Adenverture

A Denver adventure... get it? AJ and I went to Denver and it was SO. FUN. It was my first time and it didn't disappoint. It was a great time to go because things were very festive for the upcoming holidays and there was already lots of snow, and it even snowed while we were there!

I have to say that I adjusted faster than I realized to being back in California and no significant cold... I turned back into a delicate flower and even though I brought my warmest clothes that survived the East Coast move, I was still struggling at times. Mainly my fingertips were freezing and weren't used to that cold, even though I wore fingerless gloves in the NYC winters all the time.

Our flight out was delayed, so we didn't get in until about midnight, so we didn't go out on the town as originally planned but instead went back to AJ's friends place where we were staying and played pool and drank there. There were some adorable kitties in the house, and the one even LOVED her little cat tree and used it regularly. She even sat in the little bowl. Kitty soup!

In the morning we left first thing to head up into the Rockies. The friends were going to go snowmobiling and AJ and I were going to hang out in Breckenridge. It was snowing and the traffic was massive, so we had a change of plans that included all of us going to Breckenridge (SUCH A CUTE TOWN) for lunch, then taking the friends to Copper Mountain for their snowmobiling, and AJ took me over to Vail.

Downtown Denver

Long ride up the mountain

Blurry Copper Mountain

We went out to eat at the Dam Brewery and had beer cheese soup and I had a maple bourbon trout still on the skin. We stayed at a condo that night in Silverthorne, rented a movie, AJ made a fire, we had supplies for 7&7's but I fell asleep pretty immediately.

The next morning was BEAUTIFUL because it was no longer snowing and the sun was out!

We headed back down the mountain and went back to home base to relax and change before going to the Broncos/Raiders game!! AJ's friend works at an internet/cable company and he actually helped one of the Broncos players (#40) who in turn gave him 4 free tickets to the game in the 8th row!!! They were amazing seats and it was SO much fun, and Broncos stadium was fabulous! Big and beautiful and what a vibe! Such a following and the entire stadium was orange and going crazy.

AJ wanted to wear this bandanna to cover his ears and I told him NO WAY because he would look like a Raiders fan and I demonstrated to him what other people would be seeing when they saw him with that on

After the game we went for a fancy schmancy dinner at the fondue restaurant The Melting Pot. It was INCREDIBLE. We had the four-course meal of salads, the beer based cheese fondue with veggies and bread, meat platters in the hot pot with 6 different kinds of sauces, and chocolate fondue for dipping rice krispie treats, fruit, brownies, cookies, cheesecake, pound cake, and graham cracker-encrusted marshmallows. UNREAL.

And then of course we had to go home, but there was a photo op at the airport.

Our Frontier plane was hosted by Sammy the Squirrel, and we now have travel vouchers to make up for the delayed flight on the way out. I want to go back to the Christmastime snow!!

The Weekend Illustrated

My long Thanksgiving weekend started Wednesday, when I was let off work a few hours early. I was able to make it out to Irvine and go to a workout training session with Kathleen at her bootcamp. Ouch! Then we went and got sushi. Mmm! Then AJ and I went and saw the last Hunger Games movie. Fun! My throat was starting to hurt at this point.

On Thanksgiving morning I didn't feel very good. My throat was feeling worse. AJ played basketball in the morning and then came over with Anana, and we went to my mom's. It was your standard Thanksgiving - food, alcohol and card playing into the night. We were back there the next morning for breakfast, Christmas movies and then a small hike at Lake Perris, where Anana saw horses for the first time and tried to eat them!

Anana and the horses

We had a lot of fun slow-mo videoing her eating and going for treats too.

Anana misses

That night we went downtown for the Festival of Lights, of course we missed the fireworks (I miss them every time I try to make it) and I was feeling awwwwwful. Achey and fevery. That's why I took so many shots before we went out and then I started to feel amazing. We took more videos feeding Anana.

Kathleen feeds Anana

I feed Anana

We walked around, although not very long. It was verrrrrrrry crowded and verrrrrrry cold (for California). We basically did a loop around the Mission Inn and then went and ate. My shots were wearing off and I was feeling awful again and I think I fell asleep at the table.

On Saturday I couldn't do anything. That night was miserable, I almost got up in the middle of the night to take a hot bath because I felt so horrible. AJ went golfing in the morning and I had wanted to take Anana to the dog park (minus the Mt. Rubidoux hike this time) but I just couldn't. All I could do was sleep and pump myself full of Tylenol, Sudafed, Alka Seltzer, cough drops, tea, honey, and anything else I found lying around. AJ came back with food and lemons, and then picked out a bunch of movies for us to watch and we basically slept all day. I mean I was sick, I'm not sure what his excuse was, but misery loves company! I did get cabin fever in the evening though and insist that we go out to Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor to use my $10 off coupon that was expiring soon. We shared a butterscotch malt and ICE CREAM NACHOS. It was three scoops of ice cream (pre-chosen: chocolate malted crunch, animal cookie and mint chip) on a bed of waffle cone "chips" and was amazingggggg. Then we went back home and went to bed.

I woke up feeling muuuuuch better on Sunday but still not 100%. AJ left for home and I cleaned what I could and then put up like all 5 of my Christmas decorations while watching Christmas movies! Part of that included a small tree which needed garland and ornaments, so it did take a little longer than it sounds like.

I was sad to spend the long weekend so sick, but happy to be feeling so much better now.

Memorable Gifts

In looking for a blog prompt (and celebrating Christmastime!) I found this:

What was the most memorable gift you ever received?

I kinda lol'd because you know, "memorable" doesn't necessarily mean in a good way. I think most people interpret that to mean, like, the "best" gift, but I've had some pretty memorable gifts that weren't the "best" gifts.

During my freshman year of high school (2001), this boy Mat and I had been talking for awhile. We would talk on the phone after school and I remember how I had told him that I love Italian salad dressing so much, I could just drink it plain. That Valentine's Day, he brought me a small hand-picked bouquet of daisies and a bottle of Italian salad dressing with a bow on it. I couldn't believe he remembered that, and that he would think to get me that. It was very memorable. And it took a lot of explaining at school, because it's not every day you're walking around with a bottle of salad dressing to 5th period. It was also memorable because I experienced how much more meaningful it is to receive a gift from the heart, rather than from the wallet. Also, it's hard to forget you were gifted salad dressing.

Also, I spent Christmas 2006 in Germany with a friend, since I wouldn't be going home to the US and didn't have much to do around in France alone. My friend's parents showered me with gifts that year, which was just so adorable and sweet and kind and memorable. I do remember the gifts (an original stein from the Hofbrauhaus, a book on German culture, two German cutting boards, and my friend took me to see a musical in Cologne that week) and the gifts in and of themselves weren't so memorable, but the entire experience that Christmas really was, I think it sort of counts.

If you'd like to make this list for next year, I would really cherish a trip around the world. kthxbye!

Goodbye Thanksgiving

Well I think it's finally happening, this is the last year of Thanksgiving. By next year, the Christmas ruckus will officially have overtaken it all, and Thanksgiving will cease to exist.

You know how each year the Christmas stuff comes out sooner and sooner? I mean it's done, it's officially done. This year I saw Christmas stuff out WITH Halloween stuff, and there are no Thanksgiving decorations or anything that I'm aware of, nothing I've seen promoting Thanksgiving, and here is the real kicker: on Sunday night, I went out running, and I happened to pass by an apartment with open blinds and do you know what was inside? A Christmas tree, FULLY DECORATED, and STOCKINGS UP and CHRISTMAS EVERYWHERE. This was on Sunday, November 15. November 15! Halfway through November! I even know people who are already taking their kids to see Santa Claus!

I happen to know that in London at least (maybe the rest of the UK?) a place that doesn't have Thanksgiving, even they wait until December 1 to kick of Christmas festivities!

I feel like Elaine in that episode of Seinfeld where everyone starts eating all their desserts with utensils... cutting their Snickers bars and cookies with a knife and fork and scooping M&Ms with spoons, and Elaine is looking around her freaked out and shouting "WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL YOU PEOPLE?!" That's me.

I really liked you Thanksgiving, but somehow you've been vilified like a red-headed step-child orphan in a Dickens novel.