My Shad

When I told Shad the first chapter in my book was about him and his ex-wife Ursula he suggested I change their names. "How about Shag and Herb-ala?" he said. We laughed about that for awhile.

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Hot Chicks and Duchebags

I sort of took pride in loving my man despite his sub standard good looks, despite his big, round belly or the gap in his front teeth or the facial ticks, the way his face twitched all the time involuntarily, or how he has four toes on his right foot because he lost one in the lawnmower when he was like ten years old. I looked past his caveman ways, his excessive drinking and vulgar habits like the loud belching or the hours he spent on the toilet, leaving that horrible stench that drifted through my apartment for hours after he was done in the bathroom.

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Stopping To Smell The Flowers

THERE'S THIS SWEET LITTLE RIDE in Steamboat called Spring Creek that I love to share with my friends from Aspen. It's the quintessential Steamboat terrain -- smooth, rolling single track through dense Aspen groves and verdant fern covered forest. It has over 20 stream crossings all with bridges and only one sort of scary steep section known as "the elevator shaft" but other than that it's smooth sailing. It's an out-and-back, four and a half miles each way, all uphill and then all downhill. It's the kind of ride that makes you fall in love with mountain biking all over again.

John came to Steamboat with me for the first time since July 2006 when we first discovered that maybe we were more than friends after all. John designed my parent's house so it's special for us to spend time there, in this amazing space that he created. I happen to think he is a genius and this house is the tip of the iceberg in terms of being a testament to that. He's not bad on the bike, either, fearless on the downhills and fast.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN WONDERING HOW MY DAD IS DOING since his brain injury, he's doing just fine. He came on the ride too and schooled the elevator shaft, riding it smooth and clean with no sign of fear whatsoever.

"What would I have to be afraid of?" he asked when I commented on his quick comeback. "I don't have any memory of the crash so I can't really attach any fear to it."

He had done a 70 mile road bike ride the day before and had no problem leading us up the climb as we dumbly followed, wondering how it is a 67 year old can kick our asses without giving it a second thought.

Here's a picture of him in case you don't believe me!

I hope you're having a beautiful summer wherever you are! I feel so lucky to be able to spend my time in so many amazing places. In the last few months alone, I've been from San Diego to Cape Cod and back to my beloved home in the mountains.

More soon,
Princess

Let's Talk About Sex

I PRETTY MUCH CRIED THROUGH THE ENTIRE MOVIE, taking a few short breaks to laugh out loud through throat choking tears.

No doubt the Sex and the City movie premiere was a national phenomenon. Women all over America were busy making elaborate plans for before and after, filling the air with excited chatter about the various parties that were being thrown and, staying true to the film's feminine spirit, what they were going to wear for the big night.

Not since Rocky Horror Picture Show have such elaborate preparations made in terms of celebrating a film with an entire pop culture that surrounds it. Or maybe it's that there's never been a movie that so well captured pop culture in the present time. For whatever reason, American women felt a real conection to this film.

It strikes a cord for me on so many levels. It's obvious that I'd relate to Carrie Bradshaw, whose likeness I bore such a strong resemblance it startles everyone who knows me. My brother thinks I even look like her, which is unfortunate, since Sarah Jessica Parker was voted #1 on Maxim's Unsexiest Women alive list.

But it's also about the creator of the original column, Candace Bushnell, whose career I emulate as the premier Chick Lit success story, from column to book to hit HBO series to one of the highest grossing movies in recent history.

I was lucky enough to meet her face to face when she came to Aspen a few years ago for an Aspen Writers Foundation event. She did a reading at the Jerome for an audience of over 300 women who got more than their money's worth with free Cosmpolitans and an hour of Candace who could easily make it as a stand up comedian.

"Yes, I'm waering my Monoooooolos," she said, swirling her foot around for the audience to see the leopard print six inch stilleto sandals she wore under cream colored pants. "Don't ask me why I'm wearing sandals in the middle of winter in Aspen, Colorado. I'm willing to suffer if it means looking good."

When talking about finding the love of her life, New York City ballet dancer Charles Askegard who is ten years her junior, Bushnell said, "I never thought I'd find the one. I always thought I'd find the many."

She said she is more like Samantha than Carrie and that the other characters are more of a spin off of the HBO series than the life she'd chronicled in the original Sex and the City columns.

"Don't you dare drop the ball on me," she said when I'd referred to post-feminism in terms of the social commenary in my Aspen Times column. "We are so not in post feminism yet. We are still in an era of feminism. We have a lot of work to do still."

The coolest part was I'd bought these crazy shoes at Blooming Birds with her event in mind, my own leopard print platform pumps with giant pink flowers on the toe.

"I LOVE your shoes!" she said. "Where did you find them?"

I also bought a pair of the Monolos she had worn when I saw them in my size during a half-off sale at Blooming Birds.

In terms of the actual film, I was expecting to be disappointed, especially having heard the movie's 2 hour 40 minute running time, but it was quite the opposite.

I was beyond satiated and satisfied the whole time and didn't want it to end -- just like good Sex is supposed to be.

The storylines were unpredictable, the evolution of each charcter staying true to their ongoing storylines. I can't imagine that was an easy task for the writers, but they nailed it.

Kim Catrall carried the movie with Samantha's sharp tongued one liners that provided pletny of laughs among the tears. Even SJP, whose charm can be grating at times, did an amazing job with the vast range of Carrie's storyline.

My only criticism would be that Miranda went from frumpy to fabulous with no real context for the transformation, particularly considering her forray into domesticity and living in Brooklyn. I felt like she was over-styled.

Also, Charlotte's outcome was too flawless and didn't capitalize enough on her various social neurosis, other than the hysterical Mexico episode. The writers seemed to overlook the potential of her character entirely -- turning Jewish, raising a Chinese baby, not to mention her pregnancy ... what a great opportunity to make fun of the typical NY expectant mother scene!

What's more, the critics panned it and the audinces loved it. For some reason that also gave me some real anti-establishment, girl power satisfaction.

Even though he wouldn't admit it, I think even John liked it.

Talk about good Sex ....

more soon
princessxox

Synergy Comes To Aspen

"I'm not going to that hippie love fest," John said when I invited him to Amanda's Syergy Workshop.

I was glad he wasn't there, then, when we all laid in a circle in the grass in the tiny park next to City Hall and sang "om" as a group at the top of or lungs. It was probably the first time since the '70s that Aspen saw such a blatant to display of "hippie love" as John (somewhat accurately) described it.

Still, the techniques are pretty cool and this is the third workshop I've done and I really have enjoyed every single one. Between the pairs stretching and thai massage, there's a lot of physical contact but it's more than that. It's rare in our culture that we are ever able to touch each other, but for some reason these exercises break down some of those barriers so we are able to connect without feeling uncomfortable. I guess it's really about energy exchange, and from what little I understand of it, it really is a beautiful thing. There's something really playful and child like about it, which is why I think people enjoy it so much. It's kind of like jumping up and down on a trampoline. You can't help but giggle.

Just to follow up on last week's column, here are a few photos my friend Dina took. For more on Synergy visit www.todoanahata.com.

the human stack: this technique creates a nice compression/release for the spine and hips. it actually feels really good!

It's not a hippie love fest without a group hug!

More soon,
aliprincess xox