on the hizzle...

So the Rockies game turned out to be a great experience once again - four out of four's not bad! As soon as we arrived we were handed free tickets for next season (mine had five stuck together...oops - guess more friends can come along). Then, while walking around trying to find the best hotdog shop, I was handed a free beer coupon, no catch, no strings attached. And just as Jeb was yelping about how spoiled I was getting, he received one too (for ladies night - haha). After our refreshing beverage we hit up the concession for the most loaded hotdogs around. The Rockie's Denver Dog is in Men's Health Top 5 "Best Ballgame Frank" - yum! As we were getting situated with our goodies, Jeb realized he forgot to pay for our dinner - so that was free too.

The night couldn't have been much better (or cheaper!). It was a little cold and hot cocoa was going for $3.75 (wowzers!), so we passed and shivered instead. Near the end of the game the Dodgers gained the lead, and it was game over from there on out. So, a disappointing loss, but a great way to end the season nonetheless. I can hardly wait to see what next season will bring.

yes ma'am...

I suspect God has a way of humbling us when we need it most, which today was apparently the case. As silly as it may be, I was quite intimidated by the whole airport/flying process that I endured this weekend. Not only did I have to master the terminal, baggage claim business that comes with all that, I also had to figure out bus routes, more bus routes, and a mess of schedules that somehow had to work together to get me where I needed to be. But things actually went smoothly, to my honest surprise (if you omit the part when I forgot to grab my boarding pass and a flight attendant had to chase me down before I went through security). I am the type that asks if I don't know - fully aware of my limitations and willing to rely on the kindness and helpfulness of others to give me a little guidance. I have also found that it saves me a lot of time - obviously people who have been there before know what's going on. I, on the other hand, do not. So of course in order to ensure my trip has minimal difficulties, I make instant friends with the two guys beside me at the security checks... I mean it is a rather intimate situation to begin with... he takes off his jacket, you take off my shoes, he takes off his belt... ahem... well you get the picture. Anyway, they walked me right where I needed to be and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The trip home went easily as smooth - and I actually felt a little seasoned by this point (yep, that's me getting cocky...). Right from the plane to the terminal to baggage claim to the bus and I was well on my way to work before nine. After a long, long, long, and even more so fabulous weekend (more details later) I was a little worn out and went home half an hour early to get a some R&R before I headed out again at 6:30. From the train to the bus. I was ridiculously proud of myself for orchestrating all this - a little ridiculous, I know, but it felt like an accomplishment all on my own.

The bus took off, headed right for my stop in approximately twelve minutes. Then the bus turned right when it should have turned left. And kept going and going and going. And going. Um... PANIC! Again I rely on a friendly neighbor to tell me what the @*%#! is going on. Wrong bus - he says. Really - I say. Well, right bus, wrong direction. Just before I could get off at the first stop and transfer, the "right-right" bus droned past us and a little bit of me died inside. I sat on that bus for forty extra minutes and finally reached my destination. My little black suitcase wheeled behind me and we eventually made our way home, quite deflated and completely exhausted. Live and learn as they say, live and learn.

P.S. The photo-op is a picture of what you look like at 5AM when preparing for your "what in the world were you thinking" early flight. Of course I thought the event deserved its moment (as I feel of most things) - but don't tell Shawndra, she may never be so generous again!

hurt...

I'm leaving on a jet plane tomorrow... I finally get to come home. And the whole time I've been gone, well, it's been hard, and I've missed everyone a whole lot, but it has been bearable, it's actually gone smoother than I could have planned. But tonight, tonight of all nights - the day before my arrival, I have been a mess - an emotional wreckage per se. And I can't really figure out why. Maybe it's not until the thing I have been missing most, being surrounded by those who care and love me, is finally so close that I truly realized what I have been missing - and how badly I have missed it. You all better watch out, because I do know one thing for sure, when you give me a hug consider this your warning - I may never, ever let go.

Oh how I cannot wait to see you!

candles...

I just wanted to say a quick hello and a BIG thank you to all who read this blog. It is my one hundred and eleventh post today (my belated blogging birthday!), and it has been an incredibly rewarding journey - of sorts. What started out over a year ago as a means of sharing pictures with friends, and occasionally recording stories so I could remember them when my mind was no longer able, has turned into much, much more than that. As I have mentioned before, this is often my therapy. My way of dealing with things. The way I figure things out. And I'm so glad many of you can read along and share the experiences with me. (I apologize for the boring entries, the extra long ones, and of course the cheesy ones too, but thanks for sticking it out). Thank you for your encouragement, your hilarious comments, and well, basically - thank you so much for reading! Hopefully we will have many more happy years together :) Mucho love goes out to you all...

windblown...

I just finished watching "Extreme Makeover - Home Edition" and it caused a waterworks festival in my living room. Ryan had the unfortunate experience of calling in the middle my teary escapade, once again reinforcing his fear of all things women. I don't catch these shows very often, but they never cease to amaze me. This one, however, stood out even more than the rest. The dad was completely blind. His two daughters were blind as well (only things held very close-up could be seen). The son was born deaf. The mom learned sign language to talk with the boy, however the father and son had almost no means of communication - they couldn't see or hear each other. The fact that they all had smiles on their faces each morning more than boggled my mind. I guess it puts life into perspective. We all get feeling a little sorry for ourselves from time to time - frustrated with our life, our job, our runny nose. But if you ever take the time to think about how great you really have it, I mean how really really really lucky and blessed we are, it kind of makes getting out of bed each day a little easier, and quite a bit more encouraged. As a kid I loved the book "Could Be Worse!" by James Stevenson. It's about a grandpa who, no matter what terrible situation arises, always uses that response. And really, he has a good point. I do have it pretty darn good as it is.

On a completely different topic, a friend and I went hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park today. It was a long drive, and after last night's um... beverages and entertainment (Anna, a guy from Louisiana was kind enough to dance with me the rest of the evening - haha), mixed with high elevation, thin air and curvy roads, nausea was giving me a run for my money. But I pulled through and we had a great hike. The aspens were changing color, and believe it or not, snow was falling. It looked more like sparkling dust particles floating slowly to the ground, but nonetheless, it was snow. Once again, I apologize for the picture quality. The digital will be back next weekend (YAY!) and it will be better from there on out. So enjoy. The trails weren't very long, but we scenery gazed so often it took a good part of the day. We saw huge elk and their babies (about twelve in a big group) lounging around and eating grass, but no other wildlife. Also, to explain one of the pictures - if you look closely, the river had frozen water all around it - on logs, on the plants, up the sides of the banks, etc. It really was beautiful and breathtaking. And I don't even care if that sounds cheesy.






P.S. It was windy - really really windy - in CO the last two days. For a moment it reminded me of home. Then I just wished it would go away. Not home, just the wind. :)

Oktoberfest...

I figured it out! Apologies for the quality... but hey, on a camera phone that's about all you can ask for. Notice the man in the middle. He led us in the chicken dance too!

Guten Tag...

Last night was an interesting, unexpected evening on the town. I had just left the house and was waiting at an intersection on my way to a friend's, when my row of cars got the green light to go - the same time an SUV coming from the other direction ran a red light. I swear I heard the thump before I heard breaks squealing. The driver of the car was a half second from being directly hit in the driver's side door. Luckily only the front end was smashed. I called 911, not sure of what to really do. It did not appear as either party were severely injured, as they were both able to drive their cars to side streets, but the accident made me sick to my stomach and uneasy about driving in the dark that night. I finally, finally figured out another route to leave the apartment complex (I am not kidding, it took almost ten minutes to find a legit escape path). I approached an alternative intersection, exactly one block from the previous crash, and on the same busy road, one car had completely rear-ended the other. Holy cow, what is going on here?

But what topped it off was the drive home last night. Downtown traffic was getting clogged, and as we got closer we could see flashing lights and police officers running around. Then we realized the cause. An SUV had t-boned the train. The same transportation I take daily, and feel relatively safe riding, had been plain ol' smacked into. There were at least four traincars attached to it, and the person had hit the last car. I'm not sure about you, but I am thinking it is almost impossible to hit this thing. There are lights flashing, and wooden arms come down to block through traffic, warning that a train is approaching, and, quite blatantly, it's a big, long vehicle chugging through town. How do you miss it? Luckily, once again, I don't think anyone was seriously injured, but after witnessing three accidents in a relatively short time span, I was pretty anxious about the trip home. Luckily, I made it back unscathed. Wow.

On a much happier note, I attended "Theology on Tap" last night and met a lot of people my age, which was a breath of fresh air - I didn't expect it to be so hard, but it has been rather difficult going from working with all college kids to being surrounded by, well, adults. One conversation actually had me laughing so hard I had tears, unable to even speak. And that hasn't happened for a long, long time. Afterwards some of us girls headed downtown to take part in the annual Oktoberfest. Three of us were 100% German, so it was a must-see event. I found my name in the big book, reassuring me that my ancestry was, at least somewhat correct, danced to the polka, and even participated in a "parade" directed by a lively old German man with a tiny purple and yellow umbrella leading the way. I have pictures on my cell - however I don't know how to get them onto the computer. If I ever figure it out though, I will share.

auf Wiedersehen!

swing batter...

This year I have made it to three Rockies games, which seems like a pretty good record, based on my short time span in the city. (It also helps that tickets are cheap and the setting provides great entertainment at little cost. Well... besides the beer.) The baseball games have also been the reason for some of the most positive experiences I have had since the move. I met the guy from K-State who happened to be sitting a few rows up during the first game. The second game allowed me to meet a bunch of new people at once - some of whom have taken me under their wing and led me to more people/potential friends. And last Friday during the third game, well, to be honest nothing spectacular happened, but it was absolutely perfect weather. We got there late, snuck down to the fifteenth row, and drank beer for dinner. It doesn't get much nicer than that.

So imagine my surprise yesterday, while buying groceries, after the self-check screen flashes and says "Be sure to check your receipt for a special announcement." Um... huh? The Rockies strike again - apparently when you buy too many groceries (I'm in there at least twice a week...) the store rewards you for your patronage. I won four free baseball tickets for the end of the season. And they aren't even the cheap ones. So I have one more Rockies game to attend, and hopefully it has more surprises in store.

Now, if I only had three friends...



Okay, only kidding. They are already spoken for. But I had you worried, didn't I?

Oh, P.S. - I start school tomorrow! And not exactly as a stellar student either. "Be sure to read the material before you come to class," they say. I suppose some things never change...

betty crocker...

For those of you who know me well, you are probably easily aware that washing dishes is on the bottom of my favorite's list. I would rather do a lot of other yucky chores than scrubbing pots and pans. Maybe it's touching ooey-gooey globby messes, maybe it's chipping off caked on leftovers, or maybe it's dipping my hands into the murky abyss; regardless of the circumstance, a dishwasher is by far my best friend in the kitchen...

This weekend I planned a cooking/baking marathon in order to stock my freezer with some hot lunch possibilities. Sandwiches were getting more than a little old. On the menu were some soups, quick breads, and homemade burritos. I won't get into the boring details, but I would like to say, overall, my kitchen skills proved successful. I tried new ingredients, made it through with no measuring spoons and no fires. Actually, I didn't even burn anything. Shwew. As the day grew on, I suppose I was getting a slightly enlarged ego for how well things were going. That was when God decided to humble me a bit.

!*@&#%^ burritos. It was all their fault. I had cooked the pinto beans on low heat for hours, waiting for the innards to get soft and mashable. After they finally passed the "squish" test, I dumped them in a bowl and prepared to turn them into a spread with the hand mixer (a life-saving gift from my brother during Christmas). The minute I hit the "1" setting, beans became airborne and took flight. Everywhere. Try again. More beans gain magical flying powers. They speckled the floor, and covered the counter top. Anywhere you looked - half smooshed beans stared back, mocking me. I realized too late in the game that my ultimate goal was near impossible. The mooshed beans kept getting stuck in the beaters, preventing the beans needing mooshed from making any progress. I was highly frustrated by this point.

I kept cleaning the beaters, trying again and again. Then, moments after I thought to myself, "What would happen if I was seriously injured while cooking?... e.g. burn, cut, etc." Bam - my right hand slipped and turned on the mixer while my left hand was, once again, cleaning out the beaters. I screamed, possibly cursed, and then most definitely cursed those blessed beans that had caused such grief.

As I nursed my bruised index finger back to life, I wrapped the bean/salsa/cheese mixture into tortillas, and felt a little sorry for myself.

I began cleaning up the disastrous mess (beans stuck to the bottoms of my flip flops, hiding under pans, etc.) and reminded myself how lucky I was to at least have a dishwasher to take care of the majority of the utensils and bowls. "It could be worse," I thought to myself. I filled it with soap and prepared to run a load.

It was then I realized my dishwasher was broken.

The agony of a cooking day gone bad.

dark blue...

"The real questions are the ones that obtrude upon your consciousness whether you like it or not, the ones that make your mind start vibrating like a jackhammer, the ones that you "come to terms with" only to discover that they are still there. The real questions refuse to be placated. They barge into your life at the times when it seems most important for them to stay away. They are the questions asked most frequently and answered most inadequately, the ones that reveal their true natures slowly, reluctantly, most often against your will."

--Ingrid Bengis


There is not a moment in the day that passes without me thinking of you. I love you. And I am sorry. I hope you can understand, that eventually we will both understand.