For those of you keeping up...

My indoor team took third:( Tough loss. Great season though! A break is needed greatly. My left knee is about three times it's usual size with a massive, oozey rug burn on it. Hot stuff! I can hear the fellas running!! :P

I've been hanging with Shannon near Saratoga for a couple of days. It's a winter wonderland up here:) Problem is, my wishes keep getting granted! I know it sounds odd to call that a problem, but I've been feeling guilty getting my way lately. I wanted to get snowed in so I could be with Shannon longer and that wish is happening! Guilty part...I'm supposed to work this weekend and I was covering a shift already. But I DON'T WANT TO GO!!! I'm having a blast up here. Relaxing, hanging out, playing in the snow! (I introduced Shannon to a nice big, fluffy section;P)

We went GeoCaching this morning. It was only a mile away so we walked. 10-15min when dry. Closer to an hour with 2ft of snow! It was fun. The dogs had a great time:) I was supposed to go snowmobiling yesterday, but the guy with the sleds had to work longer than expected. But, I did get to help cut down a Christmas Tree! Shannon works 10-6 so her friends have been keeping me entertained. A seriously great time!

OH! I went snowboarding yesterday too! No chairlifts and snowmobiles are not allowed in that section. So I had to hike up. I'm getting some serious cardio this holiday:)

Appetites were Brought!

I just had one of my BEST dinner parties:) And a great mix of music if I do say so myself:)

The Menu:
Spinach and Artichoke dip with carrots and bread as an appetizer
French Onion Soup for a starter
Penne Rigata with Greens and toasted Pine Nuts for the entree
Asparagus and Yellow Peppers with a Parmesan Butter for a side
Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Carmel Swirl topping for Dessert
everybody went home with a goodie box of Choc Chip, White Choc Macadamia Nut and PB cookies and Buckeyes
PumpkinTinis
Wine
VodkaFog (a vodka chocolate yummy concoction!)

I had quite the array of friends over, but there was atleast a small connection b/t 1 person and another in every "group". It went great! People were laughing, drinking, talking, eating and telling stories all night.

My kitchen was a DISASTER afterwards, but it was cleaned up in no time. I sacrificed a few chunks if skin to the cheese grater. (Lots of blood and banging of my head on the counter to distract from the pain.)

I'll get some pics posted later. The bike helmet was pulled out at one point:)
Good Eats everybody!!

Brian Regan is HILARIOUS!!!!

This guy came through Greeley tonight. A riot! I was laughing the entire time. Check him out!!
Walkie Talkie

PopTarts


and one more:)
Food Labels

Just told my stylist good-bye:(
Atleast the hard one's are out of the way. A good Dentist and Hair Stylist are hard to find.
Next round starts in a few weeks!

Sang this song at church today and it really hit me. Brought a huge smile to my face:)
credit to David Crowder Band
"You make everything glorious, and I am Yours, What does that make me?" Pretty simple, ay?

The day is brighter here with You
The night is lighter than its hue
Would lead me to believe
Which leads me to believe

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours
What does that make me?

My eyes are small but they have seen
the beauty of enormous things
Which leads me to believe
there's light enough to see that

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

From glory to glory
You are glorious You are glorious
From glory to glory
You are glorious. You are glorious
Which leads me to believe
why I can believe that


You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And I am Yours

From glory to glory From glory to glory
You are glorious. You are glorious.
You are glorious. You are glorious.

It's hard to say good-bye to the Dentist

I had a dentist appointment on Thurs. Just a regular check-up and cleaning. I know that majority of people loath going to the dentist, but it was the most relaxing thing I'd done all week:) You have no idea how much I was looking forward to it! The hygenist is AMAZING! She has never stabbed my gums or pinched the inside of my cheek or caused my ANY pain or discomfort. I believe this to be a rarity in the world of Teeth Doctors/Hygenists. She's also insanely nice to me. Always complimenting my clean teeth and how easy I am to work on. She always says nice things about my hair or shoes...If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was hitting on me:) Dr. Heikes is super nice too. I've never seen his face though. He's ALWAYS wearing a mask and glasses. But he's nice. In and Out. He makes fun of my missing bicuspid, but it's become a sort of inside joke. Odd to have a joke with your dentist...

Anyway, they were saying "bye, see you in a few months" and I told them "Negatory. I am moving to MN in Jan." Dr. Heikes came back around the corner and I think he was actually sad. (As sad as one can be behind a mask...That could be the start of a deep thought.) But they became a difficult group to say bye too! I was NOT expecting that! But everybody was really nice about it and I told the hygenist (wish I knew her name) that she was the best I ever had and that I totally appreciated her. The receptionist lady then told me about her parents and how they like to VACATION in Rochester. It was awesome. I knew it'd be hard to say bye to my friends and a few coworkers and to CO in general, but I never knew it'd be hard to say good-bye to the Dentist.

<><

I scored a goal at indoor! I scored a goal at indoor! Then I squealed like a little girl! Then I squealed like a little girl! :) Live it Love it:)

It's called Painting with Light.

star wars V star trek

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God Plan 'PP' is in action!

Plan PP
Step 1:
Pick a date to end my job
Step 2:
Tell boss what that date is
Step 2b:
Fire Chee
Step 3:
Decide where to move
Step 4:
Move

I can check steps 1-3 off the list:)

January 11 will be my final day with IEH! and I am moving to...wait for it...Rochester, MN!

What a week. I know I posted a few weeks ago about taking control back, but that only lasted a few days. But I held on to what I had and started making some decisions. They all feel great so I'm guessing that I'm FINALLY on track to what God has for me. And this weekend has been a reminder of what my life used to be like:) I stayed in my PJs till about 11 then went geocaching on a brisk, chilly Saturday afternoon. I fell into a funk when I went to WalMart, but who wouldn't be depressed at WalMart on Saturday! TOO MANY PEOPLE! and I got into my head too much. But, then, I went to Target and everything was better! I LOVE walking around Target! Even if I don't buy anything, there's just something about Target that I enjoy. That afternoon I realized that I had accidentally recorded over my Tae Bo tape. No more Billy Blanks doing "Double Time!" :( I have a small part of the tape left atleast. About half the double time. ahhhhh I'm so funny.

At church Saturday evening I saw a friend, went to say hey and completely fell apart. I was crying all over the place! Now: I cry at cheesy-sappy movies, I cry when I bring animals to the pound and I cry when I see other people crying on TV. These are all silly cries. I don't actually cry that much. But I've been stressed, exhausted and just a huge emotional wreck the last couple of months. All I wanted to tell her was HI! But she asked how I was doing and I just...I was laughing through it though too. I told her about my resignation and moving. She was excited for me (she's been praying for my guidance and talking to me for a little over 2 years now about God's plan!) but then she got a bit misty eyed and that set me off again. It felt good I guess. That release was needed and it hit me that I AM MOVING. I AM MOVING. In 2 1/2 months I AM MOVING.

The new adventures waiting for me in MN are very exciting. Watching my nephews grow up and being a part of their lives is very exciting. Being close to my bro and sis-in-law is very exiciting. Living near my 'rents...not so much:) (kidding Mom! I love your meatloaf!!) I'm just not looking forward to starting all over in the friends department. I've become a little more extroverted over the years, but I'm either super shy or come across as this wicked-tough, ornery chick. Still have some things to work on.

The soccer game that was cancelled three weeks ago was finally made up today. I couldn't have asked for a better Fall day for a game! FYI, I was on a Champion team:) And again, sad b/c it was my finally game in the shadows of the mountains. I have goose poopy fields to look forward to now.

Finally...

I've taken control back. I refuse to let my job get me down any longer!

As many of my friends know, I've decided to quit my job after the new year. That decision has turned into such a blessing! My job stills blows, but I know I don't have to do it much longer which makes it easier to grin and bear.

As usual, I was pretty exhausted on Friday. But, I had made plans to meet a friend for Happy Hour and go to a party that night. So, I dragged my bum to OCs and we had a very nice chat. She's one of my good friends here and we talked out some of my options after leaving my job and what not. It just felt good to tell her what was going on and to give her a heads up that I may not be around in a few months! Neither of us are emotional people, but we both started to tear up:) We've sort of been each others rock over the last few months and it'll be hard to leave if that's the choice that's made.

So. Happy Hour was Happy, I headed home to change and headed to the party where I told everybody that it was going to be a short night for me. I gave the head's up so I wouldn't get crap later on when I left. Apparently, being tired, nay, exhausted, isn't a viable excuse though. One guy continually asked if I was mad. If I was mad at him. Did he do something wrong. Why am I mad. He was actually pissing me off for asking what was wrong when all I was was tired!! But, he's called "Drunk Jim" for a reason and what I was saying wasn't getting through. Friday's start and end were not very nice.

Saturday. Now Saturday was the day I'd been looking forward to all week! I had no plans for the day. I could sleep as much I needed. Nothing was pressing to get done. Except, did I mention that my computer broke on Friday? It did. I forgot till Saturday morning when I needed it! My carefree day now required me going to the library to get directions to the Apple store in Broomfield. I had to contemplate buying a new computer that day, I couldn't forget to email directions to a friend for a party that I was going to that night and I got a call that could lead to me working through Sunday night/Monday morning. So not only did I wake up and IMMEDIATELY think about work I was now angry driving down I-25 and thinking of nothing but work. I was listening to Christmas music and that wasn't even distracting or enjoyable!

Where have my weekends gone?! Where has the girl gone that doesn't let things bother her because it all works out in the end?! Where have I GONE?! I've been struggling with that question for months now.

And out of nowhere...there I was! The real me had just been sitting there. Waiting. I took control back. I made the decision to not deal with work till I was done driving. Then I decided to not deal with it till I got to the Apple store, made an appointment to check out my computer. Then, I decided what the plan would be so one person wasn't working straight thru the night. It'd be best to break it up. I found a quiet area, made the phone calls, updated the boss-man and went on my merry way. Done and Done! I was in control again. I was back:)

I haven't been to a mall in ages and Flatirons is a really nice place, so after the Apple guys squeezed me in (SUPER nice guys) I walked the mall, listened to music and hit some sales. Found some new work clothes (business-casual, right Shawn? wink wink 87% sure) that were on sale. I had my no pressure, pleasant afternoon after all:) Even got some Christmas shopping done! Shannon came down for the weekend and we went to a friend's 40th b-day party. Hung out, had a nice time, had an earlier than expected night. Soccer was cancelled, but it worked out. I got my apt cleaned and am working on some other presents for folks.

Turns out though that I am that person working through the night:) Oh well...3 more months...
<><

Peak or Bust...literally!

With a heavy-laden bag on my back, 4 hours sleep and ambition to distinguish myself...to conquer something...I set off to climb Pikes Peak.

At 14,110 feet, it isn't even the tallest 14er in Colorado. But it was to be MY 14er. It was to be ME conquering the seemingly unconquerable. It was going to be between me and the mountain.

Aunt Mary Ann, Cousin Billy and I started on Barr Trail at 5:45am. We beat the sun to the trail! It was a beautiful and eager beginning. Aunt Mary Ann starts us off on a great pace and we have nothing but confidence that we would get to the top long before our ride down (the Cog) left. I even brought a book along thinking I'd get bored at some point! My how that idea changed after 7 miles:)

It was a beautiful trail. Steep, but beautiful. The crisp cool air on my skin. The smell of leaves turning yellow and red. The heat of the new sun on my face. Beautiful. Perfect. Serene. Tiring. There was about 5mins of level trail in the whole 9 1/2 hours that it took us to climb. We took every opportunity to rest and let our hearts catch up. Every corner offered a photo op:)


I'm not a quitter, but I'm not exactly a go-getter either. I'm very much a middle-of-the-road type of gal. So I was fighting with myself ALOT around mile 10 on whether I wanted to continue and finish the last three uphill miles or take the 10 down.
I took the three. It was a fight, but I went for it. And it was worth it...


Sadly, I had to leave my aunt and cousin behind. Every time they stopped to breath, my legs would cramp and I had the hardest time starting up again. So I told them I was going to take it slow and if they caught up, great, if not, I'd meet them at the top! So I soldiered on at my back-breaking turtle speed. I was walking so slowly that winter showed up. It snowed on me! We could all see the clouds moving in. The angst of the other folks on the trail was palpable. As the thunder started to clap everybody's pace quickened. High elevation and storms with lightning do not mix well! Thankfully, it started to snow and the clouds rolled by without incident.

Nine and one half hours later, I reached the top. Oddly, at the time, I wasn't excited. Sure, I was happy to be done. I was happy to use the restroom (not too keen on peeing behind a rock on a barren slope with people above and below me!). But I wasn't elated to have accomplished the goal. I was flat out exhausted. That's pretty much it. Exhausted. The last mile or two I was cursing what ambition I had to make me want to climb the mountain. I was cursing the mountain for being there. Yet, at the same time, I met an amazing group of people who had the same ambition, same goals. They were having the same struggles and every single one of them was an encouragement. At every new switchback you could hear people telling complete strangers "You can do it!" "You're almost there!" "Burn in Hell you Damned Mtn!" (ok, so that was in my head, but you could tell others were thinking it too!) I met some Army guys who had done the climb before. We were talking about the "16 Golden Stairs" at the end of the trail. He said that he liked the name because they were the stairway to heaven and it was pure hell going up them. But, once to the top, you were in Heaven. Things like that and "See you at the top!" is what kept my feet moving.

Two switchbacks left. One switchback left...

13 miles. 9 1/2 hours up. 1 hour down. Endless satisfaction. I can say that now. As I drove home Sunday morning, I was looking at the peak in the distance and kept telling myself "You climbed that. You CLIMBED that!" It's now starting to sink in what I have accomplished. Maybe I'm not so much of a middle-of-the-road type of gal anymore...

A friend (Davida) and I have become fans of a band called The Elders. So much so that we headed into Estes Park Friday night for a Ceilidh. Pronounced Kay-lee, it's essentially an Irish Party.

Thing is, it didn't start till 10:30pm, didn't end till 1ish in the morning. I wasn't to keen on the idea of driving home through the canyon at 2 in the morning so we decided to camp out. A friend's, in-laws own property near Estes and they let us throw a tent in their woods. It was a fantastic, beautiful, serene sight. We got camp set up as the sun was setting and headed to town for dinner and the party.

And yes, I pitched a tent in heels and tube top. Kinda weird.

The party was awesome! Lots of fellas in kilts, great tunes and some decent dancing. Heading back to camp was scary. I thought the canyon was gonna be bad! I lost count of how many times I almost went off the road. There was a section of switchbacks that was absolutely INSANE! Turning onto the road to our campsite we saw a bear. Yes, a BEAR! It was a big cub, but a bear all the same. After we finished screaming we had a decision to make. Sleep with the bears or challenge the canyon by driving home. Of course, I liked the idea of sleeping by a stream under an unbelievable sky of stars and not worrying about the bears. But, Davida wasn't into it. I actually tore down camp while she sat in the car with a Mack flashlight. I had her roll her windows down enough that she could hear me scream, but not enough for a bear's claw to get into:)

I climbed into bed about 3 this morning and didn't roll out till 11. It's a beautiful Saturday (I'm still in my PJs @ 1!).

GeoSlasher Public Premier

Okay. I THINK I finally have the guts to post my short film. I may remove it tomorrow.
I made this movie earlier this summer during a rough patch and it's probably the most fun I've had in a long time. It was a classic horror film setting, I was totally alone and I needed to leave my world for a bit.

I'm putting a PG rating on this. My 4yr old nephew watched it and got sorta freaked. It took the whole weekend to stress the fact to him that it was fake, it was a movie, I was totally fine...or was I???

So...check it out, enjoy it for the B flick that it is and don't judge me too harshly:)
Much Love,
COLLeEN<><
sorry, one more thing before you get your popcorn out. I'm still working on my editing skills, so there's about 4mins of dead air after the movie. feel free to stop it at the end of the credits and start it over! thx.

Can Our Lives be this Boring?

I check out a few friend's blogs regularly. Nobody (besides Shawn, but he hadn't blogged in months) has written of their lives recently.

Option1: We are all sooooo insanely busy with work that there is nothing going on in our lives. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
Option2: We are out of the country and have limited access for blogging (wink wink Karen!)
Option3: We all found a mountain to climb, climbed it, got misplaced (not lost!), spent some recovery time in a hospital, met the man/woman of our dreams and don't want to rub it in the faces of our single friends.
Option4: Our lives are boring.

I would LOVE to say that option3 is my excuse, I'd even take option2, but sadly I must opt for 1. Which, I guess, also contributes to option4. My excitement for the week? I have curly hair today. It'll be gone tomorrow. woohoo.

This is How We Roll

Waiting for the Snow

This is me:

Exhausted, Defeated, Unmotivated. It's a winning threesome.

Exhausted: small apt + 2 rambunctious boys + "I don't care, whatever you want...but I can't eat that or that or do that..." + where IS all my stuff?!?!
Defeated: I had set goals, was meeting those goals (slowly, but surely), 8 million steps back
Unmotivated: left side says "Go for a run. It'll feel great!" right side says "relax, kick back, running hurts."

this is me...

Sledding in Greeley! (In August?!)

I almost got hit by a car today. Twice. A guy started pulling into my lane without looking, I layed on my horn and he stopped inches from my car. He pulled back to his lane, waved me forward and apologized.

The second incident occured while I was walking home tonight. I was wearing a very-white shirt, on a crosswalk, in a lit area. I thought he was just taking his time stopping. He wasn't. The guy was turning right on red, so thankfully, he was just rolling across the crosswalk. He didn't stop till I said HI! I was literally TOUCHING his car when he finally stopped! He was soooooo freaked out.

After my heart started back up both times, it was sorta funny. Both guys had that "deer in the headlights" look. Good stuff.

Moral of the story? Never ever leave your house.