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I am shocked that it has been nearly a year since my last rambling and somewhat appalled at myself for letting so much time pass without writing so much as a new paragraph. “Time Flies” is an understatement over the past 11 months. It has been a year of changes and new and amazing stories to share but somehow a lack of inspiration to write about them. I’m certainly not an award winning author with millions of dedicated readers but I do know that I have had requests from my very own small fan club to write something new, but have experienced some kind of writers block. It’s not that I haven’t thought about writing or even sat down and started a new entry, it’s just that after getting a few sentences in, it never “sounded” right, or something would inevitably come up that pulled my mind in another direction. Okay…enough about that…let’s get on with the show!

It seems as if so much has happened over the last year that I barely know where to even start. This blog entry could end up more like a mini novel! So first I’ll set the scene. It’s 8:00am on Sunday morning and I’m sitting in our living room across from our sliding glass doors and it’s snowing! Colorado experienced an unusually warm fall and this weekend is really the first snow of the season. We’re meeting up with friends later for a post Thanksgiving get together and since waking at around 6:00 my mind has been preoccupied, trying to decide whether or not to pull out our Christmas decorations and to start decorating a little for the holidays. Back at home my family has always had a little ongoing tradition of trying to put up the tree the weekend following Thanksgiving. We’ll see how motivated I am throughout the rest of the day.

Maybe instead of our year in review, I’ll start from our most currant experiences and work my way backwards. Seems like the last few months have been much more exciting than last winter, so I’m going to try to be orderly and not skip around, but I’m not going to make any promises. My mind tends to wander, more accurately it skips around, so bare with me!

Thanksgiving this year was spent with Joe and Holly. Joe moved out last June and to make a really looooong story short, now lives in Utah. Holly took a job in Arizona so for Thanksgiving everybody met in Colorado. The morning was spent up at Loveland, snowboarding on the few trails that are open and the rest of the afternoon cooking and preparing dinner. Mike and I hosted our very first Thanksgiving dinner! It was really nice to have a small group for practice. Friday night it started snowing and Saturday we woke up to about 4 inches and Loveland’s snow report claimed 14! We scrambled to get into our snow clothes and our boards thrown into the truck and we were out to ride our very first powder day of the season! YAY!! Yes, it was awesome!

Moving backwards…Mike plays on a flag football team with friends of ours on Sunday nights. He played in a fall outdoor league also. It has been a lot of fun to watch him and the team play. Go THUNDER!! We have a pretty fun group of friends we hang out with regularly and over the summer between the two of us, we played on three softball teams as well. The fall for me was incredibly busy this year. Working in admissions at a college, the fall is dedicated to high school students, college fairs, and tours. Needless to say I don’t have a lot of time outside of work on weeknights due to nighttime fairs and events. I’m glad the fall has passed and things have slowed.

Mike and I moved from our duplex in Golden to an apartment in Littleton this past June. I’m only about five minutes away from work now. I no longer have a commute which has been a nice treat over the past 6 months. Mike took a new job as an estimator and then another as an assistant project manager, but desk work didn’t suite him. He now works as a lead carpenter in the foothills. He builds beautiful timber framed custom homes. He’s back to doing what he loves and hopefully even with all the talk of our economy in a downward spiral there are still people interested to purchase these beautiful residences.

We’ve also been looking at homes for ourselves. All we’ve heard lately is that now is the time to buy and that this is a buyer’s market, so we’ve conducted our own little searches. Our lease isn’t up until this coming June and who knows if we’ll be able to pull it off, but if we find something in our price range (I say with a laugh) and with potential and a good location, maybe sooner than later we’ll be homeowners. I can’t stand watching our money swirl down the drain paying stupid amounts in rent once a month when in theory we could use it for a mortgage. So keep your fingers crossed for us that over the next few months, maybe it’ll be our turn to find a place that we can call home.

I made a trip home to NY this summer for a Julie and Jim's wedding in July. It was nice to be home and I loved spending time with my family. The following weekend was Carly's shower and we celebrated in style! I missed Mike like crazy and couldn't wait to get back to Colorado to see him! It was the longest we've been apart since we started dating and we both realized that hopefully that was the last extended trip we'd take that we weren't going to go on together. It just isn't home without Mike being there too. This fall I flew back to the East Coast for Carly's wedding and a day spent in NY with family and then right back to CO.

Now for the grand finale! Mike and I started dating in November of 2003, so after doing the math (and for those of you who know me well, that does not come easy!) we’ve now been together for five years! Wow! I can hardly believe it myself. The question is, how the heck has it gone by so fast?! I think I knew before Mike did that he was “the one” for me. We looked at lots of rings lots of times and talked about getting married and spending our lives together, but it wasn’t until this summer that it became official. One night in July after a softball game Mike was super antsy to get home. He said he wanted to go for a walk and spend some time together, so instead of going out for the usual Wednesday night beer, we scooted. There is some open space behind our place that we spent a lot of time in this summer, walking the trails and fishing the lakes. We walked our usual route and stood at the edge of the water watching the sun go down and enjoying the serenity. Mike walked over to give me a hug and I said to him, “if you were to ask me to marry you right now I’d say yes”, and as soon as I got the words out he had a ring waiting and asked me to marry him! I was totally shocked and of course the answer was yes!

The date has been set for October 2, 2009! We’re going to have a small wedding in Colorado and then swing home to NY and party with everyone! I can hardly believe it and we’re both super excited! All I can say is…what a year!

Home for the Holidays and Back Again

Happy New Year everybody! It seems impossible to me that yet another year has managed to squeak by and it's 2008 already . We had a relatively quiet New Year's Eve. We snacked on finger foods throughout the evening and watched the ball drop at 10:00 (12:00 eastern) and then proceeded to pass out on the couch. We were all in bed by 12:00. Mike and I were still recuperating from our Christmas trip home. New Year's Day was spent snowboarding at Echo Mountain.

I've been slacking when it comes to writing lately. Time and again I sit down and start typing and then I delete everything because it's just not coming out right. The last few months have been pretty busy with visitors, visiting, and managing to make it through yet another holiday season. Mid-November twinkling lights started to appear on neighboring houses. Store windows began decorating for the holiday shopping season, Christmas mucis playing in every deparmtnet store and mall in attempts to invoke the spirit of the holidays in every shopper. And in a blink of an eye, it's all over. Christmas trees are discarded, lights taken down, and now the stores are stocking their shelves with Valentine's Day merchandise. Stores are now a sea of pink and red heart shaped boxes of candy, stuffed animals, flowers, and cards.

On rare occasions I enjoy my daily commute to and from work, especially the mornings when the sky is bright blue, the sun is shining, and I get a clear view of the moutains. Some days the drive is relatively stress free and I have the opportunity to relax behind the wheel and let my mind wander...radio off and just focusing on my thoughts as they come and go. These are also usually the days when I think, "how can we have already been here for a year and half already?" and I catch myself looking around still thinking how sureal it still feels to have accomplished so much in such a short time. During these moments I wish I could just take the day, find a place with a beautiful view, and just sit and write down everything that comes to mind.

Other days when traffic is horrible and I almost get taken out by careless drivers I curse not working three blocks from our house, living near a large city, and not being able to take shortcuts to avoid precarious drivers. I find myself questioning why so many people seem to be constantly on the move out here, angrily excelerating to get past the person driving five mph under the speed limit in the left hand lane. Isn't that lane supposed to be the one reserved for passing? Colorado drivers are by far the worst. It's funny to hear that even people who have lived their entire lives out here admit to it.

I continue to enjoy going to work daily, having made friends with many other employees at the school. It's nice to be able to wander from my desk on days when work is caught up, my calendar is empty, and there isn't a line of students waiting to be helped, or a tour scheduled. It's fun knowing that there are people to chat chit with around the building. I realized shortly after taking the position at ACC that I probably wouldn't have survived very easily out here without it. My boss coined me "the Queen of Tours" this afternoon, which made me smile knowing that he's proud of my work. It sure is nice to be appreciated!

I have a feeling the next few months are going to slip away as quickly as the previous. Hopefully I will find more time to sit down and write and share some more stories and thoughts. For now, I hope that for those of you who look forward to my writings and rants, that I have subdued your cravings for the time being.

They'll be Coming Round the Mountain

I started writing mid-October and now it's November and I never got around to finishing. October was a busy month and went by pretty fast. Let's recap...

Oct:
I went to a book signing. The author was Richard Paul Evans and he was promoting his new book The Gift. Evan’s spoke for about 20 minutes before he began signing…what an incredible speaker he is. The only thing that I was disappointed about was that my mom lives too far away to have had the chance to meet him too. I have been reading books by Evans since I was in high school and to actually have had the chance to shake his hand and say hello was pretty special. Hopefully someday I will be able to sit down and write my own stories and publish them as well. How amazing it would be to see my name on the cover of a book that I wrote sitting on a shelf in a bookstore.

The Colorado Rockies have also recently given us something to be excited about. They made it to the World Series and got there by sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2007 playoffs. One thing I have to admit that has been fun about living near Denver is the positive energy and excitement that everybody has out here for their sports teams. I’ve never quite experienced anything like it.

The ski season has officially arrived! We bought our passes just in time to enjoy the first trail open at Arapahoe Basin on the 14th. I still find it hard to believe that we are out snowboarding in mid October. The craziest part is how busy it was. The lift line was packed full of skiers and riders. What’s annoying is seeing all the expensive outer wear and accessories on these people and then seeing them absolutely suck when they get on the hill. It’s crazy how much money people spend on clothing, boards, boots, and bindings so that they look cool, but how awesome are they when they can barely get off the lift and then spend most of their time sitting in the middle of the trail in everybody else’s way because they can barely make it down. The conversations that we overheard were so annoying that at some points it was almost unbearable to stand in line for the 10 minute wait. The trail that was open was jammed full so it made it somewhat hard to enjoy the snow, but I guess I shouldn't complain too much, we have a whole season ahead of us.

Nov:
Has been a whirlwind since arriving. Aunt Gaye and Trina arrived safely in Denver and Mike and I went over to Dan F's for a Sunday lunch to see everyone. We were an hour early because everyone in our house forgot about the time change. I couldn't figure out why all the clocks at Dan's were an hour slow. It seems that I'm the one who's slow! It was nice seeing everybody. We enjoyed the day watching football, visiting, and playing with the little ones. It was a great visit and Mike and I both left with full bellies. You never walk away hungry when you are a part of an Italian family.

Today, November 9, my parents are going to be starting their 3 week vacation and heading west. They will be in CO by the 16th after making a stop in Roswell NM and Santa Fe to see U. Jim and Michelle. I am of course anxiously awaiting their arrival. I can't wait to show them our new place and finally take my dad on the Coors Tour that we unfortunately skipped on their first trip out when they helped us move, which has now been over a year! The parents will be here for a week or so and we will get to enjoy a big family Thanksgiving with Aunt Gaye, Trina, Dan F and Family, U. Jim and Michelle, and whoever else finds their way to Dan's kitchen table. It should be a lot of fun.

The recruiting season has dwindled down to mostly high school visits, but we're now busy in the office getting high school students signed up for college classes and taking prospective students on tours of the campus. How lucky I am to have a job with such great co-workers and one of the friendliest atmospheres around.

The holidays are right around the corner and I've been brainstorming about what to get people for Christmas since October when the stores started putting up decorations. We're already starting to see houses and store fronts decorated with twinkling Christmas lights. As commercial as Christmas has become, I still enjoy the holiday for the warmth and happiness it brings to most. I can't wait to decide on the cookies I'm going to be making to share with friends and co-workers. I'm especially excited for our trip back to NY. It's going to be a long drive for Mike and I, but well worth it in my eyes. A stop in Kentucky to see Micah and then home by Christmas Eve. It'll be nice to spend the Holidays with friends and family. Isn't that what Christmas is really about anyway?

To Those Who Wait

Recently I woke up in the middle of the night giggling. What a great way to come out of sleep. I don't remember my dream at all, but obviously something in it must have been amusing. It's normal for me not to remember my dreams and the majority of the time I feel as though I have dreamless sleep. Then a few nights later there was another exception to my normal and boring sleep cycle, however instead of waking up and laughing I woke, upset and scared. Like I said, I don't usually remember very many details of my dreams and normally I just brush them off, but what I do remember about this particular one was that something bad happened to my mom. So the minute I was lucid enough to relax and take a deep breath, I called her at work to tell her I loved her. I just wanted to hear her voice and make sure she was OK so that I could move on with my day. Minds work in the most mysterious ways. I normally wouldn't try to analyze my dream, but I think it's because I miss her a lot and the distance is hard.

I realized the other day while driving that things out here no longer feel completely unfamiliar and totally opposite from what I'm used to. I know my way around a number of areas and have even figured out alternate routes and believe it or not, a few shortcuts! This is a familiar feeling that I had when I went away to college and before I knew it I could find my way around Oneonta without much difficulty at all. It's just harder out here because 82.9 % of the population of CO lives in the Front Range, so you can only imagine how many people are always around and how annoying traffic is! It makes me happy that I have finally started to adapt, while at the same time I continually think to myself..."this is something that I will never get used to".

I'm not embarrassed or ashamed to also admit that I still get homesick. I don't think being this far away from friends and family is something that I'll ever get used to and I don't think it's giving up or giving in to want to move back to the East when we're ready to settle down. At least once a day something out here makes me think of home, whether it's a dog that reminds me of Tillie, a meal that's being prepared, the air on a particular afternoon, or just a feeling I get waking up some mornings. I'm not saying that every day I spend out here I wake up and wish I was back in NY, I just know that home is near family and if I'm not near family I will never feel at home. The best part about feeling that way is that it means that I grew up well and came from a good family, that I'm proud to be a member of and have good friends that I need to see more than once a year.

I've been pretty disapointed the last few months because I haven't been able to figure out a way to get home for Christmas. A recent phone call with my parents has turned that around. Mike and I will be driving my Focus home and then trade my parents for the Jeep which means...WE'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS! I have a week of paid vacation and I can't think of a better way to spend it. Plus, Mike hasn't been home since last October and this will give us a chance to finally travel together. So it's a mini vacation for us and a chance to spend some time together. I can't wait! I'm freakin' pumped! Everytime I think about this trip it makes me smile. What a great feeling. The first year we spent in Colorado was pretty hard, but things are starting to feel better. It's awesome to have some good stuff to look forward to, and I think the next few months are going to fly by.

Lets Review

The things you find out about yourself when you move 2000 miles away from home. I still can't believe that we've been out in Colorado for over a year now! I'm happy to report that things have been really good lately for me. I had some lofty aspirations when we moved and I've come to realize that these kinds of goals take time and by time I mean months or longer. Lets not forget to add in there hard work, patience, and determination. Is that a light I see at the end of the tunnel?

Being hired at ACC is one of the best things that has happened to me since our move. Not only do I finally feel like my education is finally starting to pay off, but I feel at home here. My boss is awesome and so are my coworkers. I landed a job where they constantly feed me and give me free stuff! Does it get much better than that? My fall schedule is quickly filling up with high school visits, college fairs, presentations, workshops, and events. I can't wait to start recruiting in a few weeks and talking with seniors about their future options. I think I've found my niche and that feels pretty damn good. This job was my saving grace. I've already learned a ton and I'm really looking forward to what lies ahead.

Mike, Joe, Fuji, and I went camping this past weekend. The hike up the mountain was tiring but what amazing views the trail offered. My legs, back, and shoulders were pretty exhausted when we got to the top, carrying my pack and doing my best to keep up with the boys. It was such a relief the next morning when we started on our way because the majority of the hike was down. That was when I had a chance to take pictures of our mini adventure. I have to post the pics so everybody can see how beautiful it was. As important as it is for me to take pictures to document our good times and the beautiful landscapes CO has to offer, they never do it justice. The only way to really take it all in is to view it in person. The Rockies dwarf the Adirondacks in size, though the Finger Lakes and the Great Lakes stomp the teeny mountain lakes and man made bodies of water that should more appropriately be labeled as ponds. The yellow and gold leaves of the aspens are a nice contrast to the evergreens in the fall when the leaves change, but the East Coast's maple's rainbow of oranges, reds, greens, yellows, golds, rusts, and coppers that illuminate the hills back home are impossible to beat. Can you tell I'm still bias?

Two of my best friends are getting married next year. It's going to be a challenge to save for the dresses and the airfare, but I'm honored to be in both weddings and excited for the celebrations. I have a feeling both weddings are going to be here before we all know. I can't even imagine how beautiful both Julie and Carly are going to be in their wedding gowns. It's crazy how so much can happen in just a year! So on that note I'm sad that I probably won't be able to make it home for Christmas this year unless we hit the lotto. "Hey, you never know." right? So anyone interested in having Christmas in Colorado this year is more than welcome to come celebrate with us! Any takers? I get the week off between Christmas and New Years so start making your travel arrangements everybody. My parents are heading out for Thanksgiving though and I couldn't be more excited for their arrival. Coors Tour here we come!

Moving Right Along

This summer has really moved along! I can't believe that it's already into August! Where does the time go these days? August has potential to be a pretty big month. Nic is on his way out for a visit. Should be good times. I know Mike is excited to see him.

We finally got the rest of our pictures unpacked and hung up. I spent the last two weekends hauling out the back room. It was the extra bedroom that since we moved ended up being the catch all for empty boxes, boxes that never got unpacked, and all sorts of other odds and ends that we didn't get around the taking care of. Now it looks great! I spent a lot of time cleaning and organizing everything back there. I feel good every time I walk in the room now.

A couple weeks ago I also got a new car! Well new to me. 2005 Scion xB. Pretty much a box on wheels. It's awesome! They look so small on the outside, but the room on the inside is fairly unbelievable. All I can think if is a clown car at the circus....that should be there next commercial. I think I'm onto something...The car is cool and the best part is that it gets great gas mileage.

Things at work are starting to pick up also. The next couple of months are going to be my busy time. High school visits, college fairs...It'll be fun and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll never need to buy pens again! The last event I went to, I swiped all sorts of trinkets from other college's set ups. Good times.

Looks like a couple of my best friends are getting hitched. Julie next Julie and Carly next October. A big congrats to both couples. Now all I have to do is figure out a way to fund two trips back East. I'm really excited for both weddings. Should be lots of fun.
I have a feeling the next couple months are going to fly by. Work will be picking up, and visitors. Nic in August, Carrie and Josh in Sept/Oct, my parents for Thanksgiving! I'm really excited! I can't wait for everybody to see our new place.

Oink Oink Beep Beep!

There are certain aspects about living in CO that I'm still adjusting to. Food is one of them. You guys know me, I love food! Growing up in New York and now living out here has made one thing perfectly clear. I am a pizza snob! It's really hard to find good thin crust pizza out here. It's not like there aren't colleges with hungry students looming around. What gives? Also, for those of you who are soft serve lovers...I have yet to come across a soft serve ice cream stand. You know...like Footies. They just don't exist. And for the last time...Subway subs aren't real! So for those of you considering the move...I'm just giving you a heads up.


However, two things you'll never run out of...really good Mexican food and Starbucks! You're pretty much guaranteed to find Starbucks no matter where you are. In fact...some shopping plazas I've seen have one on each end of the parking lot. Down town Denver has a Starbucks on pretty much every corner. It's true, people who live in Denver walk around with shaking hands looking all jittery. Caffeine high. Ask anyone. What's amusing is that when they ice your coffee it costs more!


Real Mexican though...you can't beat it with a stick. It's unavoidable out here. Breakfast burritos kick some major butt cheeks. Something that always makes me laugh though...you can go down any block and come across authentic Mexican food...no problem, but the parking lot of Across the Boarder is always full. Mexican Applebees...What is wrong with people?! Just this morning my boss brought me a breakfast burrito and it was delicious.


So pretty much every trip back home to NY, I plan out just what restaurants I'm going to hit up. King subs, Pudgies, Melody Land...how crazy am I?! No, really?


My last trip home was amazing. I had such a great time! It went by so fast. On my way back I packed my suitcase full of wine and marinades. I brought back some Lucas Tugboat Red and now one of my friends out here is addicted and wants to order a case. I really do love New York. People might act like a$$ h*les when they drive, but out here, they actually drive like a$$ h*les. Mike can attest to that. I've never seen his middle finger fly out the window so often. Also, South Park really does exist and soon enough Mike and I are going to head to Cave of the Winds to try to get a glance of Man Bear Pig.