A Day in the Life

Long time no blog

2010-01-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

(snowboarding in the Rockies looking over Lake Dillon)

Mom, this is mostly for you. But also for others to enjoy pictures from my latest adventures.

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner with my roomies :)

Thanksgiving horse ride

Christmas visit with friends in Yosemite

Snowboarding at Keystone

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

This was officially the longest running Halloween season for me. I began costume hunting, crafting and preparing weeks ago and dressing up for various parties and occasions last Thursday. We had a party Thursday night at my neighbor, co-worker and dearly loved friend Sara's house. Saturday I worked the bar at Lucile's and all the staff dressed up as pop culture icons. I was Lucille Ball among a myriad of stars including Madonna, Paula Abdul, Prince, Audrey Hepburn, Betty Boop, Harry and Lloyd Christmas (Dumb and Dumber), Miley Cirus...I'm sure the list goes on. It was a long shift to work in heels and fake eyelashes that I very poorly applied minutes before we opened, but a lot of fun. Saturday night I was able to do a little bit of party hopping around Denver as a Can-Can dancer, and I closed out my weekend with a Dia de los Muerto's/housewarming party last night. Today, I slept and I am planning on doing the same tomorrow :)

Manu and I, she was dressed for day of the dead.

Lucille Ball at 6am, pre eyelashes and lipstick.

Cincy Lauper, Willy Wonka, Madonna, Prince, Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn, Betty Boop and Mick Jaggar, and Paula Abdul.

This one is a favorite because the man taking the picture was wearing a gorilla suit, and it interfered.

Until next year...

Snow Snow Snow

2009-10-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

It is October 28th and it has already snowed FOUR times. This one is a doosy, first stick of the year. Laura, Ceili, Haddie and I all have off these next few days and I am planning on having a snowed in craftstravaganza.

Our back porch

My poor little car burried for good.

I got my snowboarding pass this weekend, so I am embracing the snow and ready to go.

Fall Time=Good Time

2009-09-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

Summertime here in Colorado was glorious. After living in Redding and Mariposa it's amazing how quickly my body lost its ability to handle heat. Any day over 80 nearly killed me. Summer came and went in a blink, but I am fully embracing fall! I love it already. First of all, because creole breakfast just makes more sense when its cold outside my work days have become more pleasant. Secondly because sunny days with warm air and cool breezes are hard to beat. Life has been good (minus the enormous stress of taking the GRE) and I will now be presenting you with a small snapshot of my Fall thus far.

My Friend Rachael and I took a nice little hike to Mills Lake to close out summer with one last swim.

I also joined a softball league with Lucile's and we seem to be unstoppable. We play every Monday night.

September 23 was my birthday and I had a great week. I worked on my birthday but the girls at work covered me in bows and stickers and walked around demanding my tables to tip me well. At the end of the day they covered me in powdered sugar and gave me a cake...not a bad day at all.

That night we all went out to an 80's dance party.

Life is still good in Denver.

Hanging out with the Family

2009-07-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Trip to Beaver

2009-07-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I was able to make the beautiful trek out to Beaver, Utah to go spend a few days with my family. My brother's wife's mother's father (I just wanted to demonstrate the extents of my 'family') owns an old old house at the end of the tiny town's main street. The family gets together for about a week every year to hang out and do touch-ups on the house to keep it upright :)

I drove most of the day Wednesday, stopping to admire the outrageous beauty of Utah's ever changing rocky desert. Spent all day Thursday hanging out and doing small work projects with the fam, and spent another glorious day in the car Friday to get home with enough time to sleep before going to work at 7am the next morning. It was a packed trip, but I loved it. I love spending time with that part of my family who have become some of my very best friends. And if you have never spent 9 hours driving through Utah, I highly recommend it...seriously.

Leaving the Rockies to head into Utah...

"The Reef"

Ghost Rock Canyon overlook

View off the front porch of the house.

Pictures of Hanging Lake

2009-07-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Glenwood Springs Trip

2009-07-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have decided to blow the dust off ye olde blog. Apparently the rest of winter was very uneventful to me because I felt no need to put all my happenings out there. But now, spring has sprung and my life is full of wonderful tales again.
Most recently my friends Sara, Rachel and I took what I have deemed a "mini-break" into the mountains. All three of us just moved out to Colorado this year, so we are trying our best to take part in some of its wonders. We went to the west side of the Rockies to a little mountain town called Glenwood Springs. Glenwood Springs is built around naturally occurring hot springs, which for the most part have been channelled into very unnatural pools. We spent our afternoon at the hot springs surrounded by elderly couples. Apparently this is the romantic get away for the retired. But, we giggled our way through the pool in our bikinis anyway. It was raining that afternoon, but somehow that just made the hot springs a little more pleasant. We took a break from the "therapy pool" to go check into the hostel we were staying at, to walk around the sweet little town and get some food. Our room at the Hostel was the size of a closet with two bunk beds in it and clean is not an adjective that could fit anywhere in a sentence about the place. We had to take turns using the floor space for standing, walking, getting dressed...but it did cost less than half as much as any hotel room in the place, so I am not going to complain. After dinner we went to the vapor caves, which are underground caves that the hot springs flow through, creating the most bazaar natural sauna. Let's not lie, we only lasted about ten minutes in there, but it was quite the experience. We finished our night with another round at the hot spring pools. The following day we hiked up to Hanging Lake. It is this crystal clear blue pool way up a creek canyon that waterfalls flow into. Above them is another massive waterfall with a huge cave behind it that you could walk into. I was able to get my first Colorado swim in FINALLY! After playing in the waterfall for a while we made our way back down the creek and back into Denver for an assortment of 4th of July celebrations. It was a successful weekend indeed.

I love snow!

2009-04-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

And it's a good thing because I am getting plenty of it these days. Apparently April is notorious for having the craziest weather in Denver. Just about every day or two there is a massive switch. This weekend we had a blizzard as one might call it. The whole city was blanketed in big fat snow flakes and roads shut down. I don't mind it much because all that means for me is beautiful sights and nice, snowy walks to work. Today the sun is out, and we are moving to be at 80 degrees mid week. My philosophy is to hold loosely in my hands both my love of falling snow and of sunshine, that way I am not disappointed the next day when everything is different.

This blog is a good representation of my life these days, because truly all I have to report is the weather. Sometimes no news is good news I guess. Things are smoothly sailing along here. I have been working about three weeks now at Lucile's, and all is going well. I had a really good day of catching up with one of the girls from my second Kenya team this week because she is staying in Colorado Springs for a bit. I have discovered that meeting up with previous team participants is one of my favorite things. Life is so different here than on the field in Kenya, and it is so incredible to get people one on one in real life after only knowing them in this crazy atmosphere of serving in a third world setting.

Other than that, I am just recovering from a crazy week of sickness. I am hoping today is the day that I rise out of the snotty pit. I always know the day I am feeling better because I wake up with a crazy desire to wash my sheets. So, today I will de-sick my room.

This may win an award for the most boring blog ever. I tried to at least put up pictures of Denver's crazy snow storm, but my camera is out of commission. So sorry. I'll work on saucing up my life before writing again. :)

I heart Denver

2009-03-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give you a few sights of Denver that I have been enjoying these days. This is just a nice overview of the city. Sometimes I am blown away by how colorful Denver is.This is the bottom of the 16th street mall. Most of 16th street is blocked off to traffic. The only vehicles allowed on it are the Free Mall Ride busses, which are free busses that go up and down the strip of little shops and restaurants. Since cars are not allowed on the road, the pavement has mostly been replaced with brick walkways, trees, benches and sculptures. It is especially pretty at night because all the trees are covered in twinkle lights.

This is part of Confluence Park. There are lots of trails and bike ways following creeks around Denver. This is where Cherry Creek and the Platt River meet. It has been constructed to look like rapids so kayakers can practice here. It is right next to a very large and extravagant REI, with a rock climbing center inside and practice bike trails outside. At the base of these rapids is a sandy beach and calm pools for kids to swim in.

This is a bridge over the Platt River, and those of you from Redding may recognize this idea. Sundail bridge, you thought you were so clever.
The other day I was in a grocery store in Boulder and walked out to this view. I was struck by how beautiful it is to live here. I used to feel the same way when I came out of the walmart in Redding. Mountains make for much more pleasant city experiences.

That's all!

Bringing home the bacon...actually, the andouille and gravy :)

2009-03-18T21:34:00.000-07:00

After a week and a half of searching, applications and interviews I landed myself a nice little job. I will be working at Lucile's, a Cajun breakfast fine dining establishment.

I am so excited about this job! I went there to eat with the family I live with a week ago and decided that if I could choose any restaurant to work at, it would be Lucile's. The atmosphere is so comfortable and quaint, and the attitude of the serving staff is friendly and welcoming, even to potential new hires which says a lot. Along with that, it is only open until 2pm, so that means I will always only work day shifts which is a nice scheduling situation to find in the restaurant industry. To make it even better, this sweet little diner is just a few blocks up the road I live on. So, I officially have a job I can walk to, or more likely, ride a bike to. I am looking forward to making friends with the girls on staff there and beginning to develop more of a community in Denver. So far most of my relationships are in Boulder, so it will be great to begin to get to know my neighborhood, the Denver locals (at least those who love Cajun food) and the staff. So, those of you who live in the Denver area, come on down. But not on a weekend, or you will have to wait many many minutes to be seated, being as we are quite popular. :)

Along with my new exciting employment, I have begun the process of volunteering with the African Community Center. There is a thrift store near my house called Safari Seconds. It was brought to my attention that this store works to outfit and give money and resources to an organization that helps refugees transition into stable lives in America. Though the center is a part of a larger organization specializing in Ethiopian refugees, this organization helps refugees from all over the world. At my orientation I met three refugees who had just arrived from Bhutan. Hopefully soon I will be working with an after school program for these refugee children who are in high school and junior high. The program offers an hour of tutoring every day after school, and then activities such as soccer, dance class and art.

I have officially been in Denver for a month. So far I have been loving every minute of settling in and connecting with friends. Now I feel as though I am beginning to find a place here, and build a life of my own. I am so eager to feel like I belong here, like I am contributing to something here and that things are progressing. So far I have just been enjoying it here. It will be nice to take more of an active role in the community instead of just consuming the bountiful resource of joy and happiness I have found here.

Mommy for a week

2009-03-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in my room, waiting to go pick up Craig and Laura from the airport after a five day conference in Boca, Florida. In the background all I can hear is the soft, and then sometimes not so soft whimpering of Haddie, the three year old I have had charge of the this past week while she tries to transition into nap time. Out my window, I hear nothing but the oh so tactful screaming, swearing and fighting of two construction workers that have been laboring on the house next door all week. They scream at each other, drop the f-bomb non stop, pee in front of me (I am assuming they don't know I can see them) and stand on a ladder leading to the roof of my neighbor that convieniently rests right next to my bedroom window. Today I hid in the corner of my room dripping wet in a towl until they weren't standing perfectly in front of my closet so I could change after my shower.

Ceili, the five year old I just picked up from school is watching TV quietly in the living room so as to not make Haddie jealous, who I am insisting lays down even though she does not want to. It is Friday, which is nice because otherwise I would be reading with Ceili the many books she is assigned for homework, even though she is only in Kindergarden. She is amazingly intelligent and this week we have been reading through books that make her sound out words such as silhouette, hovered, specimen, and frijoles.

This week has been a wonderful challenge. Ceili has to leave for school at 7:45am and goes to bed at 7:45pm, so I've been putting in atleast 12 hours of tender childcare a day this week, and more when you add the cleaning and cooking on either side of the kids waking up. In a few hours, it will be over and I can go back to being responsibility-less, which I can admit, makes me kind of sad. In the midst of the potty reminders, washing hands, brushing teeth, changing clothes, cooking dinner, enforcing the eating of dinner, doing homework, reading, putting to bed and snuggling to sleep, I found a wonderful joy of providing and caring for kids who love you for it.
Here is a sweet little taste of my week.

Haddie asleep after trying to stay awake reading.

Ceili in the coolest dress up outfit I've ever seen! She came up with it all on her own, and though
the picture might not do it justice, it was complex.

Making Cookies! Chocolate chip, banana, cranberry, coconut, pecan cookies to be exact. They were actually quite delicious.

Our first dinner together, personal pizzas they made themselves.

virtual tour of my life

2009-02-20T21:58:00.000-08:00

I am loving my new life! I keep taking little trips around my neighborhood to see what is within the realm of my community, and I cannot believe how great my little corner of Denver is. It is full of funky little shops, restuarants, coffee shops, coffee roasters, wine shops, tobacco shops, and chain restuarants that are apparently only allowed to live here if they are in a cute little brick shop. I am a very short bus ride away from a great part of downtown, and I live caddy-corner to the best coffee shop chai I have ever had. The weather here is almost always beautiful. Granted, it is snowing as of now, but the storms are quick and short lived between beautifully sunny days. All I need now is a bike, because apparently and driving is literally much more inconvienient here than driving or walking. So, have a little glimps at my surroundings.

Welcome to the corner of Logan St and 2nd.

Go ahead and take a peek up the street towards the city, downtown denver in the backdrop.

Now go around the back of the house to get to the upstairs unit, where I live!

Enter into the kitchen and dining room.

...into the living room...

And my bedroom!

Now go back outside and down this little path for two blocks...

And get to Broadway, a street full of coffee shops, old book shops, old clothing stores, restuarants, wine bars, sports bars, and the most excellent, fancy and wonderfully stocked Good Will I have ever seen.

And then enjoy delcious Thai food like This with your friends.

Nothing is Free?

2009-02-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

Today I was taking the old girl out for a spin...and by old girl I mean my ragged little Honda. I have tried to give her a nice break since the huge trek across the West. I was hoping that lightening her load and giving some time off would somehow magically repair the shakes that she was displaying throughout my entire journey. However, cruising slowly through the parking options of Boulder proved otherwise. As Christy and I parked the car and prepared to go enjoy a nice cup of joe, Christy's fresh pair of eyes spotted a tear in my front left tire. So, slowly and lovingly I made my way to a tire shop in Boulder. As soon as I arrived to Barney's it became quite clear that this may be the friendliest, and most joyous tire shop in existence. A lovely woman looked at my tire, looked at my car and assessed the situation. I would need a new tire (and by new I mean a new used tire), an alignment check and a tire rotation. So, I handed over my keys and took a stroll to kill time. Upon my return, while pulling out my wallet, she simply explained to me that there would be no charge. "Consider it a loan," she said, "and come see me if and when you want new tires."

What?

journey woman

2009-02-14T23:16:00.000-08:00

This blog is coming to you straight from Denver! Today I moved into my new home after spending last night in Boulder with friends, which among other things served to prolong my exhaustion from a week of stomach flu-ing, saying goodbye to my fellow Mariposans and driving several thousand miles in a heavily weighed down Honda that refused to let me drive over 60 mph.

Over all, I can say that my trip out here was a complete success. I literally spent most of my drive giddy over the incredible views that awaited me around every corner and the energy cketing my life out into unknown territory and adventure. I drove 11 hours the first day, from Mariposa to Mesquite, NV, a charming little casino town cloudy with cigarette smoke and buzzing with fancy old women gambling at six in the morning. I woke up early and spent a whopping 15 hours driving on day two from Nevada to Colorado. Every moment of my drive was quite enjoyable until the last few hours during which God decided to switch things up on me a bit. My warm, sunny and dry drive through the desert and snow dusted hills almost instantly turned into a painfully slow creep up and down steep Rocky Mountain summits on a road that was either black with ice or a lineless white platform shooting straight down. And while I was driving slowly and with much caution, the horribly inconsiderate 18-wheelers all around me did not seem to be so phased by the roads, and continually shot past me on both sides. Apparently I am was the only person on the road concerned with the absolute inablitly to identify a lane. I decided to top off the night by getting lost and sidetracked onto two different freeways, touring myself throughout the Denver area on a snowy evening. Alas, fifteen hours and two granola bars in, I arrived to my wonderful family of friends in Boulder.

I spent today moving into my new home in Denver and chit chatting with my new roomies, a family of four who I am finding to be more incredible every time I come in contact with them. And now that the daunting task of hanging up my clothes is over, I am at peace in this place and so beyond eager to see what is here that is worthy of the huge fuss God ruffled into my life to plant me in Denver.

2009-02-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

Today I was sitting, rather basking in the sun on the front porch of my Catheys Valley home doing my best to drink in the sunshine while simultaneously thinking through the very long and cold drive I am about to make to Colorado. It is the barrier of fear and loathing that stands between me and a very much needed move to Denver. Somehow enjoying the outrageously innappropriate February heat and sun sparked a desire in me to finally begin a blog, which I am now regretting as it forced me to move from my cozy catnapping place to a cold, dark corner of my house. And it turns out, I am no good at blogging. I have spent the majority of my initial session trying to figure out how to not make my blog automatically translate itself into Hindi. If you are reading this in English, I guess I figured it out.

I decided a month ago that I was going to move to Denver, really this time. I have faked the decision to move out of Mariposa several times this year, all with no fruition. But, considering I have packed belongings and set a date, this time seems to be real. This has been a long month of saying goodbye and closing up my year of life here in the little mountains. I don't think I am doing a very good job of processing emotionally what is about to happen in my life. Good thing I am going to have a long and lonely drive half-way across the county to think about it. I am on a countdown of life as a californian. Six days left to go and this decision is all of a sudden seeming really, really big.