Rocktober!

This is a fun time to live in Denver - The Rockies are in the playoffs (I attended the wildcard-clinching day game vs. the Milwaukee Brewers with my co-workers - I love my job!) and the Broncos are looking strong, going 4-0 into today's game and exceeding everyone's preseason expectations - including mine. Further, as expatriate Gators, Julia and I were excited to watch a healthy-looking Tim Tebow and his Florida team beat LSU this weekend, their toughest opponent so far, to continue their undefeated record.

Also quite exciting, for me, is that I joined a new band (see cheesy photo left). I had played guitar and bass in various bands since high school, but since moving to Denver almost three years ago, I haven't played in anything consistent. As a musician, it's hard to go without a band for a prolonged time, so I was particularly psyched to get an email from our friend Cynthia (who is another Denver-dwelling Gator) asking if I was interested in playing bass in a new punk rock band. After playing with these women for one practice, I was impressed with their musical focus as well their fun, supportive attitudes - I'll post further news as we get gigs.

Julia is still working hard on her Master's thesis, while spearheading various projects at her corporate job. While I am working on a big project at work too, I simply can't complain when I look at her work and school load.

We are looking forward to a Christmas trip to Vail with some good friends, where we will rent a big house for a week; just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the ski lifts. It contains a hot tub and fire place, as well as comfy beds and an inviting, cozy communal area. The snow should be great, and the crowds should be manageable at that time of year. Other than that trip, we have plans to return to Gainesville, FL to see the big Gator game vs. Florda State in November. It should be a ton of fun - my first live UF Football game - and a chance to see our Florida friends and family!

The Emkos' Summer Thus Far

I apologize for not updating this blog as often as we'd like. Julia, as ever, is maddeningly busy getting her Master's degree while working a full-time job. I am also balancing my work with a variety of outside activities, but mine tend to be things like beer-in-hand kickball and training co-workers for Man vs. Food competitions. I continue to be amazed that my resourceful wife can excel with her Sisyphean schedule, while remaining her vibrant and fun self, but I guess that's why I married her :).

Above, you can see us attending a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater, one of the Colorado's most beautiful outdoor treasures. As a teenager, I marveled at U2's legendary concert at this venue, and now as an adult I can go see a show there any time. Being grown up does have its advantages! We have seen one of our favorite shows of all time there - Arcade Fire with LCD Soundsystem - and this year we saw a pounding and eclectic electronica-themed lineup, including Paul Oakenfold and Disco Biscuits. It had amazing energy and was hands-down one of the most electrifying shows I've attended, which we were privileged to see with some of our great Denver friends.

We also had a fun-filled July 4th weekend in Aspen and Snowmass, CO, home of probably the most friendly and kind people we have ever met in our travels. During our dinner at Brunelleschi's Pizza, our waiter encouraged us to take some beers - on the house - outside to watch the city's beautiful fireworks display. We and our friends never ceased to be amazed at the trust and hospitality the locals bestowed on us, and it was the perfect place to celebrate our pride in this country, with nights of board games and bar crawls and days of immersing ourselves in expansive mountain country.

We hope all of you reading this are having a great summer too. While it's never easy being as busy as we are, it always helps to know we have our amazing friends and family, not to mention the beautiful Colorado backdrop and blue skies, to cheer us up on even the most stressful days.