A Likely Story!

Happy Friday :)

Short but sweet Friday Love List :

* Love being so close to work

* Love sunny days

* Love whoever invented ice melt for they are a genius

* Love it when I listen to my gut feeling and it turns out to be right. Again.

* Love a weekend with nothing on the agenda but a couple of errands & lots of free time

* Love Colorado

* Love my family

* Love my friends

* Love you  :-)

Happy Friday!

Operation "Adios Kansas"

...commences tomorrow.

My life is changing. With change on the side. And a smidge of change for dessert.

Early last week I was reading in my room. Couldn't really concentrate on my book, so I vegged out to watch my ceiling fan turn. After several minutes I said out loud, 'OK, just give me a sign, allright?".

The next day my roomie told me she was moving.

Be careful what you ask for, huh??

Taking everything into account, I decided that the time has come for me to bid adios to KS. Now you all know - or should know - that I really don't live in KS. It feels like it tho.

Signing real estate paperwork tomorrow and my house goes on the market on Thursday. I am hoping for a quick, easy, fair transaction. Crossed fingers, prayers, good karma wished and happy thoughts of moving would be greatly appreciated.

Yes I've been cleaning/decluttering/organizing like a maniac.  Yes I am probably gilding the lily cause my house is pretty clean to begin with. Yes, I am continuing to clean anyway cause that's how I roll.

My 'grand plan' is to sell my house and find a room to rent from a friend or friend of friend for 5-9 months, then find a house/townhome to buy. I will definitely move closer to work...that is the main reason for my move. 

So now the cat's out of the bag!

I love my house and wish I could pick it up and take it with me. But I can't. So instead I'm focusing on everything running smoothly...and if it doesn't I will pretend it does :-)...and hopefully being outta here before Nov 1.

Burying a Saint Joseph stature tomorrow cause you can never be too sure!

So there you have it. Ready for the next challenge in my life and can't wait to see how it unfolds.

Stay tuned for further updates!

WHAT A Weekend!

It's Sunday morning and I'm working the late shift today (yay for hiring events!) so before I head off I wanted to share the fabulousness that has been my weekend. It rocked. On so many levels.

Not being one to waste a second of time when it comes to weekending, got busy with the having of fun at 5:01pm on Thursday. First stop? My Dentist!

Yeah, I consider the every-6-month-visit to get your teeth cleaned as a fun event. Not that I think having sharp pointy ouchy objects in my mouth is fun - I totally don't - but the end result where you have super clean teeth is a win.  I'm a huge fan of something you have probably never used before.  I'm the only one at my Dentist's practice that requests it. It's messy and loud but the end results are totally worth it. Feels like you have brand new teeth.

With that out of the way for another 6 months, I was off to see my buddies Jeff, Floyd & Seth (better known as MCQ) at the Boulder Fringe Festival.  I've been a loyal (very loyal!) fan of MCQ since they were hatched and I can honestly say this was one of their best shows, if not the best. Endearingly goofy and musically talented they sang new songs and old (let's hear it for 'Commando'). And they made me laugh. Lots. Which is always good.

Afterwards I introduced them to the awesomeness that is Rio Boulder w/ margs to die for!! which are best enjoyed while on the roof of the Rio. Some kids don't get out much...count MCQ in that category :)

Ended my foray into Boulder by hanging out with my buddy Larkin  (Hi Larkin!) who pretty much defines the phrase 'awesome & amazing'. 

Started my Friday the way I start all my Fridays...sleeping in!!  Highly underrated and always a bright spot in my weekend. Another bright spot in my weekend was meeting up with my friend Shmeder (Hi Shmeder!!) to catch up over a really late breakfast which sorta kinda turned into lunch and afterwards we descended upon our buddy HDW (Hi HDW!) to catch up and giggle and snort and learn the special secret on how to get your iPhone to work when it decides to die. Anyone?? Anyone out there know what to do?  :-)  Finally, Shmeder and I got the 411 on the coolest new decorating tip hitting the Lowry area. It involves books. And is rad!

Good times!

Ok, still with me?

Headed back home to hang with the roomie for a bit. Yes, I have a roomie. She is darling. She is not a dog (which was was all of my friends thought at first) but a real live human being  :-) And she rocks! She doesn't blog or Twitter so until that day comes she'll be fondly known as Roomie. 

We chitted and chatted and soon it was time to leave for my 3rd social soiree of the day...dinner with the darling Jess & her husband Torsten (and doggie Montana) and our favorite wine-expert & all around badass blogger Rosie & her fiance Kev (and their doggie Chloe)

 

I'll be the first to say that as organized as I can be and want to be, sometimes I drop the ball big time. Like showing up to Jess & Torsten's house 15 minutes early...only to realize I had totally spaced and FORGOTTEN TO BRING A SIDE DISH!  Eeek!!

I'd been so determined to get the directions right (thanks iPhone GPS) that I'd spaced on stopping by Whole Foods on the way. No problem (or so I thought) I'd Google where the closet WF was and pop right on over. Suffice to say my plans didn't pan out, I got wicked lost...twice (yes, I know, I know, GPS....whatev!) and showed up way past the time for being politely late. Way to make a good impression, Kath!

But I was there and it was great to see everyone and as I sat to join them for dinner which was well underway, my roomie texted me. To ask if I was home. ???? Which turned into a whole series of calls, texts, juggling phone calls between my neighbors and 911, hanging up on 911 (total accident) and lots of confusion since my roomie was convinced someone was in the house. Long story short, no one had broken in, my roomie was fine, the cops were cool, my neighbors relieved and I got to rejoin everyone mentally for dinner.  Without the drama. Which I'm allergic to :-)

Dinner was AWESOME!!  Jess & Torsten knocked themselves out and we all had the best time chatting and getting to know our newest blogger friends. Jess & Torsten have a lovely house (which we got to tour...yay...love house tours!) and I'm so excited to hear that they plan to stay here A LONG TIME!  Yippee! It was also great to catch up with Rosie and Kev who I (sadly) hadn't seen in way too long. If you read Rosie's blog (and you should!) you know that there's a wedding in their future so we got to hear all the latest and greatest details about their special celebration. We all left close to midnite and I smiled all the way home; I was that happy to have been included and had such a wonderful time.

Saturday brought another day of sleeping late (FTW!) and another late breakfast out, this time with the roomie. Normally I am not a breakfast eater but when the situation arises to share a meal with a friend, I am there! Especially if bacon is involved :-)

After breakfast it was the normal weekend stuff...laundry...bills...cleaning, the usual. 

Then?

It was time to head to The Pepsi Center  for an event I'd been anticipating for the last 6 months. Green Day!!

I'd always wanted to see them but it never worked out. This time? I bought tickets the second they went onsale.

Here's where I sat...

Seriously, there is something to be said for live music. Especially my favorite kind of music, all that is Alternative.

It's a combination of so many things, at least to my way of thinking. The excitement of the crowd leading up to when the band hits the stage, the energy when they first take the stage, the emotion in the songs, the non-stop dancing, screaming, clapping and singing along to all your favorite songs. A live concert is the best workout in the world. It rocks my world and when I'm at a live event of this magnitude I always ask myself why it's been so long? Music is one of my 'must-haves' in life, and I was sorely overdue for a show of this magnitude.

In a word? Awesome!! Best Concert Ever. And I've been to a lot of concerts. This was epic and I took pix for Facebook and Twitter all night so I'd remember the songs that matched the shots. Seeing Green Day in Denver is a memory I'll have for a long long time.

And that was my weekend in a sorta kinda wordy nutshell. I got to visit friends, have fun, reconnect, appreciate the people in my life and events that are special to me. And sleep in!

I so love my life and my weekends!  Thanks for sharing this one with me :-)

Still Over You...

That was then, and this is now.

When I decided to give up cable back in January, I hoped it was a step in the right direction and I promised I'd report back. 

My take on it now that it's been over 6 months?  I wish I woulda done it sooner. Seriously.

OK, I will admit that NBA season was tough. Tortured during the playoffs since I love me some NBA action. But other than basketball, I really don't miss it at all.

Speaking of basketball...I resorted to watching playoffs at various sports bars. Yes, a bit spendy. But? It got me out of the house and in social mode. Living out in KS does not translate into throngs of visitors, so it was a trade-off.

The litmus test was when I visited my parents in June. They have every channel known to man. And one day while they were out running errands, I turned on HGTV to see if it still held the same allure for me. Nope. Not at all. I'd lost that lovin' feeling.

These days, even when I have the chance to watch cable at a friends house, I don't. I use my laptop to watch DVD's. Use my laptop for Hulu. Typing this while doggie-sitting in Thornton in a house where they not only have cable, but Direct TV and Apple TV.  Watched maybe 15 minutes of HGTV and I can honestly say that addiction is over.

All in all, I'm pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to give up cable and TV in general. I definitely pay less than I used to and I've become more involved in other interests that get me out of the house and interest me in other ways.

Of course, this is just me and my own personal decision...to each his own, ya know?  If you love TV and can't live without it, well then don't!  Do what makes you happy. 

And just in case watching NBA playoffs make you really happy, you know who to call in case you want company :-)

Jump!

Never be afraid to take a chance. Especially if you've weighed the pro's & con's. If it feels right, then do it. Jump!

Seems I've made lots of major life decisions on or around the 4th of July.  Decisions along the lines of ending a marriage. Moving to a place I've never been. Having surgery. Those kinds of decisions. All decisions that happened to revolve around independence in one form or another.

In each case, the decision was right for me. Perfect timing too. Things turned out better than I or anyone else had hoped for. In the process of doing so, I made promises to myself. Some promises I've kept. Some? Not so much. 

So it's natural for me to revisit what's happened and take stock of my life. Congratulate myself for the victories and renew the promises I made to myself to improve in certain areas that need improvement. 

It helps that I'm around awesome people that I trust and look up to. It helps having role models, both personally and professionally. And I'm doubly blessed with an overabundance of role models. Some I've come to know since I've moved here and several I've met in the last week...the last day even!

Independence and freedom are wonderful things that I honestly don't take for granted. Especially when the road to that freedom is not easy. But then, happy endings aren't always easy...and aren't always meant to be.

Is there a jump you want to make? Then do it! Plan it out, be thoughtful about it, rely on your role models, then go for it and make that jump.

Happy Independence Day!

ALWAYS Be Prepared

Guessing it's ok for me to take the snow shovel out of my truck, right?

Just wanted to be...you know...prepared and all!

Wassup?

I've not fallen off the earth, contrary to what some of you may think.  Life's been busy and interesting and challenging and as always, fun.

So where to start?

This time last week I was in California with my family and close to 65 friends celebrating my Dad's birthday. It was an amazing weekend and my Dad was thrilled to see so many friends that traveled from far away (ahem, Denver?) to spend the day in celebration of his birthday.

I met a second cousin for the very first time. Saw lots of friends from back in the day (we're talking grade school). Nephews, nieces, and friends that drove an awfully long way to share the day with my family. Discovered that many of my long-time friends are now on Facebook, which made me happy like you can't believe. 

Got lots of really awesome pix but since my parents & family prefer not to have their pix splashed across my blog, you'll have to use your imagination.

Here's something you can feast your eyes on...

 

In-N-Out Double Double's. Yum. Like you can't believe.

True to form, we stopped at In-N-Out on the way home from the airport so I could have my fix. And over the course of 4 days, I had lunch at In-N-Out 4 times. You would too if you had the chance.

Of course, two can play that game.

My evil plan to get my family hooked on something that is specifically Colorado is working. My secret weapon for getting my family to visit is :

Boulder Parmesan Garlic potato chips. I brought 3 bags with me...one for my sister Diane, my sister Kelly and one for my parents.  

All's fair in love and war and bribing loved ones to come visit, right?

My trip to CA was just about perfect except for when Walmart tried to kill me. Oh yes. They are evil.  

For those of you that know me well, I prefer not to shop at Walmart. Or go anywhere near Walmart. Last time I bought anything at a Walmart was 9 years ago.

So I'm running errands with Diane the night before my Dad's Birthday Bash and she wants to go to Walmart. Where she shops all the time. So, the quandry started. Do I sit in the car and make a personal statement? Or do I go in with my sister and get to spend more quality time with her?

I chose quality time. When you don't live around the corner from your siblings....much less in the same time zone...you want to spend as much time together as possible.

As we were walking into the store, I tripped. Badly. Next thing I knew, I was laying on the ground screaming my head off and embarrassing my sister like you can't believe. Landed knees first which was not fun. As I was sprawled on the ground in pain, a man called over to us to ask if I was ok. Diane said I was, just shaken up. Then the man added his wife had just fallen in the same spot. Hmm.

Upon further inspection, we noticed there was a huge bump in the asphalt that reached the width of the parking aisle. Since it was dark outside, it was pretty much invisible until you walked right into it.

Di helped me back to her car and told me to wait while she got a manager. While I waited, I observed 5 groups enter the store. 4 of the groups tripped in the same place. A manager came out to take an accident report and my sister went back inside to shop. Initally, the manager was sure the bump was a result of tree roots. I disagreed with her and told her it had to be structural from below the parking lot.

As she took the report, 9 groups walked by. 7 groups tripped. The manager was not happy. Another manager joined us (who had just graduated from Nursing school) and she did a great job of bandaging me up. More people walked by. More people tripped.

The Walmart managers, to their credit, were nice and apologetic and very sincere. They promised to follow up with me once I was back in CO.

Which they did Monday morning. The manager that called me said they'd had someone out to check the parking lot the very next day and they determined it WAS structural in nature, and that repairs would be made immediately.

Guess their definition of immediately differs from mine. My sister drove by to check out the parking lot on Wednesday. No repairs so far. Lots more people tripping.

I just hope they get it fixed before an elderly person takes a tumble and winds up in the hospital.

As for me, I'm still healing. Both knees were pretty badly bashed but I'm hoping to be back to normal in another two weeks. It's getting easier to walk up & down stairs. 

Ok, moving on.

Love is in the air in Denver!

I've been to two weddings in the last 3 weeks.

First was my co-worker & buddy Jasper. He and Emma had a lovely wedding ceremony with lots of symbolism, awesome music and boatloads of love.  See how cute they look?

The second wedding I attended was Thursday night for my buddies Richard and Sara. This time, I got a lot closer to the action...see for yourself!

Richard and Sara also had a lovely wedding on top of a mountain in Lyons, CO. Today they're leaving for their honeymoon...and only Richard knows where they are going!  Yep, the entire honeymoon was planned by Richard for Sara and kept a secret from everyone.  

At their reception they had pictures of exotic locations at each table. I was at the Australia table. And I really hope that's where they're going.

Speaking of buddies, my buddy Rosalicious was kind enough to include me in plans to meet a new Denver blogger! Yay for new blogger buddies!  ALS! readers, say hello to Jess!!

Jess is relatively new to Denver (as most of us were at some point) and it was fun getting to know her over dinner at one of my most FAVORITE restaurants in all of Denver.  I'd been reading Jess' blog for awhile and I'm here to say that  how she is in person is exactly how she is on her blog....funny, down-to-earth, considerate, dog-lover, and totally optimistic and confident...which is how I love my blogger buddies to be :-)  Please stop by and tell Jess hey!  And link to her while you're at it!

Last but definitely not least, THE JOB (of which I cannot name) continues to be all sorts of wonderful and fantastic and perfect and exciting and challenging and FUN!  Oh my God, it's fun. Have never laughed so much at a job as I laugh at this one. We all have fun while getting work done. And? Bunnies right outside the door. Can life get any better?

3K

My 3000th commenter was : This guy!

Yay and thanks for stopping by!

A Story From Back In The Day

Back in the San Jose days something occured that I think of every now and then. 

One night as I was falling asleep, I heard a voice unlike nothing I had ever heard before. It was soft, yet strong, kind and gentle, and very very comforting.

The voice called me by name and asked me 'You can either be very rich and not that happy, or not that rich and very happy'.

I woke myself up when I said the word yes.

And I lay there, wondering which question I had answered yes to.  Riches? Happiness?

Tonite as I watched the Denver Nuggets emerge victorious over the LA Lakers (Game 2) it dawned on me that I knew what I asked for.

I asked for happiness.

I'd have to say my request was granted.

Not just cause the Nuggets won...altho that is a very cool thing. And I am not happy 24/7...who is? And if they are, who can stand to be around them?

When all is said and done, at the end of each day I am happy. Happy that I chose to have a happy ending when my life so coulda gone the other way. 

Guess there really IS a happily ever after!

College

Back in college, every day I would wake up exhausted and promise myself I would get to bed earlier that night. Only to stay up until all hours and make myself the same promise the next day. And the next. Rinse. Repeat.

I feel like I'm in college all over again!