The Freelance Life

I've finally gotten settled back in Boulder after all the excitement of MS Global, and spent the week easing into a regular freelance schedule. This involves things like applying for part-time work from home that would allow me the flexibility to still pursue writing assignments, generating lists of article ideas and potential places to publish them, doing research on article topics, and sending queries to magazines about those article ideas. This week, my biggest accomplishments involved making an Excel spread sheet of article ideas and potential places to sell them, applying for an exciting part-time-from-home position with a non-profit that advocates for women in the outdoor recreation industry, securing some contract work doing sessions at an upcoming Denver Head Start inservice, sending a query for an article on some of the folks with me at MS Global (keep your fingers crossed that the magazine will want it!), and -- thanks to Lindsey! -- securing two new assignments at The Daily Camera. One is an advertorial that I'll complete tonight, and the other is the biggest assignment I've received to date from them: I'll be writing and editing the copy for a large advertising insert that REI has bought for a grand re-opening of their store here. I've got tons of literature to go over tonight, and will meet with folks from marketing at the paper tomorrow morning to go over all the details. Pretty exciting stuff.

I've been working all morning on the advertorial, and am taking a breather to load some more pics of MS Global here. I know...I've done lots of entries and pics on it already, but others from the trip have begun loading their pics on a smugmug site (http://www.thf.smugmug.com/) for everyone to see. There are some amazing shots of some of the roads, scenery, and people from more talented photogs than mwah, so I wanted to put a few of them up here.

Stage 1, that first cold day riding out of Canazei up Ronde Sella. Ride leader Jon Heideman leads us here; Michael (France and Merck Serono) is behind him, and I'm the next one visible.

Pat Perry (Houston) took this gorgeous shot from the Ronde Sella (I think....).

I think this is a shot on the way up the Passo Fedaia on stage 2...the hardest climb ever.

I didn't mention that there were a few mishaps on the trip...one of the participants went over a ledge on the descent down Passo Nigra on Stage 3 on our way to Bolzano. Ok, I'm just kidding. This was a "photo op" set up by Tyler and, I think, Dick Tapply, to simulate a mishap. Funny, huh?!

A view from partway up "The Wall" on stage 4.

And after climbing "The Wall" and Passo Palade AND Passo Mendola, I got some much needed back massage from soigneur Nilas (Denmark) before descending the Mendola. 'lil Hudie was on hand to capture this flattering moment on film.

One of the bazillion (ok, just 48) switchbacks on Passo Stelvio on stage 5. I think this is ride leader Erik (CA) leading Pat (TX) up, but am not sure. We all kinda look the same from this distance, you know?! Ok, maybe even close up in our cycling gear.

Me and Jack (CO) are being escorted here up the last few meters of Passo Fedaia on Stage 2 by Mike (CA), the infamous bell guy. He is such a hammer that he finished the climb and then came back SEVEN times to ride the last bit with those like us who hadn't finished yet.

Ok, I know that Michelle and I saw mountain goats toward the bottom of the climb up Stelvio -- this is not one of them. We also saw llamas somewhere along the way, but I don't for the life of me remember where or when. But someone captured this friendly guy (or gal) on film.

This is a shot of our much beloved ride leaders and staff on the last night. Truly, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better group of people anywhere. Back, from l to r: Nilas (Denmark), Haven (CO), Margaret (American living in Italy), Christina (Spain), Ahmad (CO); middle row, l to r: Larry (MA), Tyler (CO), Jon (CO), Claus (Denmark); and front row, l to r: Bacon (in the witness protection program since he was saved from sure death on a farm), Mark (CO), and Erik (CA).

And finally...MS Global 2007.

Ya gotta love 'em...I know I do!!!