Oh, where to begin

When I last wrote I had just gotten back from my WDW Marathon experience. It's now December and my, oh my, how time has flown!! A lot of things have happened in the last 8 months. Not even sure where to begin, so I think I'll start with the yearly timeline and fill in details from there...

1/9 - Orlando bound for the WDW Marathon
1/11 - WDW Marathon
1/12 - Character Breakfast at the Grand Floridian, dinner with the Guzdar's (traditional Chinese cooked by Angie's mom)
1/13 - WDW Epcot Center
1/14 - Universal Studios, Lobster Feast night with the Guzdar's
1/15 - WDW Magic Kingdom
1/16 - Universal Studios Islands of Adventure
1/17 - WDW Hollywood Studios
1/24 - National Western Stockshow with the Guzdar's - their first rodeo
1/25 - Girls luncheon at The Market downtown - Jami, Kelly, Kay, Rachel
1/30 - Chad VanKeuren visits Denver - snowboarding ensues
2/8-2/14 - Brian in Panama
2/20-2/22 - Valentine's make-up rendezvous/Anniversary Celebration at Vail Cascade Resort & Spa; Jami and Patrick joined us for a day of skiing and dinner at the resort
3/1 - Winter Park for the Wells Fargo Cup and a day of skiing
3/5 - Kevin Taylor's at the Opera House followed by Phantom of the Opera
3/6 - Girls Night Out at Beta - went with Leigh, Monica, Katie...Monica's friends drank all of our vodka :( Brian was in Tahoe for Mike Ross' bachelor party weekend
3/20-3/22 - Beaver Creek Weekend - rented a condo with friends and skied Beaver Creek Resort...this is the weekend that Brian tricked me into going down Birds of Prey (black diamond run, very scary!!)
3/24 - Called in sick to work to take advantage of a great powder day at Vail
3/29-4/4 - Brian in Panama
4/16 - Ludacris concert in Pueblo with Steph and Maria
4/18 - Jami's Bachelorette Party at Beatrice & Woodsley
4/24-4/26 - Mike and Jaquelyn's wedding weekend in Laguna Beach, California
4/25 - San Diego Zoo, Brian's birthday dinner at Oceanaire and Rain: A Beatles Tribute
5/1 - One Eyed Jacks to see a show with Monica, ran into Jake and MaryBeth there
5/2 - Birthday party at Tony and Angie's house
5/3 - Birthday Party at Danielle's
5/8-5/9 - Jami and Patrick's Wedding Festivities
5/8 - drove to Sedona, AZ and met up with everyone for drinks pre-wedding
5/9 - Visited Sliderock Park with Nick and Rachel; visited a vortex; attended J & P's wedding at Tlaquepaque Village
5/10 -5/13 - Grand Canyon Camping Expedition
5/14 - drove to St. George Utah, visited Pipe Spring National Monument and Brigham Young's Summer Home
5/14 - Zion National Park, drove to campsite
5/15 - Bryce National Park and then back to Denver
5/17-5/29 - Brian left for Panama
5/22-5/25 - Panama for Shea!
5/27 - No Doubt at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre with Leigh, Steph and Monica, ran into Jami and Patrick at the show
6/5 - Katie's Birthday Party
6/15 - Brian signed the paperwork for our NEW HOUSE!
6/19-6/21 - Rapid City Central High School Class of 1999 10 Year Reunion; Shedeed Family Reunion in Hermosa, SD
6/27 - White water rafting trip with Brian, Jami, Patrick, Dave, Emily, Trent, Kelly and Ty
6/28 - Volleyball Tourney with Corey, Leigh and Matt - took 2nd place
7/3 - Rockie's Baseball Game with fireworks!
7/4 - 2nd Annual O'Gorkie's BBQ
7/18-7/25 - Brian's parents (David and Mindy) visited from New York
7/18 - Indian Tacos night with Tony and Angie
7/19 - Royal Gorge Train ride and Royal Gorge visit
7/22 - Rockie's Game
7/24 - Black Hawk with Mindy while Brian and Dave worked on house stuff
7/25 - Arc Angels at the Bluebird Theatre with Rosie and Rylan
8/1 - Camping near Berthoud Pass with Kona and Tabbie
8/15 - Adopted Petra from the Western Border Collie Rescue (wbcrescue.org)
8/16 - Muddy Buddy in Boulder
8/22 - Brian and Shea's Housewarming Party!
8/25 - Nickelback at Fiddler's with Brian and Leigh
8/28 - Kelly's birthday party game night
8/29 - Date Night with Brian
9/9 - Killers at Red Rocks with Brian
9/12 - Emily Rein's birthday party at The Irish Snug
9/13 - Volleyball Tourney at Lowry Sports Complex
9/14 - Bowlero bowling league begins, teammates are Brian, Monica and Greg
9/19 - Brian and Daria's wedding at Cheesman Park, reception at The Aquarium
9/23 - Av's game with Steph
9/25 - Rockie's game with Brian and his friends Paul and Kay
9/29 - Hot Air Balloon Ride with Brian, finally!!
10/1-10/4 - Canyonlands Camping Trip with Brian, Amy, Eric, Tony, Angie, Jeff, Barbara, Megan, Ben, Todd, Deanna, Matt x2, Misty and the Puccio bros.
10/3 - Tate James Uchitel is born, my first nephew
10/8 - Cecilia Bain's birthday bbq party
10/9 - Drag Queen Bingo with Steph
10/17 - Kay's 40th birthday party at Wash Park Grille, also celebrated Danielle's 32nd bday
10/18 - Field of Corpses with Steph and friends
10/19 - Rusted Root at the Ogden Theatre with Brian, Angie, Matt S., Megan and Barbara
10/20 - Nuggets pre-season game with Brian and Steph
10/24 - Couples date day at Chatfield Corn Maze followed by Pumpkin Carving Party with Jami, Patrick, Ashlee, Chris, Trent, Kelly, Brian, Daria, Korkie and Deirdra
10/31 - Howloween dog party for Boris Henry's bday; Bassnectar at the Fillmore
11/5 - My 29th Birthday; celebrated by going to sushi with Brian, followed by a surprise candle making party at The Healing Glow studios with 7 of my closest friends: Leigh, Katie, Steph, Megan, Daria, Ashlee, Monica...I have the best boyfriend for organizing as we all had a great time!
11/13 - Nuggets vs. Lakers game
11/14 - Matt Duran's Bowling Fundraiser for this brother
11/25-11/29 - Thanksgiving in South Dakota
12/9 - Dinner at Katie and Gene's house
12/10 - Girls Night In with Kelly, Danielle, Kay and Jami
12/14 - last night of bowling league, took 2nd place out of 20 teams
12/19 - Bobbie Jiminez and Jen Stipe's birthday buffet and gambling in Black Hawk
12/25 - Xmas at home with Brian and the pups

Walt Disney World Marathon, January 11, 2009

My marathon journey began on a cool August evening in 2008. My boyfriend, Brian, and I went to the Jack Johnson concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. We met up with several of our friends, including his friends, Tony and Angie Guzdar. While waiting for the show to begin, Angie turned to Brian and asked him if he’d like to run a marathon through Walt Disney World with her and Tony. Since that was one of his “life goals”, he immediately said “yes!”, without hesitation. He then turned to me and proceeded to try to talk me into it. I was definitely more hesitant than Brian was to take on this challenge, but he managed to persuade me by promising me that I could go to theme parks and ride roller coasters while we were in Orlando, and I would be helping save lives, so eventually I agreed. As it turns out, it was one of the best experiences of my life!

A little background info about our running partners…
Tony and Angie met 15 years ago while participating in an internship program at Walt Disney World.
January 11, 1999, Angie went into remission for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
January 11, 2009, Angie celebrated her 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free by finishing a marathon!

In order to help us train for our marathon, we joined Team in Training, an endurance athlete training program through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We started with the program in September 2008 and lasted through 18 grueling weeks of training at the altitude of 5,280 feet above sea level. There were some pretty cold running days and nights!

In addition to providing participants with training coaches and mentors, as well as easy to follow training schedules, LLS provided us with the emotional support that we needed to make it through the finish line. In return, each of us had a minimum obligation to raise $3,900 for blood cancer research, patients and their families. By holding various fundraisers like a Wine Party/Silent Auction at Tastes Wine Bar and Bistro, $5/day Jeans Week at work , Brunch at Buchi’s, and by securing a sponsorship for $5,000 from Compass Marketing, we all raised well over our minimum amounts for a collective total of over $22,000! Team in Training – first group long-run training session on September 13, 2008

Tony and Angie at Tastes Wine Bar Wine Party and Silent Auction – December 3, 2008 My friend Katie Bowe and I at Tastes Wine Bar Wine Party and Silent Auction
December 3, 2008

Brian and I got to Orlando, FL on January 8th, 2009 to prepare for our first marathon. From the moment we got off the plane until we left Orlando, our itinerary was jam-packed! Here’s what the week-long schedule looked like:
1/9 – Pasta and Inspiration Dinner at World Pavilion at Epcot
1/10 – Attend Marathon Expo at Disney’s Wide World of Sports
1/11 – Marathon Day
1/12 – Character Breakfast and Homemade Chinese Buffet at the Guzdar condo
1/13 – Epcot and World Showcase
1/14 – Universal Studios and Lobster Feast Dinner
1/15 – Magic Kingdom
1/16 – Islands of Adventure and Blue Man Group
1/17 – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
1/18 – Return to Denver

Brian and I at the Pasta and Inspiration Dinner on January 9, 2009

Angie was picked out of hundreds of submissions to be the keynote speaker at the Pasta and Inspiration Dinner. Tony surprised her by also giving a speech. While Angie’s speech was all about being strong and having Tony there to be her rock, Tony’s speech was about everything that Angie had to endure during her fight against cancer. He spoke about her amazing ability to overcome any challenge set before her, including climbing Mt. Elbert while still undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Angie’s speech made people laugh and Tony brought us all to tears!Angie and Tony at the Pasta and Inspiration Dinner on January 9, 2009. Tony had just surprised Angie and will also going to speak and share their story with all LLS Chapters from across the country

Angie's Speech:

"I would like to thank and congratulate all the participants for their outstanding fundraising efforts; you have persevered in your training and showed immense dedication with giving up many Saturday mornings and time during the week to be apart from your friends and family but now you can begin to visualize the start line.

Remember we are honoring our moms, dads, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas and friends who have been so unfortunate to have been affected by blood cancers.

We will be raising awareness this weekend by wearing our purple jerseys that will hopefully raise participation in Team in Training so we can find a cure!

I feel honored and fortunate to be up here in front of all you telling my story.

It all began 15 years ago in the fall of 1993 on a college program here at Disney World. During our first meeting with Disney staff, we were told “the people you would meet will become your lifelong friends”. We were only here for 5 months and didn’t think that was possible. Tony (my husband now) and I, along with 800 other college students lived in an apartment complex owned by Disney called Vista Way. I met Tony as he was sitting outside his apartment. He thought he was using a pickup line when he asked me “Do you run?” Apparently he was a leg man. Interesting how life turns out… I never thought the guy who asked me that question, I would later marry and decide to run a marathon together to celebrate life.

Our first bump in the road began January of 1998. I was experiencing difficulty breathing so I decided to see a doctor. I was diagnosed with Pleurisy, an inflammation in your lung membrane. To say a difficulty in breathing is an understatement. It felt as if a 300 pound person was sitting on my chest. In the summer Tony and I decided to move to Colorado from Florida. Breathing became more difficult, I thought it was possibly the altitude and I needed to get acclimated. December rolled around and we were visiting family in Seattle. The pain in my chest was unbearable. I went to a walk-in clinic, again diagnosed with pleurisy.

January 11, 1999 I woke up coughing and spit up a glob of blood in the sink. As I was trying to wash down the evidence Tony saw the blood and demanded we go to the Doctor. I fought it because we were supposed to go snowboarding that day. Tony took me to Denver General and there I had an x-ray. We knew we were in for more serious news when 4 other doctors came in to the room to talk about, what we thought was going to be bronchitis. The next words spoken from my doctor changed our outlook on life forever, “You have either a benign or a malignant tumor.” A year of being misdiagnosed and all I needed was an x-ray. Apparently the 14 centimeter tumor was pressing on my breathing tubes causing breathing difficulty. After many tests the doctor’s diagnosis was Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This was a very difficult time in our lives mainly because we recently moved to Colorado and didn’t know many people. . Tony was my backbone, strength, laughter and so much more. He was by my side every step of the way. Literally every step of the way…

I never let the cancer slow me down. During my chemotherapy and radiation therapy Tony and I took on the challenge of hiking the highest peak in Colorado, Mt. Elbert. As we hiked up the trail the last few hundred yards proved to be the most difficult. Tony helped by carrying my backpack and I would take 2 or 3 steps then stop and take deep breaths. Then I would take a couple more steps and repeated this process until we were finally at the top of the mountain. When we made it to the top of the 14,433 foot peak we were overwhelmed with joy and tears. It was the same joy I felt when my doctor told me 5 years after starting my treatment that I was cured and we could start a family. Within the next year we were blessed with a happy and healthy little boy. Aiden is now 3 years old.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has been a big part of my life since being diagnosed. I’ve been honored to be involved in a number of events to help raise money and awareness such as Light the Night, The Volvo Regatta and now TNT. You never know who would get involved…you just have to ask. We were at a concert and asked our friend Brian (as a joke) if he wanted to run a marathon and he said yes. Then he asked his girlfriend and with their help we raised another $10,000 for the L&L Society.

In August I received a flyer from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We originally thought about doing a ½ marathon but then I saw the full marathon was on January 11th.
This Sunday on race day will be the exact day I will be ten years in remission. Life to us is a celebration and that is why this year on my 10 year anniversary and our 15 year anniversary of when we met we have decided to run the Disney marathon.

So again, congratulations – we are part of an elite group of people! We now are prepared for an amazing race, just remember on race day – STOP, take a deep breath and look around – take in the amazing number of TNT participants just like yourself – we have all come together for one cause and you all have made a huge difference to so many people. Lets spread our TNT spirit onto our fellow TNT’ers – as we’re running give out a few “GO TEAM” shout outs it helps so much to hear those words!

My mantra in life has always been: Mind over Matter; if you don’t mind, it don’t matter. "

Angie made this sign for the parents to hold...Go Team STAB! (Shea, Tony, Angie, Brian) We are heading back to our hotel, Coronado Springs from the Walt Disney World Marathon EXPO at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex These pictures were taken the morning of the marathon. We had to get up at 2am to begin preparing for the big race. We got dressed, ate breakfast and met up with each other for some pre-race picture taking and ego-pumping. From here, we headed to the hotel lobby to meet up with our fellow marathon runners.
Angie’s legs say “10 Years Cancer Free”!

It’s 3:15am and our entire team is hanging out in the hotel lobby, waiting for the buses to arrive and take us to the start line at Epcot. Some of the people ran in the 1/2 marathon the day before and were getting up to give us support from the sidelines. It was amazing that we were all so awake considering most of us probably didn’t sleep much that night. I guess game-day nerves and anticipation can take you a long way (26.2 miles to be exact)! Here’s Brian displaying his Goofy side right before the fireworks went off, pre-start.
A picture of the start line. It took about 10 minutes to get thru that banner from the time the gun went off to the time we walked under it. The nerves were on-end!

Here we are coming up on mile 7, heading into the Magic Kingdom. You’ll notice that Brian isn’t in any of these pictures. He was in “the zone” at this point and totally ran by Tony and Angie’s parents. I wasn’t too far in front of Tony and Angie so I managed to stop and take a quick picture, then I continued running, trying to catch up to Brian as fast as I could. Tony and Angie stopped and said hi and gave out hugs and kisses to their son Aiden.

We finally reach the Magic Kingdom! We stopped here to take pictures with Cinderella’s Castle in the backdrop. This was a really exciting part of the race, as Main Street was filled with lots of spectators and fans cheering us on. There were quite a few opportunities to stop and get your picture taken with a Disney character here. Some of the characters I saw were Frontier Mickey, Frontier Donald and Frontier Goofy as well as Captain Jack Sparrow and some other swashbucklers. We did not stop to get pictures here other than the Castle...the lines were just too long!

Here we all are at the half-way point, Mile 13, and we’re just outside Magic Kingdom and right next to the Grand Floridian Resort. We still have smiles on our faces and we’re feeling pretty good, though we know we still have a long way to go! We met up with our LLS team coordinators, Cathie and Anisa, at this rest stop and they made sure we were doing okay and didn’t need anything, like water or Tylenol. They also kindly took these pictures of us. Brian and I changed into fresh socks (a lifesaver for me!) while Tony and Angie kept running towards the goal.
Mile 14 was just up ahead and it proved to be a very valuable milestone for us as we were given bananas to eat at that stop. Considering we had been running for 3 hours or so and all we had in us were gels and goos, the bananas were very appreciated. They would help to sustain us for another 3 hours of running. We are heading towards Disney’s Animal Kingdom and some of the toughest miles of the day!

We finally found some characters that we wanted to take pictures with and the line wasn’t long—SCORE! Launchpad McQuack and Scrooge McDuck are two of our favorite childhood characters from the cartoon DuckTales. It was a very exciting moment, as you can tell by Brian’s face! We are just about to enter Animal Kingdom and we are somewhere around mile 16.
Tony and Angie decided to briefly stop in Animal Kingdom and get a shot with the very scenic backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The run through Animal Kingdom was tougher than expected and was definitely the most difficult park to run through. The path was made of stones and winds around all of the attractions with lots of up and down sections. I was ready to get out of there!

We finally made it out of Animal Kingdom and pressed on towards Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The miles between those two parks seemed to go on forever! Once we hit mile 17, the running got a lot more difficult. We were running on a highway with hot asphalt blasting the days heat into our feet, bodies and faces. It was now around 10:30am and the temperature was around 70+ degrees—way hotter than what we were used to training in. Angie and Brian were both powering through this section while Tony and I were having a harder time. Our feet were our weakness and I managed to develop a blister around mile 19. Luckily for me, a random guy running next to me had one last band-aid that saved my heel until I could get to the next aid station at mile 20.

Brian, Tony, Angie and I regrouped before we entered Hollywood Studios. We walked and ran for the next 5 miles, stopping for pictures and taking turns on who was the leader of the pack. The most brutal part of this park was the hamburger smell being pumped from the eateries into the streets—we were starving and tired!

After a minutes worth of rest at mile marker 25, we decided collectively to finish the marathon as runners. So, after pumping each other up mentally and with our last burst of energy, we ran the last 1.2 miles to the finish line. It was the fastest mile we ran that day, with a pace of 10 minutes and 30 seconds. However, it was also the LONGEST mile of the day. As we wound through the boardwalk and back into Epcot, there were lots of people, friends, family, strangers, all cheering us on. It was quite a sight to see and was incredible to experience! Victory was just steps away! Once we saw the Finish line, our legs never moved faster. All four of us joined hands and crossed the finish line together, as a team. We started this journey together and it was more amazing than I ever imagined it would be!

My marathon experience was better than I could’ve ever imagined it to be. It was not only an extremely physical challenge, but it also tested my mental endurance. While training, there were times when I thought to myself, “I can’t do this” or “I don’t know how I’m going to make it”. But when it came to race day I never once had any of those thoughts. With the help of my 3 teammates and numerous LLS coaches, mentors, staff members and supporters, I made it through the finish line with a smile on my face. I proved to myself that I can do anything!

Here are our finisher’s pictures as well as a map of the route we ran.

Random Survey #1

Are you dating the person you text most?
Yes...and I'm now living with him too so we don't text each other as much


What were you doing at 12 o'clock last night?
Dreaming of being well


Do you talk to yourself?
Yep, it's very therapeutic and helps me work through things


Do you drink milk straight from the carton?
If nobody's around to see me do it


Who knows a dark secret or two about you?
A few people but I don't really have "dark" secrets


How long is your hair?
It's to my shoulder blades and I now have bangs


Do you swear at your parents?
I swear at my mom in conversation


What are you wearing?
Comfy jeans, a black long sleeved shirt underneath a blue Smith t-shirt, tennis shoes


Is your birthday on a holiday?
Only if you consider Election Day a holiday and only when it falls on that specific Tuesday...but my half birthday is Cinco de Mayo!


What instant messaging service do you use?
Don't really use them...but I message on Facebook every now and then and am signed up on both Yahoo and MSN IM's.


Last thing you cooked?
Leftover lasagna in the microwave


Did you have a nap today?
I wish I could take a nap today...sounds heavenly!


Who's house did you go to last?
I stayed at home last night


Do you swear a lot?
Depends on who I'm talking to and what I'm talking about


Where did you get the shirt you're wearing?
I got it free from my Smith vendor to wear during Sniagrab instead of the ugly shirts they try to make us wear


Have any regrets?
Sure


Do you use an alarm clock?
5 days a week


Do you ever snort when you laugh?
I don't recall ever snorting but I think it's hilarious when others do!


What’s the first thing you notice on the preferred sex?
Eyes - the door to the soul


Who/What would you like to see/do right now?
I'd like to be snuggling in bed with Brian, reading my book and drinking something warm


Are you a social or antisocial person?
I'm very social


What radio station(s) do you listen to?
Depends on what song is playing but I listen to 107.5 the most


Are you spoiled?
Not by my family but Brian spoils me :)


Are you afraid of the dark?
Sometimes...especially if I'm alone and outside


Do you miss someone today?
This question made me miss my Grandma Floss


Last person who told you your problems were going to be okay?
Everybody at work tells me that I'm going to do great in the marathon


Are you afraid of falling in love?
Not afraid of falling in love, afraid of falling out


Name something you are doing tomorrow?
Going to Flogging Molly for New Year's Eve celebration with my best of friends


Ever given your all to someone who walked away?
Nope


Is there anyone you trust who you shouldn't?
I don't think so...if I shouldn't trust them then why would I trust them?


Is there someone you can't stop thinking about?
I think about Brian a lot during the day...wonder what he's up to right now


How did you and your number one on myspace become friends?
We met on a double date, we were both with the other people


Do you think the legal drinking age should be changed?
If you can vote for the President, you should be able to drink legally...if you can smoke cigs and give yourself lung cancer, you should be able to give yourself liver cancer as well


Are you a jealous person?
Depends on the situation...but I try not to be


Where have you lived throughout your life?
South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado


Is there something you want to tell someone?
I love you Brian. Thank you for being so supporting and taking care of me while I've been sick. I'm sorry I've been bitchy!


Is there someone you will never forget?
Yes, all of my loved ones who have gone to the other side


Where were you last night?
Home with Brian and Kona


Have you ever crawled through a window?
Yes...I've snuck in windows and I've been locked out and had to break in them


Who is someone you wish you could fix things with?
Nobody really...if I could fix things I would be trying to already


Do you know anyone named Matt?
Lots of Matt's...Matt Duran, Matt Schufelt, Matt Fox...just to start


Last beverage you consumed?
Coffee with Chai flavored creamer


Who was the last person you took a picture with?
Brian, at the Broncos vs. Bills game


Is there anything stressing you out currently?
Yes, I'm sick with a cold and I have to run my first marathon in 12 days


Do you remember what you were like a year ago?
Yes, I have definitely continued to grow more mature and figure out what I want with my life a little more


Who did you last eat with?
Brian made us Butternut Squash soup and mashed potatoes with brocolli and cheese last night for dinner


Last thing you watched on youtube?
Something stupid that Brian pulled up I'm sure...lol


What were you doing at 10pm Friday night?
Can't recall...sleeping maybe?

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Most of the things I've done this year...

Here's a list of most of the things I've done this year...I've excluded a lot of bbq's, housewarming and birthday parties.

12/31 - 1/1/08: New Year's Eve at Jon & Monica's with Brian
1/18: Xavier Rudd concert with Brian, Eric, Amy and Tara at the Boulder Theatre, Boulder, CO
2/14: Valentine's Day Mexican Theme Date - Dinner at Cherokee on 12th, Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Fillmore
2/21-2/25: Jamaica Trip with Brian
3/31: Chris Daughtry and Bon Jovi with Brian, Anish and Steph at the Pepsi Center
4/19-4/27: Caribbean Cruise with Leigh, Katie, Melissa, Crystal and Becky - Tampa Bay, Grand Cayman, Tulum via Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, Belize, Honduras
4/27: Kanye West concert with Brian and Stephanie at the Pepsi Center
4/28: Brian's birthday dinner at Texas de Brazil with Danielle, Chris, Korkie, Deirdra and Anish
5/9: J. Medicine Hat Hypnotist Show at the Improv with Danielle, Chris, Monica and Anish
5/16: Red Rocks and Colorado Rockie's game with Brian's cousins, Tiffany, Chad and their friend Angela; Andrew's for drinks with T, C & A as well as Megan, Katelyn and Korkie
5/17: Rocky Mountain National Park with T, C & A; Dinner at Sushi Den
5/30: I got my wisdom teeth pulled :(
6/8: Cake concert with Kate, Brad and Claire at the Denver Botanical Gardens
6/12-6/15: South Dakota trip with Brian
6/12: Spearfish Canyon; Roughlock Falls; Devil's Tower; Deadwood; Custer
6/13: Climbed Harney Peak; Casino Crawl with Jen and Dallas
6/14: Climbed Boulder Hill; Andrea & Robbie's wedding; stayed at the Hotel Alex Johnson
6/20: Film on the Rocks at Red Rocks with Brian, Anish, Monica and Jon - Fight Club
6/21: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss with Brian at Red Rocks
6/26-6/28: Anish's Going Away to NYU weekend
6/28: Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand, CO and Cascade Falls with Anish, Monica and Brian
6/29: Volleyball of the Rockies Spring Volleyball Tournament
7/3-7/6: Steamboat Springs Trip with Heather, Cat, Alisha and Laura
7/4: Steamboat Springs Rodeo with Brian and Cat
7/5: Fishhead Falls hike with all
7/6: Brunch at Hazie's
7/7-7/9: Sheila Van Keuren's visit to Denver
7/10: Water World with Brian
7/11-7/13: Camping at Camp Carcus with Brian and Kona
7/20: Mile High Music Festival with Brian - met up with Rosie, Rylan, Eric, Amy, Tony, Ang, Danielle and Kay - got to see Rodrigo y Gabriela, John Mayer and Dave Matthews Band
7/22: The Police at Red Rocks with Brian
7/25-7/27: Tubing Trip, Niobrara River, Nebraska with Brian, Jamie, Patrick, Korkie, Dierdra, Nick, Rachel, Katie and Gene
8/9: Nick and Rachel's wedding at the Butterfly Pavillion
8/17: Jack Johnson at Red Rocks with Brian, Katie, Gene, Tony, Ang and Melissa
8/22-8/24: Great Sand Dunes camping trip with Brian and Kona
8/28: Democratic National Convention - Barack Obama speech at Invesco Stadium at Mile High
8/31: Taste of Colorado with Brian
9/6-9/7: Rollinsville Pass camping trip with Brian and Kona
9/8: Foo Fighters at Red Rocks with Brian and Megan
9/14: Volleyball of the Rockies Summer Volleyball Tournament - placed 3rd in our division out of 50 teams
9/16: Dinner at Kevin Taylors; Avenue Q at Ellie Caulkins Opera House
9/19-9/21: Arches National Park trip with Brian
9/26: Xavier Rudd at the Fillmore with Brian, Monica and Emily Rein
9/28: Fans on the Field 10K Race through Invesco Stadium at Mile High, Coors Field and the Pepsi Center
10/5: Denver Race for the Cure 5K
10/10: Great American Beer Festival at the Denver Convention Center with Brian, Katie, Gene, Korkie & Dierdra
10/17: White Trash Birthday Party at the Falcon - Danielle's birthday with all of Brian's friends
10/18: Field of Corpses Haunted House with Stephanie, Brian, Joaquin, Kristie and others
10/25: LLS Colfax Pub Crawl with Brian, Monica and her friend Tanya
10/31: Halloween! Went to Jake's 3rd Anniversary Halloween Party with Brian and hung out with all the friends - dressed as a cat and a scarecrow
11/1: DeVotchKa at the Boulder Theatre with all of Brian's friends
11/4: Korkie's birthday party - celebrated with Nick & Rachel, Korkie & Deirdra, Jamie & Patrick, Karen, Brian - we ate homemade fondue, it was delicious!
11/5: My birthday dinner at Sushi Den, just me and Brian
11/7: Birthday Happy Hour at Smugs and Nuggets v. Mavericks game at the Pepsi Center
11/10: Dinner at Texas de Brazil with Matt and Megan
11/11: Madonna Concert at the Pepsi Center - Korkie and Deirdra joined me and Brian
11/14: Date Night - went to Brian's house where he had a great sushi dinner waiting for me, then we went to the opera, Madame Butterfly
11/26-11/30: Thanksgiving Holiday - heading to South Dakota to see the family
12/3: LLS Wine Party and Silent Auction at Tastes Wine Bar and Bistro
12/4: Ashlee's 21st Birthday! Brian and I, along with friends Josh, Korkie and Deirdra, took her to Izukaya Den. It was fun!
12/8-12/12: Vacation! Brian and I spent the first part of our vacation moving into our new apartment together. We also hung out with Josh since he was here from Canada. On 12/10, Brian and I headed to Estes Park, where we rented a fabulous condo at Mary's Lake Lodge. It was very nice, with 2 fireplaces and a hot tub on the deck. While there, Brian surprised me with a spa day. I was treated to an hour long massage as well as a facial and a pedicure. He's a very romantic and thoughtful man and I've been so fortunate to have him in my life this year!
12/20: Matt and Danielle's Ugly Xmas Sweater Parties - lots of drinking and fun was had by all!
12/21: Broncos vs. Bills Football Game - it was so cold!!
12/24: David and Marianne's Xmas Eve Orphan Party
12/25: Xmas with Brian and Kona
12/31: New Year's Eve - Flogging Molly at the Fillmore with all of our friends. A great way to end a more than awesome year!

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Walt Disney World Marathon

I have decided to run a marathon! I know, it's crazy and I am not a runner, but it's to benefit a very good cause - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The marathon I am participating in is in Orlando, FL on January 11th and we will be running through Walt Disney World. I will be running the full 26.2 miles with my boyfriend, Brian, and his two friends, Tony and Angela. Angela is a Leukemia survivor and is my inspiration for taking on this endeavor. Training for the marathon starts this week and I'm looking forward to seeing how well I can do. With only 18 weeks of preparation, this is by far one of the hardest things I will ever do - but in thinking of those that have to live with cancer and everything that they have to go through while fighting the disease - this is nothing!!

In addition to running the marathon, I need to collect donations that will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and will help them find cures for all types of blood cancers. My goal is to collect $5000 by January 5th. If you would like to donate anything to this cause (doesn't matter how much or how little as everything helps), please get in touch with me and I'll give you more info on how you can help out. I will soon have a website up that you can visit directly to make your donation.

Thanks in advance and any notes of encouragement are highly anticipated and gratefully accepted!

Sincerely,
Shea

Independence Day

My 4th of July weekend was great! Brian and I got to Steamboat on Thursday afternoon and bbq’d and hung out in the condo we were staying in with Laura, Alisha, Heather and Cat. (Which was awesome and hopefully we’ll be invited back this winter!!) Friday we went into Steamboat and checked out some alpine ski jumping which was neat to see in the heat of summer. They jump onto fake grass that they wet down so it makes for crazy wipeouts. We did a little drinking, shopping, eating…then off to the rodeo that night! That was a lot of fun and followed by fireworks so I was happy! Saturday we went to Fish Head Falls and took a short hike…meandered a little more around town and then headed back to the condo for roast beef dinner (so yummy!) Sunday, Brian treated all of us ladies to brunch…we took the gondola up the mountain where there was a nice place to eat called Hazie’s. Too bad it was rainy that morning – we didn’t get very good views but it was still a nice time! Packed up the truck and started heading back to Denver…but I got a nice surprise on the way. Since we were busy the other days, we put off going to the alpine slide until Sunday. Well, it was raining, so I thought for sure we weren’t going to be able to go. Right after brunch, the skies cleared up and the sun started shining…the chair lift wasn’t working but Brian took us there anyway. Sure enough, it was 1:45 when we got there…they didn’t start running until 2pm. So, we were the 3rd people in line for it – perfect timing! I got to ride the slide!! YEAH!

Caribbean Cruise

As for the cruise I just got back from…I used my Wheel of Fortune money to go. I work with this girl Katie, whose family was going and she invited me to go with. She also had 5 other girlfriends join us. It was a blast! It was a 7 Day Western Caribbean cruise. We started in Tampa, went to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize and Honduras. In Grand Cayman we just hung out on the beach and tried to snorkel, but the snorkeling sucked (nothing to see!). We visited this place called Hell, so I can now say I’ve been to Hell and back, lol. I also ate conch fritters which were awesome! In Cozumel, we took a ferry to mainland Mexico and hopped on bus to the ruins of Tulum. They were amazing…they were right along the beach so we got to swim in the ocean with an amazing backdrop! In Belize, my friend Leigh and Katie and I took a bus to the rainforest and did a Canopy Tour (aka zip lines!) That was a lot of fun and I wish we could’ve spent more time there! We didn’t get to see much of Belize City because the excursion out to the rainforest took quite awhile. I only had about 20 minutes to shop once we got off the bus L By far, my most favorite place was Honduras! We didn’t plan any excursions there…we took a taxi to this place called Half Moon Bay. It had the most amazing coral reef. There were tons of fish, fan coral, brain coral. I got to see a pretty good sized Starfish and I’m pretty sure I saw a Moray eel but didn’t stick around long enough to really make sure (eels freak me out!) We only got to spend 4 hours there and then it was time to get back on the boat and head back to Tampa. All-in-all it was a great trip! Though I do have to admit that spending 8 days with 5 other Type A Females was a bit challenging at times…we made it through with no injuries and nobody was pushed overboard so I’d say we did good! LOL…

So, I’ve been dating this guy named Brian since October and I have to tell you…I’m totally in love. We went to Jamaica together back in February and that was pretty much my falling point. You can read the details in my blog. His birthday was yesterday so when I got back on Sunday, I surprised him. He didn’t think I’d be back until 8:30 and I actually got back at 2:30 (cleaned up and surprised him around 5.) We went to dinner last night with some of his friends and they were discussing job situations, etc. He works for Lehman Brothers and thinks he may get laid off some time this year due to the mortgage/banking crisis going on right now. He has an opportunity to do contract work in San Antonio…when his friend asked him about what’s keeping him here, he flat out told her that it was me…made my stomach have butterflies!! He also LOVES my dog and said she’s keeping him here too, which as you know, is like my child, so that was very endearing to me! Everything feels really good with this guy and though I hate to say it, this could be it for me! J But I’m a hopeless romantic!

How I Met My New Love

My first night as a single girl I went out with my friend Katie to Gov’s Park. She introduced me to some of her friends and one of them was this guy named Korkie. He was flirting with me pretty heavily but I thought he was a jerk and told him so. He had a buddy with him, Brian, and while I thought he was cute, I really didn’t think much of it. We all ended up going to another bar and partying together all night – lots of innocent, drunken fun. The next Monday, Korkie contacted Katie and was trying to get my number. She wouldn’t give it to him so he went thru a co-worker/friend, Schmaltz, instead and eventually got my email address. He ended up asking me to go with him as his “date” on a double date with his buddy Brian and the girl Brian was dating. I finally agreed to go and I’m glad I did as it was one of the best dates I had ever been on. We went to Rioja in LoDo…I ended up sitting next to Brian and we sat across the table from our dates. I thought that was really weird but in hindsight I’m really glad it happened as we got to know each other better that way. From there we went to a Cirque du Soleil show called Corteo. After that it was on to more drinking in various bars around downtown. At the end of the night we were all still partying and didn’t know what else to do so we ended up back at Korkie’s place, in his hot tub. None of us had suits, so use your imagination on what happened…well the gf ended up getting jealous because she thought Brian was checking me out, blahblahblah. Korkie told me all of this later on…(and things obviously didn’t go anywhere between me and him). Then some time around September, Korkie and Brian had a party that me and Katie were invited to. This was after I went on Wheel of Fortune and Brian had starting asking me questions about it. I invited him to my WoF party and we exchanged numbers that night. He was still dating the other girl so I wasn’t aggressive, though we emailed back and forth via myspace for a couple weeks. Then came my party…he showed up and I was really happy to see him (though I had 3 other boytoys at that party!!) About a week later Katie, Kahlan and I went to Beerfest and ended up separating from each other by the end of the night. I headed back towards the Convention Center to catch the lightrail…and then I got a text message from him. All it said was “Wheel of Fortune”…I texted him back that he was cute…he asked me what I was doing…I told him I was waiting for my train…he asked if I was with friends or alone…I was alone so he came and picked me up. We went back to his place and made out, then I had to leave around 3am to pick up my sister at Union Station and head home as my mom, niece and other sister were staying with me that weekend. So that’s pretty much what started it…and by the way, he and the other chick had broken it off weeks before any of this happened so I was cleared for take off, lol!!

Jamaica!

This is from an email I sent to my friend Jen...it was easier to copy and paste than to re-type the whole thing...

"So Brian and I went to Jamaica February 21st-25th. It was something that we decided to do some time around the last week of January. I was itching to get to a beach really bad and I decided, why not just go?! It was awesome! We flew to Montego Bay and stayed in an all-inclusive resort called Sunset Beach Resort and Spa. Jamaica was beautiful and the people were really laid back and cool. It felt a lot like being in Vegas in that there were no clocks anywhere!! (though it’s actually the complete opposite of Vegas!) I pretty much fell in love while there…if you were still here you would hate me like everyone else – they’re all sick of hearing about it, lol! Anyway, I’m sure that answers your still going strong question. Our room was oceanfront so the only thing between us and the water was the beach (and the sand volleyball court and lounge chairs, but you block them out and all you can see is the beauty of the Caribbean Sea!) The first night and the next day we just lounged around at our hotel and tried to get our other days figured out. It was great just being able to sit on a chair and drink pina coladas from 10am til you passed out! The Saturday that we were there we took a morning snorkeling and scuba trip. Our bus driver took us to this resort called Round Hill (very posh, where the celebs stay, where Stella Got Her Groove Back and Cool Runnings were filmed, etc), where our own private boat and dive master (Monster) and captain (Bully) were waiting for us. Brian went scubadiving and I snorkeled above him so I could see what was happening with the fishies. I was snorkeling against the waves with no life jacket on so I was putting out way more energy than I thought I was…my legs were wobbly when I climbed on the boat. I ended up pushing myself way too hard and got sick. Not cool but Brian said he still liked me and hugged me – that made me feel better (as well as letting go of the cookies – it was a must apparently). I was fine for the rest of the trip and all-in-all it didn’t ruin what a fun time I had! That afternoon Brian gave me my Valentine’s Day gift…not a ring thank goodness - too soon for that! We had a couples massage at the spa. It was fantastic, as most massages are, but it was also very relaxing and romantic…though we spoke very little and had to take a nap in our room when it was all said and done. The nights all ended the same way…drinks and imaginations :) The next day we took a day trip to Negril, where they have white sand beaches and lots of "tiki" huts to choose from. This is more of the tourist spot than Montego Bay and in a few weeks will be bumping with spring breakers for sure! I loved Negril! Other than the fact our hotel kept trying to get us to go to Margaritaville and you had to walk thru it to get to the beach, it was great! Brian and I walked the beach until we were too thirsty to walk any more. We ran into this guy and he was trying to get us on his boat…since we wouldn’t go he decided to steer us towards his favorite bar where you can get $2 Red Stripes instead of $5 ones you get in Margaritaville. We took the bait and after a $2 tip to the guy (who is “very sneaky” and quietly disappeared from sight after getting his money), we were pleasantly surprised to find out that the beers really were $2 and that the place we found was perfect for us! It was this “cool” little bar called Sun Beach and the bartender took great care of us! His name was Dennis the Menace, lol…he gave us his number so we can get in touch the next time we go back…and I will go back! I had the best shrimp and lobster dish there, it was melt in your mouth delicious and was deemed “best meal of the trip” by both of us. We hung out at that bar all day until they made us get back on the bus! From there the bus headed to a little shopping center where we stood on the corner with some crazy Jamaicans and drank a couple of semi-warm Red Stripes and bs’d with them (until they figured out that the beers were all we were buying and then ditched, lol!) Businessmen, you know how it goes, but I did tease them a little about it…told them “I see how you are!” They ended up coming back and talking to me after all the tourists denied them…they told me they liked me and showed me a special handshake even, lol! Then we were off to watch the sunset at this place called Rick’s Café. It was beautiful! By this time I was pretty drunk off of Red Stripes and Rum Punch so I passed out on the bus on the way back to the hotel. We had to leave the next day so the next morning was spent on the beach relaxing. The closer we got to the US the more tension I could feel returning to my body and the more intolerant of people I became. I want to be back in Jamaica so bad!!!"

Pictures: http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f380/sheacolin/?action=view¤t=2e8354df.pbw

It's almost March! Where did the time fly to??

Okay, updates...not doing as well with drinking a Nalgene of water per day. Depends on the day - some days require more caffeine to make it through than others!

The FG and I decided to go to Jamaica. We booked our trip from February 21st-25th. Since it is now the 28th, we have obviously gone and come back by now. See next post for all the details on the trip.

Valentine's Day - was amazing! I made a deal with FG that he would plan our date night the Friday before and I would take care of V-Day plans. I thought it would alleviate the pressure from him and then I would have nothing to complain about since it was all on me. For his date night we ended up winging it and went to a play called "Our House". It was a good play and since this was my first date ever going to a play, I found it to be really interesting and a fresh idea. We ended the night with beers and belly laughs.

So for V-Day I decided to go with a a theme...MEXICAN NIGHT! And here's why: I had asked FG to go to a concert with me right before Xmas, although I wasn't sure he was going to agree because it was a ways away and on Valentine's Day. The band we went to see are Rodrigo y Gabriela - they are a brother/sister duo and play guitar amazingly! It helped that he likes them and immediately agreed...even before he realized when the date was. :) Bonus for me as I was going to have a hot date for a hot show! So then I was shopping one day for a V-Day card for him and happened to come upon one with Snoopy wearing a sombrero on the front and when you open it, it read "Muchas Smooches". I thought it was cute and bought it...that's how the Mexi-theme came into play. To continue the theme I bought him a sombrero and stuffed it full of Mexican candies and goodies, including a pinata and a prayer candle. I also made reservations at this place called 12th on Cherokee as they had Mexican entrees for us to choose from. When I showed up at his place, wearing a dress and holding a sombrero, he knew he was in for a treat! He guessed right away what I was doing and we sipped on Negra Modelo's before we headed to dinner. Dinner was fabulous and the show was even better than I had thought it was going to be! We ended the night at his place and he got an extra special treat...details not included ;)

Also happening in February...my sister Ashlee moved to Denver and has been living with me. So far, so good...though I wish she was a little neater and would help clean up a bit more. Other than hanging out with friends she has here, she's been trying to get a job. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as she interviewed at a vet clinic and is supposed to hear back on Monday about if she got it or not. She says it all went well! We'll work on her goals on an on-going basis...job first, car second, apartment third...

Okay, that's all for now as I don't recall anything else important and I want to write about Jamaica!! Those details will be posted soon...

January so far...

Well I have already had a pretty productive January! I am starting to look into taking my GMATs so that I can go to Grad school. I need to study desperately and bought a book to help me out with that...it's going to be difficult to buckle down and do it! I also need to pick a school which is another part of the battle...not sure if I want to go cheap and easy or if I want to apply to a decent school and pay more. Hmmm...too many choices! I am also working on being spontaneous...my FG and I are trying to plan a little getaway together for a date some time in the next 30 days. We are debating on Jamaica, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. I don't really care where we go as long as it's warm and there's a beach for me to lounge on! I'm just sick of this damn 15 degree weather - way too cold!! Speaking of the FG...he invited me to a really great concert a few weeks ago, Xavier Rudd. We drove up to Boulder last Friday to see him and had an amazing time. The music and atmosphere was awesome and I couldn't have asked for a better show! FG's friends are really cool and were awesome to me so it made the whole experience even more enjoyable. We also went to the National Western Stock Show the next night on a double date to the rodeo with his friends Jon&Mon. They are really fun to hang out with and we all had a good time watching the mutton bustin'. FG shaved his beard into a sweet cowboy mustache for the event and unbelievably, I'm kind of attached to it. I think he looks cute with it but I really can't explain why I like it...I know the next time I see him it will be gone :( I also joined a bowling league on Monday nights with a bunch of my friends. Right now my average is bad but I bowled a 154 last night so I think there's hope for me! The season lasts until the end of April so there's lots of practice time left. On top of bowling, I am also starting another volleyball league, though it's only with work people so it's not going to be very competitive. It should be a lot of fun though...I always enjoy talking smack to people I work with! What else?...My sister Ashlee is supposed to be moving here by the end of the month so we'll start working on her goals as soon as she gets her butt here. I hope she's ready to start her life in the "real world"...I'm a little worried that she wants to stay on "summer vacation" and I'm going to have to break out the mean older sister. I have faith in her though so I think we'll do alright. I also started taking Kona to doggie daycare in the hopes that the whining will subside. So far it is working and I've been taking her a couple times a week. It's good exercise for her at the very least!

I guess that's it for now...more updates to come soon!

New Years 2008

I had a really great New Years 2008! It was weird how it all turned out though...I thought I was going to end up on my couch alone for NYE, when out of the blue, my FG decided he did want to "ring in the new year" together. I had been keeping my schedule pretty open and undecided for him...I really like him and wanted to get to know more about him. Holidays definitely bring out the undiscovered side of people! We ended up going with his friends, Anish and Monica, to Jon and Monica's (a different one obviously), where they were having a nice little get together. It consisted of lots of shots, beers and Wii! I had never played it before...after one boxing match and a game of tennis I was tired...and my muscles were sore for 3 days! It was a lot of fun though! One thing I really liked about it was right before midnight...Jon asked everyone to name one thing good that happened to them in 2007. My FG was one of my good things...and that little bit of money I won, which I STILL HAVE NOT COLLECTED!! LOL...

Anyway, I hope that this new year brings me great excitement and joy, great love and lots of adventure...and I hope that I accomplish every goal I set for myself...

So far, so good...I added drinking a Nalgene of water before I leave work every day and so far I've made it 6 days in a row! YEAH!!!

2008 Goals

I'm supposed to wait and write these with my FG but I don't want to forget so I'm going to put these ones down in writing now...

1. Take golf lessons
2. Go white-water rafting
3. Have a better relationship with dad and his kids
4. Start tutoring and/or mentoring teenagers
5. Finalize MBA program details
6. Pay off loans and credit cards, student loans excluded
7. Get Kona to stop whining
8. Get a job promotion
9. Go to New Mexico for the hot air balloon festival
10. Help Ashlee figure her life out...school, job, car, apartment

Christmas Vacation So Far...

Well so far I'm not that happy with my trip to SoDak. Family is crazy! But, I'm having a good time hanging out with my sisters and niece Joey, as I knew I would! My friends Jen and Dallas are being just as they usually are - awesome and very understanding of the craziness. My younger sister Ashlee may be coming back to Denver with me for awhile. I need to help her get her shit together so that she can do something with herself instead of turning in to a stripper in RC, SD. I'm a little bit torn about it but only for selfish reasons - I like having my own space! We'll figure it out though...
I have to go to my grandparents house tonight...not too excited about that. My dad's going to be there and I have to figure out how to deal with my crazy grandma...there's a theme going on here that I just figured out and I think it's the main reason I don't come back often...CRAZY!! Thankfully I just have to deal with today and a little bit of tomorrow then I'm homeward bound! I was originally thinking of staying until late tomorrow afternoon but I'm thinking I'm going to leave around 2 or 3 now...I'm ready for the sanctuary of home!

Christmas

Well, tomorrow morning I am headed to South Dakota to spend the holidays with my family. I cannot wait to see my niece Joey and hold her in my arms, hopefully I will get to hear her laugh too! I haven't seen her since October and I'm sure she is getting pretty big by now! I will be staying with my best friends Jen and Dallas at their place in RC. My mom lives in Custer now so I'll be commuting up there on Christmas Day and spending as much time as possible with my sisters and my mom's fiance Rich. I will be spending Christmas Eve with my Shedeed family. I got talked into that by my Grandma Donna. She told me that my uncle Troy and aunt Jennie will be in town that night. She's also going to try to get my dad there...that should be interesting...details to come! I'm definitely going to need to drink!

While I'm in town I will also get to go to the Lakota Nation Invitational. I'm pretty excited about that! I haven't been to the basketball tourney since I lived in SD and it will be great to see some good ball being played. I also have about a 90% chance of running into some of my other family members so I'm excited about that too!

Tomorrow night I'm supposed to be hanging out with all of my good high school friends. I left them in charge of the details so I'm not exactly sure what to expect, but I know we'll have fun regardless!

An update on how Christmas actually went will be given on Wednesday of next week...stay tuned and have a Merry Christmas!

Dang it...that made me remember New Year's Eve...so far, no plans...hopefully something will come up in the next week...or I'll just have to sit at home and nurse the bottle of Grey Goose that my AWESOME boss Lance gave me for Xmas...yummy!

2007 In Review...a Questionnaire

Where did you begin 2007?
In Rapid City, SD at Chance's Casino with my good friends Jeremy, Jen and Dallas

What was your status by Valentine's Day?
In a relationship but completely confused

Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Nope

Did you have to go to the hospital?
Yep, there's that normal thing that women do every year, I had a good case of walking pneumonia and subsequentially had to have a hernia repaired...not too great a year for the health!

Did you have any encounters with the police?
Yeah, unfortunately I have a lead foot and got two speeding tickets over the summer.

Where did you go on vacation?
I went to RC, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Las Vegas again, Vail and back to RC for Xmas

What did you purchase that was over $500?
My bed and it was a great investment

Did you know anybody who got married?
Of course, everybody I know is getting married! Angie and Mike, Michelle and Chris

Did you move anywhere?
Yep, I moved into my own place and it's awesome!

What sporting events did you attend?
Nuggets games, Avs games, Broncos game, Game 4 of the World Series

What concerts/shows did you go to?
These are the ones that I can remember...in order if I can...Christina Aguilera with Pussy Cat Dolls, George Strait with Taylor Swift and Ronnie Milsap, Rod Stewart, Gwen Stefani with Akon, Summer Jam featuring DJ UNK, Mims, Omarion, Rihanna, Bow Wow, Ice Cube, E-40 and Ludacris, Nelly Furtado, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Mark Chesnutt, Snoop Dogg with Lady Sovereign, Beyonce with Robin Thicke, Maroon 5, Coolio at a Nuggets game, Old Crow Medicine Show, Busta Rhymes with Chamillionaire and E-40, Snowdaze featuring Ludacris with The Roots...I think that's all of them for this year :-)

Describe your birthday:
I spent my birthday celebrating the Friday before with a lot of my friends. I shared my party with my girlfriend Kahlan and my good buddy Jimmy as their birthdays are the same week. We decided to do happy hour at The Hornet on Broadway. It was a good turn out, all of our really good friends were there including Jen and Chris, Steph, Charli, her sister-in-law Traci, Megan, Matt, Conrad, Brent, Brittany, Tori, Nathan, Katie...and also my Favorite Guy...it was one of our milestones I think. He was able to put up with me on my birthday which is really good considering my alter-ego Simone came out once we hit Monarck! Hahaha...that means that I got way too drunk and danced the night away. Had a great time and ended it just how it was supposed to end! In bed...

What has been your favorite moment(s)?
All of the concerts I've been to with all of my best friends, all of my vacations I've taken with all of my best friends and the first time I held my niece

Any new additions to your family?
Yep, my first niece and god-daughter Joey Lynn Black. Her mother is my sister Niki. She was born on September 12th

What was your best month?
Every month was good for me...I can't name a best month but the timeframe from July to now has been pretty good

Made new friends?
I made a lot of new friends! Some of them I don't even remember, but I know they were cool or else I wouldn't have made friends with them!!

Favorite Night out?
I had a great time when I went on my Cirque du Soleil date and I had the best time the other night at Ludacris!

Overall, how would you rate this year?
9...pretty damn good but not quite perfect

Other than home, where did you spend most of your time?
Most definitely work...coming in third would be a tie between the dog park and my car

Change your hairstyle?
Yep, I started curling it more...people seem to like it curly

Have any car accidents?
Yeah, there was a lot of snow and ice in Denver last Winter...had a few fender benders

How old did you turn this year?
27

Do you have a New Year's resolution?
To not let anything hold me back from doing what I want to do...and not fall over the side of the cruise boat on my trip in April

Do anything embarrassing?
Of course...but I choose not to remember those things and surely don't want to write them down here for future generations to read about

Buy anything new from eBay?
Yep, I bought the sweet 80s buttons that were on my vest off of eBay

Get married or divorced?
I did get out of a long-term relationship but it was amicable and we remain the best of friends

Get arrested?
Nope

Be honest - did you watch American Idol?
Nope, I haven't really watched a lot of television this year

Did you get sick this year?
Yes, refer to the question above about trip to hospital

Been snowboarding?
No but I did go skiing just this past weekend...snowboarding is a ways in the future for me!

Are you happy to see 2007 go?
I'm looking forward to 2008 but 2007 was definitely good to me!

Been naughty or nice?
I have been both depending on who you talk to...I prefer to be nice and naughty I guess ;)

Lovesick

I'm in definite twitterpation and am slightly lovesick right now...though not quite to the extent described below (from Urban Dictionary)

However, every little thing that comes together perfectly encourages this ridiculousnous!! But for whatever reason, things keep working out and I think I'm just going to have to let this happen...even if it means I hit the bottom and there's no cushion.

twitterpated:
An enjoyable disorder characterized by feelings of excitement, anticipation, high hopes, recent memories of interludes, giddiness, and physical overstimulation which occur simultaneously when experiencing a new love. These feelings take over without warning, usually at odd times (such as at a check-out line), with or without the partner present, and make it difficult to concentrate on anything but romance. They interfere with work and safe driving, but should be experienced at least once in every person's lifetime.

lovesick:
So deeply affected by love as to be unable to act normally. You awake every morning, thinking of your love, having dreamt of them all night, the pain of seperation searing your heart every time a site or smell brings back the memory of your last encounter. Daydreaming, drawing hearts in the sand, constantly thinking "I wish they were here so I could share this moment" even when pulling weeds or walking the dog. The consuming fire within the heart for even one more moment with ones love that defies rational thought, knowing full well, one moment would never be enough, yearning for eternity together.

Vail Snowdaze

I just had one of the best weekends ever! I just got back from Vail Snowdaze where I got to see Ludacris and The Roots perform. I had been planning this weekend for months and I couldn't have asked for it to have been any better! Everything just came together nicely...

On Friday afternoon, My Favorite Guy and I headed into the mountains where we had a fun-filled 48 hours. We started off in Frisco. We decided to rent a room as we were going skiing on Saturday morning at one of the nearby ski resorts - Arapahoe Basin, Keystone or Breckinridge. So that night we drank some vodka, listened to music and chilled in the room. We had to save our energy for skiing...or at least I did. So we got up the next morning and decided to head to Keystone. I was very nervous! (I hadn't been skiing in over 10 years and the last place I went was Deer Mtn.) So we got booted up and headed towards the lifts. I liked the lift. I especially liked that my boss made me take ski goggles! It was snowing and windy for most of the day and that would have been crappy on the eyes. It was an awesome morning of skiing! I ended up doing really well on the slopes. I think I only wrecked a total of 5 times and that included when I went down the moguls - which by the way were very scary and I can't believe I made it! I did have the goal of a hot FG waiting for me when I was done...and I got a hug so that helped! All-in-all I've decided I like skiing, it's very exhausting but very fun! Definitely headed back up the mountain soon!


So at about 1:30 we headed towards Vail. I had rented a room at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa for the night. It was probably the nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in! Everything was perfect...they gave you a robe to wear, the towels were big, the pillows were fluffy, the bed was soft, there were real glasses, a good radio...the list goes on and on. Anyway, so we get washed up and away we go to the concert. The line into the concert was ridiculous! However, once we got inside it had a very cool vibe.

It was held outdoor and it was snowing when the show started. It was actually pretty awesome being in ski gear at a concert - and one of the best decisions we made as we stayed warm all night! I can't say I've ever been to a concert where it snowed and was twenty degrees out. So, when Luda came out it had just stopped snowing. He was just as awesome as he was at SummerJam! I have to say, he is a great showman and I enjoy his concerts. He entertains!! Everybody was hyped and into the music, it was great!

Another plus was that FG passed the Luda test and got down with me. I didn't see him give me any weird looks so I think I passed his test too. After Luda, The Roots played...they were also very impressive! I do have to say that I liked their vibe better when I saw them at the Fillmore, but they are astonishing musicians to be able to play their instruments in the cold! We were pretty buzzed up when the show ended and needed some food, so we walked back towards Vail Village.



We took a pic by the Xmas tree and walked around a little bit looking at stuff and for a place to eat. We found out that the only place to get food after 10pm in the Village is Vendetta's. It's really good pizza so it was a good fix! We were pretty spent from the day so we headed back to the room where we proceeded to have the fluffiest sleep ever! :-) No really, the beds were so great!!

The Twitch

You know that twitch that happens when you're first falling asleep? The one that makes you feel like you're falling?

I have that twitch but I'm definitely falling.


I read an article once that talked about how people are afraid of 2 things from birth: falling and loud noises. It was really about intimacy with other people and I thought it was pretty interesting. I know a few people that should read it :-)

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/personal/10/12/o.overs.leap/index.html