Life According to Suni

Mom Update - June

2011-06-23T19:26:00.001-06:00

From Mom's friend Eli:

Hi everybody,
Last Saturday we went to the hospital for Rebecca to have bloodwork and cat scans on her 60 day follow up, and today she had an appointment with the oncologist to get the results. I'm glad to report that the news is all good. The medications she's taking for pain haven't had to be increased for several weeks now and the amounts seem to keep the pain managed pretty well. Each morning she takes a morphine tablet and again just before bed, and if she starts to feel it during the day, she has a choice of vicodin or aleve (the Dr. prefers that she take the vicodin over the aleve to cut down on any kidney damage) whenever she feels she needs one or two of them.

The CT scans looked good - the cancer doesn't seem to have spread since the scans from 60 days ago which means the daily "cancer" pill - the hormone inhibitor - seems to be slowing down the growth and doing what it's supposed to do. She will continue to take the monthly injections to keep her bones from softening as quickly. Her breathing has improved tremendously and he didn't hear any fluid in her lungs - much better than when she went into the hospital in March. The one area that has changed is the left arm lymph nodes where the breast cancer originated - they seems have had some changes and growth - he plans to continue watching that area. She'll go back in 60 days (August) to be x-rayed and have blood work again. I'll let you know immediately when we get any results.

The bloodwork, overall, was good too. The red and white blood counts still indicate the cancer is there but in 60 days it hasn't dropped by a large amount - very small decrease and he was pleased with that too. He encouraged her drink lots of water to keep her body flushed out, to keep walking as much as possible and not rely totally on the wheel chair in order to try to keep her strength up (she's been doing better at pushing the wheelchair until she gets tired, then riding the rest of the way). This afternoon, she walked all the way from my car to the front door of the living center - further than she's been able to for a while.

Overall, the reports were all good - and she is very relieved about it. I think we were both a little worried at what we'd hear. Lots of prayers have been sent up for her for healing and it seems to be working - keep it up :)

Mother's Day Trip

2011-05-12T12:10:00.003-06:00

24 hours isn't a lot of time to spend with your family; however, having not spent a Mother's Day with my mom since I was in my teens warranted just an occasion.

I have to say that taking a flight on stand-by is a little nerve wracking when you have limited time. Luckily, this trip I was able to get on both of my flights OK, although it looked like it might be a little dicey there on the trip home. In addition, flying on small planes that hold 50 people are somewhat uncomfortable at best - however, can't really complain when I'm able to save some $$ on my trips. The next trip should have me in Dallas the 3rd week of June.

Mom is doing OK for now. The doctor took a second blood test as they apparently weren't sure the first results came back correctly - but they came back the same. Her general health has overall improved; however, the cancer is still trudging on in her body. Mom's right shoulder gives her the most amount of pain; she lays on her side to relieve that pressure so not sure that she sleeps all that well. She is on Oxycodone and morphine pills; says the pain relievers don't work. However, within an hour of taking the Oxycodone, she felt good, little to no pain so it must be working. She's afraid of becoming addicted to the drug; my mantra of "don't chase the pain" doesn't seem to be working really well right now; however, I think she's starting to see the value of that.

We spent my time there pretty much talking which we've typically not had much of a chance to do in many years. I'm not one to talk a whole lot as I think what I have to say isn't all that interesting, so she told me some family stories from when she was in her late teens/early 20s. I have a lot of info I really want to gleen from her, so I'll be recording stories the next time I see her. We also went through a lot of pictures (which I think is a mere fraction of what she has) and some valuables that she has, including an old "IKE" pin that was given to her by my grandfather. It's still in great condition - she had me take that so I can keep it safe somewhere; think I better invest in a safe deposit box soon.

For Mother's Day, mom's friend Eli made some little gift packets for the ladies staying at the facility from Avon samples that she has acquired being a rep. She wanted to get them out of her house into the hands of those that can use them. Eli put them in these nice little colorful plastic wrappers and then into a basket lined with an old lace curtain (or maybe it was a tablecloth). She put a sign on it that said it was from my mom and her "Avon friend." The ladies really appreciated them and mom actually met more residents; she's been there for 5 weeks and hasn't really ventured out to meet anyone besides those that are at her assigned table in the dining room. I always find it very fascinating to learn about the lives of these folks; their tales of the depression and jobs in their early years are interesting to hear.

If you haven't had the chance to send mom a card or letter or call her, I encourage you to please do so. She sees a lot of her local friends, but said she hasn't heard from much family yet. You can send mail to the following address:

Rebecca Allard
c/o Dayspring Assisted Living
6400 Cheyenne Trail #220
Plano, TX 75023-3774

If you need her phone number, feel free to email me and I'll send it to you.

Another Trip

2011-05-03T20:23:00.003-06:00

I'm headed down to Dallas to see mom for a quickie Mother's Day trip - leave Saturday afternoon, come back on Sunday evening (hopefully - if a seat is still available or I get to wait until Monday). Not much to report right now; doctor did some blood work last week, but couldn't get solid results, so took more blood on Friday - guess they'll know more this week about what is going on. Mom said they talked about putting her on some mild chemo or doing some small doses of radiation to hopefully help with the pain she feels in her shoulders. I'll report what I learn after this weekend.

It's been a busy week or so - finishing off papers and studying to take finals so I can close out two of my classes; then I'll have 4 certificates to obtain that will show how much closer I am to that degree. I have debated about taking at least one class during the summer semester, but I'm almost afraid to take on anything right now - I'm carrying such a great grade point average that I don't want to put it into jeopardy with all of the distractions. So, I'll probably wait until fall but even then will be kind of a crap shoot. I hate not being able to make a plan - as soon as I get everything put into place, a monkey wrench gets thrown into everything. Patience will just have to preside for now.

Goodbye to Grandma

2011-04-24T11:02:00.004-06:00

My dear grandmother, Juanita Mescal Daugherty, passed away on Sunday, April 17th. I was at a Rockies game with some friends; when I saw my uncle Jim calling, I knew what had happened. I spent the rest of the game pretty melancholy; although you know something is going to happen to someone you love in the near future, it doesn't make it any easier when they actually pass.

I flew out on Tuesday where my cousin Brett picked me up. There had been some rough, rainy weather before I got there, so the highways were a little backed up. We took some back roads and a state highway to finally get back into Cincinnati. We headed straight to my aunt Connie's for a beans and cornbread dinner - I was so happy for that meal. Grandma always fixed that for me whenever I visited; guess I'd call it a "signature" meal within the Daugherty side of my family.

That night, we rode out a pretty severe storm system that had tornadoes, hurricane winds and heavy rain. Brett's house is about a block from a fire station where apparently the tornado warning sirens are located; that was definitely a noisy night.

The services for Grandma were nice, although I could do without the open casket - I know Grandma didn't care for that much, either. She didn't look like herself when looking straight at her; they always seem to distort the mouth when they glue it together. I saw so many family members that I hadn't seen in years; we definitely had a full house. We went to uncle Stuart's house afterwards and chatted with people for hours. Their church provided enough food to feed an army, I swear! Being with my family was certainly the most calming thing for me.

I spent time with my aunt Barb (uncle Jim's wife) on Thursday; she had just lost her mother about 3 weeks before, so it's all pretty hard on her. She's been staying at her mom's house since her aunt Helen is in town until July; so I fixed breakfast for everyone and we just hung out and laughed for a couple of hours. We went back that night with pizza's and my cousin Tammy and her family came to visit with us. It was great to spend some quality time with them - if it weren't for the humidity, I would live much closer to all of them. But this dry climate person just doesn't handle the atmosphere there very well.

Now that it's all over, guess I'll concentrate on finishing my classes and mom. I'll send out some updates on her shortly.

Grandma says the Darndest things

2011-04-06T05:23:00.002-06:00

From my cousin Brett: "I got such a kick out of this. I visited Grandma on Saturday and listened to her complain about everything, especially the food (she's 95 and in a nursing home). I didn't go back Sunday with Mom and Faith. Grandma is having trouble with her foot, no circulation, so quite painful. The nurse came in Sunday and was checking her foot out, then commented what she needed to do. Grandma said, "you know what would make my foot feel better? A big pile of bacon." Go Grandma!

Dallas - Trip #1

2011-04-04T01:31:00.007-06:00

Arrived Saturday at 1:30pm. It was a nice day. Mom and Eli picked me up from the airport; we went from there to an extended stay hotel to check in as apparently mom wanted have me close. When we got to the hotel, I put mom into a wheelchair; she just cannot walk very far, she is so weak. Once we got to the room, I put mom's things away and we left her to rest - where she promptly parked herself into a chair and turned on the TV.

After we got mom settled in, Eli and she showed me the first of two assisted living facility not far from mom's apartment; it was nice, astetically pleasing both inside and out. She showed me the main areas (there was one) and a room that would work for mom. Nice, but seemed a bit impersonal.

We then went to mom's apartment. I knew I was walking into a mess; Eli had gotten a lot done, but there was so much more to do. The bathroom is pretty much unusable; there are tons of boxes and plastic storage bins in all shapes, sizes and types you could think of, stacked everywhere. We moved a few things, took out some trash and a box of books to donate and left. I went out and got mom and I something to eat then went back to the hotel to hang out for awhile. After talking with mom about furniture, I left for a bit to investigate beds; she decided that she wants an adjustable bed so I went on a search for that, a wall power source for my iphone and a battery for hers. Pretty uneventful.

Today, mom was going to go to church but didn't feel up to it so I went with Eli. Its held in a middle school and mostly for people "ages 50 and better" (that's what the church info says, I swear). There were probably 50-60 people there; nice bunch of folks. Met the pastor who reminds me of my cousin Tammy's huChand Jeff with hair combed in a slicked back way and tall (but older and grayer, of course). Eli is holding a dinner at her house tomorrow night with us, the pastor and a few friends from church to pray for her health. That ought to be interesting.

So anyhooo, after church we grabbed lunch, took it back to mom and then got her up and out to check another facility; it was started by a church and is completely

Happy Opening Day!

2011-04-01T22:09:00.003-06:00

What a great day for baseball - 1/2 day off from work, beautiful weather (70s), capped off with a loss :( But thats OK - a day at a baseball game, win or lose, is better than spending a Friday afternoon at work if you can make it happen. Especially when its opening day! I left work at 11:30, parked around 10 blocks away for cheaper parking and purposes of exercise (maybe it was 12, I haven't counted yet), picked up some Quiznos and was in the Stadium by 12:30. There were bands playing in the streets, bouncy thingys (not for adults apparently), lots of food and trinkets and people running around everywhere. My baseball buddy (and good friend) Kirsten showed up about an hour later with her son Kenny and brother Mark. Rockies started out great, but faltered about mid game, losing 7-6 in 11 innings. Still an exciting game, but when are they going to get rid of Huston Street? He loses opportunities for us too often; time to think about letting him loose. But all is well in the baseball world - we have tickets to see the Cubs on April 17, Jimenez Bobblehead day :)

Words

2011-03-28T20:35:00.006-06:00

Cancer. I'm really sick of hearing the word. I have a couple of friends suffering through cancer; I have family members in varying stages of cancer; just watched an episode of "Rescue Me" where one of the characters finds out he has kidney cancer. It's all around us. At the Mammoth game Saturday night, it was "LaCROSS out" cancer night to raise money for the National Cancer Society. Players wore different color ribbons recognizing the types of cancer they have seen affect family members or maybe even experienced. Cancer is the buzz word of 2011 apparently. Let's fix this, find a cure for that. What's frustrating is that varying cures have been discovered, but the FDA won't allow it as it would put drug companies out of business (you might think I'm blowing smoke out of my ass, but do some research; you'll find out, too). Damn government. If we bankrupted the drug companies, drug prices would HAVE to go down and then people could afford to take care of themselves. But they support the government as well, so all those taxes would go away and the government would go even MORE broke. I think they should make the drug companies to pay for health insurance. Hey - what a concept!! (Getting off of my political soap box, now.)

The stress I feel over this right now isn't a head pounding, tearing my hair out type of stress. It's more like a calm before the storm. I think that storm will take a few months to hit; but when it does I'm absolutely afraid of how I'm going to react or feel emotionally or even physically. I'm tearing up just thinking about it right now. This has already been a year of unexpected deaths; the ones that you expect aren't any easier. I feel fear for my mom - what is she thinking? Is she scared knowing that she's not going to live nearly as long as she thought she would? How do you find peace with that? These thoughts go through my mind constantly; I just can't turn it off. That's probably one of the reasons I am so excited for Friday - Opening Day. A time to not think about everything for a little bit; let loose, cheer for my team, hope for a win. Baseball is going to be my escape this year. I'm even planning on going to games in Dallas if the timing works over the next few months - even if I have to go by myself. I'll let you know how that goes.

2011 - A Bumpy Start

2011-03-22T20:06:00.005-06:00

These past few months have been extremely challenging and wearing on me. In January, my circle of friends lost one of our own when Connie passed away. If you've read my blogs from a couple of years ago, I mention Connie as we were coping with the diagnosis of stage 4 cancer as well as subsequent and very quick death of our friend Kim. She was such a rock - she kept me informed, kept Kim calm and through it all, we became ostracized by her soon to be ex-husband and kids but we didn't care; we were just helping Kim fulfill her last wishes. I hate it when families make it all about them.

I met Connie in the Jaycees 16 years ago when I was a newbie and attending a conference in Dillon; during lunch, these two HUGE guys come trotting in wearing cowboy hats, carrying ropes and riding stick horses. They are looking around the crowd for someone on a wanted poster that has an outline but no picture. The "cowboys" stop at a table near the front of the room and read a few funny words, then say this 5 digit number. Everyone erupts into cheers; this is when I learned what a Senatorship is in our organization - an honor bestowed upon those that have spent countless hours volunteering, leading, and whatever else a bunch of people see as a good reason to give this prestigious award. Connie was the one person I have known that has been truly deserving of that award; not just then but even to this day. What a legacy she has left.

Connie was such a good person. She helped me during my Jaycee years as I learned to be a leader, dealing with some trying issues but guiding me to become a well-rounded, resourceful person. She was kind, had this contagious laugh and always had a good word to say to everyone. When she went into the dumps for a couple of years, I spent weeks trying to get her out and about doing things with me or our group of friends. When she finally returned my phone call after a couple of months of weekly phone calls, the first thing she said to me was "I'm glad you didn't give up on me." After that, we had dinners at her house; went to concerts and festivals; took small hikes around and in town and just had fun together in general. Her death hit many of us very hard; she was so loved by many. I still miss her very badly - get choked up talking about her.

A couple of weeks ago when I came back from my trip to Cincy, I found out that another friend of mine had died; this one committed suicide. Although I hadn't talked to Chris in a few months, I was very sad. I wonder what is so bad that someone feels they need to end their pain? To the vast majority of us, there is a way to persevere. Guess for some, that isn't as easy. Chris was a troubled soul, but a good kid. I hope he has found the peace he so desperately was seeking.

As I reflect back on the many people in my past that have left this life and those that will in the not-so-distant future, I feel fear for them - and for me. What are they thinking or feeling? Are they scared? I know I am. My biggest fear is not doing enough help to my loved ones when they need me the most. How do you help and comfort them? What do you say? I have literally pondered this every day since January 19th, the day I found out Connie died. Guess all we can do is the best we know how and quit worrying if we are doing enough. This doesn't comfort me much right now, but I gotta learn sometime.

Wow It's Been Awhile!

2011-03-21T20:48:00.005-06:00

Here I thought I had at least put up pictures of the home improvements last summer, but apparently I didn't save them correctly since they aren't here. Oh well, a project for another day. Since I see/talk to most of you on somewhat often basis (in person, via email or Facebook or both in person AND on Facebook), most of you know what has been going on with me. The rest just check on here to see if I have updated - so you 2-3 people should be pleasantly surprised. However, I will do a brief synopsis of items since my last post:

The Weight Watchers Report
You know that "kinda do it, kinda works" philosophy? That's me! My friends Kirsten and Kris are doing this with me; I think for the duration of time and weight lost, Kris is doing better than both of us. Although I'm not at a point where I want to be (or feel I SHOULD be), I still have to be happy with the changes in my life. Eating much differently, exercising at least 3 times a week and trying to keep a better outlook on life has helped. I've lost 12% of my original weight, so really can't complain about that.

The Townhouse Report
The uncles (Jim and Lonzo) came out to my house last summer with "cousin Eddie" and worked on my master bathroom, downstairs half bath and laundry room. I learned how to tile - well, at least how to grout - and they learned that I'm not a big talker much of the time. Along with my friend Mike who came and helped me finish up some detail work, I have some very nice improvements that have increased my property value. Feel free to ask them about our "redneck" experience if you haven't heard it from me already. Anyway, still lots to do, but it is all a work in progress.

The "Sports Buff in Me" Report
Opening Day is in 10 days!!!!! I'm so ready for baseball and that first game of the season! Our hockey team, the Avalanche, has absolutely been absent from the ice since the All-Star break (have a partial season package for them); our pro-indoor lacrosse team, the Mammoth, are sucking as well (5 yr season ticket holder; they traded to get Gavin Prout back into the lineup - THAT ought to be interesting); our basketball team, the Denver Nuggets FINALLY have a contention team now that we traded Carmello Anthony to the Knicks who are SUCKING wind and pro-football players are still a bunch of crybabies. How's that for a sports wrap-up in my world?

The GRANDMA Report
Went to Cincy a couple of weeks ago to see my grandmother for the last time. I wish I had the voice my cousin Faith does, as apparently she can communicate with grandma great; me, not so much. It was hard to say good-bye to her for the last time; however, the woman has had a full life. A couple of my cousins are working to collect some stories for the Ancestry.com Daugherty family tree.

The MOM Report
As a few of you know, my mom has been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that has spread over the vast majority of her bones. I am not going to go into the sordid details right now, but the simple fact is that she had breast cancer years ago that she didn't get treated properly. I only found out about it last fall; my doctor put it in my chart a short couple of weeks later. Having both a mother and grandmother with post-menopausal breast cancer is really a pretty scary thing for me to think of; luckily, I'm very pro-active with my health and my doctor is great about asking questions and watching for things. In fact, I'm going to be due for my yearly physical and boob-squishing session within the next 2 months. Going to get those scheduled NOW!! I'll post updates on here as I can; I'm headed to Dallas in a couple of weeks so that will give me plenty of time to reflect. . . and vent.

That's it for now. I'll write more later - I promise! :)

By the way - found my blog entry on the townhouse improvements (and based on what you see, you'll know why I gave up and just posted the stupid thing). I promptly posted while I was in edit mode on this one . . . . go figure.

Home Remodel 2010

2010-07-04T05:59:00.015-06:00

Since I purchased my home in July 2008, repairs have been needed as with any older abode. Little by little, small improvements have made to make it more presentable (although I'm still not ready to have a party of any kind here yet).

This past week, a couple of my uncles traveled out here from Cincinnati to help me accomplish some much needed remodeling of a couple of bathrooms. Jim, Lonzo and cousin Eddie (Lonzo's sister's kid) all did a lot of work, but Jim worked tirelessly for 8 days to get this done - kind of like a VERY mini extreme home makeover. Hopefully these pictures will do the transformations justice! We tore apart the downstairs 1/2 bath and laundry room, leveled the floors (it was bowed due to poor construction), painted and tiled both rooms and took out the ugly, old cabinets and put up wire shelving to create more storage - plus it made the room look bigger, despite the darker paint color.

Upstairs, they demolished and restructured the shower, took out the guts of the "closet" in the bathroom and tiled the shower and floors. Although they didn't finish the whole room, the biggest need was met so my friend Mike could come and help me get the rest of it done.

Lastly, I started repainting the rooms - so far, aside from the 2 bathrooms (I still have a 3rd bathroom to work on), we've managed to paint the living room. The walls are in a soft yellow color that REALLY brightens up the place - a special thanks to my good friends Tish and Karen for helping me with that. Still a lot more rooms to paint, but we will get them done :)

I Believe. . .

2009-10-18T19:16:00.002-06:00

I received this email from a friend, think it is very worthwhile sharing . . .

I Believe. . .
A Birth Certificate shows that we were born
A Death Certificate shows that we died
Pictures show that we lived!

I Believe...
That just because two people argue, It doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, It doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe....
That we don't have to change friends if
We understand that friends change.

I Believe....
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life.

I Believe.....
That it's taking me a long time
To become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe....
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe....
That we are responsible for what
We do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs
to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe....
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe....
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe....
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe....
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
And what you've learned from them and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe....
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe....
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
But, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe....
Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.

I Believe....
That your life can be changed in a matter of
seconds by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give,
When a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything they have.

Motivational Learning

2009-10-09T22:29:00.004-06:00

So, I've been taking these online classes through this training website we have at work. There are hundreds of classes to take - anything from computer classes (which I don't need), to telephone etiquette to product specific and technical training. These classes are a necessary training tool for me as I work to advance in my job. I've been in basically the same position for 5.5 years and it's time to get into something new.

There was a class I took yesterday that centered on customer service via phone and the attitudes conveyed so the customer feels like they are truly valued. Something really stuck with me; the trainer said that for every 3oo positive things you can hear in one day, we WILL experience 1500 negatives - whether it be words, phrases or attitudes around us. That's a 5:1 ration of negativity in a person's day! That really hit home with me. When other people are negative around me or to me, it can bring me down to their level in a heart beat - and I will also say vise versa. Today was my day to be negative at first. I had my weekly weigh in and gained .2 pounds. Now, when I left my house, my scale gave me every indication that I would hit my latest, personal goal today. I recalibrated it so it should have been accurate. However, the one at the meeting was not accurate, at least in my head. I left the meeting feeling like a failure. But really, folks - IT'S ONLY .2 LBS! Come on! What's wrong with me?!

It wasn't until this afternoon that I suddenly had a thought. Let me find 5 positive things that happened or were said today to reverse that. So I made a list:

1. I was told by the receptionist at my meeting this morning that she had read my blog. She said I am "well written." Wow - I mean, I try to be careful about how a write but I haven't thought of myself as a good writer lately. In the Jaycees I would do the Write-up competitions and do pretty well in them but I didn't do it a lot so didn't really take myself seriously. That was really a great compliment for me.

2. Seems to be "Happy go lucky." Well, for those that know me, there are many times when that isn't the case - especially when you think of how I driven I can be. However, I TRY to be more happy than sad, mad or upset. I'll have to put that question on Facebook and ask my friends what they think REALLY think of me. I'm OK with everyone being honest - constructive criticism doesn't hurt me! Regardless, it was a a fun thing to think about and came from a person that has never really had a chance to get to know me well aside from being part of a small high school. Hope I can keep that up!

3. Valuable Resource. Anyone who knows me can agree on that one, even me! Love networking and meeting new people, as well as reconnecting with old friends or acquaintances. If you need something, I can usually find a way to get it for you!

4. Reliable. One of our customers came in today to just chat with me for a few minutes while some product was being loaded onto his truck. He asked "when are you going to be in that position Sarah is in? I need to talk to someone that is reliable and I know will get the job done." Sometimes I fall off the "dependable" truck, but not often. However, I do have that fear of failing someone and don't ever want to take on more than I can handle. I've taken pride over the years to be consistent in my work ethics, but every once in a great while I just simply tank. But guess if it only happens once in a blue moon, I'm not doing too bad.

5. Thanks for your help! I've been helping a friend that's going through a divorce. The soon to be "ex" has demanded supervised visitation with the 4 kids. I'm not sure why, are they afraid the other will HUG the kids to death or something? I mean, come on!! Because of my overwhelming desire to make sure this parent gets to see their children - and they are GREAT kids - I've given up several opportunities for fun, including a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see my hero retired from my favorite hockey team. That just KILLED me. Although you can't really make up that chance, I WILL get to meet the "GREAT ONE" in person again (although in a more memorable setting than last time). My friend is good friends w/Joe and is going to ensure I get to have my time :)

By the time I left work, I was in a pretty good mood. However, that was lost tonight when the Twins lost their playoff game against the Yankees because of dumb-a$$ umpire that is biased. I really hate the Yankees (except for Joe Girardi - he's a former Rockie catcher, you know).

Motivation for the "Lifestyle Eating" change

2009-09-01T18:30:00.000-06:00

By Michael Scholtz, M.A., Best Life fitness expert

It's great to be conscientious about your diet and exercise sessions, but cutting yourself some slack keeps your motivation high. Try adopting an 80/20 approach—strive to make healthy choices 80 percent of the time; this leaves room in your weight loss and fitness programs for setbacks. Here's how to do it:

• Change your thinking. Don't use the words "good" or "bad" to describe food, yourself or your behavior. These words can promote the unhealthy all-or-nothing pattern you're trying to avoid.

• Establish a range for goals. This allows for more flexibility. For instance, "I'll walk 30 minutes four to six times a week" is better than planning to walk everyday.

• Schedule off days. Take a day off from exercise each week. Use the time to focus on a nurturing activity, such as reading or catching up with friends.

• Enlist help. Consider meeting with a nutritionist, trainer, counselor or coach. They can help keep you motivated and also make sure your goals are realistic.

• Cheer yourself on. Place a note in your bathroom, your car or on your calendar to remind yourself to relax.

• Be patient. Nothing causes more frustration than thinking you should be losing faster than you are. Aim to shed up to 1 percent of your body weight each week, but realize that plateaus are part of the journey.

10 Tips for Managing Food Cravings

2009-08-11T07:32:00.002-06:00

by Wayne Mulhstein (Weight Watchers guru) http://www.waynewatcher.com/

How many times has this happened to you? After a great start at eating healthy in an attempt to take charge of your weight, you hear the cookies begin to call you from the cupboard. Pretty soon, half the box is gone and, with it, your latest attempts at weight management.

Many people think that only by avoiding high-fat, high-calorie foods entirely will they ever be able to lose weight and keep it off. Many weight control programs today even call these foods "addictive" and recommend we give them up forever. While you think giving up such foods may help you gain better control over your eating, the truth is you're actually giving up control. Your cravings for the foods you love will remain and may even become stronger. To adopt a healthy eating plan that includes the foods you crave, try these tips:

1. Eat at least three well-balanced meals a day. Even if you're trying to lose weight, don't skip meals. You'll only be hungrier for the next one, and cravings between meals can become overwhelming.

2. Give up guilt. Believing you have cheated on your diet and completely ruined your chances of succeeding produces guilt and feelings of failure. Give yourself permission to eat favorite foods in moderation and without guilt.

3. Accept food cravings as a normal part of living in a food-oriented society. Almost everyone experiences food cravings, regardless of whether they struggle with their weight. The more you understand your cravings, the better you will be able to manage them. While you cannot
control the fact that cravings occur, you can control you reaction.

4. Think "management" instead of "control." "Control" implies an adversarial relationship with food; it's generally a constant struggle to maintain control. "Management" is much easier. When we manage something, we work with it to achieve our desired results.

5. Look at cravings as suggestions to eat, not commands to overindulge. Overeating does not have to be an automatic response to a craving. When a craving begins, determine how you want to deal with it. It is truly up to you.

6. Believe that cravings will pass. A craving is similar to a wave in the ocean. It grows in intensity, peaks, and then subsides if you do not give in. Picture yourself as a surfer who is trying to "ride the wave," instead of being wiped out by it. The more you practice riding the wave, the easier it will become.

7. Disarm your cravings with the 5 D's. Delay at least 10 minutes before you eat so that your action is conscious, not impulsive. Distract yourself by engaging in an activity that requires concentration. Distance yourself from the food. Determine how important it really is for you to eat the craved food and how much you really want it. Decide what amount is reasonable and appropriate, eat it slowly and enjoy!

8. Stop labeling foods as "bad," "illegal," or "forbidden." It's not the food itself that's the problem, but the quantities you consume and how often you consume them. You can eat some of anything you want-even if it is high in fat, calories, or sugar-but to reach your goals, you may not be able to eat all of everything you want.

9. Aim for moderation instead of abstinence. Avoiding things you fear only reinforces the fear. Occasionally practice enjoying reasonable amounts of favorite high-fat or high-calorie foods. You may be happier and better able to stay with a well-balanced plan for healthy living.

10. Exercise regularly. Just as it is vital to successfully managing your weight, exercise is key to managing food cravings. In addition to burning calories, regular exercise may be relief from tension due to anxieties about food cravings. It's also one way to delay, distance, and distract yourself from food.

Slowly but surely

2009-06-21T10:48:00.003-06:00

Weighed in at 237.6 this week which brings me to just shy of a 15 lb loss! Clothes are getting pretty loose, now. Still have a few things to fit into, that will come soon enough! I'm going to just shop the thrift stores for clothes until I am close to my goal weight; no sense buying clothes that I'll only be able to wear for a couple of months.

I've been challenging myself to cook more and different things. It's too easy to go to the store and buy frozen weight watchers dinners; but I still need to get some fresh stuff in my tummy! It's hard when you are cooking for one.

Well, short report this week. I'm going to do some reading for my homework then hopefully hit the pool today! It's beautiful and the water is calling me. . .

Down some more!

2009-06-13T12:56:00.003-06:00

My weigh in was at 239.8 yesterday. The bummer. . . only .2 away from my 5% goal! Oh well, we'll celebrate that one next week. Then the week after that, another 5lbs. I'm making some good progress! I worked out 3 times this week, twice at the gym and last Sunday, Kirsten and I took a really nice walk at EB Rains for about an hour. Its good to have a "buddy" to do these things with. The new goal this week is to get out and work out 4 times. That will start tomorrow since I am going to the Rockies game with Kirsten and the fam; we'll be getting there early enough that we'll be able to get a good walk in. I'm going to shoot for at least 2 morning workouts, and then on opposite days do a short lunchtime workout, at least on the bike. I still haven't done the water exercising yet, not sure why I just don't go do it. I'm so brain dead after work, guess I just don't feel like doing anything.

I have some favorite, comfortable pants that I will not be able to wear much longer. Sad and glad at the same time. I have 2 more pair of those types of pants, they are going to have to go in another 5 lbs as well. I'm not sure if its worth it to pay to have them taken in so I can wear them for another month. My choices in pants are starting to waiver, that's for sure.

This coming week, I'm also going to try out some grilling suggestions from the book I won at last week's meeting. I need to find the time to expand my home eating opportunities. I'm going to try and keep my eating out to once a week max. Need to save money for clothes that I'll buy at the second hand store, since its not worth it to purchase new if I'm only going to be able to wear them for 2 months. What a predicament to have!

Off to do homework. I'll report again next week!

Love Letter to Myself

2009-06-03T19:18:00.003-06:00

In our Weight Watchers meeting last Friday, Michelle asked us to write a "love letter" to ourselves telling us why I came to Weight Watchers, what I hope to accomplish, and why I am not going to quit. Write specifically what I want, what that will feel like, etc. . . . So here it goes!

I joined Weight Watchers because 1) I want to feel better about myself and look better to myself; 2) It is my goal to fit into clothes I have been holding onto (not a lot, but a few) just to prove to myself that I WILL get back into them again; 3) I need to have knee surgery on my right knee. I had surgery on the left a couple of years ago. Although that was worse than what I need to have done now, my recovery took longer than it should of because I am overweight. I AM going to get down to a good weight so that my knees will feel better and I can rehab better when I do have surgery.

It is really hard for me to say that "I love myself." Like many others, I am my own worst critic. There are things that my friends love about me, so I have to accept those traits. I am a good friend to my friends. I like that I have many friends, several that I could honestly say that are close to me; a three people in my life that I consider are really my best friends. They have been there for me and I for them; they have helped me through difficult times and celebrated the best of times with me. I will do anything for them and their families, of whom I am close to as well. I feel great pride in my good friendships.

I am diverse; I can't say that I know a lot about one thing, but I know something about about several things. I like that when I'm not right, I am willing to admit it - being humble is something that is not easy for anyone to do. As I get older, it is easier for me to admit that I can really be a dumbass. I am very comfortable with letting people know when that happens. If you can't make fun of yourself, then you'll never be able to handle it when someone else does!

I am not going to quit this venture of learning how to change my healthy lifestyle. It will be an adventure and a challenge. I will have ups and downs. However, I now have a "buddy" to do this with; we will help each other accomplish the goals we are going after. We will BOTH make time to do what we need to do.

Hmmm - not really a "love letter" per sey, but guess that's how I feel about myself. It's a start, anyway!

Second small milestone reached!

2009-05-22T22:05:00.002-06:00

Today, I weighed in with a loss of 11.2 lbs. . . yeah! next week, I should hit my first goal which is the 5% mark. I haven't exercised as much as I should, just need to get on the ball with that - heck, I have the passes I need, although I DO need to get that deep water exercising punchcard purchased next week. Second goal is hopefully going to make a July 10th appearance. Have to remember, though . . . baby steps! Knowing me, if I get to far ahead of myself, I'll disappoint myself.

Michelle talked about goal setting for the summer - 12 weeks worth. I'm not sure what I want to do with that, yet. I need to really put some thought into it and then post it on my fridge! One of my goals is to go to 2 meetings a week to help me keep up the momentum. Oh, and get myself a "hungry" doll and take pictures of him in the places that I visit to remind me of my goals. Anything that helps motivate me is worth a try!

Lastly, Kirsten is going to start joining me next Friday at meetings. We are going to put our plan in place for the once-a-week BIG exercise day (mornings, hopefully) where we'll do something fun and not at the gym to mix it up. I also want to do the Ultimate Walking Challenge, so need to get Kirsten motivated to join me on that one. Having a buddy to do this with will help both of us!

Now to go find some easy recipes. . .

OK, so I'm sucking at staying up on this thing!

2009-05-17T18:47:00.005-06:00

A lot has happened since January. Had my 44th Birthday, it was a GREAT time! Went to Ohio to visit the family, especially grandma. Came back, found out my position was being eliminated within the entire company; however, they created new positions and I ended up with one of them (33 out, only 6 back in). Started that position officially Friday, but have really been doing it since April 29th. Went to Hilton Head for my cousin Josh's wedding; it was really great to be with all of cousins within that family, all at the same time. Last time that happened (since we were all kids) was at his brother Mike's wedding in 1998. It was fun but WAY too short. I had a whole day and a half with them. Too quick of a trip.

In the midst of the latter part of the above, I finally joined Weight Watchers. I have been able to get my flex benefits to pay for it by setting it up with a medical determination letter. I desperately need to have knee surgery on my right knee; however, I won't do it until I lose at least 50 lbs. I restarted my workout regiments and am also able to get part of that paid for as well. My hours changed at work, so it helps a lot by allowing me to do my workouts in the morning before I go to work; my day goes so much better when I can do that! So, in order to help me track my progress, I'm going to utilize this blog. I've put up a picture of me at my birthday party. Ewwww!! That Daugherty double chin is really showing.

As of Friday, May 15th, I have lost 9.6 lbs. My 5% mark will be at 239.2. I'm going to do this one small step at a time. At 235, I'll be able to wear some pants I haven't been able to get into for about 3 years. I will work to make that goal on June 5th (3 weeks). I was going to this meeting on 88th, behind the Westminster mall. Our team leader, Wendi, is nice enough, but not very motivating. In addition, she looked like she hadn't worked the program in awhile and mentioned nothing about still doing it. Since I had to change my meeting time/day, I chose to try this meeting up on Washington and 120th. Michelle is the leader there; it's a 7:30 start. I REALLY like her, as she still works the program and tells you how much she continues to struggle daily. She's "vertically challenged" (in her words) - just a little thing. However, she is just a bundle of excitement! Michelle really encourages you and she works to reward EVERY thing that you accomplish. no matter how small or big. In addition, she follows up her meetings with emails restating what was discussed that day. What a great way to follow-up and continue encourgement! I'm really happy with this opportunity. However, I struggle every day, so I'm going to work towards going to at least 2 meetings a week for awhile. Eventually, Kirsten will do this with me, too . . . stayed tuned!

So, I promise to keep in touch more, since I have a new goal to work on. This is my year for big change in my life. Stayed tuned for what I'm doing!

Oh, and congrats to Karen for winning her first "public" photography contest! It's a fabulous pic, she really did a great job with it. Check it out on her blog link on the left.

Ciao for now!

Wow - I am WAY behind!!

2009-01-18T18:52:00.011-07:00

What an eventful month and a half! Finished my 3rd semester marketing class with flying colors, hosted a great Christmas Party and bought a new vehicle (have a good "car" friend who gave me a GREAT deal). . . now I'm getting ready to start classes again; continue with the "one-day-at-a-time" body reshaping plan; and starting my own business in part-time customer service business consulting (i.e. mystery shopping); hopefully moving into bigger and better things within the next 2 years. My home is **hopefully** going to get insulated within the next 2 months so I can start saving on my energy bills (and take advantage of the tax credits or rebates). I am once again volunteering for Smart Energy Living Alliance (SELA) in getting our booth ready for the Colorado Garden and Home Show. I'm pretty proud of it, since I once again came up with the original concept (basing it on feedback/responses we had at the booth last year). Kristin helped to fine tune it and Alex helped by finding the sponsors. It's going to be pretty cool - you know I'm all about energy efficiency in the home. The CGHS is Feb 7-15 this year - I'm pretty excited for it this time, especially since I don't have to be there nearly as much as I was last year. My feet and back will be thanking me. . .soon, I hope!

This will be a challenging, opportunistic year for me - I truly believe that; yet, I really wonder what is in store for me at work. Although my boss is giving me the chance to get out among the customers and do some training, I still feel like I'm being held back. It's been confirmed by the old AND new boss that I am very good at what I do and could excel at whatever else I would choose to take on; sadly, he just isn't ready to give me that sales job yet. Although we filled one territory manager position at work, another one "unfortunately" became available when that TM was let go (he is a VERY smart guy). I told my boss that I would take the territory in a heartbeat, but he just laughed it off. It didn't make me feel very good - I'm not sure how to take it yet. So instead, I am immersing myself in other "related" opportunities by making myself more invaluable in my job - I feel pretty safe in saying that I'm not in danger of being layed off.

I was given the gift of a great compliment from my friend Connie who said that I was one of the reasons (she said "the" reason, but I'm not so sure about that) for her coming out of her funk a couple of years ago. A couple other friends have said that if it weren't for me, they'd probably still be only homebody's. One of my best friends is in a weird spot right now with her mom being sick (mom was moved from El Paso to Denver, but Boots stresses out each time her mom goes into the hospital - each time could be "it"); had my "come to Jesus" with her - I will no longer let her go into the "hermit" phase each time she gets a phone call from her mom or gets done with another bout with the hospital. She's stressed and gets depressed. That's not who she is, she's my "sports buddy" and a good friend - I won't let her get that way anymore. Now, if something happens, I'm kidnapping her to someplace we haven't been yet so she can either talk it out if she wants, or get her mind off of things for awhile (although she ends up talking about stuff and I'm OK with that, too). I don't want my friends to go into that "dark" place - it'll take me with them as I worry for their sakes, too. Life is just too short and there is too much to do and see to be sad all of the time!

So, in contemplating 2009, I have to ask myself. . . what are my goals? 1) As always to lose weight; however, getting myself healthier is more important - it will be the stepping stone to the rest falling into place; 2) get in 18 credit hours (2 classes per semester) this year for school; 3) meet 25 new friends/future networking contacts; 4) don't let the way I think I look keep me from meeting someone special in 2009. We all want to improve our appearance; but there is still a point where we can't let magazines, blogs/posts to other social networking websites or even people's opinions dictate how we feel about ourselves - the biggest caveat I put on myself. 2009 WILL be my year - I can feel it!

Today, I went to Jill and Joel's house for a "First Year Living in the New House" BBQ/game day. It was fun as always hanging out with everyone - I didn't realize that they lived so close to me. . . just south of Hwy 76 off, west of Pecos. Not quite a 10 min drive. They are having the Superbowl Party at their house - that will be a fun day as well. Maybe the temp will be in the 60's like it was today! We also have our Dead Pool Draft next week. . . I better get going on the research!

I'm on Facebook now - didn't think I'd like it all that much, but there are really more adults on it than kids (although I am on the "friend list" of several of my friends kids). I've heard from some people I haven't talked to in a really long time, which is pretty cool. I hope to find more friends as people get onto Facebook. If you haven't tried it, think about it!

Hope this is a long enough post - I'll really try to do more than 7-8 posts a year, I promise! (PS - sorry this seems to run together - now matter how much I edit this, it won't separate my paragraphs out!!!)

Kitchen Pictures

2008-11-29T13:02:00.009-07:00

Before . . .

Right now . . . (after is gonna take a few years)

Stay tuned. . . .

After-Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T12:44:00.002-07:00

The evening of Thanksgiving, I am normally looking at ads, deciding what I am going to try and "dive" for at 5am. Not this year. Have to hold back and keep the spending down to a VERY dull roar - actually, more like a peep. Announcements came out at work that there is now a salary freeze through next year. That, coupled with the new 401K program in place, my dispensible income went into the negative numbers! That's OK, though. Things will only be like this for a year, so I just need to hang tight and hold my wallet tighter. It's really been tough with Kiel not working right now, its now back to what it was back in October when he first came - I have no money since I have to feed him. The kid gave me some money when he had a job (a months worth), and does know that he will have to pay back rent once he does find a job. That will put a crimp in his spending; however, I have to recoup what I've lost thus far in groceries and higher energy bills. I wish I could be of more help to him - however, even if I did have more to spend, can't say I'd do anything differently. His mom didn't teach him to be responsible for himself. I will say for Kiel, however, that he is somewhat aware of the cost of living - I know he won't stiff me. Guess I'll just wait for a chunk of money to come my way when he does find a job. It'll be money to go into savings when things get REALLY ugly. . .

I spoke with my grandmother on Thanksgiving, as well as a couple of my uncles. Always nice to chat with the fam. It's getting harder and harder to talk to grandma - however, she still has a sense of humor. Each time I ask her how she's doing, and she says the same thing. . . "I can't see, I can't hear and I can't walk - but I'm just fine, honey!" I'm not sure of a tone of voice to use when talking to her on the phone - if I am too loud, it messes with her hearing aid; if I talk too softly, she can't hear a thing. Heck - when I talk normally she can't either hear or understand. Wish someone would come out with a better telephone for the REALLY hard of hearing. Heck, I'm sure there has got to be something out there - I just can't find it because it probably costs an arm AND leg. I keep the cost of legs out of my searches. It's a bummer that I can't afford to get out to see my relatives this year, I've made it a point to go to OH for either Thanksgiving or Christmas each year for awhile, now. Really, I'd like to get out there a couple of times a year, even if it is for a long weekend. I will get to that point soon - just have to be patient.

I'm hosting the Senate Christmas Party this year - Connie and I really want it to come off well. It's been our hope to get more people there; those that wouldn't come in the past due to where it was being held. It has gotten a little expensive for me. Even with the little bit of reimbursement I am getting, it's still quite a bit to come up with. But, if it is a success and we manage to get some old timers there we haven't seen in awhile, then it will be well worth it to get to hang out with my friends during the holidays.

With that being said, I have some phone calls to make. . .

OK, so it's been awhile!

2008-11-09T09:36:00.008-07:00

I'd say I've been busy, but it's probably more like lazy in getting my next entry onto this blog. Sorry about that! It's been an interesting couple of months. September was a time to re-evaluate what my priorities are with this new investment. The funds to spend on this place pretty much depleted, I am just collecting items here and there until I collect enough to get Brandon out here to do a day's work and get a bunch of projects done. I still need to get the rest of the outlets changed out - I've tried to electrocute myself a couple of times already. My boss gave me a gift certificate for $250 for helping to do some selling at work, since "technically" I'm not allowed to earn spiffs, bonuses or anything of the sort for sales. Anyway, I'll be using that to purchase a vanity for my bathroom, and hopefully get that thing operational by month-end so I can have my own "bathroom" space again.

My nephew Kiel moved in with me on September 29th when I picked him up at the airport. He flew back from Orlando, where his mom and he went after a mere few weeks in Morgan City, LA. They left that place right before Hurricane Gustav's eye went over the town , right on the gulf coast. Kiel doesn't like the humid climates so much and couldn't get the rest of the money he needed for school, so guess he decided to come back, get a job to save some money and get a car and make the rest of the money he would need for his "underwater welding" school. He gives money for rent, but sits around the house too much right now - all he does is watch TV. However, if I give him something to do, he gets it done without question (unless its "how do I do that?"). All around he's a good kid - he has things to learn, so we still have some work to do.

The most significant thing that has happened within the last month is the death of two friends. One was expected, but one was WAY too sudden. My friend Stephanie's dad was diagnosed with cancer of the liver this past spring. Once that diagnoses happens, it is inevitable that the person will not survive. I've known and heard of many people passing anywhere from 1-3 months after that type of diagnosis. He really outlived what the doctors likely predicted. I didn't know Charlie really well, but talked with him many a time when they came down to Denver to visit Steph. A nice guy with strong opinions about politics and life. He and Kay (Steph's mom) were avid hunters - Kay apparently getting the biggest of any elks between the two of them. They had the opportunity to go hunting one last time around a week before he passed away - but didn't get to stay out long as Charlie was getting weaker and weaker by the day. At least he had the opportunity to enjoy his love of the outdoors one more time. I went to that funeral on Oct 10th.

On October 2nd, I learned that my friend Kim was in the hospital via a phone call from our friend Connie. I got there and was told that she had cancer, albeit at the time it wasn't known how bad it really was. She had a mass on her spine and one on her lung. Kim went into the hospital that Monday evening because she couldn't move her leg and her back was hurting so bad that she couldn't sleep. Her daughter Kyrie, who was living with her, took her to the hospital. Apparently, Kim had been having problems for a couple of months; however, she was on Kaiser insurance, so her doctor just sent her home with painkillers and that was all. I guess they did an xray at one point, but the positioning of the masses and how they were taken didn't show anything, and the doctor didn't try to go after it another way. At the hospital, they did a CAT scan and MRI to find the problem. They started her on radiation Thursday and Friday, but since those folks don't work on the weekends, she wasn't going to have treatments then.

I called Kim that Friday to see how she was doing, and she was OK at the time. I traveled to Grand Lake for the weekend with the people I work with to have a relaxing couple of days - I would highly recommend the Rapids Lodge to anyone that decides to go up there, its a great place and inexpensive compared to all of the other places. I took a few hours by myself and traveled past Kremmling to see Monika and Tom Carey. Wow - what a view they have from their home! It's a small place, situated on a hillside next to a grove of aspen trees. They have HUGE windows all the way around the house, so you can really see everything around them - a valley and a beautiful mountain range. I can't imagine what it must look like when its snowing - that has got to be just the prettiest place when there is any type of weather going on.

When I headed back down the mountain that Sunday morning, I encountered a combination of sunshine when leaving Grand Lake to cloudy and snowy going over the pass (and then sunny again) downhill from Winterpark. There wasn't more than a dusting of the white stuff on anything, no accumulations as was originally predicted. I stopped by the hospital for a couple of hours to spend some time with Kim - she was having a hard time breathing, gasping for breath constantly. While I was there, her "main" doctor (he called himself the organizer) told her that the mass on her lung was stage 4 cancer and inoperable. They would still do the radiation if she wanted to see if they could keep shrinking the mass. She had to mull over it. I had to go, since my mom was in town and coming to my house that evening. Kim had told me earlier during my visit that she didn't like being along, so I felt bad for having to leave at that time. I came home, did some cleaning and got my mom settled in. No more than a few minutes after we got home from having a quick bite to eat (around 7pm), I received a phone call saying that Kim had gotten worse and that I should come back to the hospital. I went down there and stayed with the girls and Connie and visited with Kim until around 11:30pm. I had taken Monday the 13th off, so I was back at the hospital by 7am that morning. Kim's mom and sisters flew in during the early hours of Monday morning, so I had the chance to meet them. Several things took place during the day that were hard to deal with. . . a lot of tenseness between Bob (Kim's soon to be ex-husband) and the rest her family. I stayed until around 7pm that night then went home to spend a little more time with my mom. I went back immediately after work on Tuesday - they had moved her to the hospice area of the hospital. She was pretty much out of it, having difficulty sleeping comfortably, but still sleeping the entire time. Bob's mom got in that night and spent some time with her, and Kyrie decided she was sleeping next to her mom and not leaving her side for the rest of the time she was in there. Kim passed away about 2:30am on Wednesday morning, almost exactly 12 hours after Charlie died. Wow - hadn't had that ever happen before. I met Connie and Kim's sisters and mom at the hospital that morning - they were going to have a "last goodbye" with Kim. I couldn't bring myself to do that, it's not the last thing I want to remember about her. So we went to breakfast and then I went back to work.

Now I take something that Connie told me to heart - live like you only have 7 days left on earth. I can't say I've been good about doing that, though, but I keep that saying with me and work slowly to aspire to it. Everyone should.

Almost Labor Day Weekend

2008-08-28T19:46:00.003-06:00

And boy - will I be laboring! I have had some work done today to my abode, things that have needed to get done for weeks. My new countertop, sink and garbage disposal went in today, which was the BIG event. Now I can finish getting my kitchen done! Also getting some other things done like a few outlets and switches replaced, light fixtures replaced, and some minor plumbing done. Saturday morning I'm painting and moving stuff out of the living and dining room so carpets can get cleaned and I can move furniture in - FINALLY!! Getting tired of eating dinner either while sitting on living room floor, at desk or in bedroom on tray in my chair.

Boots and I are going to the "Taste of Colorado" tomorrow night. We learned last year that Friday night is the time to go to see all of the booths and such - its not nearly as crowded and everyone is in a good mood. By mid-day Saturday, workers are hot, tired and grumpy! It'll be fun, then we might go again later in the weekend to see a couple of bands we'd like to listen to. I have a BBQ to go to Saturday evening, then Sunday and Monday will be spent organizing and going through more containers/boxes.

Pics will be forth coming soon - I promise! So stay tuned. . .

The DNC - Why, Oh Why?

2008-08-26T20:09:00.004-06:00

You know, I have to admit that having the DNC here isn't a bad thing, no matter how much I don't believe completely in the Democratic Party's belief system. It is actually quite fascinating to see all of the people, the celebrities and mostly how folks think of our Mile High City.

Last night, I hung out with Boots and Sharon to watch the "going's on" of the 16th Street Mall. We sat at the Capital Grill at the Sheraton (formerly Adams Mark) hotel, which was just southeast of all the action. The only celeb site-ing I had was of Carlos Mencia - and I only recognized him as he was wearing that blue and black tunic length soccor jersey he always wears. He was across the street and my camera phone wasn't working, so couldn't get a picture of him. Anyway, I sat and listened to stories that Boots was telling and their Friend Paula (who used to work for the Denver Business Journal, but moved away around 3 years ago) were sharing - Paula was here for another media outlet she works for in another city, I think she said in Wisconsin. It was very interesting to hear first hand from journalists what they saw and experienced - and the things they REALLY saw that haven't been portrayed quite truthfully by the News/Post.

While we were sitting there, we saw several protestors just walking the mall; even protestors that protested protestors. Now THAT was funny. . . after an hour and a half, we decided to mosey on down the mall, getting blockaded by a bunch of SWAT members in full gear. They were apparently expecting a nasty mess with some protestors, but everything actually came off peacefully. I tell you, these guys were ready for anything! While we were waiting for Boots (she was trying to take pictures with a dead battery in her camera), Sharon and I met this guy from WDC. He was looking for change to put in the meter. Told us that Denver is by far the nicest city he has been in; said he attends some huge security conferences, and the facilities here are far superior to most he's been to. That was a nice thing to say - for a democrat. . . just kidding :)

Let me again say that although I'm not a Democrat, you can't help but kind of get caught up in the pageantry of this event. Those that are smart will truly emerse themselves in knowledge and learning why they believe what they believe - whether Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green Party, etc. Having a vast knowledge of all areas can only enhance your current belief system that much more. I've actually thought about attending Ralph Nader's Rally tomorrow night just to say I went. Although I'm a Sean Penn fan in the sense of his acting, I'm not a fan of him on a personal level. It seems as though he thinks he can affect current foreign dignitaries - even though they have openly laughed behind his back. Anywhoo, he will be there with Val Kilmer - haven't heard him try to speak - it would be interesting to hear their reasons for supporting Nader.

Near the end of the evening, Boots, Sharon and I walked to the MSNBC makeshift studio where Michelle Obama's speech was being televised. The sound was WAY off of the video, but in a different way -you heard the words BEFORE she said them. Kind of weird. It's just ironic that she "is proud of America" when she apparently only became that way a mere few months ago. Sorry, but no matter WHO has been President of our country - I've always been proud of America. We are still the power center of the world, even though we have things that we need to work on. So "blah, blah, blah. . . " and that's all I have to say about that (in a Forest Gump voice).

I'm hoping that Boots will have some pictures that I can post on here (since, again, my camera wasn't working right) to show you some of the things we saw that YOU won't see in the news. Again, have to say that decorations were cool - Denver really did a great job in showing off our city. Just hope that doesn't equate to more permanent guests - although I can live with the occasional part-time resident. In the meantime, check out http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/ to see some different pics, stories and blogs. I'm going to get ready to watch The Daily Show - his first taping was today (wish I could have been there).

A Dreary Day

2008-08-15T21:31:00.003-06:00

I took the day off from work to go to WaterWorld with Kirsten - of all days, when we've had 90+ temps, it was around 65 and rainy. . . BIG bummer. Was really looking forward to using my "Hyland Hills" card, which gives me a large discount on going there since I live so close (4 blocks). So instead, went and got my new driver's license then we went to see the movie Momma Mia! It was really a cute movie, but I'm sure even Pierce Brosnan has decided this is the last time he's ever singing publicly like that. Not only does it not fit his persona, but it just didn't sound right. Doesn't make me like him any less, he's still one sexy hunka man! Just don't sing :) I'm really a Colin Firth fan as well - most of the characters he has played have been pretty humble, un-assuming types. Don't know why I like that about him, but he's a cutie as well. It's that dreaming thing that gets in the way I guess.

After the movie, went to the Scandanavian Furniture store - they sent me a postcard to get a free pillow, I was in the area, so what the heck? Moving into a new home and new neighborhood gets you lots of coupons and the once-in-a-while freebie, so who am I to not take advantage of their kindness? I'll use it for the spare bedroom. I also went to the Homegoods Store (part of TJ Maxx) - it's my new favorite home store! They had an original picture that just screamed "put me on your wall!!!" So that's what I did - bought it, and I'll hopefully get it on a wall soon. It has the perfect color combination to compliment my bedroom, so it'll be my first piece of art I put up. They had tons of great looking mirrors and other pics that were very reasonable - even some lamps that I liked (missing light in this place - gotta fix that soon!).

I've been looking for a plum-colored bedspread, but it's just not in any store's color selection this year. Bought a comforter set last weekend, but I haven't taken it out of the bag yet - not convinced that I like it yet. Waiting for Shannon to come over and let me know if it will work out with the whole color scheme. In reality, if I'm not thrilled about it, really need to just take it back. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow after I get my books for school.

Y'all have been asking about seeing pictures of the place, so I do promise to take some more and get them posted very soon. I expect to get some done tomorrow. Again, still a lot to get done, but at least you'll see some progress.

Its a Sllllooooowwww process. . .

2008-08-09T07:17:00.004-06:00

Here I am, 3 weeks into being in my new place, and it still looks like a disaster area. My first concern is getting my kitchen as done as possible so I can put EVERYTHING away. I still need to do more painting; clean up the hinges so I can paint them to somewhat match the brushed nickel knobs and such, then put the cupboard doors back up; get the counter tops and new sink in. In the meantime, I need to do take down a few more things in my master bathroom so I can paint, change out a fan/light, install the new medicine cabinet and find a vanity that will work in there. There was a suggestion to just put the pedastal sink I bought in there, but there is too much plumbing work that would have to be done to make it work, so I'm just going to get a smaller vanity.

I seriously need some simple plumbing help. Think I know of someone that can help me, just need to conjure up the guts to ask them. Desperately need help with simple electric, too, so might ask a friend of they can help me for steak and beer. Don't know if it will work, but I'll give it a try!

Realizing I haven't updated y'all for awhile, thought I'd at least let y'all know that I'm alive and frustrated! :)

The Fixer Upper

2008-07-16T21:23:00.009-06:00

Man, have I got my work cut out for me. Feel like I have spent a mint and we are only 2 days into the improvement projects. Thank goodness I have my friends Ronnie and Shannon helping. Shannon has been working on the colors and painting, as well as some decorating ideas. She has painted the living room, my bedroom and walk-in closet. Tomorrow, I start with the little painting jobs like the inside of some storage spaces and a couple of walls that will be located behind the fridge and stove. Ronnie just tears everything up :) Really, she's just working on the other projects that ironically do require some minor construction work - i.e. replacing the ugly tile back splash in the kitchen, fixing the sliding glass door so I can ACTUALLY come and go to my vehicle through it (like locking and unlocking the door), and redoing the master bath by replacing the vanity, medicine cabinet and lights (I don't care what you say, I DO like the new lights I picked out!).

Some unexpected costs came up like putting a new electrical outlet for the stove and replacing the outlet for the new fridge. My friend Roger came over and did that for a reasonable price. The fridge has to be smaller (to 35" wide) than the average width (36"). Since this is not a common size in the "use 'em again" stock at Habitat for Humanity, ended up spending twice as much as I intended. But I have to tell you - it's like buying a new car. It has all the bells and whistles and I'm REALLY excited for it! Just knock me upside the head. . .

So the two pictures you see are of the kitchen (uggh) and master bath (double ugg). I'll post the pictures of the transformations when they are done. It'll be like night and day!

Stay tuned for the new saga in my life. . .

FINALLY! (and the retirement party)

2008-07-07T19:46:00.003-06:00

Got word today, able to close on the 14th of July! I'm scared sh@#$%ss!! Really, I'm excited but kind of nervous at all I have to do now. So much needs to still be done. . . I took all of next week off so I have the entire time to paint and do whatever else I need to do before moving my stuff. I really have the rest of the month to get a lot of it done, but would like to get my 1/2 month's money's worth and live in my own home. Have to fix some pretty minor plumbing issues, get some cable strung upstairs so I can hook up my TV and computer and work on the bathrooms. At least now I can go get that fridge and stove and tile and lights and such at the HFH store to start with - get the good stuff immediately before anyone else gets smart and buys it for themselves!

Have to mention this. After 6 months in a different job, my former boss, Skip, decided to retire. It was a shock to me, as I thought he'd stay at least 2 more years before he retired. My friend Sue (from our Salt Lake office) came out the night before so we could go shopping for Skip's gifts and get the scrapbook put together. After talking to his wife, Laurie, a couple of weeks earlier, we found that the best gift would be to outfit him with fly-fishing gear. Apparently 2 of his sons have really gotten into it and want dad to get started with it. Sue and I had fun shopping around the Bass Pro Shop. We had a great sales person who helped us stay within budget with a little $$ to spare - walked us through everything. By the time we got done that night with everything (including dinner), we were absolutely pooped.

I picked up Sue on Monday morning from the hotel and went to work. Since she had a bunch of reports to do, she took over my computer for a lot of the time, so I just piddled around and did little stuff that I had been putting off.

That night, we had the retirement party at Pappadeaux's Seafood Kitchen in Westminster. Boy, I really like that place! It was the second time I had been - food was great and so was the wait staff. It was about a 3-hour dinner with speeches, memories and unwrapping of gifts. We systematically gave items to Skip to open - I think it took him opening a few before he figured out what he was getting! I'm sure he thought "wow - more fishing gear" but didn't expect it to be so specific. It was a fun night, where I got a little crying off my chest and hung out with the folks from work without being AT work. That is always a good time. But again, by the time I left, I was just dead tired.

So - that is my update for now. House and parties. What more can you ask for?

Not Yet!

2008-06-28T20:24:00.003-06:00

Still awaiting the finale word on the loan. Talked w/Michael yesterday, said he missed a couple of FHA forms I needed to sign, so he's going to get them to me ASAP so I can finish them off, then the papers will go to underwriting. Dang. . . hurry up and wait - again. Now I should before the 4th of July holiday. Just imagine - if this all goes through, by then, I'll have a week and a half to get my crap together! Holy SHIT!!!!!!

Karen and I went to White Fence Farms for dinner tonight. We've talked about going there for the 4 years I have been here - so decided it was time (had a reminder, too - we forget about doing it until we drive by there like once every couple of weeks, then it leaves our thoughts). It was a decent dinner, just under $40 for the both of us with dinner, tea and 1 side salad. Not bad. A cool place, I must say! The way they have things set up, kind of reminds me of a "country Vegas." Get a number, wait for 45 min, sit down with the masses, order food, eat, pay at a register on your way out. Only difference - NO buffet. There was plenty to do around there while you wait for your number to come up, so it was actually a fun experience, I must say! I highly recommend visiting there - but if you go on the weekend, get there early. We arrived just before 5:30, waited not quite 45 min. However, they sure know how to get more money out of you, albeit cheaply, but more of it!

This coming week is going to be very busy for me. Need to finish my homework tonight (tomorrow at the latest); retirement party for my former boss, Skip Monday night; home Tuesday, then either baseball games or lacrosse games the rest of the week - literally. But next Saturday is Matt Holiday Bobblehead night, so it will be well worth it :) I have to buckly down and get to sorting/packing next weekend, feeling pretty overwhelmed at all the things I need to get done - whether I get to move or not. So, if anyone feels like taking pity on me, I'd be mighty grateful for any help I can get :)

Guess I better get some rest, now. Have to pick up my friend Sue from the airport tomorrow morning - we'll be shopping at Bass Pro Shop and putting together a scrapbook for Skip's retirement on Monday. Going to dinner at Pappadeaux's, so it'll be fun - but a very busy - next 2 days. *Whew* I'm just tired thinking about it!

Catch y'all next week. . . . S.

Why Is Now the Right Time to Buy a Home?

2008-06-22T12:07:00.002-06:00

Home ownership just scares the bazookas out of me, but yet I'm excited at the same time. I can't say that financially I'm entirely ready for it, but I can afford to do it. I just need to be more creative with my time since I won't be able to spend any money for awhile :)

The real estate market all over the US is very volatile. You have some places where the market is staying consistent - meaning prices haven't increased or declined much (which can keep the dream of home ownership out of reach for some people). Then you have places like Colorado - I must use the Denver area as an example - south around Parker, although sales are down, they are still steady and folks don't have to sacrifice the price of their homes - most are newer. There are people that will buy them for asking price. Then there are the places that I have been looking - the city of Thornton, for example (north Denver Metro). Up there, the homes are older, built mostly around the 60's- 70's. Yes, older, some with what we would deem now as non-flexible floor plans and smaller. However, they are the dream homes for those that like to fix up houses. The opportunities are tremendous!

For the property I am trying to purchase, it is the opposite of what I wanted to get originally - a ranch style 3 bed, 2 bath with garage. It is a 3 bed, 2-1/2 bath, but 2 floors and a carport. Not my ideal living arrangements; but for the short term it will do. Purchasing a property to fix up and sell in a few years - an investment property in my case - is what I decided was the best choice for me. Setting up an FHA loan where I don't need to have so much money down to purchase a home, is the first step to making this work. Michael, my mortgage guy, helped me figure out the best way to go in financing, helping me keep my closing costs down to a minimum - and he has accomplished that nicely! But I think the biggest thing for me in this entire decision is that I found a property that really is a killer deal. The market will bounce back in 3-5 years, by which time I will be ready to sell and should be able to make a tidy profit on it (hopefully I won't get killed in capital gains taxes, but we'll see who is voted into office and what changes are made by then). I'll be able to pay off any remaining bills I have and become debt free; then purchase another home that I will like more and stay in longer.

So, today's investment will definitely help me towards my retirement in the future. Who knows - I might like doing this so much, that I'll keep doing it for a few more homes.

I also have to mention - as I look at the prices to fix/replace items in the home, it has been brought to my attention that there are many other places in which to go to purchase what is needed for home improvement. Originally, I wanted to purchase the new appliances that are desperately needed in this home, and all new everything (via Home Depot, Lowes and Appliance Factory Outlet). But realizing my budget that I have for the immediate fixes, that will have to wait. My friend Stephenie recommended that I check out the Habitat for Humanity store as well as another place called Bruces (?). They have new and used items, selling them inexpensively. In addition, purchasing from them makes a percentage a tax-deductible donation right off the top. I went to the HFH the other day and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Now, none of the appliances are new; however, they are usable. Each is cleaned up and priced to sell. You can get stoves for $100 and refrigerators for up to $300 (the one I found had bells and whistles on it - doubt it will be there when I go back, all I can do is hope!). They also have new tile, wood flooring, caulking, everything you would need to do home repairs. Even kitchen and bath sinks! Wow - I'll be able to get a lot of bang for the buck at this place, allowing me to fix up my abode and make it look better than it ever has.

I'll find out at the end of this week about the finalization of loan acceptance. Until then, I wait. . . ugghh.

The "Possible" New Digs, part deux

2008-06-17T23:08:00.002-06:00

Today I received the beginning title paperwork for the townhouse as well as tax information and HOA information. Michael tells me that everything could easily be ready to go by the end of next week, which means I could close earlier if I wanted. However, I won't be ready to move sooner than the original July 15th date that we have been shooting for, so don't think I'll take advantage of that opportunity.

A few have asked where this property is. It is about 6 blocks from Water World (woohoo - cheap tickets@!!), just southwest of 88th and Huron in the Park North Condo Community. I'd say it's almost a stones throw, but I definitely don't have the arm of Randy Johnson, otherwise that would be accurate :) I haven't divulged much about this place yet, just in case something goes wrong and my poor heart gets wrenched from my chest. Neither John (my agent) nor Michael believes that will happen, but I won't really believe it until the loan is finally approved. So far, things have been going VERY smooth, I think more so than John has expected.

More later - Rockies play Clevelend starting tonight, so we can see our buddy Jamie Carroll out and about on the field again, even though he is with the opposing team, now. He's been doing well with the Indians. If he hit the field in tonight's game, I'm sure he recieved a standing ovation. I'll let you know tomorrow night if we do the same thing.

Now - back to the homework!

The Good and the Sad. . .

2008-06-15T21:31:00.004-06:00

I have started the process of home ownership. A week ago, went through the offer/acceptance part of the process. This past Thursday, we did the inspection of the property. With the exception of a few minor things that need to be done, everything looks good. My friend Shannon came with me while Troy (the inspector) worked on his report and we measured everything. She took pictures as well - she wants to help me get this new place of mine into shape, so I'm letting her have at it. I went to Home Depot today to start pricing out the things I will need for the immediate issues, as well as the items I want to do in the future. If I can do most of it myself, I'll be able to accomplish it in less money than I had thought initially. I'm just very blessed that I have so many friends and several have already said they will be there to help out with my first home.

The next step is the mortgage. I have to send the rest of the paperwork in tomorrow so they can get going on that. I don't know when Michael (my Mortgage Broker) will be getting the appraisal done, but I assume it will be soon so they can get the FHA loan going. We have a scheduled close date of 7/15, so hopefully it will all pan out for that day. I plan on closing late in the date, then taking for the remainder of that week off to do the moving, painting, etc. I do have to say that I got a killer deal on this place (for the semi-decent shape it is in, too) and will be setting this up as an investment property to create capital for me in the future.

In the midst of this, the saddest news came upon our country on Friday when Tim Russert passed away. The news really was a blow to people around the country - I was very upset upon hearing the news. In reading some blogs on 9news.com, some people were saying "he was so left," and "why all the attention on him?" Well, first of all - who cares where he leaned? His biggest thing was to educate the public, not tell them which way to vote. I don't care who you are, if you thought his line of questioning tried to guide the public in thinking one way or the other when he spoke with politicians, then YOU WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION! Mr. Russert went after everyone, Democrat, Republican, Independent, Green Party, etc. He asked the tough but fair questions - holding those people accountable for the things they said they would do and didn't. The US has suffered the greatest loss of a gracious, caring person. Wow - I'm still very upset. I pray for his family and all those that were his friends. Just glad I had my 3 minutes of time with him in April at the Damon Runyon awards ceremony honoring him - wish it could have been a whole lot more. There were so many questions to ask, and I got nothing in due to just being nervous. I was just happy to say "Hi" and "thanks for coming to Denver!"

Well, continue to watch this blog as I work my way through the up and coming issues of "possible" home ownership as well as school - that's a whole other post!!

It has started. . .

2008-06-03T20:08:00.004-06:00

John and I looked at 3 places during my lunch hour this past Thursday - 1 was completely unacceptable, one had an awesome wood floor in the kitchen (but the overall design sucked) and the third needs work, but is just about right. The exact opposite of what I wanted, which was a ranch level with garage - I am now in the beginning swings of the purchase of my first home. Bank accepted my offer yesterday on a 2 story townhome - 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath at a little more than 1400 sf. with a 2 space carport. They came back with a contract right away, so after much discussion (and many questions) with John, I signed on the dotted line, gave them a check for "earnest money" and am on my way! I'm meeting with my mortgage guy tomorrow to work on the paperwork for the FHA loan. Next week, after the bank starts their paperwork, I have to schedule the inspector.

At the inspection, I'm going to take my friend Shannon with me and we'll look at the place so she can get to work on some decorating ideas. I'll need to take measurements to start getting costs on the carpet, appliances, a new kitchen sink and counter top; then figure out paint and curtains. We are looking at a closing date of July 15th, so I'll probably try to schedule that later in the day then take the rest of that week off to get things moved and prettied up. So much to do and so little money to do it with!! Dang. . . .

Memorial Weekend

2008-05-25T22:31:00.003-06:00

I decided to take a lengthy weekend - 1/2 day on Wednesday to go to a Rockies game (Fuentes lost it for us in the last couple of innings, that sucked), then took Thursday to go look at potential places to buy with John. We looked at 4, I liked 3 of them and 2 once again had offers made on them - one had 4 by Monday. Why do agents do that to you?? I finally decided that my best bet is the townhome we saw, it has a lot of potential to be an excellent investment property. Fix it up, live in it for a couple of years then sell it. Really a good location in the area. However, with the way my luck has been, I'm not holding my breath that I'll be in the running to get it. I'm telling you, house hunting has not been fun for me one iota.

Thurdsay evening, I went to the zoo with Karen for a members only night. They apparently had some special events going on, but the kids got out of school on Wednesday for the summer, so there were several around - didn't get to see what we would have liked as a result. In addition, it was a little too cool for the monkeys and such to be out so didn't see any of them at all. Karen took some photos - I haven't seen those yet, but I'm sure she got some good ones. Again, please check out her link on the left - she's showing some really good stuff on there!

Friday was an easy day at home, doing some further cleaning and such. Friday night Boots, Karen and I saw a play called "Almost Denver - The Songs & Failures of Jim Aurora," a spoof on John Denver. It was absolutely hilarious - we all highly recommend it, especially for those that have lived in Denver a long time. A married couple in the show wrote it - its a 5 person ensemble that takes turns playing parts (particularly the part of Jim Aurora - they all play him once at different stages of his life) and have made up alternate words to most of John Denver's most popular songs. Again, just a hoot of a play. It's at The Avenue Theatre, corner of Logan and 17th through mid July.

Saturday and today I pretty much stayed home and worked on some little projects. Didn't get as much done as I had hoped, but they are all projects so it'll be a little while before they are complete - but need to finish them before I move as it could affect how much stuff I take with me to the new place - whenever that is.

This last month has been a little grinding. Been somewhat busy. Finished classwork, of which I begin summer classes this coming Tuesday. Doing well there. Moved my office at work - although its not the desired set up I'd like to have, its better than what I had. I'm good with that. Boots and I decided kind of last minute (end of April, actually) to get season tickets to the Outlaws pro-outdoor lacrosse league games for the summer, so went to our first game of the season last week. That'll keep us occupied for a little while.

Learned that my nephew is moving the end of June, a little sooner than I had hoped. He's going to Morgan City, LA to take classes in underwater welding. Says there is good money in it, but I know he hasn't been doing any swimming lately or practicing for whats to come. His mother is moving with him, going to pay for the place for them to live. Kiel isn't learning how to take care of himself and at the ripe age of 19, isn't learning all that he needs to become independent. I'm really worried about that and not sure that there is anything I can do to help him get through that portion of his life. He needs to learn more about paying bills and budgeting. Don't know if I should give him a book to learn about that or if he has a computer, give him some Quicken software he can use to help him budget as well. I know he doesn't like to owe anyone but that doesn't mean he knows how to save for the long term. Guess all I can do is hang out and be there for him when he has the questions.

That's all for now, hopefully I'll have some good news in the near future. . .

Adminstrative Assistants Day

2008-04-24T21:26:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, I had a pleasant surprise. 1st, I received some really pretty flowers in this REALLY heavy square glass vase from my boss, Todd. In addtion, he brought back a gift from their trip to Mexico. That was a nice surprise (doesn't count that I said "bring something back for your favorite secretary!). Anyway, I am the one to usually handle things, so many times I would get left out of receiving much of anything. Todd has already taken me to lunch twice since he started in January, plus I've been to lunch with the team (TMs and him) twice so far. They all took me to lunch last week which was nice.

On Monday, we all get to go out and take the new SA to lunch so everyone can get to know her. Still a sore subject to me, but it's not her fault, so I don't blame her for being in the position I should have been in. Blame that on my boss. But we'll see if he follows through on all of the promises he has made me.

This has been a kind of busy week. Sunday, Boots and I went out looking through neighborhoods and at houses. All of the houses that John (my real estate guy) pulled up for me were really not all that great - although we found one really cute and small house off of the turnpike and Pecos up north. Not sure I'm sold on a dinky house, but it was cute and had a very well manicured yard - you can tell that these people took care of the house, but better yet really want to sell it. I haven't checked the price on it yet, fear it is out of my measly price range.

Monday I had class, taking written and practical final for the weightlifting class. I need to renew my membership (all of $30 for 4 months - length of summer semester). Not sure where I am going to end up living yet, but for $30, I can go workout there until I move at least. Just need to keep my butt going 2-3 times a week. It's hard to get myself motivated to go there, but once I do I'm always glad I did. Really need to get better at that.

Rest of the week has been somewhat uneventful, so going to Herman's Hideway tomorrow night w/Boots to see one of her co-workers in a band. Saturday day time will be work, prepping my new office. Saturday night is a jewlery party w/Stephenie. Need to give Sophia her B-day gifts I got for her Sunday, found the cutest little outdoor patio set for her plus a couple of cute outfits that she will grow into, then out of, pretty quickly. She's just the most precious little girl. . .

I'll write more as the days come and go. . . so much will start happening, hopefully I'll be better about writing about it all!

Meeting the Famous

2008-04-14T20:05:00.005-06:00

Last night, I volunteered for the Denver Press Club once again - this time at their annual Runyon Award dinner. Boots and I helped with some set up then worked the registration tables. Boots has once again remembered why she doesn't like working the table - she can't hear well out of one ear and apparently it was really driving her nuts last night! But, we got through that within an hour and then sat at probably one of the best tables of the night.

The honoree this year was Tim Russert, host of "Meet the Press." Wow, what an impressive individual. Unlike most journalists, he really enjoys educating the public, helping them make their own political decisions instead of telling them how they should think or vote. If a politician puts forth a discrepancy in a statement that goes the opposite of something they said earlier, he will "catch" them in their own words. He told a couple of really good stories about those instances. What most impressed me is what a genuine person he is. I had the opportunity to chat with him for about a minute going up the escalator. In between my babbling, he mentioned what a great race we have coming up with bringing in a new US Senator. I told him that I really like Bob Schaffer, as he is a very honest (although sometimes TOO honest) guy that sticks to his morals. I'm sure he will take that with him to the table sometime soon. We are really the state to watch this year, especially with the DNC here in August. Boots wished he would have told more stories. . . she really likes hearing about how certain people are to work with.

Anyway, it was a great event and I'm very honored that I had the opporunity to help out. Now, I once again look forward to the Gridiron this fall - it'll be VERY fun due to the Presidential election year we are in.

Lots happening, yet nothing really has happened. I took the day off and went to the Rockies Home Opener game with Kirsten and the fam - and they lost - to Arizona - all 3 games. Then we had our first "Ladies Night" game last Wednesday. I took Karen with me for this first one. The Rockies won that one 13-7 so woohoo - 4 tacos for $1 at Taco Hell!! The Rockies have already played 6 games against Arizona and only won one of them. We figure it's payback for 1) beating them 3 out of 5 games during Training Camp and 2) for beating them for the NL Championship. Oh well, we'll see them a WHOLE LOT more this season!

Karen's Pics

2008-04-01T18:45:00.003-06:00

My friend (and keeper of the house I live in), Karen, has been working on her photography skills for the past year and a half. Over this period of time, her work has really blossomed - I'm really proud of what she's been able to accomplish - I told her she did good work a long time ago, she didn't believe me. Now her work is just awesome and worthy of sharing. Please check out the link http://www.flickr.com/photos/floyka/collections to "Karen's pictures" and you'll see what I mean!

Vegas Part Duex - the working side

2008-03-22T10:29:00.005-06:00

So after our pretty tame weekend, I had to go to work on Monday morning. After having breakfast at Marino's restaurant (I personally think he'd be horrified if he knew how bad it was), I grabbed a cab and went to the Renaissance Hotel where our Dealer Meeting was being held. Getting there a little earlier than I intended, I immediately saw a couple of our dealers, so I chatted with them for a few minutes. Then Debra, an SS from the Chicago District found me and we grabbed coffee and chatted for a bit until Sue, Cindy and Kristi got to the hotel. After everyone got their luggage put away (we couldn't check in until after 1pm), we grabbed a bus and went to the Wynn hotel, which was actually a stone's throw away - but it was windy, and with that wind came some COLD air.

This was my first time in Wynn's (as was for everyone else). What a luxurious hotel! We walked in from a side enterance, into the casino - it is all very open with super high ceilings. We walked down the corridor and found a restaurant called Tableau. Wow, what a great lunch, with a fabulous view of the pool area. Oh, I should mention that they have no "real grass" there, but have some pretty authentic looking synthetic type of grass. We all chatted, where I decided to ask questions about the SA position. I know it brought up some questions with Sue, who is my counterpart in Salt Lake, as well as a mentor. I'm thinking she was a little iffy with the idea. Anyway, I came back with some positive feedback, so started to mull over the possibility of taking on that SA position.

When we got back to the hotel, it was time to start preparing things for the meetings. We had to put together name badges, double check rooming lists, etc. This is where all of the tough stuff happens - as long as no one on the outside knows what is going on, then we know all is good.

That night, Skip and I decided to take some guys to dinner. We took 9 people, all Premier Dealers, to a restaurant at Caeser's Palace called Joe's Stone Crab and Steakhouse. It was a great dinner, awesome company and a HUGE bill - over $1300 for 11 people. If Skip hadn't kept plying everyone with wine, I could have kept that down quite a bit. By the time we were finishing up, Gino was getting pretty schnozed. He had us laughing so hard before we left . . . once we got back to the hotel, it just kept on going. JD, another one of our dealers, who seems like a pretty reserved older gentleman, is actually pretty fun. He doesn't get excited about anything, but around 11pm, had brought several of us together for a game of "Quarters" on the lobby floor of the Renassaince. We picked a line (all was in marble) and would slide our quarters across the floor - the one closest to the line got all of the left over quarters. By this point, I had drank 2 glasses of wine and 2 white russians. Then my boss, Todd, got involved and the guys kept getting me more drinks - whether I wanted it or not. Oh, and then there is the VP of Residential operations, Rob. Not the typical executive who is stuffy or even shy. He talks to everyone and partied pretty hard himself. He was having thumb wars with Deb and hugging all of the other SS's that were there - telling us we are what makes the company go round. . .I know he meant it, but sometimes I'm not sure how much the company really values us. Anway, I escaped at 12:30, feeling VERY light-headed myself. Tuesday morning brought on a pretty good headache. Oh, and my gut hurt from laughing at Gino pretty much the entire time.

The next two days were pretty smooth, with a couple of "hiccups" along the way. I met the President of our company, Todd Bluedorn which is huge for any employee - we have well over 3000 people working worldwide, but I hear he does remember people he meets.

Our last day was a "hurray!" day. . . it was over! Waiting for cabs to get us to the airport, some of the guys (variety of our customers) were near the front of the line and invited me to join them on the ride to the airport - so we took a limo (cost $60 for a 10 min ride, go figure). While at the airport, I spoke with Skip about me taking the SA job. We "walked and talked" for quite a bit. He thinks I would do well in the position. I felt that his opinion would be key to me thinking more about the possibility of taking on the new job. As we walked through the airport, we found a place to sit for awhile and have lunch with customers (we were about 3 hours early for our flight). So, I bought beverages (beers and sodas) for them and Skip actually picked up the tab for the food - he got off really cheap on that one.

So my 5 days in Vegas came to an end. The girls and I talked about making this a yearly trip, and taking it around April/May when it is much warmer, but not too hot yet. We'll stay at a different hotel each time and try to see 1-2 shows while we are there. Heck - just the people watching is enough to keep you busy!

Vegas Part One

2008-03-20T08:25:00.010-06:00

Probably going to do this in pieces - so much has happened in the last 4 weeks that turning it into one blog entry would put Sleeping Beauty right back to sleep - without drugs!

So, the big birthday was pretty uneventful. Had dinner with Karen, Kirsten, Kim and Shannon at TGIFridays at Northfield Stapleton, good to always get with the girls. Kim bought my dinner, that was nice of her. Last year, no one bought my dinner - but we ate at the Aquarium and it was a little expensive, so guess I don't blame them on that one. Anyway, Shannon and Kirsten met last summer when she went with us to the Rockies vs. Yankees game. None of the girls believe that Shannon has 4 kids, she still looks like she's in her 20's. Pretty good for being in the late 30's! After we ate, I did a quick trip to New York & Co. to see if they have anything I couldn't live without - they didn't, so no more money spent.

The following Saturday then started with me getting my weekly "homework" workout in, came home, took shower, finished packing, went to David James to get my hair cut (damn, did it look good - glad I did it RIGHT before we left!), then went to the airport. Kim called me just as I was coming up to the Sky walk to see where I was. Then, Tish was standing in security as I got there, so that worked out well! We found Kim, then went over to Quiznos where we saw Bill, one of my company's customers. We sat with him as I ate some lunch and the rest of them drank. Then we saw Dave from another company. When we sat at the gate, saw Jim and his wife, so everyone sat together. Then came my boss, so I introduced him to the folks he hadn't met yet (all but one he was familiar with). Kind of fun having so many people you know on the same flight.

Once we got to Vegas, it was *whew* and *let's get started* all at the same time. It was still daylight, and Tish was already in awe as we were driving to the hotel - which was literally on the backside of the airport. Our room even faced the airport! Once Kim, Tish and I settled into our rooms at the Hooters Casino (and hotel), we went downstairs to check out the casino and little shops - place was pretty small, but cute. Pool area was pretty cool as well, but didn't get to really hang out there. Then we walked over to the MGM across the street, where we got something to eat at this really classy "Mexican" restaurant - had these killer Pomegranite Margarita and an appetizer. We were meeting Tish's dad, son and neice at the Rio a couple hours later, but we were famished so needed to get a little something before we headed over there. Tish was once again in awe of the Casinos - we came in the side where the Lion habitat is, and ended up way on the other side where the restaurant was. Wanted her and Kim to see all they could.

We took a cab to the Rio, where we caught up with Jane, Phil, Ryan and Amber. I hadn't seen the kids in about 2 years, so it was great to see them again. Apparently they flew in Friday night (Phil and Judy had been there all week already for business) and got pretty hammered on Friday night - Ryan wasn't feeling all that well. They were in a nice sized 2 bedroom suite near the top of the hotel - it was VERY nice. Being on a conceirge floor is always fun, since they leave stuff in your room almost everyday. Kim wasn't hungry so she played down in the casino while we got something to eat. We went to what we thought was a restaurant, someone told Phil they had good steaks. Got there it was a piano bar - we didn't mind it, but it was noisy and you couldn't talk to each other, so we went to the huge "world" buffet. I had always heard about this place, but never went to it (usually has a 1-2 hour wait to get in). Since Phil was considered a "valued customer," he had one of those fast passes that gets you by the lines (kind of like in Disneyland, but with food). We got in within 10 minutes of arrival. This place had SO MUCH FOOD - different cuisines, I think it had like 10 different food bars there. I only made it to 4 of them. It was good food, wouldn't call it the greatest, though.

After that, Phil, Tish, Kim, Amber and I went downtown to Fremont Street so Tish could experience that. Again, in total awe. Phil had been teaching Amber how to play cards, so we went into a couple of places before the big show started. It was fun and flashy. Then we went to the Bellagio to watch the fountains, but it was too windy (and damn cold), so we went into the hotel to see the lobby part (that in itself took a 1/2 hour - see cool huge standing figure at left). Then we went back to our hotel - I went to bed around 12:30, Kim was up playing Texas Hold'em until sometime around 3am! You go girl. . .

Sunday, we just cruised around a little more around our corner of the strip - I was up early as usual, so went downstairs to play some slots (they usually pay better in the mornings). I was up $130, but of course, lost that during the course of the day. We went back to the MGM to play a little, went to the M&M and Coca-cola stores (guess Tish didn't believe me when I told her it was 3 or 4 stories tall). Then we walked to the Harley Davidson Cafe for lunch. On the way back, we stopped at a Hawaiian mall and looked around - got hooked into getting foot massages. I'll tell you what - that was the best $20 I spent all weekend! It made the rest of my day go so much better! Once we got back to the hotel about mid-afternoon, we were pretty tired, so we all went up and took naps. We then went down to the actual Hooters Restaurant to eat - I remembered why I don't eat hooters wings after awhile. Then we went across the room to see Bobby Slayton. That was an interesting show, he was funny, but spent a lot of time just busting women's chops, as well as Gays, Mexicans and the like. It was all about cutting down everyone. I have to say, it did get old after awhile. After that was over, since I had to go to work the next morning, I went ahead and went to bed.

The following couple of days will be put into a separate blog later today. I'm currently home with a respiratory infection - bored as hell!

Another Year is Passing Me By

2008-02-26T20:55:00.003-07:00

Tomorrow is the recording of the big 4-3. Not much has affected me as I get older, but I find today that I am starting to have trouble with it. Right now, it seems as if my life is passing me by. All I seem to do right now is work (10 or more hours a day) and doing homework (Feels like I'm always catching up), with workouts (also homework to an extent), yoga and a few fun things sprinkled about here and there. Although I am doing things to try to make my life better, I still feel at the same time that I'm just existing. This is just downright getting depressing.

Last weekend, we did a "Best Picture Showcase" at the AMC theatre, where we watched all 5 Oscar nominated films - this equated to about 10.5 hours of sitting down, with the other 1.5 hours trying to walk around and get some exercise in between. Kirsten and I started doing this last year when this event first came about; this year Karen went with us - we got the seats we wanted with some space to spare (and much needed). It was fun but tiring by the time we were done. The entire day was just flat out busy - period. I'm not sure that I completely wound down and relaxed as much as I hoped I would.

Anyway a recap of the movies:

Michael Clayton - the end started first, George Clooney is "HOT" as well as a great actor. The story line was a little difficult to follow at first, but once you got mid-way into the movie, you saw what was up. Great cast, great story.

There Will Be Blood - good reason that Daniel Day-Lewis won best actor for this movie. He really stretches past his boundaries when he acts, and this story pushed him to the edge of sanity in his character. Movie was pretty intense in many spots. Really would recommend seeing it.

Atonement - somewhat of a disappointment, not what I expected (not that I had much of an expectation). Good acting, bur really, when I think about it, it was more about a little girl that did something dreadful - although she didn't think so at the time. A film full of regrets and what ifs. Too depressing for me.

Juno - the best movie I have seen in a long time! But sadly enough, Michael Cera and Jason Bateman didn't have a single scene together - oh, what I would have given to have that chemistry come back (reminicent of Arrested Development). There was a really good reason why Ellen Page was selected for a Best-Actress nomination. A 21-year old that plays a 16-year old - been done by older girls, but man, does she pull it off most excellently! Great lines such as "that ain't no etch-a-sketch. This is one doodle that can't be un-did, homeskillet" or "I've got to pee like Seabiscuit" (which puts "pee like a rushing race horse" to shame). The lines and humor just flow out of Juno's mouth like a chocolate shake - A definite MUST SEE movie. . .

No Country for Old Men - Wow, that Javier Bardem is one HOT foreign dude, and man, does he play the psychotic bad guy to a "T"! A messy movie with a not-really-ending ending (bad guy doesn't die, does a lot of damage in the meantime). Might have to watch that one again, think I missed something. Powerful movie, though - and explains the real use of a portable air tank.

Time to go to bed and get some sleep for the "Big Day." Catch y'all on the flip side!

Work Review

2008-02-13T18:33:00.004-07:00

Today was my review at work. I've been there technically nearly 4 years now (as of March 31), but officially, my start date is June 17th. It's been an interesting 4 years - the longest I have been at one job. When I first started, I thought I'd just get in there for a couple of years, learn some new things and move on. Now that I'm in my 4th year, I'd be silly to leave now - I've got 14 days of vacation, but will get 19 days Jan 1, 2009. I want that extra time!

On with the review - my now previous boss Skip came to do the review for me. Todd was sitting in on most of the reviews; however, he didn't get to sit in mine until the end as he was on a pretty important conference call. As I've mentioned in the past, Skip and I are honest with each other so his reviews don't surprise me at all. We talk about all that I do well (which, not to brag, but I score very well), as well as what I need to improve - note that I don't say what I do wrong. We always work to keep everything on an upbeat note. The places where I still need improvement:

1) Susan's desire to accomplish is sometimes perceived as aggressive

2) Sensitivity to others and listening are attributes to develop

3) Work to maintain empathy for teammates and respect other's schedules (meaning, when my TMs are busy, I shouldn't hound them for things - but I have to, not sure how to get around this one!!)

Overall, I got an "Exceeds Most Expectations" which is still very good. I'm still working towards the big "Far Exceeds Expectations" which is difficult to get to, but I'm pretty close in a couple of areas. I know where my faults lie as well as my strengths. Now I have to wait another 2 weeks to see what the big raise will be :) Not sure if the big promotion and raise will happen, I'm kinda doubting it since Corporate has been so cheap the last couple of years.

After we get the new SA hired, I get to do a lot of new stuff, including cross training in sales and teaching local classes. I'm pretty excited about that! Need to get into that Toastmaster's Club, now. Did I mention that one of my lessor attributes is procrastination for the non-high-priority-but-still-need-to-do-it activities?

Lessons to Learn

2008-02-10T19:47:00.001-07:00

What we would like to be in life isn't always going to be. As we get older, we find that things take a little longer to happen - weightloss, accumulation of wealth (unless you are REALLY lucky), work, etc. I have been laid off of work 3 times within a 10 year period - the first 2 times, I found work immediately. After the 3rd time, it took me almost 2 years to find another permanent job. In that 2 year time, I worked temp jobs, contract jobs, whatever it took to make some money. At times, I became pretty bummed out, sometimes slightly depressed - but I always knew things would work out for the better. Although I don't always like this saying it is true - when one door closes another one opens. It might take awhile to find that new door, but it does happen. Just stay as positive as you can and keep looking because, by george, opportunity isn't going to come and tap you on the shoulder unless you give it the chance to do so!

At work, we've been trying to get our new SA hired. I worked hard to get this person we were going to bring on - working as a temp to help me out and more importantly, our customers. Then I found Friday that after going through all of the processes for the final chapters to get her on full-time, she can't work for us because of something in her background check. I'm so bummed out I can't believe it. I've also come to be a little mad as well. Knowing that she was going to go through this background check, why in the world did she not mention something to my boss? Armed with a little bit of information in the beginning, he could have warded off questions and still gotten her hired - but guess she didn't think that whatever it was would come back to haunt her. Now we are back to square one, scrambling to find out how we are going to make this work. DAMN IT!

Yesterday, I went to this cheerleading event called "JamFest" to show support for my ex-roommates daughter, Alexa. She is on a squad for special needs kids - boy, did that group of girls have a HUGE cheering section! There were 2 teams of this type at the session I was at - the girls did well, and the kids that help them are just awesome. It takes a lot of patience to work with down syndrome kids, as well as any other type of physical/mental disability - I really applaud these teens for being so giving of themselves and their time to make those girls feel like being a part of such an activity.

School is going well so far - I'm getting a straight-up perfect score on all of my assignments. My weightlifting class is going well, too - hoping to start really seeing some results happen within the next couple of weeks (at least before I go to Las Vegas). If I can get A's in those classes, I'll be doing pretty well. Took on a 4 week accelerated class as well, that month should be pretty uneventful so I can concentrate on that classwork. After school is out (around May 5th), think that will be when I take my trip to Washington DC. Reminder to self: contact my cousin Kevin to start those plans. . .

New Boss

2008-02-05T04:46:00.000-07:00

Back in early December, the same day as our District Meeting at work and the "in-house" Christmas Party we had, my boss, Skip, announced he was moving into another position within our area (the "area" in Lennox for us consists of 3 districts - Salt Lake, Phoenix and Denver). Skip had been working in our Denver District for 14 years out of his 33 year career at Lennox - pretty unheard of. He was going to become our Area Business Development Manager. I think he recognized that he needed a change and that we needed some new leadership.

Anyway, Skip made the announcement while I was out of the office picking up food for our Christmas Party - the meeting was nearly out when I got back. He pulled me into his office and told me he waited as long as he could before I got back, but had to finally just say it. All of us were in shock at first, guess we thought Skip would stay until he retired in a couple more years. I became a little emotional - I've worked with him for nearly 4 years, we've had a good working relationship. Always honest with each other, we worked well together.

The following Tuesday, our new District Manager would be coming in. Skip couldn't tell us who it would be, but we would find out soon. There was little speculation, as we had a good idea as to who be filling the job. Todd, a guy who was hired by Lennox in March of last year as a Regional Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Manager walked through the door that day with our Area Manager Brent - very excited and a little nervous, I am quite sure. Skip met them both for lunch before they came to the office, but he didn't come back the rest of the day. Todd met with myself, our FTC, Ops Manager and the sales people that day, talking about his experience and goals for us. It's almost like he was just made for the job. Although Todd's "official" first day wasn't to be until January 1st, he was in our office nearly everyday the rest of the year learning from Skip, talking with everyone about what we'd like to see improve and what our goals are. When January 2nd rolled around, the office was his.

Being the helpful and efficient assistantI am, when Todd and the TMs went to their annual sales meeting the middle of January, I purchased a computer desk, some closet storage and a nice chair and went to work on setting his office up. The computer desk before consisted of 2 - two drawer file cabinets and a piece of cabinet sitting on top of them. I just don't understand how Skip worked like that all those years. He was (and still is) so frugal, that he used one of the cheap Sam's club rolling chairs - from the training room - as his office chair. They are just the most uncomfortable things. When Todd got back, he had an organized closet (had to organize his Lennox SWAG and such), a new chair and an actual computer desk. Oh, and 3 new plants and a bookcase from another small office. Finally, he has a work space he can use for awhile - until we get approval to start purchasing new office furniture - woohoo!

It's been almost 2 months that we've had Todd here now, and he's already making an impact. The attitude in our office is much less tense and there is a sense that positive changes will be made that will help us accomplish our district's goals. He has no tolerance for meanness, and where he is able, he'll help "push" along changes in our office. Don't know if we will be able to get rid of the other 2 cancers in the warehouse, but hopefully something will come about in the not too distant future.

All in all, I really like my new boss. He's even going to buy my compound bow and accessories that have been stored away for 10 years (hardly used, still in like-new condition). Wow - I'll make some money on this guy!!

Failure

2008-01-23T19:23:00.001-07:00

As I get older, I find that failure is less of an option. Taking so long to figure out what I want to do with my life, I'm old enough that I just can't fathom the thought of not doing well in whatever I choose to do. It is with that philosophy that I find myself dropping my English Comp I class already. Although I thought I had gotten all of the information I could from my online class links and such, I still didn't find what I needed and will not be able to get my first assignments done. Since I don't want to fail this class right out of the gate, I decided to just drop it for now - I'll probably re-start it again in the fall. I'm looking to take a lot of accelerated classes, so pending schedules, if I plan everything right, I could take 3 of those a semester and still only have to concentrate on one class at a time. Changing my direction. Instead of just getting an AA at ACC for a particular area, I'm going to work on the general studies with business emphasis to get me through the AA degree, where all of the credits are transferrable to a 4-yr college. Then I can get most of my general studies out of the way and accomplish a little bigger goal. Just wish it wouldn't have taken me this long to figure out!

Stay tuned - I still have time to drop/add another class!

Dang it's cold out there!

2008-01-19T18:45:00.001-07:00

We've been in somewhat of a deep freeze for the nearly the last 2 weeks. We reached 60 degrees a couple of weeks ago - long enough to get the driveway cleaned up from the last snowstorm - to just have it dive into instant coldness. We haven't had much snow since then, just dustings here and there. Karen bought a snowblower, has been hoping to use it since she got it about a week ago. I'm thinking "keep the wishing to yourself, it'll happen soon enough!"

The end of the previous year was pretty uneventful. Went to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving, had a good time, saw some family, shopped, etc. Bret and I were going to hit a Pirate exhibit at the museum, but didn't make it in time. I didn't want to do the IMAX movie without getting our money's worth, so we drove around downtown, saw where my cousin Bo lives (he's an exec of sorts for Federated, corporation that owns Macy's and several other department stores), then went to a whole in the wall burger joint for a pretty decent cheeseburger. I do really want to visit that museum the next time I am out there, though. It looks like an absolutely fabulous place! Hopefully that Pirate exhibit will make it to Colorado sometime soon as well.

Got to hang out with my cousin Tammy and her family for an evening, we went to this great little Greek restaurant just down the street from their house. The people that own it are really nice (the owner, who works at a hospital in Dayton during the day, is such a good-looking, personable kind of guy), and the food is pretty good. Decorated in royal blue and white, they apparently have some cool party nights on the weekends.

Got through my leadership class with flying colors (some say - no surprise, but there is so much more to it than y'all think!). Just started back to school this week, taking English Comp I, Customer Service and a weightlifting class - yes, an actual class where I have to record what I do, purchase a book to study from and take a test! And yes, we do workout in it. Its so comprehensive that with the new eating lifestyle I've taken on, I can do nothing but lose a lot of weight over the course of the next few months! I'm forced to lose weight to get a good grade - go figure!

Christmas saw us going to Oklahoma to see Karen and Jim's folks again. My mom came up and spent a couple of days there as well. I think this is the first time in 25 years I've made such a killing at Christmas! I mean, I did get alot of stuff, much of it was small. But it's more that it just meant a lot to me that I am included as a part of the family. Although Colorado will always be my home (whether I move or not), I really miss my family in Ohio as well as out here. The only close relationship I have here is with my nephew, haven't talked to my aunts for a few years now. I have plenty of close relationships with family on my Mom's side and I would love to see them all a whole lot more.

I did find out that my uncle Mike passed away (my dad's sister's husband). Now please understand, I don't usually "hate" anyone - that is a pretty strong word. But I despised that man - truly believe he was the devil. Mean right down to the core. My aunt used to have lots of money, but he pissed it all away for her through gambling, although I don't know what happened this last time. She had to file bankruptcy twice. He tried at every chance to keep her from spending quality time with her family, didn't like her spending any time with my dad - which upset him greatly - if Linda wanted to stay the night at my dad's house, Mike would whine until she went home that night. I truly believe that she will be better off without him. Maybe get some relationships back. I'm probably going to try and contact her in a few months when things die down. Do a little "background" work first to see what she's going to do. If she decides to talk to me again, that would be great. If not, so be it.

So anyway, on with the life thing. Let's talk sports - Colorado Mammoth (pro lacrosse team that Boots and I have season tickets for) started up on December 29th. So far they are 2-0. Still exciting games, lots of friends go to them. Keeps me in sports for awhile. Also just renewed my Rockie's Ladies Night tickets as well. Kirsten's mom is giving me an opening day ticket, so I took that Friday off - it'll be a blast to get started back up into baseball season again! April 4 - here we come (Have a Mammoth game the night before on the 3rd, so at least I don't have to get up early)! I'm thinking that Boots and I may go for the outdoor lacrosse tix this year as well, we've talked about it for 2 years, just haven't done anything about it. Maybe just a couple of games to start with, we'll see.

Going to Las Vegas for work the beginning of March, decided to go in a couple of days early to just have some fun. It's NASCAR weekend (wish I could go, but maybe next year), so it will be a busy weekend with a bunch of good friends, as well as fun people yet to meet! My friends that are coming with me are Connie, Tish and Kim. Karen can't come with due to work (she can't get that Monday off), so I'll have to get her there another time. So, anywhoo - we are staying at the recently (within last couple of years) opened Hooters casino/hotel near the MGM Grand - that outta be a HOOT (pun intended, thank you very much). Thinking we need to go to the "Thunder Down Under" show. Then find a couple of key places where we can do some serious people watching - there will definitely be interesting ones to see! I'm very excited, especially since Connie and Tish have never been to Vegas, and Kim hasn't been on the "strip" for around 20 years. It'll be a whole new world for all of them! Better get my good walking shoes out - as well as the athletic tape. I'm gonna be hurtin'. . .

So here I am now, cold weather a-foot, sitting at my new desk and new computer that I got a month ago (Xmas AND bday presents to myself), getting ready to hit the homework again. Thank goodness they are both online classes, I can *almost* work at any pace I want. Just as long as I get my assignments in on time. So my update is done, hope to keep this up a little better for the future - not letting 2 months slip by before I let y'all know how I'm doing!

Ciao for now. . .

It's snowing. . . again

2008-01-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

Although we haven't had nearly the snow we did last year, we are having more than previous to the Blizzard of 2006. Missed seeing it snow on Christmas Day - I heard the last time it happened was some 50 years ago. I'm pretty sure it has snowed on Christmas before then, I'll just have to check the record books.

So, yes, its been awhile since I've been posting, a lot has been going on, yet at the same time not too much. I'll post later to get y'all caught up with the antics of me. In the meantime, hang in there - I'll be back!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

2007-11-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

Not much to write since my last entry. School keeps me on my toes, work is still busy and I'm getting ready to go to Cincinnati to hang with the family for Thanksgiving. I always like seeing my family, just hate having to sit around my grandmothers house all day. My uncle has a spare van he let's me drive while I'm there; however, he might not be back in town in time, so don't know if I'll get to use it or not. It's nice to have some freedom while there. I'll probably rent a car if the van doesn't pan out. Going to my cousin Tammy's one night - I've missed seeing them the last couple of times I've been out, so we'll make a point of going to their house. Just found out they moved into a bigger house not too far from where they lived before. Looking forward to seeing that.

My cousin Bret and I are going to go to the museum that Wednesday night, see what's showing at the IMAX. I told him I wanted to do something, I rarely get to do much of anything besides shuttle from one house to another. The only other thing I've really done is go to a baseball game here or there. Jeff took me to a UC basketball game one time while I was there during Xmas a few years ago, that was a lot of fun! I'd love to head to Columbus and do a hockey game one time, preferably when the AVs are there - not sure if that will ever happen, though. We'll see.

I'm going to mess around with this blog somewhat. I've gone onto other blogs within this site, people do some pretty cool stuff. Need to change mine up a bit, do more pics and such. It'll be a learning experience - always good to know something different and new.

Catch y'all later when I have something more enlightening to say :)

Now it IS just another day

2007-10-29T19:43:00.000-06:00

As this season ends, a new one will begin. So it is for baseball. Our Colorado Rockies were swept in the World Series. . . but I am not that sad (oh, OK - just a little, would have loved to be at a third game tonight). Happiness is more of a feeling, as we celebrate what the Rockies have had in great successes. Check these out:

1) Only the 2nd team in history to sweep all playoff games up to the World Series (up there next to the Big Red machine of 1976)
2) Played the longest nine inning game in World Series history (really, that was a yawner there for awhile - not sure if I should count that?)
3) Won 21 of 22 games through regular and post season, going into the World Series. Let's see - they are one of 5 teams to ever do this?
4) They were 4-1/2 games behind San Diego Sept 16. Whodathunk?

There are a multitude of statistics where the Rockies were in the top 5 of all time. They are a great team - too bad they didn't grab Joe Girardi (former Rockies pitcher, coach/manager in many different capacities over the last few years) to be manager for the Rockies before the Yankees did. He could have made them into a killer team! Now we'll never be able to afford him. Steinbrenner just set THAT bar too high.

To recap my experience of attending a World Series - AWESOME! The energy from the crowds was unbelievable, the electricity in the stadium undeniable. And man, was that American flag gianormous! I can't really describe in words how it felt to be at this historical event. When we walked through the turnstiles into the stadium, I looked at Lynn (Kirsten's mom) and jumped up and down, saying "we're at the World Series!" It didn't hit me until we walked into the place. I only wish that Kirsten could have joined us, we have been to so many games together the past couple of years - my baseball buddy. I'm glad I have a couple of really big sports fans like myself to hang with! Ask me sometime, I might be able to put into words what my experience left me with. However at this moment, my heart is again a-flutter as I re-live my experience through writing about it! Wow - I'm so lucky!!!

Until my next great adventure (don't think anything will top this one off for a couple of years, or at least until the NASCAR race in Las Vegas in March - nahh, that still won't come close) - Ciao for now!

Not just another day

2007-10-27T10:51:00.000-06:00

The last couple of days were pretty busy ones with work. Garage Door has had problems and wouldn't open when I got home from work, and to top it off, I kept leaving my house keys in my vehicle (I'd been carpooling for 2 days). It think that Karin, the carpooler, will just drop me off at the nearest bar next time, and Karen the roommate (who has rescued me both times by coming home a little earlier than planned) will shoot me after 2 days in a row of this happening. No set of keys are leaving my purse ever again.

So today, I've been watching this show, "Scariest Places on Earth," about haunted hotels, prisons and castles. Woke up at 7am, didn't get out of bed until 10:30 - I NEVER do that. The leaves that have turned different colors are falling off of the trees and bushes - it'll be around 50 degrees today and around 39 degrees tonight around 9pm. Just kind of a ho-hum day.

In the midst of all of this, I am going to a baseball game. Right now, it feels like just a baseball game, with my favorite team, hanging with my friend Kirsten's mom, dad and brother, watching a past time I have grown to love since the pros came to Colorado in the early 90's. But this ISN'T just any game - its the World Series! It feels surreal - yet like just another day. Don't think it's really going to hit me what is going on until I get to the field tonight.

After I met Kirsten and her mom at the Breckenridge Brewery to pick up my ticket - I started to notice things happening around Coors Field. A huge tent was erected on the North side of the stadium, street level. When we drove around it to get to 20th to head for home, there were people in front of the stadium with Rockies gear on, and people with professionally made and home made signs saying they wanted World Series Tickets "will pay top dollar." I don't know who they are fooling, but anyone that has a ticket will be going, and if they didn't sell their tickets on stub hub or ebay, hopefully they will be selling them to friends so they can experience a piece of Colorado History.

Anyway, going through LoDo, you can just feel the energy rising. Tonight, it will be at an unbelievable level, more so than when I was at that last game of the season, the Wildcard tie-breaker, and game 3 of the Wildcard playoffs.

I'll write more tomorrow, pending I survive tonight. With that being said. . .

GO ROCKIES!!

I've survived the week, Almost

2007-10-25T20:26:00.000-06:00

Got past last night, the big school night where I had to turn in 3 reports and give one speech. I was literally doing my homework up to the absolute last minute! Being sick the latter part of last week then over the weekend gave me no motivation to get much done, but still did a little. Just glad the big stuff is all over with. Although I have things due over the next few weeks, I don't have to go to class for almost a month and already have the big assignments done. I will miss going to class to hear my classmates do their speeches, though. They are such a great group of people, and my instructor is pretty awesome, too. I'm thinking that right now I am pretty fortunate!

Picked up my World Series ticket today - one for Saturday night. I think I got off pretty cheap, $109 each in section 202 (north side of stadium, second level). They will be good seats. I'm REALLY excited about going, but I don't think the true excitement will hit until I am there. We will be a part of Colorado history - attending the 1st ever World Series in our state! This will be a super exciting weekend! I better plan on going in late to work on Tuesday. . .

This past Tuesday, I went to the Pepsi Center to get the big work event plans ironed out. Since there was a basketball game that night, it gave me a chance to try out the food at the Lexus Club on the 2nd level. I've been by there before, but hadn't eaten there - I would highly recommend it if you get the chance. They have "food stations" and rotate the menus each event at the Pepsi Center. This time they had a little bit of seafood, a really good roast beef, and some middle eastern types of foods. I'm really happy with the way I think that things will go. There was a pre-season basketball game and they gave me tickets that were in the 5th row from the floor. Too bad I couldn't stay! I missed going to the Bronco Game on Sunday night with Boots due to feeling crappy, I can't stay for a basketball game with awesome seats. Good thing I have this weekend to look forward to!

I'll post more as we get through the weekend. As my friend Karen says, "Asta la taco!"

First Snow of the Season

2007-10-21T08:43:00.001-06:00

8:20am and the first snow of fall starts coming down! The mountains have already been getting it since around the first weekend of October. Guaranteed, it will be gone by the end of the day tomorrow, though. Was going to run a couple of errands today, but instead, think I'll just stay home and do my homework. I have 2 papers and one speech to get done by Wednesday. I have to miss class due to a work event on Nov 14, so have to give my speech early. Been trying to stave off a cold the last few days as well, so this has all been a little overwhelming to get through.

Our Colorado Rockies are going to the World Series, and we are all excited! They say we didn't have this much excitement and buzz when the Broncos went to the Superbowl at ANY time. I'd say its even more than when our first year Colorado Avalanche went to the Stanley cup right out of the box. The Rockies decided to run all tickets through online purchasing, which sucks. Out of 51K+ seats, only 18,000 tickets will be available for each of the 3 games. This leaves everything open to scalpers from all over the world to purchase OUR tickets and try to sell them for ridiculous prices. And the people who purchase them are stupid, as they create the demand and the price increases. You can get 4 tickets for each game in one try. There are 10 of us who will try to get tickets tomorrow, so hopefully one of us will get lucky. GO ROCKIES!!

This past Sunday, I volunteered with the Denver Press Club to help with an event called "The Gridiron." Its a fundraiser for the press club that brings local journalism personalities together to do comedy skits on pop culture, politics, etc. Didn't know that Mike Landis (local news guy) was such an avid guitar player! It was pretty funny but a little long.

The highlight for me was that my cousin, Wayne and his wife Joan were on the guest list! I was so happy to see them - got caught up on what my cousins Chris and Cheryl were up to. The oldest grandson is already 15 years old! Also, Cheryl finally had a little boy, Evan, who is 4. Chris got divorced from Stephen and is engaged to a really nice guy that Joan really likes. All that news just floored me - time is flying for all of us. But it was really good to see them, I hadn't run into any of that side of the family in about 5 years, I think since the last election where Wayne was elected again. There is every intention to get out to DC in April or May to see Wayne and Joan before he is out of office; as well as my cousin Kevin who is working at the Pentagon (as a rep of the Air Force). Geez - that reminds me, I really need to call him!

Time to finish cleaning - catch y'all on the flip side!

What an exciting night!

2007-10-07T01:15:00.000-06:00

Our Rockies pulled it out in a close game and won the NL Wildcard for a chance to play for the NL Division Title! We have to play our arch rivals the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that we beat on the last day of the season to get to this spot (the win put us into the tie-breaker with San Diego). We beat them 2 out of 3 last time -this will be a really tough series. I'm thinking we are going to end up going through all 7 games on this one. I know we all really hope that the Rocks can get it done, they could be the 4th pro team in Colorado to win a championship: Broncos did it 3 times, Avalanche twice and the Mammoth once. The Nuggets really have something to prove this season - they haven't gone to the NBA finals ever!

As I thought, the lightrail was really packed once again, this time 3-1/2 hours before gametime. It was pretty nice weather, in the lower 80's when I got down to the field. But let me tell you about our Colorado weather - it can change in a instant! Literally minutes before the game started, we went from a balmy 72 degrees to under 60 in literally seconds. We watched a bunch of dust blow across the field from the north - then it hit us with a wall of really cold air . . . brrrr!! By the time we left the game, it was 50 degrees. Although snow has already fallen in the mountains towards the end of last month, they are predicting a more tomorrow. We might see some down here, but I'm not going anywhere to find out! Downtown will be a zoo, with the Denver Race for the Cure going on (that's 50K+ people), a Broncos game (60K+ fans) and an Avalanche game (I think that's about 25K). Our lower downtown area is making BIG bucks this weekend! I'm staying home to study, not going anywhere near that mess!

Went to the hospital this morning to see Kyrie and little Landon. Not all babies are cute, but he is absolutely adorable - and a good baby to boot, so far. I held him for about 45 min while mom took her first shower since the baby was born. He fussed a little bit, but really was very good. I can't wait to watch him grow up - and see the many fishing outfits that Grandpa Bob gets him into!

Go Rocks!

2007-10-05T18:41:00.001-06:00

What an exciting (and tiring) week it has been! Went to the baseball game on Sunday the 30th, only to win and then immediately purchase tickets to the tie-breaker game, in which we won! The 7th wildcard tie-breaker in history, 1st in this century :) It was very exciting, but 13 innings was just a killer! Very awesome to be part of some record-breaking history as well, but the game could have ended a lot earlier if the umpire hadn't made a super bad call and denied Atkins of a homerun. Oh well, they won in spite of it all!

That night of the 30th, I hurried home after the game, changed and met Boots and some other friends for some light appetizers before going to see Spamalot. The show was hilarious - and I was glad to take the next day off, as I needed the time to not just recoop, but to really recount all of the fun that I had, take a nap, then go to that tie-breaking game.

So, the rest of the week has been just as busy. In the midst of all this excitement, I had homework to get turned in, a YMCA commitee meeting, shopping for work, more homework. At least I'm getting a perfect score in class so far after turning in all of that stuff!

Then FINALLY - the word that baby decided it was time to come into the world came out. Got the 6:30am text message that Kyrie's water broke at 11:30pm on Wednesday evening, had been at the hospital walking the halls as she hadn't gone directly into labor yet. That started at 9am and would continue into the night. I went to the hospital after work (and a really busy day to boot), hung out with in-and-out sleeping mommy-to-be, grandma-to-be, and a couple of Kyrie's close friends. 9:30 rolled around and contractions were getting closer together and mom was coming out of the drug-induced, pain-stay-away, semi coma she was in. I finally had to call it a night, but was assured I would know something when it happened. Landon Robert couldn't get out, so with the slice of a knife, he came out at 1:50am at a whopping 8 lbs (no wonder the poor kid couldn't get any sleep!), 21-1/2" and healthy as a horse! I'm going in tomorrow morning to see everyone - I'm so excited to see the little bugger!

For now, its time to do yet some MORE homework reading, prepping myself for all of the stuff I need to do this weekend. I'll report on the game tomorrow night, I'm pretty sure the Rockies will win, allowing me to be part of the first playoff sweep for the Rockies in our club's short history!

Sorry, it's been awhile!

2007-09-29T06:30:00.000-06:00

So. . . I've been well, busier than a one legged man in a butt-kicking contest. Felt like the person on the receiving end of that butt kicking as well. Labor Day hit and almost immediately, the nights have become much cooler (and comfortable). Sleeping more through the night than I have all summer. Going to work with the prettiest of the year's sunrises coming up showing colors of pink, orange, purple and blues. The leaves on the Aspen trees are really starting to turn their colors of gold, and the fire bush in front of the house is going red. Spring and Fall are my favorite times of the year, but I think fall is the prettiest.

It's been a fairly eventful month. Gone to a few Rockies games, hoping that they can still pull out their trump card and make the last minute vie for a Wildcard playoff spot. They won their last 3 series, plus, had a 10 game winning streak going, then lost the first game of their last regular season series to Arizona. Although they have greatly slimmed their chances for that playoff berth, there is a VERY small chance that if the planets align, they beat Arizona 2 games and San Diego loses (along with a few other variables) they could still make it. Our team has come a long way this last part of the year, wish we would have had this exact combination of players in the beginning, we would have had a pretty good opportunity.

And there's the Broncos - they barely pulled off their 1st 2 wins (really, by shear luck) and then they lose to Jacksonville. Broncs play the Colts this weekend, I'm not too hopeful on that one. I'll be at a Rockies game anyway.

A few weeks ago (think its been 3 of them) Karen and I went to see the Def Leppard/Styx/Bad Company concert. Each group played about 45 min, with 15-20 intermissions to change out the equipment for the next group. Good music, but it was on a Sunday night, didn't get to sleep until after 11pm (and we left before the last couple of songs to beat the crowds) - that's really late for me, so my Monday was pretty rough.

I started college this past week, I'm only takinig one class - Leadership. Really think it will be a fun class, a lot to learn. Already have my list of all assignments due, so I can work on them as quickly or as slowly as I want, just can't turn them in until the dates allowed. I have so much in my work and volunteer life to pull from, that I should really be able to learn how to handle myself better at work. We are at the time of the year that is the toughest for us, and busiest for me. With 2008 Business Planning (a 1 month process in itself), 2008 budgeting, events, marketing sell-ins and preperation for next year, as well as the usual day-to-day stuff, it creates a somewhat stressful atmosphere at work. Tempers flare easily with the sales guys, as they read and take less and less direction, just wanting to "sell boxes" and make their quotas. I can understand where they are coming from, but don't think they understand to much of a degree what is on my plate, either. We give them a lot of information in which to help them stave off issues, yet they read none of it and double the work for myself and others in the office. It becomes a big circle of discontent and confusion, and it all lands on me in the long run. I'm really hoping that my class will help me learn how to handle these issues better and create a smoother running office for everyone.

Tomorrow night we are going to see "Spamalot," the broadway version of "Monty Python and The Holy Grail." I'm really looking forward to some big humor in my life right now. Took Monday off from work since it will be a somewhat late night on Sunday, plus I get some things done that are normally not as easy to do when I can't get away during my lunchtimes.

I'll report on the play - hopefully sooner rather than later!

Well, it finally happened. . .

2007-09-06T19:47:00.000-06:00

I had a complete meltdown at work today. I've been working with our Salt Lake District to put together this Parts & Supplies postcard to send out to our customers, and we had a couple of glitches with it, along with my trying to accurately change the price via the inhouse system. We saved it from being mailed, but it will cost us a little something to reprint it with the correct message. My contact there told me not to feel too bad, one of the California Districts did one that got mailed out and had blatantly bad info on it (10K copies). For ours, we could have worked through the error with little difficulty, but there are those that know what the difference is, so we are changing it.

Anyway, I had a bunch of things happening early this morning (as well as this week), and along with covering 3 jobs and the workload that doesn't seem to see the light of day, it was the final straw. Luckily no one was there when I lost it, it was pretty early this morning (around 7:30am). My counterpart Sue in the Salt Lake office just happened to call me as I was calming myself down from a river of tears. She verbally walked me out of the moment, and helped me start to ground myself again. My boss walked in after that, around 8:15am, but I didn't let him know what was going on until about 10:30. By then, he had a pretty good inkling that I was having a hard time, so we hashed it out and I get a temp!! But not just any temp, the girl we've wanted to hire for our SA position. Karin is going into this knowing that she can't hold any expectations, and there is no guarantee that the job is hers. Since Corp is still sitting on their butts about this and I'm just overly and publicly buried, Skip somehow got us the permission (not only is our company on a hiring freeze - in the field only, of course, but nearly every district had to let their temporary workers go). However, she can start learning the ropes, it'll give Skip a chance to see how well she fits in, too. I think it will work out really well - but I'm just happy that I have someone to help, now, and exactly the person I wanted there!! Yiippppeee!!!! Now I can start getting caught up on stuff.

When I left work, my boss told me not to be so hard on myself, we'll get this all worked out - we've survived huge challenges, this one will work itself out as well. I work really hard to do things right, but lately that has been really difficult to do. I'm just sorry it took a major meltdown to occur to make things happen. I should have done this much sooner!

I went to the college to get my one book and a testing page for my class that starts on Sept 26th. Both of those items together cost 2/3rd's as much as my class did - YIKES!!!! This school thing is MUCH more expensive than it used to be. College textbooks cost so much cuz "THEY CAN." That's crap, but guess that's the US for you. Yes, you can make money and over charge huge amounts and THEN live the American dream. Kiss my butt you greedy bastards :)

Labor Day Weekend

2007-09-02T18:46:00.000-06:00

It's Sunday evening at 7pm, raining with a slight breeze, water drenching my oak bookcase. . . dammit! Ok, so I closed the window, wiped everything down that has gotten soaked, but can still hear the thunder - ahhhh, what a soothing evening it will be. And the best part - I don't have to go to work tomorrow, yippee!!

Friday afternoon late, I met Boots downtown where we walked to Civic Center Park for the first day of a Taste of Colorado. I am now convinced that Friday night is really the only night to go. Sure, there are no "big bands" like Night Ranger or Survivor playing that night (seen both, NR a few times back in the late 80's), but the show we did see was awesome and the performers have now become my new favorite band - Something Underground. They are young brothers (somewhere, I am guessing, between 25-30 years old), with a drummer and the ability to interchange instruments. Seth, the older one, can play all, and Josh, the younger one plays bass primarily. We did determine that the one playing lead guitar is the one that gets to sing. They take popular songs and change them into something completely different (kind of what Eric Clapton did to his song Layla). When they did "Free Falling" by Tom Petty as a reggae song, I wasn't sure at first, but they did it very smoothly - even interjecting the lyrics and chords of other popular songs. Not even ZZ Top can pull that off as well!

Along with the music, we had a thunderstorm move directly over us, spitting a little bit of rain here and there, but nothing we couldn't live with. What was really awe inspiring is the tall glass building at the corner of 13th and Broadway, just south of the Colorado Historical Museum (the one my cousin and I went to while he was here). With sky going into darkness, you could still see the outline of clouds against windows. The glass not only reflected the lightning, but along with the lighted rotundra of the capital building, it was quite a show! It added to the musical talent all that much more. Wow, I LOVE living here!

The "TASTE" is a yearly event, and really can be a lot of fun. There is a lot of different foods to try from a few restaurants (I personally don't think that enough participate), with cooking shows and the higher end restaurants showing off their wares in the center. There are 6 stages of different types of music, plus a karaoke stage. It's a great place to eat fruit kabobs (strawberries and bananas drizzled with dark then white chocolate) and just people watch.

My friend Jill's husband, Joe, passed away the weekend before, sadly, on his son's birthday. I don't remember how old he was, but I think he was around 45. Died from liver disease. He had been in and out of the hospital all summer long, apparently. I hadn't seen him in probably 3 years. Makes me even more determined to stay in touch with people that I don't see much, but making sure that they know I'm thinking about them and wish them well. There was a memorial service and BBQ at his parents house - they live just outside of Kiowa, about 15 miles southeast of Castlerock. A potted spruce was dedicated to Joe by his son Christopher, who turned 6 that fateful day. I am very sad for Jill and Chris - not matter how long they have known that Joe's passing was a strong possibility, it'll still be tough for awhile. I told her that I would be there to help when she decided to go through Joe's things. It's not good try and do that by yourself. My dad didn't deal with my brother Jason's things for nearly a year after he died. I would go into his room and just lay on his bed. Started taking posters down a couple months afterwards, my dad got really mad - he just wasn't ready to let go just yet. So, I left all as it was.

Jill and I received our Senatorships the same weekend. She was state President of our Jaycee organization, and I was ONTO Vienna chairperson. She is my junior with the Senatorship (my number is lower than hers :) We had a rocky time that year, with a few things happening that tested the friendship that we had - I got mad about something, I can't even remember what it was, now. We did get past it eventually. You have to let the little things that just don't matter go - you just never know when you might get to see that person again.

My friend Jerry rode with me to the BBQ. When we got there, only 2 others in our circle were there, Jim and Laurie. Along with Kerry (who showed up a couple hours later), we were the only Jaycee friends that showed up. That was a little disappointing to me, but at least we represented those that couldn't make it and Jill knows that we all are thinking of her.

Last weekend, Karen and I went to the Balloon Festival at Chatfield Resevoir, in the very southeast part of Denver (actually, Littleton - in the burb's). We went REALLY early, which is a feat for Karen, who doesn't generally get out of bed on the weekend until 9am. As I am a natural early bird, I woke myself up a little earlier, and drove us to the event. It was really a beautiful, crisp morning, with the sun just coming up. It was just really an awe-inspiring sight to see those balloons filling up with hot air and taking off. We saw Tony the Tiger, the Energizer bunny, a dragon wrapped around a balloon and proof that, in fact, pigs DO fly. The pictures will say it all :) There were 70 balloons that day, so in our small space, it was really cool. Just wondering what it's like to watch 800 balloons go up in a morning in Albuquerque during their festival!

At work, we are still waiting for Corporate to get their @#$es in gear so we can hire our SA. My workload is already straining at the seams, and I'm learning new things so I can help out a little more. It has been truly trying at times, and my boss is quick to let me know that he appreciates how I've stuck it out and put in the extra time to ensure that things are running as smoothly as we can make them. We'll just see how things go and what happens in the coming weeks.

That's all for now, catch y'all later - and thanks for reading!

Winding down the summer

2007-08-21T20:30:00.000-06:00

Here it is, walking the downside of August and man, is it still hot! 96 degrees today. We'll get cooler by Thursday, with lows hitting the mid 50's - yeah! I'm ready to get cold when I sleep.

Pretty uneventful couple of weeks - last weekend, didn't really do a lot. Met up with some friends at Dewey's last Friday night, and ended up being DD for them. It was my friend Jayne's B-day, they wanted me to go with, so told them I'd drive them. Since there 7 of us, I took 3 and Karin's brother took the 3 of them into downtown Littleton (he went home so we could keep it a "girls night out"). I will tell you, however, they were already 3 sheets to the wind, some a little more. One left Old Town Tavern early, not sure how she got home. Angie was absolutely snockered, so I took her home, and Amy was still pretty sober, so dropped her off at Dewey's to get her vehicle to go home. This friend of Amy's that was visiting was just a cute little 25 year old, but had a laugh I'd never heard before - it was such a goofy laugh that it made us all crack up! My gut was hurting by the time I got home at 9pm. Whatever happened to those nights when I'd stay up until 3am?

Saturday was the 8th and final Caddy Hut Putt-putt golf tourney. The Denver Jaycees have been doing this fundraiser for years for the Scleroderma Foundation's Denver chapter. My friend Scott's mom died from the disease many years ago, so he became active with the foundation and started doing this fundraiser with Bric. They've raised probably close to $75K (I'm guessing hard on this) over those 8 years through silent and live auctions. I've been a large contributor to that cause. Heck, when I think about it, I've probably put in about $2K myself over 7 years of attendance. I've gotten a basketball signed by Dick Vitale (college basketball commentator extraordinaire); autographed pic of Patrick Roy (retired goalie for the Colorado Avalanche hockey club); an autographed Rob Blake sweater (same club); 3 facials; 2 sets of Rockies tickets; a Pinzgauer camping trip (bet on that with Chuck 2 years ago, we have yet to go on it); a condo in Puerto Vallarta that Boots and I never got to go on because of airfare and timing (I will NEVER purchase a timeshare); and various little things. I've gotten killer deals on stuff - I'd have to say unfortunately, but more than received my money's worth on all of this, and it all went to charity which I am hardly ever able to turn down.

Through all of that, the only time I would really see Bric and Scott is at this tourney, and if I were lucky, at the Denver Jaycees Christmas party. I see Bric's wife Linda here and there at things, and usually at least once a month on local TV or radio when she is doing promos for the Dumb Friends League. I got cell numbers again, so hope I don't lose touch with any of them.

So Saturday, besides going to work for 4 hours, scoping/purchasing Bronco hats for my best friend Tal's son Blake (they live in south Minneapolis - can't get Bronco gear there) and a fundraiser, I was pretty wiped. My knees were absolutely killing me the rest of the weekend.

This week at work is a killer already, and will be the rest of it as well. We are still waiting to hear from corporate about the approval of replacing our SA position - I hope it happens soon, not sure how much more I can take. Although I can't do that job, I still deal with the customers and a bunch of the little issues that position dealt with. Then, having to work on getting customers to other sources (our Salt Lake or Phoenix offices) to get pricing on product - all of those places are getting sick of doing our work, I'm sure - along with my regular work plus a variety of special projects, all of the work is getting to me. I've been in a bad mood since yesterday afternoon; hoping to get over that by tomorrow.

I'm hitting a couple of baseball games this week, as well as 3 or 4 next month; that should help me as well :)

Well, asta la taco to y'all fer now. . . try to catch you before Labor Day weekend ***shiver*** can't believe that's almost here already!

So, Shall we say. . .

2007-08-11T20:44:00.000-06:00

It's HOT again? Dang, I know my industry "thrives on the misery of others" when it comes to weather, but this is ridiculous! Enough already. . . no more humidity (yes, to my family out east, it has been the icky, sticky sweaty humid here, too)!

I went to the 115th anniversary party of the Brown Palace Hotel w/Boots on Thursday. For those that haven't heard of the Brown Palace, it is a very nice hotel in downtown Denver that has been the stopping point for many a president and high ranking official. Dwight Eisenhower used on many occasions as his "home away from home," often spending his breaks at the hotel, including Christmas. The suite he stayed in is still there and used often. It has a small dining room, living room w/fireplace, water closet and master bedroom (w/full bathroom, of course). It has the ability for an adjoining room as well. Oh, and this hotel is notably HAUNTED. Gotta try that sometime. . .

Anywhooo, they had an in-house Iron Chef contest amongst their own staff, which was held on a stage in the middle of the lobby area. They had some great food (their prime rib is to DIE for) and a wine tasting. It was fun, and we got to take home a commemorative wine glass. How do I get to do such fun stuff?

Today, I went to the 1st of 2 baby showers this weekend. My best friend Karen's niece, Marissa, is having a baby girl, currently scheduled for Sept 20 arrival - we'll see how baby likes that day :) She is such a cute kid, and her husband, whom she married as a result of the pregnancy, seems to be very supportive and is really a nice guy. He has a little girl from his first marriage as well. She wasn't there, but I guess is looking forward to a baby sister. Marissa will be 21 soon, her husband I think is 22 or 23. I hope they do well and stay together. They seem happy after 5 months of marriage.

The 2nd baby shower is tomorrow for Kyrie, the daughter of good friends, whom I've grown very close to. She's had her ups and downs as a teenager, 2 bouts with cancer before the age of 18, and now a pregnancy close to her 21st birthday - but she is a good kid, despite all of her trials she's gone through. The father is too young and apparently somewhat spoiled, so still wants to play teenager before taking on responsibility. I'm going to guess that he probably didn't learn a great deal of that from his parents, who probably let him run a little rampant and didn't hold him accountable for his actions. That's OK - one day it'll kick in that he has someone that will rely on him to teach how to be a good person.

In the meantime, we'll all be there for Kyrie and the baby. I think she'll be a good mom, she already knows the things that she wants to do for her child. That's more than I have seen most young moms think about. Kyrie thinks more ahead than "day-to-day." This is my chance to play auntie, and hopefully I'll see them a lot more. Although I sometimes think that kids wouldn't have been a bad thing for me, in today's society, its definitely a difficult job. I admire anyone who does it, and does it well. It's a lot to balance physically, emotionally and financially. Especially those that have to do it by themselves. God Bless the moms!

There'll be more later. . . until then!

As my world turns. . . yet again!

2007-08-02T19:39:00.000-06:00

What an eventful month July has been! I did a lot of stuff, had some huge challenges to overcome (well, got through one of them, anyway) and now looking forward to some better times. My issue at work, a girl that has been a thorn in not just my side, but to everyone at work, has finally left our office. . . yiippeeeeee!!! The day she walked out the door (July 25th) was the day my life became a lot more peaceful. She was what we called in the Jaycees a "cancer" to our office, with a bad attitude, rarely helpful and an overall downer. The atmosphere of our office has improved considerably, and now, pending our corporate's slow response to anything we need (red tape to hire a new person), we already have a replacement found. . . and they are the PERFECT compliment to my abilities. I can learn from them and hopefully I can teach something useful in return. I'm really excited for the possibilities there.

To those who have never really known what I do, I have always been a secretary, administrative assistant, small office manager, etc in some way, shape or form. My strengths have been my ability to be pretty highly organized, project oriented, multi-tasking, advanced Microsoft Office/WordPerfect able and just that "do what it takes to get it done" attitude. Each time my boss and I review my position at work (currently titled sales secretary), my list of things I do seems to grow exponentially. I will say that the abilities that are now possessed by me are in large part due to my experiences in the Jaycees (Junior Chamber). I learned a lot about running large projects - I chaired the largest young person's BB Gun tournament in the US - organizing, relating to people (although I find that is FOREVER a work in progress), event planning, etc. But to keep it "real" I've also slacked at times as well.

It is with all of this past and present experience that I have decided to finally get a degree. I'm going to work towards an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management at Arapahoe Community College to start with, then see what I need to do from there to possibly get a Bachelor's in something else. The possibilities are truly endless for me, just need to get into a job that really utilizes my skills where I can excel even more and make some decent money. I guess by all standards for what I do, I make more than the average for a person in my current position. My boss has been working to get me a promotion, but he's been in a waiting pattern for that as well (again, corporate red tape strikes again!). It would give me a good raise, however, when it does happen. We'll just wait and see.

So, with new people around me and continuing education, I feel that I am finally ready for some big changes. My next goal is my weight. It's always been a contention for me, but especially difficult after my thyroid surgery. The knee surgery this past winter didn't help either, but I've truly used that as a crutch for not doing what I need to do. Now that things are falling in place around me, the time has come for some drastic changes in that area. My friend Donna is talking about going back to school as well (we have pretty much the same goals), and wants to take some yoga classes, too. I've been doing them on and off myself, but it's time to really start working it. I have to build the quads in both of my knees - to continue with the healing in my post-surgery joint, as well as to get my other one ready for surgery next spring/summer. The better shape they are in, the better (and faster) my healing will be. My friend Boots got a membership to the YMCA in downtown Denver as well, so hopefully we'll be able to coordinate some workout time together. I'll be surrounding myself with people that really want to work with me in every aspect of my goals, as encouragement and group efforts are what helps you to succeed - and that's something I plan on doing now!

Speaking of the "Y," the one I carry my membership at, Southwest, has been trying to get there volunteer committees going again. We met last spring on a few occassions, but nothing really came out of them, except for ideas that went no where. Well, finally, we had another meeting. Only 2 out of 6 of us showed up, so I put my head on straight this time and put forth easy goals to start achieving. Well, they have been presented to the board president, and apparently they liked it enough to move on the first item. I have 2 more initiatives I'm going to work towards implenting by the end of the year; if they come to fruition, I truly believe in my heart of hearts that they will be the events that could really kick start our "Y" into a whole new realm of members and activities (and hopefully more spinning and fitness yoga classes).

Well, guess I'll sign off for now, gotten a lot off of my chest (so to speak). . . :)

Dang, it's HOT!

2007-07-21T20:48:00.000-06:00

Last year we had a few consecutive days of 100 degree weather. We've only hit that one or 2 times this year so far, but over 90 has been hanging on for awhile (despite a mid to upper 80s break here a week or so ago). I don't know if its because I'm getting older or what, but I just am not able to hang out in the heat. I've been thinking that maybe the peri-menopause has been really kicking in, they say it can last 10 years before menopause actually hits. Ughh - not looking forward to that! Feel like I just can't cool down enough. Nightly cold showers are about to become a regular thing.

The last couple of nights (Thurs and Fri) I hung out with some old friends of mine out at the Chatfield campgrounds. I haven't been able to stay out there, but went out after work each night. It was my friend Donna's B-day on Thursday, so 2 of her sisters, her mom and mom's boyfriend were out there, as well as her son Joey (the kid to whom I credit my nickname) and his friend, Mark. Dena brought out steaks and they cooked up baked potatoes and had salad and a few hamburgers, too. A good meal! It was good to see Dena and Mary, I hadn't seen them in about a year and a half. Well, I'd seen Mary a couple of times, but wasn't at a point where I could catch up to her to say hi.

Last night, I was pretty wound up due to some events at work (more about that later) that had me pretty upset, so met my friend Karin at the Platte River Grill for a quick and dirty drink (tell you what, it sure calmed my ass down - if my blood pressure was high, this was my drug to regulate it!). Then I went out to the lake where we had pasta (sauce and meatballs made by Donna's brother George - the chef of the family) as well as a Cajun boil that George made up with crab, shrimp, corn on the cob, a huge artichoke, etc. Good food and great company. Then we made smores! All in all it was a fun night, with a little bit of family drama mixed in. I really needed to calm down and I accomplished the goal well! It was a beautiful night in the outdoors with a cool breeze blowing and to actually see the stars again. . . wow, reminds me I need to get out into the great outdoors a lot more often!

We went to Sam's Club today to pick up the new Harry Potter book. They were plentiful and cheaper than at the bookstores, a little over $19 after tax. I decided to re-read book 6 first, to reacquaint myself with the previous happenings, before reading this last book. They are such easy reads, but so much is happening that you really need to read them a couple of times to get everything to sink in. I really do enjoy the books. The outcast kid (yet, well known - even if he doesn't know all that know him) who really has to battle to know and understand his identity. Some people look at it as witch craft and therefor, refuse to read or let their kids read the series. People - its JUST A STORY!! If folks would just intrepret what it is really about - hardship and getting through it all because of good friends who stand by you at ALL costs, then they would really understand what the series is about. Heck, a mom who was struggling to raise her kids on welfare wrote this series, I'm sure as a way to really face her own inner struggles as well, and has made the best out of her fortune. Don't these people get it???

Back to reading, tonight is going to be the warmest evening yet. Hope I can sleep . . .

Been Awhile!

2007-07-19T05:29:00.000-06:00

I've taken my time putting anything new on my blog. A lot has happened, so probably need to do this in a few entries.

My cousin Bret came out to Colorado with his friend Shawn. The hotel I got them ended up only having one double bed (it was the Inn Town Suites at Federal and Hampden). The type of hotel it is, they "kind of" take reservations and can't guarantee the type of room you will get - more of a first come, first served deal. It was inexpensive, however, which is all they wanted. Shawn was sick the entire time they were here, he made it out a couple of times. When they got home, he went straight to the hospital to find that he had pneumonia (Bret suspected). He was in for several days.

With that happening, I didn't get to take Bret many places to see many things. They went downtown once and to Gunther Toody's for breakfast (Shawn used to live here, so he still knew a lot of the folks that were working there). I got to take Bret to Loveland with me for a dentist appt, then drove around town a little so I could show him where our old farm used to be. He went to Benson Sculpture Park to see the beautiful statues while I was occupied. We went to the Blue Parrot on south Broadway with my roommate that night for dinner - good Mexican food! That Friday, we went downtown to the Colorado Historical Museum. Only spent an hour there. I'll have to go back, as it is about a 3-4 hour walk around to really see everything. They went back to Ohio that night.

Next time, Bret said he is bringing his best friend Randy out - he's a "cultural" kinda guy, so we'll do some really fun stuff. AND, we'll go into the mountains.

That's all I have to say about that - I'll write more later!

This is ubelievable!

2007-06-30T07:06:00.000-06:00

This little girl from Great Britain, Connie Talbot, all of 6 years old, participated in their "Britain's got Talent" show. You have GOT to watch all 3 videos - she is spectacular! See You Tube Link on the side. . .

I'm smarter than I think I am!

2007-06-28T20:59:00.000-06:00

Last night, Karen and I went to Dewey's to play Live Trivia, as well as NTN. It was a laid back night, no pressure, interesting "neighbors" and then we won the BIG $50 prize! We got help on one question, a riddle that I had heard before but it had been awhile. . . A bird that doesn't fly, can go into the water yet stay dry. Let me know if you can guess that one! My sleeper question I got was a sports question - which old-time baseball team called Ebbetts field home? Couldn't believe I remembered that one! It was a fun time!

Pearl is back!

2007-06-26T19:46:00.000-06:00

Go to the "Funny or Die" link on the right - watch Good Cop, Baby Cop . . . another FINE performance (and a farewell one at that) from Pearl!

Vacation looms. . .

2007-06-26T18:56:00.000-06:00

These last couple of weeks have been pretty uneventful at home, as well as work. Last Saturday was probably the most fun - although we started the day out working. A few of us from the Jaycees went to clean out our chapter storage unit that morning. I can't believe how much stuff we have hung onto for so many years! But there were tons of office supplies, so we donated them to Urban Peak (teen homeless shelter) as well as some picnic-type goods. You can read more about Urban Peak via the link on the right. AWESOME place and more awesome is the work they do!

Neil, Jim B and Jim F after storage clean up -

we found all sorts of goodies!

Saturday afternoon, Karen, Boots and I went to see Pirates of the Carribbean 3 (my second time). You really have to watch the movie a few times to catch all that is going on in it. Then Karen took a silly pic afterwards (see left w/Silver Surfer). :)

Afterwards, we went to the Sidewalk Art Show on Larimer Square, a very fun event every year. Just wish they'd get some of the artists who really know how to do the realistic-looking, 3-D art. However, there was still some cool art work.

The business I work in, heating and A/C warehouse distrubution (Lennox), suffers when the weather isn't really hot in the summer or very cold in the winter. The motto I came up with - "we thrive on other people's misery" when it comes to weather. Last year, we had an awesome sales year, our district was in the top 5 out of other 23 districts. This year, we are hitting the bottom of the heap - only Milwaukee is worse off. The weather hasn't been bad enough to really get people replacing their equipment, just bad enough to fix it until it goes out completely. So, with work being slow and playing catch up with a bunch of projects, I am ready to say 'ba-bye' for a week. Being the dedicated worker I am, however, I'll still go in on Sunday just to do month end reports for my boss, so he has them on his desk first thing Monday morning. Which brings me to the fun news. . .

My cousin Bret is coming out to visit - dragging his friend Shawn with him! Yeah!! Shawn used to live in Denver, so he is pretty anxious to come out and travel down his memory "lane." I can't tell you how excited I am, my family (on mom's side) RARELY comes out to visit me. Bret hasn't been west of the mighty Mississippi but a couple of times, let alone to Colorado, so it'll be fun! I have a couple of things planned, but for the most part, just going to play it by ear and see what they feel like doing. I'm taking the entire week off as well - yippee!! More about that when they are here. . .

My nephew, Kiel, called me last night to inform me that he is coming home about a month early from his mom's house in Phoenix. He's going to stay at his friend Troy's house until he starts school again. Troy is a pretty nice kid, growing up in a family of engineers - he's going to CU this fall to do the same thing, apparently. Although I'm quite sure they get into their own forms of mischief, I can only hope that Troy is a good influence on Kiel. I'm having a BBQ on Tuesday the 3rd, so invited them both to come by, as Kiel has met none of his dad's family (besides immediate). I want Kiel to meet and know all of his family.

Until next time - woohoo, it'll be fun!

Mid June

2007-06-17T17:04:00.000-06:00

Another week with not much to tell. I didn't do much with the new diet system yet. I decided to ease myself into it, since I have to learn how to drink 100 oz of water a day (I can drink iced tea, as well, but should be mostly water). I did start out trying to eat different, leaving out all dairy. That's been pretty difficult, since I am a milk lover - gotta have at least one big glass a day. Another thing to ease into. Over the past year, I've weaned myself off of soda (I have one maybe once a week now), eased off of the cheese, and quit eating fried foods (although I indulge myself in the latter once in a great while, asking myself afterwards "why did I do that" cuz I start feeling yucky). Can't call what I do diets, now, as they are more of changing a way of life. Eating differently, exercising differently. It will all become habit as I keep going.

I went to an event at the Pepsi Center this past Wednesday night, which, as I easily figured out, was a ploy to try and get me to buy season tickets or even a 14 game package for our hockey team, the Colorado Avalanche (since I'm a season ticket holder for a different sport within the Kroenke regime, guess they're trying to get me to go for more). I took my friend Karin, who is a pretty big fan of hockey - even though she likes the Redwings (boo-hiss). I get to do some really cool things every once in a while, so try to diversify who I take so my friends get a chance to do them with me :) We arrived early, the first few through the door.

There was a lot of REALLY good food there, but the best part was that Coach Quenville and Milan Hejduk were there. When we walked in, Coach actually stepped up to Karin and I and introduced himself. I thought that was very nice and personable. Alan Roach, the Avalanche announcer (who is our local sports radio guy, as well as a former announcer for the Rockies, having also done the english announcing for Olympic hockey this last go around, as well as the Superbowl) was the MC for this event. Before and afterwards, both coach and Hejduk signed autographs. So, since Karin and I weren't in a hurry, we waited to be the last. Gave us a few more seconds to BS with the guys once everyone was done, so we didn't feel like we had to hurry. Hejduk was a VERY nice guy - so me, being the person that believes no matter how famous you are, if you are nice (or part of a pro sports organization that is well liked by the public), you should know. Even the celebrities need to know what the publics perception of them is, particularly when there is something nice to say. So I did. Milan Hejduk is a very well liked person in our community, and apparently loves it here. Said he'd like to retire from hockey in Colorado. I hope he gets his wish. Then we sat with coach for a few minutes as well. We were out of there around 8pm, so wasn't too late a night. It was fun, and I was glad that Karin could go with me.

Friday night, went to see the Rockies vs Tampa Bay game with Kirsten, Andy and the boys and my roomie Karen. Kirsten and I are trying to go to as many of the free shirt nights as we can. They gave away a Brad Hawpe shirt, #11 (I did the first shirt night a few weeks ago, got Matt Holliday that time). The Rocks came out strong in the first inning, with back to back home runs from Atkins and Hawpe and 4 runs in. Then they didn't do anything again until the 6th inning, but kicked it in again and just wailed on on the Devil Rays through the 8th. Rocks won that night 12-2. It was a fun game and we had a good time! They did end up winning the series, tieing a club record for 5 series won in a row.

This weekend was pretty uneventful. Ran some errands and been cleaning house (means I'm not done yet, got a few more things to do). Fixing a Roast for dinner. I woke this morning to watch the last 15 minutes of Joel Osteen's sermon. For some strange reason, I like listening to him. His message today was about making every day a masterpiece. I got in on it right as he was talking about being the bigger person and talking to and forgiving those that you feel have done you wrong (that's something really hard for me to do). He ended with "make sure to tell everyone in your life that you love and care about them." I try to do the latter now. When my brother died, the last thing I said to him 3 hours before the visit from the coroner's office was that he was an idiot. He was doing drugs and drinking for a couple of years, and at that time had just turned 18 a few weeks before. Jason was mowing the lawn, something he really didn't like doing, but it was his chore at home. He was being a teenager and made me mad about something and "your an idiot" is the last thing I said. I'll regret that until the day I die. It took a couple of years after that, but started ending all conversations with my dad, mom and grandparents (and nearly all family members I talk to) with "I love you." My dad took a couple of years after that to say it back to me, just wasn't his style. But I broke him down. So, I have no regrets with my dad. Nor my grandmother or grandfather on my dad's side. I try to talk to my grandmother at least every 2 weeks, but lately it's been about once a month. I need to get much better about calling her once a week. I end all of our conversations the same way as well, so I know I'll have no regrets there, either.

Being Father's Day, it makes me miss my dad. Although we weren't the closest in the end, I still miss him calling me at 6am on my birthday to wish me Happy Birthday. Same with my grandparents. I was going to call my uncles on my mom's side and wish them Happy Father's Day today, but didn't get it done. I'll call them all here soon, though. It's important to keep your family in your thoughts and talk to them as much as you can. Since I don't talk to anyone on my Dad's side anymore due to family issues, I keep much closer contact with everyone on my mom's side. Since they all live in one place (except for mom who is in Dallas), I try to get out there to visit at least once a year. Important, now that we've started losing members of that immediately family (i.e. my aunt Margaret in 2005, aunt Estelle a scant few years before that). I'd visit twice a year, if I could afford to.

Enough ranting, I'll write more later!

Beautiful Day

2007-06-09T11:51:00.001-06:00

The week has been pretty easy - and actually kind of cold. Had a Littleton Jaycees chapter meeting to continue with the "what do we do now?" portion of one last ditch effort to either get the chapter jump started one more time, or let it die with dignity. Since one of our newer members is so dedicated, we are going to try to continue on a little longer. She's a sweet kid, so can't help giving it one more shot. We'll do some socials (drive-in movie, FACs, etc) a couple of projects (glow necklace sales again at Western Welcome Week, project with Urban Peak) and who else knows.

Wednesday, went to see the Rockies play the Astros. There was this wicked wind that kicked up late in the afternoon, and then a cold front came in after it - man, it was freezing! I didn't make it past the 4th inning. The Rocks had a huge scoring drive in the 7th inning and did win the game and eventually the series - yeah! Apparently their record rivals the incoming Yankees. I hope they beat them in that series.

My friend (and fellow Jaycee) Neil Klocker turned the big 4-0 yesterday. He had a Bday party at Rome's last night, guess it was good. I didn't show up until close to 11:30, as I was at a small dinner party at my friend Connie's house with good friends Kim & Bob Untener. We had a GREAT time, just hanging out, chatting and reminiscing. Seems like it was Connie's kind of "coming out of the dark" party. She's had a rough year, so brought around who I guess she feels are her closest friends to start the summer off right! Over the next few months, we'll have dinner parties at different houses and include many people that we really want to hang out with. It'll be a select, but fun group.

So, today, I finally took my bike to the bike shop to get some new pedals put on, get it looked over and ready for riding. I think I feel comfortable enough with my knee's progress to start getting into it. So, this blog will now start to turn into a diary of my activities to hopefully keep me in line with strengthening my legs and trimming down. Gotta build up the muscles in my legs before I have surgery on my other knee so my recovery is quicker. Think that's what my problem has been after this first surgery. I still have a long road to recovery, so if anyone would like to join my journey, please let me know! It's so much easier to do with the support of friends. . . until later!

The week has flown by. . . yet again

2007-06-02T21:46:00.000-06:00

Another busy week. Tuesday, went through another bout of physical therapy. We have moved away from working on my knee now, as anything else that can be done must on my own. I've been having my neck and shoulders worked on through ultrasound and massage. Found out that I have been moving the stress of my knee to my shoulders. I still favor my knee a little, and I compensate through the movement of my body. So, along with the stresses I've had at work for months, accompanied by this, I really messed things up.

For those that don't know, I had knee surgery in early February. Through xrays and a visit with an orthopedic surgeon, found out that I have osteo arthritis in both of my knees. In addition, my knee caps have literally moved to the sides of my knees. It was pretty bad on my left knee, so had it done first. They did the orthoscopic (cleaned up my knees from the bones rubbing together) and did a "lateral release," or the cutting of a tendon so my kneecap could be moved back into place and I'd quit walking with so much permiation in my stride. Although my knee will still hurt on occasion, is still feels better than it did before the surgery. My other knee pretty much has the same thing happening, but that surgery won't happen until next year. This one has pretty much used up all of my current and future flex benefits I have been putting money into, so I'll probably have the other knee done next winter. I know what it will cost now, so I can better plan for it. This will tide me over for about 10 years until I have to have them both replaced. Gee, can't wait for that to happen!

Wednesday I took Dana to the baseball game where we met up with Kirsten. I had been on a winning streak with the team (out of 6 games, they had only lost 1) and the Rockies were in the throws of a 7 game winning streak. Well, this time I was the jinx - they lost in a kinda-sorta ugly way. I hope they do better on June 6th against Houston. I have missed the Cincinnati game this year (happening this weekend) - I usually go, then call my cousin Tammy's husband Jeff. They live in Cincy, and he is a big Red's fan. About half the time I end up in his voicemail, but that's OK. If I call and the Rockies are kickin' butt I'll taunt him; the other times I'll just say "guess where I'm at" and hang up. I'm his favorite sports fan (guess besides a few friends, he has no one else to talk with about sports that actually knows who players are or what's going on). Glad I'm someone's favorite!

Thursday, I was actually home. On Friday, I went in late (cuz I can). I am usually at work between 6:45am-7am. I put in around 2-1/2 hours of unpaid overtime a week, just because I get so much done in that time before 7:30am, when everyone else gets into the office and the phones ring. So when I need (or want) to take off early for any reason, my boss is usually happy to oblige. I rarely do it, so he's pretty accommodating. We've had some challenges going on for a couple of years with one of my co-workers, but it's been really bad these first 5 months. Between all of her sick days, Dr/Dentist appts and just plain being late, plus a few days of vacation, she has been gone 25.5 days this year thus far. This has gone on since she has been with the company, but just recently pretty bad. Skip (my boss) and I talked about it, and he finally brought down the gauntlet with her in the last 2 weeks. The last time they spoke, he said she will now either take vacation time or non-paid time off if she misses any more time. So, I get to keep on tracking her comings and goings. It's a pain, but if it helps keep her in line, so be it. She's not a hard worker, nor a team player; doesn't offer to help anyone, and if she gets bored, she's either on the phone w/personal calls or on the internet. I work very hard at my job, and it really irks me that she doesn't do more to help out. I hate to say this, but if it ends up that she is gone by year end, then we can really get someone in that is willing to help everyone out - I'm looking forward to that day.

So the big item of the week - my nephew, Kiel (pronounced Kyle) went through graduation ceremonies today. He has to do one more class to get his diploma (he flunked history), but still got to go through everything. I'm proud of him and what he has accomplished thus far. His story is long and tedious, so I'm not going to get into it. He is my brother's son. I finally met Kiel's mom, Evelyn, and half-sister, Veronica, today. Veronica is close to my age, and has a daughter that is just a year older (yes, that's right) than Kiel. He also has a couple of brothers and another sister, I believe. He didn't tell anyone abou this graduation until pretty much a week before, so the rest of his family couldn't get it together quick enough to come out. As Kiel is in a Tech School program through the high school as well, when he graduates from that, they will all come out for it. I look forward to meeting the rest of them. Although not the best things have happened to Kiel's advantage for most of his life, his family seems pretty cool so far. My brother, on the other hand, is a putz and didn't even show up to the graduation ceremony. Not going to go into all of that either, but its not a nice or pretty thing that has happened. Kiel has been in good hands with the family that took him in and has taken care of him for the past nearly 2 years. I am very grateful that they are there for him. Just wish I would've taken more initiative to help out. Honestly, I don't know that I would have been a very good "mom" type for him, but with Kim having 4 of her own kids, she's pretty good at figuring out what's going on, helps him understand and deal with the issues he goes through and doesn't abuse him in any way, shape or form. He had enough of that before moving in w/Kim. For a kid who first came here very shy and not knowing what to expect, he's come a long way, despite all of the crap he's had to go through with my brother and his wife. I applaud Kiel for sticking it out.

I took Evelyn and Veronica into downtown Denver for the People's Fair after all was said and done (Kiel went into Boulder with a friend to get his last paycheck from his job). They really enjoyed going downtown. I was pretty beat by the time we got done, so home has been a good place to be tonight. I woke up around 6am this morning (internal clock did that, damn it) and was at Broomfield High School by 9am, so I've had a long, busy day.

Tomorrow should be a "work at home" day, I really have some organizing to get done. I'll probably go to the "Y" and work out as well, gotta keep up with my physical therapy as well as my general well-being. I'll probably write more tomorrow, so hasta mañana!

It's almost summertime!

2007-05-28T17:38:00.000-06:00

What a great few days. Nice weather, lots going on, can't ask for much better (unless I was near the ocean). No, really - it's a good day when its sunny and warm. Friday night we didn't take much advantage of that, but went to Dewey's to play trivia and eat stuff that isn't good for us. And had a few drinks. Those that know me know that I am not much of a drinker anymore, if at all on most occassions. I was going to "tie one on" Friday, but just couldn't get enough of anything in me to accomplish that goal. Just not into alcohol anymore, but more so, not into the "feeling" after the fact. Hangovers suck!

Friday was a little late, but not too bad. Saturday, I met Boots downtown for our monthly Mani-pedicure and lunch. This has become a fun, relaxing and adventurous routine. Last time, we ate at Roijas on Larimer. It was really good food, a little pricey, but something different. They used fresh baked mediterranean style breads (the olive loaf was great) and fresh everything. We had to eat inside since their patio is so small. This time around, we ate at Del Mar's Crab House where we had salads with fish/seafood. I had the Mediterranean Salad w/Salmon which was AWESOME and Boots had an Asparagus salad w/Scallops. Her's wasn't made with any leafy greens, just asparagus, tomato and scallops. That was a little bit of a let down, but it was still all good - perfect portions so you don't overeat. Their sourdough bread that they served w/the meal was really good as well. Then we went to the Pavillions where they have the annual art show. They always have interesting pieces, but for the most part you need to be very wealthy to afford anything. By then, I was tired and needed to get a quick nap in.

Tish Marti (Martin) and I went to the Cinderella City Drive-in to see "Pirates 3." We went early to ensure a good spot (which we did well) and then I borrowed Karen's portable DVD player to watch the last 1/2 of "Pirates 2," so it was like going from one movie to the other. We brought cheese, crackers, fruit, and chocolate to eat - just because we could! I found this Horseradish/white cheddar cheese at this little small gourmet grocer in Writer's Square that was just to die for. Bought some herbed Brie later as well. I'm so into the more gourmet cheeses anymore.

Anyway, the movie will have to be seen a couple more times to catch everything again. There is so much going on in it, and it has a wicked, kind of sad, twist at the end that definitely keeps it open for another installment. It's not as good as the 1st movie (nothing ever is), but still a good story for the franchise.

Sunday I went to a BBQ at Susan and Don Shield's house in Ft Collins. However, before that I went to Loveland to stop by the cemetary to plant some flowers on my brother Jason and Dad's graves. There was a very large, unruly rosebush next to Jason's grave for the longest time, but someone (probably the cemetary) got so tired of having to trim it down every year that it was removed - can't tell it was ever there. I don't know who did it, but thanks! Now there is a small, perennial flower bush of some sort and I planted some petunias and geraniums, dad's favorite flowers that he would plant every year. They are easy to take care of and bloom very nicely. I said a prayer and was on my way. I was strangely emotional just driving into and through Loveland. I really miss it there, as well as my friends that live there. I don't see them nearly enough - with gas so expensive nowadays, I just don't get up that way as often as I should.

At the Shield's house, I ended up being one of the first ones there (thought I'd be much later, but since I didn't have to deal with the rose bush down south, I got there a lot earlier). I was later joined by Kirsten, Andy and the kids Rathmann; Tish Marti; Steph and Gary Riedel and Shannon Brynner. It was so good to see Steph and Shannon, a couple others that I miss seeing. Their upbeat personalities and laughing is so infectious - I just love being around them! I'll take whatever dose of them that I can. Anyway, it was a fun time and I ended up not leaving until 7:30pm that night. We were just B'S-ing. It's always a good time to spend yard time w/the Shield's, they are such good people.

So, today has been pretty much a "do nothing" day. Went to the grocery store early this morning, then came home, watered the flowers, swept out the garage and cleaned out my Exploder (term of endearment, really) and have been watching a "CSI" marathon. I never watch the show while it's on Primtime (until just recently), but always watch the reruns. What a facinating show. Now my day ends easily and relaxed before the rigors of going back to work tomorrow. It was an interesting day this past Friday, so more on that later.

Rain, Rain, Go Away. . . .

2007-05-23T19:43:00.000-06:00

Well, the last 2 afternoons/ have been pretty wet. The Platte River near my house is fuller than I think I have ever seen it. I feel sorry for anyone that thought they could ride their bike along the bike path on the river this morning and still make it home this afternoon without falling in. But the flowers love it as well as the little girl I passed on the way home. Looked like her mom took her outside to feel the rain on her face - it was cute! She couldn't have been more than 3 years old.

I went to my friend Kenny MacKay's funeral yesterday. It makes me really sad that he felt he had to take his life in order to take away his problems and pain - it's completely and totally selfish. I was told if I ever did that, a certain Polish friend of mine would "piss on my grave." I'm not kidding, he said that (with a slight drunken slur at the Platte River Grill last night).

Ken's daughter, Brittany (26 yrs old), wrote a couple of nice poems for her dad - it was pretty hard on her, as well as her younger brothers, who are 16 and 18. It's too bad it took this event for many of us to meet his family. Even his first ex-wife is just a gem (can't remember her name to save my life)! I wonder why they weren't able to stay married. The ex-wife's second ex-husband looks like John Denver, I swear (they got along really good as well, wonder why that one didn't work either)! He was really very nice as well; good thing Brittany has him close by to help her. She's got to move all of Ken's stuff out of his house next week, as the bank is foreclosing on it. I'll probably see if I can help in some way.

My boss is doing better, he called me several times today, being his old self (asking lots of questions, in which I gave him answers to weeks ago, but he forgot again). Says he's going to really try to make it into the office tomorrow. I keep telling him not to worry about it, but we'll see what happens. I'll probably not get to take my day off on Friday as planned, since a girl in our office, who seems to always be sick or at a Dr. Appt or need to have the day off for one reason or another, will likely not be in. I have had to adjust my time in the past (Dr. Appt, days off) because she decided to be sick or something. Since it's the end of the month, the office phones cannot be unmanned. It's been a really slow year business wise, so we need to move all of the product we can over the next 2 days. Therefor, I will probably be working, dammit.

I've suddenly had lots of invites of things to do this weekend, and one of them enables me to kill 2 birds w/one stone, so need to make my plans around it. Friday night I'll probably hang out at home; Sat night, going to the drive-in w/my friend Tish, some Brie, Fruit, other gourmet food and Captain Jack Sparrow (arrrrgh). Can't wait for that one! Sunday, I've been invited to do a couple of things, might be able to do them both, but I'll be pushing it. I need to kill a rose bush at my brother's grave in Loveland (if you know a good way to do that PLEASE let me know!!) , so I'll probably do that late Sunday morning/early afternoon, go to a BBQ at the Shield's house Sunday afternoon and try to make Sushi w/Amanda on Sunday night. Monday is a BBQ in Mead, but not sure I'll make that one.

So, that's the next chapter in my not-so-exciting life. I'm going to go turn on my electric blanket now and crawl into bed - its mighty chilly tonight, so I'll get a great nights sleep!

A Great Link!

2007-05-21T20:39:00.000-06:00

Check out the "Funny or Die" link. . . Click on Will Ferrell Meets Landlord video. It's Hilarious! Oh, and then watch the "Pearl out takes." What that guy won't do for a few laughs. . .

What a Weekend!

2007-05-21T20:26:00.000-06:00

Just when I thought things just couldn't get anymore exciting. . . Saturday - boring, yet relaxing.

On Sunday, went for a short 2 mile hike with Boots to "Lair of the Bear" on Morrison Road (I'm sure it is some state road in there as well) just west of Idledale, about 15 miles from my house in the mountains. It's a kind of "picnic/hiking" area where apparently MANY people like to go. Since Boots is a late riser, we get there around noon, which ended up being a very pleasant temp to hike. It was a pretty area right on the creek which was still running pretty high. Looks like it might have moved a few beaver dams around as well. Since my knee surgery, this is the most extensive walk (let alone on slightly rougher terrain) I have taken and I survived it very well. . . after the ice pack, of course. Still, I consider that I did pretty good! Story on the knee surgery another time :)

On my drive back, got a call from my boss (Skip) who never calls me on Weekends. First words I hear - "Let me tell you about my exciting Birthday!" He was calling me from Swedish Hospital, which happens to just be up the street from me. Apparently, he had to have his gall bladder removed quickly, as it had enlarged and was causing what he thought would be a permanent stomach ache. I went to the hospital to visit with him a little bit, he was pretty chipper and doing well. I learned today that "drugs do wonders" as he was in pretty rough shape and slept most of today. He got out of the hospital last night, but couldn't find a pharmacy to fill the pain killer prescription, so sleep became optional at some point. The one time I can say "aren't drugs wonderful?"

Week of May 13th

2007-05-19T09:08:00.000-06:00

I have to tell you, what I did this past week is the way my life used to run. Now I really relish all chances I get to stay home and relax, but I did have some major fun! So let's start like this:

Monday - easy day. Nothing spectacular happened.

Tuesday - went to see the Broadway show "Wicked" with my friends Boots, Dana and Karen. We went to this restaurant called Lime in Larimer Square. They serve mexican dishes with a "flare" and a complimentary juiced up lime half filled w/tequila. Now, those of you that have known me a LONG time know that I used to love tequila. This story will be left for another post - it's long and it's funny.

Dana, Boots and Sue

Anywhoo, we ate a really great meal, had a VERY cute and awesome waiter named John who was training a younger waiter (but we drooled over the main one - well, I did anyway) and then left for the Buell Theatre. Wicked was an awesome play! It is a story about how the witches of the Wizard of Oz came about and how they went through life and became who they were. It really played out some interesting scenarios and provided great humor (see link). The cast was excellent and the company, of course was the best. Thanks to Dana for getting us great seats to the theatre when she gets the opportunity.

Wednesday - during work, found out that a friend commited suicide on Monday. He worked for one of our dealers, but by mutual agreement, left that company in the fall. In addition, his mom, who he was really close to, passed away last spring. Ken didn't have a job, was losing his house, was an alcoholic and apparently very depressed. None of us could get him to change his ways, so all you could do was be a friend and hope that he would be OK. It was a sad afternoon for many of us.

That evening, I took a guy that I work with to the baseball game. Tim is a trainer for Lennox and flys up about once a month for classes that I have scheduled. He's married and lives in Phoenix, nice guy w/a heart of gold. Can't wait to meet his wife and 2 year old one day (she'll probably be 3 or 4 by then!). I try to take him to different places so he doesn't have to stay cooped up in the hotel the entire time.

These 2 girls from Austin flew in to do training at our facility. They were really fun, so took them to the baseball game with us. Natalie and Jennifer had a good time, as did Tim. And the Rockies won 5-3. It's the 5th game I've gone to, they've only lost 1 time since I've gone to those games (it was against Atlanta, an ugly game).

Thursday - I was going to go home after work, but Natalie and Jennifer wanted to see what I liked about downtown Denver so I took them after work. There is so much to do downtown, that I took them to do some of my "best of" things. So we went to Bayou Bob's for appetizers and drinks (they have the best hurricanes, and they are only $2.50 during happy hour), to Rock Bottom Brewery for another round, then I took them to Noodles and CO for the best bowl of Mac 'n Cheese you can get. Then we went to Double Daughters bar, next to Mario's Two-Fisted Pizza. It's a really cool place and they have interesting drinks. They don't serve the Augusta Gloop anymore, but one that is similar and apparently better. Don't remember the name of it.

Friday - Took the lightrail and bus to work. Some people think that the bus is just full of transients and such, but that really isn't just the case. A lot of people like me that get tired of paying this high price for gas take the train and bus. I only have one transfer and I get some exercise. Costs $2.70 vs. $6.50 per day, so saving a lot there!

I met Boots downtown after work (she works at the Denver Business Journal) and we walked to the Pepsi Center for a Crush game with the Singles Marketplace. We had passes to go to the "Crush Dome." We both had high expectations of this thing - that this would be the cool place to be and we'd meet some fun people. Didn't happen. It was running wild w/males (young and old) eating pizza, drinking beer or pop and chasing the cheerleaders for autographs. So we went into the Pepsi Center and settled in for the game. It's the first one I have been to since the re-introduction of Arena Football to Denver. I have to say it was fun. But I have to mention that after a week of getting home at no time before 9:30pm on any given night (being right around my bedtime), I was pretty tired and ready to get home and just crash.

This is by FAR the most extensive week I've had in awhile. So much that it took until Monday night to publish it!

So, its happened!

2007-05-19T08:14:00.000-06:00

I suggested to my friend Dani that her family have a blog so that they and everyone else could keep in touch w/each other, especially while her husband Chris is gone for 6 weeks training with Kmart/Sears Holdings, Inc. I said "what's there to talk about? I have no husband, no kids, not even a pet." Dani said (to make it short), "Get real - - you'd have an audience!" This meaning that yes, I do lots of stuff, have interesting experiences and could stay in touch with my family and friends better through this opportunity.

Ok, you win Dani! You have one, Leslie has one, even Karen has one (she puts all of her cool pictures on it) so guess I'll do it, too. Heck, it might even make me have more of a life!

So here it goes. . . stay tuned for stories of lore, truth as well as the most unbelievable things you won't believe that I have done (but I'm telling you, I did!).