Let the shameless begging begin!
First and foremost, it's that time of year again.

Yep, you got that right:  time for the annual Best of the Boat survey!  This is the 5th year of the survey's incarnation, and boy, do I have a horse in the race.  I've taken the first place slot twice (including the inaugural year!), second place once, and hit third last year, even while grief-stricken and overcome with the impending loss of my little dog, my beloved companion for 16 years.

And now?  Now I'm back, from outer space, and I will survive.  (With apologies to Gloria Gaynor for making such a hash out of her song lyrics.)

But I need your help.  So, please, go here and vote for me in the "Professionals" section.

Pretty please?

(And here's a first!  Heartfire Massage is even listed as a spa in the community section.  Wouldn't that be cool to place in?)

Okay, okay, enough with that for now. Expect more in the future.

Tri, tri again!
It may be hard to remember with the Pro Challenge bearing down on us, but Sunday is the Steamboat Triathlon at Lake Catamount.

Once again, Chelsea and Mr. Kelly will be providing free massage to the participants, and once again, we'll have some nifty swag for the racers.

So if you would like more exercise (and perhaps a little less competition!) than fighting the Pro Challenge crowds, c'mon out and get your tri on!

Truly transcendent monks
A couple of months ago, my friend the impeccable Jennie Lay sent out a call, asking for people to come feed the Drepung Loseling monks a meal when they came to the library to do the sand painting.  I volunteered to take care of lunch their last day, and as a special surprise, I even brought in my massage chair!  I figured that what with being bent over all week, their backs could use a little work.  Boy, was I right!

It was delightful how pleased they were.  I may even have stored up a little karma in my favor.  One can hope, right?


Speaking of good karma . . .

In a fairly recent and definitely unexpected turn of events, I'll be heading off to Burning Man at the end of August and gone for a couple of weeks.  For those not familiar with it, Burning Man is a week-long arts festival held in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, outside the small town of Gerlach.  All kinds of art are there:  music, dance, sculpture--and some things that people may not first consider when they think of when think of art, like cooking, massage, and so on.

It's been ten years since I've been, and the population has doubled in size.  I expect to be doing a lot of "back in my day" or "the last time I went," as well as waving a stick and telling those damn kids to get off my playa.

That's okay.  They'd probably think it was performance art.

Adieu for now!
The time has come for me to bid you fond farewell, as I finish cooking and getting ready to haul my gear to Boulder this weekend so it can be trucked out to the desert in time.  

Unsurprisingly, this is pretty much what I've looked like over the last week.

So, yeah.  Getting on that right now.

Be well, and I hope to see you soon.

That's right.  We're getting out and about like never before!
One of the nice things about having awesome staff is the ability to share the love.  Chelsea and Mr. Kelly will be doing some badass event massages around Steamboat in the next few months.  Read on to see where you can find them and pick yourself up some killer goodies!

From friendly fundraisers . . .
Crackin' the cap this coming Saturday is one of Steamboat's best-beloved summer events:  the Tour de Steamboat.  We'll be providing FREE post-race massage in the 2.0 Titanium VIP tent.  Upgrading to the 2.0 Titanium experience gets you all sorts of goodies, from minions to fetch your gear from the aid stations to a drawing for a guided private fly-fishing trip.

And massage, natch.  That goes without saying.

There's three levels in the Tour de Steamboat, ranging from a smooth cruise out to Sydney Peak Ranch and back (about 25 miles) to a 40-miler with some climbs to a 110-mile classic over three different mountain passes.  There's something for everyone, but one of the best things about the Tour is that it helps support four local non-profits.

This year, one of the non-profits benefiting is particularly near and dear to my heart:  the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council.  For those not in the know, I sat on YVSC's Board of Directors for a year or so, and environmental concerns are still a big part of my life.  In fact, I'm so pleased by this that I've thrown in a Super Special Secret Suprise for all of the 2.0 Titanium riders.  So if you're riding, think about upgrading--it's only $100 to do so, and the rewards are well worth it.  And if you're not already, register now!

To hard-core tris . . .
Next on the docket this weekend is the Steamboat Lake Sprint Triathlon.  That'll take place on Sunday, so if you're not too whupped from the Tour de Steamboat, time to get your tri on!  The event is limited to 350 people and is a qualifying race to earn Colorado Tri Tour points.

Once again, we'll be providing FREE post-event massage for participants . . . as well as a nifty gift in race swag bags.  *waggles eyebrows*

. . . we'll be getting all up in your grill.
This weekend is only the start!  We're also lined up for the Steamboat Triathlon at Lake Catamount in August, Run Rabbit Run in September, and perhaps another event or two sprinkled through the summer and into the fall.

Speaking of summer
I think I'm going to go outside and get me some.  You should too.

Be well, and I hope to see you soon.

E.