Five on Friday

1. Colorado has the strangest weather - Monday night was a crazy night of wind (which unfortunately kept Lilly up most of the night - but no worries, my insomniac mood allowed me to keep her company from 2 to 4 am) it blew in a fluke warm day on Tues - a high of 66 degrees! Wednesday was angry at Tuesday and spitefully retaliated with a chilly, gloomy 38 degree day... thankfully it was was all worth while on Wed night/Thursday morning when 6 inches of snow covered up the brown landscape - absolutely beautiful. When we woke up this morning it was a mere 5 degrees outside with fog; when the weather is THAT cold, the trees crystalize - it is breathtakingly beautiful - like a fairytale city.

This is not my picture but it gives you a good idea of what it looks like - imagine the entire landscape like this.

2. We have our second wave of company in town - Qunicy & Amanda arrive from Reno on Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any time off of work to help entertain them, but Sam was - and he's enough entertainment all by himself :)

3. The main reason for Q & Amanda's trip was to see the Transiberian Orchestra. They've been once before and while they had less than desirable seats they really enjoyed the show. Most people are familiar with the rock song that the group does because it is frequently set to house light shows... but they are a whole lot more than just that. We waited a bit too long to get the seats and ended up pretty far away and at an angle, but we still had a great time and the pyrotechnics were big enough to enjoy even from our seats.

4. I had forgotten how much 'fun' the Reno boys are when they get together. Sam and Quincy decided that the holiday would not be complete without classic old-people ugly sweaters to wear. They spent Thursday at the thrift store and racked up a good 8-10 sweaters to complete the holiday. Pictures to follow. The plan is to wear these sweaters to our neighbor's holiday party tonight. As if it weren't bad enough that we are crashing the party with 4 additional friends (the full guest count is at 118 as of yesterday); we'll be showing up in style :) The Stock's hold this party annually, and last year Sam and I had such a great time that we wouldn't miss it for the world this year. The theme last year was Mexican, this year it is Greek - I suspect Blair may show up in a Toga and Santa hat combination. The guest list almost always includes the vast majority of our neighborhood - I'm so thankful that we live in such a wonderful neighborhood, and that our most immediate neighbors make it so convenient for us to socialize with the rest of them - the best part of all, after the alcohol flows freely, we are a few yards away to our own front door.

5. Saturday is the Lighting of Breckenridge festival. We try to make it to at least one parade/Santa sighting per year. What better location this year than Breck when we have company? I think the ugly sweaters may make a repeat appearance for this event if we make it up in time.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Snow! Snow! Snow!

It FINALLY snowed last night... a full 4 inches I'd say!

The dogs had a blast... so much so that Pepper couldn't resist making some yellow snow. It's 5pm and it's mostly gone now, but it was sure fun while it lasted!

Thanksgiving Pictures

What we are grateful for:

Laura - Lilly, and Sam & Lynn
Mike - Laura and Lilly
Sam - a roof over our heads and a delicious meal
Lynn - a job that I am happy at for the first time in years

Laura Cooking Turkey

Sam Cutting Sweet Potatoes
Mike and Lilly watching FootballLilly's First Turkey - that she can't eatOne Happy Couple
One Happy Family

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Five on Friday

It's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm still going to hold to my agreement.... Five on Friday...yay!

1. Thanksgiving was low key and delicious. Turkey (a la Laura) with Cranberry Maple glaze, Dressing, Mashed Potatoes with Laura's famous garlic gravy, Green Bean Casserole (a la Mike), Hawaiin Roles (yumo), Candied Sweet Potatoes (with Kahlua sauce) Thanks G'pa Bob - those were YUMMY - even though I forgot the Marshmallow Creme, Sparkling Pear Cider, and of course, Pumpkin Pie.

2. I braved the mad rush today... Woke up around 7am; washed my face, threw some sweats on and drove to two different Petsmart stores. I received an ad in my email a few days ago for 50% off X-large dog beds. I've been wanting to get a few more so that we can try to kick the dogs out of bed permanently. Well sure enough I get all the way to Petsmart and the X-large turn out to be just Large; the X-large weren't on sale. figures. The associate at the store tried to tell me that they didn't sell anything larger; I quickly informed him that I have 2 Great Danes and knew for certain that they sold larger beds. So I picked up 4 of the Larges anyhow. (@ $20 each - not too bad for 36x 45 microsuede and fleece beds).

3. It is officially the day after Thanksgiving which means we can officially begin to ring in Christmas, Sam started by hanging the Christmas lights today. Sadly, we ended up a strand or two short from last year - not sure how that happened the house hasn't grown (at least not on the outside). Mike was kind enough to lend his hands and spend some time in the fresh Colorado air. The weather cooperated for most of the day - high 50's, but once the sun dropped behind a cloud bank it was COLD. I fixed this by a snuggler in a thermos - and warned Sam not to get drunk and fall off the roof. 4 hours later - the lights are hung, 2 new strands included, the boys are off the roof safely.
4. I decided to do a little outdoor work of my own and got a jump start on the stripstone on the side yard. Spent nearly an hour looking for my hand trowel, which Sam eventually found on the other side of the house. I only had about an hour of warm weather to work in - didn't get too far, but tomorrow is a new day!

5. Leftover Cooking... while I can't enjoy them (b/c of the Turkey)... We watched a great show yesterday on FoodNetwork - with a great idea for making Pot Pies out of the leftovers (mostly Greenbeans and Turkey)... Laura, the great chef, was ambitious today and gave them a try. They smell delish! The fried dressing balls are next :)

Disposable Diapers

For all of you new parents out there.... (not that I'm planning to join your ranks - but if I were, this would on my registry as well). I recently found this website through a friend's blog. Check these things out...I might want kids just to get these deals.

http://www.gdiapers.com/includes/vid_pop4.php
http://www.gdiapers.com/

Night Out....

Darts at Wynkoop... followed by two line dances at The Grizzly Rose... that was about all the country the boys could stand...

Five on Friday

I'm not sure if I will be able to get a Full Five out today.


1. My mother flew to town on Wednesday night to visit. Her three objectives for the trip are to Watch Lilly, photograph Lilly, and cook :) I'm sure there will be many pictures to follow.

2. We are taking advantage of my mother's desire to watch Lilly in order to have an adult night out. Who knew that having a baby restricts you so much from going out on the town. We haven't decided on the plan for the night yet, but I'm sure it'll be fun just to get away. Laura and I are pushing to line dance, Mike would like to go to the casinos and Sam just wants to do something.

3. It's very cold outside; but just won't seem to snow. Colorado weather is just bizarre. Tuesday the high was 78 - almost 80 degrees in November! and by Thursday the high was a mere 38 degrees!!

4. Hallie did an impression on Bambi yesterday morning. 38 degrees made for an icy deck - which of course she didn't understand. I tried to warn her to go slowly but about halfway through the deck she splayed out on all fours. This didn't phase Hallie at all, Pepper on the other hand, turned tail and ran back in the house. I had to accompany her outside to reassure her and to protect her leg from an accidental fall.

5. I've been fighting a cold for the past few days. I lucked out in feeling mostly better by today and also getting the day off work to visit with my mother. It's 230 in the afternoon and although I've showered (and brushed my teeth I promise)... I'm lounging in pajamas and playing with blog designs. I'm helping Laura get a new blog started for everyone to see Lilly.

Five on Friday

Some old friends of mine - friends from a long time ago, not friends that are old in age :) have a habit of posting Ten on Tuesdays -this is 10 things about their lives that they want to share each week. This is a bit too ambitious for me - I'm boring afterall; so I'm shooting for Five on Fridays.



Without further ado...



1. We got our first dusting of snow this morning. It's long overdue - typically the first snow falls before Halloween although it rarely sticks. The weatherman was reporting this morning that the dusting has to be at least 1/10th of an inch to be considered officially the first snow. Thankfully, its still cold and overcast outside, so it is sticking on the rooftops - like powered sugar in a book diarama that I made when I was a kid - beautiful.



2. The dogs are finally healthy again; at least according to the yard. This has been one of the worst rounds of sickness yet - three courses of meds and $350 later - at least they are well. The final drugs were Tylosin which treats for various parasites. This was after the first two rounds to treat for Giarda specifically didn't work. We may never know what the parasite was, but at least it's gone! I was initially concerned by the bottle of Tylosin which says right on the front - for Use in Farm Animals Only - including Chickens and Pigs. I know people joke about the girls being as big as horses; but they are still of the canine family. After a little online research I found this is a common drug for dog parasites, its just not endorsed by the FDA.



3. I have a Big City Date tomorrow. I have lived in or near two major metros in my life San Diego and Denver, and I very rarely spend any time in the "City". And yet, when I watch shows like Sex and the City I always have this urge to live in a big city, without any appreciation for the fact that I already do and don't realize it. So, this Saturday I'm meeting up with an old Junior High friend who lives in Colorado springs. We're going to have lunch, window shop, and likely end up at Fado's for an afternoon Irish Coffee... It's supposed to be sunny but cold... believe it or not I'm actually eager to get bundled up and walk the city.



4. Bluegrass Central. My friend Gabe (who consequently is also my boss - i know its a rarity but an awesome thing) is learning to play the Banjo - he's got one of his girls learning the Mandolin as well - a true bluegrass family. We share a wall between our offices at work, and on most Thursdays he can be heard practicing through the office before his evening lessons. His instructor is part of a two couple quartet that is playing locally tonight. http://www.findersandyoungberg.com/index.html We've been invited to dinner and a concert. A fall chili fest at Gabe's house, followed by some good ol' bluegrass. Sam is not a huge country fan like I am, but he does enjoy bluegrass; especially in a quaint enviornment like this.



5. Lilly has been a joy to have in the house. Sure she has her fussy times, but the good ones make it worth while. Her cuteness has not altered the way I feel about having children (I'm still on the fence) but this has been a great 'live vicariously' opportunity. I've been greedy about holding her in the evenings after her bath and feeding. So she's soft, warm, and happy and falls asleep easily in my arms. Somehow, I've managed to escape diaper duty so far - I'm sure that won't last forever. :)

Skiing in Style

The original plan was to hit the Vail ski swap in - you guessed it - Vail. A few coworkers started looking at me funny for being willing to drive up there late on a Friday night in inclement weather. At which point Whitney mentioned that the Ski & Board Exhibition was going on down at the Denver Convention Center. We opted for the shorter drive downtown. Several sales men, and a few hours of analysis paralysis later, I made the ultimate decision - my first pair of skiis. The picture doesn't quite do them justice, they are vivid colors, a dark black, a stark white and my two least favorite colors - orange and pink mixed together... and yet somehow it all looks good together. The bottoms are bright orange - which should be good when I fall :)

TERROR in the Corn

We spent Friday night with a group of terror loving friends at Terror in the Corn.

http://www.andersonfarms.com/terror.htm

Talk about great times, we started the evening at Waterloo in dowtown Louisville; a happening little bar & grill on main street. Everyone threw back a burger and a few beers to fight off the cold and fear. It was my intention to only go for the beers and food, and drop Sam for the terror part. But after 5 minutes of coaxing in the parking lot of the corn farm, I finally caved. The only downfall, I was wearing my new expensive MaryJane shoes. The heels did not lend themselves well to an uneven corn field, especially if I needed to run for my life.

Group Shot - you'll notice a few thermos' on the left side... I've discovered my new favorite drink for the mountains this winter. Hot Chocolate with Butterscotch Schnapps.... Pure GENIUS. It tastes something like the coconut topping on a german chocolate cake. YUM.

Mostly an adult event, but we were surprised by a handful of small children... and found this sign to be particularly awesome. I want one for the house.

The setup is a bit terrifying in and of itself, a huge 15 acre corn farm in the heartland of Eeeerie. They carted us out on flatbeds pulled by tractors, and yet scary enough, each tractor left full and came back empty.... I seemed to be the only one genuinely afraid of this fact. :)

I survived the scary parts and spent the next two hours hobbling in heels around in the real corn maze with my chin tucked tightly in my jacket, apparently, corn doesn't do much for insolation in the middle of a field at night.
GOOD TIMES ! :)

Sisterly Love

Couldn't help but share this little piece of joy. They love each other almost as much as I love them.

Company from Atlanta

Two weekends ago we had company from Atlanta out to see Colorado for the very first time. I didn't realize how much pressure it would be to pick the activities for her visit. We've had family and friends out many times, but it's been easy to find the plans knowing their interests, and more importantly knowing that they will be back to see more the next time. But when you know you may only have one shot to impress someone and talk them into loving it - wow, that's pressure. What I realized after 2 days touring her around: This place sells itself.

Saturday we drove to Georgetown to take the Georgetown Railroad Loop, and Mine Tour. The Aspen were in full fall mode - absolutely unreal! We met up with Sam for dinner in Boulder at The Med; and some sight seeing on Pearl Street Mall - it was still warm enough that most of the street performers were still performing.

Sunday we ate at our favorite Boulder breakfast hotspot - Lucilles. It's a small victorian house that serves the best cajun creole breakfast ever! We made a pit stop at Anderson Farms for Sam and Rochelle to walk the corn maze; and then headed to downtown Denver for a cruiser ride. We started at the REI parking lot, rode along the South Platte river for a while, peddaled around the capital building, the art museum, and city park.

Tree Status - not so good...

Oh no... apparently the pretty colors were a result of advanced stress. It has turned brown and crunchy as quicly as it turned goregous golden. We've been told shock is common; but did it have to hit the biggest, prettiest one?? Fingers are crossed that it comes back green in the spring.

The two quaking aspen on the side yard were also shocked - they turned brown and crunchy as well. As of yesterday though, both of those have brand new baby green leaves - phew. Sadly, just in time for the weather to change - the leaves won't survive, but the trees should be just fine now :)

Backyard 6 days later...

The gorgeous Sienna Glenn changed colors already!! It's only been a few days since it's been in the ground - I'm glad we got in time to watch it change. I can't wait til this thing is 40 feet tall and doing this.

Beginnings of a Backyard

We have finally put the time necessary into the backyard to get a good start. When we originally purchased the house we were given two vouchers for the yard; one for sod and irrigation, and the othe for trees and shrubs. In theory, this would have made the project affordable and easy.. but alas, we drug our feet on the project and paid the price for it. It took us nearly a full year to determine how large and what shaped deck we wanted; and another 6 months to bid it out and have it built.

We spent the first blizzard winter with a dirt backyard, and a dog who had to be taken out front to go potty. The second year, we had only a deck and a dirt back yard, so we quarantined Two Dogs now, to the side yard which was lined with erosion matting to try to control the mud. It worked reasonably well until Hallie tore most of it up. We accomplished this much last fall. So when the yard thawed this year, we were eager to get rid of the mud pit. The sod company was here early in the spring to lay sod over the irrigation they had installed the previous fall. But when I called the tree farm to inquire about a sale sign out front they notified us that they were having a liquidation sale and would no longer honor our $2500 voucher - OUCH! This put an awful big damper in the motivation and plans. Thankfully, as fall has approached again this year, another local tree farm (mind you, one that I drive past twice a week between daycare and work, and have admired for the size and selection for quite some time) threw up a sale sign 50cent Tree Sale.. doesn't take too much more than that to draw me in. And so after several trips to scout, hours of research online, and an evaluation for their consultant...we finally have trees (and a few shrubs)!!

The next obstacle came in the planting phase.. we have extremely dense clay dirt here in Colorado; our yard is no exception. It took nearly 2 weeks to dig all of the holes. Mother nature was kind enough to dump rain the day before our scheduled delivery; making the clay even more dreadful. This is a picture of the biggest hole in the yard (5 feet x 18 inches)... full to the brim.

We were thankful, the Tree Farm allowed us to delay our delivery date. I was thankful Sam was willing to bail water... A week later, the trees arrived: 1x Sienna Glenn Maple, 1x Armstrong Maple, 1x Winterking Hawthorne, 1x Thunderchild Crabapple, 3x Swedish Aspen, 3x Robin Hill Serviceberry, 2x Quaking Aspen... 12 trees in all.

The Sienna Glenn Maple

The Quaking Aspen and Armstrong Maple

The Swedish Aspen with Serviceberry's hiding in the background.

The Winterking Hawthorne

The Serviceberry's

The Swedish Aspen again, with a few scrawny Russian Sage - should be goregous next year.

200 Have and Have nots

I abducted this from Kerri’s blog… it seemed like a great starting point…

All you have to do is copy the list and bold what you have done.

200 Have and Have nots

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud (all weekend)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn't need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (on Wii)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo's David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane (we have 2 Great Dane’s that own us)
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone's life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival (does the Renaissance Festival count?)
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter's Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik's cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Commented on Kerri's blog

First Blog

This is a test of my first blog on this website. Hopefully it worked.