What I aspire to!

Love ya Rach! :P

Find Your Addiction and Get Addicted

Why have I chosen an activity where I stick my hands in dark, dirty holes that are infested with snakes, spiders, bugs, prairie dogs, and SQUIRRELS? Why have I chosen an activity where I have to climb over, through, and under pine trees and juniper bushes that I'm allergic to? (Remind anydoby of SAC?!) Because it's so FREAKING AWESOME! I almost died caching on Arthur's Rock, every time I go into a grove off the road I think I'm going to come across a dead body. I get to act like James Bond (and sometimes a statue) when muggles are nearby and I need to be inconspicuous. And because I get to crawl through slasher-flick-style woods.

I did mucho caching this week, but tonight was the most fun I've had in ages. I was gonna check it out last night around 10:30, but I got laid over at a friend's house longer than expected so I was gonna do it on the way home round 2:30am. 2:30 seems more like a slasher hour than 10:30 though, so I put it off till this evening. I made it harder than it needed to be. (I walked through the woods instead of around them. And by walked I mean crawled, hopped over and climbed.) I even made my own movie:)

I checked out roller derby this weekend as well. Fo Co Girls Gone Derby vs Sugar Kill Gang of the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls. It was fantastic. My kind of people! Seriously thinking of trying out.

What'd you do this weekend? :P

Mid-Night GeoCaching

okay...so it was closer to 11:30, but you get the idea. I was snooping around outside WalMart, looking for a cache. I was in the right area, but it's a tiny one and I'm supposed to be stealthy. I don't do dainty and I don't do stealthy! I figured people (or "Muggles" to the geo-cacher community) wouldn't be a problem at that hour. I was concerned about the security truck driving around. Oddly enough, he didn't seem to mind that I was digging through bushes, stooping near people's cars and walking (seeminly aimlessly) in circles.

I did not find the cache. Security was moving closer and I didn't want to cause problems. And the owner of the vehicle I was working round was coming over. I didn't want her to get all sketchy and get me kicked out of WalMart. Afterall, what would I do without my ghetto WalMart?!

I will try again for that cache though! Maybe with more people around I'll be less conspicuous. Maybe I'll bring some decoys along...

Happy Caching!

I just watched 'A Fast Food Nation'. Boring. Dull. Lame. They showed the Kill flower of a slaughter house at the end of the movie. They got it wrong. People are all ablaze about the book and movie. "It's disturbing." "I'll never eat meat again." blah blah blah. I was more disturbed by what was on TV after the movie. 'Little Beauties: Kiddie Queen Showdown'. YIKES! These teeny-tiny girls look like they could go to a bar and buy me a beer! What are people thinking?!

Seriously, I'm more likely to have nightmares about the girls than about the cows.

moo. it's what's for dinner.

How many quizzes can I take?

Homework Help Night is going a wee-bit slow today.

What obsolete skill are you?

You are 'Latin'. Even among obsolete skills, the tongue of the ancient Romans is a real anachronism. With its profusion of different cases and conjugations, Latin is more than a language; it is a whole different way of thinking about things.You are very classy, meaning that you value the classics. You value old things, good things which have stood the test of time. You value things which have been proven worthy and valuable, even if no one else these days sees them that way. Your life is touched by a certain 'pietas', or piety; perhaps you are even a Stoic. Nonetheless, you have a certain fascination with the grotesque and the profane. Also, the modern world rejects you like a bad transplant. Your problem is that Latin has been obsolete for a long time.
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Which Prison Break Character are you?

You are Charles Westmoreland
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Which Flower are You?

You are a Carnation:You are friendly, energetic, cheerful, and bubbly. You love being around people. Outgoing and talkative, you rarely meet a stranger. Others feel at ease around you because of your playful nature.Symbolism: In Victorian times carnations were given to show fascination with another. They also symbolize friendship and whimsicalness.
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Perks of Volunteering

I've always enjoyed the perks of volunteering at the UCCC. But tonight was FANTASTIC!!! It was the production of Aida by Big League something or other. I've been working there for almost four years and I've never seen such a strong and amazing cast. The story line was nice, the compostions were good, lyrics were heartfelt. But the singing and dancing were more than words could properly explain.

Thankfully, I was a program-jockey on third floor, so I didn't have to do much. Well, anything really.Third floor tends to be quiet:) So I was able to watch the whole show without being bothered. ;P

fyi. i'm loving grape soda this month

The last few weeks have been very edifying. It makes me feel all warm and sunshiny inside:) The edifications ranged from work to soccer to a random guard, but they were all well appreciated!

So. Knowing that edifications aimed at me feel so great, I'm encouraging my "audience" to give a warm-fuzzy to somebody else. Now, don't be generic or general. Don't just tell somebody they look nice today or you like hanging out with them. BE SPECIFIC. (Specificity works best.) Tell them you like the way a shirt fits them or you like their taste in shoes. Say you like their smile or a certain laugh. You enjoy their company because _________. It'll lift that persons spirit for days. You'll feel pretty great too.

Try it. See how it goes. Let me know.

(I like how you read left to right. I enjoy that.) :P

I Have Squirrel Issues

I was attacked by a squirrel today. TWICE!

I was out walking, rounded the corner and saw the squirrel. No big thing, till it started eye-balling me. I looked at it and the squirrel lunged at me! I screamed and jumped away. Then it came at me again! I screamed again and jumped into the street. I ran across the street fearing for my...ankles. I got the last word though. As I ran I trash talked at the squirrel.

On the way back home I had to walk by the same tree where the squirrel was. Before I came up to it I scanned the ground and I scanned the branches. Squirrely McMeany was nowhere to be seen and I got home safely.

The End.

Feb/March recap

My blog would lead one to believe to that I haven't been doing much lately. That would be true! Well, somewhat. After getting back from Yuma I worked a week or two then went to Rochester for my nephew's (Jonas) 1st birthday. I haven't seen the tike since he was one month old. Toooooo long of a break! He was so big!

And then I went snowboarding (see previous post). It was Beautiful day! We had a great time. We accidentally ended up near/on the black diamonds though. I blame Nicola. I told her to check the map as I took a pic of some guys (on THEIR camera) and she didn't. She said to follow the kids. Well, that didn't exactly work out! We made it alright though:)

I made a trip out to Sioux Falls, SD this past weekend. Visited my very pregnant friend and her husband. Saw a few other friends whilst out there as well. I haven't road tripped for awhile, so it was fun driving 10hrs across NE, IA and into SD. Totally worth it. Rachel's so cute! We did some baby shopping, reminiscing, goofing around and just connecting. It was Super!



Finally, Indoor Soccer finished up last night. We made it to the Championship and took 2nd. It was hard fought, but we were just too tired from the previous game. 7-6 was the final score. Oh well. On to outdoor!

Spring is here in Northern Colorado, so I'll be getting into the mountains for hikes and I'm looking forward to camping more this summer. I have alot of new camping gear to try out! (Thanks Family!) I will do my best to keep up with the blog. But, I expect the same from all of you too! You know who I'm talking about...

A beautiful day at Eldora! FINALLY somebody local to play with me:)

The Great Laugh

It's beautiful, the "Before Dawn" world. It's quiet. Unassuming. You can hear the world catching its breath, relaxing before the gear up for the coming day.

As much as I dislike working night shift, I love that there's a whole other world that few people are a part of, or get to see.

I was at the Yuma Wal-Mart around 3am the other day. It seemed like absolutely everybody was in the parking lot collecting shopping carts! I don't actually know how to explain the feeling I had walking from the car to the doors. It was like being a part of a well-choreographed dance. Everybody was moving at the right pace and time to make it look organized, yet not planned out. Organized-chaos. My favorite oxymoron:)

People that are working, shopping, can't sleep...they're a special bunch. They're easy-going. They live a no rush, no pressure life. (At least the Wal-Mart and Del Taco employees do!) I wore my SDSU hoodie to Wal-Mart this morning (about 4am) and I chatted with a lady-worker for about 5mins about how she froze her nylons after she got married to a Marine and moved to his family's farm in Lincoln, NE. They were married in Minneapolis and she like the SD, MN, and NE area. It was an inane story to me, but she wouldn't stop laughing! She wouldn't have been able to chat like that with the customers that come during the day. I appreciate the story now and am glad that she was able to get me to stop thinking about work, even for five minutes.

She's divorced now, but she still has fond memories of that time and those places. I'm leaving Yuma in a few hours. I won't necessarily have fond memories, but I've relearned a great lesson about life. I've become too serious about things. I haven't had a great laugh in who knows how long. You know the laughs I'm talking about. The laugh that comes from the belly and hurts when you do it too long. The laugh that leads to snorting. The contagious laugh. The Great Laugh. I miss it. I need to find it.

yarg

How is it that people still don’t know how to travel? It’s all over the news about what you can and can not have in your carry-on. It’s (was) all over the news that you have to remove your shoes at security. Even if you don’t watch tv, read news articles, or listen to the radio there are signs posted ALL OVER the airport! How is it that you can spend up to an hour waiting to go through security and not read any of the signs? How can you ignore the TSA agents walking around, “yelling” about the size of containers that are acceptable?

It frustrates me to no end. I’ve thought about taking out an ad that begs people to do things properly. (I’d list out exactly what to do.) But, as previously mentioned, majority of travelers apparently don’t read papers, watch tv, or listen to the radio. So they’d miss the ad.

It feels like I always get behind the folks who have to untie their shoes, take off a coat, a sweater, then their sweatshirt. The folks who STILL carry lighters, nail files, liquids over 3oz. Who STILL wear gobs and gobs of jewelry. THEN complain about having to take things out, throw things away, remove the jewelry store from their arm…No End.

Don’t misinterpret me. This doesn’t apply to the family sect with young kids. I can sympathize with them. I couldn’t imagine lugging car seats, strollers, diaper bags, snacks, and a kid or two around. This in NO WAY applies to them. They streamline what they carry around on a daily basis! This is for the traveler over 16. GET IT TOGETHER PEOPLE!!!

And done. For now. I still have to get back to Greeley;)

Quasi-Blizzard hits Hwy 85

I’m going to Yuma, AZ again. This time for a week though. It stinks, cause I don’t want to go, but what’s worse is my sis has lived in Greeley for less than 24hours and I’m already leaving. What’s even worse is there was a quasi blizzard Sunday morning while I was driving to the airport. Fantastic.

I was going below the speed limit majority of the way. I was REALLY hoping the airport would shut down. Granted, they’d rather not since they already did that this winter☺ But, like I wrote earlier, I really don’t want to be in Yuma right now.

Anyways, it was kinda cool, lotsa freaky the drive. I was coming up to a stop light so I did a soft tap to my breaks and starting sliding like CRAZY. I had come across a rather large piece of ice. I ended up doing an 180degree turn☺ Almost nailed the car already stopped at the light in front of me! My heart was racing and my hands were shaking when I got my car turned back around and heading down the road. What’s sorta funny is that a Trooper was with another vehicle facing the wrong way (a previous spin out) and as I drove away, I saw another vehicle spin out! It was a nasty section.

I want to give a quick shout-out to my pops for the lessons on defensive driving and driving in winter conditions. Things could’ve ended up differently if I’d lost my head and let “instincts” take over. Thanks Pops!!

The rest of the drive was uneventful and I actually made my flight! Darn it all. I parked in the garage this time. I thought the company owed me;)

The ICE raid last month didn't keep him down. Little Carlos didn't get deported!!!! I hadn't seen him since before I left for AZ in early December. I was afraid he'd been deported:( But I saw him today and his English is coming along. Still missing Angel and "Juan" though. :(

A-WooHoo!

Finally, after years and years of baking I've done it. I've made the perfect cookie! As you can see in the unaltered, untouched, non-photoshopped picture it's a perfect circle, with golden edges. There are plenty of chocolate chips, but not too many. It's cooked perfectly. Soft, yet not undercooked. And the taste? Well, ask around. I haven't had any complaints yet:) I actually made this batch for my aunt. It's the only thing she wanted me to bring to Christmas.

Now I'm watching "It's a Wonderful Life". I looooove Jimmy Stewart!

Merry Christmas Friends!
<><

ARGH!

So much time, so much laundry, so few quarters.

Due to my car being snowed in, I walked to Wal-Mart to get some quarters since I forgot to get them Tuesday. It was acutally really nice out. Kids playing, people shoveling, cars getting stuck. It was great! Folks seem to be a lot nicer with all this snow too. I love seeing neighbors help each other out. And motorists were super nice to those of us walking. They slowed (some didn't!) when they passed and they waved and offered the road to the pedestrians more than they do when all is dry.

So I get to Wal-Mart with few mishaps (there were some spills) and I realize I don't have my checkbook to write over the amount to get quarters! So I go home without quarters, again. Before heading BACK to Wal-Mart I shovel around my car and wait for the plow to come through the parking lot.

Shoveling done, I head to Wal-Mart. Got cash for the quarters, but the line to get quarters was too long, so I walk a block south to a car wash and get the quarters there! With $20 in quarters in my pocket I head home. I take the "short cut" across the park. Since I'm already soaked from tredging across the park I take a few dives into the thick, deep snow. It was FANTASTIC! I love the snow!!

Sadly, the snow plow hasn't shown and I'm not expecting it to now. They'll probably come tomorrow. But, I have to get to work, so I dug out a path for my car. Rosie is so low to the ground...I hope I don't get stuck leaving at 6:30 tomorrow morning. I walked the lot and lowered some areas. I think we should be good:)

This was just supposed to be a commentary on how it took me THREE Wal-Mart trips for quarters:) Hope the blah blah blahing of snow wasn't boring!

BTY, the snow was about an inch below my knee. That's close to 20inches!

It's technically my day off, but since I live closest to the lab, my boss wants me to go in and pull some stuff! I don't think I'm going to make it out of my parking lot any time soon though:) I tried digging my car out, but it's just not possible at this time. Sorry boss-man, I'm camping in.

Blizzard 2006

aka The Holiday Blizzard. You know how the media gets. They have to put a clever, cutesy name to everything:)

Colorado is literally snowed in. I-25 is closed from WY to NM. Heading West into NE or KS isn't possible either. Going through the mountains? Not without chains! It's been snowing non-stop since early this morning and isn't expected to quit till tomorrow afternoon! I love it! There's some good sledding in my future:) I'm mostly glad that I went to the grocery store last night. I cleaned out my fridge and cupboards before heading to AZ and didn't have anything, I mean NOTHING to eat.

So anyways, Greeley is up to 14 inches and rising. I'll maybe post some pics tomorrow if I can get out:P

The Moon is the New Sun

I started typing a blog this a.m. while at work, but it was "late" and it would've been a bit senial. So I'm typing about 12hours later on my way to work. That's right kiddos, I'm now a part of the night shift. I AM the night shift.

I'm in AZ. It's 70 and nice out. I've been hanging out on my "balcony" at the IEH apartment listening to the thwap, thwap of the palm leaves in the breeze, getting some sun, and just enjoying my time off. So that's what I do for about 10mins. Then I go to bed. Jealous? Yeah, I wouldn't be either!

Last night between samples I cleaned, organinzed, unpacked, cleaned some more, and put together things for the lab. It's pretty now. Not pink pretty, lab pretty. Organized and ready to go! Mr. Big-Wig is coming tomorrow with some other hotshots, so it's a good things we got these things done yesterday, so I can do touch-ups tonight.

Tonight. I got up a few hours ago and I'm ready to go back to bed:) I actually need to leave now. I just drank an espresso shake. It was VERY good. Not very coffee tasting. Yummy.

Sleep tight!