this after that bike ride.  Fortunately for me, I was smart enough to wear a rag under my bike helmet; Paul…not so much. He kind of resembled an extra from the movie/tv show Alien Nation.  Look it up.

Then all too soon it came to an end and we returned to our daily lives.

We both are still very active at church.  Annette works closely with the high school youth while I avoid that type of thing at all costs.  I’ve got one more year as a member of the LLB where I’ll spend that time as the vice-chair.

As for me personally, I’m still with the same company working behind the scenes the majority of the time.  We unfortunately just had to close our tapas restaurant, Sebastian’s Table due to many issues. We’ve kept the location and will be opening our second Honest Abe’s there.  We also opened a taco shop aptly named “Como se Taco”. Just like our burgers, we’ve taken the concept of a taco and flipped it on its head.

Finbar and Manny are doing well.  Neither have yet to volunteer around the house or get a job to help with finances which gets frustrating.  Then I remember they are dogs which really limits their job opportunities. They can however, shake your hand, give you high fives, bark and/or howl, roll onto their back or spin in place.  Finbar is exceptional at leaning real close to your face to sniff before sneezing immediately afterward. I’ve checked craigslist and that isn’t a job.

And so as 2015 comes to a close, I can only hope and pray that nothing happens within that short span of time that could work well in this letter.  You’ve wasted enough of your precious time reading this foolishness as it is. And I thank you for that.

Hug your families, enjoy the time you have together on this spinning rock we call Earth and have the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years!

Peace to you and yours,

Finbar, Manny, Annette & Patrick!