What I get in trade by moving from Portland to Boulder.

1. Giving up shared space with Portland's bushy-haired, skinny-jeaned, tattoo-sleeved hipsters who reek of cigarettes. In exchange: Legions of "kind brothers" in tattered jeans, dredded hair and puppies on strings, who reek of skunky herb.

2. Giving up the moldy, mildewy wetness for the dry, hot, potentially dusty, life near the high plains. Luckily, Boulder is just far enough from the plains, nestled up next to the mountains. A bubble of goodness.

3. Giving up the proximity to majestic Mt. Hood and her frequent dumps of snow, however wet and heavy they may be. Gaining access to over a dozen ski resorts in the most vast mountain range in the lower 48. I'll likely be signing up for one of these bad boys. Pretty cool. And yes - the mountains are high. The snow is fluffy. Goodbye worries of another El Nino... and a potentially tragic global-warming reality for low elevation, coastal ski resorts.

4. Giving up nearness to friends and family. Gaining nearness to friends and family. :)

5. Giving up the comfort and calmness of my home state. Gaining the excitement and exploration of yet another new state.

An incredible adventure is unfolding - so excited!

A dream cometh true.

What dream may you ask? My dream of living in or near the real mountains - The Rockies. Don't get me wrong, spending time in volcanoland has been incredible, gorgeous and there are few places as fun as Mt. Bachelor for snowboarding. But I've always dreamed about Colorado. So, I'm taking my family and moving to the Rocky Mountain state - Boulder to be exact. The next great chapter in the life that is Keeney, this one promising to be the greatest tale yet. It's already unfolding as I'm now dividing my time between Sandy and Boulder now that projects dictate. I'll have all six of us (Kelly, Sulli, Kuma, Telli and Moses the Cat) under one roof again by the end of March.

Things to look forward to in 2010: A new baby - the littlest Keeney. A return trip to Monarch Pass. Some exploring around the four corners area and the national parks. Moab. Friendly bike-commuting. Local mountain-biking. New film and video projects. Living at 5400'. Time in Ned and at Eldora.

Stay tuned...