Thankfully I think everyone else is unbalanced

Dear AT&T - I am now in love with you.

Today, I came home from work to find I now get five bars on my iPhone. You said a new tower close to my house was going online today and I guess it did. Thank you, thank you, thank you AT&T.  I am so thrilled.

This may not seem like a big deal but it is. Since I purchased my iPhone in early July and moved to AT&T, I have had anywhere from no service to the occassional one bar. This meant I have been unable to make or receive calls. While at home, my iPhone was basically been just for data through my wireless connection, but now I have a phone again.

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeee!

This tattoo chart is very accurate. Check it out!

I do like this chart, as I feel people with tattoos on their face as pretty much saying I do not want a career of any kind other than tattoo artist or carnival folk. As someone with a tattoo in the yellow/greenish section on the chart (upper thigh), I found this very funny, as I have show my tattoo when people have asked to see it.  So where is your tattoo and is the chart correct?

I added a new feature to my blog

Since I know a lot of you are not huge on commenting on my blog, I have added a new feature to my blog where you can anonymously give a reaction to a blog post.

Now that does NOT mean, I prefer this over comments.  I love, love, love comments.  It makes my blog a bit more interactive and a comment is a great joy for me.  But for those of you not big on the commenting, I thought this may be a fun alternative.  You will see the reactions section at the bottom of each post and you can check the box that you feel is most appropriate.  Give it a try.

Last night I had a dream that hundreds of frogs...

...were getting into the house.  It was like a giant frog invasion.

When Dale got out of bed this morning, he asked why one of our towels was stuffed in front of the closet door.  I now remembering getting up last night and putting it in front of the door.  I was trying to stop the frogs from getting in.

What the hell does that dream mean?  I probably need extensive therapy.  And the fact that I got up in my sleep and participated in the dream is even scarier.

It is overcast this morning...

...and as I lie here in bed staring through the gap in the curtains, that feels comforting. A cloudy, even rainy Sunday feels right.

It is almost ike summer is saying goodbye and autumn is saying hello.

(1000) Days of Summer

Tonight was a nice Saturday evening out with our friends, Sam and Anjanette.  We started out with dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Virgilio's Pizzeria in Lakewood, CO.  It is probably the best pizza in all of Colorado.  If you have never been there, check it out.  I doubt you will be disappointed.  Also, they are hosting a festival outside their location on September 19th & 20th that 100% benefits the Children's Hospital, so if you needed a reason to make the trek to Lakewood, here you go - free food (donations only) and you help a great cause.

After dinner we headed to see the movie (500) Days of Summer.  I had already seen the movie when I was in NJ, but enjoyed it so much, I was happy to see it again.  Thus it is now known as (1000) Days of Summer to me.  Seriously though it is a great film.  I just think it is such a poignant tale of love and loss.  It paints such a true picture of how we feel when we fall in and out of love that is rarely seen in film.  Plus it has some very funny moments that make you laugh out loud.  Sam, Anjanette and Dale also loved the movie and it created some great coversations on the way home about past relationships and love (or what we think is love in our youth).  Great movie.

The only downside was the movie theater in Belmar was a nightmare.  Understaffed, too many kids and the concession stand was a disaster. I do not see myself rushing back to this movie theater anytime soon.

I gave my blog a facelift....check it out!

Today, I gave my blog a little bit of a makeover. Just felt it was time for something new. What do you think?

Check out Europe's grass-lined green railway

It is pretty impressive.  Europe’s Grass-Lined Green Railways (16 pics) When it comes to being green and incorporating beautiful landscaping into urban design, Europe is so far ahead of us.  Think how much better Denver's LightRail would look if it was on grass rather than gravel. I even read about one LightRail in Europe that is running on solar energy. Amazing.

The effects on no sex on men.

I was rear-ended tonight...and please hold the gay jokes.

Today on the way home from work, I was rear-ended.

Feel free to insert gay joke here

I was sitting still in traffic in front of Coor's Field and bam!  A guy in a pick-up truck was paying more attention to everyone headed to the Rockie's game and slammed into the back of me and my Mini Cooper. The fortunate part was my witness was a Denver cop, who was sitting in traffic going the other direction.

The damage was only minor to good ol' Elvira's bumper, but it still sucked.  The Police Officer, who was hot and actually looked like Heather Locklear when she was on T.J. Hooker checked us out and said since it was minor we could just exchange information and file an incident report online.  I told her I preferred a Police Report and the other driver being ticketed.  I am sure I came across like a dick, but she did give him a citation for following too close and did a report.  This will just make it easier for my insurance to get his insurance to pay and make sure he cannot claim something different later.

All and all, I am fortunate I was fine and the damage was only a few dents and scratches in the bumper.

It is important to have positive role models. I think I found mine.

1. Great hair - check.
2. Nice watch - check.
3. Excellent dresser - check.
4. Good at posing - check.

Well he has all 4 things I find most important in a role model...not to mention hot.

Why I love meeting with the Botanic Gardens

Great people and great views.

Does it have to be one or the other?

Lately I keep getting songs stuck in my head

Sometimes it is a good song, so that is okay.
Other times, not so good.
Today, I have had Everything Falls Apart by Dog's Eye View stuck in my head.
In particular these lyrics:

Was it good? I don't remember much about it.
When things start to feel right
you can count on me to start to doubt it.
and the devil's not in the details, no the devil is in my pants
And it's shoot first apologize later.
Another quick and new sure shot romance
Well I got what I wanted now I don't want anything
Yeah, I got what I wanted, now my life is just boring.

It is catchy, so it is not horrible.
I like the line, "the devil is in my pants."
I always found that funny.
And true.

Cool video from my friend Mark

If you love dogs, you will love this video. I love the dogs running off the diving board. You can tell they are in heaven. Thanks Mark!

I try a lot of cleaning products

I will forewarn you - this is a weird post, even for me.

I like to clean the house. Well, actually I like the result of cleaning the house. I love when the house feels clean and fresh. As a result, I am a bit obsessed with cleaning products and sometimes try new products (don't tell Dale...he feels I have too many cleaning supplies already). Rarely do I use my blog to recommend a product, but as odd as it is...I have a product that deserves to be praised.

Check out Scrubbing Bubbles® Toilet Cleaning Gel.  It is an excellent cleaning product for the bathroom toilet.  You have probably seen the commercial. They are the gel discs you attach inside the bowl. I have used them for about three weeks now and they do an AMAZING job of keeping the toilet bowl clean, fresh and smelling good.  They only last about a week, but each box has 6 discs, so they are a fair value.  If you have a kids bathroom, this product may be what you have waiting for.  Give it a try!

My blog has legally changed its' name!

Yes, my blog has a new name - mine. Up until now my blog had the URL - http://twwhit72.blogspot.com but this past weekend I changed it to www.tomwhittakerblog.com. But don't worry, the old URL will continue to work.

When I started my blog in 2007 it was just a quick way to post some Halloween photos to share with friends. It has evolved to be much more, so I figured it was time that the name better matched the blog. And since it is my blog and really about my life, I figures the name made sense.

Anyhow...that is all. Thanks for reading.

The Wheels on the Bus

Today I have a new bus driver. Last Friday was Mark's last day on my route. He has moved onto a new route closer to home. I have joked numerous times on this blog that Mark was trying to seduce me by offering me candy and always talking to me each morning, but I will actually miss the guy. He was one of the kindest as most genuine people I have ever meet and in many ways is the exactly how I would expect Dale would be if he was a bus driver. Mark took the time to learn everyone's names an even knew what we did for a living. He used the time on the bus to make connections and almost create a little community. I think Dale would be the same way. Mark made the ride to work each day more enjoyable and he will be missed not only by me, but by many of the passengers.

Last Thursday Mark even gave cards to what he called his favorite passengers saying goodbye and thanks for the many conversations and smiles.i was happy to be included in one of the 6 to receive cards. In a world where most of us go through out daily lives without noticing the strangers around us, Mark not only made us stop for a minute and notice, but best of all, he made us happy to do it. Thanks Mark! Good luck.

Oh and on a side note, today's bus driver is a woman. I barely got a hello or a smile from her and she did not offer me candy. I do not see any romance in our future, for numerous reasons.

Wow, cartoons are not as wholesome as I thought.

Today would have been my Mom's 60th birthday

We lost her in 2003 to ovarian cancer, but she remains in our hearts every day. I miss hear dearly. Happy birthday Mom. I love you!

A Splendid Sunday

sDale and I had a very nice Sunday relaxing at home.  It seemed too hot outside (in the 90s) to do too much, so staying inside felt like a good option.  We watched a few DVDs and even got the house cleaned. It was an enjoyable day.

In case anyone is looking to rent some DVDs, we watch 17 Again and Obsessed.  17 Again was okay. Not great, but okay. It was a bit too predictable.  Obsessed was pretty good.  Again predictable as a modern day Fatal Attraction, but it had a good intensity.  The moral of the movie - if you mess with Beyonce's family, she will f*#ck you up.

The weather is supposed to drop down to the 70s the rest of the week, so it seems that this past weekend may be the final summer weekend.  I personally am looking forward to autumn. It is my favorite time of the year.

Cique du Soleil Saturday

Last night, Dale and I joined friends and neighbors Sam and Anjanette for the traveling Cirque du Soleil show Kooza. We had a great time.  The show was amazing, as is every Cique du Soleil show.  This show was not only beautiful from a theatrical standpoint, but it really pushed the stunts much further than previous traveling shows.  Some of the stunts were so intense I actually felt a little stressed watching.  If you have the chance, get tickets to the show.  It is expensive, but well worth the money. Before the show, we grabbed dinner at Rose Garden, which is our favorite Chinese restaurant. All in all, it was a great evening.

For those of you who are still missing Michael Jackson...

....check out this website - http://eternalmoonwalk.com/ and see the eternal moonwalk. It is pretty cool.

I am sweating my ass off at the Golden...

...Farmer's Market, but it is worth it since I am with Dale.

I find this humerus

Total Eclipse of the Heart: Flowchart

Click here for a larger version. Or here. Or even here. But not here.

The funniest thing happened...

...on the 16th Street Mall Shuttle this evening. As usual the bus was packed and this man's bag kept slightly hitting this woman's butt every time the bus started and stopped. You could tell from her reaction each time it hit her she was annoyed, but there was little he could do other than lift the bag over his head. There was no room to move and no room to get the bag off his shoulder.

After a few blocks the woman loudly yelled, "Sir, your bag keeps poking me in the ass!"

The man responded, "You're welcome."

I laughed, but the woman did not get he was joking and again said, "I said your bag is," but before she could finish he cut her off and said, "I heard ya. Relax. There is no charge. Well, this time."

This caused everyone to laugh. I felt bad for the woman, but it was damn funny.

Funny comic. Stop scratching.

Am I a bad Manager? Read this and vote.

I have been managing in one way or another since birth. I was a bossy child. No seriously, I have been managing for over 15 years. Even early on, in my first retail jobs, I would start a job and a few weeks later I would be promoted to Assistant Manager and then Manager. It usually would happen after the current Assistant Manager would 'disappear' but that is another blog post, on another day. They could never prove anything anyways.

I would like to think I am a natural born leader but I know that is crap. I just tend to make decisions, where most people do not. Oddly, I find if you are willing to give direction, 75% of people will just accept it and do what you say. I find the remaining 25% tend to get fired or quit. It is weird how that happens.

Over the years, I have lead small teams, large teams and once an angry mob. Currently, I manage around 20 people. I say around 20 because technically a couple do not report to me directly but their bosses do. Also, one of the 20 is my boss and I in fact report to him, but he usually requires the most managing, so I feel he counts. (I joke because I love. I also drink because of it too.)

Anyhow, let me get back on track and my questionable management skills. Today, I was presented with the issue of two employees who are struggling in communicating with each other and making each other frustrated. Both a good people and have good intentions, but in
reality are having a tough time seeing things from the others' perspective. The result is tension and stress (not to mention increased alcohol consumption in the evenings I imagine).

Co-workers not getting along happens, however, there are two things I do not accept:

1. When internal issues impact clients. My clients pay good money and should not be impacted by my staff's issues. Most of all, happy clients do not call Tom and complain.
2. When internal issues impact me. I am a firm believer in come to work, do a good job and only bother Tom to provide the occasional comic relief or present gifts.

So really, I guess #1 and #2 are just about not annoying me and could have been listed together. Oh well, too late now.

So I have a few solutions to the problem:

1. Invite both of them to a nice lunch. Get them in the elevator at same time and hit the emergency stop button. Yell cage match! Last person standing is right and other is dead. This is not approved by Human Resources. I found this out the hard way last year, so I will skip this as a viable solution.
2. Terminate both employees and enjoy the quiet. Again, not ideal as both are great employees and do good work. I think I will save this as an absolute last resort.
3. Move the two employees into the same office. I know this seems like the exact opposite things to do, but you would be surprised. I personally love this option because one of two things will happen. They either get over things and become friends or they never speak. If they do not speak, I still win since they probably are a lot more productive without all that chatting.
4. Schedule a meeting. Get everyone in the same room, promote honest, but productive dialog and lead everyone to a solution that allows both to feel comfortable in their jobs. Expect lots of hugging by the end of the meeting. If they do not hug, make them hug. Awkward hugs are the best.
   

So what did I do? I went with option #4, but I have to do it my way. I sent out a meeting invite to both individuals titled "12 Steps to Becoming BFFs". Tomorrow we will all sit down in my office and work things out.

So why the off invite title? Do I not feel their issues are important or valid? Of course their issues are important and valid. However, I personally think it is important to keep things in perspective. This is not a life altering issue. We have two people who care so much about doing a great job that they are conflicting. That is not a horrible thing, right? Sometimes all people need to do is to talk to each other. They do not need to be best friends, but need to respect each other - that is all. Besides if they can't handle an hour in my office tomorrow, they will love option #3 of sharing an office together.

Also, we all need to remember there are a lot of people without jobs right now and are struggling to find work. I am sure these people would gladly tolerate any co-worker at this point. We need to focus on the big picture.

So what do you think? Did I pick the right option? Am I a bad Manager? What would you do? Better yet, what would Oprah do? Vote now and let me know what you think!!!

Dale thinks Oprah would delegate the issue to Gayle.

What is your favorite vacation place? The place you would go if you had unlimited time and money.

For me, that is easy - Venice, Italy. It is the place I felt most at peace in my life. The place that will always remind me of Dale. My favorite vacation destination (so far).

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Since summer is coming to a close, I thought I would...

...post one final beautiful flower from our backyard. Our stargazer lily bloomed very late this year, but it is spectacular.

Check out this URL - http://chickencrap.com/specials/evolution.htm.

It is fairly amazing work. I came across it and was very impressed. Here is the URL again - http://chickencrap.com/specials/evolution.htm.

Looking for something fun to do tonight?

What? This is funny.

Happy Birthday Mikayla

It is Dale's niece, Mikayla's birthday.

I need this t-shirt, so I can get my own bus seat.

I admit I was wrong, which does not happen often

Today's in-flight movie was the Star Trek movie released earlier this summer. In a great example of coincidence, last night this movie came up in conversation with my friends Rob and Scott. They had commented that it was one of the few movies they saw together this summer since their movie tastes differ so drastically. They asked if I had seen it. I said no and told them I felt there were two types of people:

1. Those who prefer Star Wars.
2. Those who prefer Star Trek.

I had always seen myself as the first as I come from a generation that came to age in a world of George Lucas' brilliance. One of my earliest memories is waiting in line with my Dad at the Fox Theater on Colonie, NY to see the first Star Wars. Therefore, I had no interest in the latest Star Trek flick.

But here I was presented with Star Trek on United Airlines flight 731 from Newark to Denver. Since it was a 4 hour movie and I was not in a mood to read, I figured I would betray my inner Luke Skywalker and kill time with Captain Kirk. I planned to hate the movie and once again gloat that my movie preferences were superior to that of others.

Today, I may have been proved wrong. Although, I will always be a Stat Wars lover at heart, I must go on record and say, J.J. Abrams kicked ass with this new Star Trek movie. I never saw any of the Star Trek movies of the late 80's or 90's, but I had watched the original William Shatner lead TV series on re-runs over the years, so I understood the basics of the story and knew about Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Bones and gang. This movie was not only excellent in it's own right, I love how it showed how the team of the Star Ship Enterprise became a team. It was done very well and even though I am by far no Trekkie, I really enjoyed the movie. Two thumbs up! If you have not seen it, give it a try. I doubt you can walk away disappointed.

Whittaker out.

Is heading home to Dale

Don't get me wrong, I love that I got to see my Dad and friends, Rob & Scott this trip, but Dale is my home, best friend and love. I miss him.

I know many of you are reading this and may think that sounds needy, but I do not care. I love the guy. He has my heart and things are not the same when we are apart. I am at my best when I am with Dale. It is nice to know in 5 hours I will be seeing his smiling face.

Is missing Dale

And how can you not miss that sweet face?

A picture of my friends Rob and Scott

I forced them to pose in front if the lawn chair sculpture in Time Square. Rob was happy to pose. Scott was not. Funny.

Just saw the Broadway musical In The Heights

Great show. Amazing energy, music and dancing. A lot of fun. Rob and Scott liked it too.

I am currently standing at the center of the world.

At least that is how I feel when I am in Times Square.

Jersey Boys

I am at my friends Rob & Scott's place in Englewood, NJ. Or Manhattan adjacent as I like to call it. I guess that makes Rob & Scott Jersey Boys.

Last night, we went to Blue Moon, which was an excellent restaurant here in Englewood. They had great food and service. The restaurant was a buzz about some rapper that was dining st the same time. Oddly none of us bothered to even look. Our food was more interesting some D-List celebrity.

This morning I have been reading Shop Girl by Steve Martin, while I wait for them to wake from their slumber. The plan is to get breakfast and then head to Manhattan. We are planning on seeing a show tonight too. Fun times await.

Traveling is tough for sleeping.

I do not sleep well when I travel.
I miss Dale lying to my left terribly.
I miss Millie and Zoe jockeying for positions on the bed.
I just plain miss my bed.
My pillows.
My blanket.
When I travel, I wake up several times each night.
I wake up confused.
I wonder where am I?
In the dark, I struggle to find my bearings.
I scramble to find the time on my cell phone.
In my sleepy state, I can never remember if my cell phone adjusted for
the time difference or not.
Is it 3 AM or 1 AM?
I eventually figure it out and go back to sleep.
Only to repeat again in two hours.
I miss home.

I am in Pennsylvania at my Dad's house tonight and...

...it was nice to get to see his house and spend time with him and his wife, Colleen. We had a great dinner and hung around the house tonight. It felt good to spend time together.

I am not afraid to say it...I miss Dale.

This is the longest Dale and I will be apart in the 6 years I have known him. We will be apart 6 days. I know it does not seem like a lifetime and it is not, but I still miss the guy. I love sharing our lives and wish he was here.

Yeah, our hotel is next to Friendly's!

Yes, my flight is delayed.

I know. I can do little else except laugh. It is delayed due to high winds in the New York and New Jersey area. I am the unluckiest traveler.

Is back on a plane today...so please send me good wishes since...

...last time air travel and I did not agree. I had a ton of delayed and canceled flights in a four day period.

I am not a happy flier even when the flights go well. I do not get nervous, I just do not like all the people. I personally am not a chatter when traveling on a plane. You know the chatter type - they are the ones who feel the need to tell you their life story and make you their new new BFF. I do not like these people and try to find subtle ways to let them know I do not want to learn more about their jobs, families, church group or knitting circle.

I usually just go with the unapproachable headphones but today I am going to try something new. I plan to learn the name of the passenger right next to me prior to take-off and then about 10 minutes into the flight, I plan to pretend I am asleep. While in my fake slumber, I will moan his or her name as if my dream features him/her in a very erotic situation.

Oh, Bob. Oh baby, you are a tiger. Yes, Bob, yes! Or oh, Susan. Oh baby, you are a tigress. Yes, Susan, yes!

I figure either way it will keep the chit-chat to a minimum the remainder of the flight. Wish me luck. Three of my co-workers are on this flight, so maybe it will be one of them.

Oh, Terri. Oh baby, you are a tigress. Yes, Terri, yes!

It is amazing how music can define a movie. Check out my John Hughes Playlist.

With the passing of legendary film writer, director and producer John Hughes there has been plenty of online chatter about all his amazing films. It has been great to see people share their favorite movies and quotes on Twitter and Facebook.

In looking back, I realize many of John Hughes' films helped to define my own childhood. For example, my first date was to see the classic 80's movie, Pretty in Pink. I know funny, huh?

While thinking of all his wonderful comedies, I realized that not only was John Hughes amazing at creating a movie that captured a generation but he also did a wonderful job of allowing music to help enhance, and at times define, a scene. The music in his films is often iconic and when you hear many of the songs today, all you think about is the movie it was features. Amazing.

This morning for fun, I thought I would put together a playlist on my iTunes of some of my favorite songs featured in John Hughes films. In case you want to make your own playlist, here it is:

• Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky") by Bill Conti from 1983's Mr. Mom
• Holiday Road by Lindsey Buckingham from 1983's Vacation.
• Blitzkreig Bop by the Ramones from 1983's Vacation.
• I'm So Excited by the Pointer Sisters from 1983's Vacation.
• If You Were Here by the Thompson Twins from 1984's Sixteen Candles.
• Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds from 1985's Breakfast Club.
• Some Like It Hot by the Power Station from 1985's European Vacation.
• Weird Science by Oingo Boingo from 1985's Weird Science.
• Pretty in Pink by the Psychedelic Furs from 1985's Pretty in Pink.
• Try A Little Tenderness by Otis Redding from 1985's Pretty in Pink.
• If You Leave by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark from 1985's Pretty in Pink.
• Danke Schoen by Wayne Newton from 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
• Oh Yeah by Yello from 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
• Miss Amanda Jones by the Rolling Stones from 1987's Some Kind of Wonderful.
• Land of 1,000 Dances by Wilson Pickett from 1988's The Great Outdoors.
• Wild Thing by Tone-Loc from 1989's Uncle Buck.

Thanks John Hughes for the movies and the memories!

Tonight I finished the biography Kate Remembered...

...by A. Scott Berg. It is truly one of the best biographies I have ever read.

Berg did an amazing job of weaving his personal memories of Katharine Hepburn over their 20 year friendship with stories told first hand by Katharine about her fascinating life.

A glorious read. I highly recommend it if you have any interest in Miss Hepburn, the golden age of movies or just strong, yet complicated women.

My favorite quote from the book:

...as rain pelted against the windows at Fenwick [Hepburn's Connecticut home], I asked Miss Hepburn if she regretted not having children of her own. "I would have been a horrible mother, she said point-blank, "because I'm basically a very selfish human being. Not that that has stopped most people from going off and having children."

She proceeded to illustrate her main point. "Let's say I have a little child," she explained, "and it's seven o'clock at night and Baby Johny or Baby Janey suddenly comes down with a one-hundred-and-three-degree fever. And I've got twelve hundred people waiting to see me that night at the St. James Theatre. Now some of those people, I'm thinking, have waited months for their tickets, and some of them scraped together money they can't really afford and arranged baby-sitters so that they can have their special night that year. And now little Johnny or little Janey is in pain and screaming and yelling. And there no question what I have to do. I would walk into that baby's room, and take a pillow, and smother that adorable child!"

To me, that single quote sums up the humor, sarcasm and wisdom of Katharine Hepburn. She of course was kidding (most likley), but best of all, she was not a women to apologize for the choices she made in life. She lived life for the moment and truly lived.

A great read. A great woman.

My friend Doris is also reading this book (weird coincidence, huh?). I can't wait to hear what she thinks about it too.

Last night Dale and I went to see Julie and Julia and...

...it was an excellent film. Very smart.

I cannot remember a film that made me smile from start to finish like this in a very long time. Honestly, the movie made me laugh out loud.

Meryl Streep as the showy, over-the-top Julia Child and Amy Adams as the understated, sweet Julie Powell pull you into their stories. You find youself captivated as you jump between the 1950s and 2000s. I loved how these two distinct stories intertwined and matched up so well. Brilliance.

I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see something smart and different this summer.

Check out the 5 songs I enjoyed most this week

I spend a lot of time listening to music on my iPod and iPhone. I listen on the bus to and from work. I listen in my office at work all day, with the exception of conference calls and meetings (Thankfully my office mate, Becki, tolerates and occassionally enjoys my music.) I listen in the car and often while falling to sleep at night. With that said, I probaby log in 40-50 hours of music listening a week.

I love music. I love how a song can change your mood, bring back a memory or make you feel something deep in your soul. I could not imagine my life without music.

I thought it would be fun to share the songs that are my favorites this week. These are the songs that spoke to me this week and made me hit repeat. These are the songs I recommend you give a listen.

1. Use Somebody by Kings of Leon is a great stadium-rock style anthem that was recommended to me by a friend.
2. Find My Way by The Gabe dixon Band is a song I heard in the movie, the Proposal. It is a great song to play right after you leave work for the day.
3. Forever by Chris Brown got me when I saw that damn YouTube wedding video. I just can't get the song out of my head.
4. Show Me What I'm Looking for by Carolina Liar is from the commercial for the ime Traveler's Wife and I find it very haunting. It just speaks to me.
5. Little Bird (Acoustic Version) by Annie Lennox is a song that I have always loved and the acoustic version just released puts a new spin on the classic.

I am always on the hunt for great music. What songs spoke to you this week? What songs do you always go back to time and time again. Please add a comment or shoot me an email to let me know.

My friend Joel posted this video on Facebook and it is pretty cool.

Not sure if this is real, but thanks either way Joel. Funny and cool.

Oh baby it's raining!

The view from my office window in downtown Denver. Storm hit hard.

Another amazing concert at the Denver Botanic Gardens

Tonight our friends Sam, Mark & Christy joined Dale and I for a concert at the Denver Botanic Gardens. We were delighted with great music from David Sanborn. It was beautiful weather and of course, the Gardens were the absolute perfect venue. Excellent night.

One of my favorite status updates of all time belongs to Amy Beth Andrews. Check this out.

This status is from this past Monday and I know it is hard to see, but it reads:

Amy Beth Andrews Thought I was taking out the trash that was by the front door last night. Turns out I took out Nate's dry cleaning. To the dumpster and now its gone! :(

Nate is Amy Beth's Fiance. This is just a funny story. Probably not for Amy Beth and definitely not for Nate, but a funny story for the rest of us. And I am sure one day funny for them too.

Sorry, Amy Beth...this was too cute, not to share.

Nyquil - the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, aching, coughing, stuffy-head, fever, so you can rest medicine - scores another victory.

Yesterday, I had a fever, headache and was nauseaus. Last night, I took double the recommended dose of Nyquil (it says recommended people, relax).

Today when I woke from my medicated coma, I was all better. I love how that stuff knocks you out. Yes, I know it is 25% alcohol and that is why I love it. For me, if I can sleep, I will heal.

Thank you Nyquil. I love you! You had me at hello.

I am not feeling 100% right now.

Started day with headache. I am now running a fever and feel nauseated. I opted not to each lunch, as I do not feel like food is going to be my friend. I am going to try to head home after my 1:00 PM meeting...so I can pass out. Ugh.

It was a sign.

I like to read a few books a month and taking the bus to and from work 5 days a week allows me the this luxury. On a good week, I can knock out two medium sized paperbacks.

Yesterday, I made a trip to the library to get something new to read. I am a lover of biographies, as I find fact often to be stranger and even more amusing than fiction. I headed to the biography section at the Stanley Lake Library and on the way passed a biography in the bin near holds that are waiting to be returned to the shelf. It was titled Kate Remembered. It was a biography by A. Scott Berg on actress Kathryn Hepburn. Since Philadelphia Story and Bringing Up Baby rank as two of my all time favorite movies and starred Ms. Hepbun, I figured it was a sign and checked it out.

I know little about Kathryn Hepburn, but always saw her as strong, quirky, eccentric and funny based on her movie roles, so I am looking forward to the biography. I already read chapter one this morning on the bus, which was an account of the author's first interview with Ms. Hepburn. The encounter proved to be quirky and funny, so I am already hooked.

Today while I was cleaning it got me thinking about...

...keepsakes. Dale and I have kept each and every card we have received over the past six years since we moved in together. So if you have sent us a card for a birthday, holiday, thank you or just about anything, we still have it. We keep them in the cabinet near the door. Every once in a while I randomly pick some to re-read. It brings back some nice memories and is nice to see what our families and friends had written years ago. One of these days I will find a way to display them. Part of me wants to cover the walls of one of our guest rooms with them as wallpaper.

Does anyone else keep all the cards they receive?

Two goals for today: hit famer's market & clean the house

I know. Wild and crazy, huh?

It is the simple pleasures that made today great

Today was a great day. Why? Today was a day full of simple pleasures and I think that is what made it so great.

The day started with one of my favorite things - sneaking out of the house on a beautiful summer morning. I love getting up early on a Saturday and sneaking out to get Dale a Starbucks and a muffin. It is my little way of saying thanks for all he does for me. I do not do it every weekend, but I like to spoil him every so often. Today was one of those mornings.

After breakfast we popped over to our neighbors the Krouts, who we adore, to wish Sophia Krout a very happy 5th birthday. We bought her the cutest jewelry box for her birthday, that Dale picked out. It was great to see her excitement and smile. She is such an angel and we have been fortunate to know her from the day she came home from the hospital to today. It has been fun to watch her grow from a baby to toddler to little girl. I love that she is such a kind, sensitive
spirit and was glad to see on birthday.

Around 11 AM we hopped in Elvira, our Mini Cooper convertible, to head up to Estes Park. This was pure perfection as I was behind the wheel of a great car, the sun was shining, wonderful music was playing on iPod, the views were spectacular and the man I love was at my right. It does not get much better than that. It is days like this that make me realize I am truly blessed.

Estes Park is a great quaint little mountain town and Dale and I hit our favorite restaurant, Bob & Tony's Pizza for lunch. This place has the best pizza and eating there has grown to be a bit of a tradition for Dale and I. Part of the tradition is sharing a basket of delicious fried clam strips as an appetizer. Yum! Most of all I love that Dale and I share fun little traditions as a couple. I love that he knows me so well. I love that he shares my passions.

We also did some shopping in Estes Park and hit our favorite shop, Trendz, which has a really cool mix of rustic and modern items. We left with a new painting for the house, which is so unique. We both fell in love with it at first sight. I will share a picture of it once we get it hung. I also bought a very cool wallet.

After shopping we drove around to look at available real estate. We hope to buy a townhouse or cabin in Estes Park in the next year or so to use as a vacation/weekend house. We both love Estes Park and it just feels so welcoming and right to us, like we belong there. We checked out a few places and hopefully next year we will have enough in our savings to make it a reality. It was nice to drive around today, check out different places and talk about our future.

The ride home included a stop for soft serve ice cream and more wonderful times in Elvira. Dinner was simple leftovers and a movie on the big TV in the basement. Simple, but wonderful as it was with Dale and our dogs, Zoe and Millie. We took the dogs for a walk around 9 PM and stopped by to catch some of Wall*E, which was playing as an outdoor movie in our neighborhood park. A great time, except both dogs were a little too excited by all the activity.

But the night gets even better. I was catching up on Facebook around 10 PM and a women in my neighborhood, Shannon, who I only know through her comments on my blog and Facebook, wrote she had too many cupcakes leftover from her daughter's birthday party as her Facebook status. I commented and joked she should deliver some to my house. By 10:15 PM four pretty, pink frosted cupcakes appeared on the porch. How can you not love a day that end with cupcakes?

My thanks to Dale for a perfect day, to Sophia for letting us be a part of her special day and to Shannon for being funny as hell and bringing us cupcakes.

Sweet dreams all and good night!

It was a splendid day in Estes Park.

The beauty that is Estes Park.

At our favorite pizza place, Bob & Tony's in Estes Park.

I love traditions that Dale and I share.

It says I should avoid the Cock!

Last night Dale and I had a wonderful evening. We met at our favorite Chinese restaurant Rose Garden (best Chinese in Colorado by the way) and then went to see the movie The Proposal (great flick by the way). Anyhow, that is not the point of this blog post, just a little back story.

At the Chinese restaurant there was a group of about 12 senior citizens, all about 70 years old, celebrating on of their friend's birthday. It was a cute group. At this restaurant all the place mats have the Chinese zodiac, which describe which of the 12 animal signs you are, based on the year of your birth. The group was telling each other which sign they were and what sign they were most and least compatible. One of the women had a bit of a baby voice and I heard was her say, "It says, I should avoid the Cock!"

Good advice for all. The cock always leads to trouble. It was very innocent on her part, as she was just referring to the cock, as in rooster, but to me it was hilarious and I laughed out load. I love stuff like this.

On a side night, all twelve had to have separate checks, which was hell for the waitress.