A Preview. September 11, 2008

Florida was great…my blog will be posted tomorrow!

 

We did so much, yet it was very relaxing.  Justin is such an amazing person, especially after what all he has been through.  I really admire him for how strong he’s been.  He is definitely heading in the right direction in life and has his goals in place…I’m kind of jealous.  Justin will definitely remain a great friend for years to come. 

spongebob2018s: i’m going to edit this

spongebob2018s: blog post: ‘ justin will definitely remain a great friend F0R-EH-VER”

I find it so easy to talk to him yet sometimes I think we talk too much that we don’t have anything to say.  Overall, Florida was a blast and I’m so glad we got to hang out and catch up!

 

One the other hand…I find it so amazing how difficult and rude people can be.  If you’re going to hold a career where you deal with the public everyday, you should at least act like you enjoy your job.  Maybe you hate your job…maybe you’re just a not-so-friendly person in general….maybe you’re having a bad day.  Either way, it shouldn’t matter.  If you deal with the public…be nice and try to enjoy your job…even if it’s just a show.  Don’t take your problems out on other people.  Employees of American Airlines should clearly be sent to “friendly” school.  At the end of my Florida blog, you can see why…but here is a preview:  I was treated like garbage, they questioned my motives, a whole plane full of frustrated people received not one single apology for the 1.5 hour delay, and I was told two completely different things in a matter of 5 minutes that may have cost me $150.  I’ve been debating on writing a letter to American Airlines telling them their customer service in Orlando needs help…bad!  Maybe I’ll score some free sky miles or something.  What do you think?

 

Other stuff –

 

Whitney landed a job in Nashville, TN and moved two weeks ago.  She is working at a publishing company downtown that is ranked one of the top 5 publishing companies in the country.  I’m so excited for her and she seems so happy!  She has wanted this job for a long time now, and after 3 phone interviews and 1 in-person interview, she got it!  Whit is currently living with a friend from American University because she cannot get into her apartment yet.  She seems to be loving it down there so far, and I wish her all the best!!

 

Adam took his big GMAT test and scored at 700 out of a possible 800!!  He has been in the best mood ever and I’m totally ready for ski season!  Hah!  He still has essays to write and applications to finish.  But instead of the ten schools he had originally planned to apply to, he has narrowed it down to 3.  Northwestern, University of Chicago, and Harvard.  I wish him the best of luck and I know he was succeed in whatever he does!!

 

I’m coming home for Halloween (Oct. 31 – Nov. 3).  I’ll be home for Nick’s annual party and the Bengals game on Sunday the 2nd.  Who-Dey!  Although I was informed they played like garbage on Sunday against the Ravens.

 

If anyone is interested in going to Nashville for my birthday weekend, let me know (Nov. 21-23)!  My mom is planning a trip and I already have my flight booked.  So far she has about 15 people going.  They are leaving Cincy around 4pm on Friday Nov. 21st and returning back to Cincy sometime on Sunday Nov. 23rd.  It should be a pretty fun time!!  Hope you can join!

MmmBop. August 26, 2008

Picture links in BLUE.

 

P2 is here!  By P2 I mean, Danielle Poynter.  My partner is crime…my other half…the only person I can hold an entire conversation with by just making obnoxious noises.  Yeah, that’s her.  We go from jumping off bunk beds into a pile of blankets, to jamming to MmmBop by Hanson, to sliding down hallways while wrapped up in blankets.  Yes, we do this totally sober…that’s the sad part.  It was nice re-connecting our dumbness over the weekend.  I haven’t had a chance to hang out with her probably since we dormed together freshman year of college.  “Sounds like there’s a war going on in there.”  That pretty much sums it up.  I’m glad some things never change!!!

 

Danielle got here on Thursday, August 21st at 10:23pm.  She was pretty much right on time.  I pulled up to the airport curb right as she was walking out.  Couldn’t have asked for better timing!  It was the start to an almost perfect weekend.  Yes, ALMOST perfect.  I’ll explain later.  Before her trip, we caught up over Facebook.  It was a nice little introduction before she got here.  And we were able to catch up on each other’s lives.  The drive back to my house from the airport consisted of non-stop conversation about family, jobs, school, life, etc.  We pulled in my drive-way around 11:30pm and decided it was too late to do anything.  I gave her a mini tour of the house and we hung out in my room for the rest of the night.  She INSISTED to sleep on the floor, so I got her a few blankets and tossed her some pillows.  I know, she’s weird.  We stayed up having “girl-talk” till almost 1:30am.  It was nice to just hang out and catch up.  There was no “I haven’t seen you in a while” awkwardness.  We got right back to the normal Katie/Danielle issues.  It was almost like we picked up right where we had left off and by 2am we were sound asleep. 

 

Friday we were both up by 9ish and had previously decided to do a hike in the morning.  We took our time getting ready, grabbed some bananas and water, and we were out the door by 10ish.  We headed north to a place called Tent Rocks National Monument.  It was totally out in the middle of nowhere, but so worth every minute of the 45 minute drive…and seeing a vendor on the side of the street selling “Watermelon, blessed by Jesus.”  After greeting the lonely, but very friendly Mexican at the ranger station, we headed back a gravel road for about 5 miles until we came to an unmarked parking lot.  We figured that was it.  We parked, grabbed our stuff, fumbled around a little, and we were off.  Easy hike we thought.  Pretty flat, cool scenery, and met some extremely nice people.  We had heard the hike got to be pretty steep…but steepness was nowhere in sight, so we kept pushing along.  After about a quarter mile, the trail got to be extremely narrow and we went through some caves and rocks.  Some of the paths were only as wide as our feet.  It was very interesting place!  As we hiked through the rocks we snapped a ton of pictures, had some good talks, and reminisced old times.  Well, the friendly people were right.  The last lag of the hike was almost straight uphill and Danielle took a nice fall…because she wasn’t paying attention (like always).  Although it was clearly marked, some turns were a little tricky.  But we took our time, had some water, and made it to the top easily!  What a view.  You could see for miles!!  The tent rock formations are amazing.  It’s unreal how natural disasters can create such amazing formations.  These tent rock formations were caused by volcanic eruptions billions of years ago.  It’s truly breath-taking.  We stayed up at the top for a while taking silly pictures and talking with our new friend from New York who “almost took a shit” because he thought he dropped his knapsack over the edge.  Typical New Yorker…huge accent, dark hair, nice looking, tattoos, earrings, and very funny!  He was taking a video on his cell phone for his wife, and he made sure we were in it and made us say hi to her.  He also insisted on saying “say shit” instead of “say cheese” before he took our picture.  Really cool guy!  We also met a nice family, although didn’t talk to them much.  It was a mom and dad and their 2 kids (probably ages 2 and 4).  They were just heading back down as we got up.  As they slowly got their backpacks back on and were getting situated for the hike down…the little boy ripped the loudest fart you would ever hear in your life.  Danielle and I wanted to crack up so bad, but we couldn’t.  The dad says “THOMAS!!!” and we just look at each other and think “did that huge fart really come out of that tiny kid?”  They left, and we laughed for 5 minutes straight!  We had a good laugh, ate some cheese crackers, re-fueled, took some more pictures, and headed back down.  The walk back down didn’t take near as long and we couldn’t stop talking about how we were so glad we did this hike!  We ran into a few of the same people we saw on our way up.  One older man was telling us about a Margarita bar in Santa Fe and said we HAD to go.  They have over 160 different kinds of margaritas and he says the food is wonderful too.  After that hike…being out in the sun all day…a margarita didn’t sound half bad!  But then Danielle realized she didn’t have her wallet or ID and we decided not to go and save it for another day.  Overall, it was about a two mile hike and took us a few hours…considering all the playing around we did.  On the ride home we talked about what we were going to do later and we jammed to a play-list I had made consisting of all the old songs we used to listen to.  At home we laid down for a few hours and watched a movie.  We decided it would be fun to go downtown and see Route 66 and grab some drinks at Maloney’s.  Around 4 we took showers and got ready and headed downtown.  Maloney’s wasn’t as crowded as I thought.  Considering we did get down there at 6ish.  We grabbed a table outside on the patio and ordered two Corona’s and chips and cheese.  As we were drinking our Corona’s I get a text from Adam asking what we were up to.  I tell him we’re down at Maloney’s and I extended the invite.  He met us down there a little later and had some beers with us.  Danielle and I decide it would be a great idea to start ordering shots.  We had a Kamikaze, Tequila, and a Purple Hooter (which Danielle knocked over and broke the glass)…along with 3 huge Corona’s.  Needless to say, we were having a good time.  Danielle gets up to go to the restroom and about 3 minutes later a security guy came up to me saying “your friend won’t be coming back in.”  That was a bust for the almost perfect weekend.  Apparently she “stumbled” coming out of the bathroom.  I find her outside on the street corner crying hysterically.  Adam and I comfort her and tell her its okay and everything’s fine!  Adam drove us home all while Danielle cried the entire way and I was on the phone with Justin for our weekly drunk dial.  5 miles from home I get a nasty feeling in my throat and make Adam pull over.  Yes, I puked.  I guess it’s because I hardly ever drink anymore and wasn’t used to it.  For those of you who know me best know I never puke!  This was crazy!  We get home around 1 and go straight to bed.  Seriously.  I woke up at 5am to go to the bathroom…and I was still in my same outfit.

 

Saturday morning came too quick and I’m pretty sure we both woke up still drunk.  We had no energy to get out of bed or do anything.  So we laid around all day, watched some tv, and hung out.  Later we decided it would be a good day to head up to Santa Fe and do some window shopping and eat at Maria’s (the margarita place the guy from the hike told us about).  We finally got motivated to take showers and get ready…but somehow, Danielle’s bra and flip-flops had disappeared causing a wardrobe mal-function for about a half hour!  Oh well, forget it….and we were out the door and heading up to Santa Fe around 2.  Turns out there was a huge Indian Market thing going on in Santa Fe, so parking was terrible and it was mega crowded.  I finally found a spot (I think it was illegal), but I grabbed it.  We walked around the market, in and out of a few stores (I bought a turquoise and silver ring), people watched, and called it good.  People who come to visit are amazed that Santa Fe doesn’t have an actual “downtown,” it’s just a plaza with a few art stores and restaurants.  Not too much to do, but it’s fun to experience it, and that’s all she wanted to do.  After about an hour or so of walking around, we both got hungry and made our way to Maria’s.  It was a hole-in-the-wall type of place, but sometimes those are the best.  There wasn’t a wait, so we sat right away.  We starred at the margarita menu and decided on peach and pomegranate.  I think the waitress hated us.  It was our first time there, so we took forever ordering (there were so many flavors to choose from).  She checked our ID’s and informed us that the people sitting next to us were from Ohio too!!  So we chatted with them for a minute, but they were just finishing and leaving.  The margaritas finally came and we immediately thought it was necessary to critique…because we’re good at it.  These margaritas SUCK!  We can’t believe people come from all over the country to check out this place.  Now we know why they have so many different flavors….seems like they just take whatever juice and dilute with alcohol…you can’t even taste the flavors.  What a waste, so we only had one margarita each and split fajitas and a quesadilla…and we were outta there.  Not to mention the rude waitress.  The drive home was relaxing.  The sun was just setting, and the nightly storm was stirring….so Danielle snapped a few cool pictures.  We were easily home by 8:00 with nothing to do and still hung-over from the Maloney’s fiasco.  In the midst of Danielle’s cry-fest on the way home from Maloney’s, she somehow managed to take off her bra and flip-flops and leave them in Adam’s car.  We sat down on the couch and turned on the TV and in comes Adam “Uhm, did you leave stuff in the backseat of my car?”  The mystery was solved!  As we were channel surfing…we were talking about shows that we watch and Danielle had mentioned Entourage.  I love Entourage!!!  Sometimes Adam and I tape random episodes, but we didn’t have any saved.  We decided it was a good idea to go rent some episodes!  We were off to Blockbuster.  We found Season 1, episodes 1-8, so we grabbed them and headed home.  We watched the first 5 episodes and could hardly keep our eyes open anymore.  Right as we were about to turn it off, Adam comes walking in with a Corona in hand ready to start drinking.  We felt bad, but we were absolutely exhausted!  We pooped out on him, and went to bed.

 

After a really good night’s sleep we got up around 9am on Sunday ready to go!  We decided to go on another hike…this time to Santa Fe National Forest to see the Jemez Hot Springs.  We left around 9:30, got up there a little after 10, stopped at the Ranger Station…had a run-in with a typically rude Mexican (again), and we were on our way up into the mountains.  Luckily I had been there before because the park ranger we talked to acted like he could care less about helping me.  I simply wanted to know where the trail was to the hot springs and he began his one run long sentence without giving me a map expecting me to know where I was going.  The drive looked familiar and I ended up remembering exactly where the hike was.  The first hike we pulled up to was Battle Ship Rock…but it was a long hike and we weren’t up to it.  But we did hang out and play by the creek for a while…and of course…took funny pictures!!  So we opted for the .75 mile hike to the hot springs.  On the way we stopped at Soda Dam and took some pictures as well.  The hike to Spence Hot Springs was a little difficult to navigate.  At first the trail was clearly marked, then started to branch off and lead other ways.  Once we had a good idea where we were going, it was easy and led us right up to the hot springs.  If you are unfamiliar with natural hot springs, know this….they are popular with the nudist colony.  I know that now!  We spot two or three nudists hanging out in the hot springs just going about their normal ways.  One guy had a whole color of food and a watermelon.  The other guy was talking to another couple.  Danielle and I minded our own business, took some pictures, hiked around a little, and headed back down.  It was a little weird, but whatever.  There was another tail a little further up that led to the Jemez Falls, but it was about a 10 minute drive and a 45 minute hike, so we decided against it and headed home.  The drive alone was worth it.  We saw some really neat rocks and lots of awesome views.  We were home around 1:30, sat down for a second, then took showers and headed down to Old Town Albuquerque.  Danielle wanted to do a little shopping and sight-seeing, so we did just that (Dad…click here!).  She bought a few shot glasses and a T-shirt.  We had a two-hour limit on where we were parked so we headed out.  Our stomachs were growling and we were craving huge margaritas!!  I asked Danielle what kind of food she felt like and since she loves Mexican, we opted for a place called Garduno’s.  Yummy!!!   We ordered two margaritas (raspberry and cranberry), a quesadilla, and a taco salad.  It was Danielle’s last night here, so we decided to make the most of it and order another round of margaritas (peach and pineapple), and another round (strawberry and cranberry).  Needless to say…these margaritas were waaayyyy better than the one’s from Maria’s.  These margaritas made for fun conversation.  We reminisced high school, senior trip, proms, homecomings, etc.  It was a great time, but it was time to leave before the waiter convinced us to have another round.  On the drive home we had the windows down and we were jamming to old school music…Mmmbop, Jimmy Eat World, Something Corporate, etc.  We got home and said “why stop now?” so we cracked open some Corona’s and hung out on the back patio.  The last few Corona’s went fast so we went to get more.  By the time we got home, we realized that we picked up a 24 pack of 7 ounce bottles.  Oops.  So we easily killed half of that case.  By then, the music was up probably way too loud, and we found it entertaining to climb on the stone wall in the back yard and take a ton of pictures.  Not too sure why.  After all this fooling around and realizing it was going on 11pm, Danielle had not started packing, and I had to work in the morning.  Oops.  So we called it a night.  Turned off the music, went inside, and headed to bed. 

 

Monday came too quick.  We got up around 7:30, started to get ready, Danielle packed, and we were out the door.  I took her to the airport, we said our goodbyes, and I was on my way back to the daily grind at work.  Boo!

 

A good time was had by all.  I’m so glad some things never change.  Danielle is one of my greatest friends, and I’m so glad we were able to re-connect!!  We had such a blast and I can’t believe we did so much!!  I’m still exhausted! 

 

Meanwhile…back on the home-front…

 

Whit got a job in Nashville, TN.  She will be the Editorial Assistant at a top publishing company.  I am way excited for her!!!!!  She hopes to be moving this weekend.  She starts on Sept. 2nd.  Her and mom drove to Nashville yesterday and found an apartment 5 miles from her work.  Everything seems to be working out perfectly for her and I’m so excited!  I can’t wait to visit!!

23 Days. August 12, 2008

“As practice makes perfect, I cannot but make progress; each drawing one makes, each study one paints, is a step forward.”
— Vincent Van Gogh

 

I know I probably shouldn’t worry about things that I can’t help.  Sometimes life takes weird and twisted turns and you can’t help but to sit back and wonder “why?” and leave it at that.  I guess ultimately I wonder “why do bad things happen to good, innocent people?”  Life just isn’t fair sometimes.  It’s hard to see close friends go through life-threatening events and all you can do is sit back and tell yourself “there’s nothing you can do.  What’s done is done,” especially from 1,700 miles away.  It makes me want to be a better friend and help out in anyway I can.   I know his life will be changed forever and he will have a totally different look on things now.  Not to mention he will definitely be more aware of his surroundings.  It just amazes me the second something terrible happens to someone, their tone of voice and outlook on life changes immediately and without hesitation.  I can’t even imagine what he is going through right now and I just wish I could be there to help him cope.  It also saddens me to think there are actually crazy people out there in this world who get a rise out of this garbage.  How can you treat innocent people like this?  It’s not fair to the people who never do anything wrong in life.  He’s just another normal guy who loves sports and music, is dedicated to his family, has an urge to travel, and anything else that comes along with just being a regular guy.  He’s never harmed anyone or anything…so why do these things happen to such normal people?  I was told the other day to “not get worked up over it.  There’s nothing you can do.”  I hate being told that.  My close friend’s life was put on the edge and all I can do is worry.  It’s not something you want to hear everyday.  How can I not get worked up over it?  Yes, for the most part, I consider myself a pretty easy-going/laid-back person, until it comes to things like this.  My emotions pour out and I start to freak.  As he was telling me the whole story over the phone the other night…I was trying to be a strong friend and not let emotions get the best of me, but I failed.  I held it together at first, but the tears started crawling down my cheeks as the story progressed.  Over the course of 5 years…I’ve lost 10 close friends and family members.  The last thing I want to happen is to see someone else go…especially for absolutely no reason at all.   At least he can replace some things.  You can’t replace a life!  Your life is much more important than your belongings.  Just be glad you have the support of your family and friends.  You know they will be behind you 120%. 

 

I tell him “what doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger.”  Although, I feel kind of weird telling that to a strong person already.  But it’s true.  When times get tough, all you can do is overlook the bad and focus on becoming a stronger person in the end.  Concentrate on the good and how you can build from this.  It’s not worth sitting back and thinking about how you could have fixed or changed things in this situation.  You can’t focus on “what could have been,” even though sometimes it’s only natural to think that.  In the end, you will be able to grow from this experience if you set your mind to it.

 

This should teach everyone a lesson.  Lock your doors and windows, hide your valuables, and please be more aware of what goes on around you!!  You never know what could happen these days.  There are some crazy people in this world and if you don’t know what’s going on around you, your life could change in an instant!  Be aware of the people who you can trust.

 

My heart goes out to you…you know who you are.  You will be a much stronger person after you get through this.  I have so much faith!!  Thanks for being such a great friend and I know you will pull through this.  It will definitely take some time for things to get back to normal, but that’s expected.  You are such a great guy and I wish you only the best from here on out.  Never give up! 

 

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
— Michael Jordan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucky Denver Mint. August 6, 2008

So yesterday was a hella weird day and I feel the need to vent.  So I’m going to.  Deal with it.

The day started out okay…just like any other day.  I was content at work doing a few little things and trying my best to not look at the clock every 5 minutes or so.  I’m excited I finally have a few things to work on.  One being a “Company Cycle” graphic that I am putting together for our Marketing Department.  The original graphic was created in a 3-D program a few years ago and I was not able to make the appropriate changes.  So they had me re-create it in Photoshop (not wanting it to be in 3-D form anymore).  I spent just about all day working on this new graphic and sent it over to Marketing for a review.  I got an immediate response saying they wanted to keep the original graphic and make one simple change to it.  I don’t get it?  Why did they want me to re-create it in the first place?  Talk about a huge waste of time when I could have been working on something else!!  I guess all jobs sometimes come with these annoyances…but the thing that I get most aggravated about is that fact that no one acknowledges how much time I just wasted doing that.  I don’t get a “thanks anyway” or “sorry I had you do that for nothing” or “maybe we’ll use it later.”  Nothing.  The end product took me about 10 minutes and clearly I spent all day re-doing it for nothing.  Normally it wouldn’t bother me, but I had other things I could have been working on.  Whatever.  Today is a new day.

The above frustration also goes hand-in-hand with my ultimate annoyance in New Mexico.  The people I deal with on a day-to-day basis.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…people here SUCK.  New Mexicans can clearly kiss my ass.  They could care less about you and all they care about are themselves.  I’ve learned that being from out of town no one wants to accept you.  The people here are extremely clicky and want nothing to do with an outsider.  I hate to say this, because I’m usually pretty easy to get along with.  But if it’s not a two-way street, than forget it.  I’ve put myself out there to meet new people, but I’m slowly giving up and not caring anymore.  I’m very happy to know that it’s not just me who sees this either.  It’s anyone who isn’t from here.  I had a long talk with the new roommate, Bo, last night (who is from Colorado).  I’m not too sure how we got on the topic of conversation, but we ended up talking about how different the people are here.  Like me, he also can’t stand the people here and has had a really hard time meeting friendly people.  It’s such a relief to know that I’m not the only one who has been going thru this.  Although I’ve been finding it strange how most people who are from out of state meet other people from out of state.  I actually met a great guy who is from Florida a few weeks ago.  We’ve been on a few hikes, went out for drinks, had dinner, etc.  Really cool guy, but only as a friend.  I’m not looking for anything more right now.  It’s just really crazy how out of towners are drawn towards each other here.  I think a lot of my frustration on this topic sparked after my trip to Denver over the weekend.  It just amazes me how different people are in different parts of the country.  When Jamie and I went out one night for dinner, we ended up meeting 3 guys who were totally awesome to hang out with.  We hung with them all night, they bought us drinks, and we shared some great stories.  I told Jamie that if we had been out in downtown ABQ, this would never happen.  Another reason I would love to move to Denver!!

…Along that line, I started going to the gym again this week (time to myself where I actually don’t have to worry about anything else…and I love it).  So, every once in a while I run into this great looking guy while I’m there.  We are there for the same amount time about 3 times a week.  I’ve even seen him at the grocery store and liquor store before.  So every now and then we’ll give each other a look that kind of says “I know I’ve seen you outside of the gym before.”  Haha, sounds lame, but it’s true.  I so badly want to say hi to him, but I think it would be awkward.  Oh well.  Like I said, I’m not trying anymore.  If someone wants to say hi to me, then they can initiate it.  I’m done.

So after the gym I get home around 7:15ish, change clothes and eat some tuna for dinner.  Come to find out, the cats were in my room all morning while I was at work chewing thru my stuff.  I found a few broken rubber bands, a pair of my pants were chewed at the bottom of the legs, a picture frame knocked over on the floor, and Adam’s Birthday gift was slowly being unwrapped.  Great.  Just perfect to go along with my already awesome day!  So I scour my room to see if anything else was out of place or destroyed….luckily nothing else was damaged.

Finally, I get a second to sit down and get on my computer.  I’m trying really hard to not get on Myspace so much anymore.  I’ve been on once since last Friday….I think that’s pretty good.  I find it pointless and it’s getting pretty annoying.  I mean, honestly…people leave you dumb comments, send you spam, post stupid pictures, and in the end…what’s it all about?  If you really need to tell me something or leave me a “comment,” why can’t you just pick up the phone and call me?  Not that I hate Myspace (it’s actually totally addicting in a weird way), I’m just slowly jumping off the band-wagon, I guess.  Anyway…back to my story (another reason, I’m jumping ship), I’ve learned that people are so two-faced.  You see things posted on people’s pages and can’t help but wonder “what the hell?”  So-called friends will say things to you in person, but put up a totally different act on Myspace.  Real cool.  I’m over it and that’s all I’m going to say about that. 

Speaking of the internet…I also had a nice chat with my sister Whitney last night who is going thru a mess of trouble from her blog.  Her most recent post is about an author that she absolutely hates…and she definitely lets it be known.  So I guess some other people found her blog and read her post about this author and they make it clear that they disagree with her.  They post her spam comments which lead her to find a message board full of posts saying how my sister is a “cunt” and a “dumb bitch who doesn’t know what she is talking about.”  All this drama stirs up from her one blog post that just simply says she hates this certain author.  I mean seriously…who actually has the time to sit down and search out blogs then start message boards about people they don’t even know?  People like this need to get a life.  Needless to say, Whitney was very upset last night when she found this message board being posted about her.  She very politely emailed the “creator” and asked him why he did this to her and that he does not have a right to say any of this without having met her.  She continues to say that everyone has a right to their own opinion…but there is no need to be calling her such names because of this.  I hope she understands that there are some crazies out there, especially on the internet…and there isn’t much you can do.  So in the end, you will have to drop it and let them be.  With all this that happened to her, it really makes me want to delete my blog.  It never dawned on me that there are actually people out there who lead these kinds of lives.

All-in-all, I guess it’s the little things in life that can ruin your whole day.  Normally I’m a pretty easy going person, and I try not to let things bother me like this.  But when they pile up on you all at the same time…you can’t help but to let it bug the crap out of you.  But today is a new day, and everything’s in the past now and I can move on…and I have.  I just felt like writing about it today.  I’m also thankful for my best friend Katie who I can tell absolutely ANYTHING to.  She always knows exactly what I’m going thru and I love that we can relate to each other on pretty much everything.

Side-note…kinda funny.  I was watching a clip from the Today Show website yesterday because they interviewed Carson Daily.  He did a motorcycle ride along Route 66, so that caught my eye.  Anyway, I was watching this short 5 minute clip and they showed a map of Route 66 and where all he rode.  Here is a picture of the map they showed.  ROUTE 66.  Way to go Today Show.  Get some new proofreaders!

 

This is pretty much my theme song, check it:

Jimmy Eat World:  Lucky Denver Mint.

This time it’s on my own.
Minutes from somewhere else.
Somewhere I made a wish with Lucky Denver Mint.
Hurry go on ahead.
Good things won’t let you wait.
I’ll catch up when we get home.
At home I’ll leave.
A dollar under water keeps on dreaming for me.
You’re not bigger than this, not better.
Why can’t you learn.

 

 

 

 

I heard the world up, late night. August 4, 2008

I ❤ Denver.

Photos are in BLUE TEXT! 

 

This past weekend I drove up to see Jamie Cain in Denver, Co.  She is out there for the summer doing her Internship for Occupational Therapy for grad school.  She finally had a 3-day weekend so we decided to make the best of it!!!  I left work at noon on Friday (gotta love those half-days) and I made it up in exactly 6.5 hours.  The drive was simple and went by surprisingly fast.  The straight shot up I-25 took me directly to her exit and there was hardly even a need for my GPS.  I absolutely love how the scenery always changes here…it made for an interesting drive.  The drive from ABQ to Santa Fe is nothing new to me…flat dry land with an occasional casino and some road construction – nothing exciting.  But I’ve never had the opportunity to drive any further north than Santa Fe on I-25…so I was excited to see what it was going to be like.  After Santa Fe the atmosphere definitely changes.  The drive thru Glorieta and Rowe is mostly a straight shot but mixed with some hills and canyons.  Once you hit Las Vegas (New Mexico) and Maxwell, the land really starts to flatten out and you can see for miles.  I’d like to know the visibility distance out there.  It’s all flat farm land…that part of the drive was mega boring, but luckily only lasted 100 miles or so (if that).  After Maxwell, you get to a decent size town, Raton…which is right on the border of NM and CO.  The drive thru Raton was pretty neat and things started to look more like Colorado.  You start to see mountains and drive thru canyons a little more.  After Raton the drive thru Trinidad, Walsenburg, and Colorado City was pretty much all the same, even a random brush fire.  Then things start to pick up as I headed thru Pueblo and Colorado Springs.  Colorado Springs was actually a really neat city to drive thru…and I even saw a sign for US 50.  It looks like they just threw a town up against the side of a mountain.  It’s a decent size city with a small “downtown” but lots to look at and see.  I wish I had more time to stop and drive around the area.  After passing thru Colorado Springs, the drive went quick.  I started to get excited about actually being in Colorado.  Although by the time I rolled into Colorado Springs, I hit rush hour traffic (5:00-ish), so I made the best of it and rolled the windows down and listened to music.  I passed lots of boats heading out of town, lots of motorcycles, army tanks, and surprisingly a LOT of moving trucks.  I guess Colorado is the place to be.  I even passed a few people who gave me ‘head-nods’ because of my skiing stickers on my back window!!  That was pretty cool.  I can already tell Colorado is my new obsession.

 

The GPS took me right to Jamie’s house and I pulled in around 6:15pm.  She lives in an older neighborhood about 10 minutes north of downtown Denver…right on the border of a town called Thornton.  Right as I pulled up we hopped in her car to go meet someone about buying roof racks for her car.  She is only out here for the summer and has accumulated too many things to fit in her car (Volkswagen Golf) for the drive home…so she is looking into buying a luggage rack.  She found a pretty good deal on Craigslist, so we met up with the guy who was selling them.  That only took a half hour and we came right back to her house.  She gave me the grand tour; we hung out, showered, and got ready.  We decided to head downtown so she could show me around a little.  We passed the Bronco’s stadium and Coors Field….both are pretty neat!!  We lucked out and found a great parking spot on the street and walked a few blocks to a bar.  The bars downtown all have open rooftops/patios.  Cincinnati definitely needs to look into something like this.  So we sat on a rooftop bar right across the street from Coors Field…had a few appetizers and beers and called it a night.  Although before we went back to the car, we walked a few blocks because I wanted to see some of downtown.  It’s a very clean city and it seems like there is a lot to do.  Definitely a younger sociable crowd.  Jamie was house-sitting/horse-sitting for her supervisor so we stayed at her house in Boulder all weekend.  Boulder is about a 30 minute drive north of Denver.  Once we got to her supervisors house, we changed and headed to bed.  Had to be up early for a hike.

 

Saturday we got up around 7:30am.  Jamie went to feed the horses and I changed and got ready for the hike.  We left the house a little after 8 and made the hour drive up into the mountains of Boulder, Co.  The drive was amazing.  We followed the Boulder creek almost the whole way into the mountain; saw some really fascinating scenery, a few lakes, and a lot of cyclists.  First we pulled off to do a quarter mile hike to Boulder Falls.  The falls were small, but it was a very peaceful atmosphere.  Once we got to the turn-off where our hike was, we got stuck in traffic for about 10 minutes.  Finally a sheriff told us there was a bad accident and they needed to shut the road down.  So he made everyone turn around.  Before we turned around we asked him where a good alternate hike would be.  He said “Ehh, go ‘bout 5 miles back that-a-way and you’ll see signs for University of Colorado and Rainbow Lakes…turn there.”  He was exactly right.  We turned at the well marked signs not knowing it was a dirt road.  It looked kind of sketchy but we thought “what the hell?”  So we traveled back this dirt road for about 7 miles before we looked at each other and almost turned around.  We finally ran into a campground and civilization.  We asked some guy if he knew of any hiking trails around.  He told us to head further back toward the lake and there should be some back there.  We did just that and he was right on!  Rainbow Lake is a hot spot I guess…we had trouble finding a parking spot.  There was a 6 mile trail and an 8 mile trail.  They were both the same hike, but the 8 mile trail just happened to go a little further.  As soon as we read the title of the trail, we knew it was going to be a good hike…and well worth it.  It was called “Glacier Overlook.”  The hike was moderate-hard and of course almost all up-hill.  Jamie and I did a lot of chatting mostly about life, jobs, family, etc.  It was great to see a friend and get some friendly bonding in.  As we made it to the top of the mountain the air was getting cold, the views were starting to clear up, and we were getting a little thirsty (luckily Jamie went out and bought a Camel Back…which, by the way, is the best invention ever!).  The view from the top took us to almost 12,000 feet.  We overlooked 4 lakes, a glacier WITH SNOW, miles of forestry, and very colorful wild flowers.  We hung out at the top for a half hour or so and debated on whether or not to go the next 2 miles up to complete the 8 mile hike.  We ran into a few others at the top who are familiar with the hike.  The one couple said it would take another hour or so, but another girl (seemed like a local) said it seemed longer than 2 miles and would take about 2 hours…plus the walk is very rigorous and all straight uphill.  We asked her how much the scenery changed and if it was worth it.  She informed us that the scenery is about the same, you’re just at a higher altitude.  So we nixed that idea and decided to make our way back down.  The walk back down definitely went faster than going up…but that’s expected.    Once we got back to the car we took off our shoes and drank a lot of water.  The drive home was nice and relaxing and it was only 2:00.  I was glad we got an early start.  Plus, it down-poured right as we were driving off the mountain…I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t continue the 8 mile hike.  We couldn’t have asked for better timing.  Once we got back to the house we were going to swim, but it was overcast from the rain.  So instead we laid down for an hour or so and watched some TV. 

 

Around 5ish we took showers and started to make plans for the night.  We both decided on dressing up a little and opted to head into downtown Boulder for the night.  Downtown Boulder is definitely a little town of its own…and I’m pretty sure we were way over-dressed.  Me in a short black dress that I borrowed from Jamie, and Jamie in black Capri’s and a tube top that she borrowed from me.  Mind you Boulder is stuck in the 70’s.  I felt as if I should be in a long floral peasant skirt with my hair in dreads carrying an acoustic guitar on my back.  We walked down Pearl St. which was lined with bars, outdoor patios, street vendors, hippie shops, and even some ski shops.  Since we got there a little early, we took some time to look around, try on hats, and watched some magician who drew a pretty decent size crowd.  Things were starting to pick-up so we decided to find somewhere to eat before we had to wait in any lines.  Things couldn’t have worked out better for us!!  We decided to eat at a small tequila bar with an outdoor patio.  We asked the hostess if there was anything available outside, but that was the hot spot so we were out of luck.  Well as soon as we said that, just our luck, some people got up and left.  Although technically we weren’t ‘outside’ but they had the big windows open and we sat street-side…kind of outside I would say.  We had a view of Pearl St., perfect for people watching and sipping margaritas.  We ordered our Mexican meal and fruity margaritas and talked for a while.  We were in a prime-spot so we were very hesitant on leaving.  As we were finishing our meal and taking the last sips of our margaritas, the guys sitting outside in front of us had a table full of empty Corona bottles and were getting a little crazy.  One guy, Caleb, finally turned around and said “Sorry if we’re being loud, we’re out getting hammered on behalf of this guy.”  He then pointed to his friend and proceeded to tell us the whole story on why they were out.  I guess the one guy’s girlfriend told him she didn’t want to be with him anymore…and he was two weeks away from proposing to her.  So I guess they had a decent reason to be out.  The three guys introduced themselves to us and bought us another round of drinks!!  So we decided to stay and hang out with them.  They seemed like a lot of fun and we were really having a good time with them.  They all thought my MC Escher tattoo on my foot was intriguing and I was impressed that Caleb actually knew what it was!!  After hanging out at the tequila bar for a few hours, our drinks were empty, we paid our bill, and it was time to move on.  Jamie randomly ran into a girl she works with, so we hung out with her for a little while at a fancy bar called The Kitchen.  After that, the three guys we met told us to meet them at another bar around the corner a little later.  So we headed there and decided that we were only going to stay for one drink.  This bar ended up being huge and mega crowded, so we never found the boys.  But right as we started walking around the rooftop patio, these three guys got up from a table and offered it to us.  So again, we lucked out and got ourselves another high-top table at another prime spot!!  Things were going so well for us!  We ended up talking to the guys who gave us the table for a while…and it turns out one guy was a huge skier and has been around the world to ski.  He showed me pictures of back country hiking/skiing in Alaska from his cell phone.  Jamie and I stuck to our pact and left after our one beer.  The ride back to the house made for great conversation.  We talked about how we both love it out west and how this country has so much more to offer, and that we are so happy we finally left Cincinnati.  We also talked about how many people we know who talk about leaving, but never do.  We chatted the entire ride home about this topic and we are both in the same boat and agree on a lot!!  I could go into more on this and what we talked about, but it would turn into a whole other ordeal.  So I’ll just leave it at that.  We got home around 1am and went straight to bed.  We were exhausted from the hike.

 

Sunday we slept till 11am.  Ahh!!  I kind of wanted to be up at a decent time so we could go do something, but I guess we were more tire than we thought.  We woke up to sun shining and a temperature of about 93.  Poolside was calling our names.  We immediately put on our suits and got in the pool and laid around on floats for about 2 hours.  1:00 rolled around and so did the clouds.  I got out and took a shower and packed up.  Jamie took care of the horses and moved around the sprinklers in the yard.  I told Jamie we pretty much HAD to eat at Chipotle for lunch before I left.  So we headed to lunch, I got a yummy chicken burrito bowl and scarfed it down in a matter of minutes.  Jamie then drove me back to my car that was parked at her house, we said our good-byes, and I was on my way back to ABQ 😦

 

I’m so glad I went to visit!!  On the ride up I was a little unsure about my decision.  It was a long drive and I wasn’t too sure that the 6 hours was going to be worth it.  But in the end…I was so glad I made the trip.  Even the drive itself was a great part of the trip.  The scenery was beautiful and there was so much to look at.  I’m so glad I have a Jamie as a friend.  We both have very common interests in activities and in life.  You only live once, and sometimes you just have to do things that you are unsure of.  You can’t sit back and wonder what could have been.  I’m so thrilled I got to spend time in Denver and I love the fact that I got to drive thru Colorado Springs.  Even though I didn’t spend much time in Denver, I can already tell how different it is from ABQ.  The people are so easy-going, so nice, and I feel that you can strike up a conversation with anyone at anytime and he or she will be very responsive.  I even noticed on our hike people would go out of their way to ask you where you’re from and why you are here, and what you do.  It’s so different from the stuck-up lifestyle in ABQ where I find that people could careless where you’re from or what you do…especially if you’re not from here.  Jamie is currently looking for jobs in Denver and I told her to keep me posted.  I would absolutely love to get up there one day, but there is no way I could move again without knowing anyone.  So as soon as she finds a job, I would love to start looking for one as well.  Who knows what the future holds!!

 

Hot tub party with David Beckham? July 22, 2008

Whoa!  I just went through a rollercoaster of emotions over the past two months and I have no idea what that was all about.  I’m an idiot.  I guess I just freaked because I didn’t know which way my life was going.  Living out here has had its complications, but I’m dealing with it and I know it’s not the end of the world.  Happiness sometimes isn’t the answer.  Sometimes you just have to push yourself and overlook the little things.  Hard times come and go.  How boring would life be if everything was handed to you and happiness was right there knocking at your front door?  It’s all about the learning experience and emotions just so happen to come as a side dish.  Unfortunately emotions sometimes get the best of me and I lose it.  I wish everyone had the nerve to move away from their hometowns, even if it was only for a few months.  It’s so worth it and you wouldn’t believe how much you learn.

I’m so excited to be staying here in Albuquerque for a while.  I have so many things to look forward to, and so many hopes and dreams.  I’m just going to stay positive and see what life will throw at me next.  It’s sad to say…but Cincinnati doesn’t offer me anything.  I want to be the best I can be and I don’t think I can do it there.  Sometimes I just think I’m rushing into something I know I’m not going to get….yet.  I’ve only been out of college for 2 years and I know there is no way I can land my dream job right now.  I don’t have the experience under my belt.  All I can do is be patient and build up my experience.  Yes, I do plan on moving home next year to be with friends and family for a while.  But I also see myself traveling more.  I love to see this country and I love to get out and experience different cultures.  Albuquerque isn’t quite for me, but you live and learn, right?  Who knows what’s in store for me next…?

When I move home, I’m going to look into auditing some classes at my college to help further my career.  Nowadays graphic design and web design come hand in hand.  It’s funny how much has changed in the past 4 years or so.  We were only required to take one web class for graphic design.  Now, every graphic design position wants to see web design skills.  Makes sense and I wish I would have known that while in school.  But again…you live and learn. 

These next few months are going to be so great!!  I especially can’t wait till October when Adam finally gets his life back!!!  He’s been a total loser who studies every night.  Even his weekends are shot with essay writing.  I mean, come on…who writes essays on the weekends?  Haha, I’m just teasing!!  I’m extremely proud of him.  He’s really dedicated his every spare minute to getting in a top ten school for his MBA.  Once he starts receiving those acceptance letters, he’ll know that all his hard work has paid off!!!  Although I wish we had more time to hang out.  I’m always afraid to ask him to do stuff  =(  But I know once October comes, we’ll be able to hang out more.  I can’t wait!!!  I hear a Nintendo match calling…

August 1-3 I’m going to visit Jamie in Denver.  She’s living there for the summer for her Occupational Therapy training.  She lives about 15 minutes north of Denver.  We’re both trying to save money so we’re just gonna do some hiking and maybe even take a trip to Breckenridge!!  It’ll be nice to get away and to see a familiar face!!

Danielle visits August 21-25!!!  I’m so excited to hang out with her.  We’re probably going to drop pillows down the stairs, jump on furniture, do headstands, throw flip-flips, listen to obnoxious 80’s music, drink until we can’t stand up, stick gum wrappers to everything, steal orange construction cones, block parking spaces, take someone to the hospital, run into trucks, take daily naps, take random pictures in the grocery store, run red lights, stop at green lights, and take shots of captain and pray we don’t have class the next day…..wait….we’ve already done all that. 

I’m also wayyyy excited to visit my favorite Jdogg in Orlando, September 4-8.  I haven’t seen him since college!  We talk almost every single day and he never surprises me with his random/hilarious comments!  I can’t wait to see what his “itinerary” consists of.  All I know is that we are going to Universal Studios and to some blues bar.  We’re probably gonna be eating a whole bunch of animal crackers too!!  Can’t freakin wait!

Whitney is supposed to come visit too, but has been on the other side of the pond (in Bosnia) for a month now and would like some time to relax when she gets home….although I did find her a plane ticket for $178.  I don’t know how she is handling everything over there.  Her blogs are absolutely amazing and I don’t know how she’s getting through it…emotionally.  She’s seen piles of unidentified people being buried, to wall to wall body bags full of skeletons, to listening to suicide stories, she has also helped out at a women’s facility helping rape victims and assisted abandoned women.  She said some of these women are so traumatized…they still can’t even look a man in the eye or shake his hand after 15 years.  She has also talked with some amazing children who are very intelligent but cannot further their education because of money and other issues.  She has also talked with kids who can’t afford to go see movies and who say “we smoke because there is nothing else to do.”  Their soccer fields have been paved over and no one seems to be interested in organizing games or other fun things to do.  It brings tears to my eyes to hear her stories and to think about these kids who can hardly do anything but sit on the street corner and smoke.  Whit also took a tour of a high school and found the library only had 50 books; the science lab had no running water and one microscope…without a lens.  She also learns that some kids only graduate because their fathers pay the school officials bribes.  Soon after day 5, she knew this was exactly what she DOES NOT want to do with her life.  She said it’s hard to deal with the “unbelievable trauma” and she “would constantly be breaking down in frustration.”  On a good note, she’s met some amazing people who will be lifelong friends and she has definitely had the experience of a lifetime!

Nick and Ryan – 4th annual Halloween bash?

I’ve also been getting random comments about a possible Trolley: Part 5.  Pirate theme anyone?  Holy crap…K-Cubed is really turning 25?!?

Bring on the snow.

That’s all for now.

 PS. Kim – Let’s definitely arrage a hot tub party with David.  I’ll have my people call his people.

 

 

$1 Goes A Long Way. July 15, 2008

Just thought I’d write (Pictures links in BLUE!!)

 

It’s been a week and a half since the interview with Safe Gard USA and I haven’t heard anything.  Not a big deal.  I don’t know if it would have been the job for me anyway.  I don’t think he was going to offer me as much as I’d like…plus it was more on the marketing side.  Although I would be designing 6 new ski tubes, life jackets, packaging, and getting to travel a few times a year.  He said design wise; I am over-qualified for this job.  But sitting in an office by myself all day, talking on the phone with clients, and trying to sell products is not my cup of tea.  I don’t really think I’m going to be hearing from them…and I’m not upset about it.  I think he was looking for someone who is more into marketing.

 

On a different note…I just got a $1/hour raise here at my job in ABQ!  I’m pretty pumped about that.  I was waiting for something to happen to help me with my moving decision, and I think that was it.  I’ve been working here for about a year and half and was beginning to wonder when my first raise was going to happen.  Hopefully this will help with my savings.  I’ve really been trying to save as much as I can.  I’ve definitely cut back on dumb unnecessary things…such as tanning, the gym (which I regret, and will probably join again in August), I don’t do yoga anymore, and I also try to do as many errands as I can in the same day and all in one trip to save gas.

 

As of now, I’ve decided to stay in ABQ thru ski season or until I find a job back in Cincy (kind of playing this by ear).  The raise definitely was a major factor in this decision; also my friend Danielle had a lot to do with it.  Danielle is such a great friend, sadly over the years we’ve grown apart though.  We’ve always been there for each other and have a very similar lifestyle so we can relate to each other on a lot of different topics.  We were best friends in high school and roommates freshman year in college.  Man, do we have some funny stories.  We are always giving each other advice whether it’s about family, relationships, life, school, etc.  She’s always there for me and always knows the right things to say.  So the past few days we’ve been emailing each other talking about where we are in life, catching up on old times, talking about family, jobs, school, etc.  I filled her in on my mixed up situation and she gave me some awesome advice that had a lot to do with my decision also.  I was telling her how unhappy I have been, how my job is boring, that I don’t have many friends, etc.  She responded by saying “I know you have a million and one friends back home, but you should stick it out.  Skiing will be such a great reward for all your unhappiness.  You don’t want to be miserable and just quit, have fun while you’re there and ski for one more season.  It will be so worth it and you’ll be glad you stayed.”  I love that and I think about that quote everyday.  Skiing will definitely be an awesome reward for sticking this out!  I’m so glad she told me that….because I never looked at it like that.  I’m so excited for her to come visit at the end of August!!!

 

Other stories:

 

Congrats to Molly and Craig Kantz on the new baby boy!!!  In honor of Molly’s dad – Dick (Richard) Charles Bucher…the baby’s name is Charles Joseph Kantz “Charlie.”

Born 7/14/08, 8lbs.

 

Congrats to Jody and Donald Raugh for the baptism of their baby girl, Morgan.

 

I guess next up will be Jessica!!  Good luck!!

 

Whitney is still in Bosnia doin her thing.  She hasn’t written in her blog for a while, so I’m not sure what she’s been up to lately.  I do know that she extended her trip by another week so she can go meet her pen pal from Scotland.  She seems to be having a great time, learning a lot, but realizing how well she has it back home (not necessarily in Cincinnati, but in the U.S.A.).  I can’t wait to see her pictures!

 

Happy Birthday Nick Sundrup!!!  He’s finally 21.  Took forever!!!!!  Sorry I couldn’t make it to the pub crawl….but I saw the pictures.  It looked like a blast.  Next time I come home, I owe you a drink.

 

Kim FINALLY quit the Beach Water Park!  She took on Graphic Design, Communications, Marketing, and occasionally Guest Services….staying till 1am some nights.  Eff that.  I’m so glad you quit.  Cheers!

 

Brad just bought a house and is moving in tomorrow!!!  He’s throwing a party this Saturday.  Everyone go crash it for me because I obviously can’t be there.  Great.

 

Lisa just quit her job at Turner Broadcasting in NYC and moved back to Cincy.  She hated living in NYC (I don’t blame her), and couldn’t put up with it anymore.

 

Josh Schneider (Fellow Taylor High Schooler), just swam at the Olympic trials in Nebraska.  He swam the 50 free, but sadly didn’t qualify. 

 

As many of you know, Jason Fuller passed away over the 4h of July weekend.  He was driving drunk, not wearing a seatbelt, and flipped his jeep on Buffalo Ridge.  If you are unfamiliar with Buffalo Ridge…it’s just about the hilliest road on our side of town (second to Rybolt Rd.).  Jason was pretty much Mr. Taylor High School – Homecoming King, basketball star, friendly to everyone, etc.  He will be missed!

 

Rob Guinn, former NM Scorpion also passed away.  He was in Des Moines, Iowa and another driver failed to stop at an intersection, hitting Guinn and causing him to land in a ditch.  Living with Jeff, I got to hang out with Rob and his wife Brooke a few times.  He was a very nice guy and always took the time to stop and talk to you no matter what.  He was also a sensational hockey player and captain leading the Scorpions to a great season ending in the playoffs. 

 

In two weeks I am going to see Jamie Cain in Denver!!  It will be a nice little vaca and time away frm ABQ.  It’s about a 6 hour drive, so I’m leaving right after work on Friday, August 1st…and coming back Sunday, August 3rd.  I told her I’m trying to save money, so I think we’re just going to play in the mountains and hike all weekend….which is totally fine by me!!  I can’t wait!

 

That’s all I can think of for now.

 

July 4th Weekend. July 8, 2008

As you know…I went home to Cincinnati for the 4th of July weekend.  Good times were had by all.  Not many people knew I was coming in, so it was a suprise to some.  Usually when I tell everyone I’m coming home, my phone never stops ringing.  I didn’t want that this weekend.  It was nice to just hang around the house and not be bothered for a change…although I did manage to go out one night and hang out with friends.  Overall, it was a perfect weekend.

Thursday I got into Cincy at 6:30 and went straight to Wild Mike’s with Dad, Jenny, Taylor, and Madison.  We had a few beers, talked for a while, and watched some of the Reds game.  I never get to eat at Wild Mike’s, so I enjoyed every minute of it!!  After dins I met Brad at Scoreboard to watch the rest of the Reds games.  A few others came up later…Kim, Ryan, Miranda, Jenny, Chris, etc.  Mom also came up.  Nothing too exciting went on.  Just had a few beers, watched the game, and Chris and Brad played about 1,520 holes of Golden Tee.

Friday (4th of July), I didn’t have any plans at all, and it was GREAT (except for my interview at 9am – which went pretty well).  Just what I wanted.  I hung out at Dad’s all day.  Even though it rained…me, Madison, and Taylor still went swimming, and even Peyton took a dip.  Pool is heated, so it felt better in the pool than it did outside.  We swam pretty much all day until dinner.  The menu for dinner was grilled chicken, beans, rolls, and potato caserol.  Yummies!  After dinner dad dug out the leftover fireworks from last year.  We shot off some bottle rockets, played with sparklers, and we had one green smoke bomb.  After messing up the driveway…me, Dad, and Taylor walked down to the corner of Rittenhouse and Cliff Rd. to watch everyone’s fireworks over the Ohio River.  It was a great view and we got to see a ton of firework shows.  Taylor got bored, and we walked back to the house after about fifteen minutes.  It was still early, so I called a few people to see if anyone went out, but no one did anything.  It was such a crappy day, everyone just stayed in.  So I went to bed.  I was tired from playing with Taylor and Madison all day anyway.

Saturday I tried to sleep in, but there’s no such thing as ‘sleeping in’ at Dad’s house.  Woke up around 9 and hung out for a while.  Dad and I took the Ranger back to Tom’s and picked apricots, then stopped by Rusty’s so I could get a few pictures of the pool before the party.  When we got back to the house I went swimming with Taylor and Madison again, and played with Riley (miss that puppy!).  After swimming I took a shower and went to mom’s for the rest of the day.  We met the Lancaster’s up at our community pool and drank Bud Light Lime and ordered pizza.  2, 12 packs later we called it a day and went home.  Being as I never get to play corn hole anymore…mom and I got it out and played 2 games.  We each won one.  Then we went inside and poured some wine and hung out for a little while.  That’s when the cell phone starts blowing up.  Saturday night, Katie’s in town, what’s going on?  Kim and I had planned to get some people together and go to The Black Sheep in Cheviot.  So that was the plan.  I showered and got ready, Kim came over, then we went to the bar.  Lots of people showed up and it ended up being a good time!

Sunday, again, tried to sleep in.  Fail.  Up by 9:30.  I was dragging all day.  Sunday morning was pretty low key.  Swimming with Taylor and Madison, Ranger rides with dad, and even tried to get the old go-cart started.  Failed at that too.  Around 2 we went to dad’s friend Rusty’s house (across the street).  It was Rusty’s 50th Birthday and 30th company reunion.  Talk about going all out – 2 live bands, professional fireworks show, lifeguards for the pool, open bar, rental crane with a rope swing, horse rides, etc.  It was a pretty cool set-up.  Too bad I had to leave.  I had to split that day up.  After being at Rusty’s for two hours, I went with mom to the Bucher’s for a swim party and grill out.  It was the whole golf outing gang again.  We watched the video from the golf outing and it put everyone into tears….but it was still a good time!!  After Bucher’s, mom and I left and went back to Rusty’s.  We made it just in time for the fireworks show.  We hung around for that, then had to leave.  I needed my bed and had to get up at 3am to leave for Indy.

Monday, got up at 3am, made it to Indy’s airport by 5:30am, mega crowded, and my flight left at 7am.  Now I’m back in ABQ.

I’ve decided I’m going to make my final moving decision after I hear back from Safe Gard USA.  The interview on Friday morning went really well.  He said graphics wise, I’m over quailfied, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to do the marketing side of things.  Depending on how much he offers in the end will determine whether or not I take this.  I’ll keep you updated!!

I had a great weekend, and it was really good to see everyone!!  Miss you already!

Weighing My Options. July 2, 2008

Giving up is the worst feeling in the world.  It’s one of my biggest pet peeves.  Personally, I hate to give up, and I really don’t like to see other people give up.  Giving up means so much and I tend to get very emotional talking about it and experiencing it.  Since I am obviously no good at explaining how I feel in person…I will write about it (kinda why I started this whole thing anyway).  That way I don’t get interrupted, I can say what I want, and I won’t break down in tears like I always do.  I can’t help it…I’m an emotional person, especially when it comes to this particular topic.  In a way, I feel like I could easily give up and I think that’s why I get so upset and emotional about my thoughts.  I mean this was my dream to move out west, and ski in the Rockies.  Yes, I should probably give it more time…see what happens.  But I’ve already tried and I’m sick of waiting around for something great to happen.  I’ve even thought about moving somewhere else…Denver, Nashville, or Chicago.  But I don’t think I could do it by myself.  I’m such a family person, and living away from home just isn’t for me anymore.  You live and you learn, I guess.

 

So…for those of you keeping up….you know I’ve been having some major thoughts on moving back to Cincinnati.  On Friday (June 27^th), I was 100% sure that I was going to move home.  But everyone kept telling me to sleep on it and think about it for a few days, and that I shouldn’t let this be an emotional decision.  Now, almost a week later, I’m over the emotional part and I’ve come to realize that being upset is not going to help.  It’s only going to make things worse.  Now I just need to figure out what will make me happy, although basing my decision on happiness isn’t always the way to go.  Sometimes you just have to do what’s best in the end.  I need to follow my heart…although I feel like its being torn in half.

 

Option 1 – Stay in ABQ.  I feel that the only reason I want to stay here is to ski.  But when I look at the big picture, it’s not.  I have a steady job too.  I know the economy sucks right now, so job hunting in Cincy will be difficult…as I’ve already found.  I don’t know if I want to come home jobless and go thru the hassle of finding another steady job.  I could possibly be jobless for months!  If I stay in ABQ…it’s only a short 5 months till ski season picks back up and I know once it comes, I’ll be so happy I stayed.  I also know I’ll probably blow too much money as I did last season.  Not good.  But it was so worth it.  Come March, I will need a new car as my Cobalt lease will be up.  March…the end of ski season…I’ll be mega broke.  Great.  Financially, I feel I HAVE to move back home.  My money situation isn’t quite working and I know in December it will just get worse.  It’s not like I’ll never be able to ski again if I move home.  By saving money, it will allow me to take trips.  But yes, I’ll miss just packing up and leaving for the weekend.  I’m young and you only live once.  Financially I would love to stay here for one more winter.  I learned so much this past season and my skiing skills improved so much.  I hate to just throw all that away.  I got all new equipment, all new gear, and to only use it for one season kills me.  I just wish I had the money to stay.  If I can afford to stay, I could easily overlook what I’m missing back home.  But who gets to say the can just pack up and ski in the Rockies every weekend?!?  As Adam said last night “This is my last winter out here, I need to take advantage of this place while I’m here.”….and one season clearly isn’t enough.

Option 2 – Move back to Cincy.  Home is where mom is, and I miss that.  I miss family and friends.  I miss just calling people and being able to hang out.  I miss all the annual events and things to do.  I miss the Bengal’s.  I miss going to the lake.  I miss my social life!!!  If I move home, everything would go back to normal and I would have a life again!!  I would also get to save so much money by living at home.  I’ve had enough of the lifestyle out here, and since I hardly do anything, all I ever think about is what I’m missing out on back home.  I feel like I have better reasons to move back home, but I know come December, when the snow starts to fall, I’m going to regret moving.  I’m young…I wanna have fun.  I would love to be here for another ski season.  What’s another 10 months gonna hurt?  I think I can miss out on Cincinnati events for another 10 months.  I’ll live.  But do I want to really stay here just to get thru another ski season?  Is it really worth it?  Plus, who’s to say this is the end of my travels?  In a few years I could decide to move again.  Although next time I will be sure to move somewhere with a better lifestyle and friendlier people. 

This has been a constant headache and I’m totally sick of thinking about it.  I wish I could make a decision already and be done with it.  I’m coming home this weekend for an interview and to talk it over with mom and dad.  In a way…I hate asking people what they think because it’s only natural for people back home to tell me they miss me and they would love to have me back.  It’s not fair for me to hear that.  This will be a major life decision and I think that’s why I’m being extremely emotional and hard on myself.  I have no idea what’s in store for me and I have no idea what I will decide to do…but hopefully this weekend I will make up my mind for sure.

 

Happy 4^th.  Catch you in the Nati this weekend!

 

Stayed tuned….

Don’t Eat Yellow Snow! June 25, 2008

For some reason…I’m in a really good mood today!  I think it’s because I’m totally sick of thinking about life and all the complications that come along with it.  I need to quit worrying about stupid stuff and just live life day by day. 

I think my mood today is also because my sister is feeling pretty confident about a possible job in Nashville!!  She recently had a phone interview with a big publishing company based in Nashville.  The interview went well and they wanted to meet with her in person for a second interview.  Well the HR guy automatically thought she lived in Nashville.  That was a problem.  Whit leaves for Bosnia today for three weeks so was obviously not available to meet for an interview.  So they held a second interview last night over the phone and she said it went really well again.  They originally wanted her to start the day after she gets back from Bosnia…which obviously was also a problem considering she doesn’t have place to stay or anything lined up in Nashville.  I guess they changed their mind and told her on the phone last night that they will not be hiring anyone till the end of July and wouldn’t have them start till August.  That would work out so perfectly for her.  I wish her the best.  She realllllly wants this job!!  If you get a chance…read her blogs.  They are very interesting, and are obviously better than mine (because she’s a writer).  Her story about leaving DC and moving on with life is pretty sad, and I feel bad about her situation.  But she is dealing with it like a mature adult!  She will be posting as much as she can while in The Boz.  Check it out – http://onegreatcity.wordpress.com/

FYI – (If you don’t know already) Whit has also decided to donate 9 inches of her hair to Pantene.  It was an emotional day chopping off 9 inches of her hair.  But she is very happy with it and feels great to know that someone with cancer will now get her hair.

Now on to the good stuff and why I’m actually writing today…

At first I didn’t really have anything to write about today.  Who says I need to write on here everyday anyway?  I’m teaching myself a new 3D program at work because I don’t have any other work to do.  It’s been going pretty well.  I read and follow tutorials online and go step by step making sure I fully understand what I’m doing so I get it right.  Yesterday I probably made close to 10 3D models.  I’m a little tired of it and my hand is sore from the wacom pen, so I’m taking this morning off to write.  (Some of the models I posted in my “Projects” album on MySpace).

In the midst of my break from the 3D program, I have decided to look at ski stuff online…just window shopping.  Mom also sent me the link to ABC’s show The Bachelorette from this past Monday night.  I wasn’t really into this show, but she said I HAD to watch at least the first half hour.  “Whatever,” I said.  So I watched it, and I’m glad I did.  Turns out it was the episode where the Bachelorette visits the final guy’s home towns/families.  The first guy they show is a professional snowboarder in Breckenridge, CO.  WAYYYY COOL, and right away it caught my eye!  DUH.  He briefly taught her the basics of snowboarding, carried her on his back down the slopes, and then went to his cozy mountain home to have dinner with his family.  Not to mention one wall in his house is completely (and I mean COMPLETELY) covered by snowboards.  What an awesome date!  I was immediately jealous.  That totally got me in the mood to hit the slopes…NOW (Man, I’m really impatient).  Needless to say I was mad at my mom for having me watch that.

After watching the short clip of The Bachelorette, I immediately got online and started looking at ski stuff.  I wish I had money to play with.  I found a sweet pair of Oakley goggles (which I don’t really need…my Spy goggles work just fine), I also found a Boeri helmet.  I’ve decided a helmet will be my next new purchase for this upcoming ski season.  Last season I started messing around in the terrain parks hitting a few jumps and a rail or two.  I think I would have more confidence if I had a helmet.  I made a few slip ups on the rails at Red River when my dad came to visit and my falls scared me a little.  Bring on the helmet, the terrain parks, and the black diamonds…this year I’m going big (I like to talk crap…I won’t follow thru).

I am also very determined to find matching ski pants to go with my polka-dot Roxy coat.  Right now I just have plain black ski pants…I’m not a plain girl.  I like to have the best!  But I’ve come to realize that Roxy does not make matching pants for my coat.  I’m a little upset about it….but still looking.  I have found pretty sweet white and black plaid pants and another pair of black pants with a turquoise design.  I absolutely love the plaid pants and wish it was a fashion statement to wear plaid and polka-dots together.  Mom said people would laugh at me and I would have to agree with her.  So I guess I’ll stick to my plain black pants.  Whatev.  Or maybe I’ll wear a camouflage one-piece or a bright pink 80’s get-up.  But I’m definitely keeping my Daniel-Son headband!

Even though it’s June…Adam and I have already started to make plans for the first weekend back on the slopes!!  We are heading to Sipapu for cheap lift tickets and no crowd…and probably hardly any snow.  I am snowboarding and Adam is skiing.  This should be a sight for sore eyes.  I have a feeling I will be on the ground the entire time.  Adam, on the other hand, will probably pick up skiing at the drop of a dime.  Last time I tried snowboarding was about 4 years ago, with Brad, no lessons, and we were on our ass the entire time.  This time I hope to develop some skills with a lesson from dum dum.

This year I will…

Not follow mister “let’s go this way and see where it goes.”  Last time we tried that, I sunk about 4 feet down in the snow then had to take all my equipment off and hike a mile back to the original trail.  Way to go smart one!  Haha!  The ski patrol saw us walking out of the woods and asked us if we were okay.   It was obvious we took a wrong turn if the ski patrol asked us if we were okay.

Not drink so much Sunny D and vodka while skiing.  A BIG whoops on my part.  I learned the hard way that liquor can kick your ass on the ski slopes.  Durango, Sunday afternoon, hammered from too much vodka and Sunny D, don’t remember a single thing about skiing that day, and ended up with a huge bash on my chin.  Great.  My day was shot.  Good thing lift tickets were only $10.

Not complain.  My stupid, still unidentified knee injury from high school really started to take a toll on me towards the end of the season.  I was sitting out numerous runs by the end of the day, almost in tears on the last trip to Wolf Creek.  I really don’t enjoy being around people who complain, that’s why I’m so hard on myself once I start doing it.  So this year I will remember to bring Advil with me.

Try to get all my ski/snowboard friends out her for a crazy trip!  (Attn: Ryan Hoffman, Brett Lieberth, Nick Katsetos, Brad and Casey Blankenship, Jake Curry, Justin Brugger, Ryan Langen,  Grant Sharp, Mike Schmalle, Dale Thomas, Zach Wanstrath)  Put Perfect North aside for a long weekend and come out here!  People overlook the skiing that exists in New Mexico.  Taos is one of the best ski resorts in the Country.  NM skiing is also wayyyy cheaper than those fancy Colorado resorts.  Bring it on!

 

 

 

 

Try to improve my skiing in powder.  Skiing in powder with my twin tip skis has been my biggest challenge yet.  Sometimes the powder can be a few inches to a few feet deep and having longer skis (especially with curved edges) makes it very difficult to maneuver and turn.  I am going to build up my strength and work harder this winter. 

That’s all I can think of for now.   

Last but not least….one final story –

Two New Mexico snowboarders went missing in Wolf Creek, Colorado back in January.  I was keeping up with the story little by little because I know how easily it would be to get lost in white-out conditions, especially in the Wolf Creek area.  After having been there twice, I’ve learned a thing or two about the area.  Wolf Creek averages 462 inches of snowfall every winter (the most snow in Colorado); Wolf Creek is set right in between two Colorado towns (South Fork and Pagosa Springs), pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and some of the ski trails are really hard to follow.  Lots of places aren’t marked so when you see a boundary sign, you should probably respect it and not take any chances.  Michael and Kyle (the two snowboarders who went missing), were just found 2 weeks ago on the other side of the mountain.  The rescue team had put off the search because of all the snow and had to wait till it started to melt.  Their bodies were pretty much withered away, but they were able to identify some of the gear and snowboards.  It was a sad story especially after having been there, but the families were thankful that the two boys were found.