Lifetime Commitment

When I came of age (what age, I'm not exactly sure, but an age older than 12) I made a commitment to myself that anytime I saw children selling lemonade on the side of the road I would stop and buy some. I think this commitment came out of the deep sense of rejection I felt as a young entrepreneurial child when cars containing what I thought looked like perfectly pleasant people went whizzing by my roadside lemonade stand without so much as a second glance (they had to take a first glance due to the gigantic neon colored poster-board we used to advertise our delicious nectar (read kool-aid) and lure our customers). Even as a wee one, I recognized the cruelty of adults who wouldn't humor some kids trying to make some extra dough the good ol' fashioned way. On the other hand, I remember the delight I would feel when someone would actually pull over and purchase a glass (read mini-dixi cup) of our hard made juice. These lemonade days are among my favorite childhood memories.

So, today I had the opportunity to fulfill this commitment to always stop at children's lemonade stands as I drove past one on my way home from work. It was the perfect lemonade stand day...warm with a slight summer breeze. I almost envied the kids and the carefree way they made their living. To my delight, inflation hasn't touched the lemonade business (or maybe the recession is hitting it especially hard) because I got a medium sized dixi cup of raspberry lemonade for the bargain price of 25 cents...not a penny more than I charged 20+ years ago. While I hesitated actually drinking the lemonade (you never know where their grubby little hands have been) I was pleased to see the ice cream truck stop in front of their house just a few moments later and think that I somehow contributed to them finally being able to buy that firecracker popsicle they've been wanting.

What are your thoughts on lemonade stands. Did you do them when you were young? Do you stop at them now? Do you drink the lemonade?

P.S. Speaking of lifetime commitments, I keep meaning to blog about Courtney and Cameron's wedding that I went to back in March. Suffice it to say that it was unequivocally, hands down, the best. wedding. ever. Courtney was amazingly beautiful in her self-designed dress, the ceremony was sacred and lovely, and the reception was the most kick A party I've ever been to. Three words: Live. Band. Karaoke. 'Nuff said. Obviously it's not enough said, because I'm going to add this...Courtney's dad started a mosh pit, her mom rocked the bangles, and, at the end of the night, all of the reception guests paraded into the street behind the bride and groom giving them all of our love and happiness through song and chanting. Again...Best. Wedding. Ever!!

Springtime in the Rockies

It's April 17th. I thought it would be safe to put my winter coats away. I thought wrong.

Birthday Surprise

"So, what time are we meeting?" I ask.

"We're meeting on the North side of town at 6:00 pm." She replies, with a slight smile.

"What should I wear?"

"Something comfy."

"Like jeans? Or sweats?"

"Ummmm...sweats. I was planning on wearing yoga pants." Keep in mind, Alice wears yoga pants approximately 82% of the time seeing as how she is a yoga instructor and likes to be comfy when she's not being twisty.

My thoughts were racing. I knew my friends were planning a birthday surprise, but I had no idea what it could be. What sort of activity could take place on the North side of town that would require me to wear something comfy?

"Are we going to be in public? Or just by ourselves?"

"In public" she says. I knew that was the end of the discussion...as curious as I am, I didn't want her to actually give away the surprise.

Rock climbing? Ice skating? Flag football? Capture the flag? Yoga? The possibilities are endless!

Today I get a gchat from Scott in which he tells me, "make sure to bring two pairs of socks!" Ummm...2 pairs of socks? Whiskey tango foxtrot?? That rules out rock climbing and yoga. Also seems a little unnecessary for any sort of activity involving a flag or skating (though, Scott can be a bit of a germaphobe and perhaps the extra pair of socks is for changing into before putting back on my own shoes?). He also tells me to wear a "track suit" which I don't own because I'm not a Russian teenaged hoodlum.

So, dear friends, as a birthday present to me, any ideas about what might be taking place tonight?? Brainstorm!! Be creative!! Closest to the truth (besides those who already know) will win a prize :)

a month (or so) in review

So, I've been in Denver for a month now (well, it was a month when I started this post...now it's been almost two!). Can you believe it's been that long? I'm experiencing another one of those bizarre h'd up time warp things where I simultaneously feel like I've just arrived and like I've been here forever. Those always trip me out.

Anyway, my time here so far has been fantastic. It's been one of the easier moves I've ever made and the transition into my new life has been relatively seamless. Maybe it's because it's home...but it's been an incredibly comfortable and comforting change for me. So...here's my month (or so) in review:

1. I've already been snowboarding twice and was immediately reminded of the FACT that Colorado has the best snow on earth. Utahans might claim it on their license plates, but it's a bald faced lie. (ok, in an effort to reduce my hyperbole I'll say that Colorado has the best snow in the US, since I haven't technically participated in snow sports outside of the contiguous 48. And, if I'm being truly honest...I can only speak to the fact that we have the best snow out of the following states: Colorado, Utah, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, California, and Oregon...do people even snowboard in other states?). Rather than turn this into a battleground over something completely ridiculous, I'll just say that we had a fabulous time and show you these pictures to prove it:

I've also rekindled my long lost love of cheetos since returning to Denver...YUM!

I can't wait until I can get a summit pass next year!!

2. I love living with my long-time BF Shammy. The space is fun-sized, just like me, so likely won't be a permanent situation, but I have LOVED sharing space, having long chats, enjoying tea time, being with someone who totally gets me and offers incredible support, laughing over fond memories, and making new ones.

3. I've joined a bowling team! Really it's just some of Alice's friends who bowl every Wednesday night and I've wiggled myself into their group. I suck, just as I always have, but it's teaching me to be less competitive (which we all know is a hard but important lesson for me to learn). We go to this pretty ghetto bowling alley near our house that seems to be the hot spot for the young and beautiful who are looking for good clean fun. The other night I was up until 1:00 am shopping for bowling shoes and a vintage ball bag on ebay. If I'm going to be a bowler, I'm going to do it in style!

4. I really love my job. I work with an amazing team of people and it's a really great program. It's a bit challenging and I'm learning a lot. I have to tell people "no" (which is really hard for me) and sometimes people don't like me (a product of me telling them no, which is why I don't like to do it). I'm sharpening my clinical skills and getting really good at sniffing out problem people based on meager information. I'm learning a lot about the treatment of PTSD and really enjoy working with these courageous men.

5. I forgot how crazy the weather in Colorado is. First of all, the sun is always shining and is no indication whatsoever of the temperature outside. Also, on several occasions, it has gone from being 60-70 degrees one day to 20-30 then next. That old saying "If you don't like the weather just wait 5 minutes" has been used in many states. But, it's never been more true than in Colorado. So far there have been several snowfalls, but also several beautifully warm days. I'm just waiting for our usual March blizzard before I pack up all of my sweaters.

6. Since I was stuck in Portland over the holidays, my family celebrated Christmas in February. We had a fantastic time exchanging presents sans tree and the stress that surrounds the big Christmas dinner. I already received (bought) and used my gift of a new snowboard a couple times before we celebrated Christmas. I also got a wonderfully snuggly blanket from Desiree. The fun thing was actually doing most of my Christmas shopping the day of the exchange...talk about procrastination! Plus, we got spring pajamas instead of the usual winter flannel :)

Here we are with some of our Christmas bootie

7. I had a visitor within my first month of being back. Paul came out for a long weekend over President's Day (unfortunately, we didn't take a single picture). We had a fantastic time being Coloradans - snowboarding, playing frisbee golf, going to the Boulder Film Festival, eating at the greatest Chinese Restaurant on the planet with my fam, and just hanging out. It was so great to get some quality time in with Paul. As you know...I can't wait for more visitors!

8. It's been really great to meet up and hang out with old friends. In some cases, the friendships just slipped right back in as though I'd never left, which I really love. It's great to have an instant network of people who I love and who really know me. There are still some I have yet to see, but it's nice just knowing that they are there!

9. I've been going to the singles ward since I moved back, but in a month I'll be heading to the family ward (which I embrace with a big ol' mixed bag of feelings). I haven't done the best job of making friends who are LDS (since I've already got such a great group of friends) but I'm hoping that will change when I move in with some girls from the ward. I feel like it's really important for me to maintain that social connection. There's lots of awkwardness and loneliness in this department, but that's fodder for another post.

10. Finally, there's goals group. Alice, Lindsay and I have started up a goals group wherein we meet every other week, make yummy food, and help keep each other accountable for our goals. Each group we make 5 short-term goals. At our next group we check up on our progress and for each goal that we didn't accomplish, we put $5 into the pot. Lindsay thinks that at the end of six months we'll be able to go on a trip with all of the money from the pot. I'm not sure if she's overly optimistic or pessimistic, but either way it's a win-win situation. So far I'm 5 for 5!

Anyway...that's my life in review for those who are wondering. I miss all of my Portlanders dearly, but am having a fantastic time here in Colorado! Come visit!!

eau de toilet

I've suddenly become very aware (almost to the point of self consciousness) about the amount of toilet paper I use. It all started a few months ago when Ashley and I were at the grocery store and I was about to buy one of those industrial sized packages of TP. We were going to be moving out of our place soon and she said something to the effect of "That is an INSANE amount of toilet paper. It would take me a year to go through that. You're never going to finish it before we move. What...are you going to just pack it up with all of your stuff?"

I went ahead and bought the megaload, thinking it was a reasonable amount for my remaining time at our house. And I was right...I think I used it all...down to the last roll. Now I'm staying at my friend Alice's house and I've been sharing her store of TP until we run out, at which time I'll restock. Her bathroom is downstairs, so I've been grabbing 2 rolls at a time so I've got a spare in my bathroom. This has also made me super aware of the amount of toilet paper I'm going through because I feel like I'm constantly restocking. I never thought I was an overconsumer of toilet paper. But, perhaps I'm wrong.

So...I'm putting it out to the masses: How much toilet paper do you use? How quickly do you go through a roll? Do you use a particular number of squares for each wipe? Or with a flick of the wrist do you just let it roll? Feel free to post your comments anonymously if you're uneasy with potty talk. Members of the PC, I'd especially appreciate your feedback.

sixes

I never get specifically tagged. And I always feel too self conscious to respond to any of those "if you feel like doing it then consider yourself tagged" tags. But, I've been tagged. And you're all about to be ridiculously grateful that I was because now you're privy to this little gem:

This is a picture of 63 and Larry taken on the DC metro last winter as we were gallivanting around the city before Shawn Lindseth's nuptials. I'll let the picture speak for itself.

Here's how it works: go to the pictures folder on your computer, go to the sixth file, go to the sixth picture, post it, then tag 6 people. I can't narrow down the list of those to tag. So, I'm just gonna put it out to all of you (even though I hate when people do that). I am not sure if anyone even reads this anymore since I almost never post. But...if you do...here's your chance to prove it!!

K(c)arma?

What did I do in a former life to deserve the kind of car problems I have? Was I one of those machines that smashes old cars into pancakes? Was I road salt that corrodes the underbelly? Was I a gigantic pothole? Perhaps I was black ice or a semi that shoots rocks into windshields? Whatever it was, it had to be bad, and it had to be the kind of thing that cars HATE because apparently my 15 year history of needing rescue on the side of the road is not yet over.

I woke up this morning to big fat snowflakes coming down in droves (yay!). I laughed maniacally as I (and all of the rest of Denver) drove to work despite the blizzard. I laughed even louder when I realized the temperature was 9 (yes NINE) degrees outside. It was amazing to me how wonderfully the city was handling the quickly accumulating snow in comparison to Oregonians in Arctic Blast 2008. I stopped laughing about a mile from my house when my left rear wheel seized up, causing my car to drive straight only when the steering wheel was turned as though I was making a sharp right turn (and the car was at a slight angle...looking like it was heading straight into the left lane). I know this doesn't make any sense to you, the reader. It also didn't make any sense to me, the driver. It seemed like I was just kind of spinning out on the icy road. Only, the road wasn't very icy and I wasn't actually spinning. So, I just kept driving, at an angle, with my wheel sharply turned, thinking I would somehow come out of this "spin". It wasn't until a friendly driver in the next lane rolled down his window to tell me the 411 on my wheel that I learned it had seized up and was not spinning...thus causing my car to want to drive around that stuck tire like a dog chasing it's tail. At that point, I stop the car (there wasn't really a shoulder on which to pull over) and get out to have a look. I'm not sure what I intended to see or do with that look. It's true...the wheel wasn't spinning (which is good considering the car was stopped and I was no longer at the helm). So, I looked, then promptly got back into the car (remember the 9 degree weather and the blizzard??) and attempted to turn the car back on. Only, Mitzy had completely given up on me and would not start. Damn. I sat there in my freezing car, watching the snow pile up to the point that I could not see out any of the windows in a matter of minutes, while I frantically tried to call work, my insurance road side assistance, and my roommate so that I could be rescued.

I thought that buying a relatively new car would free me of my close relationship with the local tow truck company and nearby mechanic. Apparently my bad Carma (sic) is here to stay and Tow Truck Tim and I are on our way to being BFFs.

Day 1

I've been in Colorado for over 24 hours now...28 hours to be exact. I thought I'd give you a list of the highlights and lowlights of Day 1 in Denver.

Highlights
1. Seeing and hugging my family and best friends and knowing I'll get to do it all the time.
2. My family's excitement and enthusiasm about me being here (I didn't even have time to put my shoes on before my mom yanked me out of the car and started dancing and singing with me in the driveway when we arrived).
3. Fantastic road trip with Scott.
4. The ease of the loading and unloading (and unloading some more) of my stuff.
5. The generosity of my family and friend who helped with the move.
6. Nobody actually broke their knee on the hitch that stuck out the back of the Uhaul truck (but dang does that smart when you hit it).
7. It was 67 degrees today.
8. Alice letting me stay with her in her ADORABLE house in the most ADORABLE neighborhood for a few months while I get settled and situated.
9. There is a Chipotle a block from my house and another one a block from work...significant sign that this move was meant to be.
10. Along with Chipotle, there is the cutest little strip of stores, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops just a block away from where I'm living. It reminds me of downtown Bend, OR.
11. Drinking my first cup of hot chocolate with Alice in her living room while listening to Santa Wars on This American Life and laughing until we cry. I know this moment will repeat itself in various forms over the next few months and that makes me endlessly giddy.
12. Having wireless that works so I can actually blog about Day 1!

Lowlights
1. Missing my friends in Oregon.
2. Not being able to finish my morning pee before my mom and sister burst through the bathroom door screaming "YAY" to let me know how excited they are that I'm here (and awake).
3. Pumping my own gas.
4. Sales tax.
5. Crusty bugers
6. Chapped lips
7. The constant need for lotioning
8. Sleeping on just my mattress because my box spring doesn't fit up the stairs to my room.
9. All of the new positions I'm going to have to learn in order to effectively bathe in Alice's teeny tiny shower.
10. Missing my friends in Oregon...did I say that twice? Well, that's how much I miss them!

I think I'll stay.