Singleton Farewells

This is my last day as a Misses. These are my last few hours as a singleton. Tomorrow I will be a Mrs. and life as I know it will change. I found out just a couple weeks ago that Veteran's day parade will be marching downtown the same time we are saying our vows and taking our first kiss. As Christina optimistically pointed out - there's a chance we'll hear the marching bands pass by. Personally, I'm hoping for bagpipes if something is going to be distracting. I'd like to take my chances and run out into the parade as it marches down Tejon, after the ceremony... have a real wedding march. My dad suggested we follow some old tradition and have Matt push me around in a wheel barrow... not sure about that one.
I'm feeling pretty calm right now - maybe I'll be a gusher on the day. Time will tell. I can't wait to be his wife - so no matter what happens tomorrow, as long as we're hitched, I'll be happy.

Wish us well. I'll be excited to share stories from the other side!

Lasts...

Today I attended my last service as a single at the church I have attended for 14 years! Matt and I will be going to his church in Denver...which is an entirely different kind of scene. I marked my little attendance card as "Miss" and checked the box for "single" (I then forgot to put it in the offering so the whole dramatic affect was really just for me).

Here is the final load up to Denver. I thought I'd just have a couple things to throw in the jeep for the ride up....

I had a really difficult time trying to figure out what to keep down here for this last week!

I said good-bye to my co-workers on Thursday. I was oddly emotional when the Chief asked for a hug and after I tripped and almost took a co-worker out at happy hour.

I meet my new co-workers on Monday...and Tuesday...before the time off for wedding. I have no idea what kind of work I'll be doing with this transfer to the Denver office. I am very fortunate to have slipped in right before the hiring freeze.

We'll see if I chicken out and drive in to work and pay ridiculously expensive parking prices for the first day, or if I brave it and ride the light rail in.

Big city livin' here I come!

Pillow Talk

Last night, after a load up to Denver and time with my fiance, I drove back to town, to my parent's house...where I will sleep for the next 11 single nights of my life. How ironic to go from a single, kid-sized bed, to a double....along side my sister. I'm going to focus on the positive - I have 11 nights to get used to sleeping next to someone else.

Go!Go!Go!

It's been crazy - wedding planning, moving, leaving my job. I feel like my brain never gets a break. There have been times where I've felt emotional - like up for a good cry, started a couple tears and then gotten distracted with something I need to do and don't even get to a good sob before I'm on to something else. The pinnacle of this insanity was the other week. Late night, early morning, late for work. GO!GO!GO!GO! I threw on my walking shoes, threw my work shoes in my bag, along with a granola bar for breakfast and my wedding planner (I feel lost without it). I race to work. I've got to get to court. I rip off my running shoes, throw on my work shoes....only to discover, to my horror! I grabbed two different shoes. Sure, they were both brown, but completely different. One with a bow at the toe, the other with swirly imprints. I ran to a co-worker's office to share the insanity. She was kind to offer her shoes, which I tried on and quickly declined, after feeling the warmth and moistness her foot left behind. I promptly strapped on my running shoes again, was out the door, back home to find a match. I am so excited to get settled into a calmer pace of life!

Recently, Christina and I were driving down Tejon street on a weekday morning and both noticed the woman pushing a shopping cart up the hill fillled with non-groceries. We both exclaimed as we passed, "that's the best looking bag lady I've ever seen."It's true, she looked healthy and was dressed normally. Hmmmm, what's the story there?

I continue to walk to work. Most days, it's great. Recently, 4 other co-workers started a lunch club. After months of eating out far too often, we decided that each of us would bring in a group lunch once a week. It's brilliant really. I don't have to even think about lunch 4 days out of the week, it's portion controlled and affordable. The unfortunate part, of course, is on Wednesday nights, when I find myself wandering the grocery store aisles trying to figure out what the most unique, most affordable, best tasting meal would be... and on Thursday mornings when I lug, essentially, a one woman potluck to work.

This past Thursday, as I carried tubs of bbq beef brisket, chips, pickles, buns and some sweet treats, along with my work shoes, my wedding planner, my purse and a cup of coffee, I really wished I had my own shopping cart to load up, and stroll along Tejon street. I can hear the passerbys now, "that's a good looking bag lady."

The extremes

So, I'm a crazy interneter these days, looking obsessively for cheap/better/more unique ways to do a wedding. I will fully admit my naivete at thinking planning it so soon wouldn't be too stressful. Don't get me wrong...I'll do it and I hope I do it well... but it is hands down stressful!

It's no surprise that because every bride/couple is different, so is every wedding. Here's an example of an astonishing difference... just with cakes:
Amount: $3,500.00 for the cake
Extraordinary Design
Posted by: Astrid Kipperburg-Liago in Seattle, WA.
Purchased: June, 2007
Number of Slices: 400
Cake Type: 8 Different Cake Flavors, 16 Fillins
Decorations: Extraordinary Eiffel Tower Design
Mark Caldwell of Everett Washington Created a one of a kind masterpiece for my wedding. Sharing a love for France, Mark was able to artistically re-create Paris' Eiffel Tower to an brilliant likeness. The entire cake was frosted in a light buttercream then overlayed in sculpted white chocolate. The cake was then airbrushed with gorgeous color and then finished with gold leaf. After the cake was assembled on site, Mark spiraled white rununculus, white hydrangea, white roses, white miniature cala lilies, looped beargrass and swarovski crystals. Centered on top of a satin draped round table, his creation towered just over 9 feet tall! We could not have ever dreamed of something ourselves. Our cake creator sat with us and brought our love of Paris and created the very place that my husband Bradley proposed. Thank you Mark!


Amount: $125.00 for the cake
wedding cake
Posted by: Lorianne in Atlanta, GA.
Purchased: February, 2008
Number of Slices: 3 tiered cake
Cake Type: wedding
Decorations: basic with trim
I went to the local grocery store and ordered 3 indiviual cakes a 6",8" and 12" vanilla with white frosting and red trim.. I then bought a cake stand that holds the 3 cakes on individual levels. I brought the cakes with me to the reception placed the cakes on the cake stand and then put real roses on top of each cake....I saved a bundle!!

Olympic Mania

It was a random wandering on the web. I was pulled into some news article, which led me to a overview of the olympics, which had an article about Shawn Johnson, which made me wonder how old she was, which took me to some chat board. Here is the freakish american obsession I encountered on just the first page of comments regarding this young gymnist: UUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRR TTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEE BBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSTTTTTTT UR SMILE IS THE BEST:) UUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR SSSSSOOOOOCCCCCCOOOOOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WISH I COULD SEE U .. I REALLY LUV UR SMILE U ROCK!!!!!! OMG also u can really jump U. high.....i whish i could give u a great big hug. well see ya later hope u hear this and rite back PLEASE .. as quick as you can run..hahaha.. P_E_A_C_E u r the smilely one...................................................:) congrats shawn on a job well done iam very proud i watched you performe on tv and you wrer amazing write back soon your hotttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shawn ur so incrediable High beautiful jumpper Actually your a model Wonderful smile Non stop energized beautiful girl......hahahaha you r so cool your the cooliest person ive ever seen u r P_E_R_F_E_C_E_T+O WOW ur the best.......see ya later rite back PLEASE as fast as you can run hahahaa peace........ 2292 comments - handfuls of them saying "email me" "check out my myspace." So extremely strange...and perhaps now I know what kind of fan mail the New Kids were getting so many years ago.

Engaged Life

What I love about my ring:
I don't have to take it off when I wash my hands, it won't turn my fingers green!
I love to check it out in different lighting.
It's a sign/signal - "I'm taken. I'm off the market. These ribs are sold!"

What I thought I'd love but didn't:
registering. It was exhausting. Don't get me wrong, super fun to set up a pretend house, but I didn't really think about what color the bathroom should be before we arrived at Target.

What I'm tired of hearing from vendors:
"You mean THIS November?"

What I am loving:
Seeing Matt through this going-to-be-my-husband lens. He's amazing

Twofers

Did I mention Christina is also engaged? Also from her stint on Eharm (as I like to call it). We are the Eharm brides - now frantically trying to plan weddings on short term engagements. Who knew it would be so impossible to find a cheap venue and throw a reasonably priced reception? Tonight - it's "Sense and Sensibility," some cookies, wine and a stack of bridal magazines.

I found him!

Where do I even start?
Once I received a comment from a mysterious reader in Oregon - she encouraged me to be patient in my place of life as a single woman waiting for my Mr. Right (I couldn't for the life of me find the comment to refresh my memory). So, my Oregon reader, if you're still tuned in...I've got some exciting news for you.

"When you are in love, you want to spread the word, to tell the fish in the ocean and the lamppost on the corner and to send the news spinning itself out across continents and seas, so that all of creation might rejoice with you." Marisa De Los Santos in "Loved Walked in"

I swore I'd never do it. "Eharmony might work for SOME people...but not for me." Then Christina came home late one weeknight and said she was signing up, "you should do it!"
"oh alright!" I had read Henry Cloud's book, "finding a date worth keeping" a year prior, sorted through a lame relationship and was still challenged by his charge to be active in dating and take risks." So, at 11:00pm I committed to 3 months of my own matchmaking.

His name was Matt, he had no picture on his profile. He should have been one of the quick closes...but for some reason, we started chatting. He was intentional from the start, refreshing compared to most of my experiences. We met for coffee at Starbucks on February 12th. This next Tuesday will be our 6th month anniversary and he is now my fiance.

Despite my fears of marrying the wrong man, fear of commitment and struggle with vulnerability, I've become one of those people who says, "when you know you know."

He's an amazing man - more than I imagined when I dreamed up my Mr. Right. I can't wait to enjoy life with him, as his wife.

Lions, tigers and bears. Oh my!

Matt and I went camping last weekend. We were discussing packing up camp when he said, "We need to go to the truck now!" I didn't ask any questions. "Oh dear God! It must be a man with a gun!" a logical conclusion, giving the red-neck target shooting we'd heard the previous evening and again this morning. "No....I bet it's a mountain lion!" I noticed Matt wasn't running like I would have expected him to, if, we had indeed been a mountain lion target. I decided to turn-around and see what I was supposed to be protecting myself from... A BEAR! He wasn't super close, but close enough that he could have been close, if he wanted to be. He looked around a bit and then headed the other direction...that became the sensible time to grab the camera and document this close encounter with the beast.

okay, finally...

I tried to load a picture with it in the aparment...but don't get me started on the dail-up thing again!

thanks for the endless hours on my ...

When I moved into my first apartment my parents gave me the couch from the basement. It had been my grandma's, remained in the basement and was rarely sat on. I have only 1 memory of the couch in its original place, some friends came over to watch "Seven" with Brad Pitt... I fell asleep (who falls asleep during movies like that?) It was a perfect first couch...once it had a slipcover. Mom and I ventured to the fabric store, found a great sage canvas material and some matching fabric for pillows and curtains. It was perfect!

Time went by, the slip cover wore, back to the fabric store. This time a brilliant red. Red was totally in (maybe still is?).

But there's something about being 29, a grown adult with a real job... the slipcover couch,now with a broken spring, more than 40 years old was no longer perfect.

Saturday, the delivery boys brought my new purchase up the 3 flights of stairs, complete with a lecture about how it would be more appropriate for me to have purchased a loveseat, given the dimensions of the stairs. It is big and comfy and dramatically changes the look of the living room.

Now if I could only get rid of the old one...without having to drag it down those flights of stairs. For now, it sits in the dining room, awaiting its demise.

Instead of sleeping in and being lazy, on this day off, I met a friend at 7:00am to hike the incline. I was in deep thought, is as best while on the incline. Anything to take the mind of each grueling step. With a challenge that is so mental, it's best I have things rolling around in head to process, otherwise there are too many, "why am I doing this?" "I hate this." "I can't do this" thoughts. I rolled around random thoughts, like how dark I felt Thursday night, after a week of gossip and sin-filled conversations of judgment with co-workers. And how deception by someone else can sting and revive hurt even years after it's been done. In my thoughts, I found myself attributing my inability to pump myself up the stairs with positive self-talk as a direct result of not playing organized sports as a child. Honestly, I think this thought everytime I climb the incline. No training in seeing myself achieve a goal, no coaching to be determined to conquer something and push my physical limitations.

At that time, I started a list of things I think I've missed out on in my short life. Maybe it's the ease of blaming circumstances or childhood on adult characteristics.



I stayed in town for college and commuted for classes, that brings a whole list of things: dorm life, keggers, frat parties, toga parties, RAs, going to class in pajamas or sweats.



My prom - I've never had a conversation like, "well, it hits at my knees and has sequence along the neck line and I think I'll wear my hair like this..."

Keds - the real ones - the ones with the blue labels on the heel. We got the generic ones, sure they came in different colors but even if you did have one to match your Mt. Rushmore t-shirt, the generic ones were still worn with shame. In junior high I got a real pair - big deal - I tried to glue the blue label on when it started to fall off. Finally! A real pair and the label wants to fall off.

I've died and gone to Mexico!

It started as a cheap trip with my dear friend Kristin, in celebration of our birthdays, which fall just one week apart. Over the years, we've celebrated together and we decided, in honor of her turning 30 and me turning 29, it was time to make it big. Strangely, and unexpectedly 5 friends who were invited were not only interested but able to go.
Jen had timeshare connections and got us hooked up with a beauty. It was something similar to the first show of a "RealWorld" season as we ran around the place screaming and jumping around. We had a living area, dining room table, two big rooms with big beds and sauna tubs in the bedrooms (not that they were used). Our patio faced the pools with a hint of ocean view off to the side. We even had our own dipping pool. It was amazing.

The pool was amazing with lots of different areas, nice chairs, even big beds with white canopies. The best was the lazy river which took a good 15 minutes to float through. At certain times during the day they would turn on the rapids for a little excitement.

We made a trip to Wal-mart (my disdain for the mega chain almost disappeared as I wondered the aisles and saw some of the comforts of home) where we each paid something like $20 for some basic meals and drinks, which left us with money to go all out when we went out to eat. At Wal-mart I used the ATM to get out some pesos (the exchange rate was 10:1 - should've been easy math but I found myself writing down my desired amount and literally moving the decimal to ensure I got it right). There was a sketchy guy to my side and so when the money came out I grabbed and headed off...leaving my little money card in the machine. I didn't even realize it until later that night. Fortunately, despite the opportunity for major disaster I was only inconvenienced with a cancelled card.

We went skinny dipping. And as a newbie, I'll say there wasn't a spot on the beach that seemed
nearly dark enough for me. Pandemonium as we all grabbed for our cover ups.

Kristin and I celebrated our birthdays on Saturday night. She made super cute hair clips and I got matching bracelets. 7 ladies hot to trot. Something to be said about a large group of ladies in Mexico... we were treated well. We went to dinner at Daiquiri Dick's as recommended by our concierge, Adolfo, who not only put in a good word for our fab room, but also gave us pointers on the good places to go. We got a table outside along the water and all had the pleasure of watching the sun set. The girls made sure we felt special with champagne and even a tune of happy birthday by the waiters. There happened to be a harp player who wowed us with his talent. They brought out cake and flaming shots....which is where pandemonium (again) broke forth. I managed to knock my flaming shot and as the alcohol poured out along the tablecloth and my lap so did the flame. With my napkin I patted out the fire (preventing the visions of marbled burned skin I saw in my head) and a waiter was quick to get out the rest. We caused quite a scene at that quiet, romantic restaurant with our fire and screaming. I thought I had gotten out of the shot, phew, particularly seeing Kristin's pain when she got hers down, until they came out with another one for me, this one not flaming but still so hot in my mouth.

We went dancing at a club called the "Zoo" where one of my honest friends pointed out we dance old. When did that happen?

We took the bus into Puerto Vallarta where we got to see some of the town and do some shopping at the flea market. I hated the bartering, mostly because I had no idea how much things should be costing. I fell into anti shopping mode (why does that always happen at the worse times?) and decided I didn't really need anything. We ate a Pipi's because it was suggested by wise Adolfo and because we had a coupon stating our second margarita would be free. Nobody needs a second gigantic margarita?! But we got 4 for more to go (should there be concern, be relieved they were dumped shortly after leaving Pipi's).

We took an excursion that included snorkeling (except the water was totally cloudy and I saw nothing but my hands under the water) and a stop to the island of Yelapa. I took a walk with our tour guide to the falls and heard about how the island had only in the last 5 years gotten running water and electricity. There were mangos growing and hibiscus flowers. We saw a woodshop where a man had taken over as the third generation working with rosewood taken down the island's mountain by mule. It was great to sneak a peak into some grassroots living after days in the resort life.

My second excursion, with Kristin, was the amphibian assault tour. We waited in a random gas station to be picked up by a stranger, who drove us out of town for a while. I didn't say it out loud, but wondered how much he'd get for our bodies. After passing through more "real mexican life" we arrived to a ranch where we loaded up on 8 wheeled atvs and took them on a dirt path until we reached a river bed where we did our best to drive fast, turn sharply and get wet and dirty. The gray haired couples called us the maniacs. When we got back to the ranch we sat at a little hut and tasted 9 tequila's and learned a little more about how the good stuff is made. And to think all this time I've limited myself to Jose.

Our last night (and one of my most favorite experiences) we traveled back into PV to the Westin Hotel where there is a restaurant outside, also along the ocean, where you sit on beds in the sand. It was posh...and it couldn't have hurt that after primping and even taking photos practicing our movie star poses, that the host said, "So, there are 7 of you movie stars." Well, we didn't want to cause a scene but.....
We had a great dinner and then made ourselves at home and danced on our bed...and around the bed....and along the water. It was so fun! My married friends swore that these are only girlfriend type of adventures...dancing recklessly and owning the night. That was until the bill came... my water was $5. Sometimes you pay for memories. I'm still going to say it was worth it.

On this adventure I discovered that I can totally enjoy a lazy vacation without an agenda or guilt and fear of missing things because I slept in. I discovered I really do love the sun and am sad to watch my sun glow slowly fade with each day back in real life. I love the sand between my toes, particularly the feeling of the grains running past my feet as the wave pulls it away from me. I was shocked that by the end hanging out in my swimsuit was totally comfortable. I discovered, despite my fears, that 7 grown women can have a great week, enjoy each other's company and differences without any chick drama.

29 is feeling mighty fine!

It has been a whirlwind of activities but let me say that my 29th year began on May 25th and so far... things are looking really good for this last year of a decade.

I started the day with breakfast with Schelau and Matt at Mimi's - mmmmm, buttermilk spice muffins. We all rode together to church and on the way we saw a tragic accident. We're talking dead bodies in the road. Plenty of time has passed, so this will be shared with far less emotion but I felt, intensely, the reality of how short life is. There is truth in the cliche "life is short" and "live everyday like it's the last." I really feel like this is something to pursue this year... I can look back and see how lackadaisically I have pursued my faith and sharing it with others. I need to feel some urgency in my purpose on this earth. So....if any of you don't know Jesus... let's chat.

The afternoon was chill and then the family (and boyfriends!) had dinner at the Macaroni Grill. Again...mmmmmm.
A group of friends met at the BlueStar for wine. Despite having called earlier in the week and being told they could accommodate us, we arrived to find they had nowhere to put 12 people. They gave us a tennis racket, a way for them to pick us out of the crowd when our table was ready. I was relieved they didn't hand me the sombrero. After an hour of patiently waiting and seeing no sign of hope toward progress we bailed. My friends were so patient and kind. Matt took the racket hostage and we were out. When we arrived at 15C disgruntled and talking of how the BS has lost some good business, the bartender at 15C told us the owner called over and said he'd cover a healthy tab. Nice! So, we drank and laughed on the house....now what to do with the racket!
It was a great day and I'm looking forward to a great year.

~while passing a storefront on Bijou, after a few glasses of wine this was the funniest thing I had ever seen. Even now I know I was right to think it would be something I would need to share with others. Enjoy....

and to my left you'll see....

Welcome to the small town of Herrington - the tour will now begin.

If you take a good look around, you'll notice no chain stores. That's right folks, one of the few remaining all-american towns with no fast food joints or mega drugstores. You may also find how very dependant you've become to chain-america living.

This town is proud of the railroad that runs through it. There is much excitement over the bridge that will cross over the railroad, which will eliminate future decades of waiting to get to the "other side of the tracks."

Tonight, let's peek into this high school graduation party award ceremony. What you might find is that your extended family isn't as standout as you expected (despite uncle M wearing the shortest shorts you've ever seen on a man), as you watch a woman with no undergarments tromping up and down the gym bleachers, running to and from the bathroom with or without her dirty 3 yr/old, sometimes talking in a loud whisper. If we stay here long enough tonight, you too can be mesmerized by the small town phenomenon of having the same classmates from kindergarten on. Let's listen as they share stories from the second grade. I think you'll see that Missy - the star student - will stand up at least a dozen times to receive awards and scholarships for her grades, performance and involvement in community activities. If you stay too long you might become secretly obsessed with her life and whether the other students love her or hate her and how she will do in college when she's one of thousands and not just 1 in 30.

Over to the right, you'll notice Ms. X - the cool teacher. The teacher who probably supplies all the kids with their alcohol. Let's listen as she presents an award. "This girl was my gossip girl! She always kept me up to date on the latest..... and this girl is the fastest text messager I know!!!" hug, hug

Look into the crowd to see the class's bad boy. He smirks and rolls his eyes. He is literally too cool for school... and his parents own the local real estate business.

If we take a stroll through this little town - you'll notice all of the closing warnings. That's right. Here, the whole place shuts down for the local high school's graduation. Barnes (the grocery store) will be closed. OMG (the local second hand store) will not open today because the grand-daughter is graduating.

If we take a drive outside of town, to the next largest city we can grab a bite to eat....or not. Oddly enough, the A&W has run out of meat. That's right. The hamburger restaurant has no hamburger. If you choose to stop at Denny's you may be overcome by the smoke floating throughout the entire restaurant and may be shocked to remember Colorado's smoking ban has only been in effect for a short time. If lucky, you will taste nicotine in the pancakes.

And if you're really lucky, you will see your grandfather cross the stage at 81 and watch as this sleepy, tiny town rises in a standing ovation.

I'm in the mood for...

So what road trip is complete without a gas store trinket? Christina spotted the mood rings and beckoned me over. "$1.95 for a mood ring? - what a steal!" I promptly bought one for each of us (Cadena - hate to ruin the surprise but give it time - you'll have your own mystical ring in no time). I haven't had such an interactive piece of jewelry in like, ever! I find myself gazing at it throughout the day and I get excited when I see extreme changes in the colors within minutes. I went from a calm dark blue to, wow, a pearly green - whatever could this mean?!

Herrington

Greetings from Kansas. This is a family road trip update. Mom, dad, Christina and myself have taken a trip to see 81 year old grandpa Trusty get his high school diploma (oldest student in the state of Kansas)! Cadena - we miss you! I mostly miss being forced to sit in the middle, only because I am the middle child, and being harassed by you both about my feet and legs being in your way.... and sharing a fun dip with you.

So, if all goes well there will be some photos to share.
So far we've just been driving (I've managed to log some quality shut eye). We stopped at the Russell Stover's factory today (don't believe the sign that beckons with free samples, it's mostly a lie) and we had a fatty chicken lunch - yum! Currently hanging out at gramp's place (he's got a much faster internet service than I have ever dreamed of) getting ready to go to a small town high school awards ceremony. The real excitement will begin tomorrow... rumor has it the news might be out here - smile for the cameras!

Thursday

Today's walk to work was a little crazy. It is cold and damp so I wore a sweater and two blocks into it, overheated. The wind was crazy; I saw my reflection in a tinted bank window and wondered why I had bothered doing my hair and spending so much time trying to get some volume, as I could see it was flying around my head.

I stopped into the Starbucks (I've officially stopped trying to make my own coffee in the mornings). This woman practically attacked me. "Oh my gosh! I just LOVE your bag! Where ever did you get your bag?!?!" I was taken aback. It is a nice bag - thanks to my friend Kristin for this birthday gift, but not the kind of bag people stop you to ask about. "oh, thanks" "WHERE did you get IT?!?!" "umm, it was a gift, maybe Old Navy or Target?" I was still smoothing out my crazy windblown hair.... and then I saw it, the button's gold sheen shining in the light of the Starbucks track lighting. Then it came, "WELL! I am with Mary Kay and I would just LOVE to give you a free facial!"

I felt dirty and used instantly. She didn't like my bag! A younger Jana would have felt obligated to give her my info, then get a facial, or avoid her phone calls. Not today - today I thought, you can't go around giving people false compliments, then trying to get their business. She didn't take my first "no" and I had to explain to her that I had already used her product, that it was no good for me and that I was not interested... that I would not be contributing toward her pink Cadillac.

Purple is the new green

In effort to save on gas, do my part to ward off the evils of global warming, and because the parking garage is closed downtown (which would result in me walking just as far if I drove and had to search for a parking spot on the street), I've been walking to work. It's been fabulous. I get some fresh air in morning, a little exercise and a chance to start my morning in a less hurried way (one can only walk so fast). So far, the weather has been accommodating. Some mornings I stop for coffee, some I listen to my ipod and others I take note of the new displays in the cute boutiques. I am okay being the lady in the sneakers with a skirt on, or in flip flops with my suit...
This morning was a little less glamorous... with the downpour I had to plan ahead. I shouldn't wear any dry clean only pants - they'd get soaked. I shouldn't wear a normal coat - it would be heavy and wet. I shouldn't wear my sneakers - they would get squeaky. I went for a skirt and my chacos, with a fashionable hoodie rain pull-over. It was a struggle to find a working umbrella and I was on my way. I will admit I was a little nervous to leave my umbrella at the door of Starbucks today - it was a rough crowd. Would one of them run off with my umbrella for their own protection? Thank goodness it was still sitting there after my conversation with some guys decked out in camouflage wanting to discuss their surprise at the price of a coffee maker, "for that much, that thing had better drive!"
My fault today was that I didn't account for the temperatures. It was cold and I could barely feel my toes by the time I arrived at the courthouse. I think I might look into some rain boots for this spring season.

Happy Birthday!

In honor of a close friend and faithful reader....

Happy 30th Birthday Schelau!



You are now 30, flirty and thriving!

Earth Day

What a way to spend an earth day!Last night Christina and I did "our part." We finally recycled the wine bottles from our super fab wine party months ago. We'd also collected a good stack of cardboard and some old phone books. We went to the recycling center last night - night trips to the scary parts of town are not recommended. There was some difficulty deciding if one of us should stay in the car with it running...just in case. Christina was the brave runner...literally sprinting from the jeep to the dumpsters with our trash. I would prefer not to know what little impact my recycling has, as I'm sure I would be disappointed. We picked up a few laundry baskets at the dollar store and will continue our recycling efforts. Sunday I went to the grocery store and remembered to take a couple reusable shopping bags. Everything I bought fit into my saks (I won't talk here about an article I read about paper vs plastic and how the author said it really didn't matter which, b/c changing or eliminating either would have little impact on the environment). But there is something really special about doing your part. We're going to do ours.This earth day I can be proud. As my friend Vicki said, "Now, we are not earth worshipers, just helping to care for what God created for us, it feels good." Vicki, if you were around, I'd give you a solid, green chest bump. Good work my fellow recycler.

D*mn Shoes

I got dressed in a hurry today - stood at my closet for a bit trying to figure out what shoes to wear. Comfortable? Nah, I just got a pedicure last night. I should wear my peep toe black shoes and flash some of this toe color. I was working at my desk when the judge (robe off and in hand) comes into my office. "I have one of your cases in my courtroom. Can you come over on it?" "Sure, I'll be right over." Probation being in the court, my office being just feet from my judge's courtroom, can be really handy for time management, but impromptu revocation hearings? I ask him who it is on... he doesn't remember the name. I walk to his courtroom with just my pen in hand. Why my pen? I don't know... I didn't want to go empty handed. There he is in his orange jumpsuit - a guy who disappeared from me a while ago, despite him getting a second chance on probation that he really didn't deserve. I shoot from the hip while explaining he deserves jail. I also explain that because I don't have his file, I can't give a recommendation for specific time because I don't know his criminal history. The judge then requests that I go get the file... I unprofessionally exit the courtroom with a, "I'll be right back." I walk quickly down the busy carpeted hallway... until I hit the marble floor with my left foot, at which time my left foot slips, gives way...and I go down. All the way down... on my HANDS and KNEES! I am on all fours, with my hair in my face, for what I hope is only seconds and am afraid I squealed out some loud sound, just in case the scene had gone unnoticed. I hear an attorney bark, "you alright?" I pop up, "yep, I'm fine" and I literally gimp off, dragging my poor little left ankle down the hallway. Ironically, one of my first thoughts is that I am in prime surveillance area and fear that some security guard has noticed what just occurred and will be sure to replay the incident for himself....and all his buddies. D*mn shoes. I think I have no choice but to toss them if I ever get home safely.

Dial Up

Uncle Sam has paid up and I am currently in a situation with some extra funds (I know, claiming zero is ludicrous but I don't mind Unkie making interest off my money, if it wasn't for the government holding my funds, it would have been spent on big macs and itunes months ago. The government is my savings account...what could be wrong with that?). After an evening on my parent's computer (is it rude to excuse yourself from company to enjoy high speed connection?) I'm thinking now is the time to invest in a real computer with a real internet connection. Have we discussed the woes of dial-up?

All this to say that uploading photos is a snap...so here are some recaps:

Here are those valentine's day projects I talked about

Here's a picture from a solo hike at Garden of the Gods

Dad made a home brew... it turned out pretty good. The pale ale went down easy considering it was brewed in the garage. He had a little shindig and showed off his new talent/hobby. Here he is...proud of his fermenting skills.

And I think the black bar speaks for itself here:

Rest in the Room

There is an employee bathroom just feet from my office. It is a large bathroom, the kind where the toilet sits furthest away from the door and the door is so far away that if for some reason you got distracted and forgot to lock the door, there would be no way to prevent exposure once you heard the click of the knob. Even a scream would take a while to travel across the room to the intruders ear. In the bathroom, some ladies have contributed to a collection of Mary Kay hand lotions and magazines. There is also a scale, which I admit, I hop onto frequently. The odd thing about this women's restroom if that everytime I go to use it, the magazines have been moved. This morning, someone had turned to the article about Keith Ledger. This afternoon the Entertainment Weekly was cracked to an article about the Desperate Housewives. I am wondering to myself....who actually plops down and gets caught up on hollywood gossip in the work bathroom? Or have they found this article so riveting, there is a need to share it with others. Just today, on my way back from court, I rushed to bathroom with some urgency. The door was locked...and no one exited for a while. I eventually had to give up and work my way quickly to another restroom. There was some bitterness that while I was suffering through a mini-emergency, someone was hanging out and catching up on Britney.

If it itches...

There was a chair in the long hallway today. I wondered why it was there, and proceeded to pass by it several times today. It wasn't until a co-worker came by to ask if I had disinfectant spray that I began to wonder what would require a good cleansing. And then I heard the spray of the can and smelled the familiar scent of the fresh linen lysol. And then I heard another co-worker as the disinfector, "So, I'm curious. Why is this chair in the hallway?" "Because I had a guy come in here with scabbies."My head itches. My neck itches.

Training

So time has passed and my passions about my miserable week in training have faded. I will share some of the highlights from my experience:
Day 1-3
I am shocked to see a couple of women who are out of touch with the times. One wears a red t-shirt with a pocket on the chest, along with some stretchy pants. The other has taken a lot of time to perfect her bangs... I know this from personal experience; it's not easy to get that much height without some time and some rave. I am only slightly relieved when I find out they are from less populated rural counties.

I am sitting through this training to address substance use. We discuss the buzz words: misuse, abuse, dependency. Should I be concerned that my neighbor smells like alcohol? It wasn't until a co-worker on the other side of her mentioned it to me that it hit me in the face. Maybe she's been taking more than a smoke break.

There are a group of people from my district and I am shocked and kind of embarrassed that J keeps talking about our division like it's back woods - no resources, no good referrals, with an ignorant bench. I am more annoyed and less embarrassed by day 3 when I realize the guy would and could complain about anything. He likes to hear himself talk. There are several of these kinds of people in this training. They have their soapboxes, their causes and they go on....and on....

I do find some entertainment, from the dull training and long winded rants, with exchanged glances with a co-worker. With one look we both knew exactly our sentiments and it is always good to know you're not the only one dying. We bonded through that experience... I will now call her a friend.

On my first day, after a long day, I headed to my hotel. The Ramada Inn. I looked it up online, as someone else had actually made the reservation. I arrived to find that the photographer had been extremely creative. The lobby did have an impressive front desk, but what had appeared to be the lounge was really a collection of chairs. I was sent to a room that required a drive around "The Knights Inn" motel: total sketch. The hotel is set up motorway inn style with each room facing the lot. I enter my room to find decor from 1982 and remnants of gum that had made its way well into the carpet. So much for relaxing in a comfy room for a week. This was going to be tough. My stay was short, after a long night of partyers next door I left the Ramada and hope to never return.

Day 3-4:
New set of co-workers, new set of training. This time, we all take up the full back row of the conference room like the bad kids in class. This training was a bit more interesting with a game of "big hands." There was a woman with extremely large extremities and as she waived and moved them about, we all got the giggles. I know, immature and cruel (I will avoid your judgment by not telling you how the goal was to get a picture of them and at one point there may be been at least 4 phones out and ready).

Upon arrival, finding that "breakfast provided" only meant mini-muffins and sub par coffee, a co-worker and I went on the hunt for a Starbucks. We found a Safeway. On my way down the chip aisle I felt my left foot slip. The next thing I knew, my hair was in my face, I was suddenly at the eye level of, not chips, but rice patties, and I felt like a pretzel. Upon realizing that I was, indeed, still alive I did the next logical thing, look up...sure enough there is a chip stocker just standing and staring at the mess of me in a pile on the shiny, slick floor. I collect myself and begin the struggle of pulling myself up...like a lady and mumble something about slippery floors. Somehow I managed to scrape a good portion of the top of my right foot, presumably from my left foot flailing and accosting it. To this day, we are still in the healing stages.

We (everyone from the district - 7), decided we'd eat lunch together on the break. After some trouble finding a restaurant, we then had terrible service. By the time we had eaten and paid our bills we would have been late to the next session. What happened next was strange. All 7 adults decided it might be best just to skip the next session instead of arriving late and causing a distraction. What happened next was disappointing. We had no idea what to do with ourselves. We (in 2 separate vehicles) followed each other down main thoroughfares, looking for something to do. We ended up at a coffee shop. It was horribly anti-climatic. And all this time, I thought all the cool kids who skipped were having great times... maybe not.

The last thing to say about training is the difference between a bunch of probation officers, who listen, get on soapboxes when they like, and challenge what the speaker presents. We're skeptical...it's what we do. In contrast, counselors are like an audience of baptist worshipers. They might as well be saying, "amen." "Oh!" they can't believe certain statistics. "No!" they are shocked by stories on injustice. And some of them (big hands in particular) treat this training as their own individual session, hollering out input, shouting out "that's right!" and adding their two cents even when it isn't encouraged.

Good Day for a Guinness

St. Patrick's Day is one of the best holidays of the year (falling behind all of the religious ones, of course, that celebrate Jesus). What's not to love about people pulling out their kelly green shirts and sweaters, an occasional green boa, having a green beer or a Guinness, singing Irish tunes and embracing that great Irish saint who taught Christianity by using a shamrock to represent the trinity?Last night I was invited to join Schelau and some friends at Jack Quinn's. It is where I have celebrated every St. Patrick's Day since I was 21 (except for that one year when S and I chose to celebrate in Denver because we thought the big city would bring more excitement...and it did... a crazy blizzard). I drove past Jack Quinn's and saw a line out the door. My thought: it couldn't possibly be worth it. I'll be forced to stand in line with some strangers in the freezing cold, probably have to pay a cover and then fight to order my Guinness that will be served luke warm in a plastic cup. I called it a night. My partying days are sporadic if not gone.Several years ago a line out the door would have meant it was going to totally rock on the inside...obviously because people are waiting to get in. A cover would have meant that the entertainment would be better or that only the committed would be on the other side of the door and the luke warm beer would've gone down so fast I wouldn't have noticed.

Cable

I've been out of town for the last week. What? an exciting trip? a vacation? I'm afraid it was just a long week of training in Denver. I've got a lot to say... hopefully I can share over the next couple of days.
To start: My skanky stay at the Ramada Inn gave me a window into the world of cable. I didn't have the tv on longer than 30 minutes and this is what I saw. Forgive me if this is old news to you, see "Bubbled" for an explanation of my ignorance.

Did you know that Flava Flav has his own TV show? In the bits of an episode I saw, he was in a hot tub with twins... and other ladies were fighting for his affections. Flava Flav (and the intrigued viewer audience) was shocked when one of the contestants tried to entice him by feeding him pigs feet. I know! He was disgusted too!

On MTV there is a show called "My Amore" where some tiny, unattractive italian man plays the role of the bachelor. I was horrified to watch as two women (both gorgeous. a brunette with long skinny legs. a blonde with a perfect body) cried and convulsed as they each waited to receive a token of his interest. No, not a rose. It was a cheap plastic Italian flag that the chosen clung to their breasts. I was repulsed that these women even cared. I don't know if it was the competition to win or the fear of rejection with an audience but whatever it was, it wasn't logical. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the power of a foreign accent, but let's not lose total focus ladies.