33

I've been meaning to write about my birthday for oh, nearly a month, but I haven't had much time to sit down and go on and on about how fantastic it was. The last few birthdays have been a bit lackluster, to say the least. So I decided that this year would be big. Quite a few of my friends hadn't seen the new house yet so I threw a housewarming/birthday extravaganza.

Keeley, KC, Marla

Steve

Steve, Keeley and Marla relaxing in the backyard at 2am.

Shawnie, Rosie, Liz

Amber and me


John, Chris, Cooper, Karen & Amber

Steve and Rashaad

Sarah and Aaryn

So the birthday was awesome and though I'm only a month in, 33 really seems like it's going to be a great year. I always make a New Year's Resolution on my birthday and this year is was to write more. So far I'm failing miserably but I've got 11 more months to make it up. In the meantime, I'm just going to keep on living the good life.

As of Late

I went to Chicago for vacation and went sailing. It was as fantastic as I thought it would be and I will be going again. Not sure when as there aren't many regatta galas here in the greater Denver metro area, but I'll figure it out.

I've been working on the new house. Still. *sigh*

But I still love it more than just about anything else. Except for the brown dog. I still heart him above all others. He's doing quite well, too. Thanks for asking! He's just been playing some ball and enjoying summer.

I turn 33 next week and two of the best people I know are coming in for my party this weekend. I'm having a housewarming/birthday extravaganza this coming weekend and while trying to plan the menu I've also been wondering how the hell I became 33. Because in my head, I'm still like, 25. Don't get me wrong, my thirties haven't been bad, it's just so odd to think that I'm going to be 33. Thirty-three. Whew, I need to lie down for a minute.

In other news, I cannot get enough sugar snap peas or bing cherries lately. I sit on my porch swing and eat one or the other almost every night.

Life is pretty good.

I Swear, It Wasn't My Fault

So I was already to get back on the blogging bandwagon and then my computer just up and died. And then Best Buy held it hostage for two weeks while they alledgedly "fixed it". Only when I picked it up, it was not fixed. And so then there were some angry words and another trip back to Best Buy and we are now up and running. I'd like to go on the record and say that those rat bastards at the Geek Squad will never touch my laptop again. Never. But the good news is that the trusty computer is back! Hoo to the ray!

On to the updates:

Becki's wedding in Palm Springs. Oh. My. Good. God. I'd never been to Palm Springs before but you can bet your sweet ass I'll be back. The hotel where the whole thing went down was absolutely gorgeous. Our whole crazy crew stayed there so each morning we would wake up and have breakfast in our jammies out on the lanai near the pool. When we weren't being the best bridesmaids ever (the brides words, not mine.), we were busy getting manis and pedis, playing in the pool or laughing our asses off. The whole weekend was catered by Chef Tony who whipped up some of the most delicious meals. The ceremony was held at a darling church and was lovely. The reception was poolside and I still can't believe no one fell into the pool while dancing.

Because there was quite a bit of dancing. And the dancing was combined with a bit of wine. And champagne. Because my people know how to do weddings.

In other news, I'm about 2 weeks from closing on the new house. The inspection went well given that the house is more than 100 years old. But it did need a new roof and a few other minor things so the seller's are taking care of all of that prior to closing. Because I am nothing if not a fierce negotiator. I was going to post a bunch of pictures but I'm a bit superstitious and I'm afraid that if I do that, something will go horribly wrong and I wont get the house and then those photos will be a sad reminder of the house I almost had. But because I'm also somewhat of a glutton for punishment....

The green will eventually change but it's fine for now. I sure do love this little bungalow. My heart literally skips a beat everytime I see that porch swing. *sigh*

Has it Been a Month Already?

So because I'm a little behind on most things in life these days, here are a few pictures from my trip to New York last month. You'll note that we're in a restaurant or bar for most of these photos. Aside from being wonderful writers, witty conversationalists, fantastic shopping buddies, and lovers of dirty martinis, these girls love a great meal as much as I do.

Bloggers who brunch.

I know both of these girls thanks to the wide world of blogging. After reading her blog for a year, I met Maris a few years ago when I was in New York. We ended up at a club dancing on tables and drinking vodka tonics until the wee hours of the morning. And I met Cheryl last summer while on vacation in Chicago. We turned a dinner into a four hour marathon of story-telling and laughter. We decided that they would both come to Denver in October last year to celebrate their birthdays.

Right before we commenced our Syncronized Hair Twirling routine.

Marissa didn't end up making the trip because her head exploded a little bit. (I joke now because she's assured me roughly 1 billion times that she's ok. And because I use humor as a buffer for things that scare the hell out of me...and her brain bleed scared the hell out of me.) Cheryl came out to Denver by herself and I think at some point during that trip we concocted the plan to hit New York in the spring. And hit New York we did.

Hitting a street fair near Marissa's apartment.

Before I left, I was telling someone about how excited I was for the trip. When they asked who I was going with, I explained how I knew the girls. They responded that they thought I was crazy for planning a trip with two people I "met on the internet".

"Why would you even do that?"

One of the MANY vodka tonics consumed during our trip.

"Because they're awesome, that's why."

Lately

Reading: Atonement. I know a ton of people who love this book but I have to be honest, I'm having a hell of a time getting into it.

Eating: So addicted to Dryer's Slow Churn ice cream. I made sweet, sweet love to a scoop of butter pecan a little while ago. Could have done more damage but I held back.

Exercise: Didn't gain a pound over the holidays but all the travel in January and early February left me eating and drinking too much. I managed to put on six pounds in two months and it all went straight to my ass - practically creating a whole 'nother ass. So I took both of my asses to the gym and have managed to take most of it off. But damn it sure goes on a lot easier than it comes off. I'm sure it would go faster if I wasn't free-basing the Slow Churn.

Enjoying: My new bed. I treated myself to the best bed in the whole wide world. Every time I climb into it, there are white lights and angels singing. It has this insane 20" mattress with a pillow top that feels like heaven. Just bought new sheets, comforter, duvet, and shams. I hemmoraged money while getting it all but lord have mercy, it is so worth it.

Laughing about: Saturday night with Beth, Karen and Amber. While sitting at Baker Street Pub, Amber caught a glimpse of Mr. D, a coach and teacher from our high school. He was far too hot to be a teacher and the years have been good to him because he still looks better than any teacher should. Having a few drinks and no fear, our dear Beth got up to say hi. She may have invited him to our table but I couldn't say for sure as I was too busy concentrating on his ass and oh my god, Mr. D is still so hot. And then I swooned a little.

Thinking about: Greece. I want to go there right this second. Even had a dream about it the other night. Would book a ticket right now if the dollar wasn't as weak as a newborn kitten. Why must the economy blow goats right now?

Spending time with: A new group of friends. I've met some really cool people lately and have been having such a good time getting to know them. I have been so bored with my life recently but lately I have all of these plans - skiing, happy hour, dinners, trivia nights, hikes - and the boredom is quickly disappearing.

Loving: My family. Ok, so I've always loved my family but Saturday as we were all together for a bar-b-que I was so happy I could have burst. At one point, I stood in the corner of a very crowded kitchen with a glass of ice tea and just watched. People were getting plates and food covered every inch of counter space. It was loud, as we are not a quite group by any means and it was crowded, as we migrated to the kitchen and back deck for lunch. People were laughing and playing with babies and taking pictures and planning the next get together. And I stood there watching all 5 kajillion of us thinking to myself how lucky I am to be a part of them.

Listening to:
Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours"

One of the Boys

The neighborhood I grew up in had a lot of kids in it so there was always something to do and always someone to hang out with. Our street, Alice Place, had several houses with kids from my elementary school. The numbers were pretty evenly split between boys and girls and when we were very young, the whole group of us played together. As we got a little older, the girls and boys started spending less and less time together until the only time we saw one another was the walk to and from school.

I spent a lot of time with the girls in my neighborhood playing with dolls, dressing up and listening to a lot of Madonna. And I always had fun doing those things but every summer when the weather was nice I wanted to be outside. The girls would be outside if we were at the pool or having a picnic but that was about it. The summer after 6th grade was the big turning point - I didn't just want to play dress up and lay by the pool with the girls anymore; I wanted to ride my bike and play baseball with the boys. We lived a few blocks from a huge park and one day I hopped on my pink and purple Huffy to join the boys as they headed out for a ride at the park. It was made quite clear to me that I wasn't invited and I still remember them riding off while I stood next to my bike, kicking pebbles with my pink and purple 'Roos. Later that summer I tried to join the boys for some baseball and was again told I wasn't wanted. I cried. Someone's mother saw what happened and made the boys let me play. None of the boys were happy about my joining the game and made comments the whole time just to let me know how unhappy they were. Near the end of the game, the kid playing first had to go home so the boys put me in. The first hit popped up and hit me right in the mouth. I somehow managed to bobble the ball off of my face and caught it in my glove. I immediately bent over and put my face in my glove, on top of the ball, where I prepared to cry my eyes out.

"Great. Now she's gonna cry like a baby and we're gonna get in trouble 'cause the girl got hurt," one of the more sensitive boys noted.

The tears had already welled up in my eyes and I could feel my lips swelling up but the second I heard that, I immediately stopped. I knew if I cried they'd never let me play again. But I was also angry at Captain Sensitive's comment so I channeled all the anger to my right arm and threw the ball at him as hard as I could. It was, admittedly, a cheap shot since he'd already turned around to walk away and it hit him rather hard right in the middle of his back. He let out a scream as his arms jerked back from the pain.

"Great. Now he's gonna cry like a baby and we're gonna get in trouble 'cause the GIRL got hurt," I yelled through my fat lips.

The rest of the boys laughed and I think between the fact that I caught the ball, managed to keep from crying and threw out a smartass remark, I gained a little bit of acceptance. They still never invited me to play but they didn't stop me from playing when I showed up to crash a game. To me, that was a huge success.

I learned a few important things that day about hanging out with guys.
First: Don't be a baby.
Second: If someone dishes out some shit, you'd damn well better be prepared to dish some right back.
And finally: If you're going to join the boys you'd better be ready to play like a boy.

I reminded myself of those things last night as I inadvertantly became the crasher of a guys night out. I was having sushi with my friend R., when he got a text about meeting his friends for a drink. Since I'd been invited, I just assumed there would be other girls there. I was wrong. When I offered to leave so they could hang out, I was handed a beer. I didn't know half the guys there but was welcomed into the fold. I was included on games of pool, jukebox music selection and March Maddness chat. There was shit-talking when it came to baseball teams (Screw you, S. I can love an NL and an AL team) and even more shit talking when it came to music (I had the audacity to choose "Fool in the Rain" over "D'yer Maker" as my favorite Led Zeppelin song) but once again I managed to hold my own.

Overall, I'd say the night was a smashing success. And I didn't even have to throw a ball at anyone...

East - The Review

Besides the fact that my flights were delayed both in and out of Baltimore (I've got a bone to pick with United Airlines - rat bastards), my trip back east was perfect.


I arrived at BWI shortly after midnight. My original arrival time was supposed to be 9:45pm on Thursday night. (Thank you United, for being totally unreliable.) Meghan and Tim picked me up and we headed to York, PA. It's a long drive and I felt bad that after working all day and waiting at the airport for a long time, they then had to drive all the way back. Once we got into York, Tim took a road called Hill Road to their house. It was winding and pitch black and littered with wildlife. In a two minute span I saw a dead raccoon, a buck and some freaky rat-like creature that Tim assured me was a possum. It was like Wild Kingdom. We finally got to their house and it was just as I'd expected - warm and beautiful. Meghan showed me to my room - the Outer Banks room - and informed me that she'd given me the "fancy sheets". And they were. We stayed up chatting for a while and I think it was almost 3am when I fell asleep.

Megs and Tim both took Friday off of work so they made plans to take me around York. I woke to the smell of coffee brewing and when I walked into the kitchen, Tim offered me a cup as I realized I'd stumbled in without a) brushing my hair, b) brushing my teeth, and c) changing out of my pj's. Thankfully, I've been camping with Tim several times so he's seen me much worse. Meghan served a variety of muffins because she is the hostest with the most-est. After taking our sweet-ass time getting ready, we headed off to lunch at Tapenade Bistro for some of the best soup I've ever had - Baked Tomato. We then headed off to Brown's market. Meghan wanted me to see it because of my love of farmer's markets and all things cooking related. It didn't disappoint. I could have spent the entire day in that place. Apples were in season and I decided to make an apple pie so after Tim picked out 47lbs of apples (the guys likes apples) we headed out again, this time to the Amish market. We walked in and after browsing a bit we passed the check out where a man and three Amish women were behind the counter. When we got to the other side of the store Meghan whispered, "You got to see your first Amish person." And it's true, that was my first. We strolled through the foods section and made our way to the sweets. After getting sticky buns and pumpkin roll I realized that this weekend would be a caloric free for all. Rather than fighting it, I embraced it. After more sightseeing and picture taking, we headed back to their house. The plan was to go out to dinner that night but we were all tired from the eating and driving so while I worked on the apple pie, we decided we'd stay there and cook dinner. All three of us cooked dinner and soon we had a lovely meal of sesame crusted tuna, couscous and stir fry veggies. Oh, and mojitos. Lots of mojitos. So many mojitos that when it was all over there was just an empty bottle of rum and some sad sprigs of mint. It was another late night.

After another late start, we headed off to Anapolis on Saturday. (Tim is a patient soul because waiting for one woman to get ready is a trying experience but waiting for two women is just painful.) We had to make a quick stop at Meghan's office which looks exactly like Initech. Then it was off to lunch at Wegman's. Wegman's was enough for me to consider moving to Maryland. It was like the mother ship was calling me home. It was like Whole Foods on really cool steroids. (Not that steroids are cool, because as countless professional athletes have taught us, they're not. And they make your penis tiny. But I digress...)Anyway, then it was off to Anapolis just as the Navy Army football game was getting underway. We walked around, shopped (again, Tim is so patient) and stopped for lunch at Middleton Tavern where we all enjoyed crabcake sandwichs and cold beer. Later we headed to Baltimore where we were going to meet up with some of Meghan's friends. We checked into the hotel, got ready and headed to James Joyce . Since we were staying at a hotel, Meghan and I decided it would be ok to imbibe more than usual. And we did. I have to apologize to Meghan's very nice friends who were subjected to my ramblings. Sober, I talk more than most people. Drunk, I am unstoppable. Meghan's friend, we'll call him the Fire Marshal, was the poor bastard who drew the short straw and sat next to me at the first bar. Within half an hour, I'd told him about my love of baseball, my job, half a dozen college stories of Meghan and I and the fact that after a nasty reaction to a vitamin that morning, I threw up. That's right, I told him about vomit. Surprisingly, he still talked to me after that. (If you're reading this Fire Marshal, I am SO sorry for being that girl who wouldn't shut the hell up. Oh and also, I'm really not sexist - it is ok for men to cry.) We hit four or five more bars where I continued to drink and talk and impress the hell out of Meghan's friends, I'm sure. Also, note to self: cute heels + cobblestone roads = danger. I didn't wipe out but there were a few close calls. Some highlights of the night included: my awesome darts skills at one bar (seriously, I was on fire); going to a fantastic dive bar with fantastic hip hop - I was only one who wanted to stay so we left pretty quickly; seeing some bakery where they make all the buns for McDonalds; games of pool and bottles National Bohemian; a five dollar donation to the homeless guy who promised a good joke - Why doesn't Santa have any children? Because he's always coming down the chimney. (P.S. This joke kills with a bunch of drunks. We laughed our asses off); learning about the city's flashing blue lights and last but certainly not least - pizza at BOP. I have no idea what time we got home I only remember the ecstacy of crawling out of my shoes and into my bed.

Sunday we started moving some time around 11am. After checking out of the hotel we grabbed lunch and wandered around Baltimore for a bit. It was a gorgeous day and I took a ton of photos as we walked (see all weekend photos below). I felt great when I woke up but my hangover showed up as we drove to the airport. By the time Meghan and Tim dropped me off, I felt awful and exhausted...and very old. Because that's exactly how you want to feel when getting on an airplane for a nearly 4 hour flight home. But other than that, (and my intoxicated chattiness) the trip was pretty damn great.

And as if all of that wasn't enough...there was this.

Life is good.

East

I'm headed out for a few days of fun. I know it will be difficult to get by without my intelligence, wit, beauty and modesty, but please try. As always, I promise to return with stories and pics.
XO, KC

Good Times

My dad had agreed to come over and help me hang the curtains in my guestroom on Friday so the room would be ready for my guest who was arriving that evening. (More on that in a minute.) I heard my dad pull up in front of my house and Barley started barking as he always does when someone parks out front. I walked to the front door to say hi to my dad when all of the sudden, a different face appeared in my doorway. I stood there for a minute, unable to speak, before the unexpected guest opened the door and tackled me in the entryway. There was a lot of screaming (both of us) and crying (me) and hair (both of us)- it was my sister, Kelsey. She'd driven all night with a few kids from school who were coming home to see the Rockies game. She'd called my dad as they were leaving and told him she would be home in 10 hours. My dad managed to keep it from me so I was totally surprised. This is feat - to surprise me - as I always know when something is up. Somehow though, they managed to keep me in the dark. It was fantastic.

Cheryl got in Friday night and we went for a late dinner at Las Margaritas. We got there just in time to enjoy 2 for 1 margaritas and a little baseball. Saturday we headed west on I-70 to see the leaves changing. She'd never been to Red Rocks and since it's only five minutes from my house, we made a quick stop there.

Then, we stopped in Silverthorne for lunch when Cheryl spotted the Coach outlet. We ended up shopping for a while and then taking Highway 6 home where we stopped a few times to hike around and take pics.

Quote of the afternoon: "It smells like fall here. I love the smell of fall. We don't really get that in Chicago; it's mostly just the smell of urine" - City girl Cheryl

Later that night it was off to Cheryl's birthday dinner at the home of the mouth-gasm...

Amber and I were on the other side of the table enjoying wine and champagne and California rolls, oh my.

This morning was brunch and a trip to the Farmer's Market at Belmar. Unfortunately, there was no Farmer's Market today so Karen, Amber and I took Cheryl to a few shops at Belmar. Pretty soon, it was time to head back to the airport and suddenly my girls weekend o' fun was over. But we managed to squeeze a lot of fun (and vodka) into 48 hours.

How I Spent my Labor Day Weekend

Camping trip was awesome and besides the fact that after lathering, rinsing and repeating my hair still smells like a campfire, I had a great time with the crew while hanging out on the side of a mountain for a few days.

I spent a few hours at REI on Friday night getting a few things for the trip. I got a new North Face backpack which is the campers equivalent of the little black dress - total necessity. I also got a headlamp. I didn't get a picture of me wearing it which is a real shame because I looked really cool in it. And by "cool" I mean "silly girl with a spotlight strapped to her forehead making her look somewhat like a cyclops". But it came in handy when hiking up to the bathrooms at 3am after too many beers and Mike's deadly bloody mary's.

And now, on to the photos.

While everyone else set up camp...

...Eric and I focused on the important things - like making sure our beer was cold.

This was the view from my tent...

Later it was time to eat so the boys did what boys do best - they threw some meat over an open flame...

And the girls did what we do best - we drank...
(Sidebar: Despite evidence to the contrary, we're not stoned in this photo, just look like it because the campfire was smoke was in our eyes.)

We hiked part of Mt. Bierstadt the next day but only did about five miles because the storm clouds were rolling in. Didn't think it would be good to have a bunch of hungover fools stuck on the mountain during a storm so we headed back to our campsite.

But it sure was pretty up there...

The brown dog had fun, too. Well, except for the part where he almost got swept away in the creek while hiking. Thankfully, Camp Counselor (and Eagle Scout) Tim was there to save him.

We got a little rain but pretty soon it was nice again....

...and we were ready for some fine dining and more time around the camp fire...

We got up this morning and had yet another 5,000 calorie meal, took down our campsites and headed home.

I got home and after a shower that involved using every drop of hot water I had, I promptly curled up on the couch to enjoy a nap. I managed to get up and make myself some dinner but otherwise I have been pretty worthless all evening. Everything I took up there smells like a campfire and my tent is in the basement drying out from the rain we got while trying to pack up. I know I should be tending to all of that but other than writing this post, I have absolutely no motivation to do anything. So, I think I'll climb into bed and enjoy the fact that I can wear boy shorts and a wifebeater tonight instead of long johns, fleece pants, a sweatshirt, a fleece hoodie, two pairs of socks, mittens and a ski cap.

Request

So I was thinking about our relationship the other day. Me and you - blogger and reader. I was checking out Sitemeter, as I'm wont to do, and it occured to me that I know some of your IP addresses the way I used to know phone numbers. That is, before cell phones came along and made it absolutely unneccessary to memorize a phone number again. Anyway, I am very familiar with your IP addresses but I know nothing about you, the reader. Granted, this isn't true in all cases because some of you are other bloggers and some of you are people I've known forever - either way, I know things about you guys. But then there are those of you who read every single day but I don't know anything about you. And I suppose that's your right but damn, curiosity is just about killing this cat. I mean, come on, I've shared all sorts of things with you guys.

So....

I have a request. I would like to ask the lurkers to tell me one thing about themselves in the comments section. Clearly, I have no desire for a cloak of anonymity, however, I respect one's right to privacy so feel free to post anonymously. And because I'll be on vacation for several days, I won't even be able to check Sitemeter in an attempt to match IP's with comments. Not that I would do that. Because only a loser would do that. *ahem*

Anyway, now is your chance to give back to the blogger who has given you so much. (Yes, I realize often times it's been more than you wanted to know.) I'd be tickled pink to learn a little something about you guys. And it would be nice to be happy because I was just so sad and blue in my last post. *sigh*

Ok, so yes, that was a lame attempt at guilting participation but it's only because I want to know you guys. Even just a little. An attempt on my part to strenghten our relationship can't be wrong, right?

One of Those Days

Some days just suck, right? You know how sometimes it just feels like the universe is conspiring against you? Some days it just feels like everything's awful. Some days it seems like everyone sucks. I hate those days.

Thankfully, my day has been the exact opposite of that. My day has been fantastic! Let's review the awesomeness, shall we?

1)I had a phone call today which is going to lead to some big changes in my life. I want to tell you guys everything but I don't want to jinx it so I'm not going to put it all out there until it's all done. I'll just say that I'm completely thrilled about what's on the horizon.

2) My cowlick was cooperative this morning. This seems minor to those lucky bastards who are cowlick-free but those who live in my world know how glorious a good cowlick day can be.

3) I was in line at Starbucks this morning behind a woman who ordered coffee for most of the free world. I'm not exaggerating when I say she walked out with four coffee caddies. Anyway, the guy in line behind me struck up a conversation with me while we waited. Next thing you know, he asked for my number. In the 10 minutes we chatted he seemed funny, easy going and totally normal (famous last words, I know). We're supposed to have drinks soon.

4) My birthday is 9 days away but I'm starting the celebration tonight. For those of you who have been reading for a while, you know I enjoy my birthday to no end and usually celebrate for as long as my friends and family will allow. I was a little freaked about turning 31 a few months ago but now I look at it like I have all of my birthdays - a reason to party. And as I told my friend Molly earlier in the year when she was dreading her birthday - it sure as hell beats the alternative. So tonight includes a concert that I have been waiting for all summer. Pics to follow, knowing me.

5) Smokin' hot outfit for tonight.

Ok, I should go get ready but just had to share the happy; those near-perfect days are few and far between.



***Update: Karen's connections took care of us once again and we were so close to the stage for the Michael Buble show. See...

I realize I cut his head off but I was a little taken aback by just how close he was.

Big hugs and kisses to Karen for not only securing awesome seats but also vodka tonics for the show. She is the best. Made for a very happy (albeit, early) birthday girl.

Day Off

I decided to take the rest of the week off and I have to tell you, I'm really enjoying not going to work. So far today I've taken Barley for a run, drank some coffee and watched an episode of The Office. (Sidebar: If someone like Jim from The Office worked at my office, I'm sure I'd be at work today.) I'm meeting a friend for lunch at The Imperial in a little while and then meeting my sister, Kelsey, for an afternoon of shopping. Later, I'm having dinner with my cousins at The Brew Bar for some green chili and margaritas. Basically, my day is going to be perfect.

Truth be told, there has been one tiny downside to my day. Since yesterday was a holiday, I didn't think the trash collectors were coming today because they always come a day later after a holiday. So I was sitting on my couch having a cup of coffee and watching the Today show when I heard them pull up outside. I didn't want the trash to sit for a week so despite the fact that I was in pj bottoms and a wife beater I ran to the garage and pulled the trash cans to the curb just in time. The guy kind of laughed at me and I figured it was because I was in my pjs. When I got back in the house I went into the bathroom to wash my hands and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Not only was I in my pjs but I also had an eye-popping case of bed head and, AND a lovely dollop of zit cream on my cheek. And I wonder why I sleep alone. *sigh*

But back to the good stuff. The last few days have been pretty nice as well. Tuesday night my friend Kerry had a bbq and as soon as we finished eating, the huge park near her house started their firework show. So we grabbed our drinks and moved from the patio to the lawn chairs for the show. Yesterday Mike and Rosie had a bbq where I consumed several margaritas that damn near knocked me on my ass. I'm pretty sure Mike used 1 part marg mix, 220 parts tequila. Good times. I got home last night just in time to sit on my couch and watch the fireworks go off at the lake across the street from my house...just had to open up the french doors. I'm quite certain I've taken firework gazing to new levels of laziness.

In other news, I finally spoke to Meghan yesterday after a wicked game of phone tag that lasted several weeks. We've been trying to nail down a weekend for us to come out and see what PA. has to offer but it's been a nightmare as we are all terribly popular and haven't been able to find one that works for everyone. But I do believe we settled on a weekend in October so we'll be rocking York like....um....the Amish, I suppose. It's too late in the year to catch an Orioles game (yes, I actually do think about vacations in terms of what ballparks I can see) but it should be fun to see the fall colors. I know Meghan will have an itinerary o' fun for us because Meghan is basically a cruise director just screaming to get out. I'm just excited to have another trip in the works because besides Chicago in August, I didn't have anything else planned and that is so unlike me.

Well, it's about time for me to get back to my vacation. But since I'll probably have some time to write in the next few days, tell me what you want to hear about...
1) The way the animal kingdom has been ganging up on me as of late.
or
2) The biggest insult of my life I recently got from some tool at a bar.

Cast your votes now.

Let's Catch Up, Shall We?

Congrats to Mike and Rosie who tied the knot this weekend. I'm still trying to recover from the festivities....



...other pics are over there on Flickr.

Had a 90 minute massage last night. My mom, being the wonderful woman she is, lives in Michigan but still manages to schedule massages here in Denver for me. I booked two more for myself in the coming weeks because if there's a better way to end a Monday than ninety minutes with my boy Zack, I'm hard pressed to think of one. Unless it involved Josh Jackson, a hot tub and perhaps a Snickers blizzard.

Hit balls at lunch today in preparation for the golf tournament I'm playing in on Thursday. Let's all hope I find my swing before then because it just wasn't there today. However, lunchtime is evidently the time of day ALL the charming boys are hitting balls. Yowza.

Had my cooking class tonight at The Seasoned Chef. It was Great Grilling tonight and we had steak, chicken, portobellos, and blue cheese potato salad (with tots done on the grill). It was all divine and the ever-present wine-while-cooking feature is also divine.

The HOA is almost done with the guestroom from the latest water damage. And it's only taken them six weeks. *golf claps*

Weekend in Photos

Kelsey's graduation...




Rosie's Bachelorette Party...



I recovered from my hangover in time to do a hike near Red Rocks...



You know life is good when your weekend is longer than your work week.