2008 in Review

This is becoming a yearly tradition...

1) Drinking Buddy of The Year?
Vanessa! Maia wins wine tasting buddy of the year.

2) Lifetime service award - Longest friend
George is probably always going to win this award, but Bret gets special honors tonight because today is a 10-year friend-a-versary!

3) High Point of the year?
Hmmmm... I think the San Fran trip in April was pretty freakin awesome.

4) Low point of the year?
Without a doubt - finding a bald spot on my head, only to get dumped an hour later. Man that sucked.

5) Best holiday?
Vacation holiday = Tied between San Fran in April and San Diego in November.
Holiday holiday = It hasn't happened yet, but I'm already saying New Year's Eve!

6) Anthem for 2008?
"By and By" - Brett Dennen ...Not really an anthem, just my favorite song at the moment.

7) Any Regrets?
Hmmm. None whatsoever!

8) Best Night out?
Trivia nights with Vanessa were always fun. Especially in January after our company holiday party, since that's pretty much when our friendship started! Outdoor cinema night at 858 was AWESOME. (Not really a night out I guess, but close enough.) Going to the lobby bar after my sister's wedding with Mom hair in full effect! Christmas Carol>Catacombs>Cosmo's>Stranahan's whiskey late night>no sleep ... that was a good night! Also any night involving Roller Derby or Rockies. Oh, and the night at Lakeside Amusement Park was super fun too. And Election Night!

9) Worst Night out?
Being woken up at 8am to "Can you come pick me up from jail?" Fail!

10) Who did you spend your valentines with?
Hmmm... Probably my roommates. This year it will be chocolate covered vicodins! ;-) (My surgery is Feb. 12th.)

11) Best relationship?
I don't like this question and will be omitting it from future years. If you have multiple real relationships in one year, can any of them be considered "best"?

12) Worst relationship?
Same as above.

13) Best concert?
Cake at Chautauqua followed by Vampire Weekend at the Bluebird.

14) Best New Relationship/Friend?
Vanessa of course! Brian, you definitely get an honorable mention! Also, Kelsie, Alex, and the whole ES crew.

15) Best decision made all year?
Go to San Diego and visit Maia. (This is a complicated answer... ask me for the explanation sometime.)

16) Best new album that you have gotten this year?
Pandora! haha

17) Most proud moment?
Getting a raise, promotion, and bonus all in the same day!

18) Most reliable person?
Kaplow wins this one for always being there via email, facebook, and text!! I think you also win the award for "most emails from Kezza ever".

19) Best job of the year?
Wedding-dress-holder-upper-while-my-sister-pees. haha

20) Best Film?
This is tough. I watched a lot of movies this year. Especially once both George and I got netflix. I'm gunna go with Charlie Bartlett, just because that's the only one sticking out in my head right now.

21) Biggest Bitch?
Having to pay the bills. (God I sound old.)

22) Biggest pain in your ass?
Oh wait, this is not the same as #21? Hmmm... How bout, missing the bus to the airport and having to chase it halfway to Denver? That sucked.

23) Person you wish you never met?
I really cannot think of anyone.

24) Catch phrase of the year?
GooooOBAMA!

The absolute best picture from Christmas 2008:

And the last of the Christmas pics...

Kaplow! Where are you?? Look what Meg got us for Christmas!! It's even pre-baked! I'm totally saving it for April.




Click here for the 11SW Gingerbread House Reprise

Snow storm - Before and After

Here's some before and after shots of our recent little snowstorm:

Friday 12/19/08 - Noon

Monday - 3:45pm

Monday - 9:35pm

(It actually got worse than this by Tuesday morning, but by the time I went to snap a pic, it had started melting already.)

Christmas in Bangkok

Well, kind of. Checked out a few Thai restaurants in my hometown, and a nearby suburb. It is unfortunate that Boulder can't manage to have Thai food this good. At least I have something to look forward to every time I come home!

More snow!

Yes, it's true... I have no car and we're getting 3 inches of snow per hour... so I have nothing better to do than take videos of it. This is the Syracuse I remember from childhood. Good times.

Back yard:




Front yard:

Syracuse!

Just some shots I've taken the last few days here in my humble home of Syracuse, NY. Enjoy!

Brian's Steamboat Pictures

Brian's awesome pictures from last weekend:



(My captions, not his.)

Tahoe Open Mic?

Come on Hoa... you know you want to let me sing this with you!




Love this song!

Steamboat weekend

Here's some pictures from my weekend in Steamboat/Keystone with a couple of the San Fran crew. Such a great weekend!

Highlights include:

• Thursday night Catacombs = empty? Sweet.
  
• Getting stuck in a snow-bank on the drive up to Steamboat, and getting pulled out by that random dude with a truck and chains who just always happens to drive by.
• Going straight to the hot springs - What 5 hour drive?
  
• An awesome day of riding with the boys at Steamboat. Team Ramrod!
• Getting about 5 hours of sleep between Thursday and Sunday.
• Jackass = "Oh wait, that rule I told you guys about before. That's a lie."
  
• "Breaking and entering" into a house-of-political-scandal in Keystone.
• Red Rocks covered in snow. Drinks and football.
• Nachos and duck fat fries!
  
• Hot tub.
• An almost-missed flight! ;-)

CANNOT wait for Tahoe!!! I'm so glad it's only a month away!

This weekend....

This...

and this...

Woohoo!

You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone...

The following conversation took place about an hour ago, at my local Safeway:


Clerk (holds up carton of eggs): Do you want to get a dozen instead of these two half-dozens? The half-dozens cost twice as much.

Kezza: Ummm... that is a dozen.

Clerk: No, this is two half dozens, see? (Points at two bar code stickers, and hash mark across the top, used for cutting said dozen in half.)

Kezza: Can't you just ring that one in as a dozen? (Points at "dozen" bar code printed on carton.)

Clerk: Nope, the register won't let me. Do you want me to get someone to grab a dozen for you?

Kezza (looks at the dozen he has in his hand, confused; Looks at line apologetically): Sure, I guess.

Other customers in line also making confused faces. Clerk pages for help. Help arrives.

Clerk: William, can you go get a dozen instead of these two half-dozens? (Hands William carton of one dozen eggs. William also looks somewhat confused, but leaves.)

Five verrrry long minutes later, William arrives with an identical carton of eggs, minus two barcode stickers. There are now 5 people in line behind Kezza. Everyone is still confused. Clerk scans barcode printed on carton and Kezza leaves with "Twilight Zone" theme stuck in her head.

Fashion Show

Checked out a fashion show at a club in Denver Saturday night. Interesting scene. It seemed that most of the regular patrons were Eastern European, and the employee dress code for women was "Clothing Not Allowed". Some chicas were wearing fancy lingerie, which looked appropriate I guess for that kind of club. But other girls were simply wearing bras and underwear and it was awkward. I felt like I was in someone else's nightmare where they show up to work without clothes on. My instinct was to take off my jacket and offer it to the girls. Shortly after a girl in a bikini got on stage and started dancing, I left, went home and read my book club book. Yeah, I'm cool.

No climb? :-(

The flatirons look like this. It's 24 degrees. It looks like climbing it out of the agenda for tomorrow. :-( Maaaaaaybe on Sunday??

French Bunion Soup - it's a thing.

My sister sent this to me. This is awesome! Go to this link, and fast forward to 18:10. French bunion soup. It's a thing. Tell your friends.

What I'm climbing this weekend

Third Flatiron
Boulder, CO

It is the holidays after all...

Everyone knows you don't stay on your diet during the holidays. So if you're gunna indulge, you might as well go all out. Try this simple, but decadent and oh-so-delicious tasty treat I whipped up tonight.

1. Toss broccoli and asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper and powdered garlic. Roast on 400 until desired doneness (10-15 minutes).
2. Cook chopped bacon in non-stick skillet. After a while add chopped mushrooms. Cook for for like 5-10 minutes?
3. This is where I started improvising, so bear with me.... Throw in a couple tablespoons of butter, and some pinot grigio (or other white wine)... maybe half a cup? Reduce.
   
4. Now you need to thicken the sauce. I used about a tablespoon of cream cheese, but I'm sure whole milk or cream would work great too. I may have also thrown in some more butter. ;-)
   
5. Cook until desired thickness. Take veggies out of the oven.
   
6. Throw in some left over egg noodles or whatever other pasta you have on hand.
   
7. Toss sauce, veggies and noodles. Add pepper, salt and parmesan cheese to taste.
   

VOILA! It's kinda healthy cause it has veggies right?? ;-)




Post Script - Be sure not to drop the leftovers on the floor! (Luckily there weren't too many!)

It's official

I'm going to Tahoe 2009!!

(Group shot from Tahoe 2007)

Thanksgiving 2008

Pictures from my food-filled Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Things I am thankful for:

1. The McDoughnuts! Even if don't get to see them on Thanksgiving this year.
2. My awesome friends. You know you who are.
3. Being alive and healthy (all things considered).
4. Having a job that I like that pays decent; having a great boss and working with cool coworkers.
5. Living in this awesome country and having all the unlimited opportunity that comes with it.
6. Living in Boulder, in a great house, a block and a half from beautiful hiking trails.
7. Food. Glorious, delicious food.
8. Being able to take fun long weekends to San Diego, Tahoe, or elsewhere.
9. That there are still AMAZING, beautiful places out there in the world, yet to be discovered.
   
10. Pretty much everything :-)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you have a great weekend filled with good food, great company, relaxing, football, gratitude, and love.

Tahoe Bound?

It's probably dangerous to start any sentence with "Maia convinced me..." but I'm feeling sassy today. Maia convinced me to reschedule my foot surgery in order to attend the annual Martin Luther King wknd Tahoe trip with all of the San Fran kids. Ok, maybe not totally convinced, but she definitely planted the seed. The more I started thinking about it, the more it made sense to do it February for a variety of reasons. So while it's still up in the air for now, it's looking pretty likely that I'll be heading to Tahoe in January! Woohoo!

A look back at Tahoe 2007.

If I take enough drugs, maybe my hair will grow...

Up and Atom!

Hair/thyroid update:

My TSH was low. That's Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. It's a hormone the pituitary gland emits to tell the thyroid how much thyroid hormone to make. When it's low, that can mean that the thyroid is making too much. This isn't unexpected really. I essentially have an extra half a thyroid in there just doing it's own thing (how appropriate). There's no way to really know whether this is related to the bald-spot or not, but it very well could be. Speaking of bald spots, I don't know how you bald men/women deal in the winter! I mean, obviously you must have an awesome hat collection. Or a scalp of steel. Even though it's not totally bald because it is covered up with hair, I can still totally feel the cold, cold air on my spot every time I walk outside. It's a strange feeling!

Annnyways, yesterday I swallowed three radioactive pills for a thyroid scan. It is a bit strange to see something so radioactive (but still, apparently, not that bad) that it's kept in a special for-radioactive-substances container..which is subsequently kept in container... and then ANOTHER container. And then to put that radioactive substance in your stomach. Good thing I eat a lot of spicy Thai food.

For the past two days, thoughts of obtaining super powers have floated through my mind. But above all else, I can't get this out of my head..."My eyes! Ze goggles do nothing!" I hope I don't laugh too much during the exam. :-)

San Diego Trip Report - Part Three

Sunday, Maia and I woke up early and headed to Coronado. First, we ate brunch at the Crown Bistro. It was pretty tasty! Then we walked down to the beach near the Hotel del Coronado. From their website:

"Since it was first built more than 120 years ago, the Hotel del Coronado has been a beacon of grandeur and refinement among vacation destinations in Southern California and the world. With its iconic red-shingled roof adding a dash of majestic color to the dazzling azure Pacific coastline, The Del stands as the definitive example of what a luxury resort should be."

Well, it was pretty cool looking, and nice. Maia was intent on sneaking into their pool deck and using their hot tub. I was less inclined. First we hit up the beach for a while. It was the perfect temperature for laying out in the sun. Not too hot, not too cold. After a while, we decided we needed some pina coladas. I tried to steer Maia towards the public bar, but she was intent on the hot tub. I followed her to the door to the pool deck, thinking it would be locked and you would need a room key to enter. Well, you DO need a room key, but someone had left the door cracked open, so we were able to walk right in! Success! Pina coladas were enjoyed in the hot tub, and soon we had to bolt to make sure I got to the airport in time for my flight.

Overall, a pretty kickass vacation. I gotta say, I'm a pretty huge fan of San Diego! Can't wait to go back. Next time I'm totally taking a surfing lesson!

San Diego Trip Report - Part Two

Friday night, after I picked Maia up from work, we decided to get tapas at La Gran Tapa, which had great reviews on Yelp. They were supposed to have a $10 tapa & wine special for Happy Hour, however when we arrived we were informed that because of the theater, and because they were so busy, they would only be doing a $25 prix fixe menu. We sat at a table out on the patio, and were handed the regular menu as well. It was extremely confusing.

This old man who seemed to be the Host of some sort said he'd take care of us.."just tell me what you want, and I'll get you what you want out of kitchen." Ummm... OK. I ordered a glass of Zinfindal from a woman waitress, and we picked out some tapas to share. Old-man came back and we told him what we wanted and he said,

"No, I can't to do that.. you can only pick from the special menu."

"But we don't want any of that stuff..." At this point I thought Maia was going to walk out.

"OK Beautiful ladies, I will only charge you for one of the special meals, and I will bring you two meals, and free wine, and whatever else you want. I bring it. Just for you beautiful ladies."

We were starting to warm up to this strange old man ;-)

Maia ordered a glass of tempranillo, and he turned to me. I told him I had ordered a glass of zinfindel. "I bring you tempranillo too." And he disappeared.

At this point, Maia and I just gave up all hope of getting anything we wanted and decided to just enjoy the ride. Soon plate after plate of food arrived. Marinated kalamata olives; fresh baked bread; a European potato salad; marinated beets... and those were just the appetizers. Next, a delicious fresh greens salad with a basalmic vinaigrette, followed by a melt-in-your-mouth pan-seared salmon dish, and pumpkin risotto.

Somewhere along this culinary adventure, we learned that strange-old-man was in fact, Basilio the owner of the restaurant. He stopped by our table many, many times to make sure we were happy, and to keep our wine glasses topped off.

(Maia showing off the octopus)

After our entree's Basilio brought us something "special". It was their sauteed octopus dish that I had read all about on yelp. It received rave reviews for being especially tender and not at all chewy. Being a big calimari fan, I was curious to try it, but I would never have ordered it on my own. Well, let's just say, the reviews were spot on, and I devoured the entire plate (with some help from Basilio!)

Yes, by this point, Basilio had pulled up a stool, offered a bottle of wine, pulled out a fork, and joined us for dessert. Dessert, by the way, was some of the best tiramisu and creme brulee I have ever had. I can't say I've ever had the owner of a restaurant join my table before! At one point, one of the waitstaff made a comment like "Has Basilio harrassed you enough for tonight?" While he was a HUGE flirt, he never quite crossed over the pervert line, and was harmless enough. Plus, he was feeding us amazing food, pouring good wine, and at a discount at that!

And yes, true to his word, Basilio only charged us for one prix fixe meal, plus a glass of wine or two each. Making our total $23 each. OK maybe the math doesn't quite add up, but we drank a lot of wine!! Either way it was a total steal for such a memorable meal! If you're ever in San Diego, I highly recommend La Gran Tapa! Basilio also owns The Turquoise in Pacific Beach. I can't vouge for it personally, but I'm sure that's worth a shot too.

Me and Basilio

Such a crazy man! (In a good way)

Mmmmm ... tiramisu!

Best unexpected meal EVER!

San Diego Trip Report - Part One

Left work early, and got into San Diego around 7pm on Thursday. Maia was actually waiting for me when I walked outside the terminal! I think that's a first!!

We promptly went to the Starlite Lounge for some cocktails and catching up. While there was a slight chill in the air, I could tell already that it was going to be much warmer than Boulder. I could also smell the ocean in the air, which was pretty exciting.

Went to bed at a decent hour on Thursday night because I had to wake up early to drive Maia to work, so I could use her car for the day. Had an awesome time playing tourist in San Diego all day Friday! First I went to Cabrillo National Monument and checked out the tide pools. Then I went to Torrey Pines State Reserve and went on a short coastal hike. After that I drove down to Mission Beach and strolled along the Strand/beach until it was time to pick up Maia from work. Here's the pics!

San Diego pics coming soon...

Stay tuned!

Oh Christmas Tree...

Just a few pictures from helping Vanessa put up her Christmas tree last night.

Hair update

One of my best friends (also 27) has high cholesterol. I have a bald spot. I think it's fair to say that we are now officially O-L-D.

Since I don't want people to worry about me too much, here's a quick update on the whole hair-loss ordeal. I had it checked out by my main doctor yesterday. It is indeed alopecia areata and unfortunately, doctor's don't really know too much about it, and there is no "cure". It could be related to my thyroid. OR, alopecia is an auto-immune disorder, and some thyroid problems are caused by auto-immune issues, so I could also be harboring some underlying endocrinological auto-immune diesase (not to mention, my affinity for medical geek speak. I love big words!)

So my thyroid levels are getting checked out, and my doctor will discuss things with my endocrinologist, and then we'll see where we go from there. Probably the old monitor-and-watch routine, since I've already decided I'm not going to treat it unless it gets worse. Unless you're one of my 5 faithful blog readers, you'd never know I was a potential Rogaine candidate.

"I'm not just the President; I'm also a client!"

Royal Arch Hike

Annie Scissorhands

My hairdresser Annie is very scissor-happy. This is why I have avoided getting a haircut since June. I was trying to grow my hair longer; see what it would like like somewhat long and with bangs. It wasn't turning out good. I finally acquiesced to the hair gods, and scheduled an appointment. I went in with every intention of keeping some of the length. "Just get rid of this mullet thing in the back," I told her. That was all it took. Next thing I know the back is shorter, the sides are shorter, and they just keep going skyward. But, with every snip of the scissors or wisp of the razor through my hair, we both found ourselves saying, "Wow, this is looking cute!" So I sat back, relaxed, and let Annie do her thing. Annnnd...voila!

I love it!! And I can't wait to play around with it tomorrow! Down and poufy, half up-half down, tousled, flipped out, just air-dry and go?? The possibilities are endless!

Whale's Vagina

I needed some good news today, so I created some. Instead of a now-canceled backcountry yurt trip, I will be going to San Diego next weekend! Not counting Meg's wedding, I haven't taken a vacation since April, when I went to San Francisco to visit Maia. Maia recently moved to San Diego, so what better opportunity to get out of town? I love spur-of-the-moment vacations! Especially when the involve palm trees and beaches. :-)

27, single, and .... balding??

Yesterday was not a good day. Actually, it felt like an incredibly bad dream.

First, I had my annual gyno exam. Nothing bad happened, but obviously these are not the best time. On the upside, I did get a $5 gift card to Chipotle for having to wait 20 minutes in an extremely cold office in nothing but an oddly revealing "robe". Sweet.

Second, While hanging out with Vanessa, I was running my hands through my hair and felt something odd. Continued feeling resulted in more oddness.... hmm... is that skin? "Vanessa, do I have a weird bald spot or something back here?" Vanessa tentatively replied, "Ummm... kinda...." WTF?? Two mirrors were needed STAT. Sure enough, under a layer of hair, I do indeed have a 1.5" x 1" bald spot. Like bic razered bald. It's a perfect rectangle too. My first thought was, "Holy shit, did someone shave my head in my sleep???" After admitting that this was a highly improbable notion, I then commenced freaking out about losing my hair. Bald dudes everywhere, I completely fucking sympathize. A game plan was hatched. Go see hairdresser (she doesn't ever remember seeing it.) Call doctor, it could be related to my thyroid problems (appointment on Tuesday.) Think about how much worse it could be. Hey, at least you can't see it unless I move my hair out of the way.

Third, In the midst of the hair-loss freakout, Truman called. That was interesting. I hadn't seen him all weekend because he was away on a business trip, and I was really looking forward to seeing him and catching up. And possibly laughing about my shitty day. So I head over to his place, and well, as the subject line says, I am indeed single again. (For the record, I did not get the chance to tell him about the hair loss incident. Didn't want people to think he heard that and promptly dumped me. Although that would be funny.) Sorry for everyone who got their hopes up for me :-( There's not really too much more to say about that. At least in this public forum.

Today, I took a much needed sick day (although I still had to go into work for a couple of hours). And I am contemplating a trip to Cali next wknd instead of the hut trip, since I already took the day off of work. Cali peeps - let's talk.

And sorry about the sad-blog... but I get one free pity-post right??

Testing, testing....1, 2...

Starting next Monday, I will be the official "voice" of the Grand Junction Free Press for blind people all across Colorado. On Mondays. At 5:30pm. That's right... I'll be an official (blind) radio personality ;-)

I've been wanting to get back into volunteering ever since I moved back to Colorado. It took a while to get settled.. one step at a time... and it also took a while to find something that fit into a tight schedule. I love reading out loud, and really wanted to read to kids at a hospital, but that proved to be much more difficult than it should. I mean, I understand not wanting to let just anyone walk in and read to the kids, but you'd think that would be something in more high demand. I also thought about the library, and might look into it further in the future, but those programs are either already taken up with "experienced readers", or are during the weekday or early weekends. Weekends are OK, but not preferable. I know I would bail too many times for vacations and whatnot.

I've known about the reading-for-the-blind program for a while, but never looked into it until recently. I guess I was waiting for something better, but I think this gig will be great. Every Monday during my lunch break, I will walk two buildings over, go into a tiny "studio", and read local Grand Junction news off of the newspaper's website. There's not really too many rules, and there's a lot of room for your own "personality" to come out if you want it to. I can't wait to read the catty local letters-to-the-editor in fun voices :-) Vanessa, I might just have to bust out the Gwendolyn "Dear Sir" voice!

They also do programs for kids, so hopefully I'll get to do some of that too. It's really fun to read kids' books with funny voices. Actually, the audition itself was kind of fun too. I was handed a small packet of stories to read "cold" - no peeking ahead of time. At first I was a little nervous, but it wasn't too obvious except for the fact that I read WAY too fast. I do this when I'm nervous, but I'm also a naturally fast reader. Will definitely have to work on that. The second story, I had found my "voice" more, but it was a story about endangered indigenous languages - like Kiktch and Haida, for example. So I basically just had fun making up pronunciations. The woman never corrected me, even on words I obviously butchered, so it must not matter too much. But seriously... try saying Kiktch out loud... that is not an easy word to say. Especially twice in one sentence.

I'm excited for my first show next Monday. While it's not live, it might as well be, as there isn't really any editing. I think I'll do allright though. First Grand Junction Free Press... next, NPR!?! One step at a time...

First Friday Artwalk

(Pictures taken from google image search)

Went to Denver's First Friday Art Walk on Santa Fe Ave last night. I can happily report that 3/4 of my Christmas shopping is now done! Last year everyone got books, this year it's art! :-)

Halloween Update

Truman posted a great narrative of our Halloween-night, Mile High Sci Fi and Whiskey-Victory experience. Check it out!

November 4, 2008!

My election predictions

Tonight I am going to a sports bar with a bunch of coworkers to watch the Network TV madness. If my predictions are right (or close enough), I'll win a free beer! These picks are based a little bit on CNN, a little bit on Newsweek, and a lot on some hunches. :-) Click the picture to see full-size.

GoooObama!

Did you vote???

Denver Botanic Gardens

Went to the Botanic Gardens with Vanessa and Natalie today. As you can see in the pictures below, my fear that there would be no more flowers left was proven otherwise. 70 degrees in November! I love Colorado!!

Halloween Party photos

Halloween!

From the costume contest Friday night. We won a bottle of this. It's one of the few whiskeys that I actually enjoy drinking. :-D

Office Costume Contest!

Costume contest at work today. There were some AWESOME costumes! I dressed up as Rosie the Riveter and got nominated for Most Original. I didn't win though - I got beat by the Suicidal Wall Street Banker. While his costume/makeup was very good, I have to question the originality of that costume this year. Granted, mine's not very original either. Oh well! It's been awesome seeing everyone in costume around the office. I love my coworkers!

Halloween?

Scary McDoughnuts

Who wants to buy me this Halloween costume?


Trust me, it'll be worth it.

My Christmas List...

This shirt. That is all.


Actually, I'll probably get it for my Dad for Xmas. In true goofy-gift tradition. He'll love it.

Now I'm craving donuts. Boulder - you need a donut shop!!

Gregory Canyon Hike

Thanks to my new programmable coffee-maker, I actually got up at a decent time today. You just can't beat having a pot of hot coffee waiting for you in the morning. Today was perfect hiking weather. About 55-60 degrees, with a bit of a chill in the air. I took a while deciding which hike to do (such a dilemma, I know.) Finally decided on a 5-mile Gregory Canyon loop. Up a canyon and then back down in a round-about way. It was perfect. Took me about 2.5 hours. The leaves are still turning colors, it was a great little workout, and the trail wasn't very crowded. It was also very scenic. My favorite part was after a long time of climbing up, I rounded a bend and was surprised/rewarded with a beautiful panoramic view of the Divide to the west and north, including Longs Peak.

Anyways - here's the pics! Time to go veg out.

Haunted Corn Maze Pictures

Tonight...

I am going to willingly enter a haunted corn maze.

Normally I wouldn't think much of this, however, my brother-in-law (woh, weird to say - still getting used to that Johnny!) is currently working at a Haunted House in Buffalo, NY (which will be featured on the Travel Channel on Sunday) and has apparently made quite a few people "urinate themselves". I never really thought this was a) very common or b) a possibility, but I have to say, now I'm a little bit nervous.

Pumpkin carving pictures!

Click the slide show to see full-size pics!

Lucky to be loving life (aka the namas-gay post)

I got into a car accident the other day. My first real accident. It ended up being pretty minor, so I guess it could be classified as a fender bender, but it was fast, scary, and could have been a LOT worse. I was leaving my office park, waiting at a red light to turn left. The light turned green, I started turning left, and all of a sudden I see this car flying through the intersection on my left. I braked hard (witnesses reported hearing squealing brakes) and luckily he just skimmed the front of my car and took part of my bumper off. That's pretty much all I remember. I was so confused and shocked that I thought maybe I had ran the red light. Especially since he was going so fast. I don't really remember pulling over to the side of the road. I just kept thinking "Holy shit, I could have died." I was so shaky that I couldn't even write the dude's information down. Afterwards, I read online that it helps to draw a picture of what happened. So here's my awful graphical representation:

Asshat admitted to running the red light. He told the cop "I drive down this road everyday and never see the light turn red." Umm... that's what lights DO!! It's a fairly busy intersection as well. That light turns red all the time. Jerk.

My car is currently at the mechanics. The mini-cattle guard on my bumper is going to come off. I don't know what that thing is. Probably just for looks. Not anymore. I realized yesterday that I also lost my (new) front license plate. Not really sure what to do about that. When I drove through the intersection later that day, the pieces of my car had either been cleaned up or scattered down the road. I figure maybe someone found the license plate and will send it to the DMV. Or maybe eventually I'll get another. Not sure if you need one on the front in Colorado or not.

As Truman said, if I was going to get into an accident, this is definitely the best case scenario. No one hurt, not too much damage to the car, not my fault. I may not even need to make a claim against anyone's insurance. I definitely feel pretty damn lucky right now. I feel like I should hug everyone I know. Maybe I will. (Consider this fair warning...)

Tonight we're having a pumpkin carving party at my house. I can't wait. Last year was a lot of fun, and there were some amazing carvings. I can't decide if I'm more excited for the jack-o-lanterns or the hot spiked apple cider! Stay tuned for pics...

While most of the country was watching football...

Sunday, Vanessa and I ventured out of the Boulder bubble into Focus-on-the-Family-Land. That's right, Colorado Springs. It actually looks a lot like Boulder, just different political signs. And Pike's Peak is definitely not as attractive as Long's Peak. Sorry Pike's.

Our destination was Garden of the Gods - a place I've heard a lot about (especially in the climbing community), but had never seen. Ditto Vanessa. Vanessa also wanted to check out a famous and amazingly talented glass artist - Dale Chihuly - at the Fine Arts Center. Unfortuntately, I found out after we had left the museum that I would have been allowed to take pictures of the amazing glass work. Oh well, next time! All in all, a pretty good day in the Springs. Dare I say that I actually look forward to going there again?

Pics from Garden of the Gods...

Pumpkin Hunting!

I forgot my camera for the roller derby last night, but I did bring it along today when Truman and I went pumpkin hunting with some friends. 858's annual pumpking carving party this Thursday! The pumpkin patch was fun, but I miss my apple cider and cider donuts! Here's some pics:

What I'll be watching from the sidelines tonight

Two of my coworkers are Denver Roller Dolls. Such an awesome way to spend a Friday night. Hopefully I'll remember to bring my camera and get some pictures!

You need to listen to this...

...if you're extremely frustrated with not understanding what is going on with the mortgage crisis and more recently, the incredibly scary global economic crisis.

This American Life has produced two amazing shows explaining in layman's terms and breaking down what the F is going on in our world of economics lately.

Part One - "The Giant Pool of Money" - All about the housing crisis

Part Two - "Another Frightening Show about the Economy" - What has happened in the past couple of weeks that is scaring the crap out of everybody, and some opinions about the $700-billion bailout.

Part Three - The last 10 minutes of "A Better Mousetrap 2008" explains how the bailout reinvents our government's role into a quasi-bank.

Also of note - Because of the success and popularity of these two shows, the guys who reported them - Alex Blumberg and Adam Davidson - have started a podcast called "Money Planet" focusing on the economy. I haven't listened to it yet, but will probably check out an episode or two today.

Daydreaming...

About this:

Scallop with Foie Gras

By Chef Jeremy Thomas of French 250

2007 Taste of Elegance "Peoples Choice" Chef

Thursday October 30,2008, 6 to 9 PM
TASTE OF ELEGANCE CHEF’S WINE AND FOOD COMPETITION/AUCTION
Tickets: $85 (limited to 300)

Hailed by many as Denver's premier wine and food pairing competition, featuring samplings of expertly created cuisine paired with Gold Medal Winning Wines from the 2008 Denver International Wine Competition. Attendees will taste Gold Medal Winning Wines chosen through a blind tasting, from an accredited panel of judges.

From those wines, competing chefs will create "Iron Chef" style dishes to pair with them. In addition, a live and silent auction will take place prior to the award ceremony.We are currently complying the list, but Chef's signed on so far include:

• Jeremy Thomas- French 250
• Ian Kleinmann- O's Restaurant
• Keith Jones- The Champagne Chef
• Daniel Joly- Mirabelle, Beaver Creek
• Goose Sorensen- Solera Restaurant and Wine Bar

Location: University of Denver School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management (HRTM), 2044 E Evans St, Denver

Cost: $85 per person (limit 300)

*le sigh* *le drool*

Now I am le hungry.

New wine site!

I found a new wine site! This is probably where I'll be stocking up for my post-surgery-couch-rest. Love the free shipping deals!

The French Bunion Soup Story

(Chips and Dip in Flip Flops...)

I've had this foot problem for as long as I can remember. When I was 11 or 12, my gymnastics coach told my parents to have it checked out by a podiatrist, as he was concerned with my knee bowing inward when landing leaps and other one-legged-landing moves. It was in this doctor's office, that I first heard the word "bunion". Ewwww. Bunion.

A few days later, I was at my grandparents' house hanging out with my family. Swimming in the pool, BBQ-ing, drinking (not me... well, maybe a sip of Nana's wine), and eating corn on the cob. The usual. At one point, one of my uncles points at my foot and says "What is that?!?" I got embarrassed, but I think they were a little tipsy and just kept talking about it. By now, all my aunts, uncles and parents have joined in.

"Is that a corn?"
"God, what is that thing? A sixth toe?"

Et cetera... They weren't being mean. Just poking fun. Finally, I get annoyed and say "No! It's a bunion!"

And literally two seconds later, Nana brings out some chips and dip.

"Hey Bert, what kind of dip is this?"
"French Onion Dip...whaddya think?"
"What? French BUNION Dip?!?!? HAHAHAHA!"

Hilarious laughter ensued from my entire drunk family. Soon, it was all talk of Bunion Rings, the Bloomin' Bunion... the list goes on. Finally, the list dwindles and the laughter dies down. A few minutes later someone announces that the soup was done. I think it was my grandpa's signature Manhattan Clam Chowder, but one of my aunt's says, "I think it's French Bunion Soup!" And that was it. Everyone was laughing so hard they were crying and could hardly breathe. By now, I was no longer embarrassed, and also laughing hysterically (but mostly laughing at my family.)

So now, whenever I look at my feet, or think about my bunion I remember that day and it makes me happy. That day really helped me get over the embarrassment of having an ugly foot, and made me able to laugh it off. It actually makes me a little sad that I won't have the bunion anymore after January 8th. But at least I'll still have the memory.

And most definitely, my last thoughts before going into surgery and getting drugged out will be "French Bunion Soup!" :-D

French Bunion Soup

This is not my actual x-ray. But I imagine it's pretty close. Actually, mine might be worse. After months/years of procrastinating, denying, and deliberating - I finally saw my orthopedic surgeon yesterday and scheduled a date for my Lapidus bunionectomy. On January 8th I will be sedated, have my foot and calf sliced into, have a tendon lengthened in my calf, my big toe joint essentially broken, some extra bone sawed off, and some screws put into the upper portion of my first metatarsal bone to permanently fuse them together. When all is said and done, my foot will hopefully look something like this:

I'm not really looking forward to it. The recovery process is going to be long and slow. 2 weeks bed rest, 6 weeks no-weight-bearing on crutches, and then I'll have to relearn how to walk. But I know it's only going to get worse as I get older, and now all the pieces are fitting together, and it just seems like the right time to do it. If my 50-year old dad can handle two knee-replacements, I think I can handle what essentially boils down to a broken foot.

I'll definitely blog the entire process. I think that will help with the cabin fever I'm undoubtedly going to suffer. Two weeks in bed/on the couch?!? I can't even imagine. At least it will be the middle of winter. I wonder if I'll be allowed to drink wine.... Might be time to stock up! ;-)

Someday...

....I will adopt one of these dogs. (Scroll down.)

Mom & Dad's Alaska Cruise

My parents went on an Alaskan Cruise recently for my Mom's upcoming 50th birthday. I just found out that my Dad got all techy and posted pics on Picasa! Way to go Dad!

Here's the pics if anyone is curious:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jackfish41/AlaskaCruise#

Kezza's Famous Turkey Chili!

Kezza’s Famous Chili
(4-6 servings)

(Not the best picture. I started eating it before I snapped the pic. Oops!)

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground turkey (95% lean)
4 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp Dinosaur BBQ Cajun Foreplay Spice Rub
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp Sriracha (or any other hot sauce)
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped into 1cm chunks
2 large bell peppers, any 2 colors, chopped into 1cm chunks
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
3/4 bottle of your favorite beer
1 14oz. can Muir Glen tomato sauce
1 28oz. can Muir Glen diced fire-roasted tomatoes, do not drain
1/2 cup Dinosaur BBQ Sensuous Slathering Sauce
1 14oz can of corn kernels, drained
1 14oz can kidney beans, drained
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, chopped


• Heat a pot over medium to med-high heat. Add olive oil and the turkey meat.
• Season the meat with chili powder, Cajun spice rub, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and Sriracha.
• Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon to make small crumbles.
• Brown meat for 5 minutes. Chop onions and peppers.
• Add onion, bell peppers and jalapeno. Cook 10 minutes more.
• Add beer to deglaze the pan, scraping drippings off the bottom of the pan.
• Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, BBQ sauce, corn and beans.
• Adjust seasonings and heat level to taste. The heat tends to diminish a bit as it sits over night, so don’t be afraid to throw in some more Sriracha.
• It will be a little watery. Simmer uncovered until desired thickness, stirring occasionally. Usually about 30-45 minutes. It will thicken up in the fridge. (You can also help thicken it by adding 1 Tbsp of corn starch dissolved in 1 Tbsp cold water.)
• Right before taking off the heat, stir in the cilantro.
• Best made a day ahead of time so flavors really have time to blend!
• Serve with favorite toppings – chopped onion, jalapeno, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, etc!

Notes: The Dinosaur BBQ sauce is readily available at Wegman's grocery stores in New York. It's also available at a specialty food shop out here in Boulder, so I imagine it would be at other specialty food shops around the country as well. You can also order it at the website linked above. And of course, you can get it at the restaurants in Syracuse, Rochester, and Harlem.

If you're going to experiment with other BBQ sauces, I recommend using one that does not contain high fructose corn syrup or a lot of sugar. The smokiness of this BBQ sauce gives the chili it's signature flavor!

I once experimented with other Cajun seasoning, and the chili came out so hot it was almost inedible. So experimenter, beware!

I've also used Hunt's brand fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and I didn't like them as much. They were less diced and almost pureed it seemed. Not a huge deal, but I'm picky like that.

If you make it, let me know what you think! :-)