Bragging Rights

Yup, that's right...I've got something to brag just a little bit about!

I went to Steamboat Springs for the first time last weekend with a group of friends. We were up there to celebrate my 30th birthday (it was a belated trip, but there's something kind of fun about telling everyone it's your birthday when it's not actually!) and planned to ski 2-3 days. I have to say, just driving into the town told me that it was going to be a great weekend - that town and surrounding valley is gorgeous!!!


The condo was super cute and was steps away from the ski shuttle, plus the way it worked out, each couple had their own room and I had my own room upstairs! That's not really the way it was intended (there were supposed to be a few more on the trip) but in all honesty, it was nice not to have to share my room.

The skiing was great on both Friday and Saturday. We found a few places that we learned to stay away from - it was both icy and heavy, which made it almost impossible to turn - but once we bounced back to the other side of the mountain, it was bliss! There were some tree runs which even I enjoyed, because they weren't ridiculously tight and the snow was nice and soft. There were some bump runs, although nothing quite as crazy as the bumps you find at WP or Copper. Then, on Saturday, came the part I'm going to brag about - the steeps.

My friends are amazing skiers. No, really A-MAZING. I've learned a ton from them and they push me just hard enough to continue improving. But on Saturday, we skied past the double black chutes so that I could look down them...and I decided in that moment that looking down them was all I needed to do. It was so steep that I couldn't get close enough to see exactly how steep it was!! My heart started racing just at the thought of jumping off one of those headwalls (translate: cliffs).

So...the guys went on down the double black while the three ladies decided to head over to a more reasonable (translate: nearly flat compared to what we'd just looked down) black mogul run in order to get down the mountain.

And then came the lift conversation where I said I'd at least go look at it again. There were instructions given about what to do (watch D's line, lean way forward, and if all else fails, go all the way across the run rather than try to keep a line), then our fearless leader went first to demonstrate. I was still too far away to see it, because I honestly didn't want to get any closer. Then, my friend's wife went...and I've been skiing way longer than she has! As soon as she went over the edge I said,"Well, now I HAVE to do it!" (Note - my competitive side does sometimes get the better of me). She did a beautiful job of her run with only a small tumble right at the very end.

Then, it was my turn. DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN. I dropped over the edge, hit a bad bump, and immediately popped out of both of my skis.

Figures.

So imagine being at the top of a run that is on a 66.7 degree slope without your skis. Not especially good news! At least the skis didn't escape, and A dropped in to help me get back in. He told me "getting back into skis on a slope this steep is a whole different ballgame". And then he realized that I was literally trembling between the fear and the adrenaline!

(Straight on shot of the chute run)

Fortunately, when you fall right at the top, you have a chance to (A) realize what it's like to fall and it's not completely horrible, (B) understand that if you have to, you can take your skis and slide down on your bottom because it's not THAT steep that you couldn't and (C) realize too that now you're in, you do actually have the skills to ski the rest of the slope!

And what do you know, that's just what I did! I looked a little like a Mexican jumping bean because my jump turns were a little exaggerated (probably from all that adrenaline), but I didn't fall again and even managed to connect a couple of my turns!!

(From more of an angle - see skier partway down)

It was a crazy thing...and also ridiculously exhilarating. I've never skied better than I did on the very next run, because after something that extreme, everything else suddenly seems like cake!

(R, Me, and A with the chute behind us!)

So that is my story...thanks for letting me brag a little bit about overcoming something that was so scary to me! And if you ever need a trip, I HIGHLY recommend Steamboat...I hear it's just as nice in the summer as it is in the winter...and do check out Strawberry Park Hot Springs if you go!

Support and Acceptance

Ok, I realize that the title here is maybe a little misleading. But...I'll explain where it comes from. First, let me build the background by saying that I'm jumping head first into a new business venture - I've started working with Arbonne, and so far I love it. There's so much to learn and there are tons of trainings, but I'm incredibly grateful that I haven't been dumped into a business and left to figure it all out on my own.

Part of my reason for moving in this direction is because I am at a point in my world where I really needed to try something completely new, to expand my boundaries, and to build some new skills that in some ways, scare me to death. I think it's healthy to push yourself from time to time in ways that maybe aren't the most comfortable but have the potential for great payoff. In this case, while of course I hope my business stays financially viable, the best payoff for me is the opportunity to meet new people through the presentations and get to talk to them about their lives.

Already, I've been fortunate to find that I really click with my sponsor - I think we have similar outlooks on the world, and it's always a gift to meet someone like that. Plus, working with one of my longtime friends is a major added bonus - we're learning together, and I trust her implicitly so it makes attempting to overcome some of the personal challenges a little less daunting.

In this process, I have been pleasantly surprised at how supportive those closest to me have been. Now, let me say that it's NOT the case that my doubt was based on previous experience...everyone's always wonderful, so why would I expect anything else? But as with any new thing, it's a learn-through-experience kind of deal. And I've been blown away by the people who have come to my launch parties, purchased items (and I've gotta say, the products do pretty much rock :)), or even just sent simple notes of encouragement and well wishes. It's been eye-opening to see how strong my network really is, and how blessed I am!

So...now to get to the explanation for the title. I have a friend's wife who is also starting out in direct sales with a different company. If her launch had been on a weekend, it's likely that I would have gone down just to support her...but it was a weekday and in the morning, so I couldn't make it. I sent a note expressing my excitement for both of us, suggesting we compare notes sometime, wishing her luck, and letting her know if she had a catalogue to let me know and I'd take a look at her products.

I have learned in the week leading up to getting her invitation how important and welcome that simple offer can be.

I got a note back saying that we should compare notes, and telling me in a fair amount of detail why she thinks her company is better than mine. At the end of the note, she deigned to offer to look at what my company might have that her company didn't.

Really?

Clearly, I'm a little irritated by the return message. I completely understand that some things don't come across well in an email...but was it really necessary to tell me why she thinks her company is better and to offer so little positive in response? I've got to admit, I'm incredibly hesitant now to even look at what she's selling - I'm sure the products are fine, but I don't need to be torn down in order to build someone else up.

In my world, it seems to me that the amazing support that people can offer also has to know how to be accepted on the other side. Sometimes that's not an easy thing - I'm terribly independent and get that - but at the very least, acknowledge the offer with grace.

So I guess to sum it up...all I'm saying is that to me, when people volunteer their time or their money or even something like a thought that they turn into a note in order to build me up, it's like my personal small miracle in that moment and means the world. And really, it's a shame for those people who have trouble purely accepting that offer...because they're missing out on an incredibly powerful experience.

I'm Back!

It has been months and months since I posted to my blog, and this time it's not for lack of things to talk about! Really, I jumped off onto a traveling binge right after my last post. Since the beginning of May I've been:

• Portland, Oregon for a wine tasting trip with three of my favorite ladies
• Southern Indiana for my Grandpa's 85th birthday
• Most of July I was holding still (if you don't count camping within the state)
• August I ran a 1/2 marathon
• September I went to Hawaii with one of my besties
• October I went to Maine with my dad to visit my other Grandad

So, as you can see, it's not been a slow six months! But...shame on me for not writing about all of these adventures. Because really, they were ALL adventures. Maybe now that I'm headed back to technologically solvent (yep, that's right, I finally replaced my 7 year old computer) I can circle back and tell the stories that I've collected!

Tonight I spontaneously ran into some friends at the mall and we decided to make an evening of it by getting dinner and catching up. Can I just say how much I love random run-ins like that? Anyway, there was a lot of talk of blogging and it inspired me to start catching up on my own project. I've got a few ideas about posts to add here, and they won't all tie to travelling...but I can't wait to put them out there!!

A Good Dose of Inspiration

Lately I have been feeling very bored, which is a weird description for my life. Too busy, yes. Overwhelming, often. So then it seems strange that bored would also tie to those words. Because while I'm moving a thousand miles per hour, it's all beginning to feel the same.

I have a problem with being present in the moment, and I think taking the long view actually hurts all of the experiences that I'm meant to be having right now. I worry about the "what if this isn't going to/supposed to work out" and the "how on earth is that going to happen" rather than enjoying the exact place that everything actually is and trusting that it's that way for a reason. If I would just let things either work out - or not - rather than thinking them to death, I think it would open a better window for me to know myself even better than I do. By going with the moment, it would better allow me to react to how I really feel rather than worrying about the ramifications...it would allow me to just be and to take care of myself in the process.

Moving to this philosophy is going to take some work, but it's been on my mind a lot lately as I find myself worrying about things that just can't be addressed right at this exact moment. And then I don't enjoy the moments that I have. I may need the occasional reminder that everything will be fine...but I'm going to try to focus more on the here and now to see if that doesn't help relieve some of the boredom.

I'm in the middle of reading Siddhartha and there's a line that caught my attention. Not having it in front of me right now, all I can share is the gist, but it basically talked about how he'd been through a period where he fed his body, but starved his soul. He goes on to reflect on the way he'd been living and the experiences he'd been having...he had made money, experienced women, enjoyed good food and nice clothes. But ultimately, he was left friendless, miserable and nearly suicidal until he rediscovered that the little voice in himself that reminded him that there was still a journey to live for. It just wasn't a journey of things.

I love how this translates, since it acts as a reminder to not place so much value on things you want, or even the direction you think life should take. Instead, the focus should be on finding enlightenment...not necessarily happiness, but a peace and acceptance within yourself that's meant to carry you through everything else that's going on.

I have to remind myself that it's ok to be in a constant state of "work in progress", and that sometimes it's out glitches that make us interesting.

So here's to finding inspiration to make the best of the journey...wherever I may end up. And I say this a lot, but it always is worth repeating...a thanks to my wonderful friends who are so supportive of both my random joys and my most confusing disappointments and fears. I'm blessed to have so much love in my life!

Chicago

I did something completely and totally out of character last week, and it was wonderful! Last Wednesday, I bought a ticket to Chicago for Friday night (and thanks, M., for understanding my crazy last minute change of plans). I had been talking to L. during the week, and this has been one of our longest stints apart so far. I really think it's a little easier for me, because I'm still here in Colorado with a ton of work, a bazillion activities and all my friends whereas he has less going on to distract him in Springfield. He sounded so down when I talked to him that on a whim Weds I checked ticket prices to see if it was possible to maybe meet him Chicago, since he was going to be up there visiting family.

Low and behold, we found a reasonable ticket and off I went on Friday night!

The flight was fine until about 2 minutes before we touched down at Midway. We went into the landing and at the last second, the pilot pulled the plane back up into the air. Apparently, the plane ahead of us had landing gear issues, and while it had safely landed it was stuck on the runway. Midway only has two runways (each one based on how the wind is directed), which meant that we got to circle for 20-30 minutes in hopes that they could clear the broken plane.

Because of the difficulty in getting a plane towed, we were not able to get into the airport before we started running low on fuel so we were diverted to Milwaukee. Not a big deal, only a 20 minute flight further, but then we got to hang out on the plane for a while during the refueling. At least most people on the plane seemed to be in pretty good humor...

So finally, an hour and a half after we were supposed to have arrived, we managed to head back to Midway where the airport was now open landing around 12:30am vs. the 10:15pm planned time.

It was WONDERFUL to be on the ground...I am only really good for so many landings, since for some reason the landing throws off my equilibrium more than the take-off or even in-air turbulance, and three was pushing my limit!

From there, L. was there to pick me up (poor guy, he'd been there waiting for 3 hours) and we headed back to the hotel room where I pretty much fell asleep immediately.

We stayed at the Essex on Michigan Avenue (www.essexinn.com), and it was a really cute room. All the necessities, nothing too crazy, and the location was out of this world. We were easy walking distance from the museum campus and the lake, the Art Museum and the Sears tower. The only thing that we really noticed was that the walls in the hotel were really, really thin - our neighbor coughed all night both nights, and there were some partiers who came in late one night and sounded like they were in the room with us. My singing in the shower habits were severely limited by the thin walls.

We headed out for breakfast Saturday morning to a restaurant called the Bongo Room...fantastic food! Breakfast burrito was huge, and came with this interesting sour cream that also added a kick.

From there, we headed to the Art Institute. I have not had the pleasure of visiting art museums in big cities (I now know that Denver does NOT qualify as a big city), so this was really one of the highlights of the trip for me. AND the month of February was free attendance...so bonus! We spent 3 1/2 hours wandering around the museum, and spent the bulk of that time with the impressionists. Monet, Renoir, Serat...large collections and they were all there! I about died with happiness to see three of the Water Lilies collection and the Haystack light study. I could have spent the entire day just hanging out in those rooms, and still have seen new things each minute!

And the Serat that everyone recognizes? It's HUGE. It took up an entire wall, and considering the fact that he's a pointilist, it's remarkable to me the level of execution in a painting that large. It took him 5 years to complete it, and I'll bet that was with consistent work. What an amazing surprise!

We also strolled through the modern wing (umm...scary). I have never taken the time to do both genres in a single visit, so to have them put side by side was eye-opening. I felt happy and light while viewing the impressionist gallery...but you hit the modern wing and it's like nothing will ever be happy again. Apparently to be modern is to have not only multiple levels of meaning, but to be dark and depressed as well. I was pretty disturbed by some of the content that I found in that gallery, and am not in a hurry to go back to revisit it. The Dahli was interesting, just because of the crispness of the paintings...and the Jackson Pollock was actually kind of cool. But all definitely brought me down. I suppose if the intention of art is to affect someone in some way, then it's all successful art. But you better believe I wouldn't want any of it in my living room!

From the art museum, we headed to the old Marshall Fields department store (now Macy's, and from what I hear, this is NOT a good thing if you're from Chicago!). Seriously, people...Mecca. 9 floors of department store. And we walked around EVERY floor!

As you might expect, after all that walking we were dying for food and decided to walk further to a great little pizza place called Pizzaria Due (a branch off the pizza place called Uno's). We were fully expecting at least a 1/2 hour wait, and were happily surprised to be able to walk right in. Large dinner and two margaritas later, we were ready to wander around. And how cool is our waitress that she let me steal the menu since it was clearly my first time to the city?

The wandering actually led us back to the hotel rather than out on the town - which was fine with me after all the physical activity that day...does that mean I'm getting old and boring?

Sunday was a little more laid back, since I had to get to the airport and we also needed to head down to South Chicago to visit L's aunt, uncle and cousin. We went back to Bongo Room, where I had the most amazing French Toast that ever existed, and then discovered we didn't need to be out of town until 2. That led us to walk down to the lake (which was frozen) and around to the Planetarium (which has huge, sweeping views of the city). It was definitely cold and I was so glad to have my ski hat, but it was also completely worth it to walk down over there. The ice on the water was really remarkable to me, since it's not like Lake Michigan is small.

Then, after taking a bazillion pictures, we headed over to the Bean and Millenium Park. Not much really to say about that other than it'd be fun to go to a concert there in the summer. The Bean was pretty cool for photo opps, but otherwise, not a lot to really do with it. So from there, we headed back to the car.

After a family visit, we headed on over to Midway so I could catch my flight back out. No problems on the return flight, and I slept for the entire thing. Can't imagine why!

Such an incredible experience, and I really did have fun with the spontenaeity of the thing. And...I'm really looking forward to going back in March, since we have a completely different itenirary for that trip!

Run like the Wind...On the Wings of Love

I love my friends! There's really no other way to say it - whenever I need them, even when I don't know I need them but they sense that I do, they are always there. And that is an everyday miracle.

My parents are back east with my grandad, and things seem to be ok on that front so that's good news. They'll be back this coming Saturday, so I might get an opportunity to see them in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, the schedule continues to fill up on this end, but mostly with fun and exciting things! I've finally started running again on a fairly regular basis, and it feels amazing. My energy level is already improving, and that's saying something because I'd been dragging for the last month or so. I've also started in on the cross training (unintentionally). Last week was running, yoga, skiing, and then dancing on Sunday night.

Here is a plug for the Mercury Cafe (www.mercurycafe.com) - fantastic venue for all those who love to swing dance. I went with some friends, one of whom I've danced with for a long time. We arrived early enough to get in on part of the lesson, learned some new things (we're both pretty rusty), and then applied it! I have missed being picked up and thrown around!! The best part is that there's dancing on Sunday nights, so when there's time to cram it in before the week begins, all of us who love to dance are even in town.

I did learn, however, that it's time for new dance shoes. I think I pulled most of the muscles in both feet. But...totally worth it!

Now...one more plug before I head out to my new (kick-ass) yoga class. If you're watching the Bachelor this season, there is a fun blog that follows it and says all the things you know they were thinking. It's a pretty funny recap, so check it out if you get the chance:

www.ihategreenbeans.com

Have a great rest of the week and hopefully I'll have more things to post on soon!

Hmmm...

My update for today isn't super happy, but since I mentioned it previously I thought I should bring some closure. My grandmother passed away yesterday, and I have to say that I am grateful that it wasn't a long, drawn out process in hospice. I can't imagine that would have been good for anyone, least of all my grandad.

But - here's a question that I've been thinking about. I know that grief affects different people in different ways. I wasn't terribly close with this grandmother, due to geographic distance, but she's the one I looked forward to visiting most and who I used to exchange letters with when I was a kid. Still, we would literally go months without contact.

So, shouldn't it logically follow that if you're not super close with someone - even a family member - that you're less affected by that loss? I'm only asking because I feel strangely out of sorts today and I don't really feel justified attributing that to the loss of a grandmother I haven't seen a couple of years. But nonetheless, I feel hypersensitive, my head hurts, my focus isn't stellar and I kinda want to cry. It just doesn't make sense in my own too-logical head.

There's nothing that needs to be done, I don't need to fly out there because there won't be a service. I am still thinking about trying to make a trip out there in May - maybe my dad will be ready to go back again at that time. I have to think that my grandad would still enjoy the company, and it might be good for me, too.

Anyway, that's it for today...thanks for the good thoughts and the prayers sent this direction. I guess it's one more life lesson/experience to add to the collection.

What to say?

I know that I've had less of a presence on here over the last month or so, but I really haven't had all that much to report on. I suppose it's the downside of having a blog that's not dedicated to a particular topic or not having kids yet to report on!

But...I suppose even everyday life can deserve an update from time to time.

These last few weeks have been hectic, but not for the usual reasons. Work's been busy, absolutely, and I'll probably be dedicating some evenings to it this week. But the hectic part last week was a baby blanket that I was crocheting. I have fallen in love with crocheting as a craft and like having something to do with my hands while I watch TV in the evening...and it was my forgetting my own afghan at my parents house over the holiday that inspired me to create a baby blanket for Lande's sister's shower this last weekend.

It turned out really well, all yellow, green and white. But...there was a funny part that I did not think through in terms of the two weeks I gave myself to make the blanket. As the rows get longer, the time it takes to finish a row gets longer. That's right - seems like a pretty basic assumption, but it was going so well and quickly at the beginning that it didn't occur to me that wrapping it up might take all the time I had in the last week! I'd look and think, only 10 more rows! And then, it hit me that each row was taking an hour to complete, lol!

Anyway, it was an excellent learning experience and I can't wait to do another one.


Lande was here over the weekend, and things are going well. He's easy to be with, I really enjoy his company, we discovered the joy of playing Lego Starwars together (not a bad Saturday night activity!), and are making plans for the next few visits. The hard part these days it taking him back to the airport. This long distance thing is hard...not tough to commit to, but hard to be without the other person when you're so happy spending time together.

The only other thing I'll make a quick note of here is that my grandmother was admitted to hospice over the weekend. She's had Alzheimers for some time now, and unfortunately this is the nature of the beast...but she will be the first grandparent I've lost. I know how fortunate I am that all four (well, technically 5, I love my step-grandmother!) grandparents are still alive, but I'm not completely sure what to do with this situation since there won't be a service and therefore no need to go back east to see my grandad. If you're reading, say a little prayer for my family as we go through these next few transitions.

Not meaning to be a downer of post today, but wanted to share a little of what's been going on...hope everyone is having a decent start to the week.

Happy New Year!

Wow - 2010! Hard to believe that we're at the start of a new decade, and I'm so thankful that 4 days in, it's started off well. It's been almost a month since I've been on here, so I've got some serious catching up to do for everyone. I suppose that I have so much to catch people up on is largely why it's been a month since I've been on here!

Ok - so Colorado Christmas. The concert was the weekend of 12/11-12/13, 4 total performances that were wonderful and hysterically funny all at one time. I am proud to say that one of our own, CSO Chorus member Sydney Fisher, was the soloist this year and did an amazing job. She walked the line just perfectly between classical and pop styles, which lent itself so well to the music and was just fantastic to listen to. Another reminder of how lucky I am to be in a group with so much talent!

Then, as those of you who have been to the show before know, Santa makes an appearance every year. This year, though, the Grinch showed up in all his glory for the 2nd half of the show! Friday night (opening night) was not terribly tight, and things didn't really go as planned for the Grinch's appearance. What was supposed to happen? Grinch shows up, talks about delaying Santa, sings "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" with the kids, and then has a conversation with the real Santa (who arrives) and winds up reading The Night Before Christmas to the kids and audience.

What actually happened? The Grinch showed up and made it through the song, but when Santa and Grinch went to look for the book in Santa's bag, they couldn't find it! Pretty soon, they're pulling the stuffing out of the bag (which was NOT audience ready - it was tissue paper, unwrapped boxes, bubble wrap) and the conductor goes down to help them. The Grinch says,"I know where it is, I'll be right back, stall them!" and goes tearing off the stage to try to find the book backstage.

He bounds back onstage a minute later and says, in his character's voice,"They TELL me it's IN there!"

At this point, the chorus, the orchestra and the entire audience is rolling since it's clear this wasn't staged but they're playing it off so well!

Eventually, they do find the book at the very bottom of the bag and the rest of the show goes on with no snags.

As for the two Saturday shows and the Sunday show, this bit was such a hit that they actually wound up writing it into the show, unbeknownst to any of the other performers (the first time they did it, Scott - our conductor - turned and looked at us like, really, again?) He totally got us, since the next step was to pull out a pink, shamwow snuggie, which Scott announced as "just what he wanted this year". By Sunday, Scott actually started the Night Before Christmas piece while wearing the pink shamwow snuggie!! :)

So, just goes to show that some of the best theatre is a result of an accident!

The following weekend, Dec 18-19, I got to do a little traveling and went to Springfield for the weekend to see Lande. He had invited me to the big holiday ball there, so we got totally spruced up and had a great time at the party (again, I do have pictures but I have to have 2 seconds at home to post them. It's on my list for this week!). But really, it was a great all-around weekend to see his place (really pretty apartment, the upstairs of a house), meet his pets (his cat Roo is tiny and sweet but a little shy, and one of the other cats in the house, Murphy, is 22 lbs and loved me immediately - apparently he has a thing for females), and see some of the town. We lost tons of time just talking, I got to see his pictures from when he lived in Russia, and I was introduced to a TV show called Dead Like Me. Great show, very sad that there are only two seasons since the writing is clever and the cast is excellent.

It was hard to come home, but at least he was headed to CO for the holidays two days after I left!

Then, we get into Christmas and New Year's. Christmas Eve and early morning I spent at my brother's house since I wanted to be with my little nephew. He still thinks the best part of gifts are the paper and bows, but he's a smart little guy and figures out all of the toys quickly. He did get a wagon from Santa, which he decided was great for crawling in, then crawling out, then crawling in, then crawling out...you get the idea. After that, we went to our parent's house for the rest of Christmas day and took it slow and easy. All in all, we had a great Christmas, lots of games and toys for all, and quality time with each other.

PS - for the record, it is possible to find Lego Starwars for Wii. I have it for PS3. BEST GAME EVER!

Last but not least, partying in Ft. Collins for New Year's. Excellent party, lots of fun people, and the highlight for me - lighting off my first-ever firecrackers!! I'm sure we drove the neighbors crazy with the fireworks, but they were SO worth it!

Now, sadly, it is back to the grind and there's little possibility right now of things slowing down much at work. But, I'm going to try to cram in as much as possible in my 8-9 hours so that I can have a life outside of work...I am such a happier person when there's room for better balance, so I need to find a way to create that better balance!

I hope you all had wonderful holidays filled with lots of loved ones and joy, and here's to the start of what I hope will be a terrific year for us all!

It's December Already!

It's so funny, I have thought of so many things to blog about over the last several weeks but haven't had a spare second to actually hop on here and expand on those thoughts. I'm sure everyone can identify, since the holidays always bring a certain amount of holy-geez-so-much-to-do-not-sure-how-to-do-it!

First, let me say I love love LOVE Thanksgiving and the weeks that follow leading up to Christmas. This Thanksgiving was different than in years past, since it was just my parents and me...my brother and his family was visiting the in-laws this year. While it didn't completely feel like Thanksgiving (I guess I've learned to need more chaos!), it was still wonderful to take it easy - start the turkey after 12 noon, drink wine before noon and still in pajamas, and play Wii and dominoes until we dropped. For the record, Mexican Train is an awesome way to kill a few hours!

I was also lucky enough to spend the remainder of the weekend in Fort Collins with Lande and his family. The time was much too short, but I'll take whatever I can get since this long-distance relationship doesn't allow for nearly as much together time as I would like! We had time to spend with our good friends Aaron and Colyn, to shop, to catch a movie and to catch up with each other before his 8:30am flight on Sunday. I have never been the first person in Starbucks before, but we hit them just as they were opening the doors on the way out of town. And...I didn't believe it, but it really is an hour and a half to DIA from Ft. Collins!

Let it suffice to say that for the rest of the day on Sunday, much sleeping ensued :).

And now, here it is, December again and already! My little nephew just turned 1 last Thursday and we had a family celebration on Saturday. My personal goal was to find a gift for him that would make noise - I'm on the offensive, since my brother would do the same given the opportunity. I chose an xylophone/keyboard, which turned out to be perfect. Andrew didn't really know what to do with it at first, but once I showed him how to use his whole hand (he's big on the one-finger thing right now) he completely got it. Beethoven's got nothing on my nephew, and I'm a proud auntie! I'll post photos as soon as I have two seconds to be at home...

And finally - my friend Niki nominated me for a blog award! Thanks, Niki, for keeping up with all of my stream of thought posts and random wanderings...it's wonderful encouragement for me to keep writing knowing at least a few people are reading! Love ya, mwa!

Haunted House

So when Lande was here visiting two weekends ago, we got our crew of friends together to do a haunted house. The plan originally started out as a corn maze, but Colyn was sick over the weekend so we didn't want to drag her out into the freezing cold weather we were having over that weekend.

So...we headed off to dinner at Cheesecake Factory downtown (fabulous as always) and then up to Primitive Fear by the dog track in Commerce City. That haunted house gets two thumbs up - it's as good as I remembered it from years ago, with some new twists and turns. My friends let me lead, which is so the best place to be since you get all the scares first (and usually right in your face). I love just letting yourself be scared and screaming like the girl I am! Plus, when you've got a date it's a great reason to hang on...The only down side is how quickly it was over!

Anyway, thought that I'd post the photo of our group to share...we had such a great time!!

Rachmaninoff & Weekend

This weekend was the opening to the Rachmaninoff Festival and the first show of the season for the CSO Chorus. Our part in the performance was fairly short with the Three Russian Songs and it went as well as could be expected considering the difficulty of the language. The big piece is next weekend - The Bells - and should be a pretty fantastic performance (well, we hope). The third movement, the scherzo, is written for the chorus...and that's unusual, because it's typically so fast and lively. So, we will be singing fast & lively in Russian - it will be a unique experience!

As for the rest of the weekend, I was lucky enough to spend it resting, playing frisbee in the sun, going to an improv show downtown, and then today reading in the park for a couple of hours. It was so relaxing and so needed, especially considering how hectic last weekend was (Lande was here to visit and we just talked and talked...until 2am each night). But I'll admit, the lack of sleep was totally worth it and I can't wait to see him again in November!

A couple of pictures of our beautiful and unseasonably warm day:


My spot in the park - it was very comfy :)

Adventures in Plumbing - Part II

I did it!!! I replaced my whole garbage disposal and a corroded pipe, by myself, and in only about 3 hours. I am so proud, I actually did a little celebration dance when I was done! I will admit, there was one step that inspired some interesting swear words all strung together...seating the darn thing where it belonged and then trying to push the metal connector ring onto the attachment while turning it was near impossible - either two tabs would catch but not the third or I couldn't get the whole disposal in straight - and this thing is HEAVY. I think I pulled every shoulder muscle while trying to hold this thing with one hand while pushing and twisting with the other. But...VICTORY!!! :-)

Here's my old nasty one (see afore mentioned duct tape):


Here's my kitchen/temporary disaster area with the kick-ass tool kit that Mindy gave me for Christmas last year. I wouldn't have been able to do this without the kit!!



And here's my bright shiny new one, with the new pipe included:


Oh, and just because it wouldn't be complete - here's Lucy taking over where I left off. She was determined to help by chasing screws or trying to sit on me while I was working:

Girl Power!

This is going to sound really random, I know, but I discovered there's nothing like buying a garbage disposal and a baby gift all in one day. Talk about girl power!

I hit the hardware store early this afternoon (it was supposed to be early this morning, but I woke up feeling like a**...sux when there's so much to do) and the man who helped me was so nice. I love Home Depot for exactly that reason. No one there treats you like a girl who knows nothing unless you admit you're a girl who knows nothing! And at least I'd looked at all the ins and outs of my garbage disposal - literally - and had written down the details before I went to the store...so that definitely helped.

Anyway, he took me over and gave me a general run-down of the tools I would probably need and how it all worked together. Then, as we were heading to the register he gave me what I would consider great advice: "Get yourself some beer or wine and go to work on it...and just be patient!"

Now that is a man after my own heart :-)

More to report after I actually get started on the process...hopefully tomorrow morning when I wake up full of energy (knock on wood)!

Avs Game - Opening Night

I am one lucky girl. Every now and then (and more then than now) my job will net me some awesome perks, and last night - Avs Opening Night - was a prime example.

My friend Dawn and I went to the game and tried to make it to the party beforehand which my fabulous rep invited us to. We finally made it in close to the end of the party, but still made it in time to enjoy a premium adult beverage each and that fantastic spread offered by Capital Grille (if you've never been there, it's definitely a treat). All of this happened under arena and on the level of the ice, and the decor was really beautiful - maroon table clothes (of course!) and ice blue lights shining everywhere.

Finally, we hustled upstairs because of the ceremony...they were retiring Joe Sakic's jersey number and raising it to sit beside Bourke and Roy's numbers at the rafters. It was such a neat thing to be a part of - they tracked his whole entrance to the arena, through the locker room, greeting teammates and coaches, and then the speeches and presentations with his whole family on hand. I can't believe that Super Joe is retiring, but I suppose in the long run a 20 year career in a sport that can be as rough as hockey is really a pretty great achievement.

But...for all of us fans, he'll be missed!


The game itself went well - I think it was more that the Sharks sucked than the Avs were really excellent at this point - but we scored quickly and kept it up. Avs won, 5-2.

Ahhhh - I LOVE hockey games!!!

Adventures in Plumbing

I swear, sometimes the universe is just out there conspiring against you! My house is slowly but surely falling apart...it makes me wonder if there's some rule that at the 5 1/2 year mark everything needs to be replaced. My garbage disposal is going to get replaced this weekend - I'm not sure how old it is, but it has actually corroded through so that when you run it it sprays water like a sprinkler. In keeping with my trying to be more frugal (not to mention the fact that I don't have a CLUE what I'm doing when it comes to plumbing), I decided the best way to fix it would be to use duct tape on the holes.

Let me just say...this does not work. It does, however, force the water downward into a bucket so at least my entire undersink area does not wind up like the shore at low tide (meaning: damp with a weird, unidentifiable smell).

So, this weekend I'm digging in...going to buy a new disposal and attempt to put it in by myself. I should blog about how that goes, because I'm sure it's going to be interesting!

Then, this morning my toilet tank decided to quit holding water. I think before too long the sound of running water is going to put me on anti-anxiety pills...when I heard that sound as I climbed out of the shower this morning, my whole gut clenched because I thought I had just fixed this problem a few months ago! So apparently it's back to the drawing board. Here's hoping I don't have to take the entire inside of the tank apart again, and that it's just the flapper.

I am so wishing right now that I were back to renting!

CSO Reaudition

The reaudition yesterday is over, thank goodness. I hate auditions SO much and it's even worse when you have to do it in front of your Grammy-winning director with no one else to sing with you. I don't think they'll kick me out, but I did ask for reconsideration to the Alto 1 part. I'm happiest at the Soprano II level, but know that I have challenges in the top of my range...and as long as they'll let me keep singing, I'll be fine. I wonder how to build confidence with this stuff, and assume it has to do with getting used to auditions so that they're not so terrifying. It only adds to the frustration that when you're nervous, they never hear how good you really can be!

I really hope that it's another 3 years before this comes up again. But, my friends all are the best and let me vent and call to check in on me...so as stressed as I am between work and this re-audition, I'm so lucky to feel loved!!

Bolder Boulder 2009

So I decided that since I live in Denver I should run in the Bolder Boulder at least once before I die. Since I'd done a 5k run earlier in the month, I thought that this should be the year to go see what all the hoopla was about!

I will fully admit that there was some buyer remorse once I registered (is that possible?)...I mean, it's not terribly appealing to know you're going to get up at 5:30am on your day off just to go run 6 miles. And I was cursing the experience as I was driving 20 miles per hour up Highway 36, just to park 1.3 miles from the start of the race. But once I actually made it to the start line, it was really hard not to be impressed by not only the sheer number of people but by the obviously well thought out organization that comes with 31 years of practice!

The run itself was broken into waves based on your expected running time, so that you're less likely to either run over the people who are walking or be run over by those who could easily lap you. And I loved that you were timed via a shoe tag which registered electronically each time you reached a mile mark. Being my first real race, I'd never seen anything like that and was completely amused (and have to admit, it made me feel all runner-esque :-)). Then, they actually started each wave by firing off the stater gun...totally amps up the excitement as soon as you approach the start!

Along the entire length of the course, there were people cheering, making breakfast in their front yards on camp stoves, belly dancing (actually saw two different groups), and handing out everything from beads to Dorritos and Bloody Marys. This event appeared to be quite the Memorial Day party in Boulder!

The very best part of the experience was the end. Not just because the race was finally over and I could limp up into the stands and not think about the 1.5 mile walk back to the car...but because winding up in Folsom Field with most of the stands full of people is a pretty crazy feeling. CU Band Day's got nothing on this!

All in all, even with the early morning and the parking challenges...I might actually consider doing it again. Who knows - I might even be able to improve on my own time!