Rockie Mountain high, in Lake Tahoe

It is so great to get away from home and be somewhere that is completely different than where you live.  I guess this is one of the reasons I love Lake Tahoe so much.  There is just something about the air in the mountains that make Lake Tahoe a such a great vacation spot.  When I'm there, I'm reminded of a scene from my husband's favorite movie, Groundhog Day.

"Phil: I think people place too much emphasis on their careers. I wish we could all live in the mountains at high altitude. That's where I see myself in five years. How about you?
Rita: Oh, I agree. I just like to go with the flow. See where it leads me.
Phil: Well, it's led you here.
Rita: Mm hmm. Of course it's about a million miles from where I started out in college.
Phil: You weren't in broadcasting or journalism?
Rita: Uh unh. Believe it or not, I studied 19th-century French poetry.
Phil: [laughs] What a waste of time! I mean, for someone else that would be an incredible waste of time. It's so bold of you to choose that. It's incredible; you must have been a very very strong person."

When I'm in Lake Tahoe I'm thinking this is what the people there are like.  I think the high altitude and thin air makes them less likely to focus on the mundane things of life like career and education and more likely to focus on the beauty of the area and their dreams and just "going with the flow."  I don't know if this is why I notice so many artsy crafty places or if this is because so many people vacation there.  (I don't know anyone that actually lives there all the time.  So I don't know if this line of thinking has any actual truth to it.)  I love finding "cool" places to eat and drink coffee or tea or kombucha or carrot juice.  Even though I can't walk two blocks without being winded (because of the altitude and the fact that I am incredibly out of shape), I feel younger when I'm in Lake Tahoe.  I know it's delusional, but it's how I feel.

Seriously, look at this view.

And this one.

See that little island out there.  There is a little stone house that was built by someone as her "tea house."  She had her servants row her out to the island and make her tea so she could sit, sip tea, and enjoy the view.  I'm sayin', that is living.  :)

I can't leave you without sharing this view, too.

While we were there we took the gondola ride to the summit of Heavenly Mountain.  Isn't that a perfect name for a mountain with a view like this.

It was a wonderful ride to the top.  Then I got off the gondola and had to walk around the trails/ski runs up there.  Needless to say, I huffed and puffed my two block walk and then sat down in a chair and soaked in the sunshine.

I'm back home and back to the regular routine.  I'll tell you a secret I haven't told my boss yet, ...I'm going back to Lake Tahoe in March.  I don't know if you remember, but my husband went skiing there right after he retired.  I stayed home and went to work.

This is not happening without me again.

See, it's even pretty in Lake Tahoe with snow.  Even though I don't ski anymore, I love the snow and being around and in it.

I hope you enjoyed my vacation pictures.  I know they are a lot more fun than listening to me rant about terrorist bomb threats and the killing of a U.S. ambassador and the fire bombings of embassies in Libya and Lebanon.  I know they are more fun that listening to me complain about our weak foreign policy and our president whining at Google for allowing a YouTube video to be uploaded and available for viewing.  Seriously, our president whines at Google instead of responding to the terrorists with force?  How weak does this make our country appear to the rest of the world.  Anyway, the vacay was wonderful and I hope you enjoyed the pics.

I'm doing what I can to get in better shape so I can walk around the mountain in March and not pass out.  :)

557.  Crisp fall air
558.  Memories of a fun trip
559.  Talking to my brother on the phone
560.  Anticipating the iPhone 5
561.  Enjoying the last of summer's tomatoes