Ski dads - I think I've mentioned these guys before. They are definitely one of the first kinds of individuals I've come to know. When sitting by them on the lift, these fathers talk up their 7-year-old son as the most talented skier who is on his way to be the next Ted Ligety. And once this son takes the gold medal in skiing he'll move on to take an Olympic medal in snowboarding. As they're saying this, they'll turn to their son and say, "Isn't that right Dillon. You're a winner." Then going down the mountain you'll hear Daddy dearest berating his son for bad form on the moguls and explaining that crying is for wimps. Once settled into the bar at the bottom of the mountain the father will tell his son that he has ruined his entire day with his pouting. Class-act jerk dad - and they're all over the mountain!
Monday, December 31, 2007
types of coloradoans - part 1
After living in Colorado Florida some types of people that may stand out are NASCAR dads, Miami Jews, New England retirees and beach bums. This is the beginning of a series about types of Coloradans I've come to recognize.
Ski dads - I think I've mentioned these guys before. They are definitely one of the first kinds of individuals I've come to know. When sitting by them on the lift, these fathers talk up their 7-year-old son as the most talented skier who is on his way to be the next Ted Ligety. And once this son takes the gold medal in skiing he'll move on to take an Olympic medal in snowboarding. As they're saying this, they'll turn to their son and say, "Isn't that right Dillon. You're a winner." Then going down the mountain you'll hear Daddy dearest berating his son for bad form on the moguls and explaining that crying is for wimps. Once settled into the bar at the bottom of the mountain the father will tell his son that he has ruined his entire day with his pouting. Class-act jerk dad - and they're all over the mountain!
Ski dads - I think I've mentioned these guys before. They are definitely one of the first kinds of individuals I've come to know. When sitting by them on the lift, these fathers talk up their 7-year-old son as the most talented skier who is on his way to be the next Ted Ligety. And once this son takes the gold medal in skiing he'll move on to take an Olympic medal in snowboarding. As they're saying this, they'll turn to their son and say, "Isn't that right Dillon. You're a winner." Then going down the mountain you'll hear Daddy dearest berating his son for bad form on the moguls and explaining that crying is for wimps. Once settled into the bar at the bottom of the mountain the father will tell his son that he has ruined his entire day with his pouting. Class-act jerk dad - and they're all over the mountain!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Mile High Holiday Thoughts
Happy holidays and happy new year to everyone! Here are a few happenings from our December:
1. We threw a Christmas dinner party - the first big dinner party at our new house - and invited some friends who were in town for the holidays. It was a lot of work, especially for Julia, and even though she wasn't 100% satisfied with how the food turned out, I thought it was delicious, and I do believe the guests agreed!
2. A couple nights ago, we ate dinner at our neighborhood pizza and beer joint, Oblio's. As I sat down, Julia tried to whisper something to me. I couldn't figure out what she was saying, but after another minute of whispering and gesticulation I finally understood: "Mayor Hickenlooper is sitting at the bar!"
Indeed the charismatic and popular mayor of Denver sat right behind us, enjoying a leisurely drink, chatting with some admiring locals, and even, to our amusement, sneaking a pour from the beer tap when the bartender was occupied. Only in Denver!
3. Last night, while we were watching the Patriots' big comeback to end the NFL season 16-0, Julia was reading Westword and exclaimed, Oh my god! One of her favorite bands, Devotchka, was playing that very night at the Mercury Cafe. In less than an hour, we ran out the door, bought tickets at the Twist and Shout, and sped off to the show, getting there just in time to see Devotchka's entire set.
What a great time - Mercury Cafe's upper level was festooned with festive lights and holiday decorations, and the cheerful crowd got a fun, energetic show from the band. Devtochka has so much talent, with all the members playing more than one instrument - their female bassist plays bass lines on an acoustic stand-up as well as a lit-up souzaphone - cool! - and their violinist had the frenzied presence of a virtuoso gypsy.
In all 2007 has been great to us, and we have countless reasons to be proud to call Denver our new home. In 2008 let's remember to be good to one another. For our part, Julia and I want to devote more time to giving back to the community and doing what we can to make the world a better place (Devotchka is sure starting the year on the right foot - the proceeds of the show we saw went to charity - bravo!).
Have a great new year!
1. We threw a Christmas dinner party - the first big dinner party at our new house - and invited some friends who were in town for the holidays. It was a lot of work, especially for Julia, and even though she wasn't 100% satisfied with how the food turned out, I thought it was delicious, and I do believe the guests agreed!
2. A couple nights ago, we ate dinner at our neighborhood pizza and beer joint, Oblio's. As I sat down, Julia tried to whisper something to me. I couldn't figure out what she was saying, but after another minute of whispering and gesticulation I finally understood: "Mayor Hickenlooper is sitting at the bar!"
Indeed the charismatic and popular mayor of Denver sat right behind us, enjoying a leisurely drink, chatting with some admiring locals, and even, to our amusement, sneaking a pour from the beer tap when the bartender was occupied. Only in Denver!
3. Last night, while we were watching the Patriots' big comeback to end the NFL season 16-0, Julia was reading Westword and exclaimed, Oh my god! One of her favorite bands, Devotchka, was playing that very night at the Mercury Cafe. In less than an hour, we ran out the door, bought tickets at the Twist and Shout, and sped off to the show, getting there just in time to see Devotchka's entire set.
What a great time - Mercury Cafe's upper level was festooned with festive lights and holiday decorations, and the cheerful crowd got a fun, energetic show from the band. Devtochka has so much talent, with all the members playing more than one instrument - their female bassist plays bass lines on an acoustic stand-up as well as a lit-up souzaphone - cool! - and their violinist had the frenzied presence of a virtuoso gypsy.
In all 2007 has been great to us, and we have countless reasons to be proud to call Denver our new home. In 2008 let's remember to be good to one another. For our part, Julia and I want to devote more time to giving back to the community and doing what we can to make the world a better place (Devotchka is sure starting the year on the right foot - the proceeds of the show we saw went to charity - bravo!).
Have a great new year!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
It's the World Series! In Denver! Oh My!
Awesome - it's exhilarating to see everyone in the city decked out in Rockies colors and to hear everyone in the streets, bus stops, cafes, and offices all over downtown talking about our baseball team. The Rockies have accomplished nothing short of a miracle, and I don't think it could have happened to an athletic club with more heart and more character.
Lots of people are complaining about the "bandwagon joiners" coming out of the woodworks as a result of the Rockies' success. I welcome the bandwagon with open arms. If this winning streak (22 out of 23 games at the time of this writing), and possibly a World Series championship, sparks an interest in baseball in this city, then all the better. If this year's success creates new fans to fill the Rockpile in Coors Field and the barstools of Lodo's drinking establishments next year, then tallyho!
My only gripe is with the ridiculously underpowered online process of purchasing tickets for the Series in Coors Field, which resulted in success for only a small fraction of fans - not including us :(. Since non-season ticket-holders could only buy tickets online, the ticket-selling site was swamped on Monday, causing an official claim (bogus in my opinion) that malicious hackers brought it down. When ticket sales resumed today, we were greeted by constant waits, site-disconnected errors, and no tickets.
I have the feeling that the people who benefited most from this online-only sale were professional ticket scalpers, those with sniping software looking to make a quick buck, and the nationwide horde of well-heeled, travel-ready Red Sox fans. Ah well, we'll be cheering from the comfort and warmth of our neighborhood tavern. Go Rockies!
Lots of people are complaining about the "bandwagon joiners" coming out of the woodworks as a result of the Rockies' success. I welcome the bandwagon with open arms. If this winning streak (22 out of 23 games at the time of this writing), and possibly a World Series championship, sparks an interest in baseball in this city, then all the better. If this year's success creates new fans to fill the Rockpile in Coors Field and the barstools of Lodo's drinking establishments next year, then tallyho!
My only gripe is with the ridiculously underpowered online process of purchasing tickets for the Series in Coors Field, which resulted in success for only a small fraction of fans - not including us :(. Since non-season ticket-holders could only buy tickets online, the ticket-selling site was swamped on Monday, causing an official claim (bogus in my opinion) that malicious hackers brought it down. When ticket sales resumed today, we were greeted by constant waits, site-disconnected errors, and no tickets.
I have the feeling that the people who benefited most from this online-only sale were professional ticket scalpers, those with sniping software looking to make a quick buck, and the nationwide horde of well-heeled, travel-ready Red Sox fans. Ah well, we'll be cheering from the comfort and warmth of our neighborhood tavern. Go Rockies!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
brown to white to brown to white
I awoke this morning to find that our mountains have been sprinkled with snow! The brown tips are now peaking with white - just like the Coors can. It's amazing to watch the weather change here and the snowcapped mountains are indicative of what's to come. As I sit writing this I glance to my new snowboard which is patiently waiting to be mounted with bindings and hit pow pow for the first time. Ah....
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Fall appears in a flash
Yes, as Drake said, we've been working crazy hours! It's a rare time at my work as we're in a transition of moving our systems off of our former parent company and becoming independent. With that, coordinating a company-wide United Way campaign (for 2300 employees), and various other tasks, I'm staying pretty busy. Fortunately, I do love my job and am soaking up every bit of hard work as knowledge for my tiny brain.
With the free time we have Drake and I become weekend warriors. This weekend we did our first Oktoberfest. The brat line was longer than the beer line! And last week we attended our first Red Rocks show to see LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire. The infamous Red Rocks was so much grander than I expected and is a concert experience like no other.
With the free time we have Drake and I become weekend warriors. This weekend we did our first Oktoberfest. The brat line was longer than the beer line! And last week we attended our first Red Rocks show to see LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire. The infamous Red Rocks was so much grander than I expected and is a concert experience like no other.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Living the Corporate Life
What's yellow and white and spends 130 hours a week in a cubicle? Answer: Julia and me!
We've been swamped with work over the last couple of months, and it's been hard for us to find a spare moment to relax and forget about the rat race. While Julia does love her job, I have had some issues with mine, and the good news is that I found a new one!
Our friend Isaac, who used to work at my current company, introduced me to the managers at his new company, and I knew I had to work there. Just this week I received the offer letter, and I couldn't be happier. It's in the heart of downtown Denver, which is exactly where I want to be. It's amazing how many jobs are available in the Denver Tech Center, where I currently work (think of an enormous, sprawling office park, a la "Office Space"), and how few technical jobs seem to be available in our vibrant downtown. I feel lucky indeed.
Now that we work in the same area of town, even if we still are punching in 70 hour weeks, at least we can step outside and grab a drink together on the 16th Street Mall after a long day. When you are living the relentless corporate life, sometimes you have to be thankful for the little things!
We've been swamped with work over the last couple of months, and it's been hard for us to find a spare moment to relax and forget about the rat race. While Julia does love her job, I have had some issues with mine, and the good news is that I found a new one!
Our friend Isaac, who used to work at my current company, introduced me to the managers at his new company, and I knew I had to work there. Just this week I received the offer letter, and I couldn't be happier. It's in the heart of downtown Denver, which is exactly where I want to be. It's amazing how many jobs are available in the Denver Tech Center, where I currently work (think of an enormous, sprawling office park, a la "Office Space"), and how few technical jobs seem to be available in our vibrant downtown. I feel lucky indeed.
Now that we work in the same area of town, even if we still are punching in 70 hour weeks, at least we can step outside and grab a drink together on the 16th Street Mall after a long day. When you are living the relentless corporate life, sometimes you have to be thankful for the little things!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Grape Expectations
We're finally in our new home! Drake and I made our big move to Grape Street a few Saturdays ago, hence why the blog has been ignored the last few weeks. The move went relatively smooth. The only hitch came when we mis-measured our new sectional couch for the basement and spent two days mulling over how/if to get it down. After removing a door, taking off couch legs, destroying the wall and practicing some tricky maneuvering, the couch squeezed down.
Half-full boxes are still scattered around the house and every weekend the dent gets bigger and spaces are filled with their proper knick knacks and furnishings. It's a great feeling to be home. It's strange, for more than six months now Drake and I have been living in such a transitional state. And it seems that every decision we've made since marrying has kind of lead up to this. We're finally able to anchor our lives and it feels good.
Everyone has been asking for photos of the new place. I snapped a few before the movers brought everything in, but I must admit the photos don't do it justice. You'll have to come visit and see for yourself!
btw - I'm not so creative to come up with the title of this entry on my own. Grape Expectations is the name of the neighborhood liquor store which we've come to enjoy for the great wine choices and fair prices.
Half-full boxes are still scattered around the house and every weekend the dent gets bigger and spaces are filled with their proper knick knacks and furnishings. It's a great feeling to be home. It's strange, for more than six months now Drake and I have been living in such a transitional state. And it seems that every decision we've made since marrying has kind of lead up to this. We're finally able to anchor our lives and it feels good.
Everyone has been asking for photos of the new place. I snapped a few before the movers brought everything in, but I must admit the photos don't do it justice. You'll have to come visit and see for yourself!
btw - I'm not so creative to come up with the title of this entry on my own. Grape Expectations is the name of the neighborhood liquor store which we've come to enjoy for the great wine choices and fair prices.
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