Tuesday, March 31, 2009

17 reasons why alcohol should be served at work

My friend and former co-worker, Jennifer sent me this today. Her message on Facebook had a bunch of typos and she was probably slurring her words at the time, but I still thought it was funny enough to share. Working with Jennifer was a blast and I miss her dearly. Most of our livers do not miss her however.


17 Reasons Why Alcohol Should Be Served At Work

1. It's an incentive to show up.

2. It leads to more honest communications.

3. It reduces complaints about low pay.

4. Employees tell management what they think, not what they want to hear.

5. It encourages car-pooling.

6. Increases job satisfaction because if you have a bad job, you don't care.

7. It eliminates vacations because people would rather come to work.

8. It makes fellow employees look better.

9. It makes the cafeteria food taste better.

10. Bosses are more likely to hand out raises when they are wasted.

11. Salary negotiations are a lot more profitable.

12. Employees work later since there's no longer a need to relax at the bar.

13. It makes everyone more open with his or her ideas.

14. Eliminates the need for employees to get drunk on their lunch break.

15. Increases the chance of seeing your boss naked.

16. Employees no longer need coffee to sober up.

17. Sitting "Bare ass" on the copy machine will no longer be seen as gross & inappropriate!

Tomorrow is April Fool's Day and I thought of a hilarious, yet slightly horrible joke to play on someone.

Tomorrow we have a new employee starting in our office. Her name is Jaala. She is actually a rehire to our company after being laid off several months ago due to a slow down of billable work in her department. Jaala is wonderful and we are all thrilled to have her back. Actually, once I knew we had the bandwidth to hire someone, I knew we had to get her back. I contacted her immediately and although she had a new job, she was willing to come back, so she gave notice at her current job several weeks ago.

Anyhow, she starts tomorrow April 1st, so wouldn't either of these be funny:

1. When Jaala arrives tomorrow we tell her she really does NOT have a job. It was all an April Fool's gag. Ha, ha! You quit your job for nothing. Then we all point and laugh.

2. I have everyone else at the company work from home tomorrow. When Jaala arrives tomorrow and asks, 'Where is everyone?' all I say is, 'Oh my God. I forgot to call you. We went out of business yesterday.' More pointing and laughing.

Now, these are just horrible things to do to anyone, let alone Jaala, who is an absolute sweetheart, but it is funny to imagine.

I am looking for a great restaurant recommendation in Denver.

Dale and I are joining our friends Sam and Anjanette for dinner this weekend and we want to try someplace new and fun, rather than go to our old haunts. Any suggestions? What places to you love and why? Add a comment or email me to let me know. Thanks.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Have you ever had a day when you are 100% on autopilot?

It is tough to explain, but that was me today. I was on autopilot. I was present physically, but not really present mentally. I went to work and made it through my day, but I barely contributed. The strangest part is I do not remember much of the day either. In a weird way, it felt like my mind was just mush and was not firing on all cylinders. Does everyone else have days like this?

Days where you get to work, but do not recall the drive at all? Days where 10 minutes after a meeting, you cannot remember anything about the meeting? Days where you feel like everything is moving at a pace outside your control or comprehension?

Maybe I am coming down with something and it is impacting my mind. I felt exhausted last night and was running a slight fever. I woke up feeling Bette this morning, but maybe it is the start of the funk that has been going around. I hope not.

It does not help that it is Monday, it snowed this morning, it has been cloudy all day and it is cold. Oh well, I am heading home and plan to just relax tonight.

And how was your day?

Apparently all the snow for this winter in Denver will fall in March

We had barely any snow this year, but it seems March will make up for that.

Is thinking a trip to London may be a fun vacation this year

Sunday, March 29, 2009

We had a Krout-astic weekend!

This weekend, Dale and I had a Krout-astic time and spent a lot of time with our friends and neighbors the Krouts, which is always a joy. Yesterday, Nicole invited us to join her and the family for a homemade turkey dinner. It was like Thanksgiving in March with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, rolls, green beans. Nicole is such an amazing cook. It was great to be included and I was in a turkey coma by 7 PM last night.

Today we joined the Krouts to see Monsters vs. Aliens in 3-D. The movie was great fun and we all seemed to enjoy it just as much as the kids. After the movie, we continued the fun and joined the Krouts for some shopping at Colorado Mills and then dinner at Tokyo Joe's (one of Dale's favorites). It was a wonderful afternoon with Toby, Nicole, Ford, Sophia and Kate. We are truly blessed to have such dear friends in our lives.

Oh and if you have kids or are just a kid at heart check out Monster vs. Aliens. It was fun. The 3-D effects were fairly amazing and it was a good paced movie. I enjoyed it.

A good message

Saturday, March 28, 2009

I have found a new band that I am obsessed with. Has anyone heard of Boyce Avenue?

Check out their stuff on YouTube. They are amazing. Incredible covers, plus some originals. I downloaded a bunch of their songs on iTunes. They are cute too. Let me know what you think.


Okay, don't laugh, but I really like this version of 'I Kissed A Girl' by an Israeli pop rock singer-songwriter. Check it out.

Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" was a big hit on Israeli radio in 2008.
Galgalatz, Israel's leading radio station, asked Ivri to cover the song for the annual 2008 chart toppers show. His version became a hit among fans and on the radio. This encouraged Ivri to shoot his own video for the song (Directed by Elad Zakai), especially for fans on the web.


I just realized I went from 285 to 284 friends on Facebook. One of my friends is missing! I need your help.

I created this posted and I need you to post it all over the Internet. We all need to work together to find my friend #285. Or if you would like to replace #285 and be my Facebook Friend, click here>> .

Last night I had a dream that we held a Halloween party where nobody wore a costume, but instead...

...brought a costume in a brown paper bag. One by one, each person at the party had to pick a bag, go to the upstairs bedroom and put on the costume. Then each person had to make their entrance back down the stairs. It was hilarious.

In my dream, the costume I picked was Cher and my costume was pretty much fishnet and electrical tape. It has very strange, yet I was so proud of what I was wearing. Dreams are funny. I looked something like this in my dream:



I think this idea of bring a costume would be a great idea for a party. But everyone would have to be very brave. In terms of a dream, it may mean that I am secretly gay and want to be Cher. Oh wait, that is not a secret.

This week we disconnected our phone

Since we rarely ever used it, this week we decided to disconnect our telephone and just go with cell phones from here on out. I think we used the phone 2-3 times per month and it is just to talk to our neighbors Toby and Nicole, who were the only people who really knew the number.

I wonder how many people are giving up the house phone and just using cell phones now. It just seems more practical and cost effective. I bet is you went back in time to the 1960s and told people then, that people in the future who carry phones with them and always be accessible, they would be shocked. If you told them their phones would be their news source, TV/video, music, alarm clock, etc. I think they would lock you up. But here we are - a wired society.

P.S. - Toby & Nicole - please call us on our cell phones. We still love you.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Don't forget about Earth Hour tomorrow...click for details.

In case you were wondering the final snow totals...here are some pictures from this morning

We ended up somewhere between 20 - 24 inches of snow. And good news, another storm is coming in Sunday night and next Thursday. We have had 18 inches total from September 2008 - February 2009. March storms seem to pack the most punch. Oh, well. It is pretty and is moisture for an otherwise dry winter.

Yes, our pond is under there somwhere.



The view from our bedroom window.

The best Star Wars promotion ever

For those of you unfamiliar with Star Wars, Darth Vader's real name was Anakin, but his wife, Padmé calls him 'Annie'.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

And I said, "Let them eat cake!"

Now it may NOT look pretty, but I am sure it will be tasty. This is the birthday cake I made for Dale. I did not have the right tools to write Happy Birthday on the cake, so I went with D.G. for Dale Gloude. And yes, I know it looks like a 5 year old made the cake.

This is pretty funny & is dedicated to all my friends job searching right now

For Dale's birthday, I thought I would jump out of his birthday cake. I even took a photo.

I mean, who doesn't love strippers and cake. I think I look hot. Happy Birthday, Dale!

We are up to about 15 inches of snow. Here is my latest snapshot.


Add Image

In honor of Dale's birthday today, I searched the internet for birthday information to share with him.


Happy Birthday Dale!!!

Your Birthday, Your Tree and Their Meaning. What tree did you fall from?
Dale is a PINE TREE (the Particular) - loves agreeable company, very robust, knows how to make life comfortable, very active, natural, good companion, but seldom friendly, falls easily in love but its passion burns out quickly, gives up easily, everything disappointments until it finds its ideal, trustworthy, practical.
Your Age on Other Worlds. How old are you on another planet?
Dale would be 24.4 years old in MARTIAN years.
Day of Birth. What are interesting facts from when you were born?
Was born on a Tuesday.
Star sign is ARIES.
Birthstone is Aquamarine.
Born in the Chinese year of the Hare.
In dog years is 315 years old.
Is 16,798 days old.
Is approximately 403,173 hours old.
Is approximately 1,451,422,685 seconds old.
Birthday Calculator. What are some facts about your birthday?
Keira Knightley (1985)
Amy Smart (1976)
Kenny Chesney (1968)
Marcus Allen (1960)
Curtis Sliwa (1954)
Teddy Pendergrass (1950)
Martin Short (1950)
Vicki Lawrence (1949)
Steven Tyler (1948)
Diana Ross (1944)
Bob Woodward (1943)
James Caan (1939)
Alan Arkin (1934)
Leonard Nimoy (1931)
Sandra Day O'Connor (1930)
Tennessee Williams (1911)
Robert Frost (1874)
Past Life Analysis. Who were you in your last life?
I don't know how you feel about it, but you were male in your last earthly incarnation. You were born somewhere in the territory of modern South India around the year 1000. Your profession was that of a builder of roads, bridges and docks. You were a person with huge energy, good in planning and supervising. If you were just garbage-man, you were chief garbage-man. You were bound to learn to understand other people and to meet all difficulties of life with a joyful heart. You should help others by bringing them a spirit of joy.
Birthday Verse. What is the verse from the Bible is most about you?
Ecclesiastes 2:26 NIV - To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness…

The first casualty of today's snow storm. See the photo here.

Our poor little garden gnome never stood a chance.

Look, Dale got roses for his birthday from someone special...

...and that someone special was me.

Please join me in wishing my partner, Dale a very happy birthday

He turned 39, 37, 34, 31
, 29 again today!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

50 Random and Fun Facts

I love random facts. I am not sure why, as facts like this can rarely be reused, but I find them fascinating. So here are some fun ones I recently found online. Enjoy. Oh, by the way, Nike and Michael Jordan should be embarrassed by #20.
  1. The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.
  2. The Boston University Bridge (on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts) is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane.
  3. Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.
  4. Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
  5. David Prowse, was the guy in the Darth Vader suit in Star Wars. He spoke all of Vader's lines, and didn't know that he was going to be dubbed over by James Earl Jones until he saw the screening of the movie.
  6. Barbie's measurements (prior to her recenct makeover) if she were life size: 39-23-33.
  7. February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
  8. Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonalds.
  9. The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, has twice as many bathrooms as is necessary. When it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate toilet facilities for blacks and whites.
  10. The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
  11. Columbia University is the second largest landowner in New York City, after the Catholic Church.
  12. The first Ford cars had Dodge engines.
  13. Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
  14. It takes about a half a gallon of water to cook macaroni, and about a gallon to clean the pot.
  15. In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
  16. Babies are born without knee caps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2-6 years of age.
  17. The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.
  18. Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously
  19. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.
  20. Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
  21. No NFL team which plays it's home games in a domed stadium has ever won a Superbowl
  22. The first toilet ever seen on television was on "Leave It To Beaver".
  23. In the great fire of London in 1666 half of London was burnt down but only 6 people were injured
  24. Lincoln Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright's son.
  25. One of the reasons marijuana is illegal today because cotton growers in the 30s lobbied against hemp farmers --they saw it as competition. It is not chemically addictive as is nicotine, alcohol, or caffeine.
  26. The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League All-Star Game.
  27. Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older
  28. Bank robber John Dillinger played professional baseball.
  29. If you toss a penny 10000 times, it will not be heads 5000 times, but more like 4950. The heads picture weighs more, so it ends up on the bottom.
  30. The housefly hums in the middle octave, key of F.
  31. The band Duran Duran got their name from an astronaut in the 1968 Jane Fonda movie "Barbarella.
  32. Dr. Samuel A. Mudd was the physician who set the leg of Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth...and whose shame created the expression for ignominy, "His name is Mudd."
  33. Wilma Flintstone's maiden name was Wilma Slaghoopal, and Betty Rubble's Maiden name was Betty Jean McBricker.
  34. The Ramses brand condom is named after the great pharaoh Ramses II who fathered over 160 children.
  35. White Out was invented by the mother of Mike Nesmith (Formerly of the Monkees).
  36. Sylvia Miles had the shortest performance ever nominated for an Oscar with "Midnight Cowboy." Her entire role lasted only six minutes.
  37. Charles Lindbergh took only four sandwiches with him on his famous transatlantic flight.
  38. Gilligan of Gilligan's Island had a first name that was only used once, on the never-aired pilot show. His first name was Willy. The skipper's real name on Gilligan's Island is Jonas Grumby. It was mentioned once in the first episode on their radio's newscast about the wreck.
  39. Playing cards were issued to British pilots in WWII. If captured, they could be soaked in water and unfolded to reveal a map for escape.
  40. The "L.L." in L.L. Bean stands for Leon Leonwood.
  41. Ivory bar soap floating was a mistake. They had been overmixing the soap formula causing excess air bubbles that made it float. Customers wrote and told how much they loved that it floated, and it has floated ever since.
  42. Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks otherwise it will digest itself.
  43. A walla-walla scene is one where extras pretend to be talking in the background -- when they say "walla-walla" it looks like they are actually talking.
  44. 101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan (Wendy) are the only two Disney cartoon features with both parents that are present and don't die throughout the movie.
  45. 'Stewardesses' is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
  46. The Baby Ruth candy bar was actually named after President Grover Cleveland's baby daughter, Ruth.
  47. A whale's penis is called a dork.
  48. The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan"
  49. A group of kangaroos is called a mob.
  50. A group of ravens is called a murder.

Monday, March 23, 2009

When the Carpenters sang 'Rainy days & Mondays' always get me down' they weren't kidding

Okay, I have never been a fan of Mondays, but I have to admit I find pleasure in the musical stylings of the late (and great) Karen Carpenter. I do not have much of an opinion of Richard Carpenter, the other half of the Carpenters, but I am sure he is a fine fellow. However, the Carpenters are not the point of this post. This post is about bad Mondays.

The start of a new week is always tough, but today truly sucked. I must be honest, it really was not rain that made this Monday any worse, although the gloomy skies over Denver today did not help.

Today was doomed from the start, as I was very tired from poor quality and lower quantity of sleep last night. However, 9 hours chained to my desk today did not help my mood either. I am not kidding when I say 9 hours at my desk. I think I only left my desk today four times and each was for less than 5 minutes. This includes the 90 seconds to warm the lunch I ate at my desk. I worked all day and feel like I am only further behind - the true sign of a bad day.

When I have a bad day, I am reminded of a college professor who would say, 'If not for bad days, how would you ever know what was a good day.' He usually said this prior to tests and large assignments. He found himself to be a funny man. I did not. Looking back, I still don't.

I am going home, relaxing and perhaps lighting a candle to pray tomorrow is a better day. Sorry to complain, but sometimes it helps to just get it out there on my bus ride, so I can move on before I get home.

21 quaint sayings

I came across these quaint sayings online and I thought they were worth sharing.
  1. There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot.
  2. I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.
  3. id you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's how dogs spend their lives.
  4. Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.
  5. Don't worry about the world ending today ... It's already tomorrow in Australia
  6. Of course if you happen to be in Australia, don’t worry about the world ending today, it’s already happened.
  7. Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
  8. bCharacter is what you are. Reputation is what people think you are.
  9. Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's too much fraternizing with the enemy.
  10. Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
  11. I have several hobbies I enjoy to the fullest. I have a large sea shell collection I keep scattered on all the beaches all over the world. Maybe you've seen it?
  12. A loser is a window washer on the 44th floor who steps back to admire his work.
  13. A man usually feels better after a few winks, especially if she winks back.
  14. Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate.
  15. A baby first laughs at the age of four weeks. By that time his eyes focus well enough to see you clearly.
  16. A man who says marriage is a 50-50 proposition doesn't understand two things: 1 - Women, 2 - Fractions.
  17. The facts, although interesting, are irrelevant. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
  18. If at first you don't succeed ... well, so much for sky diving.
  19. The only gracious way to accept an insult is to ignore it. If you can't ignore it, top it. If you can't top it, laugh at it. If you can't laugh at it, it's probably deserved.
  20. He who hesitates is sometimes saved.
  21. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

I am having a hard time waking up this morning

I did not sleep well last night. Why you ask?

I personally think it is related to the weather. I tend to be weather pressure sensitive and usually get a headache when a low pressure system moves in. I woke up around 3 AM with a bit of a headache and tossed and turned the remainder of the morning.

Dale thinks my lack of quality sleep is because I took our down comforter and flannel sheets off the bed yesterday and replaced them with just a blanket and cotton sheets. It had been so warm recently the combination of down and flannel seemed like overkill. He thinks I couldn't sleep since it was not as warm and snugly.

Now, Dale is probably right and it is most likely the lighter bedding than the weather, but I like to always be right, so to Dale I claimed the new bedding is fine. However, I am hopeful we puts the down comforter back on the bed this evening because if I put it back on, it would be admitting defeat. If Dale does it, I can say, 'Well, if you want it back, okay.'

Relationship politics are funny, huh?

Another installment of 'Caption This' Monday - Check out this week's photo.

I thought it would be fun to kick off each week with a fun or interesting photo. Who doesn't love a good photo, right? I think it would be great if those reading the blog got involved and came up with some funny captions for these photos. So basically, I post the photo and you create the caption by adding a comment (or two) to the post. Here is an example from a previous week. Below is this week's photo - enjoy!

Caption #1 - "Bobby was flipping through his Dad's college photo album and realized his Dad was in fact always a total douche." - Tom

Caption #2 - "Stewart is wanted in Los Angeles and Miami for stealing the Solid Gold Dancers outfits...It does not make you feel like dancing that is for sure...." - Rachel

Caption #3 - "Pat, lead singer of the death metal group "Golden Devils", thought the groups new look was ridiculous. He thought their mustaches should curl a little at the ends." - Ryan

Saturday, March 21, 2009

We had a wonderful dinner at Red Tango in Wheat Ridge tonight

Dale and I joined our friend, Barb at Red Tango tonight. It is an incredible Chilean restaurant in Wheat Ridge, Colorado that we all have visited several times and adore.

When it comes to Red Tango, don't let the outside fool you. The restaurant does not look like much from the outside as it is in a strip mall out of a 1970s movie set, but inside is a beautiful, warm and friendly restaurant with splendid service and outstanding authentic South American food. This is probably the sixth time we have eaten there in three years and we are always overwhelmed. Tonight, I even discovered an amazing new wine that I loved so much I had to have a second glass.

Great food, great wine, great company and I great evening. Check out Red Tango if you get a chance.

I should watch more sports. I may enjoy it more than I think.

A year ago I was sharing a deep-fried Twinkie & Oreo in Las Vegas with my friend, Sara.

Here is the proof. It may still be sitting in the bottom of my stomach. It was a Vegas celebration to celebrate Dale's birthday.

Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden at the White House. Just another reason I like the Obamas.


With help from local schoolchildren, Michelle Obama broke ground on Friday on the first White House vegetable garden since World War II. The First Lady, known for her devotion to healthy eating habits and workouts, will grow 55 kinds of vegetables in the 1,100-square-foot garden, including spinach, broccoli, carrots, rhubarb, fennel, shell peas and more. One notable exception? Beets, which the president hates. The fruits and vegetables grown in the garden will be harvested by White House chefs and used for both casual family dinners and more formal affairs. Start-up costs totaled just $200.

Read the remainder of the article - Michelle Obama's White House Vegetable Garden >>.

I snapped this photo while walking around in Cherry Creek today...

...and was just blown away by the beauty of this bed of daffodils and pansies. It is nice to see that Spring has arrived.


Dale and I had a splendid afternoon shopping and walking through Cherry Creek. We did not buy much, some drinks at Starbucks, some seeds at Smith & Hawken and some carrot cake dog treats at Three Dog Bakery, but it was nice to be out in the sun and enjoying the weather.

Best of all, after Cherry Creek, we put the top down on Elvira and took an 1 1/2 drive through Denver, Wheatridge and Golden before heading home. Since it is 70 degrees and sunny, it was a wonderful way to spend the day. We even ran into former co-worker, Nicole Ceranna in the car next to us at a red light in Denver and was able to share a hello.

A great afternoon!

Last night Dale & I went to see Race to Witch Mountain and the movie...

...was fun.

It was very reminiscent of of the 1970's films Escape from Witch Mountain and Return to Witch Mountain, which I loved as kids. Now, I do not see any Oscar nominations in the future for Race to Witch Mountain or Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, but it was an enjoyable 90-minutes of action, comedy and Disney fun. If you have kids that like action movies, this is a great option.

Where Your Friends Actually Met

Wait, Dale and I met online. That means either Dale or I must have be a hooker. Probably me.

Friday, March 20, 2009

I've Learned

I came across I've Learned by Omer B. Washington online and felt it was a wonderful and thoughtful look on life. These are all lessons are hopefully something we all come to accept.
I've learned that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved.
The rest is up to them.
I've learned that no matter how much I care,
some people just don't care back.
And it's not the end of the world.
I've learned that it takes years to build up trust,
and only seconds to destroy it.
I've learned that it's not what you have in your life,
but who you have in your life that counts.
I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself
to the best others can do,
but to the best you can do.
I've learned that it's not what happens to people,
It's what they do about it.
I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it,
there are always two sides.
I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.
I've learned that you can keep going
long after you think you can't.

I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done
When it needs to be done
regardless of the consequences.
I've learned that there are people who love you dearly,
but just don't know how to show it.
I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't five me the right to be cruel.
I've learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken,
the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean that they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned that sometimes you have to put the individual
ahead of their actions.
I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.
I've learned that no matter the consequences,
those who are honest with themselves get farther in life.
I've learned taht your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.
I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.

I've learned that writing,
as well as talking,
can ease emotional pains.
I've learned that the people you care most about in life
are taken from you too soon.
I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice
and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.
I've learned to love
and be loved.
I've learned...


Thursday, March 19, 2009

Who knew Elmo was actually funny? Check out this video.

Funny quote, but sort of true

Just bought tickets to see the Spencers Theatre of Illusion for April 20th...

...in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Spencers have been described as "Modern Day Houdinis" and present a big, high-tech stage show that combines drama, comedy, romance and suspense with elaborate stage illusions that include dazzling special effects and magnificent set design. You can learn more about them at Spencers Theatre of Illusion.

Dale and I met Kevin & Cindy Spencer while traveling on a sleeper train from Paris, France to Venice, Italy. We shared a table while dining on the train and met up again while in Venice for dinner. They are a very kind, charismatic couple and Dale and I enjoyed getting to know them. We are excited to get to see their show next month.

If anyone else wants to go and make the trip up to Cheyenne, WY with us, tickets just are $25. Let us know.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Look! Our first two flowers of Spring (which are here way too early)

We already have flowers popping up in the front yard. Here is snapshot of a yellow daffodil and some purple flower (I do not know the name of). I took this picture when I got home from work tonight. The weather has been so warm the past few weeks, everything is blooming very early, which sort of worries me. One good cold snap or snow storm and I predict a lot of dead flowers. I might as well enjoy while I can and I figured I would share, so you can too.

Who do you think is going home tonight on American Idol?

I am thinking Michael Sarver will go home. I personally thought Megan Joy Corkey sucked last night and do not understand why they liked her. I know she had the flu, but her performance was not great. I also continue to not understand the hype around Adam Lambert.

What does everyone else think?

Sometimes graphs are funny.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

This is going to sound like a Public Service Announcement, but remember only you...

...can prevent Forest Fires. Well, you and Smokey the Bear, but since he is animated, it is mostly up to you.

It is supposed to be in the high 60s and low 70s the rest of the week here in Denver. Yippee! Right? Well, sort of. This has been one of the warmest and driest winters in Denver on record. Even though the mountains are at 103% of average snow pack, we have only seen a total of 18 inches of snow this winter in Denver. That is total. Not this month or even 2009. That is 18 inches since September 2008. Usually Denver averages 45 inches by March.

Now I am no fan of cold, snow or winter, but this lack of moisture is going to make for a very dry Spring and even drier Summer. This means two things - drought and fire. Two things I hate more than cold, snow or winter.

Therefore I am encouraging everyone to do a two things:

1. Be smart. Prevent fires. Do not throw cigarette butts out your car window or on the ground. In fact, quit smoking. It will be better for everyone involved. Also, do not start any fires. I do not care if it ruins your camping experience. All you need is one stray amber to start a huge disaster. All I am asking is for everyone to think before they light a match or lighter.

2. Learn a rain dance. Google it and start dancing. We need rain and now. If we put a man on the moon, I think we should be able to figure out how to put a cloud in the sky.

I know you may think I am crazy, but we have already had a few brush fires in the Denver metro area in February and March. Ask the 90+ year old woman in Arvada whose home burned to the ground due to sparks from a train starting a grass fire, if it seems crazy. It can happen to anyone of us and it usually stems from carelessness.

Thanks for listening and spread the word on fire safety.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Irish yoga.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I bet they don't want his lucky charms now, huh?

Monday, March 16, 2009

Here are my picks for this season of American Idol Season 8


As of today (and before this week's show), this is who I think is the best. For those of you thinking Adam Lambert #6?!? Yes, I am not thrilled with him. He is too theatrical and tends to scream too much for me.
  1. Danny Gokey
  2. Lil' Rounds
  3. Alexis Grace
  4. Matt Giraud
  5. Kris Allen
  6. Adam Lambert
  7. Allison Iraheta
  8. Scott MacIntyre
  9. Michael Sarver
  10. Megan Joy Corkey
  11. Anoop Desai
However, this is how I think things will end up based on America voting. Since younger kids text vote a lot, I think we will see Lil' Rounds go a lot earlier than we expected, plus I think Megan will do better than expected.
  1. Adam Lambert
  2. Danny Gokey
  3. Allison Iraheta
  4. Megan Joy Corkrey
  5. Anoop Desai
  6. Alexis Grace
  7. Kris Allen
  8. Matt Giraud
  9. Scott MacIntyre
  10. Lil' Rounds
  11. Michael Sarver
This is how Entertainment Weekly predicted the season in this week's magazine:
  1. Danny Gokey
  2. Adam Lambert
  3. Lil' Rounds
  4. Kris Allen
  5. Alexis Grace
  6. Allison Iraheta
  7. Matt Giraud
  8. Michael Sarver
  9. Scott MacIntyre
  10. Megan Joy Corkey
  11. Anoop Desai
But none of this really matters. What matters is what Dale thinks, as he tends to get it right each season. Here are his picks:
  1. Danny Gokey
  2. Lil' Rounds
  3. Scott MacIntyre
  4. Kris Allen
  5. Matt Giraud
  6. Allison Iraheta
  7. Adam Lambert
  8. Alexis Grace
  9. Michael Sarver
  10. Megan Joy Corkey
  11. Anoop Desai
What are your picks? Add a comment and share.

What song are you embarrassed to admit is on your iPod?

I riding the bus home listening to 'I Know What Boys Like' by Katharine McPhee (runner up of American Idol season 5) on my iPod, which was featured during the closing credits of the movie, House Bunny (which I sadly saw in the theater and on DVD).

I would like to claim I share an iPod library with a 12 year old girl to explain how this musical selection ended up on my iPod, but I do not. Yes, even my musical tastes embarrass me too. The worse part is the fact that I question if that is even the most embarrassing song on my iPod. It would be a close competition.

What song are you embarrassed to admit is on your iPod? Add a comment and cleanse your musical soul.

Aaaaaw! Look at these cute puppies.

And here you thought all pictures of puppies were cute. Wrong!

The worse trend to television news in recent years has to be...


...the scrolling news ticker at the bottom of the screen.

I was watching the local news this morning and all you see is the stupid ticker flying by. I think the news ticker started in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks as a way to keep people as informed as possible, but it is so over-used now. While watching the news, I now have to read other news scrolling by. Even if I choose not to read it, I still have the annoying distraction. Once used for top stories, it now is just full of random and trivial news. It seems like every channel has the ticker too. What is so life important on E! that they need a ticker?

The only thing more annoying on TV is the logo in the lower right corner. In case you did not know you were watching ABC, we now have a constant reminder displayed at all times. The worse is FOX, which uses this not only for a logo, but for animated reminders of what is on next, but also what is on next week and next month. You are trying to watch your current show, but suddenly have Bart Simpson jumping around the corner of the screen.

Do we really have to have this much multi-tasking thrust upon us? Can we just be allowed to focus on the current show or reported news?