a good flick
01 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in stuff i like
I’m cheating a little bit on this one, because I’ve only done this thing once. And by once, I mean last night for the first time. But I’m listing it here because a) it was awesome; b) this is a quintessential Denver experience and c) the view/weather/company was so primo that it just must be mentioned.
All summer long Red Rocks Amphitheater takes advantage of the warm Colorado evenings by hosting Film on the Rocks. A couple bands play while the sun sets behind you, and just as dusk is falling across our mighty front range, a classic and well loved movie is projected on the mega screen for you and 9,449 of your closest friends. This summer’s selections include Goonies, Top Gun and Footloose.
Last night it was The Big Lebowski. You’ve seen this movie, right? It’s in my top three favorites (along with The Shawshank Redemption and Best in Show). You know how quirky, off-color and outrageous it is. Now imagine watching it with several thousand people, some of who are appropriately dressed in bathrobes and imbibing White Russians, all of who are calling out their own encouragement to the Dude, Walter and Donnie. I thought that movie was hilarious before, but that will be the best viewing I ever have unless I watch it with Jeff Bridges himself.
As an added bonus, last night was the warmest night of the year so far, I had the pleasure of eating a delicious picnic dinner and sitting next to two people who crack me up to no end. Throw in a shooting star to perfect the night. Now you see? Why I have to consider this one of my favorite things even though I’ve only done it once?
And the best part about this (I’m noticing a trend in my favorite things) is the ticket was only $12. “Cheap, outdoor summer fun” should be my legal middle name.
my favorite things
31 May 2011 1 Comment
in stuff i like
Today I am breaking all the rules. Having a favorite thing implies that you like this thing more than you like any other thing. But I have lots of favorite things. If Oprah and Julie Andrews can do it, so can I! So I’m starting a new project. Sharing my favorite things with you. Come along. Get to know them. Love them. Maybe they’ll become your favorite things too.
Summer in the Rocky Mountains is like giving hair extensions to Rapunzel. You’re adding to perfection. There is just NO END to the things you can do outdoors here in this rocky state of Colorado. You can swim, boat, hike, camp, bike, run, walk, skate, fly, climb, ride, float, ski, sit, board, or just lounge your way through summer. My first favorite thing involves sitting. Some standing, and waving, and stretching. But mostly sitting. It’s the Rockies. Not the mountains, mind you, but the team:
On top of which, I love this:
This picture is the view from the Rockpile, a set of bleachers in which you can buy a seat for $5. And I’m sorry, but this is NOT a bad view of the field. I can’t think of anything more fun to do in Denver for $5 than buy tickets in the Rockpile. Can you?
I love the wave, I love how during the 7th inning stretch they sing, “Root, root, root for the ROCKIES,” I love Rockie Dogs, I love sitting in the sun and I love doing something as all American as cheering on the local baseball team. It just makes a girl happy, ya know? So let it be noted, I love me some baseball! It’s one of my favorite things.
things i love about stapleton
23 May 2011 1 Comment
in lists, stuff i like
Stapleton is the name of my neighborhood. For those of you with any history in Colorado you know that this is the site of the old airport, before the new airport opened in the mid-90s. This patch of land is now home to more than 11,000 people living in the cutest little houses you ever did see. The community is extremely well planned. The yards are small, intentionally, with lots of open and community space to encourage neighborly commingling. There are alleys, not driveways, so you see people’s front porches instead of people’s rear bumpers. There’s about 8 million dogs, 14 million kids, pools, schools and plenty of walking trails. I always tell people I should be on the commercial for Stapleton cause there just ain’t a single thing I don’t love about it.
Among them.
1. The DILFs. This picture is in motion, hence the double vision, but you can probably tell this a dad on a longboard pushing his most likely ridiculously cute kid in his definitely exorbitantly expensive stroller. I’m not saying I would actually F the D, but I am saying laying around at the Stapleton pool on a Saturday afternoon watching them walk around with their toddlers ain’t the worst thing that ever happened to me. Ya dig?
2. The HOA. It’s not very expensive, and they mow my grass, shovel my snow, give me free entry to all of the brand new Stapleton pools, and pay for my water. Thanks guys!
3. The brand new Stapleton Rec Center. $52 for unlimited use of your brand new gym with brand new equipment and view of the mountains for 3 months? Yes, please! Did I mention it’s brand new? It is. BRAND new!
4. Stapleton Moms. It’s a Yahoo group that has gained a bit of fame in Denver. It’s a forum for sharing toys, babysitters, landscapers, tailors, book recommendations, favorite hiking spots, product suggestions, neighborhood alerts, or general grumblings about Stapleton good and bad. Never have I seen such a unity of neighbors asking one another for advice, helping each other out, and sharing ideas.
5. My house. It is perfect for entertaining, and I do so in it often. I had my first meals dining al fresco this weekend (breakfast on Saturday and a dinner feast on Sunday). I absolutely love sitting in the warm evening air surrounded by people I think are nifty. I like it even more when they’re sleeping in my guest room upstairs when dinner is over. Come by! Stay long! Cause trouble!
6. The wine discount. Yep, you heard me. ‘Bout $.40 off each bottle I buy from my friend neighborhood store.
Just some of the many, many reasons I love my home of Denver. It’s pretty neat.
what i should be
19 May 2011 Leave a Comment
Here’s a few things I should be right now:
1. In a really good mood. I have fun plans with a fun person tonight and another fun person coming in to town for the weekend. The next five days are gonna be fantastic!
2. Wearing a skirt. And a short sleeved shirt. It is nearing the end of spring, after all.
3. Planning on bbqing with said visitor from #1, and dining al fresco while sipping a sparkly summer white, relishing in the warm evening air.
Instead I am:
1. Cranky.
2. Thinking about wearing my grey sweater and Ugg boots.
3. Begrudgingly going to be sitting inside for brunch at my favorite spot in Denver on Sunday.
It’s cold, it’s rainy and it’s practically summer. One of these things is not like the others, one of these doesn’t belong. Can you tell which thing is not like the other? IT’S THE COLD AND RAINY WEATHER. GRR.
something else that bugs me
10 May 2011 1 Comment
The RSVP is dead.
I always have a party on the weekend closest to May 14. For whatever reason I had my housewarming that day, and this will be the third year now that I have a little spring fling at casa de Beth. I love having people over. I love hosting, preparing, and enjoying the company of my friendlies in my space.
But something about it really gets under my skin. It seems minor, but it irks me like nails on a chalkboard when people don’t respond to evites. Casual, let’s get together at the bar evites are one thing. But my plan this weekend is to feed and quench the thirst of all of my guests. I have 23 affirmatives, 14 maybes, and 17 who have not responded. I get it, we’re busy. I know, I planned late this year. But please, how am I supposed to buy food and drink and feel perfectly prepared for somewhere between 23 and 54 people? I’m either going to have way too much or not nearly enough. And I get that it’s the internet and it’s all non-committal and such, but I even sent out a message asking people to respond for this very reason. Some did, others didn’t. C’mon people.
I generally consider myself to be pretty chill. But there are just a few things I want to know in advance, and this is one of them. Only one of my friends has been kind enough to email me to let me know why she was a maybe (she’s about to give birth), and admitted she was emailing me because she hates the maybes on evites. Thank you, HP, for understanding!
Yes, I’m whining about something that really doesn’t matter. I love this party, it’s one of my favorite weekends of the year, and I’m gonna have a blast no matter what and I know it. And I know I’m a hypocrite because there have been plenty of things I haven’t RSVPed to. But what fun is complaining unless it’s totally frivolous and hypocritical? Yeah.
no matter where you are…
04 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in the happy
…happiness is always straight ahead if you’re looking in the right direction.
out of office assistant
22 Apr 2011 1 Comment
in workish
What it does say: I am out of the office and will return on Thursday, April 28. I will not have any access to email. For immediate assistance please call …
What I wish it said: I am out of the office and will return on Thursday, April 28. I will not have any access to email because I will be sitting on the beach drinking a margarita. There is no one that can assist you immediately so you’re just gonna have to wait. Maybe you should have a margarita too!
Mas tardes amigos! Ole!
i am what i think
20 Apr 2011 1 Comment
I spent about 20 minutes the other day writing a big long post about why the 40 hour work week is the thing that bugs me most of all. It was a good post. If you want me to send it to you, I will. Just leave a comment and it will be on its way to you.
Then I tried making a list of reasons I like work. Or at least reasons I can tolerate it. This list was much, much shorter than the list of reasons it bugs me. BUT there was one thing on this short little list that really changed the way I think about my job. About work in general. And all I needed was a simple calculator.
There are 168 hours in the week. And I spend 40 of them at work (usually not a minute longer, but that’s a whole other story). That’s less than 24% of my time. I spend less than 1/4 of my time at work. I found that to be remarkable. Because sometimes it feels like I spend long, drawn out, painful hours here. But I’ve just been looking at it all wrong. It’s really only a drop in the bucket. Just think of all the things I can do in the 76% of my time that is my own.
Now I’m looking at work as just something I have to get out of the way before I can get to the rest of my day. Wow. Thanks, adding machine. You’re neat.
i love her really much
19 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
It might surprise you (horrify you?) to know that healthcare providers are not required to be certified in CPR. Or as the healthcare community calls it, BLS, or basic life support. You are reading that correctly. The doctors in the hospitals in YOUR community are most likely not certified in basic life saving measures. Does it mean they couldn’t wing it? No. But it does mean they have probably not had a class in CPR in a long time. Maybe ever.
Turns out it’s a skill that you can learn from the tellie. This little boy learned how to do it from sitting on his bum watching the tube. And what do you know? It saved a life. The little tiny life of his two year old sister. Good thing, too, ’cause he thinks she’s really beautiful. And he loves her really much. Isn’t that the sweetest thing? It must be nice to be loved so really much.
And just in case you was wunderin:
