Life is Beautiful

26 Random Acts of Kindness

2012-12-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

After an afternoon filled with shopping, one of my girlfriends informed me about her decision to participate in the "26 Random Acts of Kindness." She told me that a cousin of hers has been doing it, and proudly posting pictures of all of her good deeds on Facebook. This whole movement started after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. 26 acts of kindness to remember the 26 victims who lost their lives in such a terrible way.
The next day, as I was watching the news, I heard about it again and how it is becoming such a wonderful, inspirational thing. Well, you don't have to tell me more than twice as to what I need to do. I needed to commit to doing this, not only for others, but for myself. So, that is what I'm doing!

For my first act, I donated some money to St. Jude Children's Hospital through one of my favorite clothing stores. It helped that it came with a coupon for $20 off any purchase of $50 or more. It still felt good. The check out lady told us that it cost millions of dollars a day to operate the hospital to help save these children's lives. What can feel better than helping save a child's life?

For my 2nd random act of kindness, I helped a blind man and his older mother get into a restaurant. Usually, I try not to step in and help because far too often it can offend some by taking away their independence. But it looked as if this man was newly blind and his mother seemed to be having difficulties getting him where he needed to go. They had a service dog with them, but the dog didn't seem completely trained as he was far too interested in me instead of helping his owner. After I helped guide them inside they seemed extremely grateful, which makes it all worth it. Obviously, I did not take a picture out of respect.

I have been trying to come up with ways to keep this going, because I do think there needs to be more kindness in the world. My girlfriend, who is doing this, was telling me about all the items she bought in amounts of 26 to donate to a local shelter. She bought 26 cans of food, 26 boxes of Mac n' Cheese, 26 scarves, 26 gloves and 26 hats. I thought that was such a great idea that I'm going to steal it, but modify it just a little. As most of you already know, I am a huge animal lover! There is nothing better than a dog who loves his owner. So, with my next check, I plan to go buy some dog food, both dry and canned to donate to a local dog shelter. Buying 26 bags of food might be a little too out of my price range, but I'll feel so good doing something.

My next idea is to go through my whole closet to find items to donate somewhere (I still need to do some research). So far I have 7 pairs of jeans/capris that I honestly don't believe I will ever fit in again. And if I do ever become successful in my weight loss goals I can always go buy new jeans. I still have shorts, skirts and shirts to go through, but I honestly think I might be able to get together 26 items to donate.

My hats off to whoever came up with this idea. You truly are an angel!

Are you participating in 26RAK? Would you like to? It is never too late to do a good deed!

Untitled

2012-11-06T22:37:00.003-08:00

My heart is overwhelmed with pride for my country.

Roasting Those Seeds!

2012-10-26T09:33:00.002-07:00

Truth be told, I don't love carving pumpkins. I don't enjoy getting my hands dirty and cutting out shapes hurt my hands, which I think might have arthritis. However, I love the aftermath of having carved pumpkins that light up my front porch. I love even more the seeds that you can roast when your done!
My parents were never that into Halloween and many times we would only carve one pumpkin, and very quickly because I suspect that my parents didn't like doing it either. So it's fair to say that roasting pumpkin seeds was not something that happened in my household. In fact, the first time I got to try roasted pumpkin seeds, I kid you not, was my freshman year in college. After carving a pumpkin with my roommate she suggested we try roasting the seeds with our microwave (we did not have an oven and were not allowed a toaster oven). Although it didn't get the full roasting effect, they were still delicious and it was hard not to eat them all in one sitting. From then on I was hooked.
Almost every year since I make a point to carve at least one pumpkin for the seeds. And this is how I do it!

First, I gut the pumpkin and get all the seeds, and goo, in a bowl. After that's done, I add cold water to the bowl.

At this point, most of the seeds had been removed.

I get a baking sheet pan and add oil on top and then spread it out. Once that's done, I start fishing the seeds out of the bowl. The cold water really helps to separate the seeds and the goo. Once all the seeds are on the baking sheet I add some seasoning. I really like seasoned salt. Then, I put the seeds in the oven at 325 degrees and let them sit for about 10-20 minutes. I suggest stirring them every 10 minutes to keep them from burning.

I personally like my seeds a little softer so I don't roast them the full amount of time, however, when you make your own seeds you can choose how long to roast them.

One of the great things about pumpkin seeds is how great they are for you! They are filled with high amounts of protein and good fat. Also, because they are a seed and not a nut, they are great for people who are allergic to nuts. They pack about the same benefits without the allergic reaction.

I encourage everyone to cut into their pumpkins and roast those seeds! It's a great activity whether your bored at home, having a romantic night in with your love, or having a fun night with your kid.

Enjoy!

"Becoming van Gogh" Experience

2012-10-25T20:07:00.002-07:00

Today, I got to go see the "Becoming van Gogh" exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. I truly believe it was a once in a lifetime experience because once the exhibit ends, all the artwork goes back to the owners. They will most likely never been seen by the public again.

To start the day, my mom and I went and had lunch at Palettes. It was a fairly expensive and fancy restaurant located in the art museum. A lot of my co-workers recommended it, and let me say they were completely right. The food was amazing!

They even had a custom menu in honor of the van Gogh exhibit. Although, we ended up not ordering off of it.

While we sat and ate, I couldn't help but love the art around me. It reminded me of Alice and Wonderland with so many beautiful colors.

"Attack, Attack" yelled one boy

Once we finished lunch, we had some time before we could go into the exhibit, so we walked around the rest of the museum. There, we found an interactive art that you controlled by pushing certain buttons. I honestly don't know how to explain it, you really do have to go see it for yourself. But it was a lot of fun!

When it was finally time, we got in line to get in. Because my mom is a member, we were able to skip the line and get in before everyone else. It's so good to be VIP, just kidding!

Very crowded at times!

Going through the exhibit was very interesting. To start, they had items in order from the start of his career to the end of his career. Surprisingly, he started off his career hating color. He liked to use dark bold colors in his art. As he evolved and moved to Paris he began to experiment with more colors and even took on more of an impressionist type style.
As I walked around, I was amazed at how utterly beautiful some of his later pieces were. They were filled with such color that it actually looked as if a black light had been shining on it to help bring out the colors. Seeing the art in person and seeing it online in pictures is completely different.
One of my favorite pieces was his "Grass and Butterflies." The colors were amazing, and although I couldn't actually take a picture of it myself, for fear of being kicked out, I was able to find one online, but again. The picture doesn't do the colors justice.

"Grass and Butterflies" by van Gogh

The tale of his life was interesting, although they never mentioned his little incident with his ear. He was an artist for only 10 years of his life. Surprisingly he managed do more art in those 10 years, than most artists do in their whole life. At the end, they told us that at age 37, he was accidentally shot and later died in the arms of his brother.

I only had one complaint, I didn't get to see my favorite piece.

Despite not getting to see "The starry night" I still had a great time. I remember being in 6th grade and trying to replicate his work. Although I don't love art like I used to, this was a great experience and one I won't likely forget anytime soon.

Do you plan on going before its gone?

Tis the Season!

2012-10-21T11:23:00.003-07:00

Tis the season of political debates, both official and non official. Tis the season of political outbursts on Facebook and Twitter.
This is the time that everyone is allowed to have a say in their country's future. Of course there are many decisions to be made, but the big decision on everyone's mind is who our next President should be, whether we stay with Obama another four years, or choose to change the path by making it Romney.
I just received my Mail-In-Ballot yesterday and although I have already made my decision of who I will be voting for, I realize there are still American's out there that are still not sure. For those who are still struggling with the decision I encourage you to check out this website! It's a great website that asks you a series of questions to see which side you mostly belong to. This is a great way to put aside the person and get to the main issues. All too often I see people make their choices based on the candidate, the candidates past, and comments the candidate might have said.

I encourage everyone to get out and vote! Please, take part in our future!

Picture from: http://watchusplaygames.com/2012/08/24/romney-ryan-wins-election-2012-with-320-electoral-collage-votes-to-obama-bidens-218-in-prediction-says-new-university-of-colorado-denver-study-analyzing-state-by-state-data/

Which candidate would you like to see be President for the next 4 years?

Shellac it up!

2012-10-13T22:21:00.001-07:00

For the last month I have been really trying to take good care of my nails to help them grow. I have horribly brittle nails. Combine that with my labor intense job and you get impossibly weak nails. They look bad, they feel bad. They are all around bad.
I started to paint my own nails to help them look better. Having paint on them really helped me not bite them and I was also more conscious of how rough I was with my nails. They began to grow really nicely. The only problem is how quickly my nail polish would chip. I felt like I was painting my nails every single day. I even tried to buy good nail polish in hope that I could go a couple more days before repainting. Well, the good stuff was just as bad.
After talking to a couple co-workers, they recommended that I try Shellac. It's a gel like nail polish that not only helps keep your natural nails stronger, but the polish is guaranteed to not chip for up to 2 weeks!
After a long time thinking about it, I finally headed to the salon with a girlfriend of mine, and here are the results:

I think they did a great job! I love the color, I love the last minute flower I added and I love that the whole process was painless. My friend did acrylics and she walked away complaining of the pain. She even admitted that she wish she had tried the Shellac too!
I love that this won't chip and I love that it doesn't ruin your natural nails!

Of course, no nail salon visit is complete without a little pedicure pampering!

Have you had success with Shellac?

Mud, Be Gone!

2012-10-06T11:58:00.002-07:00

This summer, we tried really hard to get the grass regrown after the last tenants neglect, but we could only get half the yard green again. And lately with the changing weather, we have had a horrible mud in the house situation with the dogs. Unlike people, they don't care that they get muddy as they play in the back yard, and they care even less that they drag it into the house, on our couch and all over our bed. If you have never laid on a dirt filled bed, be happy, it's horrible!
After talking it over with my dad, he came up with a great suggestion. Place some hay on the mud and then place chicken wire on top to keep the hay in place. Genius!
So first, I had to start by finding out where I could buy some hay. At first, it seemed really difficult, until I realized that it's October, and with October comes hay for hay rides and fall like decor for your front yard. So lucky for me, Home Depot ended up being my one stop shop. I went in, and with a little help from the staff, I was able to find everything I needed. I even threw in a thing of grass seed to place under the hay in hopes that I'll find grass come Spring.
Loading up the hay in my car was frustrating, not only because I bought 4 bales and was worried it wouldn't all fit in my car, but because it ended up being extremely messy and my car is brand new.

It Fit!

Once I got it home, John came out and helped me get it all into the backyard. Since we bought grass seed, we started by racking the muddy spots in the backyard. All the advice we had been given was to rack those areas to help the seed take.

Before

As you can see, it was pretty bad! Once we got the mud racked we began to place down the seed.

We started getting all the hay placed down over the seed and then began to cover it with the chicken wire.

I do believe that we solved our problem! I'm so happy to not have to deal with dirty floors, dirty sheets and a dirty couch anymore! I know that we need to put more stakes down to make sure it's completely secure, but other than that the project is done!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to vacuum out my brand new car!

It Take Determination and Patience... Mostly Patience

2012-09-20T22:01:00.002-07:00

Recently, a friend of mine brought her dogs over to my house for a fun play date with my dogs. It wasn't the first time, and hopefully it wont be the last; however, my oldest dog, Miles, got very possessive and protective over my youngest dog, Mila. This caused Miles to show some very aggressive behavior towards my friend's dog, Chile, who I could swear Miles was in love with at one point. This caused us to have to switch out our dogs from outside to inside every 30 minutes to keep them apart, while we tried to hang out.

The truth is, I have seen the behavior starting to develop in Miles. He has always shown aggression towards strangers through barking (although test him and he would never bite), and recently he has even shown aggression towards Mila on walks when we come across other dogs. Now normally, Miles is a fantastic dog. He barks only when strangers come over, he has never had food aggression, he plays gently, he doesn't chew up furniture, he's smart as can be, and he listens to me most of the time. But now that I have seen him go after a dog, who at one point he loved, I know it's time to address the behavior.

I know it doesn't help that he feeds off of Mila's energy, and that energy comes from Mila being a full Boxer, which are notorious for high amounts of energy. Because of this reason, I have decided to start with Mila. Miles becomes an unrecognizable dog when Mila gets over excited.

Anyway, while my friend was over with her dogs, I couldn't help but notice how well behaved they were, not to mention how well they listened to her. Granted, she constantly had to stay on top of what they were doing, but they really were well behaved. Her dogs are both older than mine, so she has definitely had time to work with them, whereas Mila is still only 10 months old and has a long way to go. After talking to my friend about what I do, she agreed that I'm doing the right things, but we both agreed that I can't be afraid, or embarrassed, to discipline them in front of company, which is where my mistake falls.

John and I both enjoy watching "The Dog Whisperer." We have picked up some really great tips that have helped us, especially with Mila.

First, we recognize that Mila needs exercise first, discipline second and love third. This is hard sometimes because we literally both have busy schedules. John has two jobs and I have one job that requires a lot of my time some weeks. There are some days that I literally do not get to see the sun because I have been at work that early, and that long. That's where having two dogs come in handy, they really do wear each other out. On the days I do have available I try to get them on 1-2 mile walks in the morning and then another .5-1 mile walk at night. Those are the days Mila seems to do the best.

Second, I try Cesar's technique that requires us to hold her on her side for however long it takes for her to completely relax. This takes major patience! I have been on the ground holding her down for as long as 10 minutes before. That may not seem long, but please, you try it and tell me that it doesn't feel like forever. Sometimes, it becomes very difficult to stay "calm and assertive," which prolongs the process and tests my patience even more so. However, once I get her completely calm, she is a whole new dog. Cesar must know something.

Here is a great example of a dog showing submissive behavior

Next, I realize that I need to look into some training classes. This is hard, because again, my schedule is inconsistent so it would be hard to watch me waste my money on training classes that I ultimately would not be able to attend. The next best thing would be to look into a dog trainer that would come to your house. I know there are some in my area, as I see it advertised all the time. But to be honest, I have seen enough dog trainers on Cesar Millan's show that need help to know that there are a lot of dog trainers out there that only know enough to get them by. Again, I would hate to waste my money on someone who only knows the bare minimum.

For now, I'm trying this solo. So far it has been working, although slowly. We have friends and family who swear Mila gets better and better with each visit. For this reason I am going to continue to do what I have been doing, just more consistent and strict. Once I get Mila and her energy under control, I can then move to Miles and work on his aggression.

If anyone has any advice on a well behaved dog, I would love to hear it! Or, if you also have a dog that has difficulty behaving, share your story as well!

The Lived-In-Look

2012-09-14T10:31:00.001-07:00

Recently, my dad's neighbor sold their house to a new couple. They have had it on the market for 2+ years. During that time, they had the house staged with furniture and decoration to help give the house that lived in look. They hired a professional decorator to do it, and may I say that she did a great job (overall). So when I got a call asking if I wanted any of the framed art from the house I jumped at the opportunity! Even better, it was all free!

My favorite pictures were placed over this beautiful entry dresser, that I was going to offer to buy from them (if they hadn't decided to keep it). It was a beautiful dresser with 9 drawers in a square that were each painted a different color, red, gold, dark, light green. Each of these colors matched the colors in these pictures.

Really pretty colors, imagine them on a dresser with a black outline.

With the leaves in this picture, I thought it would match the cherry blossom pictures I already have in my living room. After hanging them up, I think I was right!

Next, I got a couple abstract pictures that look great in the kitchen. Just sitting at the table eating dinner last night made me feel great. They added so much beauty and for once it was nice not to stare at an empty wall.

Can you imagine how boring these walls before?

The last was a set that has some pretty blues and a little hint of browns. I was really exited about putting these in the bedroom. Our sheets are brown and I'm planning on getting a new comforter set with blues and browns. It is an easy color combination to find and I happen to think it looks great together.

Wanting and needing are two very different things, and a lot of my decoration ideas have had to be put to the side, so it was definitely a nice treat to get these for free! It made a huge difference in the rooms they were placed in!

New Beginnings Can Start in the Middle... Right?

2012-09-10T21:10:00.002-07:00

John and I have really been trying to work things out the last few weeks. The good news is, our problems overall have been fairly easy to fix. To start, we never were that couple to fight much, there are just so many better things to do with our time. Don't get me wrong, we bickered from time to time but I can honestly say we never went to bed mad at each other.
Of course, time apart made certain issues arise and some were unexpected on both ends. This caused us to fight A LOT! It just didn't feel like us. But since we have made the decision to come back together, we have communicated more (still not perfect, but better is an improvement in my book), we laugh more and were appreciating each other more.
For the first time ever, we have been able to talk money. This is huge! For the first time, were coming together as a team to make our money go further and go to smarter investments (like paying off our bed).

In the last few weeks, we have been focusing on enjoying each other. Some of the things we have done is going to a concert, having people over for football (FOOTBALL) and a little celebration I like to call our 5 year anniversary.

Linkin Park & Incubus concert with great friends

So happy to be back together!

A beautiful 5 year anniversary surprise

Time to Zumba!

2012-08-08T10:10:00.003-07:00

One of the things I'm trying to get into (which has been easy to get into because it's so fun) has been Zumba!

About a month ago I went back to Kansas City where a lot of my family are and my cousin took me to this awesome Zumba class at the Sprint Center. I had heard of Zumba, and I knew what it was about, which means I knew how hard it was supposed to be. What I didn't know, was also how fun it is!

My cousins and I before Zumba!

I was a little nervous because I heard it burns a ton of calories, which means it's a lot of moving around, which means its hard. But what I wasn't counting on was my super strong lungs to get my through. See, I'm from Colorado, the 5280 state, which means that breathing anywhere other than Colorado is super easy. In fact, I was able to do this Zumba all the way to the end without stopping once- did I mention that it was an hour and a half long class? Yes, I was impressed with myself too.

So, now that I'm back home, I have been trying to do Zumba here on my own. Sometimes my schedule makes it difficult, but my gym offers free Zumba classes, so when I'm available I definitely try to go!

Being back in Colorado makes it more difficult here, but this class is so much fun! Anyone looking for a fun filled activity should definitely check this one out!

Did I mention it teaches you how to dance?

The Single Life

2012-08-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm single, I'm learning how to do things on my own. It's opened up a whole new world to me! I met my ex-fiance when I was 18 years old, I started dating him when I was 19, and 6 years later, I'm on my own for the first time ever. Although he hasn't officially moved out yet (very very soon though), we don't spend much time together (for obvious reasons). For the first time ever I'm responsible for everything, my house in terms of cleaning and maintenance, the bills, my dogs and many other things. Some of it, of course, have been scary and difficult, while some of it have been really fun and educational.
I now clean the whole house by myself, although I usually was the one to do it before. The nice thing about that, is I like things cleaned my way. I have become a neat freak and cutting corners just doesn't do it for me. I also mow my own lawn now. I hate mowing the front yard, because I have a ton of roots sticking out of the ground, but the backyard is nice and level making it easy. Mowing the lawn is also a great way of racking up the activity points and since I have to mow once a week I'm guaranteed at least 2 activity points a week!
Something I'm enjoying is cooking for myself. I no longer have to worry if he will like it anymore. He made eating healthy difficult because the food I was making just wasn't Taco Bell. Now, I'm buying bulk amounts of meat (beef and chicken) and freezing them in individual bags. Since there is so much you can do with both of those meats I'm getting to try new things.
My favorite thing I did was last week when I went and played golf by myself. I thought I would maybe get paired with some strangers (which would have been ok) but instead it was just me. The first hole was a little awkward, but once I got past it, I found myself concentrating more and doing better! I also was able to take in more of the scenery and the beauty around me.

My beautiful view of the golf course

Now, here's whats scary for me. I have 2 full sized dogs, who need lots of activity, all to myself. Sometimes my job requires me to work up to 16 and even 20 hours in a day. How am I going to do this? The good news is my ex still wants to see the dogs, so hes already agreed to help on my busy days or weeks. And if for some reason he is not available my dad lives about a mile away and he's happy to let them out.

I'm also scared for my slow season at work. Not working as much means less money. Now that I'm completely on my own with bills I'm a little worried. The good news is I'll be able to save easier by focusing on my budgeting. I'm really good at budgeting when I put my mind to it, so I'm trying not to worry too much. I just really need to make saving for slow season a priority.

This should be an interesting new chapter in my life! I'm very excited to see what the future holds!

Moving Out, Moving On

2012-07-30T07:12:00.002-07:00

Accepting my new life has been a little difficult for me, and it's only going to get worse once John moves out. About 2 weeks ago, he started packing. It hit me so hard that I begged him to stay and try to work things out with me. He accepted, but it was a halfhearted attempt on his part, which put us right back to him packing.
The plan is for him to be not living here by Wednesday. He has a temporary place to go, and I'm being nice enough to let him move his stuff in the garage until he has a more permanent place to go. This will be hard too, because it means eventually he will come back for his things, again bringing on a lot of emotions. But I want to be nice and save him money on a storage unit so he can move on with his life.

I'm really terrified, not to be alone, because I already felt alone, but scared to do the adult activities on my own: paying bills, raising 2 dogs, mowing the lawn and other adult things that I must do.
Mostly, I'm scared that my dogs are going to experience more alone time while I'm working my busy days at work.

As my best friend said though, its time to put my big girl pants on and be an adult.

On the Horizon

2012-06-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Through my whole situation, I have been really trying to focus on doing nice things for myself. I'm no longer a "we" or an "us," which gives me a nice little excuse to do this. Plus, once again, all of my money belongs to only me once again which gives me some freedom.
One of the things I'm trying to do is plan more vacations. It has been way to long and overdue. The first trip I'm taking is to Kansas City. Exciting right? Just kidding, this one is purely for family purposes. My grandpa is turning 90 so it gives me a good excuse. Plus my favorite cousin is there and it's always so great to see him!
My next trip I'm planning is to Las Vegas with a couple girlfriends from work. Were looking at some great deals! The main hotel were looking at is Treasure Island. We found a great deal for $218, this includes flight, hotel for 3 nights and a show. How can you beat that deal?

My last trip is to San Francisco, and it's hands down the trip I look forward to the most. My girlfriend Katie and I are both single gals now and have decided it would be really fun to take some trips together! I'm most excited for San Francisco because I have never been, and because my mom has really built the place up for many years. I have started to look into activities we can do while were there, and I'm really impressed with the selection. Here are some of my choices:

Alcatraz: I love history sights such as this, especially one that has so much disturbing history. One of the things I would have loved to do is do the night tour (haunted feel), but after talking with a few people, they said you miss a lot during the night tour because you just can't see as much in the dark.

Fisherman's Wharf: More than anything it looks like a historical sight, but from what I have been reading, it reminds me of Navy Pier in Chicago, which was my favorite thing there.

Aquarium of the Bay: I have developed a fear of the ocean, somewhat of an irrational fear, but I'm also hugely interested in it. I took an oceanography class in high school, which is where both my fascination and fear started. So although I don't enjoy getting out into the ocean, I do love seeing whats inside. That's one of the reasons I'm so excited to do this. It gives me best of both worlds. I'm safe yet fascinated!

Japanese Tea Garden: This one is a little lower on my priority list, but still an interest. The pictures that I have seen make this place look beautiful. I have read really great reviews too.

There are more things in San Francisco, like the Golden Gate Bridge, and much more. I'm really excited to see everything out there!

Set Me Free

2012-06-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Weep not for roads untraveled
weep not for paths left alone
cause beyond every bend
Is a long blinding end
Its the worst kind of pain I've known

Give up your heart left broken
and let that mistake pass on
cause the love that you lost
wasn't worth what it cost
and in time you'll be glad its gone

Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for sights unseen
may your love never end
and If you need a friend
there's a seat here along side me...

Moving Forward

2012-06-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

I am officially not getting married anymore. That makes me an ex-fiance. I'm still not sure how this happened and part of it is definitely a blur, but I just have to trust that this is the right decision, that this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

Even the Sun Sets in Paradise

2012-05-31T14:21:00.004-07:00

I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?

Yeah, I know it's hard to remember,
The people we used to be...
It's even harder to picture,
That you're not here next to me.

You say it's too late to make it,
But is it too late to try?
And in our time that you wasted
All of our bridges burned down

I've wasted my nights,
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed,
Still stuck in that time,
When we called it love,
But even the sun sets in paradise

I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?

If "Happy Ever Afters" did exist,
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick.

Oh, you turned your back on tomorrow
'Cause you forgot yesterday.
I gave you my love to borrow,
But you just gave it away.

You can't expect me to be fine,
I don't expect you to care
I know I've said it before,
But all of our bridges burned down

I've wasted my nights,
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed,
Still stuck in that time,
When we called it love,
But even the sun sets in paradise

I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?

If "Happy Ever Afters" did exist,
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick.

And a few simple words from my best friend made it all better:
"Life may not always go your way, every once in a while you might have a bad day, but I promise you now, you won't ever be lonely. For as long as I live, there will always be a place you belong here beside me - a shoulder you can cry on and a love you can rely on. ♥"

This is it!

2012-05-26T07:44:00.003-07:00

This week has been such a whirlwind! On top of working President Obama's function and seeing him speak and working almost 50 hours in 4 days, I also came one step closer to picking a wedding venue.
I'm so excited because my mom and I are starting to get more on the same page, which is important since she and I are splitting the costs. I want to have a wedding that John and I will not regret, but I also want to consider what my mom wants since she is also investing so much of her own money into it.
Let me clear the air and tell you that we are doing so much to keep the wedding below $10,000, which for those of you have have planned a wedding know that is considerably cheap. One of the problems with that is finding a good venue. The cheaper you go, the cheesier the venue is. At times it gets frustrating, because in our eyes, we're still spending a lot of money for a place, so it's no wonder that were 6 months later from the first venue and we still haven't signed with anyone. But, yesterday we sat down, decided what was important to us and decided it was worth an extra $1000 to upgrade on our venue. This allows me to revisit my first choice!

Fossil Trace Golf Course

The views are gorgeous every which way you look. They did a great job with their tree placement, as they block the views from the Coors factory and apartment complexes. You also get a beautiful view of Table Mountain, and since we were not able to find a mountain venue in our price range, this is the next best thing. Another great selling point is that it is on a golf course. John and I are huge golfers and I think having our wedding at a golf course will make this more memorable. It helps that they take us around the course in a golf cart so that we can take pictures at different holes (we definitely plan to take our clubs as well so we can get some fun golf pictures in our wedding attire).

We haven't officially booked the venue yet, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but I have a good feeling that this is it!

3rd Times a Charm!

2012-05-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

Losing my running buddy yesterday was a little bit of unfortunate timing. That's because I'm doing the Colfax 5k on Saturday, and having Mila out of commission will make it harder to train this week. First, I really love running with Mila, not only does it help get out her crazy Boxer energy, but it's great to run outdoors and it's great to have that bonding time with her. I could run with Miles, but he doesn't have as much energy and doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as Mila does. It also doesn't help that he overheats easier than Mila too. I could go running out on my own, but it's important to me that someone is always home with Mila to help ensure she doesn't rip out her stitches, especially in the first couple days. I guess for now, I will just have to do my workout videos until I feel comfortable leaving her alone.
I'm really excited for the 5k. I'm really enjoying this running thing! I love telling my friends and coworkers about it, I love even more how impressed they all get. This will make my 3rd race this summer and I'm so proud of myself for doing it. As I said for the last race, the free beer and t-shirt does help me get through the race, but there's just so many benefits of doing it!

I can't wait to report how I do, and I really hope I can shorten my time even more!

Wishing For a Seedy Recovery!

2012-05-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Today, I temporarily lost my running partner. Mila just hit 5 months old, which meant it was time for her to be spayed. For Miles, I waited until he was a little more than 6 months old to have him neutered, but a spay is a lot more invasive and I wanted Mila to be younger so that it would not only be less dramatic, but she should also heal much faster than if I were to do it later.
First, let me say that having a puppy is expensive. Not only do you have to pay for them, but you have to buy food, pay for vaccinations, and of course, be responsible enough to have them spayed of neutered if you never plan to breed them. It all adds up! I was fortunate enough to have a couple coworkers tell me about Banfield Pet Hospital at Petsmart. They both raved about how great they have been with their dogs. Not only are they great, but they offer some amazing Wellness Plans that helps making paying for all of this much easier. Their puppy wellness plan includes the spay for free, saving me so much money! Plus, they do all of the same pre-op tests that expensive pet hospitals do!
Banfield has been so great with both of my dogs. They got both of my babies up to date on all of their shots, they were very communicative of all of the test they have done during their preventative care, and even call the day after each visit to make sure my dogs have no reaction to their vaccinations. So it was no wonder they were great on such an emotional day.
I started my day by waking up at 6am, even though I didn't have to drop Mila off until 7:15am. I just wanted the morning with her before having a different personality for a few days. Once it was time, we drove over to Petsmart. The staff was so great, they gave me a few more minutes to say goodbye before giving me the rundown on when they would do the procedure and when I could come get her.
Once I got home, Miles didn't quite understand why Mila wasn't right behind me. Coming through the front door, he kept looking behind me. Once he realized she wasn't there he kept sniffing me, as if my scent would tell him where I took her. Since I had woken up so early, and since I had taken the day off from work, I went back to sleep for an hour. When Miles and I woke up from our nap, he still seemed worried about Mila. He had such a sad look on his face and I swear he hiccuped a few times like he had been crying.
To keep my mind off of Mila not being home, I cleaned almost every inch of the house. Once I had just about finished, I received a call saying that Mila had done great on her surgery and that she was just starting to wake up.
As soon as I was able I headed back to petsmart to pick her up! When she came out, she was able to walk but she didn't seem to completely know who I was, probably because of all of the pain meds. Once I got her in the car, I slowly drove home. John was outside to greet me and help me get her inside.
It broke my heart to watch her try to get up the one step to our front door, it broke my heart even more watching her try to get down the four steps to the backdoor to try to get outside. But once potty time was over we got her situated in her crate where I had placed an extra blanket for comfort.

You can see her little bandage on her arm

I can't wait for my little girl to get all healed up. As much as her craziness can drive me crazy, I already miss her running around non-stop. I can't wait to get my running partner back, here's to a speedy recovery!

If you need your life saved...

2012-05-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Today I learned how to save a life! Well, through CPR and First Aid that is, so of course there are limits.

Getting certified is something that I should have done a long time ago, but I have put it off for as long as I could. Why? I don't want to be sued. Simple enough! The good news is, if I step in and help, I am protected in many ways under "The Good Samaritan" Law. I can now give CPR, an Epipen, do the Heimlich Maneuver, stop bleeding, use an oxygen tank and operate an AED machine without fear of being sued in an incident where maybe someone did not want the help. Great! But what happens when I come across a situation, freeze up and walk away? Am I liable? Would someone be able to come after me? Because most likely that is what is going to happen.
On the other hand, I work in the hospitality industry, where anything could happen, and everything has happened. When I was 16, I watched an older lady snap her leg in half after slipping. I have seen people seizure, pass out and have a heart attack. Most of those situations, I have ran and hid. Scared because I had no idea what to do. The last incident scared me the most, only because now I'm older and should know better. It happened about 4 months ago, and in the middle of a large 500 person function, a man passed out. Servers grabbed me to come help and all I could do was yell on the radio for someone to come help. I didn't call code 2, I didn't call 55 (our emergency number), I didn't even call security, our first response team. I'm older now. I should know better, plus my staff looks to me during those times to see how they should react, and I failed.
Not only is it important to know for my line of work, but I also need it to be certified to graduate. In most cases, you have to pay to take the class, in my case, my work paid for it. Not only did my work pay to get me certified, but they also paid me to get certified! Definitely a huge bonus! Getting paid for my time is never a bad thing!
So, now I can give CPR, an Epipen, do the Heimlich Maneuver, stop bleeding, use an oxygen tank and operate an AED machine. Pretty impressive, huh?

The dummies we worked on

Oxygen tank with first aid and bio-hazard kits in them

Pride, With A Dash Of Jealousy

2012-05-08T20:35:00.005-07:00

This weekend a really good friend of mine graduated from college. I'm so overcome with pride for him! He spent the last 6 years working 2 part time jobs (bordering on full time jobs), while acquiring two really difficult degrees, Chemistry and Forensic. I always joked that he was a genius, but secretly, I really do think he is.

Although I didn't make it to the actually graduation, I was able to make it to his graduation party to celebrate. It ended up being at his parents house, which was great! I always enjoy seeing his parents, they are definitely the most entertaining parents I know, but most of all they are just really great, loving and supporting, even to me.
It was really great to celebrate with my friend. He definitely deserves the degrees he just earned.

"The Grad," his girlfriend and I

As happy as I am for him, I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy as one more friend graduates before me. A few years ago, I made the decision to take a year off. It was the best decision I ever made. It gave me a year to work full time and enjoy life without school. It also gave me an advantage when I finally decided to go back, it gave me motivation! I did excellent my first semester back, and I even landed a great "career" at the end of the semester. This new job pays great, has both great and fun benefit and the job is just fun in general. But, I can't lie, there are weeks that I work a lot of hours and because business can be so spontaneous, I can only take two classes a semester at the most, which has significantly slowed me down. Ideally, I could graduate December 2013, but because the class schedule is starting to get difficult to work with, I'm starting to only be able to take one class a semester, which is really losing me time.
I have to remind myself that this is the decision I made and that i need to follow through as positive as I can. Other times, I'm reminded of the conversation I had with my F&B director, stating that I don't really need a degree to work in Hospitality. I know he's right, but it's still important to me to get that degree. It could possibly save my life in the possible event that I decide I'm through with Hospitality, because as I get older, that just might happen.
I know I'm on the right path, I have a great life with a great man, two beautiful dogs and a great job. I just wish I could be done with school and enjoy my evenings to something other than studying.

In the Spirit of Spring and Manning!

2012-04-30T20:22:00.001-07:00

I have been waiting patiently all spring for May to get here, so it's no surprise that I ran out to Home Depot at the first available opportunity to purchase flowers!
The last few days I have worked hard to till the soil and get it ready. When we first moved into our house, the soil couldn't have bee dryer and there was not one sign of anything growing in it. About a month ago, John went out and tilled it first. It took him a lot of work due to how dry it was, but he did well. We let it be for a month and through that time a few weeds started to grow- a sign of life!

After tilling but before planting

John and I had discussed what kind of flowers to plant, but we never did decide. John did make one request last night and that was to have blue and orange flowers in honor of the Broncos. John is such a huge Broncos fan so how could I refuse?

You can definitely see the orange and blue!
I was able to find some bluish purple pansies and some other type of small bluish purple flowers. The orange flowers consisted of marigolds and I added some soft orange lilies that are gorgeous!
It was great to get out into the sun and dig through dirt. The last time I planted flowers I had to have been 10, helping my mom with our backyard flowers. And considering, I think it turned out really good!

My favorite is the Lily on the side!

Our house isn't perfect, and we still have some work to do, but I think its coming along really nicely. Now if only I could get rid of the weeds.

Pride doesn't even begin to describe it!

2012-04-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

Today I did something really cool for myself. I ran the 5 mile Cherry Creek Sneak! This year was their 30th year doing it with huge success! About 10,000 runners come out every year to run the, 1.5 mile, 5k, and the 5 mile. This year, they even added a 10 miles, that's right, I said 10 miles, not 10k! A friend of mine actually ran the 10 mile! I was so impressed! That's double what I did today!
One of my goals this summer is to participate in more races. Not only does it benefit my health, but the money raised goes to some really great causes! About a month ago I actually ran a 5k trail run. It was my first one ever! I hated every second of it! It didn't help that I didn't know it was a trail run, it didn't help that the first mile was a steady uphill up a mountain, and it didn't help that the trail was so thin that I had to stop and pull over every time someone tried to pass me. When I got done with my 3 miles my time was 55 minutes... that averages out to more than 18 minute miles... pretty slow... So I took the last few week to practice some more and today, I'm proud to report that I brought it down to an average of 14 minute miles! It's still fairly slow, but considering where I was 3 weeks ago, I'm proud!


When we arrived to Cherry Creek we quickly got registered up and then warmed up for the run (and took pictures)!

I started the race off pretty strong, in fact I was almost able to run the whole first mile. Once I took a break and walked my calves were screaming! But by a mile and a half I was all warmed up and was able to keep pushing strong.

One of the things I loved about this race were some of the costumes! During my run, I saw a turtle, 2 men in gorilla costumes wearing a bra and thong, and of course Forrest Gump! Well, 2 Forrest Gumps to be exact. I was actually able to keep up with them for a little while and I even talked to them about how great they looked!

A little fuzzy, but you can barely make out the wig, beard, and running shorts!

Once I finally passed the finish line, I met up with my much faster girlfriends and we went in search for beer. After all, beer is one of the main attractions of these races, I kid, I kid! There I was able to meet up with the friend that ran the 10 mile. We talked about how great the race was, which costumes were our favorite, and of course the "Run for Free Beer Sign" halfway through the race to keep us going! And then of course we talked about how great this new hobby of ours is!

Me in my new shirt! Because, you have to show off that you did it!

Yes, this is now on my fridge with the last one :-)

I can't wait until the next run! This is definitely going to be my summer!

Running for Beer?

2012-04-27T08:50:00.001-07:00

This weekend I have committed myself to running 5 miles in the Cherry Creek Sneak. This will be my second run this year. Preferably, I would have liked to have signed up for the 5k instead of 5 miles, but my girlfriends were very persuasive so now I'm in for it! One of the things I love about doing these are the t-shirts and beer. Wrong reasons I know, but there's something really cool about having a free beer afterwards and then bragging about it with the t-shirt. Ok, so that is not the only reason I love doing these. Honestly, these are hard and I'm not exactly in tip top shape yet, but the overwhelming pride I have after one is indescribable and irreplaceable!

So now that I have confessed that I'm not exactly in shape for a 5 mile run, I might as well share how I have been preparing to run at least some of it. I really love my Iphone! It provides so many great Apps and tools to help me get ready. I'm so addicted to C5K. Its a great tool to help me gradually increase my distance. Some days, it's horrible and I just want to start from the beginning and only run 1 minute intervals, but in the name of progress I must keep going.

As you can see, I'm only on week 2, but still making progress!

Well, wish me luck on my run! I can't wait to report how I do!