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